ZIGGY May 2015

BEST COAST Sleepless in California

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$ Free May 2015

The Film Issue Tanlines Hot Chip Music Matters COS: Urban Landscape Matthew McConaughey

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FEATURE: IMITATION OF LIFE

As long as films are made about music, there’ll be actors playing musicmakers. We gather just some of these actors who, with a smidge of makeup, wigs, leather pants and method acting, have brought real-life musicians to the big screen.

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Runway: The Last Picture Show The graphic appeal of Spring/ Summer’s runways

Muse: Video Gaga The immortalisation of music and musicians in the rockumentary

Incoming: Best Coast “It’s impossible for California to not be reflected in our music”

Collection: COS Spring/Summer 2015 Style and architecture are wed for COS’ Spring/Summer

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Talk: Hot Chip “It’s up to artists to come up with things that make a difference”

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Talk: Donisha Prendergast “My preferred medium is any stage, any place”

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Countdown: Short Cuts The definitive, indisputable ranking of 10 fashion films

Feature: Heart of the Meta How actors playing actors in films about films meta

Shopping: Director’s Cut Six ways to wear a film on your sleeve

Clockwork: Tudor North Flag All’s cool on Tudor’s all-new arctic adventure

Parties: Vibe Beach Sports & Music Festival Things got a tad sweaty

Listings: Music Matters Live If it’s up and coming, it’ll be here

Hello 8

#37: THE FILM ISSUE

“Now she walks through her sunken dream / To the seat with the clearest view / And she’s hooked to the silver screen.”

– David Bowie, “Life on Mars”

Editor in chief

General Manager

Writer

Account Manager

Editorial Intern

Contributors

Min Chen min@ziggymag.sg

Indran P indran@ziggymag.sg

Lee Xin-rui

Yu-Jin Lau jin@ziggymag.sg +65 9844 4417

Lydia Chow lydia@ziggymag.sg

Aaron Kok Chuck Reyes Jeremy Fong Loo Reed Rosalind Chua

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The views expressed in ZIGGY are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. Every effort has been made to ensure all information in the magazine is correct at the time it is sent to print.

MCI (P) 067/04/2015 ZIGGY is published every month by Qwerty Publishing Pte Ltd. Printed in Singapore by Also Dominie Pte Ltd (L029/09/2013)

Introduction 10

ACT NATURALLY Movie night just got real In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, chained, unenlightened masses perpetuate their ignorance by being transfixed by moving shadows on a wall. Since they don’t know better, they mistake these flickers of movement to be all there is to reality. Charming.

Thankfully, we’ve come a long way from those dark times, as has the medium of film, the experience of which has often been compared to that Platonic parable. In these post-Internet times, not only are we more conscious of the differences between reality and representation (our optimism isn’t unfounded: see Tropic Thunder), we’ve also developed a sensibility around how to esteem, depict,

celebrate and declaim all the different facets of the human experience. How lucky are we that today, the social adjudicator of taste, which was once viewed as something to aspire to, has been levelled to the all-inclusive point where one can drop knowledge bombs about Rashomon while unabashedly enjoying Dude, Where’s My Car? What’s expanded the universe of film, from the evolution of its zoetrope-to-IMAX-3D technology to the sheer size of filmic output – which testifies to the active demand for specific genres and the scrum to meet it – to the panoply of festivals

and award ceremonies to honour next-level feats in the field is that its allure and appeal are thoroughly universal – if a picture speaks a thousand words, what more a moving picture with sound? And being a universal medium, it’s bound to swarm, rather healthily, we might add, with differing opinions, and also from its most garlanded makers.

Jean-Luc Godard famously said, “The cinema is truth 24 framesper-second.” Martin Scorsese somewhat agreed with: “Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out”. And Luis Buñuel affirmed the visceral power of film in, “Sometimes, watching a movie is a bit like being raped.”

Everyone’s got an opinion about film because there’s so much to have an opinion about in film.

Our Film Issue, then, is a humble testament to the inviting and inspiring majesty of an art form that has grown to likewise inspire and influence our other pet loves of music and fashion. So, in these pages, you’ll find a curation of winning soundtracks, straightfrom-the-screen looks and impartial reviews of actors playing musicians in the movies, which are no mere spinoff of any box office attraction. All, of course, for your viewing pleasure.

Introduction 11

Runway 12

Etro Spring/Summer 2015

Coach Spring/Summer 2015

Topman Design Spring/Summer 2015

Moschino Spring/Summer 2015

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW Contains graphic material Words: Min Chen If words aren’t working, let pictures do the talking. Past this season’s requisite cast of stripes and floral figures lies a trove of graphic material that definitely won’t be arriving or departing quietly. We’ll let Bobby Abley lead the pack with his on-going Disney fixation, which, following F/W’s Mickey Mouse-centric circus, now sees his favourite parts of The Little Mermaid applied to a new round of casual wear. Playful, much? Well, Stuart Vevers can match that.

Over at Coach, he’s roped in Gary Baseman’s kooky comic characters

for prime spots on the house’s latest run of knits and tees, simply because, “I just wanted to have some fun.” Topman Design went similarly loony for toons in its ‘70s-inspired collection topped off with brightly graphic T-shirts, while Moschino and Etro snapped, crackled and popped in full-body prints of food and candy porn.

This is graphic content that’s got no time for all your fine margins between the cute, the cool and the kitschy, but with fine visual aplomb, isn’t afraid to boldly colour outside the lines.

Bobby Abley Spring/Summer 2015

Screen 13

STILL LIFE Roger Ebert lives and loves in Life Itself Words: Min Chen

The life of a film critic doesn’t lend itself naturally to a subject of a documentary, but Roger Ebert was, clearly, not just any film critic. By 2012, he’d spent 46 good years reviewing movies for the Chicago Sun-Times, in books and on TV shows like Coming To a Theatre Near You, receiving a Pulitzer Prize along the way and becoming one of America’s most venerated of critical voices. His were not the lofty, ideas-heavy film analyses as produced by the likes of Pauline Kael or Andrew Sarris, but behind his plainspoken reviews lay a belief in the populist potential of film criticism and an undying commitment to the cinema. “Look at a movie that a lot of people love,” he’s written, “and you’ll find something

profound, no matter how silly the film may seem.”

Ebert’s life, of course, was also spent outside of the cinema, and documentarian Steve James ensures intimate views of both the man and the critic in Life Itself.

While the film’s foregrounded in the last four months of Ebert’s life – when thyroid cancer robbed him of the ability to speak, eat and drink, and yet, not of his joie de vivre – it also proceeds to unravel a life enriched by love, adventure and honesty. In fact, the documentary is woven with more than a single narrative: there’s the creative life of a cinephile and writer, whose work would impact more than just a few column inches (as Martin

Scorsese and Werner Herzog arrive to testify); his working relationship with fellow critic Gene Siskel, which oscillated between love and hate; and the soul-stirring love story between Ebert and his wife Chaz, who stood strong by him through his physical deterioration. The final portrait is that of a man who loved life and loved films, and who understood how each powered the other. Chaz remembers, “He said that when you went into a movie, in those two hours, if the movie was really working its job on you properly, that you left being a truer version of who you were.”

Steve James himself is the recipient of Ebert’s generosity and confidence. James’ 1994

movie Hoop Dreams was warmly championed by the critic, who gave it his signature thumbs-up and the following rave: “A film like Hoop Dreams is what the movies are for. It takes us, shakes us, and makes us think in new ways about the world around us. It gives us the impression of having touched life itself.” And in turn, in a fine and poignant tribute to the man who bestowed it, James is worthy of that same praise here.

Listomania 14

PITCH PERFECT The plot thickens in these 7 made-for-movie songs…

Words: Indran P Beck: “We Are Sex Bob-Omb” Though Michael Cera’s band in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World may claim credit for this two-minute, three-chord garage-punk blitz, it’s the great Beck who brought it into the world. For a film structured abound a battle-of-the-bands narrative, its gleeful “1, 2, 3, 4 / Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” amateurism is super rad.

Bruce Springsteen: “The Wrestler” “Then you’ve seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor,” coos The Boss in this moving bros-for-lyfe ode to his friend Mickey Rourke, star of the titular film. And like the film, it doesn’t suffer for its predictability.

Kenny Loggins: “Danger Zone” When Toto, Bryan Adams and REO Speedwagon declined to lend their vocals to a particular disco-rock Giorgio Moroder instrumental, the soft rock gawd Kenny Loggins jumped on it and became the voice of Top Gun. The US Navy has since called its video “the most effective recruiting poster ever produced.”

Beyoncé: “Crazy In Love” (2014 Remix) The 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack album was actually conceived two years before the film’s release and Beyoncé was one of the first few artists approached for a contribution. And in sexy clothesto-the-floor splendour, Queen Bey more than delivers with a darker and slower take on the original.

Lana Del Rey: “Young and Beautiful” In one of the most complementary artist-character match-ups in the history of Western cinema, the perennial IRL sad girl Lana Del Rey penned this ode for The Great Gatsby with the theatrically capricious heartbreaker Daisy Buchannan in mind. Melodrama never sounded so gorgeous.

Nine Inch Nails: “The Perfect Drug” As Trent Reznor has it, this drum ‘n’ bass crusher, made for the David Lynch fan-favourite Lost Highway, isn’t his “favourite piece” because of its sheer bloatedness.

But what other musical metaphor as compellingly captures human perversity than a song about loveas-drug-addiction with a manic drum solo?

David Bowie: “Magic Dance” David Bowie has been many things, including Jareth the Goblin King, the chief baddie in the 1986 fantasy romp Labyrinth. He also co-helmed the soundtrack for the film, writing five songs, including this candy-coated dance-pop jaunt that testifies to his godly chameleonic verve.

Rewind 16

A FILM FAREWELL

In August 2006, André 3000 and Big Boi released Idlewild, their last album as OutKast. Even by their spectrum-blasting standards, it was their most gloriously bombastic and genre-contorting work. Also, it was accompanied by an eponymous film. Take your seats before the biggest of them all.

Words: Indran P Not a soundtrack Here’s Big Boi with the knowledge: “This is an OutKast album. It isn’t like a soundtrack where we go get this person or that person.” So, Idlewild wasn’t a corralled or curated cluster of songs but a consummately OutKastian product, their sixth album. What’s more, even in the film, most of the musical numbers were lifted jukeboxstyle from their earlier albums Big Boi and Dre Present… OutKast and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, with some songs being performed by Macy Gray and longtime OutKast sessionist Debra Killings. And, from Idlewild’s mammoth 25song tracklist, only seven songs featured in the film. But even without the benefit of Big Boi’s prefatory comments, the album can be enjoyed as a standalone product, with the music serving as its own anchoring context. This

is, after all, an OutKast album, which means that even before hitting play, you already (sort of) know what you’re in for.

Eye on Hollywood Still, Idlewild is very much a meta-commentary on the attitudes and presumptions traditionally associated with the film world. The opening skit “Intro” plainly affirms this with its exchange between a comically (read: stiltedly) posh-speaking “method actor” lamenting that “rappers who get into acting are disrespecting the craft – they’re taking jobs from us trained actors”, before being silenced by a tough-talking gangsta-type with, “Why you talkin’ like that?”

Besides, this blackface-inreverse racism perpetuated by Hollywood’s canons-deep legacy, Dre and Big Boi also indict the mainstream’s appropriating and

diluting of patently black modes of discourse on the elegiac “Hollywood Divorce”: “All the fresh styles always start out as a hood thing / Look at blues, rock, jazz, rap… By the time it reaches Hollywood, it’s over... take our game, take our name.” Against this backdrop of cultural erasure

by Hollywood’s arch pillaging, the chorus of “Life Is Like A Musical” is emphatically emboldening: “Don’t let ‘em don’t let ‘em / Change us change us.”

Songs to say goodbye Just before the simmering sex jam “N2U”, Big Boi ad libs this self-appraising line, “Too much inspiration.” As with all OutKast projects, the stylistic breadth on Idlewild is staggering, but this time, the sheer musical largesse points not at new higher ground lit on by the pair but the end of one of rap’s most sacrosanct and defining partnerships.

Overstuffed with compendiums of sounds and ideas throughout its prodigious 79 minutes, Idlewild also sees the two rapping together on the same song in highlights like “Mighty ‘O’” and “PJ Rooster”, something they wouldn’t do until Big Boi’s 2008 single “Royal Flush” and since then, not till their 2013 reunion.

But with the dimensions of their current status still fuzzy, it’s fitting that their last statement of intent was a feature film-sized lot to take in and more.

Résumé 18

HIGH Mission Improbable (2000) Stiller’s Tom Cruise impersonation, as honed on The Ben Stiller Show, flowered in this skit for MTV’s 2000 Movie Awards. Hamming it up as the actor’s stunt double (Tom Crooze), he nails Cruise’s manic laugh and muscles, and with Cruise’s approval, of course.

BEN STILLER In between the ridiculously good-looking highs of Zoolander to the pointless lows of playing Jennifer Aniston’s love interest, Ben Stiller’s oeuvre as an actor and director has coloured our silver screen with both its duds and doozies. Below, we recollect the ebb and flow of his well-populated CV. Words: Min Chen

HIGH Reality Bites (1994) Top marks to Stiller for giving Gen X its penultimate cinematic representation. Besides directing Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke as disenchanted youths, he also co-starred as a TV executive who’s so square, he’s got lines like, “What’s your glitch?”

OKAY There’s Something About Mary (1998) As the love-struck Ted who just can’t get the girl without being made to befall some manner of disaster, Stiller here got to max out his comedy muscle, and despite the insane and inane Farrellys script, still manages to swing with it just as well.

HIGH Flirting With Disaster (1996) Stiller’s whole frustrated, neurotic groove (“So I’m ‘Neurotic Guy’, is that my designation?”) was found here, in David O. Russell’s leftfield comedy about a man on a mission to uncover his biological parents.

It’s pretty much a prototype of the many hapless Greg Fockers Stiller will later get around to playing.

LOW Night at the Museum (2006) Broad, kid-pleasing fare that called for the bare minimum – running around, slapping a monkey – from Stiller, who delivers as required.

HIGH Meet The Parents (2000) One of 2000’s smashiest of hits, Meet The Parents effectively pit Stiller’s neuroses and comedic timing against the powers that be Robert De Niro in a knee-slappin’ comedy of errors. Its sequels could only struggle to recreate that same magic.

OKAY Starsky & Hutch (2004) Stiller’s 2004 was spotty with Envy and Meet The Fockers, amongst which Starsky & Hutch occupies a comparatively better position that’s down to Stiller’s easy chemistry with Owen Wilson.

Owen Wilson is hot.

OKAY Greenberg (2010) The titular Greenberg is a privileged white person with tons of white person problems, and Stiller’s likability can only go so far in making an unsympathetic jerk sympathetic.

HIGH Zoolander (2001) Zoolander’s story about a “base-headed” male model embroiled in an assassination plot did nothing at the box office, but its trove of nonsensical situations, superstar cameos and turns of phrases (“Put a cork in it, Zane!”) ensured it a meme-spawning cult appeal.

LOW Along Came Polly (2004) An exercise so debased for everyone, but especially for Philip Seymour Hoffman, who’s here made to use the word “shart”.

HIGH The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) In one of Stiller’s finest dramatic turns, he played the tightly wound Chas Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson’s terrific third outing.

The superb cast surrounding him did help, but none of them got to do high-strung tough-talking in an adidas tracksuit.

HIGH Paris Fashion Week 2015 In the best thing to ever happen in Paris, fashion and Paris Fashion Week, Stiller and Owen Wilson took to the Valentino runway as Derek Zoolander and Hansel to announce the coming of Zoolander 2. Genius.

HIGH Tropic Thunder (2008) Satire and gross-out comedy have never been more smartly wed than on Tropic Thunder, which, aside from poking fun at its own medium, has gifted the world with the #truthbomb that you never, ever go full retard.

OKAY The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) For a film ostensibly about the “quintessence” of life, Walter Mitty was surprisingly devoid of any joy or humour, its stilted execution only just made up for by its Icelandic scenes and yes, that skateboarding sequence.

HIGH Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny (2006) Stiller makes the best of his mini slot in the Tenacious D movie, playing a Guitar Center dude who unveils the origins of the P.O.D (Pick of Destiny). Behold: “Satanus! It’s Latin for Satan.”

Genius 19

RZA MAKES A MOVIE In bridging the visual and the aural mediums, and achieving the unprecedented by bringing the disparate fields of kung fu and hip hop together in the process, Wu-Tang’s honcho RZA is a true auteur.

Words: Indran P

Now, as in 1993, listening to the Wu’s debut – and film-titlereferencing – album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) brings to mind all its members shrouded in their impenetrable all-black swag, moving deftly in the flickering firelight, throwing lyrical knucklepunches at you from the engulfing darkness. It’s a filmic album, shot through with many memorable film-worthy moments and in its visual nature, is born from film itself. Echoing a universal sentiment, RZA recently said that he watched film as child to “escape reality”. As he grew older, kung fu films, particularly 1978’s The Five Deadly Venoms and the Gordon Liu opus Shaolin & Wu Tang, would inform his larger artistic ambitions even more definitively: “Those early films are my music.” And now as back then, listening to songs like “Bring Da Ruckus” is to behold “Wu-Tang being a sword-style of lyricism”. The entire Wu universe, then, is the cross-pollination of film and music.

RZA’s stand at the upper echelons of hip hop’s most influential elders has led to one aspect of his output being overlooked: his turn as an actor. Since the 1999 Jim Jarmusch thriller Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, he’s appeared in a number of roles that directly allude to his interests in both the “urban” and kung fu worlds.

Like the spirit of the grindhouse flicks that fascinated him growing up, the roles he’s inhabited all stretch out stereotypes to illogical extremes. You don’t have to strain your mind to realise that the pulpy conception of characters like Brick Mansion’s Tremaine Alexander or Mr L.C. from Tom Yum Goong 2, is an interrogation of societal assumptions of how a black man is to be represented onscreen. And when he fused blackness with kung fu on The Man with the Iron Fists, the white gaze was confounded.

As a self-proclaimed “student” of film for so long, it was with his directorial debut that RZA came into his own. The Man with the Iron Fists marked a convergence of his interests in music, directing and acting with the florid selfconscious bombast that his earlier roles only hinted at. Predictably panned by those who obviously missed the point, it wasn’t a film that was made to be rewarded with Rotten Tomatoes esteem.

Instead, in the emphatic curation of its beyond-eclectic soundtrack, gloriously vivid fight sequences and familiar-but-unfamiliar plot, it was the realisation of his long-held belief that like hip hop, “Film is a medium of sampling.” And that when the two are mixed, incredible stories can be told.

Muse 20

VIDEO GAGA Context is everything. And if the spectrum of media is good for one thing, it’s proven invaluable in marshalling its disparate forms into enriching public knowledge about particular ground-breaking cultural developments. In music, the rockumentary has brought documentary-type focus to the artists and bands that blazed a niche, and ultimately, expanded the aural universe with the visual one.

Words: Indran P

Know your history The foremost point of entry into any musical documentary is its behind-the-scenes value. Besides foregrounding the historical moments at which the featured music was made, films of this nature also explore the mores of the scenes that governed the sound and sensibility of the music itself, and idiosyncrasies of the musicians in question.

One of the first, 1967’s Don’t Look Back, covered Bob Dylan’s 1965 UK tour, and besides capturing its on-the-road footage, also immortalised his youthful confidence and charisma and his keen sense of social justice.

Since then, many other films have mined this history-revisiting and artist-aggrandising vein, including, notably, The Rolling

Stones’ Gimme Shelter and Madonna’s Truth or Dare. What connects them is the time capsule-like essence that rewards the viewer’s understanding of their protagonists with a certain degree of intimacy. You weren’t at Monterey Pop but watching Jimi Hendrix burn his guitar in D.A. Pennebaker’s titular doc will do something to you.

Inside looking in Before the Internet and its subsequent Insta-tweet ease of access, the divide between artist and audience was real thing that accounted for Michael Jackson’s faint-on-sight faithful.

The rock doc functioned in this era as a more entertaining and more comprehensive alternative to the magazine interview by

allowing artists to tell their stories themselves. 2000’s The Filth and the Fury has emerged as a legendary exemplar of this where, untethered from any pressures of “narrative”, The Sex Pistols told it like it was. Amongst the infinitely charming quotables was John Lydon’s very anatomically specific description of ex-band mate Glen Matlock. Pre-reality TV, films of this Behind the Music stripe gave fans and haters what amounted to a front row seat to their stars. So shouts out to Metallica for filming their collective meltdown on Some Kind of Monster.

Lights and cameras As with all art, subtracting entertainment from edification is self-serious and, worse, fallacious (read: lame). So when

Jack White starts It Might Get Loud with, “Who says you need to buy a guitar?” he’s knowingly attesting to his presence onscreen as a for-the-viewer spectacle.

Even indie-minded outings like the Fugazi-extolling Instrument and the honorific The Devil and Daniel Johnston use filmmaking conventions to cast their subjects in an appealing and engaging light.

Just like no presentation about hair metal bands can omit visual representations of their audiencebaiting debauchery, or like how no punk rock revisit can be devoid of mosh pit punch-ups (see American Hardcore), rock docs, like the music and personalities that drive them, are about entertaining you, a point made inarguable by one of the greatest of them all, Spinal Tap.

Bookmark 21

SCREEN SHOT

Four books that can’t keep their eyes off the big screen Words: Min Chen

SHOCK VALUE

BY JOHN WATERS

The man behind such films as Female Trouble and Pink Flamingos isn’t exactly going to be a paragon of convention. And John Waters, long-celebrated cult film director with inclinations toward camp, trash and absurdity, doesn’t intend to be. “If someone vomits watching one of my films, it’s like getting a standing ovation,” is how he opens his memoirs, which goes on to cover his Baltimore roots, films, outrageous cast members (Divine!) and of course, his fine taste in bad taste.

EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS

BY PETER BISKIND

There’s no Hollywood like Hollywood in the ‘70s, when, following a ‘60s slump into predictable crowd-pleasers, the industry grew rich and wild with a new generation of creative minds with names like Coppola, Altman, Bogdanovich and Scorsese. Peter Biskind owns the essential word on the subject here, recounting how late-‘60s entries like Bonnie & Clyde and Easy Rider tore down the gates for a decade of challenging and trailblazing films from Nashville to The Godfather.

Fortunes rise and fall, Oscars are won, cocaine is served and a shark births the blockbuster in this highly engrossing trip through movie history.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

BY SALMAN RUSHDIE

“When I first saw The Wizard of Oz,” writes Salman Rushdie, “it made a writer out of me.” No mere fantasy-lined children’s film, the classic 1939 musical inspired Rushdie’s first story (titled Over The Rainbow, written when he was 10), informed his Haroun and the Sea of Stories, and offered refuge when the writer was exiled from his home following the publication of The Satanic Verses. Such are his personal reminisces that fill up this slender monograph, part of the British Film Institute’s Film Classics series, which is also woven with background on the film and its creator, L. Frank

Baum. Even more enlightening is Rushdie’s critical analysis, which takes issue with how a story about “the weakness of grown-ups forc[ing] children to take control of their own destinies” winds up embracing the comfort of one’s own backyard in, “There’s no place like home”. For Rushdie, The Wizard of Oz was more than just that “conservative little homily”, but a tale equally for children and exiles that revelled in the power of imagination and the fantasy of escape, by teaching us “to build on what we have, to make the best of ourselves”. And in his final insight, there’s no place but the homes we choose to make for ourselves, in Oz or otherwise.

THE DAY OF THE LOCUST

BY NATHANAEL WEST

You’ll find no glitz, glamour or red carpets in Nathanael West’s Hollywood-set piece. Instead, 1939’s The Day of the Locust chooses to dwell in the grotesque fringes of the industry and hang with C-list wannabes to probe societal alienation and despair, where the only glimmer of hope lies in becoming a star on someone else’s walk of fame. And isn’t Hollywood silly: “Being with her was like being backstage during an amateurish, ridiculous play.”

Lookbook 22

GIRL ON FILM Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2015 campaign captures Kristen Stewart in its frames Words: Rosalind Chua

The mighty young actress with a host of credible indies (see her latest Clouds of Sils Maria and Still Alice) and of course, the undying Twilight franchise under her belt, Kristen Stewart’s lately been chalking up fashion points with her alignment with Chanel. As one of Karl Lagerfeld’s newest muses, she fronted the house’s Métiers d’art Paris-Dallas collection last year and recently,

joined Vanessa Paradis and Alice Dellal in repping its “3 Girls 3 Bags” campaign. But for Chanel’s upcoming eyewear outing, she’s right, front and center, embodying the Spring/Summer collection with unparalleled cool.

Featured in this campaign are Chanel’s newest round of frames including a reinterpreted version of ‘70s pilot frames, jewel-encrusted

cat-eye sunglasses, as well as finely striped optical frames that borrow androgynous details from the Boy Chanel bag. Photographed by Karl Lagerfeld, Stewart models these beautifully against a minimal, grey backdrop that allows her edgy and elegant profile full attention. And naturally, the Kaiser himself is no slouch too, as Stewart professes, “He’s so good at seeing something that’s not cool and making it cool.”

For this very cool occasion, she also dons the persona of a photoreporter, wielding a vintage camera and gazing out from behind its lens, just as Lagerfeld’s lens gazes back. There’s obviously more than a single frame in these campaign images, though, whoever’s doing the looking or the photographing, there’s no mistaking the load of smart and modern luxe that coats every one of them.

Countdown 23

SHORT CUTS

Proof that fashion advertising can be more than just product placement, the fashion film has evolved into an art form that packs joy, wit and storytelling alongside the usual style. Here, we play favourites with 10 of our choice chic shorts.

Words: Min Chen

7 Saint Laurent Music Project 2014 featuring Curtis Harding A platform to air the house’s choice up-and-coming artists, the Saint Laurent Music Project produced this stylish fashion film-music video hybrid in 2014, featuring Curtis Harding airing his “Next Time” and a barely-clad model doing model things.

3 Prada: “A Therapy” The idea that the fashion film could sell more than clothes began with “A Therapy”. This pioneering short came directed by Roman Polanski, and starred Helena Bonham-Carter and Ben Kingsley as patient and a psychiatrist. Kingsley’s doctor turns out to be more drawn to his patient’s choice of coat than her well-being, leading up to a final frame that perfectly marries fantasy to absurdity. Now that’s fashion.

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Alexander McQueen: Spring/Summer 2014 Campaign Steven Klein’s campaign short for Alexander McQueen was a murky and unsettling thing, trailing a leather-clad and yellow-haired Kate Moss down a dark alley. A tribute to 1960’s Peeping Tom, this won’t go down easy, but gets extra points for its portentous build of tension and atmosphere.

6 Prada: “Candy” Prada’s a frontrunner in fashion film (see #3), and “Candy” is but a small slice of the fun it’s been having with the medium. Directed

by Wes Anderson, it’s got Lea Seydoux playing the titular Candy, who apparently can’t have enough of a good thing. Anderson’s delightful visual signature is all over the short, as are a cheeky wink and nod for extra sweetness.

2 WREN: “First Kiss” Bringing 20 strangers together to kiss for the first time is hardly the best way to market a label, but it’s been highly effective in landing WREN a hundred million hits on YouTube. And in fact, “First Kiss”, directed by Tita Plleva, looks nothing like a fashion film – no extravagant sets or models – and yet, the results of its central conceit have been beautiful and moving all by themselves.

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Lanvin: Fall/Winter 2011 Campaign When not directed by Steven Klein, the fashion film can also be a joyful affair. Behold Lanvin’s un-slick, un-serious F/W ’11 short, which sees models like Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmerman (plus bonus Alber Elbaz) synchronisedancing to Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me”.

5 Chanel: “Reincarnation” Karl Lagerfeld’s been reimagining episodes in Chanel’s history with shorts like 2013’s “The Return”, but last year’s “Reincarnation” tops ‘em all with its surreal pluck.

In eight minutes, he traces the roots of Chanel’s iconic jacket to a 1950s Salzburg hotel, where paintings come to life, and Cara Delevingne and Pharrell Williams dance a midnight waltz.

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Proenza Schouler: “Snowballs” Described as “disturbing” and “a sales deterrent”, Proenza Schouler’s collaboration with Harmony Korine for its F/W ’11 campaign is far from a pretty picture. And yet, it leaves its mark with Korine’s staging of a suburban nightmare, populated by menacing characters and an eerie soundtrack. We’re not sure what it is, but it’s probably art.

4 Vogue: “Cover Girl” Marking Lena Dunham’s first Vogue cover in February ‘14, the comedienne and Hamish Bowles teamed up in an original short to run through supermodel poses from the mag’s archives. The whole thing turns into a frisky songand-jig (“Kate! Naomi! Cindy!

Twiggy!”) that serves as a reminder that hey, Vogue’s got a sense of humour too.

1 Viva Vena!: “Fashion Film” A NYC-based neo-vintage indie label, Viva Vena! could have easily produced any hipster-soaked fashion film, but instead, in 2013, it gave us “Fashion Film”. Yes, it’s a parody of said-medium, with Lizzy Caplan portraying the archetypal record-playing, floral headband-wearing, ukulele-playing manic pixie dream girl, whispering lines like, “Sometimes I think to myself in French.” It’s gold. If you’re serious at all about fashion or fashion film, look away.

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IMITATION OF LIFE There’s no role tougher and more complex than having to fill a real life icon’s shoes onscreen.

Here are some actors who played musicians in musically-inspired films in ways we can’t forget.

And because musicians are a complex bunch, here are also some that became actors to play themselves.

Text: Indran P

Feature 25 shoes and a whole new taste for glamour, nostalgia and just general outrageousness. Is London not shocked?” instigates a nondiegetic newscaster at beginning of this Todd Haynes coup. Set in the Britain during the glam rock boom of the ‘70s, the film was a widely acclaimed revisit of the music and particularly, its sexual attitudes.

And playing the Bowie-inspired character Brian Slade, Jonathan Rhys Meyers was the driving force behind this vivid, compelling period piece. From arch Wildean wit – “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person... Give him a mask and he’ll tell you the truth” – to painful reflection – that moment when he admits, “There is suffering at the birth of a child just as there is suffering at the birth of a star,” he spoke for the inner rumblings of vanity, ambition and doubt that Bowie, Bolan and those they inspired experienced in the face of society’s judging eyes.

VAL KILMER IN THE DOORS

JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS IN VELVET GOLDMINE

“It appears today’s generation has fashioned a whole new bent on the so-called sexual liberation of the Flower Power set. The long hair and love beads have given way to glitter makeup platform

Currently, Kilmer and George Clooney are in the running for Worst Batman Ever. But Kilmer will always have to his résumé the inalienable fact of having played Jim Morrison to fantastic, endless-applause-worthy effect.

While Oliver Stone’s directorial moves here have been widely panned, and not just for his liberal revisionism, Kilmer-as-Morrison was a casting choice that ensured that Stone’s film had a lot going for it. In 1991, Kilmer, slimmer, more dashingly androgynous, and nailing the misplaced arrogance and pretensions of Morrison, glowed like an unholy beacon in the acid-dropping ‘60s the film is set in. As per Stone’s vision, he glorified not the myth of Morrison the hero but furnished a glimpse of a deeply conflicted genius who was one of rock ‘n’ roll’s gone-toosoons. The scene where he leaps on top of a car and screams, “Let’s plan a murder, start a religion!” speaks unequivocally to the brickthrough-windshield force that Morrison was.

PRINCE IN PURPLE RAIN ICE CUBE IN BOYZ N THE HOOD

To get to the point where he could write and star in a hit comedy franchise in Friday, a string of pulp action-thriller flicks, and reach out to a larger audience in the box office-devouring 21 & 22 Jump Street, Ice Cube had to star in this gripping true-to-life portrayal of the devastatingly grim realities of life in south central Los Angeles, the fabled West Coast of rap lore, where life comes at you fast in the form of gangs, violence and drugs.

He played Darrin “Doughboy” Baker, a through-and-through gangsta cursed with a keen sense of perception about the desolation in the hood. Vengeful and disaffected, he was also director John Singleton’s philosophical vehicle in the film and one of the most powerful scenes had him lament on how disconnected the rest of America was from the gang-related bloodshed of the present: “I turned on the TV this morning… showed all these foreign places... I started thinking, man, either they don’t know, don’t show, or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.” On the screen as on wax, Ice Cube spoke the truth.

Dearly Beloved, you should damn well know that everything Prince does is about Prince himself and that everything that Prince touches turns to purple-lined gold.

1985’s Purple Rain, which marked both his big-screen debut and the definitive moment at which he emerged as a musical immortal of the Bowie-Hendrix-Jackson cut, with its accompanying album, was a bombastically florid affair. It was everything: (semi-)autobiography, love story, battle-of-the-bands romp, concert film and more.

Though he’d later come to fixate ludicrously on his moniker, here, Prince’s protagonist was simply known as The Kid. And it’s through The Kid’s show-stopping genius, imperious megalomania, travails with his abusive father, and alternately affectionate and misogynistic treatment of his co-star Apollonia, that we’re privy to how Prince himself navigated those circumstances. Through virtuosity – the opening “Let’s Go Crazy” performance – to face-palm goofy – when he tells Apollonia that she needs to “purify” herself in “the waters of Lake Minnetonka” – to the tragic – when he has a meltdown after the “Darling Nikki” routine and is chastised Billy Sparks (Prince’s IRL road manager who plays himself) for venting his personal frustrations on stage, Purple Rain was a window into the Purple One’s Purple World.

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she herself is in her own arena, much to the chagrin of her fellow Supremes or here, Dreams, especially, Jennifer Hudson. The film’s best moments pit the two in a power struggle where they sing it out, song after show-stopping song. The note-holding squareoff that ensues when Hudson’s Effie White finds out she’s been dropped from the group deserves multiple watchings – with headphones.

GARY OLDMAN IN SID & NANCY

The Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant” sums up the Sid Vicious-Nancy Spungen relationship with the line, “I don’t believe illusions ‘cos too much is real.” Rock’s poster couple for dysfunctional relationships made headlines with their combustible ups-and-downs and got their cinematic due thanks to Alex Cox’s cultclassic-assured touch on this 1986 re-examination of their highly eventful heroin-fuelled trainwreck. No arch loverman, Sid’s well-publicised bouts of drug-addled, violence-ensuing romps with Nancy are exhumed with a remarkable sense of realism by Oldman who lends his magnetic charisma, this time, to depths he wouldn’t ever sink to, on screen and in the real world.

We see him ravaging his bass, as a “fabulous disaster”, as a lovestruck lad making out with Nancy on a grimy toilet floor and as a clueless, logic-impervious junkie called out by Nancy herself, a woman-hitter, and as a rock ‘n’ roll cautionary tale. Most of all, we see him as punk’s first leading man, kissing his lady in by a dumpster in an alley, one-half of a star-crossed pair.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX IN WALK THE LINE

BEYONCÉ IN DREAMGIRLS

The idea of Beyoncé playing someone else does seem odd today, given her reign over pop culture as an exemplar of overachieving perfection. But in 2006, she was still some ways away from her current near-deific status. And at least tangentially, some parts of the story of the Supremes do bear a strong parallel with all that happened with Destiny’s Child. So, in this film à clef about the girl band that still influences them all, Beyoncé’s Diana Ross is as every bit as competition-destroying and attention-commanding as

Two things: First, it’s not Johnny Cash you hear singing the soundtrack but Joaquin Phoenix himself. Second, Phoenix has an amazingly Cash-like baritone.

Where most biopics fail because of either an overtly reverential treatment of their subject or stilted portrayals of their heroes by miscast actors, James Mangold’s 2005 film was a consummate triumph. Instead of tapping on Hollywood’s “safer” stand-aparts to invoke everything about Cash that made him a symbol for blackclad lone rangers everywhere, Mangold went with a wild card and simply allowed him to become Cash. From its opening sequence onwards, Cash’s historic 1968 performance at Folsom State Prison, Phoenix, slickly ravenhaired and cold-eyed, channeled a menacingly brooding air that made his delivery of lines like, “And you know what June Carter, I think you are afraid of livin’ in my big fat shadow,” undoubtable. But since Cash was known for his undying love of June Carter, as much as for his world-weary, world-doubting dourness, Phoenix’s proposal scene with Reese Witherspoon’s Carter is pure Cash gold.

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JAMIE FOXX IN RAY

At the 2005 Academy Awards, Jamie Foxx attributed his Best Actor win for Ray to his grandmother, his “first acting teacher”, for these immortal words: “Act like you got some sense”. Needless to say, Foxx’s performance here was critic-proof, versatile – and fertile – enough to serve as an homage to Ray Charles, the man and musician, and as a powerfully poignant reminder of life in segregation-era United States. As the cynosure of the film, his screentime alone ensures innumerable highlights, including the scene where he tells Ahmet Ertegun that he “ain’t for sale” and even in inspirational tear-bait scenes of him dealing with his blindness. And since Taylor Hackford’s focus was the younger, untamable Charles, not the elder one of White House-certified esteem, Foxx relived his harddrugging, scene-stealing ways with glorious aplomb, also offering us a history lesson on how and who with r&b took its first next-level steps.

SAM RILEY IN CONTROL

The essence of a film like Control doesn’t lend itself to anything but the brutal facts that influenced its very conception and existence. How such films play out then depends entirely on how the director renders said facts and marshals his actors into undeniable, spirited performances. In this respect, known Joy Division diehard Anton Corjbin did a masterful job with

Control, focusing more on the unexplored aspects of Ian Curtis’ life, rather than all the post-punk business, which much ink and tape have been put to use for.

This allowed Sam Riley, who later admitted to not knowing very much about Curtis, to deliver bracing, sometimes gut-wrenching moments about Curtis’ life and the effects that his battle with epilepsy had on it, which affirmed that the Joy Division frontman was more than the pouting bad boy the popular press had made him out to be. Fans and cinephiles, etch that scene where he tells the band that he’s through, in your memory forever, the moment where he opens up: “Now they want more.

They expect me to give more. And I don’t know if I can.”

JACK WHITE IN WALK HARD

Recent happenings might hint at the contrary but Walk Hard does in fact prove that Jack White has a sense of humour, and that when he wants to be funny, he can be really funny. One might say that he had no choice but to be funny when he played a cameo role in a film made by, as the poster advertised, “the guy who brought you Knocked Up and Superbad”, but in all honesty, his comedic take on Elvis here seems too natural to be the result of Judd Apatow’s directorial urgings.

What’s more, White’s casting as Elvis, though not integral to the plot, testifies greatly to the film’s meta scope and implications. A spoof about the rockstar biopic cottage industry, the film has John C. Reilly play an amalgamation of biopic-able figures including Johnny Cash, John Lennon, James Brown and Roy Orbison. Into this mix the Detroit-born White’s latterday Nashville (read: Southern) pretensions are likewise sent-up by his outrageously hammy Elvis.

Check out the “Karate” scene for reference: “It’s called karate, man.

Only two kinds of people know it, The Chinese and The King. And one of them is me”.

MARION COTILLARD IN LA VIE EN ROSE

This is the stuff of biopic gold, but even in its predictable rollercoaster trajectory through the doldrums of a childhood spent in squalor without nurturing parents, the discovery of an innate gift that invites fame into her life, as much as it does the complications of romance and the subsequent disavowal of the big leagues, Marion Cotillard’s turn as Édith Piaf was so thoroughly mesmerising. Watching her deal with love lost, found and lost again and fame’s attendant pressures with that heart-stealing look of wide-eyed earnestness only hints at how immersed she was in the role. And though she does not sing, her emoting on stage during the concert scenes are worth every engrossing minute of the film’s runtime. Aided by her impassioned plunge into character and by director Oliver Dahan’s non-linear approach, the viewer is at many moments, as astonished as she is, by the surreal turns in her life. But the ending, which – spoiler alert – terminates in song, reinforces all that Édith Piaf was to the generation she captivated.

“I sing as I speak!” she exclaims in one scene. A fitting epitaph for an icon who lived and loved like the masses that adored her.

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Happily existing to celebrate or ridicule their own existence, films about films (and filmmaking and filmmakers) have effectively turned navelgazing into art and cinema. See below for just a handful of self-aware movies that meta the most.

HEART OF Words: Min Chen

THE ARTIST (2011)

The transition of silent movies into talkies around the ‘30s was apparently quite the stressful situation for Hollywood: films like Sunset Boulevard and Singin’ In The Rain documented the fall-out (with Norma Desmond raging, “We didn’t need dialogue.

We had faces!”), and in 2011, The Artist embodied it. At the film’s heart is George Valentin, a oncecelebrated silent film star who suffers personal and professional setbacks with the approach of sound. Mirroring the evolution of the medium and Valentin’s own experiences, The Artist is largely silent and cut with intertitles, until environmental noise creeps in, as our protagonist awakens bitterly to a world of sound. His journey ends with a spot of tap-dancing and his first spoken line, “With pleasure.”

Line “I’m the one people come to see. They never needed to hear me.”

ADAPTATION. (2002)

Adaptation. is Charlie Kaufman’s movie adaptation of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief that’s really just a film about his own struggle in writing the movie adaptation of The Orchid Thief.

Yes, it’s a film about the writing of a film about the writing of a book.

Deconstructing cinematic illusions, Kaufman doesn’t just write himself into the movie, but lays bare his procrastination-informed process and via scenes with his fictitious twin brother Donald, expresses his distaste at the state of film-writing and exposes every trick in the scriptwriter’s handbook. There’s even a deus ex machina right at the end of the film to prove a point.

Though circuitous to the point of narcissism, Adaptation. does do the job of adapting Orlean’s book for the screen and then betters it by making it more than a “movie about flowers”.

Line “I wonder who’s gonna play me… someone not too fat.”

TROPIC THUNDER (2008)

During the making of a Vietnam War film, five actors and their director are air-dropped into a jungle for some “guerilla-style” movie-making, where they encounter real danger in the form of a heroin production ring. Whatever combat expertise they lack, the actors make up for with – wait for it – acting skills. All of it made for a widely acclaimed comedy, though in its portrayal of the craft that goes into filmmaking, Tropic Thunder also happened to pack some hardbiting send-ups of the industry itself. With actors playing actors in a film within a film (and with fake trailers!), Tropic Thunder, however inward-looking, was rich with satirical archetypes that ripped into method actors, rappersturned-actors, ruthless studio bosses, first-time directors and action film stars. Also discussed: race in film and how to not win an Oscar.

Line “I don’t read the script. The script reads me.”

ED WOOD (1994)

The real Edward D. Wood Jr. – with his portfolio of B-grade genre films that latterly earned him the prestige of being the Worst Director of All Time – might be a figure ripe for parody and ridicule, but not in the eyes of Tim Burton. To Burton, the cult director-writer-producer was a fellow outsider powered by an enthusiasm for film and the gumption to get those films made.

Likewise, his Ed Wood paints a sympathetic picture of the guy, with Johnny Depp endowing Wood with an unblinking optimism as he embarks on films like Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space. Granted those aren’t exactly great cinematic hallmarks, still, Burton makes a fine case for the sheer pluck, joy, mad process and zany vision that went into Wood’s productions.

Line “You’re gonna make a bundle, but only if you shut up and let me do things my way.”

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THE META LAST ACTION HERO (1993)

Last Action Hero’s self-parody may have been lost on critics of its day (and especially with Jurassic Park looming over it), but surely, is deserving of re-assessment under a post-modern light. As young Danny Madigan finds himself a magic ticket that transports him into the adventure movies of his favourite action film star, Jack Slater, he unlodges reel life and reality, as well as a world of stock action movie situations where explosions go off, the bad guys don’t get to win and no one ever stays in the car even when told to do so. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in particular, has fun with every action hero archetype that’s gone before (including those he helped bring to life), rolling with the punches as he does with the laughs. All of it’s still an action flick, except one that’s self-aware enough to know not to flip the script when it can just follow it.

Line “No sequel for you”

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION (2006)

While Christopher Guest already lampooned his fair share of performers and their creative processes on Waiting For Guffman, For Your Consideration shifts its knife into the self-congratulatory air of Hollywood. Centered on the making of an indie film, Home For Purim, and the awards buzz it subsequently garners, the movie isn’t subtle as it parodies all from actors with brittle egos to audience-pandering producers to the very real phenomenon of Oscar Fever. Then again, Guest can only go as deep as its subject will allow it to – and Hollywood’s shallow to begin with – and For Your Consideration never did pack the hard, hilarious punch of a Spinal Tap. Line “In every actor there lives a tiger, a pig, an ass and a nightingale. You never know which one’s gonna show up.”

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) BE KIND REWIND (2008)

One of the loveliest and wackiest tributes to the simple magic of filmmaking, Be Kind Rewind is a tale of two store clerks who, after erasing all the tapes in their VHS rental store via some magnetrelated accident, set about re-shooting every lost movie.

The results are lo-fi, no-budget recreations of Ghostbusters, Robocop, Driving Miss Daisy and yes, Lion King 2 that turn out to be more well-received than the originals. There are more films being made in this film than in Tropic Thunder, and better yet, all without the aid of budget, makeup or actorly tantrums. Who needs all of that when you’ve got a camera and a Robocop costume made with hairdryers?

Line “I’m Bill Murray, you’re everybody else.”

Challenging Scream in po-mo meta-cleverness, The Cabin in the Woods isn’t just another satire of the horror movie, but also, aims equal tribute and sarcasm at the entire genre. It gathers the requisite good-looking teen archetypes in a pointlessly dark location and besides unleashing supernatural terror upon them, also lets loose every slasher movie trope and cliché. And, at the risk of exposing its inner workings, let’s just say that The Cabin in the Woods ain’t subtle with the quotation marks or its scorn of contemporary gore-fests (what co-writer Joss Whedon calls “the devolution of the horror movie into torture porn”). Never too busy being ironic and occasionally comedic, though, the film is also not short on scares and slaughters, as it injects fresh blood into a genre that simply can’t be killed off.

Line “I had to dismember that guy with a trowel. What have you been up to?”

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HAPPY

You’ve got to go away first to come back.

And the following 9 actors and actresses, though having hit rock bottom or made Gigli, have valiantly clawed their way back to emerge more beautiful and bankable than ever. Here’s to second comings.

Words: Lee Xin-rui & Min Chen

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY

JOHN TRAVOLTA

MICHELLE WILLIAMS

BEN AFFLECK

What broke him? Rom-coms What brought him back? The Lincoln Lawyer We’re living in the age of The McConaissance, a time when Matthew McConaughey’s acting prowess, as displayed in Interstellar and The Wolf of Wall Street, goes without question. And while this was established long before with 1996’s A Time to Kill, McConaughey would choose to spend a large part of his career languishing in the romantic comedy genre, making things like The Wedding Planner, Failure to Launch, Fool’s Gold… the list is painfully long. The Texan, however, changed all that in 2011, kickstarting a run of showcases for his dramatic and powerful skills. The Lincoln Lawyer was just the beginning, with his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club sealing the deal. Alright, McConaughey, alright.

What broke her? Dawson’s Creek What brought her back? Brokeback Mountain Playing the troubled Jen Lindlay in Dawson’s Creek came with a price. The Michelle Williams who departed the popular teen drama in 2003 had been typecast as what she calls a “pop tart”. Fighting to be taken seriously as an actress, Williams picked challenging roles in such indies as But I’m a Cheerleader and Land of Plenty, before nailing a part in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee’s glorious masterpiece came Oscar-acknowledged and finally, allowed Williams the kind of mainstream recognition that she herself approved of. That she’s followed that up with equally classy acts like Blue Valentine and My Week With Marilyn is proof that Dawson’s Creek firmly belongs to yesterday. Your move, Katie Holmes.

What broke him? Staying Alive What brought him back? Pulp Fiction The back-to-back release of Grease and Saturday Night Fever in the late-‘70s brought John Travolta the kind of stardom (with bonus Oscar nomination) and box office clout that lesser mortals can only dream about. A pity, then, that he would choose to squander that star power on such fatal careers moves as starring in Perfect and Staying Alive (the ill-advised Saturday Night Fever sequel) and turning down American Gigolo. It took Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction in 1994 to reset Travolta’s fortunes. Playing the coke-addled hit-man Vincent Vega, the actor got to point a gun, do the twist with Uma Thurman and in general, be a very cool cat again. How’s that for getting your groove back?

What broke him? Gigli What brought him back? Argo By all accounts, the Ben Affleck that entered the ‘00s had it all going for him: an Academy Award for his and Matt Damon’s screenplay for Good Will Hunting, and roles in box office smashes like Armageddon and Shakespeare in Love. Choosing to don spandex to play Daredevil in 2003, however, felled Affleck from public favour, compounded by his very highprofile relationship with Jennifer Lopez. In fact, he and his then-fiancée would embark on the notoriously terrible Gigli, which effectively sunk his Hollywood prospects. He’s since had a tough job of re-earning his credibility, but with 2012’s award-decorated Argo, Affleck isn’t just back in demand as an actor, but as a director too. Way to go, Batman.

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RETURNS SANDRA BULLOCK

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

MARLON BRANDO

JARED LETO

What broke her? Mediocre movies What brought her back? Gravity Pretty much, Sandra Bullock’s career has been a mirror of Matthew McConaughey’s. Both came to light in A Time to Kill, following which, they’d find different ways of sloshing about in rom-com land, before an Academy Award brought them back into critical favour. For Bullock, her fallow years may have brought the occasional hit like Miss Congeniality and The Proposal, but only The Blind Side won her an Oscar. Then again, that 2009 film was pedestrian at best, so let’s look instead to Gravity for evidence of Bullock’s second coming. In Alfonso Cuarón’s space misadventure, the actress got to stretch her dramatic abilities in a way that Speed could only hint at and balances nicely against her comedic work in movies like The Heat.

What broke him? Self-indulgence What brought him back? The Godfather Yes, Brando’s a certified screen legend, but also legendary for his artistic indulgence and outward rebellion against the Hollywood system. His ‘50s-earned goodwill was sunk in a series of ‘60s flops like Candy, as the actor sought (and failed to find) projects that would re-ignite his passion for the craft. Brando discovered it 1972’s The Godfather, in the mighty role of Don Corleone, which re-impressed the industry on his bankability and led to his re-emergence in films like Last Tango in Paris and Apocalypse Now. It also enabled him to demand enormous salaries for the smallest of roles (Jor-El in 1978’s Superman, for one). But hey, it’s Brando and he don’t come back for nothin’.

What broke him? Drugs What brought him back? Marvel It’s a long way between the Brat Pack and Iron Man, and Robert Downey Jr. would agree. While the actor ruled the ‘80s with a run of films that began with Less Than Zero, and culminated with Chaplin, the ‘90s saw him succumb to his long-existing battle with drug addiction, and constantly alternating between rehab and a courtroom. Once young and flush, the Downey that entered the ‘00s was uninsurable and unbankable. But back he did come, first with 2005’s sleeper hit Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and then in 2008, when Marvel pulled the masterstroke of casting him as Tony Stark in Iron Man. Now one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood and the king of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, Downey’s the stuff that comebacks are made of.

What broke him? 30 Seconds to Mars What brought him back? Dallas Buyers Club Of course, Jared Leto’s acting chops and choices have always been top-notch: following his breakthrough in My So-Called Life, Leto could be found airing his talents in notable films from Requiem for a Dream to Fight Club. ‘Twas bittersweet, then, that in the early ‘00s, Leto would hang back on his film career in favour of his 30 Seconds to Mars. Granted he could still be occasionally found on the big screen, none of those roles (sigh, Alexander) packed the sheer wallop of Leto’s part in Dallas Buyers Club. Yes, the film that brought us The McConaissance also saw Leto walk off with a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his superb, heart-rending turn as a HIV-stricken transgender woman. Well done, Jared Leto, go sit with Ben Affleck.

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WEST SIDE STORY Words: Indran P

We have a saying: “Life’s a beach.”

It means different things to different people, but to Best Coast, it’s the very cosmos under which it exists as a band. On their two prior records Crazy for You and The Only Place, Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno showed how reliably fertile the beachy environs of their home state of California could be for inspiring sun-drenched, perennially catchy and carefree pop ditties that made all of indie rock a brighter, chiller place. But on their forthcoming

new album California Nights, it’s the expansive panorama of the state’s nocturnal energies that the pair renders on the most titanic sounds it’s made.

It’s a consummately West Coast thing, and as Bethany herself explains, the result of some powerful epiphanies.

Incoming 33 Yes, for sure. We get tagged as a band that has a very California sound. I don’t know if it’s because we’re constantly throwing out references about California and how much we love it or because our music evokes a Californialike feeling. I think that when you’re from California and you make a specific type of music, it’s impossible for California to not be reflected in the music.

Unless you’re in an industrial goth band! If you lifted the blinds in my room, or opened the door of someone’s house, you’ll feel the breeze and see the sun, palm trees and the ocean. How could you not be inspired by those things? It’s an incredible compliment to be associated with that sound.

Have the days been slower for you now that California Nights is in the can?

Not exactly! I’m home in LA now but I’m busy with press for the album in the lead-up to its release.

I’m very much in Best Coast world right now. But it’s very exciting for me because this is a record that I’m very happy with and feel confidently about. It feels really good to talking about something I know I’m 100% sure of.

It must also feel great to be involved with Brian Fest, the Brian Wilson-honouring festival since you’ve always been upfront about how influenced by the Beach Boys you are.

Exactly. I remember my dad listening to Pet Sounds all the time.

I knew every lyric to all its songs before I even owned the record.

I think they’ll be a band that will forever be influential to so many people because of the fact that their songs are so undeniably catchy and yet have that classic feel. Not liking the Beach Boys is like not liking The Beatles. How do you hate The Beatles? None of the bands that we like would be around without them or the Beach Boys.

Getting to be onstage with the founding member of the Beach Boys was insane for me. My head was exploding when I got the call!

I pretty much started my band because of a band like the Beach Boys.

So would you say the California sound is alive today?

And as with your earlier records, the Golden State informs California Nights in a crucial way.

But was there anything different about what it meant to you this time?

Although it’s called California Nights, I feel that this record is the least inspired by California. And when I say that I only mean that I wrote the songs on the record to reflect more about me coming into who I am as a 28-year-old-woman and the things that I’ve gone through in the last couple of years that’ve gotten me to this place.

California life was always been an inspiration for me but when we decided to the record California Nights, it was more about the metaphor for me dealing with a really bad bout of insomnia while I was making it.

So it’s a literal documentation of California nights?

Yes, I was spending a lot of time awake until the early hours of the morning. I was doing a lot of writing at night. It was also sort of a metaphor for the idea of how everybody sees Los Angeles as this perfect, beautiful and glamorous place but when you look beneath the surface, it can also be a dark, gritty place. That’s what Best Coast’s music is to me. I feel like I pair not the most positive of lyrics with a sound that is happysounding and sunny. So with this album, I wanted to explore California in a way that I hadn’t in the past.

You’ve also said that it’s the “first album we have ever made that [you] feel completely content with”.

When we made Crazy for You, I was 23 and we didn’t have a lot of time in the studio. It literally was what came out of the two weeks’ studio time we booked.

And though I’m happy with that record, there are definitely things that I would’ve changed if I could go back in time. The Only Place was unexpectedly successful but there was a lot more pressure from peoples’ expectations. I had also just come off from full year of touring and we only had a week to write the songs before recording.

With this record, there weren’t any rules or boundaries. We made the record that we wanted to make. When it was done, we opened a bottle of champagne in the studio, and I remember looking at Bobb and saying, “We actually did it.”

Your last release Fade Away had you grappling with time and growing older but California Night opens with “Feeling Ok”. Would you say that you’re in a better space now?

Yes, it’s great that you picked up on that. When we were sequencing the record, I wanted it to start with that song to make a statement that went sort of like, “I’m finally in this place where I’m happy and contented and I’m okay with feeling okay.” For a long time, I was convinced that there was so much that was wrong with me to the point where I became the problem I felt I had to diagnose.

But I finally got a place where I feel good. The song is about all I had to go through to feel okay.

And the sheer scale of the music, the lushness of songs likes “California Nights” and the intricately gorgeous guitars throughout, the wild solos on “When Will I”, underscores your newfound confidence remarkably.

Thank you! It was definitely something we talked about. Having our live drummer Brady Miller in the studio with us also helped.

Before, we were very closed-off and stubborn. I’d say we just stepped away from the Best Coast that we were on those two records.

California Nights is the more evolved Best Coast, the Bobb and Bethany of now, the new and confident Bobb and Bethany that didn’t really exist when we were making the other records.

California Nights is out 5 May on Harvest

Fresh 34

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA: MULTI-LOVE Words: Indran P

On their two prior albums, the Ruban Nielson-led trio didn’t so much as strike a balance between pop and funk as present funk on pop terms. That the bleary, crushed-out emotional universe of each was honoured by having the jubilation sucked out of those sounds made them undeniably singular records. But

this time, Nielson turns to psychedelia for direction, particularly to the strain evoked by Sly & the Family Stone, to flesh out not the pains of being alone, but the strain of being together. With beats and counterpointing hooks, the title track hints compellingly at what’s to come.

Out 26 May

Shamir: Ratchet The title of this pop prodigy’s debut album most certainly isn’t without a winking knowingness since, on early singles like “On the Regular” and “Call It Off”, he’s shown a levelling touch that’s thoroughly exciting and implacable. Androgynous, pomopop is set to reach a new peak – no doubt about it.

Out 19 May

Nosaj Thing: Fated Jason Sung practically developed a new musical language with his simultaneously sunny and spectral take on bass music. There’s not really much he needs to do to a sound that arrived unprecedented and “Cold Stares” featuring Chance the Rapper and Maceo Haymes is a lovely, shimmering point in the continuum.

Out 5 May

Mumford & Sons: Wilder Mind So this is big: the rootsy lads have traded in their very successful Quaint and EarthyTM mode for an arena-minded approach on their forthcoming third outing.

So, there’ll no more banjos or kick drums. Expect big-room everything, like the U2 deadringer “Believe”.

Out 4 May

Metz: Metz II Punk isn’t split-your-head-open music, whatever Metz makes is.

After one album of careening, carving, pummelling guitarabusing sounds, the band is back with an emphatically heart-onsleeve second. Cue “Acetate” and get violent. Just know that Metz II means that much more Metz.

Out 5 May

Kwabs: Love + War Having lost a lot of good men and women to alt-r&b, the mainstream hasn’t had a commanding r&b and soul presence in a long time. Enter Kwabs. Preceded by the seaparting single “Perfect Ruin”, this Londoner’s first album is set to make huge waves.

Out 18 May

Holly Herndon: Platform No matter how much she insists to the contrary, Herndon’s music is proof of how awesomely inhuman electronic music can be. Platform will no doubt be an orgiastic splendour of cut-andpasted electronic sounds and if its title didn’t already give that away, “Interference” definitely does.

Out 19 May

Next 35

ALL IN THE FAMILY James Davis brings heart to hearth Words: Indran P Though the key elements are familiar, there’s enough in the James Davis story to set it apart from The Jackson 5’s. Fraternal twins Jess and Erika Reynolds and their brother Auston, make music as James Davis. Like the Jacksons, they look to Motown as a musical lodestar and a home on the business side of things. That’s where the similarities end. Unlike the eager superstars in the elder sibling group, the Reynoldses are, as Jess explains, “all naturally loners”. And the music they make speaks not to delightfully stimulated hands-in-the-air multitudes but to aching hearts whose inner fires burn with a powerful intensity.

On the inside looking in – that’s the best way to describe the moves that this trio of “out-going introverts” has made, moves that have turned some very important heads. Born in California, the siblings were separately involved in music until a collective epiphany allowed for them to realise that the sum of their parts could be greater if they played together.

It was Jess, who was signed to Virgin at age 15, first experienced the condescending results of

the industry’s bullish endgameorientedness and dissatisfied, she “just quit”. In 2012, with Rey, who had by then taught herself guitar and Auston, who had given up a career in basketball, and who was also guided by the Gap Band’s Ronnie Kaufman on how to compose songs on the keys, the three combined their father’s middle name and their mother’s maiden name and became a band.

After a string of folk-informed soul ballads, the band caught the attention of Motown and Capitol Records who gave them a joint deal on the strength of their demo.

Assured that they could “remain who [they] are”, the band then released its first fully-realised statement in “Better Than You Are”, a smouldering downcast r&b slow-burner that’s neither consumed by reverb nor trendcheckingly “alt”, opting instead to let melody and songwriting unravel its rich emotional payload.

Recently, the band revealed that its debut EP will drop in spring 2015.To the possibility of wider, more invasive acclaim, Jess has this to say: “The goal was always to make sure that we remained three of us. Yeah, us.”

Collection 36

SPACE CASE COS populates an Urban Landscape with its Fall/Winter ‘15 goods Words: Min Chen

Collection 37

Being a label that’s this savvy and progressive, it would’ve been nothing like COS to stage a traditional runway presentation when it previewed its F/W ‘15 collection in Hong Kong in March.

Commandeering the upper deck of the city’s Central Ferry Pier No. 4 with its impressive views of the Victoria Harbour, it chose instead to unveil an installation, created by internationally feted architect André Fu, which spoke to the Swedish label’s newest concepts and tactility. Titled Urban Landscape, the installation was a spread of angular levels and steps, softened with lines of greenery and intercut with planes of coloured glass, and later populated by a ceremonial run of models. “Each area of the installation is conceived to be unique in its character,” says Fu of his work, “and as guests unveil each layer, the journey conjures a visual narrative that translates the urban life.” True, this was no

mere backdrop for a fashion show, but a spatial experience that duly breathed emotion and life into the urbanity that fuels COS’ latest collection.

And COS itself is no stranger to mixing and mingling in the worlds beyond fashion. The fields of film, architecture, design and art have bred inspiration for the label, which has also engaged itself in such erudite pursuits as collaborations with filmmakers Aaron Rose and Petra Collins, and the continued production of its seasonal magazine that loves print as much as it does arty personalities. All of it is creative stimulus that hasn’t just benefitted COS’ clientele, but has also been lovingly woven into the label’s goods. COS’ supporting hand in London’s Serpentine Gallery’s summer series of Park Nights in 2013 and 2014 produced limited editions of shirts and shoes, and more recently, its Urban

Landscape project has birthed the Limited Edition Unisex Shirt.

A reinvention of the iconic COS white shirt, this understated gem melds traditional fabrics with innovative touches like glued seams and rubberised zips to offer what Karin Gustafsson, head of the label’s Womenswear Design, calls “a contemporary androgynous look”.

Likewise, the display of COS’ F/W offerings within its Urban Landscape demonstrates that same ultra-modern androgyny, without neglecting its structural integrity and classicism. Coupled with Fu’s architectural handiwork, the presentation more than underscores COS’ conceptual and artistic vision that boldly goes where fashion rarely does. Let’s follow.

Shop COS at ION Orchard, #0323; and Westgate, #01-41/42

Collection 38

TRUE FORM How Gap’s Resolution Denim is staying fit Words: Rosalind Chua

Denim is different at Gap this Spring/Summer. Joining the ranks of the label’s core 1969 denim range is Resolution Denim, which Gap is calling its smartest stretch yet. And it has every reason to: Resolution Denim has been produced with the most cuttingedge of denim fabric technology, making for a soft, high-stretch

jean with a low growth factor to ensure that its form and close-fit stay true. That means that while stretching and supporting your curves, these pieces will always bounce back into their original and beautiful shape.

Every body type is also cared for

by Resolution Denim and its three

inclusive fits. The True Skinny is a mid-rise, skinny fit throughout the leg, while the True Skinny Rise offers pretty much the same, save for its high-rise fit that sits one-inch higher than usual.

There’s also the Slim Straight, which promises an elongated leg with its unique cut from the knee straight down to the hem, as well

as premium true selvedge finishes.

Those fine cuts aside, these jeans will arrive in Gap’s famed medium, dark indigo and black destruction washes, all of which should blend nicely into your wardrobe. What’s not to fit?

Shop Resolution Denim at all Gap stores

Collection 39

Denim x Alexander Wang The debut denim collection by everyone’s loved and lauded Alexander Wang is clean-cut, no frills and of course, fashionable.

Comprising of three looks, WANG 001 (slim), WANG 002 (relaxed) and WANG 003 (boy fit) in three different washes, it’s everything you need to nail Wang’s signature off-duty slouch and curbside edge.

Available at net-a-porter.com

JACK WILLS SPRING/ SUMMER 2015 Words: Lee Xin-rui

Taylor Swift for Keds Spring 2015 Tay Tay’s partnership with Keds continues apace this season with 10 spanking new entries.

Colourful prints of cherry blossoms, hearts and daisies take up space on these new Keds, capturing Swifty’s charming personal style and a whole lotta springtime pizzazz. Time to shake off winter and fill up that blank space on your shoe shelf.

Available at Royal Sporting House, Stadium, Rockstar, Tangs and Robinsons

:Chocoolate x AAPE

by A Bathing Ape Because they had so much fun the first time, :Chocoolate and AAPE by A Bathing Ape are back in cahoots. The fruits of their latest collab, :CHOCOOLAAPE, are now here, featuring a digitalised camouflage print and all the necessary logos on an outdoorthemed collection rich with polo tees, reversible shorts and hats.

Available at i.t Bugis Junction

Dr. Martens Spring/Summer 2015: Crafted Collection Dr. Martens’ Made in England range continues to keep up its classic and artisanal approach to colour and leather this season.

Out with the colourful prints and in with classy rich heritage look, the Crafted Collection arrays silhouettes like the Weaver, Yulia and Braider that feature woven details, silk from Stephen Walters, and beautiful leathers from Beaumont and Antique Calf.

Available at Dr. Martens

Still game in bringing us quintessentially British looks and feels, Jack Wills hosts a vision of modern silhouettes with bold tailoring in its latest haul of Spring/Summer wares.

Placing an emphasis on summer layering, the collection uses light, breezy textures and features mostly sunshine-appropriate navy blue and white in creating looks ready

for the most stylish of beachside adventures.

Off-duty gents will dig the preppy array of pastel-coloured blazers, light shirts and cargo pants, just as ladies will love the all-white and occasionally paisleyprinted line-up of picture-perfect daywear.

Come on now, our yacht awaits!

Available at Jack Wills, Raffles City, #01-19

Tumi 1975 Collection To celebrate its 40 th anniversary, Tumi is launching a commemorative collection that bags the craftsmanship, innovation and functional superiority that it’s known and loved for. The 1975 Collection, in homage to the brand’s founding year, is heavy with travel bags, day bags and briefcases, each crafted with natural full grain American cowhide leather and featuring Tumi’s signature ballistic nylon.

Available at Tumi

Grapevine 40

#THISJUSTIN

INSTAGRAM WATCH

Words: Indran P

BEN GIBBARD ISN’T FEELING TIDAL

@thenewclassic “#PRETTY GIRLS” To quote The Dude: “That’s your opinion, man.”

No one in Jay Z’s camp, including the man himself, could have ever preempted the tide of scorn and hate that Tidal would be met with.

And it must suck even more for them that of all peeps, the worst fade came from the Death Cab for Cutie honcho: “This thing is going to fail miserably.”

NEW STROKES!

Julian Casablancas has been putting in work. Besides an upcoming collab with Savages firebrand Jehnny Beth, he’s been writing new material with his old band. Here’s the knowledge: “We’re planning on recording stuff…

I still think we could do cool things and I’ll do that.” Please do.

@beyonce “[bee emoji]” Trust the Queen of the Beyhive to represent, honeycomb and all.

We don’t recommend that nonBeyoncés try this at home – or anywhere.

ED SHEERAN IS THE CURE FOR INSOMNIA

So says Spotify. According to data from the music-streaming giant, Sheeran’s global smash “Thinking Out Loud” is the most-streamed song throughout the world on 2.8 million playlists themed around “Sleep”. The list of 20 sleepinducing offenders includes Sam Smith and Coldplay.

FLORENCE WELCH BREAKS FOOT AT COACHELLA

You don’t have to attend Coachella to know that three days out in the Californian desert ain’t a cakewalk. Just ask Florence Welch, who broke her foot, by “leaping off the stage”.

She’s playing Glastonbury next, so let’s hope she heals up. In the meantime, here’s an X-ray.

GRIZZLY BEAR TO GET “ADVENTUROUS”

The indie gawds have been quiet since their superlative masterpiece 2012’s Shields. But co-frontman Ed Droste recently intimated that there’s a new album coming our way and that the band’s “feeling more adventurous with the sonic directions, changing it up a little bit – not, like, a techno dance album”. We just have to wait.

@jodyhighroller “RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE ROLEX” Shouts out to Riff Raff for captioning the LEAST noticeable part of the pic. #redherring LOL

HE SAID SHE SAID JACK WHITE’S GOING TO TAKE A BREAK

Following the announcement of his first ever all-acoustic tour, Jack White issued a statement stating that he “will be taking a break from performing live for a long period of time”. The shows will happen in five US states he’s never played in and will only be announced on gig day.

Also, ticket prices are fixed at $3.

THE BLACK MOOD OVER BLACK SABBATH

Since Ozzy Osbourne called him “incredibly overweight” and made public light of his “two heart attacks” in 2013, Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward is having no part of the promised 2015 reunion till he apologises: “Righting of wrong works, and that’s what I want if I’m ever going to be his friend again.” Talk about a tragic unfriending.

@iammarkronson “Just walked into this amazing book/record shop called Tsutaya and…”

Never a fame monster, Mark Ronson is still getting used to it all.

Fresh 41

BORN IN THE USA American Epic goes back in time to trace the birth of folk, blues, rock, country and gospel Words: Indran P Anything that calls itself an “American Epic” has a lot to deliver and on the surface, the aims of this music project are indicative that it will in fact proffer multitudes. In a transatlantic partnership, PBS and BBC present American Epic, a threepart documentary series that’ll dive into the history of American music in its chronicling of the birth of a rich array of Made in America sounds. The docu-series will be accompanied by a feature-length film The American Epic Sessions and a companion album. And Jack White, ever the keen historicist, has more than given this all his stamp of approval.

Joined by Hollywood icon Robert Redford and Americana authority T Bone Burnett, White will executive-produce the series, which, led by British filmmakers Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty, promises to “take us on a journey across time to the birth of modern music, when the musical strands of a diverse nation first combined, sparking a cultural renaissance that forever transformed the future of music and the world”. Given how influential the roots music of the 1920s the series is set in has been on the legends of its day, and on the retro-minded sensibilities of a lot of today’s pop and indie that

accounts for a global music diet, American Epic is setting itself up as incredibly compelling viewing.

With the invention of the phonograph and the scrum by talent scouts to scour the country looking for material to record as its starting point, the series will, as White affirms “examine how important the fact is that when phonograph records were invented, for the first time ever, women, minorities, poor rural men and even children were given the opportunity to say whatever they wanted in song, for the whole world to hear”. The democracy afforded by the medium will also

be reflected in performance footage of some of today’s titans of various sounds including, Beck, Elton John, Nas, Merle Haggard and Raphael Saadiq, recording music only with the equipment available during those early days.

Far as we’ve come, it’s important to honour those who took us to the present and how they led us to it. American Epic looks like it’ll do just that.

American Epic airs in September on PBS and BBC Arena

Collection 42

SPORT ON Topshop and adidas Originals continue to bat for the same team Words: Lee Xin-rui Hot on the heels of a hugely successful collaboration, high street fashion goliath Topshop is once again coming together with the quintessential name in sportswear. Revitalising classic adidas Original silhouettes such as the oversized logo tee and side-stripe shorts, Topshop has added its own signature aesthetic flair to these evergreen pieces for an exclusive capsule of seven reengineered pieces. It’s another bold move all round, gifting Topshop a sheen of sporty swagger, while expanding on adidas’ sportswear roots with a contemporary chic.

Hitting the shelves of Topshop and adidas Original outlets worldwide, the collection is firstly a bombardment of the iconic adidas trefoil logo, the hero motif for the range. With a largely monochromatic palette of

black and white, the collection is accented by flashes of bold red that holler back to ‘80s hip hop steez. In particular, the Superstar jacket, crafted from soft, perforated leather with paneling to create a slim silhouette, introduces a cool femininity. And in the realm of footwear, Topshop tackles the Superstar shoe with a keen eye for edgy modernity, tweaking it to include a clear sole and a metallic cracked leather shell-toe. The collaboration also gives us a choice of two bottoms, one an ultra trendy pair of white dri-fit running shorts, and the other a pair of skinny sweats with the signature adidas stripes and punctuated by a splash of red.

Fashion and fitness have rarely been more happily wed.

Shop the collection at Topshop and adidas Originals stores

Icon 43 Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer 2015

BE GREEN

SHOP KHAKI

Topshop Khaki jacket

Alexander Wang Antonia suede sandals

JURASSIC PARK

A.P.C. Khaki hunter coat

Khaki’s evergreen hue is more than just skin-deep Words: Rosalind Chua Like denim that went before it, khaki’s ascension in the fashion ranks has been swift, smooth and sustained. Where it once clad troops of soldiers (beginning with the British Indian Army in 1846) and explorers, the textile now lends itself easily to adaptation across the racks and runways, garnering itself a classic status has hasn’t waned across 40 years’ worth of seasonal collections. While its light brown to olive green skin has become synonymous with utilitarian wear and purposes, khaki, when styled just right, can also nail an urbane air to go with its casual canvas.

And one need only look into this season’s new run of threads, if not the current style-scape, to realise that khaki’s made for more than just chinos and parkas, mods and scouts.

From Sonia Rykiel to Marc Jacobs, fashion labels and designers are spending Spring/Summer refreshing the use of khaki, whilst not forgetting its earthy origins. Acne Studios may have opted to polish it up into highly sculpted looks, but other houses have had more hard-wearing ideas for their khakis: Chanel and Engineered Garments employed it for utilitarian silhouettes, Ralph Lauren harnessed a safari-styled outing with just the right shade of greens, while Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs have put new spins on standard issue military wear.

Rugged and refined, sexy and still as tough as the day it first ventured into combat or a jungle, today’s khaki boasts not just the style to make it on fashion’s stages but also, the staying power to keep it keeping on.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Flared cotton skirt

Miss Selfridge Khaki wrap playsuit

Next 44

GIRL POWER Girlpool do not go anywhere gently Words: Indran P They don’t have a drummer.

Neither do they have need for one. Yet, LA’s Girlpool makes powerfully acerbic music that even “punk” is hesitant to embrace.

Meet guitarist Cleo Tucker, 19 and bassist Harmony Tividad, 20. And together with their instrumental ballast, the two contribute vocals to songs that encompass both the contemplative and caustic ends of the spectrum of emotion.

Since their debut self-titled EP was released last year, the girls have shown that theirs belongs to a rare class of band that transcends its own limitations to make nothing-like-it music. So, as they’ve explored “concepts of growth, friendship, and the interaction between identity and environment,” they’ve also given us all that and more.

As with all incendiary outpourings, Girlpool’s existence was born of an unendurable lack. For Tividad, this lack stemmed from the near-total absence of an inspiring female presence in the punk and DIY scene that she was religiously committed to. Tired of being passed over for lead parts in male-dominated bands, Tucker too decided she didn’t have to please anyone anymore, and when the

two met, two equal halves came together and Girlpool was born.

Sharing an interest in the honest songwriting styles of Bob Dylan, Bright Eyes and Elliott Smith, and the sense of feminist-inflected justice that riot grrrl’s best had fought so hard to sear into rock ‘n’ roll’s consciousness, the girls decided that they would proceed instead on their unorthodox dynamic. From their early sessions of playing together, careening, piercing songs like “Blah Blah Blah”, where propulsive rhythm came from the bluesy fuzz of their guitar-bass combo and lyrical knife-jabs like, “You like me better in my underwear / When I try to kiss you, you get scared,” came into being.

One EP and a series of increasingly buzzing appearances later, their visceral and disarming transmissions reached Wichita Recordings which will release their forthcoming debut album Before the World Was Big. If we’re in for some primal, emotionally urgent, white-knuckled freight, know that it’ll also be titanic.

Before the World Was Big is out 2 June on Wichita Recordings

Jocks 45

JEREMY BOON + ZUSHAN Velvet Soundscape has arrived at Velvet Underground – Dance with an ultra-modern take on house that’s simply irresistible, and to find out how it’s done, we got talking to Jeremy Boon and Zushan, the Zouk residents who are intent on bringing fun back to the house.

Words: Min Chen

The Soundscape Jeremy: With Velvet Soundscape, we’re trying to create its own energy, a small-room energy without playing a big-room sound.

Some clubs play that big-room sound – music that is being produced for festivals or mega clubs – in a small room. But for us, it doesn’t go, so we want to create a separate sound.

Zushan: I have seen clubbers who will come down to be with their friends, but they will drop

by Velvet to listen to something different, which is the point of Velvet Soundscape. And having something different doesn’t mean it has to be serious. Our idea of Velvet Soundscape is to provide a sound that though is not commercial, is still fun at the same time.

Sounds Like Jeremy: These days, it seems a lot of young producers are highly influenced by the early ‘90s, just in terms of their sound and samples. And it’s refreshing how they’ve remixed something that’s 20 years old. Producers always

like to sample something from 20 years ago and it works all the time.

During the ‘90s, they sampled disco from the 70s; during the ‘00s, there’s a lot of new waveinfluenced music from the ‘80s; and now, it’s the ‘10s with the sample of the ‘90s. That music is really fun as well and not serious.

And similarly, we’re playing something a little friendlier than the underground sound, but not the big room EDM sound. We’re kind of in between.

Plays Like Zushan: Straight up, there’s Disclosure.

Jeremy: And on the friendlier side, people like Oliver Helden…

Zushan: Kiesza’s “Hideaway”, Gorgon City…

Jeremy: And Duke Dumont.

Zushan: And for everything else, you gotta come down and hear it!

The Room Zushan: At Velvet Underground, we are always staying forward with the trends, on what’s coming and what’s fresh, and we push it forward from there.

Jeremy: Some of the producers we mentioned are not deep house or techno producers, but from the house scene with pop crossover appeal, and we’re hoping that people into underground music will also appreciate this new generation.

The State of Union Zushan: Having the chance to work with Jeremy, who has so much experience, has taught me so much. I also enjoy the challenge of educating younger clubbers, not by throwing something obscure in their face, but giving them what they want as well – a give and take.

Jeremy: Throughout my career, I’ve worked with so many partners and from each one, I’ve learned something new and absorbed new sounds. It gets stagnant if you’re just playing by yourself, so it’s great to be working with someone new and to hear a different way to play the same song. soundcloud.com/jeremy-boon mixcloud.com/zushan_benny

Jocks 46

HAAN One of our electronic scene’s rising stars, Haan has sounded off on shindigs like Super0 and club nights at Kilo Lounge, and lately can be found manning his own residency at kyo. He talks us through his beats so far.

Words: Min Chen Image: Colossal Photos

A Day in the Life On weekdays, I’m an engineer with a global leader in the power and automation technology industry. Weekends are dedicated to my passion, music and DJ-ing.

I spend a good amount of time sourcing for tracks and even more so now that I hold a residency at kyo.

An Education I am a huge fan of Radiohead, especially of Kid A. I later found myself loving electronic music duo X-Press 2. It was in 2007 that I started learning how to mix records with my 1210s and a rusty mixer (whilst also reading The Art and Science of Playing Records

by Frank B). I have always been interested in DJ-ing and picking it up felt like the next best thing to do.

Vital Stats My taste in music has evolved over the years but the core sound from Innervision Records has always been intact. Dixon, who runs the label, and the other guys like Âme and Henrik Schwarz have consistently released music that’s always inspiring. They make up a few of my favourite DJs. Fresh, forward-thinking and timeless – I always find myself gravitating towards these sounds and they form the foundation for my DJ sets and mixes.

Scene Scoop The scene is definitely a lot more exciting than it was before. It works both ways; more individuals and collectives are emerging, taking risks and experimenting with various sounds and organising their own nights, and likewise, people are more receptive to new sounds and concepts. I look up to quite a number of local DJs like Ramesh K and Xhin.

Conversations with them never fail to keep me looking at the positive side of things.

The Office I have always loved going to kyo and to top it all off, I am a part of the family now. It has been nothing short of amazing. The club has an extremely talented and passionate team working relentlessly to provide a great experience for you. There are also more avant-garde international DJ bookings week after week.

The club’s all-new aesthetics and the whole dark-room-basement vibe is, in my opinion, in a league of its own.

Keep On Keeping On Watching the crowd dance and having a great time for hours keeps me going every single time (it is a priceless feeling) and my love for music, of course. soundcloud.com/rhotd

Profile 47

UP IN THE AIR Solarstone swears by trance and so should you Words: Solarstone

“

I think one of the reasons trance is popular in Asia is because it’s very positive. It’s not a cynical type of music and I think people in Asia embrace it with open arms because they’re less cynical than people in the West. By ‘cynical’, I mean what’s fashionable. Trance isn’t cool. And it doesn’t care that it’s not cool. In a lot of places abroad, people go to certain nights and places because they’d look cool being seen there.

With trance, it’s never really been like that because it’s always about the emotional connection with the music. The reason why Pure Trance, the label and movement that I started, grew is because it was a response to the sheer

rootlessness of the electronic music in fashion.

Pure Trance is all about growing trance in an organic way. We haven’t forced it any way; no big advertising or media campaign.

My approach to music is the same as it’s always been: emotional and melodic. Even my recent material, like my remix of Silvermine’s ‘Flying’, was made with a trance backbone in mind. People have to realise that being true to a particular sound isn’t the same as not evolving. I find that one way to develop an existing sound is to sometimes look back. Which is why, for ‘Nothing But Chemistry Here’, I looked to the music of

Sasha and John Digweed for inspiration. When I finished making it, I was sure that people wouldn’t like it but it’s done really well on the charts – proof that there’s a lot of love for trance with a soulful touch.

This reminds me of ‘Seven Cities’, which has since gone on to be a trance classic. When we first produced it, the label didn’t want to release it because they felt the breakdown was too long. But we sent it to Paul Oakenfold, who played it at Cream, and label was ecstatic. The basic fact that music reminds people of a particular time in their lives will always remain – falling in love, being

young, growing older – all these make the track richer and more personal.

Trance will always be my first love and I haven’t really bothered with checking in on much else. Here’s an example: I was in Australia for Stereosonic a couple of years ago and there was this guy being photographed and surrounded by girls. I went, “Who the hell is that?” and my manager said it was Afrojack. Trance is such a big field with so much going on that I haven’t got time for anything outside of it.

”

Listen to Solarstone on soundcloud.com/solarstone

Shopping 48

DIRECTOR’S CUT We make the visual styles and signatures of six filmmakers our own Words & styling: Min Chen

WES ANDERSON: PRECISE MODERN LOVERS ORDER

Chloé Emma leather bag

Whether building the Tenenbaum house, Steve Zissou’s boat, a train cutting through India or the fictitious island of Penzance, Wes Anderson’s supremely distinctive style has made for sumptuous, self-contained worlds.

More than plain affectation, his precise, symmetrical and candy-hued aesthetic – too deadpan to be too twee – unveil an authentic emotional core that’s more than the sum of its finely detailed compositions.

Jack Wills Cropped knit sweater

Linda Farrow Luxe Round sunglasses

Sleepy Jones Striped pyjama shirt

Richard James Wool beanie

Maison Kitsuné Sweatshirt in allover Childish print

New Look Grid shopper

Paul Smith Star-patterned bow tie

COS Trousers

COS Sandals

Jack Wills Shirt

Ben Sherman Shorts

Shopping 49

Marni Jewel-encrusted Fussbett sandals Kate Spade New York Garden leaves top

Alexander Wang Mini Marti backpack

H&M Dress

Alexander McQueen Leather pencil skirt

Massimo Dutti Long knit cardigan

Pierre Hardy Wedges

Alexander Wang Wang 003 boyfriend jeans

COS Shirt dress

TERRENCE MALICK: FORCE OF NATURE

Visvim 101 washeddenim jacket

Malick’s thematic scope is more than his filmography can contain.

Every one of his movies has orchestrated visuals of numerous God-made landscapes that besides dwarfing his characters and their mortal foibles, also tie them soundly back down to earth. Badlands, Days of Heaven and The Tree of Life have all reached out for poetic and organic connections with the great beyond and while the answers are scarce, it’s Malick’s questioning that matters.

French Connection Long coat

Shopping 50

Drake’s Herringbone tie

+J by Uniqlo Lightweight jacket

Jack Wills Check trousers

River Island Tweed vest

Marc by Marc Jacobs Electro Q Hillier Hobo shoulder bag Bimba Y Lola Ankle boots Miss Selfridge Faux fur coat

:Chocoolate New York City T-shirt

Rick Owens Midi dress

MARTIN SCORSESE: GRITTIEST HITS

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Realism has so driven Scorsese’s pictures that no matter the project – period dramas (The Age of Innocence), concert films (The Last Waltz) or of course, gangster movies (The Departed, Goodfellas) – the filmmaker has sought out a gritty truth, no matter how violent, foulmouthed or grey-streaked it may be. His characters and situations may be brutal creations, but only because the streets that bred them were mean to begin with.

The Elder Statesman Geometric-woven cashmere cardigan

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Olympia Le-Tan Notebook clutch

JOHN HUGHES: THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART

The man hugely responsible for painting the reigning cinematic portrait of the American teenager, John Hughes did not busy himself with an especial visual style, but a particular cinematic tone. His pictures from Sixteen Candles to The Breakfast Club to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off burst with buoyancy, optimism and sheer youthfulness that made even the most #normcore of adolescences a thing of wonder. Growing up is long and hard to do, but less so in a John Hughes film.

Paul Smith Bovens straw hat

Topshop Denim dress

agnès b.

FEMME Spotted crop top

Miu Miu Hooded quilted shell vest

Alex Mill Ripstop trousers Maison Kitsuné Checked bomber jacket

Rodarte x Superga Multi-side sneakers

agnès b. FEMME Dress

ASOS Suede skirt

:Chocoolate Striped top

Jack Wills Alban handbag

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Balmain Printed slip-ons

WONG KAR WAI: A PAINTED VEIL

Favouring abstraction over accessibility, Wong Kar Wai’s not the kind of guy to tell straightforward stories. Instead, his movies unravel with abstract, kinetic and yet, sensual beats, and cast elliptical narrative shadows that challenge anyone’s interpretation. Then again, with a route this scenic – Chungking Express’ impressionist watercolours, In The Mood For Love’s saturated tones, 2046’s fragmented drama – anyone’ll take the ride.

River Island Printed shirt Massimo Dutti Linen scarf

Giambattista Valli Cropped crepe, jacquard and organza top

Saint Laurent Leopard-print pony-hair Xbody bag

Matthew Williamson Printed maxi skirt

agnès b. FEMME Printed dress

Aldo Cadireven sunglasses

MM6 Maison Margiela Printed top

French Connection Printed skirt

Chanel Multi-coloured printed fabric boot

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Lanvin Leather pumps Massimo Dutti Striped knit sweater Alexander McQueen Panelled mini dress Sonia Rykiel Crocheted jumpsuit

Adieu Polished leather Derby shoes

Undercover Black bracelet

Prabal Gurung Metallicembroidered top

Charlotte Olympia Skull clutch

Chloé Floral-lace skirt

Saint Laurent Signature Dylan collar shirt

TIM BURTON: THE DARK KNIGHT

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By now, Tim Burton’s cinematic style is obvious enough to pass for parody. But let’s not forget that in a pre-Wes Anderson, pre-Christopher Nolan world, it was Burton who set the stage for whimsy and gothic flourishes to co-exist (Edward Scissorhands), for fantasy and reality to marry (Alice in Wonderland), and for dark and dangerous domains to be surprisingly inviting (Batman Returns).

Long may his night fall.

Maison Kitsuné Checked suit jacket

Clockwork 54

Clockwork 55

COLD PLAY Tudor’s arctic adventure births the ultimate tool watch in the North Flag

Words: Lee Xin-rui Envisioning a brand of watches that promise reliability while being modestly priced to cater to more than just the 1%, Hans Wilsdorf established Tudor in 1926. Now with nearly half a decade’s worth of expertise under its belt, the brand is conjuring ever more exceptional instruments for those with an eye for quality and performance. One such piece, which will undoubtedly go down in Tudor’s illustrious legacy alongside magnificent models such as the Oyster Prince, is the North Flag.

Just one of the brand’s new launches unveiled at Baselworld 2015, the North Flag does another fine balancing act of Tudor’s cornerstones of heritage and innovation. It’s one of the first Tudor models to be fitted with movements developed

and produced by the brand itself – a monumental step towards independence indicative of Tudor’s edge for innovation – and in the footsteps of its frontrunners like the Heritage Ranger and Chrono Blue, is, as always, ready for adventure.

Built specifically to venture into the coldest and most remote extremities of the earth, the North Flag is a resilient and unparalleled companion for the contemporary adventurer.

Its rugged capacity ensures functions like its 70-hour power reserve, shock and water (up to 100m) resistance, and MT5621 calibre that impresses with its sheer autonomy, while its stylish simplicity boasts highlights like its black brushed steel dial, framed by matt ceramic and punctuated

by white hour markers. The 40mm dial is further set in a circular satin-finished bezel and encased in a scratch resistant sapphire upper face with a very slight curvature to allow light to roll across without a glaring reflection. There are two available bracelets to complement the spirit of this model, one being stainless steel with a satin finish, and the other a black leather strap with yellow stitching and inner lining.

With its evocative aesthetic and robust technicality, the North Flag is limitless in imagination and pioneering spirit, and however equipped for arctic temperatures, definitely won’t be leaving you out in the cold.

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SCREEN

Four silver screen heroines lend us beauty tips of a cinematic scale Words & Styling: Rosalind Chua

SELINA KYLE MARIE IN BATMAN ANTOINETTE RETURNS IN MARIE THE SECRETARY ANTOINETTE WHO CAN LAY CLAIM TO MORE THAN ONE LIFE

Eyeko Eye Do Mascara

EstĂŠe Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick in Dominant

Sephora Playful Make Up Shadow & Liner in 17 Black

Chanel Ombre Essentielle in 118 Midnight

Eyeko Eye Do Mascara

Marc by Marc Jacobs Dreamy Rhea coated neoprene zip case

SHE WHO HAD HER CAKE AND ATE IT TOO

Etude House Enamel ting Gel Nails in 25

Alexander McQueen Clutch

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Vivien

MAC MAC is Beauty Eyeshadow in Yogurt

Crabtree & Evelyn Parisian Millefleurs Flower Water

Marc Jacobs Beauty Brow Wow Defining Longwear Pencil in 02 Taupe

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QUEENS Butter London Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer in Smashing!

MAC MAC is Beauty Beauty Powder in Alpha Girl

JACKIE BROWN IN JACKIE BROWN

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO MADE THE BEST OF HER BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

BETTY / DIANE SELWYN IN MULHOLLAND DR.

THE HOLLYWOOD INGÉNUE WHOSE FANTASY DISSOLVES IN REALITY, AND VICE VERSA

O&M Project Sukuroi Gold Smoothing Balm

MAC MAC Is Beauty Studio Nail Lacquer in French Tipped

American Apparel Stars & Stripes carry-all pouch

SK-II Mid-Night Miracle Essence

Dior 5 Couleurs in 556 Contraste Horizon

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Shame

Eyeko Brow Gel

Lulu Guinness Mirror Lips leather purse

Bare Minerals BareSkin Perfecting Veil in Light to Medium

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 379 Tropiques

Talk 58

AMERICAN SPIRIT

In 2015, the guilty pleasure is long past dead and we can all freely claim to enjoy the digitized dance-club thump of electro-pop without cowering from judgment. But even in this more open climate, the music of Brooklyn’s Tanlines comes across as bold, in its own quietly winning way. In 2012, vocalist-guitarist Eric Emm and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Cohen released their dance-inspired debut album Mixed Emotions, bringing the colour and energy of the ‘80s synth streak into conversation with questions too big for the dancefloor. On their upcoming follow-up Highlights, the pair bucks the trend once again by not giving in to the musical schizophrenia of the times by honouring patently American sounds. Jesse spoke to us recently and explained how, sometimes, less can be so much more.

Words: Indran P

Talk 59

Saying that you’ve had a busy three years is probably an understatement, right?

Yes! For instance, right now, I’m dealing with 8am in the morning and the fact that I have to go out and exercise after this! You’re absolutely right, it’s been a long time and so much has happened.

We’ve been rehearsing a lot because we’re going to tour the album once it’s out. With the album ready, our biggest priority at the moment is getting the live show together.

So what was happening with Tanlines in the interim between Highlights and Mixed Emotions?

That’s a good question. The main reason we took so long was that we toured and promoted the last album for about a year-and-ahalf. That was great for us and our careers but when it came to writing new music, it was hard for us to write while touring. So we didn’t get started until that died down and by then, we were in a really different place. That’s the real reason. We started later than we probably should have. We should’ve found a way to integrate writing into touring but it’s hard to do that if your live shows are very hands-on, like ours. I wish it was a year sooner, but sometimes, you just have to go with the process.

You must be proud to have it out.

You have no idea! We actually turned it in in December [2014] and I’m just so happy that it’s starting to reach people now. I’ve lived with these songs for a really long time and I’m really just ready to find out how people feel about

them. When a song is released, it takes on a new life. Right now, they’re only what I think about them. I want to find out what people think they are – I think the truth is somewhere in between.

Like how, sometimes people think a sad song is happy and the other way around. It’s just interesting to see these songs out into the world and I’m totally ready for that.

You’ve said that Highlights is an “homage to the sonics of America”. Was it your version of the Great American Songbook?

I can’t go that far! I can’t even really say “sonics of America” now.

But what I can say is that on this album, we reached less for “world music” sounds than for “local” sounds. We toured the last album in Europe and South America and we began to see ourselves more and more as an “American” band.

That’s why there’s more guitar and more of a sort of “rock” influence here. It just happened that way. I thought that describing it that way was a good way to contextualise the album.

We also heard about the exploding computer….

What happened was, when we first started working on the album, we went to Pittsburgh, which is where Eric is from. It was a sixhour drive away and just after we set up in his parents’ basement, the computer we had our music on exploded. There were sparks, smoke, everything. It made us feel like huge failures. We had the rest of the week there, so we recorded much more stripped-down guitarand-drums parts and when the

first song “Invisible Ways” came out of this process, it stuck with us. I guess in some ways it was inspiring to us that we could write in whatever format we wanted.

Yes, you’ve also said that Highlights is “the album where things started making more sense”.

I think there were two things I meant by that – and I have to say I haven’t thought about it more because I haven’t been asked this before. The first is that we’re a totally different band now. Sonically, we sound richer and deeper. We have more of a confident-sounding vibe now.

The other is that the themes on Mixed Emotions were a lot more existential. This album’s more settled; it’s about relationships and the people around us, instead of, “What are we doing here?”

The lead single “Slipping Away” is certainly the most comfortable you’ve sounded making an unabashed pop song.

It’s funny because we recorded that song in a lot of different formats and we knew that though it was a really good song, something was missing. When we worked with co-producer Chris Taylor, he asked Eric to play a 12-string guitar and that’s something that we’ve never done before. It just completely transformed it into what it is now with its brightness that worked so well with Eric’s baritone. We don’t usually try to write unabashed pop songs but its something we’ve hoped to sound like, so I’m glad you feel that way.

The “synth-pop” tag is reaching near-meaninglessness these days, with almost all pop music having a strong electronic/dance element.

Being a band that was making music like this since it started, what do you make of this drive toward the mono-genre today?

Good question. I think it’s great and I’m all for it. I think the distance between the underground and the mainstream is as close as it’s ever been. In general, that’s really good for music. When we were doing it, it was just what we wanted to sound like.

Now it’s become a symbol for contemporariness.

You’re quite the celebrity on Twitter. Ever thought of a Lonely Island-type comedic spinoff?

I would love to, though, I don’t know exactly what that would be or what it’d look like. It would be hard to do a lot of projects like that while also doing music. But I have a million ideas of things I’d love to write and make, like, movies, etc. And because I don’t know what to do with them, I just tweet them.

Lastly, when can we expect you in Asia?

Believe me, I would love to say “soon”. We’ve never had the chance to play there so I’m really hoping it happens. If it were up to me, we’d be there! We’re going to do everything we can to head over there at some point.

It’s something that I want to do personally too.

Highlights is out 19 May on Matador

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Talk 61

Hot Chip has always operated with a devilish grin, and its craftiness and wiliness have made it easy for the sheer ambitiousness of its music to be overlooked. But more than a decade into its career of fusing pop and electronica with Puck-like verve, the sweep and scale of its forthcoming sixth album Why Make Sense? are unavoidable. Enriching instead of attenuating its constituent parts of funk, soul and r&b, the band is on the cusp of yet another electrifying reveal of electro-infused revelations. For a better glimpse of what to expect, we checked in with programmer and synth-player Felix Martin, who beamed back some exquisite dance-flavoured insight.

COMPUTER Words: Indran P

You just played a huge show at SXSW 2015. How was that for you?

Yes, we got back not long ago. I’m a big Liverpool fan and we suffered horribly to Manchester United.

That wasn’t great. But SXSW was great fun, in its typically crazy way.

And did you test out any of the new songs from Why Make Sense?

Oh yes, we played three new songs.

We’re happy that response to these new songs have been really, really nice. People seem to know the lyrics to “Huarache Lights” quite well already and there was a real excitement around the other two.

Speaking of buzz around the record, it became known recently that it’ll be available in 501 different covers…

The artwork was a joint collaboration with an artist called Nick Relph, a good friend of ours.

We just wanted to do something unique and reflect the fact that every copy is going to be individual and that it’ll be a real special thing to own one of these albums. I think that it’s all we can do in this day and age to try and encourage people to buy a physical product – it’s up to artists to come up with things that make a difference. We were very lucky to work with a printer that allowed for this bespoke process towards printing an album. I’m personally very excited about this.

I think’s it’s the best concept we’ve had in 10 years of making records.

Would this extend to its title as well, which reads as both tonguein-cheek and abstract?

I think it’s partly tongue-in-cheek.

It was the title of a song, originally, and we just applied it to the whole album. To me, it captures the fact

that we’re quite mixed. As a band, our identity is always shifting. There are five people in this band with quite different interests and we don’t always present that much of a coherent image to the universe.

To have an album titled this way is to celebrate the fact that we’re all different and that it sometimes doesn’t make sense, or has to.

Six albums in, was there anything different about this one for you?

Yes, a big difference really, was that we went away to a residential studio in a very remote and peaceful part of the UK countryside to record.

We lived together, had meals together, hung out together, and then recorded from dusk until dawn, or from dawn until dusk!

The whole band was there and it felt like playing in a live band.

The environment influenced the writing, composing and recording of the album and it just gave it this different feel.

“Huarache Lights” definitely evinces a unique tension between nostalgia and modernity.

Absolutely. We thought it’d sound really good with a DJ Rashad sample of a song from the great soul vocal group First Choice. It’s been on many hundreds of dance records over the years, and it was nice to put it in this context of us making something new out of someone else’s reworking of something else. It’s a slightly different context from what one would normally hear it in. Even on a technical level, it was different for us because we haven’t really used vocal samples in this way.

At the same time, it feels like it belongs in the Hot Chip universe.

Yes! It’s got that kind of laidback

feel too it, and a lot of compression, too. I think it’s similar to “Over and Over”. It’s got some similarities to that kind of Hot Chip sound.

Also, throughout the album and especially in its best songs like “Need You Now”, there’s this pervasive late-night feeling, lyrically and musically, that hints at a darker turn from your previous work.

I wouldn’t say we wanted to make a darker record, but you’re right in that “Need You Now” is more bleak and negative than our other songs. At the same time, I think it’s a very haunting song. Sometimes, that’s just the best kind of music.

The songs on this album have this sensibility at various points. But the album still has a lot of fun, uplifting things on it. I guess it’s about having that range between those moods. You’re definitely right in pointing out the contrast.

As far as your reference points for the music on the record go, it seems like the band has been heavily invested in funk, soul and r&b, towards exploring that range.

Definitely. We spent a lot of time studying soul records from the ‘70s and ‘80s, producers like Quincy Jones and artists like Stevie Wonder, right up to Timbaland’s productions for Aaliyah and Beyoncé. That minimal, stripped-back-but-funky production has always been a big inspiration for us and I think we delved a little more into it this time.

And speaking of your oeuvre, it’s been more than 10 years since your debut album Coming On Strong. What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed in the band now

since then?

That’s a good question. We’ve certainly played a lot of shows, a lot of live music, all over the world, in those 10 years. There are seven people in the live band now.

Probably the single biggest change is that we’ve played this much live music and we’re now more comfortable with stepping back into the sound of the songs from our different periods. I’m not sure if our actual songwriting processes have changed all that much but how we sound live has definitely come to affect how our albums sound. That’s something that’s really important to the band.

In the early 2000s, Hot Chip was one of the very few exceptions to the guitar-centric mores of the indie world. How do you feel about the reverse being the case now?

Well, I think that at the time, we saw what we were doing as really unique. In some ways, we were reacting to the sort of boring “rock band” setup of bass, guitar and drums. But we were also quite aware that a lot of the music from the previous two or three decades featured electronic instruments, so we never really claimed to be doing something that was completely new. The biggest thing that makes our music individual is the combined force of Joe Goddard’s voice and lyrics. That’s really what made us unique and what people like us for. I don’t really tune in to the radio and listen to what’s hot on the charts that much. Although, I have to ask, why do people add so much reverb onto their recordings now?

Why Make Sense? is out 18 May on Domino

Talk 62

Move over Iggy Azalea. Actually, scratch that. You’re good where you are. In a league all of her own, though, is another Australian rapper, 19 year old Tkay Maidza. In the two years she’s been releasing music, the spitter has had an internationally celebrated hit single in “Brontosaurus”, several critically anointed singles and commanded monumental buzz for her distinct delivery. Like the canon-swallowing beats she favours, Tkay’s flow is take-no-prisoners slick and revel-ready but gilded with a winking edge that lets you know that she can’t be messed with. At Laneway Festival Melbourne, she blessed us with her scenestealing powers as well as her age-defying insight that doesn’t spare even the likes of Azealia Banks.

ILLUMINATI PRINCESS Words: Indran P

2014 was a big year for you. How would you put it in perspective now that you’ve had some time to step back and reflect?

Yes! I released a lot of music last year so it’s been pretty hectic.

Along with the music, I played a lot of festivals; everything escalated really quickly. I went to America for the first time for the CMJ Music Marathon. It was extremely overwhelming but very cool. It definitely opened my eyes to a lot. So I’d say that 2014 was definitely more than I expected.

Having performed at the birthplace of hip hop, how would you say the Australian scene compares?

Well, when I was in America, I played mainly industry shows. I think both places are quite similar, actually. Both are crazy! Even when I played in London, the vibe was crazy! The difference in Australia is that since the people here are more chill, things are a bit weirder. It’s common to hear about people drinking out of shoes. For example, yesterday, in Adelaide, people were surfing near the festival with drinks in their hands!

Your breakout hit “Brontosaurus” definitely sounds like it hails from an uncontrollably fun place.

Thanks! I wrote that song a few years ago and I’m so happy that people like it so much. It all started when I met a producer from Adelaide called Bad Cop. We were just working on a couple of songs together and when this

one was finished, I didn’t think twice about it. It happened really quickly and I was like, “Okay, it’s done!” I didn’t think there was anything special about it but my manager thought it could be a single. When it was released, the response on Triple J and the streets in general was great. It’s what started everything for me.

Historically, and especially now, Australia is known for its rock bands. What would you say about the local hip hop scene to outsiders then?

There are two groups. One’s the straight-up Aussie hip hop school which is pretty gangsta, and the other’s the contemporary camp which plays more experimental music that leans towards trap. I’ve always found it interesting that the gangsta sound is a bit more popular. That’s what Australians like! People like Vic Mensa and A$AP Ferg but they’ll say that Snoop Dogg is king even today.

Triple J is known for being notoriously selective. How has support been for your music and the hip hop scene in Australia been from Triple J so far?

For me, the station’s been incredible. If I release something, they’ll always ask if they can have the song so that they can play it. They’re awesome like that.

On a bigger scale though, you’re right, they’re really selective. I have some rappers that I like and I always find myself asking why they aren’t getting played more.

You never know. But at the same

time, hip hop in Australia is alive and well! There are lots of rappers in the underground that Triple J is pushing out there.

And it’s unanimous that you’re leading the vanguard!

Thanks, but I really don’t want to look at it that way. I’m just happy I’m able to have music out, and frequently. And I’m happy that I’ve got the sensibility to be critical of myself. Like out of all the tracks I released last year, I’m most proud of “Switch Lanes”.

It’s my favourite song that I’ve put out because, very organically, it was everything I wanted it to sound like. It came easily and the response, especially overseas, has been shockingly great.

How so?

Well, because I never thought that people would like to hear such a raw song. Pop radio now is so processed and compressed so I didn’t think that people would think twice about it. But when it became obvious that the opposite was true, I was over the moon.

Since the beginning of your career, you’ve been compared to Azealia Banks. Why do you think that is?

Yes, I’m quite sick of it, to be honest. There can’t be a reason I’m mentioned with her because we have nothing in common. I think it’s because we both have long hair, but that’s not enough, right? Also, I’ve never spoken to her in my life. Don’t get me wrong though, she’s a great artist.

It was her music that showed me that it was possible to take hip hop so much further. She showed how a female could also dominate hip hop. It was from her music that I realised I could do whatever I wanted with my own. Other than that, her music’s not my sole inspiration. I don’t try to be her.

She’s more hip hop than I am – we’re not the same. I’m all over the place!

And that shows in the music – in a good way.

You know what? I listen to so much. I love folk, pop, rock, punk, everything. My music isn’t one particular sound or style, it’s a crossover of everything I’ve listened to my whole life. It’s the sound of me doing whatever I feel like doing. I feel that as long as I keep writing music this way, things will only progress.

Would you say that you’re competing against the appeal of the nostalgic hip hop sound you mentioned earlier?

Sometimes I feel like I need to beat these people because music is a competition after all. But I’m not making music for the sake of competing or “winning”.

At the end of the day, what I make is a reflection of me and what I’m about. There are so many examples of artists that are comfortable in their own lane. My personal favourite is Chance the Rapper. You just have to do you.

Listen to Tkay at soundcloud. com/tkaymaidza

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Talk 64

SPACE JAM

There’s “experimental” and then there’s Public Service Broadcasting. While many have legitimised the post- prefix by leaving vocals out of their rock, the London duo of multiinstrumentalists J. Willgoose, Esq and the charmingly monickered Wrigglesworth, has steered theirs towards the limitless expanse of space. Soundtracking audio from public information films, and archived footage of landmark historical events, with veritable syllabi of rock and pop sounds, the pair has dedicated its latest album The Race for Space to the eponymous 20-year conflict between Cold War rivals the US and Russia. Recently, we got in touch with Willgoose who beamed some spaceage insight down to us.

Words: Indran P

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Well, the basic modus operandi – using samples to try to weave a story or a collection of songs together – was very much the same. What changed, I think, was a slight shift in tone to a more serious and thoughtful one, plus a desire to stretch ourselves musically by writing for a whole load of instruments and in styles that we hadn’t previously written in / for.

What was it about the US-Soviet space race that compelled you to centre the album around it?

I think it’s got everything, really.

Politically, it’s a fascinating era, which we barely touched on but which is lurking throughout the record; it’s a series of amazing technological leaps, accompanied by incredible human bravery, triumphs and tragedies, and it also speaks to our place in the universe in general and how tiny and insignificant we are, really. But, at the same time,we are capable of some amazing things.

How did you first arrive at the aesthetic of integrating public information films into performed music?

Just by doing it, really. I heard about the release of some British Film Institute films online and decided to try to use them as samples in a song, for my own amusement. Something, somewhere seemed to click and I kept on doing it. That was about seven years ago now, and the first gig as PSB was coming up for six years ago.

We understand that you’re currently touring behind The Race for Space. Where are you now?

Currently in a hotel room in the US ahead of our gig in Denver, Colorado tomorrow night. As for what’s kept us busy, pretty much everything! Rehearsing, pre-production, touring, travelling, interviews, more interviews, occasional sleep…

Congrats on The Race for Space.

In terms of how it came together, would you say that was it a departure from Inform-EducateEntertain?

“The Other Side” testifies to your filmic approach to music.

Very much so, yes. 2001: A Space Odyssey and other science fiction films were a big part in how this album came together in my head; even down to the use of human voices, which was influenced very strongly by Kubrick’s use of them in the 2001 score. Moon was another big one.

So is there a strict process behind how a PSB song comes together?

Do you make the music around the footage or vice versa?

No strict process. Sometimes, the music comes first, sometimes the samples appear first. Most of the time there’s an underlying theme

or idea that ties the two together, but there’s not really a formula for how we work.

The band is also known for its spectacular live shows and you’ve said before that the archive footage is the “frontman”. Have you ever felt that you’ve had to compete with the visuals for the audience’s attention?

No, I don’t think we need to compete at all, really. Some people like to focus on the visuals and others – perhaps the musicians in the audience – might watch Wriggles a bit more, or occasionally, me. I don’t really mind what they watch so long as they’re entertained.

Given your sample-heavy approach, are you fans of hip hop?

Very much so, yes. Although probably more the earlier variants of it rather than the massive commercial juggernaut it’s mutated into. I know Wriggles is a big fan of ‘90s hip hop, and I love some of the really early stuff in particular as well as some of the more fun stuff like Jurassic 5 and the Beastie Boys.

You’ve also said that the band aims to “teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future”.

Is there a particular historical period or event that interests you enough that you might explore it the PSB way in future?

I’ve got my eye on something for the next release, yes, but I think I need to give my brain a bit of time off to recuperate after the last album. Finishing this one was not an easy time at all. And in terms of teaching anyone anything, that was just a catchy line I stuck on a very early press release to try to get some attention. If people do take any educational nourishment from our songs then that’s great but we’re certainly not focused on that. We just want to entertain people, like any other band.

Lastly, is there any possibility of you singing on your tracks either in the near or distant future?

Me personally? No. The Race for Space is out now on Test Card Recordings

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Talk 67

REDEMPTION SONG

More than everything else, there is one contribution in particular that casts Bob Marley as a latterday saint in pop culture: One Love. Honouring his legacy with her own fight, her own endeavour, is his eldest grandchild Donisha Prendergast, who as an activist, actress, poet and filmmaker, has been evoking her grandfather’s life-elevating message in her own works in world-touching ways. Before she was in town to grace Potato Head Folk’s dub & reggae shindig Irie Sundays, she shared with us her redemption songs. Please heed.

Words: Indran P Where are you now and what’s kept you busy lately?

Presently I am sitting in an airport in transit, in between worlds and nationalities. My travel and reasonings with communities keep me real busy, but it’s the only way to live.

As someone who hails from the lineage of a reggae legend and who’s also heavily invested in the form, where do you think reggae – musical art and philosophy – is at today, in 2015?

Reggae music is definitely experiencing a resurgence in terms of the roots and reason of the music. The philosophy is becoming more inclusive of the human experience globally. Just to be very clear, reggae music is the humble, rebellious child of RasTafari. A movement borne out of the pain and aspirations of people stolen from their homelands now seeking an identity beyond the colonial clothes, language and practices they were force fed. Still, we see how reggae has captured the hearts and souls of worlds far away from the story of ex-slaves in Jamaica. I feel that RasTafari and the philosophies of Emperor Haile Selassie I, has created a blueprint for international morality and reggae has created a platform, that we as souljahs can continue to be inspired and engender the collective evolution of nations.

And how would you say this moral blueprint manifests in the music?

Reggae music has the message that ALL people need. This is the message we must spread because it is the truth that sets us free.

The world is dying for lack of

knowledge on how to Love and Be Loved. We need safe spaces and reggae creates that dynamic social experience that heals without realising.

At the same time, the attitudes adopted and music made by certain pop superstars have led to a wide debate on cultural appropriation.

It’s a delicate subject matter to approach, because cultural appropriation is a real thing. There are many crooked capitalists whose only intention is to exploit the sacredness of identity and philosophy for financial gain with no intention of honouring the root.

On Earth today, you can patent and copyright a song, series of colours, images, even a seed which is here before us. But the truth is, you can’t patent a life experience.

So just continue to create and inspire. No one owns an idea, so there is no need for competition.

We defend our culture by evolving naturally. Like my grandfather says in his song “Babylon System”, “Babylon system is the vampire / Sucking the blood of the sufferer...

We are what we are and that’s the way it’s goin to be”.

In the same way, you’ve said before that Rasta, for you, was a safe space where you felt brave enough to assert your position in the world.

Yeah, and I maintain that.

RasTafari has enabled me to be a global citizen and ambassador of humanity. I feel brave enough to hug a stranger and confident that I will be protected every place I go through Divine guidance and Protection. I know there are

hurtful people with evil intentions in this world, and I feel RasTafari gives me the Grace, insight and over-standing to navigate the cascading circumstances of life that would leave us to be insecure and afraid of life and experience.

We are all souls on a journey.

Unfortunately, because of the dilution of its core beliefs over the years, many people have a highly inaccurate or misguided view of it. What would you say to them if you could address them here?

H.I.M Emperor Haile Selassie and the history of Ethiopia as one of the world’s oldest Nations will give you the insight you lack when trying to over stand RasTafari.

Research the words and works of this King and his Queen. Also, reggae music comes from a calling from beyond the land we stand on. The intention of RasTafari was always to create a safe physical, spiritual and emotional space for humanity to exist in truth, love and justice for all. It was always to restore us from the cultural misappropriation that has been taking place for centuries.

There were some flashpoints last year in the United States that triggered a huge reaction to issues of race and class. As someone who was at the Miami Ferguson protest, what are your thoughts on how we can better and sincerely promote unity and understanding between different races worldwide?

Well, I believe it goes so far beyond race and class to the insecurity that Babylon creates in the hearts and minds of man. At the Miami protest, I reached across the yellow

tape to hold a police officer’s arm to let him know that I knew it wasn’t his decision to be out here in front of angry protestors, it was the man in the office who signed his check. We must realise that systems and rules prohibit us from seeing each other as pieces of ourselves. Rather we see titles, skin colour, age, race, sexuality, nationality and social class. The solution is an individual decision to be a better person for the world and to heal more than we hurt.

Besides your political activism, you are also an artist, a writer, actress and dancer. Would you say that you have a preferred art form or medium?

My art is living. My greatest creation is the life story I have been blessed to write and share the way I choose. My preferred medium is any stage, any place.

Time is my medium.

Lastly, what are your hopes for reggae and dub in the future?

I’m looking forward to seeing more Love and Life manifest beyond the music and into some physical policies and institutions where brothers and sisters, strangers and distant relatives can share time and space towards the Mission, which is to create safe spaces from the onslaught of mystery by Babylon.

More freedom of mind, soul and body, less judgment and ego.

Reggae music is the healing of all nations. We must evolve and utilise our own teachings and learn how to manifest real social change that is positive, sustainable and just. At the heart of every revolution is an evolution. But it begins with Love from the inside out.

Spread 68

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Review 79

SUFJAN STEVENS: CARRIE & LOWELL Words: Indran P

Tragedy is known to be a generous muse. But expounding on the sad-but-true nature of this widely observed claim is pointless.

What’s infinitely more fruitful is acknowledging that Carrie & Lowell is Sufjan Steven’s most tragic album yet, and also the best thing he’s ever recorded. As its title suggests, Carrie & Lowell is about individual lives that are bound together. The individuals in question are his stepfather Lowell and his mother Carrie, whom he lost to cancer in 2012, and whose death inspired the album.

Knowing that besides being a schizophrenic and alcoholic, she was absent from most of his life makes the issue of grieving unimaginably more complex and it’s the manner in which Stevens interrogates memory and conscience to get his feelings out that makes this the unintentionally devastating masterpiece that it is. “Fourth of July”, an imagined conversation between him and Carrie, is a perfect tableau of this slight shift of modes, where his imploring, “What could I have said to raise you from the dead?” is met with her reassuring love, in the nicknames she gave him as a child: “My little hawk… my little dove”. Each stanza alternates between Stevens asking if there was anything he could have done to save her and her pacifying him: “I’m sorry I left, but it was for the best.” And every time she does, she asks him, “Why do you cry?” It’s this line, and the light swell of pristine and surreal pianos and atmospheric sound that punctuates it each time, that makes the emotional freight here unbearable.

Positioned in the middle of Carrie & Lowell’s 11 songs, “Fourth of July” is a point of reckoning that distinguishes into phases what comes before it and what comes after. The opening lines of the album are “Spirit of my silence I

can hear you / But I’m afraid to be near you / And I don’t know where to begin / And I don’t know where to begin”. Propriety suggests that the fear and tentativeness here (“Death With Dignity”) be rendered in an elegiac tone. But Steven’s lilting coos and mellifluous acoustic guitar plucks defy convention and subject matter because the conclusion is definitive and inescapable regardless: “I forgive you, mother… But every road leads to an end.” The finality of death, sweetly realised before, is confronted for the literal ending – of life and all possibility – that it is on “Should Have Known Better”, where besides going through a mournful litany of “should haves”, Stevens regrets the “black shroud / Holding down all [his] feelings”.

Resistance to grief is also a testimony to grief and just as desperate a reaction to it – he’s on his knees.

It’s through gradual selfquestioning and venting that in the album’s later half, acceptance and understanding filter into how he perceives his mother’s death.

Preceded by hurt intimations of suicide, “The Only Thing” comes to a close with, “Everything I feel returns to you somehow.” The childhood memories unearthed on the title track next also emerge as steps taken by him to find his way back to her, even if it’s through a mire of drugs and alcohol.

Indelible in his work before, religion features in Carrie & Lowell in its richest utterance in the penultimate diptych of “John My Beloved” and “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross”. In the context of the album, the declaration in the former song, “I love you more than the world can contain,” is as open-hearted an admission of divine love as it is of filial devotion, as is the conflation of Carrie’s passing with the titular implications of the latter. Made of blood and tears, this is one of the year’s best albums by a long mile.

That distance, though, is not to be crossed.

Review 80

Words: Indran P

TORO Y MOI: WHAT FOR?

There’s no line connecting chillwave and r&b. Yet Chaz Bundick found a way to put the two worlds in conversation. In regarding What For?, his fourth album as Toro Y Moi, this preface is helpful in illumining just how far he’s come from chillwave, r&b or anything he’s done before. What For? is a marvel, a guitar-heavy and completely unexpected feat of sound for which “power pop” is the least fallacious descriptor.

There are actual exclamations of “whoo!” on opener “What You Want”, which along with its crunching power chords and psych-rock spazz-outs, and his casual ambivalence towards relationship woes – “The time is coming where we all devour / So I’ll follow you, or you follow me” – hints at an altogether different sonic persona. The blockbuster funk-rock of “Buffalo” and “Spell It Out” and “Lily”, and the twilit prog of closer “Yeah Right” are just some indications of how much higher Bundick has raised the bar here and in ways that, to his credit, sound accomplished without being insistent. But where the record does disappoint is in its self-contentedness. Never in a hurry to Say Something, Bundick remains cool throughout, making us question if the music was a distraction in the first place.

WAXAHATCHEE: IVY TRIPP As much as growing old comes with its own set of pains and concerns, there’s something freeing about having come far enough to know that there really isn’t a place where you should go. Three albums in, Katie Crutchfield is feeling her way around her life, and she’s okay with taking her time.

This confidence shows in the exuberance of the fuzz-rock-pop sweet spot of sounds she creates, this time, also with an expanded array of instruments, making for a detailed and dynamic update of her typically earthy singer-songwriter template.

With her vocals now dominating the mix, she’s the anchor around which legitimately booming alt-rock signifiers coalesce.

“Breathless”, “Under A Rock” and “Poison” all bring back the serrated pop of the ‘90s and it’s to Crutchfield’s credit that this move feels more symptomatic of a bold personal affirmation than a reflexive throwback to a time now fetishised by the scene she’s in. A lot of it has to do with uncompromising sentiments like: “I’m a basement brimming with nothing great” and “You’ll deliver a fable I could live / And I’ll throw it off the nearest cliff.” It’s not punk because she doesn’t have a point to prove – she just wants you to know she’s fine.

EARL SWEATSHIRT: I DON’T LIKE S**T, I DON’T GO OUTSIDE: AN ALBUM BY EARL SWEATSHIRT

Earl Sweatshirt’s second album is a half-hour-long. And like Kendrick Lamar’s recent superlatively brilliant opus, his is a view of a blacked-out inner world of self-doubt, self-loathing, and limelight-shunning introspection.

But Earl’s neck-deep nihilism situates him in a much darker and more insular space. Outside is suffocating. Repulsed by his fame but dependent on it to exist as an artist, he negotiates this conflicted state with bitter clarity over the robotic hum of “Mantra” and “Grief”, the album’s centerpiece, which houses the album’s most batteringly revealing lines: “Good grief, I been reaping what I sowed / Nigga, I ain’t been outside in a minute / I been living what I wrote.” Redemption is neither asked for nor proffered – the whole album is a confessional of dread that progresses like a flatline to the end of its 30 minutes. You have to really listen to notice the forbiddingly powerful feats of disclosure that Earl demonstrates, as well as the nuances in the music, to see why rap is the better for him.

COURTNEY BARNETT: SOMETIMES I SIT AND THINK, SOMETIMES I JUST SIT

New as she is to the global stage, it’s not a stretch to say that Barnett’s fixation on the cosmological significance of the seemingly banal minutiae of everyday phenomena has cast her as the Virginia Woolf of latter-day indie rock. She’s knowingly in possession of a very particular aesthetic and on her debut album, self-produced as it is, she’s dug deeper into a nicely worn groove to add an enchanting air of intimacy to her sweet nothings.

Opener “Elevator Operator” tells just this weirdly banal but emotional tale: it’s about one of her friends whose intentions to go to the top of a building to take in the view are mistaken by a concerned old lady for a suicide attempt. Over rollicking ‘60s Stones-ian jangle-rock, Barnett plays the old lady: “Don’t jump little boy, don’t jump off that roof / You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, you’re still in your youth / I’d give anything to have skin like you.” Later, she chronicles the difficulties of house-hunting in a rapidly gentrifying Melbourne in “Depreston” and the age-old woes of growing older on “Debbie Downer”. Rarely are levity and maturity balanced this well.

Review 81

MARCHING CHURCH: THIS WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

The Iceage frontman’s latest offering is an album where, by design, the first impression it makes is the only impression it makes. Your reception of This World, therefore, will hinge on how you take to its being a selfconscious parody of itself and all that it mimics. Elias Bender Rønnenfelt has already stated that its actualisation was the result of him wondering what a picture he had in his head of himself draped in a golden robe and leading a band while a girl poured him champagne would “sound” like. That’s why it’s totally alright for him to allude to his “godlike charm” on the blacklit post-punk opener “Living In Doubt”. The musicianship here is expertly professional, but too much so, and the overarching effect of having taut basslines and crackling guitars soundtrack his “self-adoration” is a send-up of the self-important stance of postrock itself. From here own, it’s with a legitimately jaw-dropping capability that he and his band riff on Blue Eyed Soul. From the really excellent sax-led “King of Song” (see) to the part-Spanish-butalso-gothic slow-boiler “Hungry for Love”, all the black-clad tropes associated with popular existential crises are indulged in – in delightfully insincere ways.

PASSION PIT: KINDRED

It’s impossible to read any kind of evolutionary convergence into an arc like Passion Pit’s. Having arrived fully formed, the band, now consisting entirely of singer and producer Michael Angelakos, has always delivered on its own terms. But now, the pop cultural needle has finally caught up with its maximalist ways and “indietronica” is now the governing mode of indie-pop (and pop-indie) discourse, which means Passion Pit is finally of its time, musically at least. Like its predecessors, Kindred promises a staggering tidal wave of sound. With lead single “Lifted Up (1985)” already heralding it into the ether with its festival-certified hooks, Kindred’s uppers are patently titanic: “Until We Can (Let’s Go)” is vintage Passion Pit, only, it’s gale forcesynths are even more colouristic and the drums, more tectonic; “Ten Foot Tall (II)” is the perfect coda, where a confounding array of vocal and instrumental loops are interlaced to dizzying effect over a hands-in-the-air “whoa oh oh oh” chorus. But, as always, this disingenuousness is only an illusion. For all its Chvrchesschooling poptimist wealth, Kindred is also a tangle of over-felt emotions the Top 40 mainstream has no room for. Angelakos gushes album-wide, but from singular heights yet again.

ACTION BRONSON: MR. WONDERFUL

Here’s Action Bronson on “Falconry”: “I was made like the beginning of Jurassic Park / When they took the blood from the mosquito with a dope needle / Then they shot it in a wild lion, 1983”. More than his string of mixtapes and loosies, it’s this full-length statement, which taps into what was good about all that preceded it, that defines him in all his convention-confounding majesty. To this end, Mr. Wonderful is an unapologetically colourful self-portrait painted in a style that’s rap game-ordained and undeniably his own. As opener “Brand New Car” shows, major label interest has ushered Mark Ronson to the boards, and updated the thump of his swaggering flow with a spiky piano-led beat, diluting nothing. He’s never needed a banger and deep cuts like the competition-skewering “Actin’ Crazy” and “Easy Rider” and the Chance the Rapper-guesting post-breakup victory lap “Baby Blue” – “You could probably catch me somewhere where the sun is next / And I understand that’s only cause I’m popular” – affirm why his insistence on “personality” over “trendiness” is damn near righteous. And with arch wit, sinewy leftfield beats and the his-alone niche of food-rap quips, there’s a lot of personality here.

ALABAMA SHAKES: SOUND & COLOR Old is gold – that was the central thesis of Alabama Shakes’ very credible 2012 debut Boys & Girls.

In their passionate blues-rock mode and frontwoman Brittany Howard’s earnestly invoked soul touchstones, Alabama Shakes wanted you to know that they were old souls. And since old souls don’t change with the wind or keep you guessing, their follow-up to Boys & Girls is a more refined and more involved display of their arresting gifts. It’s a great album, which means Alabama Shakes has graduated to become a great band and the proof is inescapably easy to pick out.

Here, Alabama Shakes are more the Alabama Shakes they were before. There’s a confidence with which Howard sings, cries, hoots and laments in on elemental classic-sounding heart-on-sleeve highlights like “Gimme All Your Love” and “Miss You” that also speaks to the newfound intensity with which the band delivers its trifecta of blues, rock and soul.

Even on its tightest, deftest song “Don’t Wanna Fight”, the band – especially Howard – sounds as if it’s being consumed by the fervour of its feelings – because that’s what feelings can do to old souls.

Parties 82

VIBE BEACH SPORTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL @ SILOSO BEACH, SENTOSA Words: Jeremy Fong

Parties 83

Sports and music don’t always make for the likeliest of bedfellows (except, probably, people chanting “Seven Nation Army” at football games), but at the Vibe Beach Sports & Music Festival, they came together, hung out and more than played nice. Living up to its rep as Singapore’s first-ever lifestyle beach party, the one-day hullabaloo was a sweat-drenched spread of activities and festivities that more than warmed up its spot on Siloso Beach, Sentosa.

Happening from day till night, Vibe drew beach sport enthusiasts, Zumba doers and music lovers who partied harder than any Vampire Weekend video.

temperatures running high. The beach sports wrapped up with the teams of Dorset Boys and White Horse walking off with top honours in beach soccer and volleyball respectively, as well as sweet cash prizes and shiny trophies. And the action didn’t just stop there: as the afternoon wound down, the beach cleared for – oh, yes – Zumba.

Alix Pfrunder, famed Zumba practitioner, stepped onstage with our island’s own Zumba Angels to lead the gathered crowd in an energetic round of dance fitness.

The night that followed, too, did not lack for the same enthusiasm and rhythm.

Vibe had an early headstart, packing up its afternoon with a run of beach volleyball and futsal competitions. As 32 teams dribbled it out for victory, other fringe activities like beer challanges and a dunking machine kept punters playing, while local DJs Styluxtakut, Joshua P and Hong Kong’s Miles Slater kept

As the sun set, Vibe’s beachy spot was transformed into a dancefloor, scheduled to be graced by no less than four class acts. AN21, aka Antoine Josefsson, aka Steve Angello’s younger bro, made the best of his early slot, laying down a forcefield of progressive house painted with his own dynamic colours, which the Finnish

Clockwise from left John O’Callaghan, Super8 & Tab, and a moving beach bod

trance pairing of Super8 & Tab followed up with an airing of its greatest hits from “My Enemy” to “No Frontiers”, all of which worked magic in the expanse of Siloso Beach. The state of trance continued to reign supreme as John O’Callaghan took his turn on the decks to unpack his tapestry of big sky-filling and space-exploring sounds, and as the legendary Solarstone closed proceedings with the purest and most euphoric of sonic blankets. Ending its day in the sun against a backdrop of stars, LED-lit beach balls and tranceenhanced beats, Vibe more than made the best of its slice of beach.

Nosh 84

LA DOLCE VITA

Pizza Fabbrica turns on the Italian charm Words: Indran P

Sometimes, it’s the simplest dishes that are the hardest to get right. The pizza, transplanted from its birthplace of Italy, has been subjected to enough reinterpretation, ranging from the satisfying to the “experimental”, to be a ringing testament of this. So, it’s with great joy that we relay the following mouthwatering tidings: Pizza Fabbrica is serving up back-to-basics pizzas loaded with time-honoured Italian flavours.

Tucked away in the hipster haven of Bussorah Street it may be, but even a quick gander at its menu will reveal that what this pizzeria stands for is an unpretentious experience with uncompromising taste. Its earthy décor and welcomingly fuss-free atmosphere combine with the perpetual spice-scented aromas

wafting through its interior to give a scrumptiously inviting feel, helped in no small part by a full view of the lively open kitchen, wherein the copper wood-fired oven stands as an assurance of what’s to come. Hailing from the history-rich city of Cremona, Executive Chef Matteo Boifova calls the shots in this space, ensuring that his commitment to using only the freshest ingredients manifests in all that passes from it. Take for instance the Involtino di Melanzane all’Ortolana, an antipasto option where eggplant is stuffed with homemade ricotta and served with marinated vegetables – both herbivores and carnivores will shake hands in agreement of its depth of savoury flavour and transportive taste.

Amplified in its big plates, Chef Boifova’s approach to pizza is the

ultimate prize. Devising his own bespoke approach to the pizza base made with dough that has been proofed for 48 hours, using the best quality of Caputo flour from Italy and topped with fresh mozzarella air flown in from Italy, he’s ensured that every one of his 14 unique pizzas, from the cheese extravaganza that is the Magherita Di Bufala D.O.P, the best-selling Pancetta Funghi Caprino e Scalogno, made with juicy yet lean strips of pork belly and the exquisite Truffle Pizza, topped as it is with generous amounts of the good stuff, promises hearty, vividly robust pleasures.

Amiable Italian hosts throughand-through, Pizza Fabbrica also boasts a bar that’ll see to it that you hit that post-pizza sweet spot with its wide range of mostly Italian craft beers. Of these, we urgently recommend the 32 Via Dei Birra, a caramel-flavoured brew to remind you of all the good things that greeted you on your plate.

Pizza Fabbrica is located at 69/70 Bussorah Street and opens from 11.30am to 11.30pm daily. For reservations and enquiries, call +65 6291 0434

Tipple 85

TUSCAN TREAT LeVel 33 and Aqua Panna present the Tuscan Chestnut Lager Words: Indran P It’s not just its reputation as the world’s highest urban microbrewery that makes LeVel 33 a major talking point amongst epicures and the drink-savvy alike. Housed at the pinnacle of the Marina Bay Financial Center, the establishment also offers top-of-the-line dining and drinking options along with an unparalleled view of the city skyline. Its famed copper brew house has already proven its mettle as a game-changer with its range of bespoke European brews that includes crowd favourites like the 33.1 Blond Lager and the 33.15 IPA. And with the Tuscan Chestnut Lager, it’s flipped the

script and changed it up once again: a boldly unconventional and vividly flavourful beer-drinking experience now awaits.

The fruit of a union of timehonoured heritage and winking experimentally-leaning gastrominded irreverence, the Tuscan Chestnut Lager truly testifies to the best of its constituent parts. The flavour-unlocking and taste-enhancing powers of Aqua Panna’s mineral water has long been a given in the culinary world.

Filled with water that flows from the Apennines Mountains, each bottle of Aqua Panna is a promise of the Tuscan landscape’s palpable

charms. And while its use in a craft brew may seem off kilter to most at first blush, its freshness, subtly pleasant flavours and European heritage sync perfectly with LeVel 33’s (re)inventive ethos.

So, with Aqua Panna as the base, the canny brewers at LeVel 33 have included premium Italian chestnuts and Organic Acacia Honey from the EmiliaRomagna of Northern Italy as vital ingredients to produce a medium-bodied lager with smoky after-tones which, for all its depth of flavour, packs a slightly sweet and refreshingly crisp taste.

Seasoned beer drinkers and craft enthusiasts will find more than enough to gratify their palettes in this trailblazing concoction.

As an accompaniment to LeVel 33’s array of elevated European cuisine, foodies too will find a most engaging companion and a delectable supplement. A Tuscan treat for all tastes and occasions – that’s this lager’s guarantee.

Ask for the Tuscan Chestnut Lager at LeVel 33, located at 8 Marina Boulevard #33-01, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1.

For reservations and enquiries, call +65 6834 3133 or email reservations@level33.com.sg.

Listings 86

ALL THAT MATTERS 20 TO 24 MAY @ CLARKE QUAY Entertainment, business and the business of entertainment are once again gathered for another round of All That Matters. Back for fifth helpings, the event is a two-pronged offensive: Music Matters Live will boast a massive 70-strong line-up of emerging international acts, while the All That Matters conference will be gathering dozens of the industry’s biggest names for a round of thought-provoking talks and networking. That’s four days’ worth of Asia’s gateway summit to the music trade, so let’s get our programs in order.

Words: Lee Xin-Rui Main images: Dawn Chua & Lionel Boon

Listings 87 Dru Chen

Cloud Maze (RU) Alt-rock turned up loud soundcloud.com/cloudmaze

Fad (HK) Indie-pop with perfectly pitched la-la-las soundcloud.com/fad-band

Zahed Sultan

Gush

Wowy (VN) Street-based hip hop that drops hard and heavy soundcloud.com/artistwowy

MUSIC MATTERS LIVE

There’s gonna be a bombardment of bands over at Clarke Quay and Timbre venues during Music Matters Live, the festival arm of All That Matters, so take note to avoid #fomoanxiety.

Crossing the seas, valleys, gorges and mountains, up-and-coming acts from across the globe are converging on our humble isle to showcase what they’ve got.

From the groovy pop of France’s Gush, to Kuwait’s avant-garde electronica mastermind Zahed Sultan, to the sweet soulful sounds of Switzerland’s Bastian Baker, there’s a big wide world of new music to discover, and Music Matters Live is bringing it all to you. If you’re plagued by indecision and overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, pick a country and hit up one of the country-specific showcases, which include the Aussie BBQ, Music France, K Pop Night Out and of course, Made in Singapore. So mark the dates and brush off your dancing shoes, because Music Matters Live is not to be missed.

ALL THAT MATTERS

10 ACTS

TO WATCH AT MUSIC MATTERS LIVE

Angus Dawson (AU) Slinky, late-hour r&b grooves soundcloud.com/angus-dawson

Michelle Xen (AU) Electro-pop in colourful hands soundcloud.com/michellexen

Idiotape (KR) Bleeps and bloops with a generous dose of guitars soundcloud.com/idiotape

Buckman Coe (CA) Spare, whispery folk to warm your heart’s cockles soundcloud.com/buckmancoe

Irma (FR) Blues-pop that swings and seduces youtube.com/irma

Save Me Hollywood (PH) Unabashed and soaring rawk soundcloud.com/savemehollywood

Jeremy Loops (ZA) Happy-clappy folk that catches easy soundcloud.com/jeremyloops

Though Music Matter’s Live may be All That Matters’ most publicly popular segment, this event is first and foremost one of Southeast Asia’s leading entertainment industry conferences. Heralded as “the Asian Davos of Digital” and “TED meets SXSW”, All That Matters ties the music, digital media, live entertainment and sponsorship industries together, providing an avenue for increased connectivity and fueling the fires of business creativity. This year’s speakers are, as per usual, some of the most innovative and industrious minds of their respective fields. Those divulging their trade secrets include Vice’s Australian Head of Content Alex Light, founder of Chrysalis Records Terry Ellis, Katy Perry’s manager and founding partner of Direct Management Steve Jensen, and Singapore’s very own Wayne Lee, the head of entertainment at Zouk.

Tickets: Music Matters Live is a non-ticketed event. Check musicmatterslive.com for full deets. Passes to the All That Matters conference are available at allthatmatters.asia.

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FULL STEAM AHEAD

23 MAY @ TANJONG BEACH CLUB If you’re like us, or any of the thousands that have basked in the all-chill vibes of the FSA shindigs, then you know that it was conceived as Tanjong Beach Club’s answer to the full moon parties that raged on foreign shores. But this time, the people behind our choice beach-party hang are on to something else entirely. Slap on the sunscreen ‘cos you’re about to experience the first ever day-to-night indie-disco beach festival. That’s right, FSA just became a festival, full-on. Which means there’ll more sights, more sounds and more of the beach to lose yourself to. Time to hit the beach!

Words: Indran P

Listings 89

KINGS OF THE BEACH: THEY’LL

MAKE YOU DANCE

BY THE SEA SHORE

THE BEST OF THE BEACH AND MORE

JOAKIM

He’s soundtracked the runway shows of Chanel, Margiela, and Balenciaga, lent his auditory powers to cult multi-disciplinary artist Camille Henrot’s installations and held court at Panorama Bar, all besides owning his own label and releasing next-level electro everything. All this is to say that Joakim’s sound judgment is unquestionable.

Beats Happening “Bring Your Love”, “On the Beach”, “This Is My Life”

THE HIDEOUT ZONE LOU LOU PLAYERS

Growing up, Belgian nightlife mainstay Jérôme Denis found comfort in music, only to now be proffering that very release to delighted multitudes all over the world. There’s no single way to pin him down musically, but if you like your house full of bass and with extra dollops of rhythm, you’ll find your body take a life of its own when he’s on.

Beats Happening “Heat It Up”, “Be Killaz”, “Thinking About”

This FSA blowout is so huge that it’ll be divided into two zones, the Neon Zone where you get your dance on, and the Hideout Zone, where, yes, you chill in resplendence. There’s a whole array of beachy activities including, tie-dye stations, yoga sessions, coconut bikini classes sponsored by Cocoloco, and air-hockey and beer pong competitions. You can also look forward to sunset massages, tarot card readings and snake charming showcases – just know that “fringe” at the beach means something else entirely.

AEROPLANE

Like so many classically trained prodigies, Vito De Luca is a guarantee of best-of-both-worlds charm. Enriching and dare we say, reigning over the Balearic and nudisco scenes with sounds just as propulsive as they are shimmery, the Belgian DJ-producer’s place on this bill promises that there’ll be something for everyone. Cue good times.

Beats Happening “We Can’t Fly”, Friendly Fires: “Paris” (remix), “Let’s Get Slow”

WEELIKEME

The Poptart maestro needs no introduction. Besides ushering the spectrum of classic and of-the-moment indie hits to the dancefloor, the hometown party-starter has burnt a blazingly alternative niche with his houseinflected techno sets that have been the sound of many an unforgettable night.

THE DECK OUT STATION

And since no festival is complete without its winning looks, there’s a whole section devoted solely to helping you paint and accessorize, which means that there’s no excuse for you to not be sporting a headdress or metallic tattoos.

TBC’s very own The Beach Shop will help out with all else.

BEACH EATS

Chow time here will also be a glorious affair with scrumptious sustenance provided by OverEasy, Super Loco and Popaganda. This means that you can wash down anything from the Truffle Burger to game-changing fish tacos with FSA-inspired fruity treats like Passionfruit Mint and Coconut Lemongrass.

Tickets: $60 (advanced) / 75 (door), available at tanjongbeachclub.com/ fullsteamahead

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NOPARTYHERE FEAT. TESSELA 1 MAY @ KYO

You either go hard or you go home; and Ed Russell’s stream of cross-rhythmic breakbeats aren’t about to call it a night. Evoking the proto-jungle and hardcore jams that filled ‘90s warehouses, Tessela’s productions (“Hackney Parrot”) run wild with beats and bombast, while deftly working the tension between release and restraint. But more importantly, they’ll make anyone dance. NOPARTYHERE’s booked a slot with Tessela on Labour Day at kyo, and in anticipation of the man’s drums and bass, we reach out for a confab.

Words: Min Chen

What was it that drew you to the ‘90s-grown sounds of drum ‘n’ bass, hardcore rave and jungle?

I’m not entirely sure, really. I think it was just from YouTube.

There’s so many wicked videos of these huge raves in the ‘90s. I think because I didn’t experience it firsthand, it’s much easier to view it with rose-tinted glasses and build this imaginary image of total euphoric raves.

And how has the UK scene – yesterday’s and today’s – shaped your own sound?

Yeah, masses. I always end up writing down loads of notes on my phone whenever I’m out in a club – ideas for tracks, or arrangements, stuff like that.

I find record shopping really inspiring too. Think it’s something about the slightly blown out amps and the satisfying tactile process of searching for new music.

What’s the creative process behind your productions?

In terms of the actual creative process, I think over the years I seem to have developed two very different ways of working. On one hand, I plan the tracks and make lots of detailed notes and drawings before getting into the studio; and on the other, I start with no particular direction in mind and try to write something as fast as possible, doing my best to capture the energy or feeling in the studio at that time. So something like “Nancy’s Pantry” would be an example of the first method: there was probably a week of planning before I wrote that. And something like “Gateway” is more the second and was written startto-finish in an afternoon.

Your latest “Bottom Out” has got an awesome Krautrock-esque minimalism that contrasts with the maximalism of “Hackney Parrot”. Why the shift?

That track came about after going to see Ben UFO play at Fabric one Sunday evening. I got

home with hundreds of ideas going round my head and wrote down as many as I could before I forgot. That track is one of the only ones that came to anything, but it’s pretty close to my original drawings and notes. It wasn’t a conscious shift in direction for me, but maybe an effort to try and experiment with new sounds.

And as a DJ, what goes through your mind when you’re behind the decks?

What always amazes me is that no matter how tired you’re feeling, or sick or whatever, as soon as you put on your first record you feel completely awake and energised. For the first two years, I really struggled with nerves on the decks. I’d dread playing shows and not be able to sleep or eat the day before. I remember one of my first shows was at a night that Pev and Pinch used to run called Dubloaded. We were having dinner before the show and Joker texted Pev saying that

he wanted to come down and play some music at the start. Pev put it out online that Joker would be doing the warm up and so the club was packed from the start. I was so nervous that I couldn’t eat any of my food and was shaking so much that I was struggling to use the mixer. I was pretty close to telling Pev I couldn’t do it and that someone else would have to fill in. Thankfully the nerves have subsided and as I’ve become more confident in the booth, I’ve began to really enjoy it!

What have you learnt from your many DJ sets?

ALWAYS WEAR EAR PLUGS In anticipation of your date at kyo, what should we expect from a night with Tessela?

Probably not as many Amen breaks as people seem to expect.

Entry: $20 / $25 (incl. one drink)

Listings 91

ONG SHUNMUGAM CRUISE 2015 THAKOON FALL/ WINTER 2015

New York-based Thai-American designer Thakoon Panichgul debuts in Singapore with a collection that stays true to his signature folksy bohemian style. Rich textiles and lean silhouettes take center stage, with earthy tones and Thakoon’s intricate, fantasy-driven beauty offering a rich romance.

SINGAPORE FASHION WEEK 13 TO 17 MAY @ TENT@ORCHARD Models, designers, celebrities and all manner of sartorial display will be congregating upon our Orchard Road once more as Singapore Fashion Week rolls round for its ninth edition. Bringing to the table both top international designers as well as our very own homegrown talents, this year’s SFW aims not only to showcase the best in the realm of fashion, but to broaden its scope to include industry development with its talent programme Fashion Futures and the SFW Fashion Talk Series.

There’s a lot of fashion to be had, and here’s what to anticipate coming down the SFW runway.

Words: Lee Xin-rui

OPENING SHOW FEAT. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG FALL 2015

Long lauded for her ability to walk the fine line between the sensual and audaciously sexy, Diane von Furstenberg will open SFW with her Fall 2015 collection. With the intention of creating a line for the woman who does it all, the designer tailored this collection to “command the room by day… and inspire fantasy by night”. Look out for pinstripe suits with chiffon sleeves and lacy evening gowns that show just the right amount of leg.

COLLATE THE LABEL PRE-FALL 2015

A new addition to the local fashion family, COLLATE THE LABEL, founded by Velda Tan, will be unveiling its debut readyto-wear collection, where an equal emphasis on fashion and functionality be sworn to.

DZOJCHEN CRUISE & SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Citing its main source of inspiration as “paradox and duality”, while seeking an “unexpected balance from contradiction,” Dzojchen’s Cruise and Spring/Summer 2016 offerings continue to feature the label’s signature edgy and androgynous aesthetic, with denim and leather supplying a touch refinement and individualism.

Known for their reinterpretation of the traditional cheongsum, Ong Shunmugam is back to rule SFW with its Cruise 2015 collection.

The range again offers another fashion-forward reimagining of Southeast Asian dress, particularly post-war patterns and politics.

ELOHIM FALL/WINTER 2015

For ELOHIM’s Fall/Winter 2015 collection, designer Sabrina Goh sought inspiration in the multidimensional and boldly coloured rock formations that litter China’s Danxia landscape to produce a structurally sound and texturally interesting line-up.

EXHIBIT FALL/WINTER 2015 FEATURING ALT BY CURATED EDITIONS

exhibit and Curated Editions already had a rousing collaborative debut on last year’s SFW runway, and their second act surely won’t fall short. Keep your eyes peeled for Yoyo Cao’s blend of menswear-inspired pieces, as well as ALT by Curated Editions’ quirky array of geometrical accessories.

CLOSING SHOW FEATURING VICTORIA BECKHAM FALL/WINTER 2015

Celebrity designer Victoria Beckham is set to close SFW 2015 with her Fall ‘15 delivery of clean-cut, minimalistic looks, crafted in muted hues, and cut through by amber and tangelo orange pieces.

Tickets: Available at singaporefashionweek.com.sg

Listings 92

ALT-J

19 May @ The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel $105, sistic.com.sg Words: Indran P

KIRIN J CALLINAN 1 May @ Blu Jaz $25, peatix.com

Shock rock isn’t dead. It’s that in this all-digi-everything age, “transgression”, as it were, is relegated to the comments section. But Callinan is devoted to thrilling, awing and affronting you in legitimately spectacular ways. His full-length statement Embracism showed that rock was still an excitingly unsafe place.

Imagine what he’ll do live.

The crowd this Leeds quintet commanded at its first ever showing on our shores during its set at Laneway Festival Singapore 2013 said it all. Its indie-confounding debut album An Awesome Wave had just come out

and made it impossible for everyone to not have an opinion about them. But whichever side of the “new Radiohead” debate you’re on, you can’t deny that the lads were boldly going their own way, and summoning groove from the mostly

unseemly corners of sonic space. Since then, they’ve lost a member and released another album of off-kilter earworm-destined songs oozing with Loki-esque charm. Get in on this or feel very left out.

LADY FLIC

HENRY FONG

SECRET CINEMA

How’s this for a taste-making start to the month? With the Music Director of Potato Head Beach Club gracing the underground, it’s bound to be a party of a particularly next-level variant. She counts Derrick May, Fatboy Slim and Justice as allies on the decks. Just sayin’.

Though he may not gloat on down from the upper echelons of dance, that his music has received support from Avicii, Armin Van Buuren, Calvin Harris and Knife Party, amongst several other titans, is surely a sign that Henry Fong is destined for greatness.

Come feel the proof and power of his electro-house.

Fact: For the past 20 years, Jeroen Verheij aka Secret Cinema has consistently been regarded as one of Netherlands’, if not the world’s top techno producers.

Before the dawn of “bangers”, deft, tectonic transmissions like “Timeless Altitude” and “Mary Go Wild” set a body-moving standard.

They still do.

2 May @ kyo $20/25

2 May @ Zouk $28/33

8 May @ Velvet Underground – Dance $28/33

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HARDWELL

9 May @ The Meadow, Gardens By The Bay $98 (advance) / 108 (door)

EDM’s boy wonder is descending on us for the Southeast Asian leg of his I Am Hardwell world tour.

His world-defying standing is a reflection of his world-consuming sonic imprint, one that you’ve most definitely experienced on “Spaceman”, “Apollo” and “Dare You”. And if the scale and swoop of those name-making hits weren’t colossal enough, he took his planet-shaking platinum touch to more empyrean heights on his recently released debut album United We Are. This means there’ll be more drops, more climaxes, more everything.

DIRTY SOUTH 23 May @ Zouk $28/33

Grammy nominations, perennial headliner status and a fantastically bewildering approach to house are what Dirty South brings to the table – and dancefloor. To see why forces as disparate as U2, Snoop Dogg, Sebastian Ingrosso and Kaskade have tapped into his powers, we suggest you study up “Open Your Heart” and “Champions” before heading over.

SURGEON & ROK DA HOUSE

9 May @ kyo $20/25

REDONDO

16 May @ Canvas $18 (presale) / 25 (door)

THE WAILERS 16 May @ Tanjong Beach Club $65, rollerdigital.com/ sunsplash

Not every revolution requires sound and fury. The Wailers were proof of that and in a historic return, they’ll unfold the irresistible rhythms of “Buffalo Soldier”, “Get Up, Stand Up” and more, amidst the consummately blissed-out haven that is TBC. Save the date, mon.

We’re not playing: two of techno’s Great Ones are really granting you an audience for one night of salvation. Between the two, industrial, funk, swing, dub, electro and drum and bass have been recast in service of the hard stuff.

Come get blessed.

If there’s one outfit religiously devoted to bringing the funk to house and tech-house, it’s Redondo. The Dutch duo describes its music as having what it takes to “make your girlfriend wanna dance”. Hit ‘em up to see where this confidence comes from. (Hint: funk)

ARJUN VANGALE 23 May @ kyo $20/25

With “Kill the String”, Arjun Vagale made a claim for the big leagues. And Richie Hawtin, Sasha and The Chemical Brothers all took notice. Since then, not only has he become one of India’s most sought after DJs, he’s also at the vanguard of techno’s evolution.

Behold this new radical.

VELVET SOUNDSCAPE 30 May @ Velvet Underground – Dance $28/33

At Velvet Soundscape, the room’s rep as a temple for devotees of dashingly progressive sonics lives as on as they’ll get their soul’s fill of the good stuff, courtesy of longtime vet Jeremy Boon and the newly ordained Zushan (see page 45). Get ready to get enlightened and uplifted.

Directory 94

STOCKISTS

Where to shop

Adieu Available at mrporter.com agnès b. Located at Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-26; ION Orchard, #03-24; The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #B2-31A, Paragon, #02-39; Isetan Orchard and Takashimaya Shopping Centre Aldo Located at ION Orchard, Paragon, Junction 8, VivoCity, Parkway Parade, Tampines Mall, Bugis Junction, 313@Somerset, Westgate, Raffles City and Takashimaya Shopping Centre Alex Mill Available at mrporter.com Alexander McQueen Located at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, #01-01/02 Alexander Wang Located at Hilton Hotel Singapore, #02-03/04 American Apparel Available at americanapparel.net ASOS Available at asos.com Balmain Available at mrporter.com Band of Outsiders Available at net-a-porter.com Bare Minerals Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Ben Sherman Located at Paragon, #03-48; VivoCity, #01-24; orchardgateway, #01-04/05 Bershka Located at ION Orchard, VivoCity and Bugis Junction Bimba Y Lola Located at ION Orchard, #B1-22 Butter London Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Chanel Located at ION Orchard, #B2-43; The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #01-59; and Ngee Ann City, #01-25/26/27 Chanel Fragrance & Beauté Located at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #B1134 and ION Orchard, #B2-43 Charlotte Olympia Available at On Pedder at Ngee Ann City, #02-12P/Q; and Scotts Square, #02-10 to 13 Chloé Available at net-a-porter.com :Chocoolate Available at i.t, Wisma Atria #03-15 and Bugis Junction #02-11 Club Monaco Located at Ngee Ann City, #B1-41/47/48 COS Located at ION Orchard, #03-23; and Westgate, #01-41/42 Crabtree & Evelyn Located at Suntec City, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Bugis Junction, Parkway Parade, Tampines Mall, Junction 8, Paragon, Ngee Ann City, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Denim by Alexander Wang Available at net-a-porter.com Dior Fragrance & Beauty Available at counters at BHG Bugis Junction, Isetan Scotts, Isetan Tampines, Isetan Katong, Robinsons Raffles City, Robinsons Centrepoint, Takashimaya, Tangs Orchard and Tangs VivoCity Dolce & Gabbana Located at ION Orchard, #01-24 & #02-12; and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #01-60/62 & #B1-138-140 Drake’s Available at mrporter.com Estée Lauder Located at ION Orchard, #B2-52; and available at Isetan, Metro and BG Bugis Etude House Located at Plaza Singapura, Suntec City, Tampines One, Parkway Parade, Nex, Lot One, VivoCity, Jurong Point, Causeway Point, 313@Somerset and Junction 8 Eyeko Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

French Connection Available at frenchconnection.com Giambattista Valli Available at net-a-porter.com H&M Located at 1 Grange Road; ION Orchard, #B2-28; Suntec City Mall, #01307, #01-308, #01-309, #01-310 & #01-311; JEM, #01-01, #02-01/02/03 & #03-01/02; VivoCity, #01-19/20 Jack Wills Located at Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-19 Kate Spade New York Located at Raffles City, #01-24; ION Orchard, #03-27; and Takashimaya, L1 Lanvin Available at net-a-porter.com Linda Farrow Luxe Available at fine optical stores Lulu Guinness Available at asos.com MAC Located at Bugis Junction, #01-17S; Ngee Ann City, #B1-13/13A; and available at Robinsons Raffles City, Robinsons JEM, Isetan Scotts, Isetan Tampines, Tangs Orchard, Tangs VivoCity and Sephora at ION Orchard Mackintosh Available at mrporter.com Maison Kitsuné Available at kitsune.fr Marc by Marc Jacobs Located at ION Orchard, #03-21; Mandarin Gallery, #01-11 & #02-12; and Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-11 Marc Jacobs Beauty Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Marni Located at Hilton Hotel Singapore, #02-28/29/30; Paragon, #01-06 Massimo Dutti Located at Marina Square, #03-129; ION Orchard, #B1-01/02; Ngee Ann City, #B1-42 to 46; and Liat Towers, #01-02 Matthew Williamson Available at net-a-porter.com Miss Selfridge Located at Orchard Gateway, #01-13/14; Paragon, #03-48A & #03-49; VivoCity, #01-66; and Wisma Atria, #01-25/26 Miu Miu Located at ION Orchard, #01-27; Paragon, #01-01/02/03; and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #B1-32/33/34 & #B2-30/31 MM6 Maison Margiela Available at ION Orchard, #01-08 Moschino Located at Paragon, #01-04/05 NARS Located at TANGS Orchard Beauty Hall, L1 New Look Located at ION Orchard, #B2-04/05 & #B3-06/07; Suntec City Mall, #01-151; 313@Somerset, #B2-34/35/36/37; Tampines 1, #02-25/26; City Link Mall, #B1-47A; Bugis+, #L2-25/26; and City Square Mall, #02-51/52/53/54 NN.07 Available at mrporter.com O&M Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Olympia Le-Tan Available at On Pedder at Ngee Ann City, #02-12P/Q; and Scotts Square, #02-10 to 13 Paul Smith Available at mrporter.com Paul Smith Black Label Located at Hilton Hotel Singapore, #02-24/25; Mandarin Gallery, #01-08; and Isetan Orchard Pierre Hardy Available at mrporter.com Prabal Gurung Available at net-a-porter.com Raoul Located at Paragon, #02-49 Ray-Ban Available at all good optical stores Richard James Available at mrporter.com Rick Owens Available at net-a-porter.com River Island Available at riverisland.com Rodarte x Superga Available at eshop.club21global.com Saint Laurent Located at ION Orchard, #01-25 Sandro Located at ION Orchard, #03-18 SK-II Available at Robinsons, Tangs, Isetan, Metro and selected Sephora stores Sleepy Jones Available at mrporter.com Sonia Rykiel Available at net-a-porter.com Suitsupply Located at ION Orchard, #03-15 Tarte Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands The Elder Statesman Available at mrporter.com T.M.Lewin Located at Orchard Central, Suntec City Mall, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Plaza Singapura, VivoCity, ION Orchard and Westgate Topshop Located at Knightsbridge, #01-05/05; ION Orchard, #B2-01; Raffles City, #02-39; Tampines Mall, #02-16; and VivoCity #01-72 Undercover Available at store.hypebeast.com Uniqlo & +J by Uniqlo Located at ION Orchard, Bugis+, Liang Court, Suntec City Mall, JEM, City Square Mall, Chinatown Point, Plaza Singapura, Parkway Parade, Causeway Point, VivoCity, 313@Somerset and Tampines 1 Urban Decay Available at Sephora at Bugis+, Ngee Ann City, Great World City, Plaza Singapura, ION Orchard, VivoCity and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Visvim Available at mrporter.com

Directory 95

DISTRO Where to find ZIGGY

ART, DESIGN AND MUSIC STORES

BooksActually 9 Yong Siak St Grafunkt Park Mall, #02-06; 85 Playfair Rd, Tong Yuan Ind. Bldg, #02-01 Lomography Gallery Store 295 South Bridge Rd, #01-01 The Substation 45 Armenian St Tokyobikes 38 Haji Lane Vinylicious Records Parklane Shopping Mall, #01-26

BARS & CLUBS

Acid Bar & Alley Bar 180 Orchard Road, Peranakan Place Bikini Bar 50 Siloso Beach Walk Sentosa #01-06 Blu Jaz Cafe 12 Bali Lane Club Street Social 5 Gemmill Lane Maison Ikkoku 20 Kandahar St Outdoors Café & Bar 180 Orchard Rd, Peranakan Place Overeasy One Fullerton, #01-06 Paulaner Brauhaus Millenia Walk, #01-01 Sauce Bar Esplanade Mall, #01-10/12 Tanjong Beach Club 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa The Merry Men 86 Robertson Quay, #01-00 Canvas 20 Upper Circular Rd, #B101/06 The Riverwalk kyō 133 Cecil Street, #B1-02, Keck Seng Tower Mansion Bay 8 Raffles Ave, Esplanade Taboo 65/67 Neil St The Butter Factory One Fullerton, #02-02/03/04 Zouk Singapore 17 Jiak Kim St

HOTELS

Hotel 1929 50 Keong Saik Rd Klapsons The Boutique Hotel 15 Hoe Chiang Rd New Majestic Hotel 31-27 Bukit Pasoh Rd Sultan Boutique Hotel 101 Jalan Sultan, #01-01 The Club Hotel 28 Ann Siang Rd The Quincy Hotel 22 Mount Elizabeth W Hotel 21 Ocean Way, Sentosa Cove Wanderlust Hotel 2 Dickson Rd Wangz 231 Outram Rd

HAIR & NAIL SALONS

Artisan Hair 42A Lorong Mambong, Holland Village Choeur Raffles Hotel Arcade, #02-23 Essensuals Orchard Central, #B1-20; 1 Vista Exchange Green, #B1-22 Hairloom The Arcade, #03-08 Kizuki Raffles Hotel Arcade, #03-03/04 Manicurious 41 Beach Rd Next Salon 271A Holland Ave, Holland Village; ION Orchard, #03-24A Prep Mandarin Gallery, #03-34 The Golden Rule Barber Co. 188 Race Course Rd, #01-02 The Panic Room 311A Geylang Rd Toni&Guy 170 East Coast Rd; 24B Lorong Mambong; Rochester Mall, #02-01 What He Wants 181 Orchard Rd, #03-30; The Cathay, #01-06

SCHOOLS

LaSalle College of the Arts 1 McNally St, Block E, L1 Reception Nafa School of Performing Arts 151 Bencoolen St NTU Students Activities Centre 50 Nanyang Ave, L1 NUS Radio Pulze 31 Lower Kent Ridge, National University of Singapore Office of Student Affairs, Level 3, Yusof Ishak House, Tembusu College University Town, NUS, 28 College Ave East, #B1-01 Thunder Rock School 227A Upper Thomson Rd

AND EVERYWHERE ELSE

Bottles & Bottles Parkway Parade, #B1-83K/L; Tampines Central 1, #B1-28; 131 Tanglin Road, Tudor Court Shopping Gallery Camera Rental Centre 23 New Bridge Rd, #03-01 Mini Habitat (Showroom) 27 Leng Kee Rd OCBC Frank VivoCity, #01-160; Singapore Management University, Li Ka Shing Library, #B1-43; Nanyang Technological University, Academic Complex North, Ns3 01-01; Singapore Polytechnic Foodcourt 5, (Fc512) The Central 6 Eu Tong Seng St

FASHION BOUTIQUES

Actually Orchard Gateway, #03-18 agnès b. ION Orchard, #03-24; Isetan Orchard, Wisma Atria; Isetan Scotts, Shaw House; Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-26; Takashimaya Department Store, L2 Ben Sherman Paragon, #03-48; VivoCity, #01-24 Dr. Martens Orchard Central, #03-05; Wheelock Place, #02-17A Fred Perry Orchard Cineleisure, #03-07A; ION Orchard, #B3-01; Mandarin Gallery, #03-08 Front Row Raffles Hotel Arcade, #02-09 Granny’s Day Out Peninsula Shopping Centre, #03-25 J Shoes City Link Mall, #B1-22 Leftfoot Orchard Cineleisure, #02-07A; The Cathay, #01-19/20 Little Man 7C Binjai Park Mdreams Wheelock Place, #B2-03 New Balance *SCAPE, #02-15; 112 East Coast Road, #02-25; Tampines Mall, #02-18; Novena Square, #01-39/42 Porter International Wisma Atria, #03-06 P.V.S Orchard Cineleisure, #02-05 Rockstar Orchard Cineleisure, #03-08 STARTHREESIXTY Wheelock Place #02-08; Marina Square, #02-179; VivoCity, #02-09; Paragon, #03-08 Strangelets 7 Yong Siak St Surrender Raffles Hotel Arcade, #02-31 The Denim Store Mandarin Gallery, #03-09/10/11 Topshop & Topman Knightsbridge, #01-05/06; ION Orchard, #B2-01 & #B3-01B; Raffles City Shopping Centre, #02-39; Tampines 1 Mall, #01-26/27 & #02-16; VivoCity, #01-72 Vans ION Orchard, #B3-61; Orchard Central, #01-22/23; Marina Square, #02-160; Orchard Cineleisure, #03-07; VivoCity, #02-111/113 Victoria Jomo 9 Haji Lane Wesc myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens, #01-04; 112 Katong, #02-19

F&B ESTABLISHMENTS

Bar Bar Black Sheep 879 Cherry Ave; 86 Robertson Quay, #01-04; 362 Tanjong Katong Rd Coq & Balls 6 Kim Tian Rd Cupcakes With Love Tampines 1, #03-22 Doodle! Pasta Oasia Hotel, Novena Square 2 Feedex 137 Telok Ayer St, #01-01A Forty Hands 78 Yong Siak St, #01-12 Habitat Coffee 223 Upper Thomson Rd IndoChine Restaurant 47 Club St Island Creamery Serene Centre, #01-03; Holland Village Shopping Mall, #01-02 Kilo 66 Kampong Bugis Kuro Clarke Quay, Blk 3C #01-11 Little Part 1 Cafe 15 Jasmine Rd Loysel’s Toy 66 Kampung Bugis, Ture, #01-02 Oblong Place 10 Maju Ave Oceans of Seafood PasarBella, #02-06 Open Door Policy 19 Yong Siak St PACT Orchard Central, #02-16/17/18/19 Papa Palheta 150 Tyrwhitt Rd PARK. 281 Holland Ave #01-01 PasarBella 200 Turf Club Rd Potato Head Folk 36 Keong Saik Rd Rouse Cafe 36 Dunlop St Selfish Gene Cafe 40 Craig Rd Shots 90 Club St Skyve 10 Windstedt Rd, Block E, #01-17 SPRMRKT 2 McCallum St SuperTree 18 Gardens by the Bay, #03-01 Sushi Burrito 100 Tras St Symmetry 9 Jalan Kubor #01-01 The Forbidden City 3A Clarke Quay, Merchant’s Court, #01-02 The Fabulous Baker Boy The Foothills, 70 River Valley Rd Veganburg 44 Jalan Eunos; Golden Shoe Carpark, #01-28D; Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, #02-05; 200 Turf Club Rd, #01-32 Wheeler’s Yard 28 Lorong Ampas

REST OF THE WORLD Zouk Kuala Lumpur 113 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Word 96

THE ZIGGY CROSSWORD

Across 1 2002 film starring Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult, __ a Boy (5) 4 Scary clown movie (2) 7 Grammy-awarding music producer behind “Kiss from a Rose”, Trevor __ (4) 9 The role Jack Nicholson made famous in 1989’s Batman (5) 10 The Swingin’ setting of 1966’s Blow-up (6) 11 Long-running American TV series about real-life law enforcement officers (4) 14 Matthew McConaughey in space (12) 16 The 20th James Bond film, __ Another Day (3)

17 Curator of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack (5) 21 1982 film with an Oscar for Original Music Score, __ Victoria (6) 22 Sofia Coppola’s dad (7) 25 The subject of 1979 music documentary The Kids Are Alright (6) 28 2003 Denzel Washington vehicle, Out of __ (4) 29 James Brown biopic, released in 2014 (7) Down 2 Actress playing Lucy in TV series Raising Hope, __ Phillips (5) 3 1954 frontrunner in the nuclear monster movie genre (4)

5 Derek Zoolander’s rival (6) 6 Owner of the labyrinth in Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 film (3) 8 Director of The Last Picture Show, Peter __ (11) 10 Legendary TV series about people stranded on an island (4) 12 She did a great job as Amy Dunne, Rosamund __ (4) 13 The 2012 Academy Award winner for Best Picture (4) 15 The man behind the Underworld franchise, __ Wiseman (3) 16 Song from the Purple Rain soundtrack, “When __ Cry” (5) 18 The rapper who turned down a starring role in Spring Breakers, __ Raff (4)

#5

19 Michel Gondry’s 2011 contribution to the superhero genre, The Green __ (6) 20 The mountainous setting for 1993’s Alive (5) 23 1976 horror film with creepy kid, The __ (4) 24 Music documentary featuring Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols (3) 25 Tom Cruise breakthrough vehicle, __ Gun (3) 26 How The West Was __ (3) 27 Cult South Korean film helmed

by Park Chan-wook, __boy (3)

Crossword #4 key Across 3: Garden 6: Few 7: Quasi 8: Avicii 11: Clod 13: Grass 15: Pilton 16: Hurts 18: Altamont 20: Lire 22: Roky 24: Woodstock 25: Queen 26: Denmark Down 1: Aqua 2: Summer 3: Gilles Peterson 4: Reading 5: Exit 6: Flight 9: John 12: Wight 13: Glasgow 14: ABBA 17: Tonk 19: Cream 20: Love 21: Acid 23: York