Kudos Magazine Issue 6 by junhyoung

Issue #6

MUSIC LIFESTYLE FASHION ENTERTAINMENT ART

editorial.

So here we are at Issue 6. What can I say? It has been insane, from start to ﬁnish this was our craziest, biggest most blood thirsty, heart breaking, sweat inducing Issue to date and you know what? We loved it. Thus we hope you do too, Kudos is a developing publication and this year we have hit the ground running and thanks to the interest and support of the magazine’s readers and the people we work with - this is shaping up to be an amazing year! This is the ﬁrst issue to be packaged with a high quality digital music sampler ‘Rising Stars’ Volume 1. I have picked out a few choice cuts from various styles and genres to tantalise your ears with some excellent emerging sounds, artists and releases this year. So be sure to add it to your itunes or other music library and of course burn it to a CD for some old skool listening as it is encoded in uber high quality. Hot! As far as issue content goes #6 is varied and exciting, we have Grammy Award bothering Rock acts Bowling For Soup and Buckcherry as well as British heavyweights Ash who will be back this year with a brand new album. We have the biggest fashion shoot (by far) of the magazine’s life as well as some seriously aspirational and exciting Lifestyle features which cater to high and low budget life experiences! We were also lucky enough to speak with Photographic innovator and legend Jim Fiscus who creates amazing images and has worked with superstars such as Outkast and Jay Z as well as actress Lucy Liu. If you like your stand-up comedy, it doesn’t currently get much better than our featured comedian Omid Djalili who is not only the world’s funniest Iranian but one of the most outstanding British comedians of recent times. We looked t the epic visual movie “300” and of course slap you in the face with loads of products, clothes, art, design and reviews of music, movies and games. Issue 6 is orgasmic ladies and gentlemen and we love you all. Thanks again for your support and feel free to write to me at the address below about anything you like! Enjoy the Issue and of course the music sampler and we will speak to you soon!

Editor Liam Thomson editor@kudosmagazine.com

ISSUE 6 COVER ART BY: Pawel Nolbert of HelloColor! WWW.HELLOCOLOR.COM image by Olive, Germany // http://www.myspace.com/tufﬁmilch

Editor Liam Thomson Photographers Andrew Maxwell - Laundry Shoot David Yod - Outdoor Shoot / Buckcherry Live Writers Liam Thomson - Reviews, Features, Fashion, et al. Andrew Maxwell - Reviews, Features PJ Murray - Features Rosalind Brabner - Features Haidee O’Donnell - Features Laura Bradder - Features

WIN!

In this issue you can win yourself a £300 pair of Sennheiser headphones and one of 10 awesome Nooka “Zub” watches from Kudos Magazine. See spread number 71 and 46 for details on entering

REGULARS 04 Digital Sampler 06 Cartoons Light visual entertainment. 08 MC Lars’ Column The ﬁrst exclusive column from the lap-top rapper 14 John E. Necro’s Column The latest column from the OPM frontman 19 Chris Jay’s Column The ﬁrst exclusive column from the Army of Freshmen frontman 23 Music Reviews Kudos rates all the latest music releases 80 DVD Reviews Some choice picks for your DVD viewing 81 Video Game Reviews What is worth playing this issue 89 Gallery Kudos showcases some exciting visual work by artists from all over the world

MUSIC

10 Bowling For Soup Bowling For Soup have achieved phenomenal success and Kudos ﬁnds out all about the crazy road trip that has got this Texan 4 piece to their excellent 9th studio album 16 Buckcherry Kudos ﬁnds out what it is like for the boys to be back on the top of their game, doing better than ever and why they are bringing sex and sleaze back to Rock music! 20 Ash Kudos talks to Ash about their new record and where they have been since Meltdown and the loss of their guitarist

LIFESTYLE 31 Huvafen Fushi The Maldives resort that captures a little piece of heaven 37 Denon CX3 Hi-fi Supremos Denon bring the hotness with their stylish new CX3 hi-fi package system 39 Loftcube Project Rooftop homes that are...Unique, stylish, versatile and soon to be iconic 42 CouchSurfing The coolest new way to travel the world & meet new people

FASHION

47 “Transcend” Kudos has undertaken it’s biggest fashion shoot ever and as well as shooting some hot photos and featuring some amazing clothing we have also spliced it with a clothing products guide including footwear, trousers, tops, skirts, dresses, tshirts and jackets as well as must have accessories.

ENTERTAINMENT

73 Omid Djalili The World’s Funniest Iranian...Seriously. 75 Second Life The most immersing, exciting software development in years. Literally create a virtual second life for yourself 77 “300” the Movie “300” is not only a celebration of the human warrior spirit - but of humanity’s advances in retina melting visual technology.

VISUAL

82 Jim Fiscus Kudos introduces you to one of the most renowned and creative photographers in the world. He has shot everyone from Outkast and Morgan Spurlock to Lucy Liu.102 Gallery

CONTENTS

STAFF & CONTRIBUTERS

1. LoveSick Radio “Take Me Home Tonight” 2. Authority Zero “Sirens” 3. Army Of Freshmen “Juliet” 4. Steriogram “Just Like You” 5. I Am Ghost “Dark Carnival of the Immaculate” 6. Dogboy “She’s Driving” 7. Crash Effect “Bomb” 8. Illegal Substance “Panty Raid” 9. Kill The Alarm “Fire Away” 10. Heideroosjes “What If...” 11. Kaddisfly “Campfire” This is the first in the Kudos Magazine “Digital Music Sampler” series. It comes packaged with the magazine issue download and you can save it into your music library on your computer. You can also burn it to a CD as it is encoded as highest quality MP3 audio.

DIGISAMPLER

Track Listing

The Magazine of Tomorrow. Today.

Available Everywhere. Anytime. Free.

www.kudosmagazine.com | Conceptual Realisation

cartoons

Image by Brown of Portugal // http://browning43.deviantart.com

Some cartoons from Nicholas Gurewitch the smartest, sickest and funniest pen wielder on the planet. For more visit www.pbfcomics.com

MUSIC

column

mc lars

A Time Before Myspace

KING MISSILE, INDEPENDENT RADIO...AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Back before Myspace there was an arcane way of discov-

ering obscure new music. It was called “the radio.” My high school was lucky enough to have a radio station; it was a cool forum for the middle school kids like myself to discover what the older DJ’s were playing, aided by the fact that there weren’t any real “required play lists” that the kids had to subscribe to. Through this alternative channel, I discovered such greats as Primus, Ween, and Wesley Willis. It was kind of like going to your friend’s Myspace site and seeing their favorite music on their play list, but being able to hear what they thought of the band (through an arcane means of expression called “a microphone” and an “FM transmitter”). And you didn’t need to be near a computer! Revolutionary. I remember driving home after soccer practice in my Mom’s car on a Friday, and a song came on. “This next one may be offensive to some people,” the snarky adolescent DJ quipped, “but we’re going to play it anyway!” I was 13, so of course this intro piqued my interested. The song was “Detachable Penis”, a novelty tune by the New York

“My high school was lucky enough to have a radio station; it was a cool forum for the middle school kids like myself to discover what the older DJ’s were playing...”

I would write to the guy almost every day, and he would write back. I would ask him about nerdy topics, such as Lord of the Rings, his opinions on certain movies, and whether he liked “live or prerecorded music better.” I’d ask him what he meant when he wrote certain lyrics, and he’d tell me what he thought of his older albums, saying such things “You know, I went back and listened to (self-titled album) King Missile (1994) the other day, and it didn’t suck as much as I though it once did.” It was quite the turnaround from the rock star “Detachable Penis” was so wrong and so interviews I’d read in Rolling Stone. He was bizarre. The lyrics were spoken, not sung, a real human being with an un-inflated ego. over a guitar riff with a crazy delay. I hadn’t heard anything likeit.It was “alternative” “He gave me feedback and enin a way all of the videos on MTV weren’t (although it did end up on Beavis & Butt- couragement…quite an inspihead, spreading the word about the band). ration for a 15 year old kid.” art rock band King Missile. I was smitten. It was about a man who wakes up one morning, hung over, and finds that his member is missing. The song chronicles his journey across Manhattan, where he looks everywhere for the penis, eventually finding it “on a blanket next to a broken toaster oven.” The narrator haggles with the unconventional street vendor, and buys back his lost organ. Needless to say, the sophomor(ic) DJ who played the song got in trouble. But I thought it was hilarious.

So who was this King Missile? I did some research on my parents’ Macintosh LC, using an old program called Netscape. I found that the band was from New York, where all of the cool bands apparently came from. I learned that the band had other albums, not just the one with their single. I was ecstatic! The Internet was an amazing tool! I found an old copy of their 1990 record, “Mystical Shit” at Recycled Records in Pacific Grove, California. I brought it home, put it on my dad’s stereo and laughed and laughed to the band’s lo-ﬁ riffs and hilarious lyrics. Some of the song titles included, “Take Stuff from Work,” “Jesus Was Way Cool,” “The Fish that Played the Ponies,” and “The Little Sandwich That Got A Guilt Complex Because He Was The Sole Survivor Of A Horrible Bus Crash.” It was my ﬁrst love of an indie rock band, an exposure to a whole new world! It was at this point I stumbled upon something miraculous…. buried at a bottom of a fan page, was the King Missile singer’s email address. “John S. Hall sometimes writes back,” the fan had written on his website, “so be sure to drop him a line.” I emailed Hall to tell him how much I loved his bizarre music, and he wrote back. A gleeful exchange commenced.

By this time, I was messing around with making my own music, so, I mailed Hall a CD of some of my rough tracks I had made on a cracked copy of Cubase. He gave me feedback and encouragement…quite an inspiration for a ﬁfteen-year-old kid. Later, I went to high school. I became involved in the radio station, and we took a trip in 2000 New York for the annual “CMJ: College Music Journal” conference. I saw on the program that King Missile was playing. I arranged interview with Hall, we met on the street in front of the Sidewalk Café, and I proudly recorded an interview with him on an old-school DAT tape, which I later edited and played on my radio show. It was independent radio that introduced me to King Missile, but it was Internet that made the band so important to me. The artists that you love when you’re 13 are the ones that always mean the most to you. I feel lucky to have grown up during a time when the walls between performers and the audience have been increasingly broken down. So props to you John S. Hall, wherever you are.

Words by MC Lars | www.mclars.com

BOWLING FOR

SOUP!

Who ever said fun was un-cool? Is it lame to smile? To laugh? Hell is it lame to roll out the toilet humor and giggle like a little girl? Well if it is then I am as guilty as the next wannabe frat-boy because, more than ever the world of rock needs bands like Bowling For Soup. This loveable four piece have been keeping the hooks lethal and the laughs hearty for nine straight albums now. Denton, Texas spawned a surprise success a number of years ago and America’s fattest state can sit and sip at a MacDonald’s thick shake with a smirk of pride on it’s face. It’s boys Jared, Eric, Chris and Gary have carved out a career to be proud of. You may follow this band relentlessly, or simply know them as the band that possess possibly the most rotund guitarist in modern music…or you might just know how to hum along to the chart bothering “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”. Either way you have been touched by bowling for soup and just like a creepy uncle when your 8, it feels wrong yet ultimately oh so right.

The Grammy nominated rock band that live by the saying: “Dont take life too seriousy...You’ll never get out alive!”

The band’s ninth full-length, “The Great Burrito Extortion Case” has just hit the shelves and as usual it has more undiluted happiness than should be legally allowed. “We never used to think we would get to next week” says bassist Eric Chandler about hitting that 9th album “It’s been such an amazing ride! Being in a band for thirteen years is an amazing feeling; it’s a great accomplishment as well because most bands don’t even last 2 years or something like that. Just the fact that we’ve been able to stick it out and stay together this long is really, really cool.” He is a happy chap and you know what? BFS are collectively so happy that they even called their summer 2006 tour “The Get Happy Tour.” In fact this tour is something of a movement like the Warped Tour and Taste Of Chaos. Except this is all about happy music, happy people and happy smiling faces overlooking a colourful, bouncing stage. Kudos Magazine caught up with BFS at the ﬁnal night of the UK leg of the tour and boy was it a triumphant crescendo with touts…well…

touting and tickets selling for easily double their value. Has it gone as well as the band hoped? “Yes, it’s awesome man” gushes bassist Erik Chandler, “all the bands that we have with us right now are absolutely amazing. It’s been a pleasure being on tour with them.” In fact the tour was actually masterminded by members of BFS and close friends and tour mates Army Of Freshmen and has already been a huge success stateside and in the UK and from all accounts the sell out tour has been as fun for the bands involved as the crowds. “When everyone gets along it just makes life on the road much easier. There’s not any one person from any of the bands that just kind of like pulls up in the dressing room and doesn’t talk to anyone. Everybody’s in everybody else’s dressing room the entire time. Us and Army Of Freshmen always share a room so we can hang out, party and bullshit with each other” explains Erik fondly. So, now your thinking “Bowling for Soup is just some big, famous, Grammy-nominated pop-punk act; aren’t those bands all just way too fucking happy and rich and sold out and shit for their own good?” Well you are both right and wrong…BFS have amazingly enough survived album after album on the heinous environment that is a major record label. That is pretty hard to do (ask all the one hit wonder bands now teaching kids guitar or pushing mops and brooms)…seriously. “What’s weird about it is that we ﬁnally got signed in late 99, early 2000. We were on the largest independent record label in the world and then over the last few years with all the changes that have happened in the music industry, we are now part of the largest conglomerate in the world.” Explains Erik adding “We are now under Sony but still on the same record label, its just with things being bought and sold and merging, and things like that, now we’re underneath Sony and I ﬁnd a little humour in that, that we were on the largest independent and then overnight we’re in the largest conglomerate.” Not bad work for a chunky,

funky, Texas pop-rock band. In fact these boys even have enough genuine, bona ﬁde hits to make a greatest hits. This could well be something that drops in the next year or so and Erik feels pretty amazed to have gotten to a point where they could release a greatest hits in the ﬁrst place, much like the bands like Motley Crue that they name drop in their songs. “To even think that yeah there’s def going to be a Bowling For Soup greatest hits album like that is mind blowing man. You know, to even think that we have greatest hits is a big deal.”

“

We calculated it, & there are at least 12 verses’ worth of total joy for every sad chorus about an exgirlfriend on this album!” “We calculated it, and there are at least 12 verses’ worth of total joy for every sort-ofsad chorus about an ex-girlfriend on this record,” says singer/guitarist Jaret Reddick, who formed Bowling for Soup in 1994. In fact the band really did their homework on creating a seriously hap-hap-happy new album. Did you know that Denmark is the happiest place on Earth? It has been scientifically proven, honest, I’ve been there and it is true. “You mean someone actually put that s**t into a scientific formula?” Jaret asks incredulously. “Man, we only had to have our tour bus break down in Denmark to know it’d be the right place to make this record.” In fact, the guys originally wanted to call Burrito’s happiest song “I’m Lykkelig” in homage to their stopover in the land of many windmills, but in the end, they wisely chose a more universal title. “See, ‘lykkelig’ means ‘happy’ in Danish,” explains Jaret, who also speaks Mandarin, Urdu, and the fictional Star Wars language Huttese“ but as we looked back at the roots of the word ‘happy,’ we were able to trace it all the way back the 12th century, when it collided with the French gai to become, well, ‘gay.’” Jaret estimates that, between trips to Den-

mark, Disneyland, and the certified-happy South Pacific Ocean archipelago of Vanuatu, Bowling for Soup spent at least nine months and 750 million frequent-flyer miles writing the 60+ songs they’d eventually strip down into the final 14. “The process of narrowing it down is really really difficult because basically the four of us just sit in a room and get out our paper and start making notes and listen to everything. It was literally a six/seven hour meeting trying to get it narrowed down to the ones we really want” reveals Erik.

“

The audiences in the UK are deﬁnitely way more different. The music fans that come out to all the shows are much hungrier”

BFS largely self-produced the album at studios in Atlanta, Los Angeles and some kid’s house in Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania (“It just sounded like a happy place,” says Jaret). According to Erik this was the most fluid recording process the band had ever experienced “You know, really with the last album we hit our groove in the studio; we got it down to a science. It’s definitely constantly a party in the studio though. That said, this was the longest that BFS ever spent recording an album coming in at a speedy 28 days from start to finish. He went on to say “And that’s one of the hardest things to try to get some sort of flow for the album through the songs and it’s a really important thing. There are a lot of truly good songs that we all love that get cut just because they wouldn’t fit into the whole flow of the thing and that’s a really sad thing.” However, do not despair dear reader; because these misfit favourites will go on to appear on movie soundtracks and single b-sides. The great thing about BFS is they constantly better their own hit writing potential. The first single from their new Great Burrito…record “High School Never Ends.” This this new single beats that cut hands down. It is smart,

funny and catchier than the latest media friendly, cuddly airborne virus. “That’s about as big as you can get right there as far as career milestones because it’s a group of your peers that think well enough of what you were doing to submit that and to vote for you” says Erik on the Grammy nomination. Adding “We didn’t win, which would have been nice, but the fact that we even got to be in the same category with all these legends and stuff is a really, really nice feeling.” Going back to the BFS live experience and their soon to be annual and hopefully world renowned “Get Happy Tour” which UK readers can expect to return with an equally stellar line-up this coming October - Erik reminisces about his show attending youth and the difference between live music in the US and UK. “The audiences here (UK) are deﬁnitely different. The kids here, the music fans that come out to the shows are much hungrier, and they’re much more excited and happy to be involved in the whole the experience of the show. Whereas in the states a lot of times you get kids who are kind of ‘too cool for school’ I guess. Or Not necessarily that but its like they’re there and having a great time but they’re just standing their watching the show as opposed to here, people are like pulling their frickin’ hair out. Erik went on to talk about the difference in size between the UK and US and how this affects the vibe of shows and even the culture of seeing live music. “It’s really weird coming over here because it is so small, but you’re playing in towns that are so close together whereas in the states, you know, it’s a bit spread out and you have to spread it out to have the numbers of people to come and here we do the same sized places as we do in the United States but places are right on top of each other.” Elaborating with “We get emails from people in the UK saying like “Oh you’re playing here, and that’s 30 minutes away. Cool” Its like when I was 16, I was driving myself 2.5 - 3 hours to go to shows and stuff like that you know, and we didn’t have a great train system where

“

The thing that’s kept us psyched about playing music, besides all the free beer; isn’t fame or fortune or hit songs. It’s that we never lost that feeling of excitement we had the ﬁrst time we sat down to write something together.” we can go down to the station, jump on, it takes you there, go see the show, jump on and come back home. You’re driving yourself.” This may sound like a total mission for the young Erik Chandler but he feels that it created an extravaganza out of the initial event and bound him and his friends together all the tighter. “It was a very, very big deal” he says “we would pile 5 or 6 people in one car and you made a day of it. You left as early as possible and stopped somewhere before you got to the venue and everybody goes and sits down and has a big meal and a nice laugh and then you go to the show and after the show when your driving back, everybody staying awake and talking to keep the driver awake and make sure that we’re not wrecking or anything.” BFS are a band with a lot of heart, a goofy honesty and a great vibe and you know what,

they really are a happy, friendly bunch who are in a great place right now. “This is gonna sound corny,” says vocalist Jaret but the thing that’s kept us psyched about playing music, besides all the free beer; isn’t fame or fortune or hit songs. It’s that we never lost that feeling of excitement we had the ﬁrst time we sat down to write something together. You look at this band anytime from then to now, and we’re basically the same: just a bunch of fun, beer-drinking fan-boys from Texas who got lucky. The fact that we’ve been able to parlay that into something that makes other people happy is payment in itself.” The band’s new album “The Great Burrito Extortion Case” is out now.

Words by Liam Thomson

Image by Sharad Haksar of India // www.1pointsize.com

column

man would be running a better version. You must be wondering why I care about Net Neutrality. Well actually, this very topic has been on the forefront of my mind for several years and speciﬁcally how the free ﬂow of information on the net affects musicians and ultimately all art forms. You would assume I would be doing everything I could to stop the man. But in fact it’s just the opposite; I am actually backing the man’s takeover!

Latest Column from the charming OPM Frontman & exMajor Label Talent Scout NETWORK NUETRALITY by John Edney

The concept that the Internet is neutral; A broadband network free of restrictions. Obviously, no network is completely neutral but the worldwide web has been, for the most part, since its conception. Why is this neutrality in jeopardy today? It’s because a few major companies like AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner and Comcast are in the process of buying the entire bandwidth of the worldwide web. This would mean they would have control over what passes through the web, which obviously raises some red flags and has some people really concerned. This is a major power play and it seems that AT&T has been gearing up for a Net take-over for sometime. Something as grand as this requires jumping through some serious hoops, including passing through senate and congress. This has now come to the general public’s attention and several organizations are trying to prevent this from happening. Some of the public have formed together to oppose this take over. To keep things simple, let’s call the major corporation’s, “the man” and the independent groups trying to keep the net free, “they.” There are two main reasons they have for preventing this take over. The first being the discrimination of information; the man might sensor what seems to be completely unregulated flow of information. Second, charging tolls for sharing information.

Savetheinternet.com is one of the web sites trying to get people to sign petitions to prevent the man from taking over the web. They provide information on what COULD happen if and when the man takes over.

“You would assume I would be doing everything I could to stop the man. But in fact it’s just the opposite; I am actually backing the man’s takeover!” They say that the man could create a new search engine that would operate much faster than other search engines such as google, which would give the man control over your search results. iPod users could be steered to the man’s website which would have faster download time and would probably be more expensive. Youtube. com could become obsolete because the

The word free is a funny little word that has two very different meanings. Free as in freedom, and free as in not costing any money. I absolutely support the freedom of information. And, just like everyone else, I love getting shit for free. I don’t really like paying taxes, but I do love having freedom, which isn’t free in this country (or yours). Furthermore, I don’t like paying for music that I can download online for free, but I also don’t think that anyone should be able to download MY MUSIC for free. I pour my heart, soul and all my money into making my music. Don’t get me wrong, as far as keeping our freedom of speech in tact, we have to have faith in our constitution and we should keep an eye on the man because I believe they will try to censor shit. Currently, there is almost no regulation and piracy runs rampant. Plus we are all under a nonstop spam attack and ten year olds are downloading “double penetration cum in her eye” videos while they are reading about dinosaurs on the side. It’s net anarchy. Most importantly, ﬁle sharing has crushed what’s been know as the music business, making it almost impossible for bands to prosper from selling their recordings. Since the conception of the mp3 and the ease of ﬁle sharing, the new generation of music fans believes that music is free with no consideration for the process that is involved with the creation of music. Most people don’t realize how this has stunted the growth of the overall music community. The evolution of the recording medium is

interesting. First, there were vinyl records and record players. There were two sides to a record; you got a single and a b-side. Then the record business ﬁgured out they could make records a little bigger for a small cost and add ﬁve more songs on each side and charge a lot more money. Then came the cassette, which was short lived because just after being able to buy cassette players you could buy cassette recorders. The record business took a huge hit because of piracy. Then began the digital era and the invention of the compact disc and for almost a decade there was no way to record from cd to cd. The manufacturing costs of cd’s was less than records or tapes but because it was better quality people didn’t seem to mind paying almost twice as much. All this, coupled with the growing success of MTV during this period, the music business grew to unbelievable new heights. Then came the invention of the mp3. Before the industry came up with a way to capitalize on this medium, Naptser was born. iTunes came along, and although it

“How much money do you think has been lost in stamp sales with the invention of email?” Ultimately CD sales buckled. Bands that would normally sell a million units the ﬁrst week out on a new release were lucky to break a hundred-thousand. Thousands of record stores and recording studios went out of business. Labels that didn’t collapse because of losses, folded into other larger labels. Labels had to lay off thousands of employees, drop thousands of bands and reduce signing new bands to a fraction of what they could previously afford. The reality is that the phone and cable companies have always controlled the Net. Information has always run through their phone and cable lines. For years they have paid no mind to the free ﬂow of information through those lines because they charge us for connecting. The music business at it’s peak was a 30 billion dollar a year worldwide business. The telecommunications business makes that in a day or two. It’s never been worth their time to bother with charging a toll for music downloads. But now it’s affected DVD sales, and how much time people spend in front of the TV, plus you can use it to call your aunt in Mexico. How much money do you think has been lost in stamp sales with the invention of email? I think it’s become obvious what is to come from the net. It will ultimately combine television, telephone, movies, music, email and all the other good stuff you get on the

Net (like porn) into one place, all on one bill. And the bill will vary on how much stuff you choose to pull off the net each month. Yes, youtube.com might fall to the man, but eventually so will regular television. Eventually, we will all exchange our remote for a wireless laptop keyboard allowing us to watch our television programs on demand on our 52” computer monitor, while checking our e-mail and downloading Kudos magazine. People won’t mind paying more because it will be better and more convenient. So it seems some of the websites you have bookmarked may become obsolete in the near future. Wiped out by the man. No one will even care that youtube.com is gone. Did anyone feel bad for friendster when a friendlier version called myspace came along? People act as though they have entitlement to a free (no money) net. I was raised to believe nothing is free. I chose to make music for a living. My generation was the ﬁrst to put out records that most fans got for free. I continue to make music because I love it, but love doesn’t pay the bills. The bottom line is that the net is everevolving. Rather than ﬁght the inevitable, we should be spending our time molding it, making it work for everyone and making sure that owners of creative property are being compensated for their work. In the long run we will pay for everything on the web, but the longer we wait, the more we starve the arts, eventually risking extinction. Obviously this is a controversial issue, please write to Kudos via e-mail (editor@kudosmagazine.com) attention: john e. necro and let us know your thoughts.

Image by Arissa of Singapore // www.minicloud.com

is a great model for an online music store (and artists actually get paid according to their sales), it came along a little too late. With other programs like Limewire still available, it’s like the buddy system, and most are still choosing Limewire over iTunes.

BUCKCHERRY Thrusting the SEX back into Sex, Drugs and Rock N’ Roll! Rock and Roll has become some what clean cut, with bands wearing suits on stage and taking longer to do their hair than most people would take to listen to their albums. L.A rockers Buckcherry could hardly be accused of this, with their sleazy, grungy image and sordid lyrics, they hark back to an era when rock was more about substance than style. When men where men and women where merely groupies. Their sound is reminiscent of Guns And Roses, Stone Temple Pilots and AC/DC with whom both lead guitarist and lead singer share an afﬁnity with.

Sex sells, and both this and drugs are the main themes behind the bands sometimes audacious lyrics. Basically to get an idea of this all you have to do is listen to “Porno Star” from their second album “Time Bomb”. It is a very frank and explicit tale of a day in the life of a man in the adult entertainment profession. Their ﬁrst single “Lit Up” would be a more apt party song for now with its driving chorus of “I love cocaine, I love cocaine”. Maybe this song was slightly before its time. Their latest big success is “Crazy Girl” based on the antics of one Paris Hilton, and the way she shot herself to fame after releasing that now infamous and widely downloaded video. It has also been quite a popular ringtone, down-

“I think theres a huge void for songs like “Crazy Bitch” in Rock music now, & nobody is talking about sex nowadays.”

“We where always working musically, staying active. I didn’t feel like I was too out of shape, but we just grew a lot as musicians from that point in time.” loaded over 1 million times, the song and not the soundtrack to one night in Paris, although that would make quite an interesting tone. In a recent interview with Kudos editor Liam Thomson, Buckcherry lead singer Josh Todd expressed his dismay at the lack of risk taking in rock and roll and how it has become boring. This in his eyes paved the way for the success of Crazy Bitch. “I think theres a huge void for songs like that in rock and roll now, and nobody is talking about sex nowadays” says the charismatic frontman. The group where formed back in 1995 by Josh Todd and Keith Nelson (lead guitarist) who where introduced by their tattoos artist and then bonded over their love for AC/DC. They both recorded some demos before being joined by bassist Jonathon Brightman and drummer Devon Glenn. The foursome took the name Buckcherry, not because it was an acronym of Chuck Berry, but because it was the name of a transvestite who they met after their early shows. In a way it summed up the band and

their disregard for all things pure and p.c. They signed their ﬁrst record deal with Dreamworks records and promptly set about releasing their self titled debut album in 1999. However with all the hype surrounding the band as they new Guns N Roses, they never quite lived up to the hype. With all the songs seemingly streaming together it was a good album, but not the expected great album. Thus putting some pressure on the band for their second release which came two years later with 2001s “Time Bomb”. But the band managed to put together a much more fun album, and some critics would say it proved that the band had the potential for greatness. Their songs though needed to be a bit tighter, but carrying on the theme of sex and drugs, and all things rock and roll the band where still keeping true to their roots. It was after this album that things started to go wrong for the band. They where opening shows for their heroes AC/DC and where being lauded by those who came to see them. But seemingly out of the blue it was announced via their website that Johnaton

Brightman had left the band, is departure was quickly followed by stand in guiatrsit Yogi, and drummer Devon Gleen. The band was set to continue with both Nelson and Todd, until Todd left the band due to “creative differences” Thus the Rock and Roll revivalists that were Buckcherry had ceased to exist. And it was four years later before the band reunited. During the bands hiatus Josh Todd formed his own self titled band “Josh Todd”. The band didn’t do well at all, they released one album before disbanding in late 05 early 06, coincidentally just before Buckcherry reunited. Both Todd and Nelson did join forces to play at a Rodney Castillo tribute concert along with Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum. This lineup worked so well that rumours were rife that Todd would front the project band that would become Velvet Revolver. This of course didn’t happen as Slash canned the whole thing and went with Scott Weiland of “Stone Temple Pilots” Nelson is credited as a songwriter on “Dirty Little Thing” But maybe this came as a blessing in disguise as this allowed Todd and Nelson to reform their band and create their own music. There is no animosity shown from Nelson or Todd toward Velvet Revolver and the events that unfolded. “it just worked out better for both bands in the long run, we are still friends with that band, there are no hard feelings.” Todd felt the bands hiatus was a good one. It allowed him to step back and see how things worked. “We where always working musically, staying active. I didn’t feel like I

was too out of shape, but we just grew a lot as musicians from that point in time.” They released “15” their third album, which received its moniker because it was recorded in 15 days. Now along with Tood and Nelson where three new members Stevie D (second guitarist), Xavier Muriel (drums) and Jimmy Ashurst (bass). The last 16 months have been immense for the band “The highs have been great, we’ve been nominated for a Grammy and the record is going go gold in the US and is about to go gold in Canada” so all is looking good for the sleaze rock revival. “The base difference on this album was,

there was no record deal when we started, it was just basically us with some songs and the passion to make the record, we made that record and there was no major release for us, we took that recorded and tried to get it released. It was very much an us against the world thing.” Said guitarist Nelson. The band take the success of their latest album as major victory for everything they have tried to achieve as Buckcherry. The band have conﬁrmed for Download this summer, arguably one of the biggest metal fests in Europe, but they remain quite relaxed with this looming prospect. “At this point we take one day at a time” not very rock and roll, but sometimes you need to calm things down to get a clearer picture of where to go. And I think for a band that went from having two records and a pretty good future, to having nothing and then got it all back again - this is maybe a sensible way to look at everything. They will also be featured on the bill along with Velvet Revolver, so who knows, we

may see a Buckcherry Velvet Revolver collaboration. But could the crowd possibly handle the sleaze and grittiness that would ensue from such a performance. “High energy, Low IQ” is how Todd describes a Buckcherry show. The level of musicianship in the band has exceeded what it once was. And as such they now have some more leeway with their songs. They acknowledge that the low iq part of their show is something that is missing from Rock today. They just go on stage and play their songs and leave, there is no difﬁcult choreography or tricks involved. Basically what you see is what you get. Buckcherry are currently touring the UK and are loving it. They are a band that have done what many have failed to do, and reconcile their differences and come back stronger and even hungrier. And their ﬁrst Grammy nomination will I doubt be their last. Words by PJ Murray Image by Viesturs Links of Malta // http://viesturslinks.deviantart.com

column

VENTINGS by Chris Jay

Hi! I’m Chris from the band, Army of Freshmen (pictured right, dead center). The good people at Kudos have been kind enough to ask me to write a column. Since I’m constantly bitching about something I ﬁgured why not. So for the inaugural edition - let’s take a look back at last year!

Chris Jay’s 5 Solid Reasons to Lose All Hope in Humanity: 2006 Edition The War in Iraq. The Dukes of Hazzard Movie. Arrested Development Getting Canceled. Pete Wentz’s Pubic Hair!?! Think 2006 was ﬁlled with horror…try these crimes against humanity in the music world. opens his mouth and you do hate him! Their single is the puke inducing anthem of the year.

everyone who bought the record and why not? All they sing about is how they want to have sex and how sexy they are. Sweet… put your money where your mouth is starting sleeping with the fans - what a great promo tional tool. And the fact they market this to kids. My God what role models for today’s young women. Of course they say it’s not marketed towards kids but who are they kidding - it’s on MTV constantly – who watches MTV? Kids! They say teenagers and early 20s- bullshit. It’s little impressionable kids that watch it and the Pussycat Dolls make money off them while a generation of young girls are left with a warped perspective of what they should look like and act like. Which brings us to their pants peeing partner in crime…

ordeal of drug addiction while she tried to get famous. World would be a better place if she stayed a crack ho and was currently squatting in an abandoned building somewhere.

Aiden

I mean you gotta be kidding me. Crazy names! Scary make up! Essays in corporate magazines about terrible childhoods and drug abuse. Who buys into this? I had a kid at a show tell me he liked Aiden cause they were real. Real!?! They’re wearing make up for God’s sake! It’s dress up. Playtime. Go buy a Misﬁts album already. I am sick to death of hearing about someone tell me about his horrible childhood in interviews and their subsequent drug and alcohol abuse. You know what? You want sympathy for your problems and addictions then don’t use it to sell records. You really want to talk about it and help some people then go speak at a shelter or at school Brooke Hogan The Hulkster should drop the boot on his but keep it of a music mag with a glossy sales “I wanna be famous too” offspring (above). add for your new record on the opposite This whole “someone in my family is famous page. To their credit- I hear they’re nice guys. therefore I should be famous too” thing has The Pussycat Dolls got to stop. One per family. History tells us more then one doesn’t work. My God look Sexy chicks singing about sex while dancing at the Jacksons! When Hogan is done laying sexily in sexy clothes. Enough already! Rethe smack down on her, he can clothesline ally. Yeah sex sells. I get it. Let’s get down to that Paul Wall idiot she duets with. He already reality - the only way I would give this band looks like someone you’d hate… then he any respect was if they actually had sex with

Meet The Barkers

Fergie

Did the world really need a Fergie (above) solo record? You take this chick whose been trying to be famous her whole life (she was on Kids Incorporated- one of the worst shows ever) then she ﬁnally joins a credible hip hop band and promptly ruins them. Finally she gets a semi nude cover for Rolling Stone cover… dreams do come true! Oh yeah she put out a big hit single too ﬁlled with 3rd grade poetry and sexual innuendo. Then she comes out to get even more press and tells of her horrible

More like… Meet The Excessive Lifestyle of a Sham Marriage! Love someone? Want a real relationship? Don’t invite cameras into your personal life to bolster your career. That show was plain freaky to see that some people live with such excess… assistants…multiple sports cars… I have a theory when you stop doing your own laundry, dishes, vacuuming, etc… you become a douche bag. Want to keep it real? Take out the trash. It’s good for the soul. How they hell are people supposed to relate and look up to someone who puts his marriage and children on display on TV. Then breaks it off and drives around Hollywood sucking face with Paris Hilton!!! Paris Hilton. I mean is anyone attracted to her anymore? Hell I haven’t forgotten when Barker screwed over the Aquabats. Guy is one kick ass drummer though.

www.armyoffreshmen.com

ASH

The Godfathers of British Indie Rock Go Back To Basics With New Album With a new album release due in July, three years after the infamous ‘Meltdown’, Kudos caught up with Ash to talk about New York living, the internet and life after Charlotte. Starting out at the beginning of the 90s when they were still in school, Ash hit the big time in 1996 with their chart topping album ‘1977’, with singles ‘Goldﬁnger’ and ‘Oh Yeah’ making it into the UK top-ten. After touring with Weezer they recruited ‘Nightnurse’ guitarist Charlotte Hatherley to round of the band and created a four piece which would last nine years.

“We did a couple of weeks rehearsals and went straight back out on tour, it was good to dive right back into it and build things up.” After the critical slating taken by ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’, their third studio album, Ash were on a downhill slide and eventually ended up bankrupt. But the band retreated to their hometown in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland to concerntrate on writing new material and a year later Ash were once again topping the charts with ‘Free All Angels’, winning numerous awards for tracks like ‘Burn Baby Burn’ and ‘Shining Light’. Although at the time it was a low point in their career, they have always had a positive attitude, “If we had made a second pop album [instead of the much darker and grittier ‘NuClear Sounds’] in a row maybe we would have been labelled one trick ponies. You always look back in hindsight and go ‘maybe if we had done things different...’” Three years after their last release, Meltdown, and a hiatus from the scene, Ash are back on the road. “We did a couple of weeks rehearsals and went straight back out on tour,” admits Mark, Ash bassist and founding member, “Which was good to dive right back into it and build things up.” And what a hiatus it’s been for the band. Moving to New York and becoming a three piece again after 9 years, the once

mighty Ash, with no less than ﬁve UK Top-10 albums under their belt, have had to re-invent themselves.

“We thought ‘right, let’s not even bother trying to play anything old, let’s start writing like we used to, right from the beginning.’” Minus Charlotte Hatherley, their second guitarist, the band have had adjust to the change, “We did a lot of the adjusting last February when we met back up again. We thought ‘right, let’s not even bother trying to play anything old, let’s start writing like we used to, right from the beginning.’” The new Ash started playing low key venues in New York to build up their confidence before their UK and Europe-wide tours. “We were absolutely cacking ourselves beforehand, but we had a lot of fun after the first couple of songs and people were into it. It was like no one was missing.” Explains Mark. “We never actually had any nerves at the start of this tour ‘cos we’d crossed that hurdle before, which was good phychologically.” Their sell-out ‘Higher Eduaction Tour’ has blasted its way through student unions across the country, with tickets going on sale to the students in advance. As well as that, Ash are now touring across Europe before returning to the UK to rock the Isle of Wight Festival with the Stones, followed by three days at London’s KOKO then on to the Carling Weekender at the end of August. “We wanted to just come back and play to a lot of new students who might not even be aware of who we are, or maybe know one or two songs but not really know much about us.” combining some of their old favourites in with their new songs, the revived Ash set seems to be drawing the crowds in for what are turning out to be youthful and intimate shows. “We’ve effectively lived in New York for two years and been in our own little bubble, not really aware of what’s going on in the music over here [in the UK], so we did kind of think, ‘do people know who we are or even remember what we’re about?’” Ash’s new found bubble and adopted home of New York has offered up its fair share of oppotunities to the band too, “We have a studio on 28th street in the garment district, it’s an old industrial building which we took a lease out on it for three years and took over, pulled everything out and setup a new studio.” Says Mark proudly, “It’s always something that we’ve dreamed of having and never ever got round to doing it, but it’s actually worked out cheaper to do it in New York than it would have been to do it in London.” The band’s move to New York after nine years in London wasn’t just about the financial side, it was a motivational decision too. “We started to go stale there [in London].

We did need big change to make things happen, you know give ourselves a kick up the arse! But it was good ‘cos moving to a new country you surround yourself with new inspirations, the environment around you affects you, you know?” But does that mean a new ‘American’ sound to ‘TOTI’, the provisional name for Ash’s sixth studio album? Mark doesn’t seem to think so. “It doesn’t sound American to me, ‘Meltdown’ sounded really American I thought because we produced it on the West Coast of America with American producers and it sounds like a well produced rock album, but maybe that was too produced, too slick. This one’s a bit more raw and it’s got a really good vibe to the album, you can really hear the three of us playing as a threepiece.” As well as the ‘rock Ash’ sound, the new album promises a shift into a more experimental sound in some of its songs, “this album, lyrically, is pretty dark, it probably the darkest album lyrically” Mark divulges. Ash seem to be taking a step back from what some would say was over produced rock on ‘Meltdown’ and creating something which they say is “good but not polished”. After recording 30 songs, 12 were selected to go on the album with the rest ﬁnding homes as B-sides. The boys are also remaining very crypic about the ﬁnal name for the new record. “We’ve got this thing on our Myspace and on our website, there’s a game we’re playing with peo-

ple, the title’s decided but it’s like hangman so each week there’s a selection of letters to chose from and people are guessing what it’s called.” Here at Kudos towers, the best guess we can come up with is that the title’s going to be along the lines of ‘Twilight of the Innocents’, but hey, what do we know?! Even though when Ash started out there was very little chance for exposure on the internet, they reckon it’s a great opportunity for great bands to shine through. “There’s never been a better time for getting exposure or making yourself more known” Mark explains, “You can set up websites and if you’ve got good content people will hear it and see it, you just have to think of clever ways of attracting people to come and check it out.” But although the internet means that people are starting to hear band’s recorded and produced material ﬁrst, before they see them live, Mark reckons they still need the ability to play well on stage. “You’re competing against more and more people because everyone can do it, so you have to be good live, if you’re not good live then people will go ‘they suck!’”

Words By Andrew Maxwell

POTLUCK

CHIMAIRA

Rap/Hip-Hop

Metal

“Straight Outa...”

30 SECONDS TO MARS “A Beautiful Lie” Rock/Alternative

Created in 1998 by Jared Leto and his brother, Shannon, 30 Seconds to Mars offer up slaps of spaced out Rock which sweeps deftly between edgy and soaring. “A Beautiful Lie” may well have been what Angels & Airwaves failed to create with their debut album. Whilst 30STM’s ﬁrst album garnered only mixed reviews and sales of 100,000 this latest record has already gone platinum. Fronted by Leto (of Hollywood fame - see Fight Club, Lord of War etc) this 4 piece quickly grab your attention with opener

“Attack” and while nothing is quite as immediate a few tracks come close - including the catchy “Fantasy” and the title track “A Beautiful Lie” with it’s soaring chorus.. Fot it’s sales this record is not quite as good as it should be with a few tracks such as “Was It A Dream?” coming across as too soft and self indulgent. Thanks to producer Josh Abrham (Linkin Park) at the helm this record has a great, balanced, rather sci-ﬁ majestic sound to it and Leto’s vocals are haunting and pained yet beautiful. If nothing else, pick up the single “Attack” as it is one of the deﬁning songs of the year.

KKKKK

Humboldt County in California is best known for Its world famous marijuana. Potluck’s latest record single-mindedly all about living the “green” lifestyle and with their syrup-smooth ﬂows, grooves and host of decent guest appearances make for a pretty strong record. For the last decade Potluck has built a well-deserved reputation one of the more promising young talents to emerge from Northern California’s legendary and organic independent hip-hop scene. Tracks like “Mary Jane” showcase the band well, they are a tight, lyrical outﬁt performing laid back organic hip-hop. For stoners and non-commercial hip-hoppers. Worth a listen.

KKKKK

“Resurrection”

HIT THE LIGHTS “This Is A Stick Up...” Rock/Pop-Punk

Hit The Lights are a bouncy poppunk band from Lima, Ohio. The band formed in 2003, and quickly found a devoted following with their energetic live performances. When witnessed ﬁst hand these gentlemen make a lasting and frankly awesome impression as a live act. Finally they have a well produced, delightfully exuberant debut album for both current and soon to be fans. From the offset this record smacks of a mix of old-skool New Found Glory and the harder side of Fenix TX. First single “Bodybag” is an instant delight with some fun vocal play and mock-threatening lyrics. Whilst live favourite “Three Oh Nine” sounds energetic and chunky on CD. There could have been a few more moments of deviation from formula here, however for a debut release by such a promising and genuinely fun young band one could not ask for a whole lot more. This is an ideal summer record and as the clouds part and the music kicks in your going to fall in love with these 5 guys blatantly doing what they love and doing it very well.

KKKKK

Chimaira are doing well for themselves of late, with their latest record “Resurrection” charting in the UK at number 1 on the Rock & Metal chart and number 76 on the ofﬁcial album chart. The record is ﬁlled to the brim with driving, punchy percussion and delicious slabs of hard rock. The riffs are dynamite and kinetic whilst the vocalist, while aggressive are never over the top. “Worthless is a particularly biting track, especially with it’s fret melting lead guitar break. However it is with “Pleasure In Pain” that the band really shines as one of the worlds up and coming metal acts. This isn’t for everyone but if you like your metal then you won’t go wrong with this

KKKKK

STERIOGRAM

SEVENDUST

Rock/Punk

Hard-Rock

“TINTTM”

New Zealend’s Steriogram were a flash in the pan success with their funky single “Walkie Talkie Man” and fun album “Schmack!” which garnered the band a major label signing and plenty of radio play in 2004. 3 Years on and the band, much to many people’s surprise are still going and actually going strong! gone is the major label and a lot of the bubblegum filler and in it’s place is a fucking excellent record filled with vocal play, tight structuring and powerful riffs. The production could have been more polished, but it is still notable in the band’s current context. “Talk About It”, “Get Up” and the punky “Sitting Above Me” are the highlights. Buy it!

KKKKK

“Alpha”

A A decade into their career and after numerous line-up and label changes Sevendust still have the same, deep, primal bite they always did. However, 10 years on and fans may need something a little more from the band, some degree of evolution beyond that of enhanced musicianship and the same tempered, formulaic Hard-Rock formula. Opener “Deathstar” and also “Clueless get the album off to a driving start (the latter of the two being far more memorable). The band have created a raw collection of new material that showcases their dynamic, pounding rhythms well whilst the vocal range is pleasingly polished. Standard, but strong.

KKKKK

ENTER SHIKARI “Take To The Skies” Metal/Electronica

The award for most hyped British band and album release must go to Enter Shikari. Barely into their 20’s and this 4 piece have obtained a massive following due to their incendiary live performances. Not to mention the manner in which they splice euphoric and edgy electronics with Emo and Metal to create a seriously intriguing sound. It is no where near as good as the work of Celldweller but this is still very exciting stuff. Especially in an increasingly stale British music scene. With such a glowing live reputation the band had to literally ﬁght off the major labels - instead deciding to go it alone. In some ways this was an admirable idea but this was a very important release for Enter Shikari and the production lets it down, incredibly. When mixing electronics, edgy vocals and guitars you simply cannot rough it and that is how this album feels. Forget the polish, the production needs an electric sander. Luckily at high volume amazing songs like “Sorry, You’re Not A Winner!” and “Mothership” manage to sound as powerful as many had hoped for. Yet ultimately a hit & miss album.

KKKKK

GOOD CHARLOTTE “Good Morning Revival” Rock/Alternative

Good Charlotte really are a success story, they have transcended trends and fads and each time come away with even more success than they had before. Their second full length and breakthrough album “The Young & The Hopeless” showcased the reason why they have garnered this success. Basically... they write bloody good songs. Perfectly structures, both lyrically and musically. They should write pop-songs in their spare time because they have the formula down to a ﬁne art. this latest album, their 4th full length is no exception, yes the boys have grown up and matured, yet the style is as much New-Wave as Pop-Rock but all the same smart lyrics,

catchy as you like writing and hooks are here in abundance.! There is an edgy, almost 80’s style to these tracks, imagine Blondie being spliced with the GC lads and you have some inkling. In fact the ﬁrst single “Keep Your Hands Off My Girl”, while decent doesn’t give much away with regards to the album. Tracks like “Dance Floor Album” and even more so “Victims Of Love” are essential listening. They will inspire you and they will prickle your skin and you will be glad. “All Black” Hearkens back to their previous record as does “Break Apart Her Heart” both are phenomenal. There is little more to add, you must own this album.

KKKKK

H.E.T.

TENANT

Rock/Metal

Rock/Hard-Rock Rock

“Hanging of...”

SHINY TOY GUNS “We Are Pilots” Electro-Rock

California’s Shiny Toy Guns are about as fucking cool as you want to be. This is attitude laden, amazingly produced alternative electro-rock. Vocalist Carah Faye Charnow could well be one of the few women (with the exception of Powder’s Ninette Terhart) that could deservedly be called the new Debbie Harry. Album standout “Le Disko” is part female swagger part euphoric swirling electronics - it is the most immediate cut on the record and serves as an inspiring introduction to what is on offer here.

Shiny Toy Guns have released various incarnations of this album before and this third version, out on Mercury records will ﬁnally realise the materials potential and deliver it to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. This is crisp, breathy, edgy, beautiful music and whilst the album takes a while to get into, when you do it’ll have been worth every second of your time. “Chemistry of A Car Crash” and the synth led “You Are The One” are also great starting points to discover the band. Don’t miss out.

KKKKK

Hollow Earth Theory hail from the UK and have supported the likes of Skindred and Dog Eat Dog. Their sound is a mix of pummelling riffs and percussion and some rather catchily sung choruses. Similar to Inﬂames in fact, as they mix Metal tendencies with catchy hooks. Both musically and vocally. Opener “Letter To The Lost” is a brilliant start to this EP and the following track “Leech” lets nothing slip. Excellent! “Buried” is a little vocally generic in places - but still has it’s inspiring moments. Their next record, if they keep up this level of writing and can afford a shit hot producer could be mind-blowing! This is one British band that you HAVE to keep an eye on.

KKKKK

I AM GHOST

KILL THE ALARM

“All My Favorite..”

“Lovers Requiem” “Fire Away”

Vancouver based Tenant sound a lot like Rival Schools with their grungy slabs of metallic guitar and the semi-aggressive yet laid back vocal style. “That Sinking Feeling” is the ﬁrst track on the album that really shows off the band’s progressive tendencies and ﬁnds them offering up several mood and tempo changes whilst they deliver gravely vocals and pulsing, slightly under produced bass lines “Minas” is the most immediate track and again feels like Gorilla Biscuits and Rival Schools, in the best possible way. Great stuff! Over all this record shows a lot of promise but is a little too rough around the edges to make it essential. Be sure to check these guys out.

Epitaph re-released their first album, however this is I Am Ghost’s first major release under a label and it is an invigorating and finely produced affair. There is darkness here, twists and turns, and depth; there is also intricacy, hope and excitement. Dubbed a Rock Opera, this is just as fine when approached as a standalone album. Tracks Like “Our Friend Lazarus...” & “Dark Carnival...” offer up vibrant, swirling almost Goth-Rock slices of developed PostHardcore. This is the kind of accomplished album that transcends genre barriers. The band put forth a tempered aggression and smart writing to create a host of moods and immerse the listener deeply.

KKKKK

Rock/Alternative

Kill The Alarm’s debut album, “Fire Away” is ﬁlled with catchy, accessible pop-rock tracks that are hard to beat and, quite oddly for the genre - rather memorable in places! Sounding like a mix of Jimmy Eat World, 3 Doors Down and Matchbox 20. There is a radio friendly American rock feel to songs like “Uncovered” yet it is the edgier songs like opener “Sit Up” with it’s fun sing-along chorus. “Never Come Around” is possibly the album highlight with it’s bracing bassline and decent continuity. This won’t be anything you have not heard previously but songs like “Never Come...” will be highly welcome on your stereo this summer! Strong effort!

KKKKK

DOGBOY

AUTHORITY ZERO

Reggae

Punk/Reggae

“Rebel Riddim”

“12:34”

If you survive drug addiction, alcohol abuse, entanglements with the law, jail, and women, what do you do? If you’re Dogboy you write songs about it. Nicely, put but how does it relate to the music? Well this record is seriously laid back but it is also a little unusual. This is not your standard reggae, it has more in common with artists such as Slightly Stoopid, it feels intimate and stripped down yet contemporary. Tracks like “She’s Driving” and “Can’t Buy Soul” stand out with their simply, catchy rhythms however the album’s 17 tracks are varied enough to keep things fresh from start to ﬁnish. Perfect for a blaze or the ﬁnal hour of a house party.

Authority Zero, much like Unwritten Law - have a highly diverse sound that stretches from Street Punk to Reggae-esque Dub Tracks. “On The Edge” showcases the band’s chugging Punky riffs nicely as the anthemic vocals pad out the already beefy sound. Whereas the marvellous “Sirens” and “Talk Is Cheap” are wonderful Dub tracks. The latter is very reminiscent of Kudos favourites Lucky Boys Confusion. “No Regrets” ﬁnds the band slamming out the rock once again over a great bassline and teasing, palm muted riffs. Authority Zero’s CD is a catchy effort with some strong tracks and only a few ﬁllers. Perfect for fans of the Reggae/Punk mix.

KKKKK

HEIDEROOSJES “Chapter Eight” Rock/Punk

Heideroosjes (pronounced; hi-duh-roseyes, HR in short) is a punk band from the Netherlands. The band sing in Dutch, English, German and Limburgs. The band who formed in 1989 are basically bloody good (for those who are unfamiliar with them) 2004’s “Sinema” album was their crowning record to date, however this latest release “Chapter Eight The Golden State” comes damn close to topping it. Tracks like the blistering opener “What If...” and the Green Day-esque “My Funeral” and the nonEnglish language delivery of “Lekker Belangrijk” are all fine cuts and set the album’s pace. “Forgotten Continent” finds the band sticking to their smatterings of Socio-Political commentary a nice style that punctuates their records and reminds listeners of their roots in early 90’s Punk-Rock. Heideroosjes have done well to keep their finger on the pulse and not sound dated. They are hugely experienced at this point and the fact that their albums are still as raw and energetic at this point in their career is phenomenal. Check out this album if you are into Punk.

KKKKK

KADDISFLY “Set Sail the Prairie”

Rock/Alternative/Art-Rock

Kaddisfly is a 5 piece rock-come-alternative-come-artrock band that originated in Oregon, USA. They are signed to the wonderful Hopeless records and with this, their latest album they have achieved a significant level of musical creativity. “This album is the sound that is made when art meets life meets music.” Says the press release and for once, this is not just Pr blurb. Written from the perspective of a year-long journey, each song/month represents a different location in the world. “Campfire” is the first main cut and gets the album off to a teasingly delightful start with it’s soaring chorus serving as a hint at the emotional, sparkling sounds the listener can expect to pour from their speakers. It is followed by the almost funky “Waves” which feels like Boy Hits Car duetting with Incubus. “Clouds” finds the band picking up the distortion somewhat and pushing for an almost MCR-esque sound, yet it goes far

deeper than the aforementioned have ever managed. This is a pretty laid back record, it has it’s moments of bluster but the majority of tracks including the gorgeous “Empire” are delicate, despite the odd ﬂurry of distortion - They ooze a melancholy warmth and while few of them are immediate, this could easily be an album one might spend time with, like a great novel. Kaddisﬂy have produced a fundamentally inspiring album that they can be very proud of.

KKKKK

BIRD & THE BEE

X-CLAN

AQUALUNG

Pop/Indie

Hip-Hop

Indie-Rock

“Self Titled”

MAXIMO PARK “Our Earthly Pleasures” Indie/Brit-Rock

Maximo Park’s second album has been eagerly anticipated. The new 12 track from the Newcastle lads was recorded during September and October last year and is best described by the band themselves; ‘rock music without the clichés’. With their very Geordie vocal style, Maximo Park have been compared to bands like Pulp and Franz Ferdinand, but are showing a distinctly unique style on ‘Our Earthly Pleasures’. An emotional feel lets the album stand out above the crowd. You never know, more NME awards might be beckoning for a band that in the last two years has supported the Rollin’ Stones, headlined the NME Radio 1 stage at the Carling weekender, released a DVD and toured China. Fantastic production and thought-

ful lyrics make this a powerful album from a band that have shown the world they can shine once before. Here is just another example of their musical brilliance. In other words the genre known as Brit-rock seems to be in safe hands with Maximo Park.

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The Bird and The Bee’s sunshine pop sits in sharp contrast with the grim concrete city of LA that they inhabit. Their music is a mature bubblegum pop sound . The twosome’s self titled album combines female vocals with soft, echoey instrumentals and electro. Greg Kurstin, one half of TH&TB, is in his own right one of the most well respected jazz pianists and multi-instrumentalists in LA. This combination with Inara George’s soft notes make for a classically styled pop record with a very unique twist, both lyrically and instrumentally. If you could take the lyrics from a band like ‘Cake’ and combine them with the music of ‘Air’ on a summers day, this is what you’d get.

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“Return From...”

“Memory Man”

The New York group haven’t released anything since ‘92, but this album is musically a great comeback. Combining politically oriented lyrics with an old school hip-hop sound, Xclan are aimed at fans of groups like Wu-Tang Clan and Public Enemy who want a more aggressive stance to their music (Members of X-Clan are also members of ‘Blackwatch’, a militant pro-black organisation). Musically ‘Return to Mecca’ is strong, featuring Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 and Papa Roach lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix. With it’s varied mix of styles and more than a decade of experience behind X-Clan, this album should appeal to all Hip-Hop fans.

Reminiscent of bands like ‘The Amsterdams’, Aqualung’s dreamy indie pop sounds are almost mysteriously magical to listen to. Their sound is vast and varied but in essence Aqualung is only one man, Matt Hales. With help from his wife Kim and multi-insrumentalist brother Ben, Hales has managed to create eleven tracks of neat, emotional pop with a radio friendly vibe. And if you think that the songs sound familiar, it’s because Aqualung have had their fair share of TV airtime, being featured on hit US comedy Scrubs and an advert for VW’s Beetle amongst others. Memory Man is a gem of an album, something to simply get lost in.

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THE TOSSERS “Agony”

Punk/Folk

Chicago’s The Tossers are about as Irish American as they come. This seven piece include a violin, a tin whistle and a banjo and play Irish punk like I’ve only ever heard from bands like Flogging Molly and The Dropkick Murphys. This is the band’s 7th full-length album and is certainly not one to be judged by its cover. With what looks like artwork that you’d expect from a goth metal band, this deceptively opens up into a collection of sing along pub jigs, folk ballads and faster, punkier songs. They’ve given all the songs enough of an edge without over producing them. For any fans of the US Irish punk sound, these 17 songs are spot on !

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PPND

EMMURE

Rock/Pop-Punk

Metalcore

“Various Artists”

Pop Punk’s Not Dead is basically 30 tracks of pop punk just in time for summer! This is an album to play out loud on those sunny days when you’ve got nothing better to do than hang out with friends and relax. With bands you’ll have heard of, like The Queers and Squirtgun, all the way through to new up and comers, this album has the lot. It’s not just the US getting in on the action either, there are bands from as far a ﬁeld as Italy and the Cayman Islands . Go-Kart Records have managed to pull together a great little collection of underground tracks showing off the best of what most people think is an over commercialised genre.

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“Goodbye...” New England’s Emmure are a metalcore band who formed over the internet, sometimes travelling hours to get to rehearsals. They all had one aim in mind too, to create the heaviest, most emotionally moving band. This debut album certainly shows what they’re made of. Heavy as fuck instrumentals combined with dual vocals - One growling and one melodic. But they don’t quite live up to their emotional promise, playing hard and fast but with nothing that really makes them stand out from the sea of other metalcorers on the scene. A disappointing album from a band that have tried too hard to be hard & forgotten their hearts.

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MANDO DIAO “Ode To Ocracy” Alternative/Indie

Apart from the fact that they’ve made a pretty cool album cover of abstract scribbles, Mando Diao have managed to put together a very competent album. The Swedish quintet have produced 18 tracks of indie rock magic. Having toured with Dirty Pretty Things amongst others and now on their third album, ‘Ode to Ochrasy’ is aimed at making a commercial breakthrough in the UK and the US. Foot tapping, head nodding and spontaneous dancing about are all symtoms of the infectious Mando Diao cocktail and are sure to go down a treat on our shores. With songs inspired by everything from terrorists to ice hockey stars, these guys are diverse to say the least. As well as guitars, the band also employs brass instrumentals like some of the more well known indie bands on the scene at the moment, something that works really well for them. Mando Diao are a damn good indie outﬁt in the vein of their tour buddies Dirty Pretty Things and deserve even just a few minutes of your time...you never know, you might get hooked.

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ALESANA “On Frail Wings...” Rock/Hardcore

‘On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax’ is the debut and fully packed full length album from North Carolina’s Alesana. 15 tracks of what is being called sweetcore combined with a selection of live videos and an interview, when we say fully packed, we mean it! With a combination of highly emotional lyrics and a screamo style, the band’s three guitarists and three vocalists make a huge impact from the ﬁrst chord to the last drumbeat. And there excessive number of band members isn’t just for show, according to them they can create the same vocal and instrumental harmonies, that would only be possible in a studio for a smaller band, live on stage. Like a blender full combination of Saosin, Coheed and Cambria and Avenged Sevenfold, you ﬂick the switch and listen to the beautiful carnage that follows. And it really is beautiful; a combination of lightly picked guitars, violins and softly

sung harmonies culminating in an explosion of noise and screaming so emotionally fuelled and full of life that it all just ﬁts. This is an essential album for all those out there who appreciate emotional hardcore music and anyone looking for a new take on an overﬁlled genre.

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APPRECIATION POST

BIG D & THE KID’s TABLE

MALCOLM MIDDLETON

CLASSIC CASE

Synth/Rock

Ska/Dub

Indie/Pop

Hailing from North Carolina and New York, Classic Case Formed four years ago and with the drumming talents of Durijah Lang (Glassjaw), Classic Case’s latest offering ‘Losing at Life’ has a distinct ﬂavour of post hardcore to it. Although they’ve played shows with bands like The Used, The Bled and A Static Lulaby, you can’t put these guys in the same ‘emo’ bracket and that’s no critisism of the other bands, ‘Classic Case’ are just different. Guitar driven post hardcore rock with a twist of 90s to make what is in essence a solid album. There will be people out there who love what this band have done, but there will also be many who have heard it all before.

“Brighter Sides”

THE USED “Berth”

Rock/Alternative/Emo

Coming straight out of Utah, The Used took the emo scene by storm when they released their debut album in 2002. Five years down the line and The used are one of the hardest touring bands in the States and one of the few that can sell out an arena. If only more bands put as much heart into making a record as The Used have put into making Berth. And it’s not just music on the CD/DVD pack, their’s two and a half hours of visual entertainment to satisfy even the biggest fan...from interviews to a full live con-

cert from the band’s Taste of Chaos appearance in Vancouver, Canada. Usually live albums are shoddy, bodged together efforts, but the huge number of shows that The Used have played has payed off. Their live songs rival those that they’ve recorded in the studio and in some cases the atmosphere is far more intense. All in all, this is an album that is very hard to fault and an essential buy for anyone into the emo scene..

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This Synthcore powerpop quintet have been touring the States over the last two years with bands such as Dashboard Confessional, and Men, Women & Children. Their together, well produced sound is Weezer-esque but with a big splash of electro synth to bring an edge to a rather ordinary pop-rock sound. This new EP, ‘Brighter Sides’, showcases ﬁve of their best songs to date. Lyrically, there isn’t too much to shout about and although most of the tracks are love songs, they stray deeply into geeky territory. For a band that’s only been around for two years, The Appreciation Post sound far more rounded than their years together.

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“Strictly Rude” Big D have always had the formula for a catchy skapunk record ﬁrmly pinned down and Strictly Rude is no exception. Bouncing along from the early ‘Rancid’ sounding opener, ‘Steady Riot’, all the way through to the dub-ska closing beat of ‘She Knows Her Way’, Strictly Rude ticks all the right boxes. The tracks show a more mature sound for the Boston seven piece and at the same time, a slightly less-punkmore-ska/dub attitude to their music. Older fans may ﬁnd this album’s sound rather tame. Yet, the entire album works well and it’s great to see Big D showing off all of their talents rather than just making a lot of noise.

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“Brighter Beat” The now defunct Arab Strap were one of the most prominent indie acts to come out of Scotland. Since they split up though, multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton has been making his own music his own way. And he isn’t just carrying on with the same sound, now he’s got a ‘brighter beat’. With a Scottish pop vibe that has a distinctive folky twang, A Brighter Beat has been described as a pop album for people who hate pop. And the name isn’t just for show either, it’s an honest change from the more miserable music to a happy, catchy vibe. This is ten tracks of robust pop melodies that will sit perfectly with bands like Idlewild.

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“Losing At Life”

Rock

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LIFESTYLE

HUVAFENfushi

“Heaven is a place on earth”

Relaxation is not just a state of mind, in Huvafen Fushi it is a way of life. The small luxurious resort is designed to give its visitors an all round heavenly stay. From the moment you step on the island, to the moment you leave. The resort is practically a deserted island. The island is located on the North Male Atoll, atoll being one of the 1190 islands that islands that make up the Maldives, 30 mins by speed boat or 15 by sea plane from the Airport. Your journey into relaxation starts from before you even reach the island. Guests are served with FireďŹ&#x201A;y, a hip herbal infusion, designed to help you chill out. You are then greeted by your own personal thakuru (Maldivian butler) who will escort you to one of the 43 rooms located on the tiny island. Each of the rooms come with their own Bose surround sound system, so if you do get tired of the sound of the ocean, then you can plug in your I-pod and relax to your own sound. There is a pool attached to every room, so you can swim in the comfort of your own abode, and if it gets cold at night you can bring down a clear

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The staff at the island are more than mere servants, they are friendly and will greet you by name and engage in actual conversation rather than the usual hotel chit chat

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glass screen, so as not to impede any of the fantastic views. The beds are a plush 7 x 7, enough room for anybody to get a good nights sleep. The staff at the island are more than mere servants, they are friendly and will greet you by name and engage in actual conversation rather than usual hotel chit chat. They take snorkelling and will recommend you a movie from their collection, as well as cater to your every need. The resort is part of the Per Aquim resort management company, Per Aquim meaning through water, and being located in the Indian Ocean Huvafen Fushi certainly has a lot of water. But unlike most modern developments Huvafen Fushi works in harmony with its surroundings rather than over powering it and damaging the local eco system. Everything at the resort is modern yet minimalist, even down to the visitors. With only 43 rooms there is a limit to the number of people you will encounter on the island.

The backdrops of sun kissed waters by day and moon soaked seas by night provide a unique dining experience. The resort offers a variety of water sports for the more adventurous of its guests. It is located on some of the best coral reefs in the world. Therefore making snorkelling a popular activity, also with the calm and sunny conditions surfing and windsurfing are available. The resort also has a ret room, where you can communicate with the outside world via internet and satellite tv, there is also a well stocked library of music and films and books.

wind down even the tightest of individuals. As well as stimulation of the visual nature, there is also stimulation of the more palatable kind with an array of delectable organic food. With three restaurants there is more than an adequate choice of dining facilities and varieties of food to try. Raw is one of the restaurants that specialise in raw healthy foods such as sushi. The backdrops of sun kissed waters by day and moon soaked seas by night provide a unique dining experience.

The underwater spa, the ﬁrst of its kind, has to be one of the main draws for the resort. You can get a full body massage while staring at shoals of colourful and exotic ﬁsh blissfully unaware of your gaze as they do their aquatic dance. The sensory pleasure of the view and the physical pleasure of the massage are enough to

The resort has its own wine cellar located 8 meters underground and holding over 6000 bottles of vino, and there they offer wine tasting sessions and another unique dining experience. There are tasting sessions daily where mater wine tasters can pit their knowledge against the resident expert, and mere wine drink-

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Huvafen Fushi is a small slice of heaven on earth, offering those who go to it a truly once in a lifetime experience

” ers can learn about their favourite tipple The resort even has it owns boutique with top designer labels for those who cant resist doing a bit of holiday shopping. There is very little about the resort that is confined, and is somewhat opposite to modern life. With most people confined to offices and small working spaces the island offers an entirely open experience with external showers and bathrooms. There is opportunity to sleep outdoors if you wish on one of the large loungers. There is not much to fault with the resort. At $800 a night for the cheapest room and up to $1600 for the most luxurious rooms some might say that it is a bit pricey. But when you take into account all your getting it seems a lot more reasonable. The island is certainly more designed for adults and couples then it would be for children and families. The island itself is very open to the elements and with weather being mostly sunny and

calm this is ﬁne, but with global warming there are threats of storms and monsoons that could potentially destroy any holiday. The resort is also planning to take their experience onto the sea with plans for a 70ft yacht to take guests on a different type of trip. Plans are in the works to make it a ﬂoating party on the sea and to keep with the resorts idea of minimalist modernisation. Overall Huvafen Fushi is a small slice of heaven on earth, offering those who go to it a truly once in a lifetime experience. Its serene setting provides some of the most beautiful views you are likely to see and a warm refreshing atmosphere. It is ideal for a honeymoon or romantic getaway for those who can afford it. www.huvafenfushi.com

Words by P.J.

DENON CX3

Hi-ﬁ Supremos Denon bring the hotness with their stylish new CX3 hi-ﬁ package system.

Denon’s new craftsman built Stereo Receiver, CD and Stereo speakers are not only high end but designed to compete with the UK’s ﬁnest. This is a stunning reminder of Denon’s style and inno-

vative build quality. My own main home system is built around Denon speperates and the sound as crisp, playful and dynamic just as the manufacturers are known and loved for supplying to audiophiles across the world. This system provides glistening facilities for CD, SACD, FM/AM Radio, iPod and even vinyl

While these days Denon is well known for home cinema solutions this sexy, slick system is a reminder that Denon is Japan’s oldest and most experienced Hi-fi company. In other words, the uber-contempory CX3 system incorporates almost 100 years of Hi-fi and musical heritage. The 300mm wide system is £2700 of killer performance, targeted at the worldwide market of affluent baby boomers and their upwardly mobile offspring . This is a serious hi-fi, yet designed to be a versatile modern audio solution...well maybe part solution, part indulgence. Either way, if you love your stylish dwelling and your music collection this Denon tiger posing as a kitten is for you. The CX3 features Denon’s most serious Advanced Evolution Hi-fi tech-

nology, in one sleek, elegant and easy-touse package. I know us men have an issue with small being powerful and proud, but I think mobile phones and portable digital audio has taught us that size really does not matter. The build quality is the other huge delight with this product; hand built and without a cheap piece of environment hating plastic in sight. This Denon system is the hiﬁ equivalent of a “Metrosexual” - by this is mean it is sophisticated, tasteful, good-looking and stylish yet beneath the sleak, well mannered exterior beats the heart of a true red blooded man. Basically it looks hot, performs amazingly and women will love it too! Words by Liam Thomson

Image by Faye Thomas of the UK // www.fayethomas.com

www.denon.co.uk

theLoftcubeproject

...Unique, stylish, versatile and soon to be iconic.

What the iPod did for portable music the Loftcube will do for deliciously stylized, wanton escapism...

For years architects have cashed in on our instinct to escape everything, whether it’s converting the attic so Dad can have a study or buying a holiday villa in Spain ever since our ﬁrst tree house we have been seduced with the idea of getting away from it all and that’s exactly what the Loftcube is all about, it represents a stylish escape. A four-hundred and twenty foot beautiful retreat, designed to cater all needs placed above all the hustle and bustle of the city on top of your very own roof. The Loftcube is the brainchild of German designer Werner Aisslinger. Predominately known for his work in furniture design, the multi-award winning designer and his dedicated team have managed to create a unique urban living space for the nomadic lifestyle. The Loftcube is just that, a mobile retreat for the mobile life.

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“Transparent and translucent coloured panes of glass or closed panels with different shading devices enable the desired amount of light entry and air circulation”

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The concept of the mobile home is nothing new; we’ve seen caravans and RV’s jam the motorways since what feels like the beginning of time, but what Werner Aisslinger has created in the Loftcube is unique to the end consumer. The Loftcube which can be delivered directly to the rooftop by helicopter or can instead be dismantled then reassembled is entirely versatile. It has been designed to be changed. Speaking about the Loftcube’s versatility Werner Aisslinger describes the ways in which true individuality can be enforced into the design, “The unique, modular system with its ﬂexible components allows us to incorporate the ideas of our clients. Each of the four facades gives the Loftcube an individual aesthetic and functional char-

acter. Transparent, translucent coloured panes of glass or closed panels and different shading devices enable the desired amount of light entry and air circulation”. Combining the ideas of relaxation and minimalism The Loftcube is not only ascetically innovative but paves the way for whole new concepts in mobile living. Inspired by the flat roof tops of the post-war high rises in East Berlin, Aisslinger saw potential in the unused spaces of rooftops as the platform for his unique and idyllic creation. However it was London that saw the first purchased Loftcube. Built for a very successful PHD surgeon, Aisslinger and his team constructed the Loftcube above the 8th storey on a flat roof surrounded by a spectacular view. Quoted in the Loftcube booklet the surgeon says, “What I really enjoy is to sit with a glass of good red wine and let my gaze wander across London - without borders.”

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What I really enjoy is to sit with a glass of good red wine and let my gaze wander across London - without borders.

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The Loftcube is unashamedly cool; from interior to exterior it oozes absolute luxury, Werner Aisslinger credits the materials for this accomplishment, “We value the quality and exclusivity provided by experienced partners as well as the use of high quality materials. We have established exclusive partnerships with renowned brands such as Berker, Bulthaup, Dupont and Vitra.” He also explains that total relaxation is achieved through the “spectacular views, light-ﬂooded spaces, cosy warmth and innovative technology”. But it certainly isn’t all relaxation for Werner Aisslinger and co, for the Loftcube to be fully functioning with plumbing and heating not only must it be connected to the building’s utility lines the team must also check the rooftop’s ability to accommodate

the extra weight and the cube’s ability to withstand ferocious winds. It’s a very technical process that can take up to four days but considering the Loftcube can last a lifetime it’s worth every second of waiting time. Pushing the concept of the Loftcube further in order to break new boundaries, Aisslinger has now taken it to whole new landscapes, “Exclusive living space or residential park, Loftcube village or holiday home, Skylounge loft or suite for designer hotels, Mobile living or floating home, Beachloft or lakeside weekend home, High-quality office or information centre, Event space or TV-studio.” A primary example of the Loftcube’s ability to adapt to different landscapes is presented in the Loftcube story book, Aisslinger and his dedicated team of architects and builders constructed a studio ensemble around an old ruin. The purpose of this build was both educational and financial. The idea was that the five built Loftcubes would provide a space for young musicians to experiment, the Loftcubes also proved to be cost effective as their price was significantly lower than the price of a renovation build of the ruin. Ascetically striking and culturally innovative, the Loftcube is an exciting project look set to dominate the flat roof tops of our cities. In the Loftcube, Aisslinger has firstly provided a space to work and play, but with the help of the 360 degrees windows it is also the perfect place for the city goer to sit back, relax and appreciate the birds eye view of the manic world beneath them and not to mention to indulge in the romantic spender usually only captured on a balcony in a five star hotel. See more on Werner Aisslinger’s Loftcube Mobile living units, which can be placed on flat roofs by helicopters or cranes, by visiting:

www.loftcube.net Words by Rosalind Brabner

“CouchSurﬁng isn’t just about ﬁnding free COUCHSURFING

A Phenominonal New Movement In Travel

accommodation around the world. It’s about opening our homes and welcoming the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available.”

tive consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding.” The website is not proﬁt driven. Instead it is run by individuals who have a passion for life and want to try and make the world a better place by making people more culturally aware.

Couch Surﬁng is an online trend that’s rapidly growing among budget travelers and backpackers alike. And best of all, it’s completely free! Its appeal lies with hardcore travelers, intent on exploring countries off the beaten track, well away from the hubbub of touristy nightmares. It’s aimed at those who prefer to store memories inside their heads, not written on the back of a 50 pence postcard in a BIC pen sat by a pool that could be Costa Del Anywhere. The idea for the website originated when the founder, Casey Fenton, bought a cheap ticket to Iceland. He was planning to stay for a long weekend but he had no place to sleep, just a strong desire to go to the country. “I had no desire to rot in a ho-

tel all weekend and play Mr Tourist.” So he sent over 1500 spam emails to students in the country’s capital, Reykjavik, asking if he could crash on one of their couches. Amazingly, many of them replied and after various online conversations, several students offered to show him “their Reykjavik.” After a weekend spent in the hot spa country, Casey decided sleeping on peoples couches and seeing country’s from the natives perspective was the way forward and never wanted to be the stereotypical “camera round neck” tourist again. This is where CouchSurﬁng.com was born “CouchSurﬁng seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collec-

“As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn’t about the furnitureit’s not just about finding free accommodation around the world- it’s about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes and welcoming the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!” To become a member of CouchSurfing is simple. And better still you don’t have to commit to anything. “You don’t need a couch to join! As long as you anticipate sharing your couch sometime in your lifetime, or have already

shared it, you’re 100% welcome here!” How safe is this new phenomenon? In recent years, the safety of travelers is an issue which is raised in the press all the time. But CouchSurfing isn’t just a meet and greet website. “CouchSurfing has implemented several precautionary measures for the benefit of its surfers, hosts, and community. Every user is linked to the other users he or she knows in the system through a network of references and friend links. In addition to the solid network with friend link-strength

indicators and testimonials, we have our vouching and veriﬁcation systems.” This could still raise doubts in peoples minds though. After all, how well do you know someone whose couch you’ve slept on a few times? “Not just anyone is a vouched for member. Members can only become vouched for by an already vouched for CouchSurﬁng. com member. Essentially, it’s a trust circle.” The best thing about the website is that it boasts members from all over the globe. This essentially means that you can pick and choose where you travel to in the world.

Tina from Canada is a big fan and frequent user of the site. After all, it does attract like minded people together in a familiar environment. “It’s not just a place to get a couch but to get great friends, too! I can say Couch Surﬁng changed my life and it changed it in the best possible way you can imagine. Travelers rock!” A frequent CouchSurfer for America is devoted to the site. “I am really excited about this project. It stands to be an amazing recource for those of us with travel addictions...simpliﬁes planning, reduces cost, and provides an accessible route to becoming more involved in the culture of a particular travel destination. Maybe even more important, it provides a medium for practical hospi-

tality that has largely been deteriorating with global modernization. I am looking forward to making use of some couches.” With CouchSurfing, you can pick and choose who you want to host and where you want to travel to. You don’t even have to commit to letting someone stay on your couch. You can just meet up for a drink, or even just chat to the new friends you meet. “Offering your couch is all about increasing the number of interesting people and possibilities in your life experience. You can easily decline surfing requests; there is never any pressure to host.” If you have a couch to spare or fancy traveling to foreign shores, log on to Couchsurfing. com and see what all the fuss is about. A Moroccan user sums up the concept perfectly: “CouchSurfing is a big part of my life. It isn’t just an idea, it isn’t just accommodation, and it certainly isn’t just a website. It IS a way of life, and it is wonderful.”

www.couchsurﬁng.com

Words by Haidee O’Donnell

Image by Dave Globerson from the USA // globeym7.deviantart.com

“Offering your couch is all about increasing the number of interesting people and possibilities in your life experience.”

Sennheiser PXC 450 NoiseGard 2.0 £299

Sennheiser produce some of the world’s best headphones and they certainly excel far beyond standard in-ear designs. These NoiseGard 2.0’s are the ﬁrst high-end noise-cancelling headphones. These are quite frankly the best option for a serious music lover or as an important gap year companion. They offer unprecedented sound quality, even with low quality MP3’s and give the wearer a wizard-esque portable ‘Cloak Of Silence’. Magic. Available from April. www.Sennheiser.co.uk

What can we say that hasn’t already been said? It’s expensive and like all consoles its going to be a bitch to get hold of to start with but unless you want to shell out for a decent gaming PC (which you damn well should do, because it is the best) then we suggest you grab one of these, just not yet, give it time on the shelves and let the bugs get resolved and the prices fall. “Powerful, reliable console gaming from the PS3.” Sony can have that one for free! www.sony.co.uk

Pioneer Premier TS-SW124D $150

The new Premier’s four-inch height allows it to slide into the space-constrained bodies of less acommodating vehicles - without sacriﬁcing the all-important boom-boom. This boom is delivered with up to 1,000 watts of power. Which will alert all the world that you are playing Kudos recommended music. Not that it matters to the general public as outside the car, all bass lines sound the same. Yet inside your going to be feeling it and no mistake sonny jim! Crank it to 11. www.Pioneer.co.uk

Image by Eolo Perﬁdo from Italy // www.eoloperﬁdo.com

Sony Playstation 3 £425

Dragon Fly Radio Control Insectoid £39

The FlyTech Dragonfly is the world’s first radiocontrolled flying insect. Yes you will feel like Special Ops or the SAS when controlling this little beast. Using a high tech and incredibly realistic flapping power to take off and stay airborne - It has no need for propellers, Instead it takes its mechanical blueprint from a real Dragonfly and replicates its flapping motion exactly. What a seriously cool and of course hugely versatile toy. Annoy coworkers, gifl/boy friends and parents all day long! www.gadgetshop.com

Minimalist, smooth and delightful this unit, designed by Francis Cayouette comes with adjustable drawer divider to ﬁt the space to CDs, DVDs or anything else for that matter. The light wood ﬁnish and the smooth rolling storage box offer a great looking, well ordered piece of furniture for your living room, bedroom or playroom! www.ikea.com

Traeger Lil’ Tex $500

Instead of acrid charcoal explosive gas, woodﬁred grills are fueled by little yummy wooden pellets. One can use hickory or mesquite to add some awesome new ﬂavors to your food. So as the weather improves slap your food onto the 371-square-inch cooking surface of this bad boy and set it for direct grilling, low-temp cooking or smoking. Men just got their manliness back. Enjoy! www.traegerindustries.com

Image by WinterWolf from USA // www.winterwolfstudios.com

“NORREBO” TV Bench £105

Sennheiser PXC 450 Headphones

Image by Lasse from Denmark // nullermanden.deviantart.com

With their high quality audio these headphones are off the blocks and ahead of the pack. Add to that the volume control on the headphones to avoid scrabbling around in your pocket and best of all the “Talk Through” button that allows you to instantly drop the volume and then return it to normal at the touch of a button. Perfect for teasing bored the ﬂight attendants and actually being able to socially interact with the hot girl asking you the time on the london underground. Ideal.

WIN!

To win yourself a pair of these ﬁne headphones from Sennheiser and Kudos Magazine all you need to do is drop your name and address as well as the ﬁrst song you would listen to on these to editor@kudosmagazine.com. Our favourite choice will win the phones. Get on it!

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FASHION

TRANSCEND

Below: Model is wearing a Black and White Pattern Hooded Jacket by GRN Apple Tree, Hair by Toni and Guy and Shoes by Dunlop. Jeans are the model’s own whilst the belt is by Topman and Tshirt by GRN

Above: (left to right) Black Jacket by G-Star Raw. Black Hooded Girl’s Top by Strhess Clothing. Multicoloured Printed Tshirt by Franco Shade, Jeans by VSCT Jeans.

Above: (left to right) Purple and Black Hoodie by Franco Shade. Olive Green Poloshirt by Strhess Clothing. Black Zip-Up Girl’s Hoodie by Strhess Clothing. Right: (left to right) Neck Scarf & Tshirt by GRN Apple Tree, Coloured Belt by Topman. Yellow Girl’s Longsleeve Top by Strhess Clothing. Printed Tshirt by Franco Shade, Black & White Slip-on Shoes by Vision Streetwear and belt buckle by Famous Stars & Straps. Light Blue Zip-Up Hooded Jacket by GRN Apple Tree.

MENSGARMENTS// Brand? Ampliﬁed What? Cotton tshirt designed by the visual outlaw Rugman. Finish? Black cotton with distressed and burned effect. Cost? £35.99 Why / How? Normally Ampliﬁed produce rather over the top faux-rock merch with vile jewel encrusted Rolling Stones tshirts being popular in particular. However they have hit a winner with this design, no ‘trendy’ band logo in sight yet edgy, dirty and fucked up enough to look hot and rock n’ roll. The evil clown detail only helps to justify the twisted nature of the design. Pair with jeans and a white leather belt. Can be warn over a white long sleeve tshirt for extra effect. Where? www.asos.com

Brand? GRN Apple Tree What? Cotton tshirt Finish? White cotton tshirt with special treatment process. Cost? £20.00 Approx Why / How? GRN is a wonderful USA based clothing line known for their signature print & wash treatment and nature inﬂuenced designs. They produce some seriously stunning and unusual clothing and you simply must get to know them. Look out for a selection of their products in this issue’s fashion shoot. Pair this with a pair of cords or jeans and a plain or faded blazer for a quintessentially high brow, yet casual evening look. Where? www.80spurple.com

Brand? Dove Dream What? Cotton tshirt Finish? White cotton, with a few aging holes, thin, soft fabric ﬁnish and a great washed out colour print. Cost? £16.00 Why / How? This is a real star of a tshirt, it is sensitive and arty yet interesting and visual. White is always absolutely ideal for pairing with anything - This would highly compliment a nice pair of black or stonewashed jeans or a pair of camo-shorts (faded) with a studded belt. Warm the outﬁt up with a black jacket and a few bracelets. Either way your going to look down to earth, creative and individual. Where? www.asos.com

Brand? Quiksilver What? Cotton tshirt Finish? Blue cotton with a faded or rather aged print. Cost? £25.00 Why / How? While Quiksilver, in recent years have upped their prices and lowered their design skills now and again they produce a ﬁne garment. This is one of those and is an ideal early addition to your summer wardrobe. Make the most of the spring sunshine by pairing this with shorts or linen trousers. It is a fundamental beach tshirt and ideal for the beach bum-come-backpacker look everyone will crave when the rays stream through the clouds over the coming months. Where? www.extremepie.com

Right: Model is wearing VSCT Jeans, Watch by Diesel, Leather Wrist Cuff by Strhess Clothing, Belt Buckle by Strhess Clothing, Multicoloured tshirt by Franco Shade.

MENSGARMENTS// Brand? ASOS What? Military style polo shirt Finish? Red with subtle stripes Cost? £14.00 Why / How? At £14 this is an absolute bargain. This is a highly versatile garment with a great look that will transcend daytime and evening wear. With its lengthy button neck, there are a lot of layering options and of course layering with a couple of natural looking necklaces for a boho-look. This will look great with jeans, white/pale short or a denim jacket and offers a base for a lot of accessory experimentation. Where? www.asos.com

Brand? Superdry What? Cotton Shirt Finish? Orange, cotton checked shirt. Cost? £34.99 Why / How? While the western style shirt craze came and went in 2006, it is a fundamentally great look that gives men the chance to look down to earth, and shaped by a shirt cut but also this style provides a genuine softening of the shirt genre and thus the wearer - making them approachable and personable looking whilst still rugged and masculine. Where? www.cult.co.uk

Brand? GRN Apple Tree What? Lightweight Zip Hooded jacket Finish? Strong blue and white material ﬁnish / pattern. Cost? £80.00 Why / How? Typically unusual and unique garment from the wonderful GRN Apple Tree. It’s unique cut, style and pattern coupled with the light, summery colouring will make you stand out like nothing else this year. Deﬁnitely a worthy purchase that will genuinely set you apart out on the street. Where? www.grnappletree.com

Brand? Cali Surf Co. What? Applique Track Top Finish? Faded brown, ribbed trimmings and zip pockets Cost? £49.00 Why / How? California Surf Co. produce wonderfully cut men’s clothing that has a soft yet ﬁtted feel, similar to Superdry. This track top is soft, comfy and casual and would look great in almost any situation, especially with very faded jeans or again some camo shorts which Kudos really is plugging to you this year (for good reason). A worthy purchase! Where? www.cult.co.uk

Left: Model is wearing a Marmalade Cashmere Lacy Knit Jumper and an Adele Marie White Bangle from Lilac Stripe whilst the necklace is a Key & Crown Necklace with Green Gems by Heroine Clothing.

Right: (Left to right) Unisex Mirrors Lie Deep-V in light pink by Heroine Clothing, ButterďŹ&#x201A;y Necklace by Lilac Stripe. Pink Cashmere Shrug by Lilac Stripe.

MENSGARMENTS//

Brand? Joe Brown’s What? Long Shorts Finish? Stonewashed Denim Cost? £34.00 Why / How? Deck style shorts with all the makings of a real pair of keepers. These, given the right wear and basic lack of washing and attention could turn into some seriously salt and sun bleached little guys that will be able to tell a heap of summer stories and accompany you to beaches, BBQ’s and the skate park. Where? www.joebrowns.co.uk

Brand? Rip Curl What? Shorts Finish? Camo Shorts Cost? £49.95 Why / How? We have been plugging camo shorts throughout this fashion products section and with good reason, pair these babies up with a white studded belt and just about anything top-wise plus either slip-ons or flip-flops and you have one hell of an edgy, fun, versatile outfit. Where? www.houseofsurf.co.uk

Brand? Afﬂiction What? Denim Jeans Finish? Blue denim jeans with a black decal print. Cost? £80.00 Approx Why / How? While jeans are certainly THE best style of trousers known to man, boy and their pet Labrador things can get a little stale so unless your into customising your jeans these Afﬂictions may be just what you need to stand out in the crowd and add a little edge to your trusty collection of leg denim. Where? www.revolveclothing.com

Brand? Carhartt What? ‘Columbia’ Trousers Finish? 100% rip-stop cotton in black. Cost? £64.99 Why / How? It is ALWAYS important to have a couple of pairs of decent casual black trouser and while slightly overpriced these Carhartt bottoms are a ﬁne example. Buy a waist size up for a baggy look and pair with a black tshirt and a white or yellow belt or with a white tshirt or even vest for a b-boy style. Wash on a low heat to avoid that grey fading look. Where? www.extremepie.com

Right: Blue Bracelet and Ball Necklace by Lilac Stripe. White Top with Lighthouse Print by Heroine Clothing. Above: Tshirt by Veece Clothing.

WOMENSGARMENTS//

Brand? Joe Brown’s What? 37” Dress Finish? Green, blue, yellow and white cotton dress. Cost? £29.95 Why / How? Retro colours, classic, rather innocent feel, with a modern Joe Browns edge. Perfect with your wellies on the festival fields, or equally at home with flip-flops for summer picnics. This oozes cuteness and is hard to beat on cut and girlish style. Where? www.joebrowns.co.uk

Brand? Chilli Pepper What? Beaded Halter Finish? Tie double layer chiffon has a zip fastening at the back and graduated colour through the outer layer chiffon. Cost? £34.99 Why / How? Classy little number that will be as happy at the beach as it will be on a night out on the town. Versatility is the key and its funky colouring will give you a glowing presence whilst the tapered colour will be kind to your ﬁgure. Where? www.extremepie.com

Brand? Roxy What? V-neck tshirt Finish? Green with left chest print. Cost? £20.00 Why / How? Really casual, majorly laid back and perfect for all hair colours this tasty green tshirt is soft and uber cool for shopping, relaxing or between sunbathing sessions. Team it up with white linen or hotpants for a really great look. Where? www.extremepie.com

Left: Model is wearing a black â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ampedâ&#x20AC;? Tshirt by Veece Clothing. This garment uses speciality printing techniques including foil, giving it an edgy, metallic look.

WOMENSGARMENTS// Brand? Roxy What? Pleated Roxy Skirt Finish? Inspirational garden leaf pattern. Zip fastened at the back and fully lined. Cost? £50.00 Why / How? Cute yet stylish this blue and white ﬂoral-esque skirt will allow the wearer to breeze from the beach to the bar without a care in the world and look laid back and gorgeous no matter what the day throws at her. Pricing is a bit steep but for a well cut, lined skirt you cannot go wrong with this item. Where? www.shredhead.com

Brand? Harajuku Lovers What? Girlie Scout Shirt Finish? Animal Print in Yellow and White. Cost? £30.00 Why / How? Wonderfully funky and unusual, especially perfect for brunettes and alternative-blondes. This won’t suit everyone but if you can pull it off your going to be hotter than the sun in this crazy, gorgeous top! Where? www.harajukulovers.com

Brand? Superdry What? Chino Trousers Finish? Lightweight bootcut pants with front and back pocket patches and striped belt tie. Cost? £44.99 Why / How? Lightweight, cool and well cut these Superdry trousers are ideal paired with some ﬂip ﬂops and one of the halter tops we have featured. Durable enough for most situations these trousers, slung low will be hot and laid back. Brilliant! Where? www.cult.co.uk

Brand? Mambo What? “Goddess Rockettes” Black Sweater Finish? Sweater Knitted Cost? £49.00 Why / How? Edgy and glamorous yet arty and understated. Mambo are best known for their garish, wacky clothing but with this sweater they have produced and individual classic. Where? www.shredhead.com

Left: (Left to Right) Olive Green Top by Strhess Clothing, Jeans by River Island (customised), Sunglasses by Debenhams. Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black Top by BB Dacota. Yellow Tshirt by Heroine Clothing, Sunglasses by Debenhams. Brown Tshirt by Kill The Alarm (Band Merchandise).

Right: Olive Green Top by Strhess Clothing, Jeans by River Island (customised by the model), Sunglasses and Necklace by Debenhams. Belt Buckle by Famous Stars & Stripes.

Left: Model is wearing a Black top by Brush Work Thailand, a Red Bangle & Heart Shaped Necklace from Lilac Stripe, Black Leggings from Topshop, Green Shirt from H&M.

MENSACCESSORIES//

Brand? Jost What? Rugby Shoulder Bag Finish? Heavily Aged Leather Cost? £139.00 Why / How? If you buy one new bag this year make it this bag. The ﬁnish is stunning whilst it’s looks are so versatile, you simple won’t need another. Pair it with a suit to look edgy and sharper than the job title you are labelled with or dress down with anything from Bermuda shorts and a faded tshirt to a casual unﬁtted shirt. Where? www.ebags.co.uk

Brand? Nooka What? Zot V2 Digital Watch Finish? Animal Print in Yellow and White. Cost? $250.00 Why / How? Sleek, retro and fascinating. This Nooka Zot is gorgeously understated and will couple nicely with a crisp white or black shirt giving the wearer a geekchic look with it’s innovative time telling properties and uber shiny facia. Where? www.nooka.com

Brand? Circa What? “Select” Belt Finish? Embossed leather belt in tan. Cost? £25.00 Why / How? What a ﬁnd! Seriously, this is hot stuff and how unusual? Circa have done a great thing with their “Select” belt and add to the good looks the fact that one can change the buckle whenever they like and it becomes an essential item! Where? www.extremepie.com

Brand? Mustard What? “66” Wallet Finish? Cracked white leather, red lining. Cost? £19.00 Why / How? Step ﬁrmly away from the norm or brown and black wallets and secure yourself a “66” wallet by Mustard. This looks great with it’s bright red lining and contrasting cracked leather outer ﬁnish and with plenty of storage inside one cannot go wrong with this little star. Where? www.arkclothing.com

WOMENSACCESSORIES//

Brand? Strhess What? “Luck Favors” Bag Finish? Faded Tan Heavy Duty Cost? £24.00 Why / How? Funky little bag for all of your shopping and beach needs. With its understated looks, great decal graphics and style this will be an ideal companion to the park, shopping center or beach. Super value too from a great label. Where? www.strhessclothing.com

Brand? Roxy What? Beady Handbag Finish? Bitty, ﬂoral and colourful print. Cost? £30.00 Why / How? A funky little beaded handle handbag from the surf girl stylemasters Roxy. Unusual fabric with a drawstring closer to the top, the inside is fully lined with a small zipped internal pocket. Simply gorgeous and so eye catching. Where? www.extremepie.com

Brand? Lilac Stripe What? Dragonfly Bracelet Finish? Expandable / Antique Cost? £20.00 Why / How? The delicate dragonfly on this expandable bracelet is made from antique gold and is decorated with topaz diamante and turquoise chips. This item is a great mix of contemporary funk and classy looks. It is cute yet sublimely delicate but above all it is versatile and robust despite its fine looks. Where? www.lilacstripe.com

Brand? Ted Baker What? Leather Stud Belt Finish? Tan leather with silver studs and a pale yellow fabric locker. Cost? £50.00 Why / How? Pricey but still a delight! This Ted Baker belt softens up the classic studded belt look and adds a careful dynamic with the pull through fabric giving the normally harsh studded look a boho/hippie style. Crossover madness! Where? www.asos.com

Right & Above: Model is wearing a black top by BB Dakota, Anchor Earrings in Gold by Heroine Clothing and a ButterďŹ&#x201A;y Necklace by Lilac Stripe. Aviator Style Sunglasses by H&M.

MENSFOOTWEAR//

Brand? Marc Echo What? “Select” Belt Finish? Embossed leather belt in tan. Cost? £44.00 Why / How? Marc Ecko puts you in a starring role with this vintage tennis sneaker style shoe. Marc Ecko rhino logo side print and contrasting 1972 logo heel overlay. give this shoe a work-on-canvas feel whilst the shock absorbing midsole gives this shoes and foot placed ﬁrmly inside it all the support it could possible need, both emotionally and physically. Where? www.shoes.com

Brand? Vision What? Woomba Slip-On Finish? Printed Canvas Upper Cost? £25.00 Why / How? Funky, brooding and fun these Vision’s are another great product from the increasingly exciting Street Wear brand. Perfect with shorts, a pair of black dickies or ripped jeans. Comfy and strong yet light as a feather! Where? www.visionstreetwear.com

Brand? Feit What? Smart/Casual Trainer Finish? Creme Leather Cost? £88.00 Why / How? Slick and good looking yet casual and comfortable. All leather shoe with some serious style. Great colour to match with almost anything you could wish to wear. Will age well and look all the better for a few months wear. Where? www.shoes.co.uk

Brand? Circa What? 101 Vulcan Finish? Blue and White printed leather upper. Cost? £36.00 Why / How? Circa produce some great shoes and these 101 Vulcans’ are a great example. White base colour goes with everything and throw in the great printed blue details and you have some interesting edgy shoes to back you up in all kinds of situations. Where? www.shoes.com

WOMENSFOOTWEAR//

Brand? Siren What? Corinne Boots by Mark Nason. Finish? Black leather with laser cut detailing. Cost? £350.00 Why / How? Half rock star, half Daisy Duke from Hazard County - all hot. These are incredible, expert design and innovative craftsmanship with laser cut detail and a funk-laden lining to die for. they aint cheap, but hey neither are you! Right young lady? Where? www.shoes.com

Brand? Firetrap What? Wooden Wedge Finish? Leather & Wood Cost? £25.00 Why / How? Firetrap “Isis mule” with a great wooden wedge and stud detail that lends a certain classy summer style to the wearer. Perfect for pairing with airy dresses and for kicking off by the side of a river or strutting down the street like a supermodel. Where? www.shoes.co.uk

Brand? Naturalizer What? “Marathon” Shoe Finish? Shiny Red Leather Cost? £55.00 Why / How? The style and comfort of these dress slingbacks from Naturalizer is just what you need this spring. Pair these with a quirky floral yet smart outfit or a little black number and watch the jaws hit the floor. Stunning, simple, excellent shoes. Where? www.shoes.com

Brand? Etnies What? “Bernie” Tennis Style Shoe Finish? Dark blue and White printed leather upper. Cost? £26.00 Why / How? Spend the weekend (or anytime) with Bernie, you’ll love the laid back style, printed leather upper in a classic basketball-inspired skate shoe. Just cute enough to be girly yet robust enough to be tom-toy material! These shoes will not let you or your leggings, denim skirt and halter top down. No sir-ee Where? www.shoes.com

“

The way of the world is not set in stone. There are many ways to express the same concept and I wanted the watches to be reminders of this!”

Take a glance at any one of the watches in the innovatively designed Nooka range, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that they were just another in a long line of fashion fads created by Japanese technical wizards. But when you realise that the name connotes both New York and Osaka, is an ancient tribal word for “future is now” and is the brainchild of a Western designer, it becomes clear that this is a product hoping to permanently change the way we tell the time all across the globe. The Nooka name may be new to most of us as they are only sold in four stores throughout Britain, but the distinctive timepieces have been around globally since 1999. Critics raved about the originality of the colourful, linear design of the Nooka Zoo, the ﬁrst watch in the range to be released. Since then, Nooka has gone on to be sold in New

York’s Museum of Modern Art and grace the catwalk at the Mable Grahm’s debut runway show, as well as being nominated for a Genart Fashion Award in 2005. So what is it about this accessory that makes it so unique? Imagine the situation. You’re sat around in a hotel in London, watching the minutes tick by on a large traditional wall clock. As you sit there staring at the monotonous hands, you wonder why every clock seems to look the same. The one here is barely different in design to the one you used to watch tick down to the end of Maths class. And then it hits you. Every clock IS the same. Sundials? Gone. Egg timers? Barely used and hardly reliable. There are only two real designs left in the modern world, digital and analogue.

This is exactly what happened to artist Mat- time piece which allows them to take part thew Waldman. The New York based de- in a more intuitive way to tell the time.” signer, who describes himself as a “natural futurist”, immediately began sketching “Japanese cosmetic prodideas of an exciting alternative way to tell the time and the Nooka brand was born. ucts may be designed by “The way of the world is not set in stone,” says Waldman. “There are many ways to express the same concept and I wanted the watches to be reminders of this.” The design of the Nooka face is easier to follow than it first appears. The time is read in a linear way, with columns or dots running alongside each other to represent the hours, minutes and seconds. The columns and dots become darker according to what time it is, hence the visual mass increases as time passes and decreases as the cycle begins again. Waldman intended this to emphasis that moments, and indeed hours, are fleeting and, as the name says, the future is upon us. And what’s great about this brand is that, whilst it does unashamedly sprint into the future, it wants to take everyone with it. Unlike other innovations that support change and break with tradition, Nooka watches are not just aimed at fashionable teenagers looking for the next hot trend. The funky, eye-catching zub zen-v currently being worn by the brand’s designer is undoubtedly one for the younger generation. With durable rubber bands, built in alarm clocks for those lazy mornings and colours brighter than the costumes on Dancing on Ice, this watch demands attention. But at the other end of the spectrum is the zoo-zing, a sophisticated piece with a band made from certified farm raised crocodile skin, a face surrounded by diamonds and a price tag of around £1,500. Waldman loves that the designs are open to everyone, “We have no specific customer. Nooka is a truly egalitarian brand where each customer can find a

a French designer whilst Italian furniture may be the result of British talent. You can’t judge a product by its “made in” origin anymore.”

Although this is a global brand, the eastern influence cannot be denied and is in fact celebrated by Waldman. Whilst being a born and bred New Yorker who is extremely proud of his roots, he has worked in Japan for a number of years and is fluent in both its language and culture. He acknowledges that this environment has had a profound effect on his design aesthetic. “I don’t mind the association with Asia. I feel most at home in Tokyo and many people actually think the company is based there. I am totally proud about maintaining my studio in New York but something western consumers do not realize is how international the design community is. Japanese cosmetic products may be designed by a French designer whilst Italian furniture may be the result of British talent. You can’t judge a product by its “made in” origin anymore.” Remaining true to his own concept of embracing the future, Waldman is always extending the Nooka family of products. He has recently branched into analogue timepieces with the zan, a truly personalized watch which reflects the owner’s face when they look at it. He’s also hoping to introduce wall and desk clocks in the near future. If he keeps up this originality, it looks like time will be flying off the shelves.

Words by Laura Bradder

To win yourself one of 10 awesome Nooka â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zubâ&#x20AC;? watches from Kudos Magazine all you need to do is drop your name, address and colour preference as well as the answer to this question: If it is 1pm in the UK what time is it in China? Answers and details to: editor@kudosmagazine.com

Image by Valentin from Israel // www.daskull.net

WIN!

ENTERTAINMENT

The man who brands himself as the only Iranian comedian in the world and swiftly follows that up by adding “that’s three more than Germany”, has a CV that makes you think you must have seen him somewhere before. He’s headlined Jack Dee Live, he’s appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean III, Gladiator and The Mummy, and he’s selling out shows across the UK with his latest tour, No Agenda

Omid Djalili

The World’s Funniest Iranian...Seriously.

Forty one year old Omid Djalili may be one of the only comedians on the circuit that gets away with joking about 9/11, suicide bombings, and ethnicity. Maybe that’s because of his nationality, or perhaps it’s because he has the charm and charisma to carry it off. “I always approach everything from a humanitarian point of view,” he says, taking a sip of peppermint tea in a central London bar. He’s just appeared on stage at Hackney Empire and is leaning back in his trade mark clothing - jeans. “I’d never make fun of people’s suffering. I’m just making observations about certain subjects that are grabbing the headlines,” he adds. It’s true – it just so happens that he’s talking about some of the most controversial issues to strike our lives since two planes ﬂew into the twin towers and made the relationship between the West and the Middle East ever more strained. He says he realises that through his profession and the very fact that he is an Iranian man, married to a British woman and living in the UK, he’s able to help bridge that cultural gap. “I’m aware that I have become a spokesperson for multi-cultural society,” he says. “And I’m very happy with that role. In the same way that Dave Allen hung his act on Irish culture, I hang my act on multi-cultural society.” He does it very well. In one piece of stand up you’ll see him impersonate his Iranian mother, his Indian lawyer, his Chinese bingo caller and of course, his British wife. “The idea that a bald, fat Iranian bloke has taken on all cultures as his own is obviously ludicrous,” he says, grinning. “But audiences do buy it because I clearly don’t take myself seriously.”

At a recent show at the Hammersmith Apollo he told the story of his last visit to the airport. He says he grew suspicious when he saw two Arab men walking towards a terminal with two suitcases chained together, and wondered what everyone else must be thinking. He said he felt so uncomfortable he took a look around to see their reactions, and was shocked to see that everyone else was staring at him in the same way. “You’ve got the wrong man” he says he wanted to shout, and the audience breaks into laughter.

“In a way, it’s a political statement just to be a funny person from Iran because people’s expectations are so low!” “After 9/11, I felt I had to address issues such as suicide bombing: why do they do it? I would never, ever condone it, but I explain that the idea of dying for a noble cause and promulgating your ideology is programmed into some people.” Perhaps he’s hoping that by dressing up a serious message amongst comedy, people will sit up and take notice. “You’ll never be able to measure it,” he says. “But if the average Joe Schmo becomes a bit more informed about the Middle East after watching my show, that’s tremendous.” The son of an Iranian reporter and a dress maker, Omid has a degree in English and Theatre Studies and boasts celebrity fans including Johnny Vaughan and Iain Duncan Smith – a diverse mixture that only highlights further the wide spectrum of people he is able to capture with his stand up. He says that while he’s pleased to be able to make a point through his words, his main objective is always to make people laugh. “In a way, it’s a political statement just to be a funny person from Iran because people’s expectations are so low,” he says. “But I also want to break out of the box

“

“I’d like people to say; ‘he’s not an Iranian comedian. He’s a comedian. We’re just as happy listening to him talk about middle-class mums as suicide bombers’.”

”

of ‘the world’s only Iranian comedian’. I’d like people to say, ‘he’s not an Iranian comedian. He’s a comedian. We’re just as happy listening to him talk about middle-class mums as suicide bombers’.” It seems he’s succeeding. His three month tour, No Agenda, which ended earlier this month at The Playhouse in Harlow was sold out, and extra dates had to be added to cope with demand. He’s been labelled as ‘remarkable’ by The Daily Telegraph, ‘hilarious and painfully funny’ by The Independent, and ‘simply magniﬁcent’ by the Daily Mail, while The Observer says ‘Djalili blows you away with a blizzard of gags’. No Agenda is being released on DVD later this year, and he’s just putting the ﬁnishing touches on ‘The Omid Djalili Show’, which will be screened on BBC One next year. Until then he’ll be continuing to make people laugh whether it’s on or off the stage, and he says he’s happy enough with that. “Someone came up to me the other day and said, ‘you’re my favourite comedian you are’. I replied, ‘why? Is it because I give you a window into a different, multi-cultural world’. ‘Nah, mate. You’ve just got a funny face!’” Omid Djalili is bridging a cultural gap that has been left tainted by the events of September 11th, but he’s doing it all with a smile, and the rest of us can’t help but smile along with him.

Words by Tessa Bickers

other people, the option is open to buy plots of land – from which you can start up or place an online business or even build whatever the imagination desires. Back in December last year, Second Life created its first millionaire – Ailin Graefe, otherwise known in-world as Anshe Chung. Her assets convert into more than $1 million of real life money, made by selling real estate inside the virtual environment. The currency used in Second Life is Linden Dollars, which have a real exchange rate to dollars and pounds but don’t worry; spending money is not essential to life inside the 3D world. For the less business-minded user, there are various groups to join such as surfing clubs and film societies. There are also live events taking place all the time – these include company meetings for certain members and even concerts performed by their real-life counterparts. Suzanne Vega became the first major label artist to play a specially created guitar to fans inside the world. Alan Meades, leader of Digital Media at Canterbury Christ Church University, researched

Is it a game or an alternative means of living? Second Life is breaking down virtual boundaries with a resident count of over 4million and rising Imagine a huge collection of areas, buildings and people – all unique, all bustling and to an extent, free. Sounds like Earth, doesn’t it? Now imagine that this world is purely virtual, made entirely by the residents living inside it. The possibilities of such software are, in theory, limitless. The railings of a system like Second Life’s means using it for communication, business or pleasure are valid options, depending on the individual. There is no one aim to reach nor can the world technically end – and so this is both the advantage and downside of Second Life. After creating a character to control inside the world, you can fully customise its appearance, shape, interests and personal goals. Initially, after passing the

tutorial things can seem a little overwhelming: when first zooming out of the whole map screen and seeing thousands of tiny dots each representing huge scale locations. The most noticeable difference between real life and the world inside Second Life is the ability to fly anywhere you wish inside the virtual setting. Being thrust like this into a huge in-game world is daunting – where do you go first? What do you do? And why are you doing it? Once you get over these challenging questions, the rewards can be vast. There are areas designed for new players where you can obtain free items, clothes and other accessories to get started. After exploring and meeting

“Players tend to congregate within groups of shared interest, from the same time zone, language and background.” the cultural differences of online gamers and their effects within the world of Final Fantasy XI – a world not too dissimilar to that of Second Life. He explains, “Players tend to congregate within groups of shared interest, from the same time zone, language and background.” However, after the initial wonder of virtual discovery and exoticism, the situation can take a turn for the worse. “Competition for achievement drives these

Studies are being carried out to determine whether Second Life is capable of providing a strong community, especially for those who lack a physical community. One such researcher, Katrin Kerber, thinks its success comes down to freedom of creation and imagination. “User-created content is the most important thing – Second Life would not exist otherwise. Big brands might push up virtual landprices, but they will stay essential and Linden Lab has to be careful not to lose its residents, as they could go elsewhere. The big brands will then lose their money, so it’s a ﬁne line.”

“User-created content is the most important thing – Second Life would not exist otherwise. Big brands might push up virtual land-prices, thus Linden Lab has to be careful not to lose its residents, as they could go elsewhere. The big brands will then lose their money, so it’s a fine line.” groups into conflict,” he admits. “Negative opinions may be formed about demographics - Chinese players are farmers, the Japanese are labelled aloof, Americans become rude and European players are clueless.” Another possible downside of regulation is the abundance of irritating advertisements in the form of billboards and screens from major corporations like Reebok. Certain sections of the world are sleazy, with plenty of sex shops and clubs where it’s required to tip the dancers. And so the sheer scope of freedom doesn’t come without its faults – it’s difficult to protect minors from adult themed areas with no true authority inside the game. Other than

Linden Labs, the Second Life developers, there’s nothing to stop virtual uprisings. And that’s exactly what is happening as this article is written. The Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA) has been setting off virtual bombs and shooting other avatars inside the computergenerated world for a number of weeks now. The reason for their virtual terrorism is the apparent suppression the game developers have over its users. The SLLA are demanding Linden Labs for the public to be able purchase shares in the company, so that multinational corporations like IBM aren’t able to buy out huge quantities of virtual land, of which is scarce. Linden Labs are currently working hard at meeting the demand for more space.

It may seem like an eyesore that a virtual war is underway, but for Earth’s population, virtual worlds such as Second Life may be the future of our real planet. Online role playing game World of Warcraft already has more than 8 million subscribers worldwide and alongside these worlds comes ever-increasing regulations and rules. Think of Second Life less of a game however – it’s not so much escapism as it is just another means of virtual interac-

tion. For many, the entertainment factor may brush by all too swiftly to be considered timeworthy or relevant. It is important to our modern society however as the Internet boom is still revolutionising how we access information, services and each other. The growing numbers inside Second Life can only mean it will increase in popularity as time passes. Considering it’s less than four years old, programmes like Second Life could well become second nature to life in a few centuries’ time – it is possible we will wonder just how we lived without them to begin with. For Kerber, the future of communities could well be online dominant: “One day, people might end up earning their living in communities like Second Life, buy their food and clothes there and even marry there. If this fantastical but possible vision becomes reality, I don’t want to imagine what real-life streets will look like.”

www.secondlife.com Words by Dom Sacco

Violent. Excessive. Stunning.

“300” is not only a celebration of the human warrior spirit - but of humanity’s advances in retina melting visual technology. Frank Miller said “there was no way to tell the story of 300 without it being amazingly brutal” and that is exactly what it is. Adapted from his graphic novels based on the true story of the battle of Thermopylae in which king Leonadis (Gerard Butler) of Sparta took 300 of his best warriors and held off the biggest army in the ancient world, the Persians. Rejecting a treaty from the Persians which would make the Spartans slaves and out foxing his own government Leonadis makes his stand at the aptly named Hot gates and the slaughter commences. Fans of Miller and in particular Sin City will not be disappointed by this. It is as aesthetically amazing as it is bloody and brutal. More so than the previous Miller incarnation. Instead of people shooting and punching each other this is an upclose hack and slash battle. Not for the faint hearted. There are more than a few se-

quences that look like they could have been taken from Sin City. And the film remains loyal to the comic book style on which it is based. Written and directed by Zack Synder, most known for directing 2004’s Dawn Of The Dead, 300 the film starts in true mythological fashion with an old battle worn Spartan soilder retelling the heroic tale around a campfire. It begins with the birth and young life of Leonadis. The difficult upbringing of a Spartan boy is played out through Leonadis youth where he faces many trials and culminates in his battle and slaying of a wolflike monster. It shows Leonadis grow and become a respected ruler and loving husband, but more importantly, to Sparta and the film, a great warrior and master tactician The film retains some historic accuracies, but it isn’t a history lesson. In fact if you were looking for any semblance of a dramatic story in this

ﬁlm you would be very disappointed. It is nothing more than an out and out action ﬁlm. His focus is on the visual rather than delving into the real story and the history of the great battle. But this will most likely attract as many viewers as it will detract.

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Synder was so focused on creating a realistic image of the Spartans that he put Butler and his fellow actors through an eight week training schedule. Although Synder himself took part in the training. This however paid off as the actors resembled a ﬁghting force of men built like giants and more than a match for any modern army. It created a unison between the actors that turned them from a mere regiment of soldiers into a military machine.

The Crush was the term Synder used for his

manipulation of the colour of every image - crushing the black content of every image; enhancing the colour saturation of the ﬁlm and altering the contrast of each photographic image

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The juxtaposition of the Persian leader Xerxes and Leonadis is a key element in separating both Spartans and Persians and building up the tension and basically hammering home Xerxes position as overall bad guy. On the one hand we have Xerxes who will kill his own men and doesn’t go into battle and who’s arrogance and thirst for power will lead to his inevitable downfall, and on the other we have Leonadis, a brave warrior king who lives and breathes with his men. Butler is superb as the hero. Even though every now and then you get his Scottish twang coming through. He embraces the part fully and he portrays the fears and anxieties of leadership along with the skill and bravery of a warrior. He is very much believable and doesn’t over act his rather audacious role. His inspiring motto of no surrender and no retreat would have had any man signing up to join with him and follow him into the jaws of the Persian beast thus was his charismatic performance. Everything he stands for is epitomised in the moment he kicks the Persian messenger into the well and declares to all and sundry “This is Sparta.” It makes the hairs on your body stand on end. The love interest is his wife Queen Gorgo,

not as ugly as she sounds by a long shot, who strikes a blow for women everywhere. In a world dominated by men, she proves herself to be the loyal Spartan wife and the master politician knowing how to handle the corrupt Spartan government. And also is excellently played by Lena Headly. The ﬁlm shows her manipulate the Spartan government and also shoe her more tender side as she backs her husbands decision to go to certain death. She issues him with the ultimatum “come back with your shield or on it” in the traditional Spartan way.

The supporting cast adds some sense of complexity to the film, but not much... The costumes are quite majestic and sparse all the same. Miller in his novel pared the Spartan uniform down to the essential items and the most symbolic features, the red cape being the most symbolic. This leaves quite a lot of exposed flesh which in some ways adds a somewhat homoerotic feel to the film. To put it bluntly there are a lot of half naked men running and shouting while holding large spears. But this in no way takes away from the breath taking images of the Spartan phalanx set and braced for the Persian onslaught. “The Crush” was the term Synder used for his manipulation of the colour of every image. Synder came up with a recipe to crush the black content of every image and enhance the colour saturation of the film and change the contrast ratio of each photographic image. This gives the picture its distinct look and feel. The mounds of cgi work in the film just send you into this world. Almost as if you are in a computer game. Everything looks real but with the monochromatic tones of the film it doesn’t seem real. The storyboard for the film must have been another graphic novel, yet fans of the original novel will recognise

“

The score for the ﬁlm is nothing short of brilliant. From the booming orchestra to the mellow harmonies it really puts you beside each warrior as you follow them into battle.

”

many of the scenes as Synder attempts to stay as true to his inspiration as possible. The ﬁlm may be set over 2’500 years in the past, but with this amount of visual technology there is more than a modern feel to it. There are some limits to the amount of the enhanced graphics and slowed down action. The battle scenes do get repetitive. There is only so many times you can watch a man jump up and plunge his sword into his doomed foe before you want him to pull put a machine gun for a change of pace.

There is somewhat of a crazed feel to it, as if Synder and co are sitting behind the cameras rubbing their hands at all the bloodshed before them, its wild and very, very frequent. Also the constant charge of the Persian army lends a lot to the monotony. I mean how many times can wave after wave of men run to their deaths before the try another method of advancing, and according to this ﬁlm quite a few actually. But in saying that, if you are an action fan and that’s what you want, then for 2 hours you will be in heaven.

The score for the film is nothing short of brilliant. From the booming orchestra to the mellow harmonies it really puts you beside each warrior as you follow them into battle. The theme of honour and loyalty can become quite tedious at times. It is great to imagine such honour and sacrifice, but to hear every five minutes someone declaring their loyalty to the leader makes you wonder if the warrior doth declare his loyalty too much. Overall the film is visually fantastic. There isn’t much to fault with the effects apart from some of the repetitiveness. But it creates every little piece of the ancient world and places you there. From watching the phalanx forming to seeing them toss their enemies off the cliffs into the sea. There is so much eye candy that you can get overwhelmed, and this does save it and cover the sheer lack of story line. The performances are excellent with Butler at his best, even if he is just roaming around in a pair of y-fronts. But there is nothing deeper to this film. It is something you can just leave behind you once you leave your cinema. 300 has pushed the boundaries but certainly not in story writing.

Words by P.J. Murray

THE DEPARTED

NITM

Fight Club

Borat

“Cops or criminals; when you’re facing a loaded gun what’s the difference?” States the ﬁlm’s tagline and this is the basic principle of this complicated, all-star cast led crime thriller. Two men operate on different sides of the law; one a mole with the Boston State Police department, the other within the Irish maﬁa. As you can imagine this is a hugely slick, expansive movie and well worth seeing. It is a tad long but it lends an element of cool to the viewer that simply cannot be ignored. Scorsese collected the Best Director at the 2007 Oscars. And deservedly so as this is quite the epic piece, although possible not his BEST work.

Definitely one for family viewing this is actually a pretty fun film, with a lot going on visually. Ben stiller aptly leads the chaos and it is the usual Stiller, Wilson slapstick that we all know and love. Whether it is a slapping match with a monkey or throwing a bone for an eager dinosaur skeleton that thinks it is a dog - you will be hard pushed to not smile at this caper. So while this won’t set the world on fire if you have kids they will have a lot of fun with this and you know what, if you rent it with your girl or boyfriend you may just have a lot of fun too. Standard Hollywood trash that we love to consume! Plus a 5 inch high, lairy, Owen Wilson is worth seeing all by itself.

The brand new deﬁnitive re-release of one of the best ﬁlms of all time. Totally unique and Pitt and Norton’s best roles. What more could you ask for? Well you could ask for 7 deleted scenes, director commentary, behind the scenes footage, audio commentary from everyone involved including the author Chuck Palahniuk. Not to mention Director’s cut extended Footage and a whole lot more. This is Fight Club made even better...yes, insane but true. So look out for this online or in the shops as it is ideal for fans of the movie or for those of you (and you are a sorry bunch) that do not already own this monumental piece of contemporary cinema.

The ﬁlm that has launched comedian and creator of characters such as Ali G and of course Borat to international fame! Watch the hapless Borat and his chubby director/cameraman journey to and across American sending up just about every kind of person and situation you can think of. Part funny, part disturbing; all amazing. Not as immediate as Ali G but it is just as hilarious in it’s intentions. Perhaps because of the simple innocence portrayed by the Borat character. Either way it is wonderful to not only see naked male frolicking (errm?) but also even the kindest person’s breaking point when Borat is on a mission to insult them.

Crime/Thriller

Image by Magenta from Italy // introvertevent.deviantart.com

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Comedy/Fantasy

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Action/thriller

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Comedy

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FRONTLINE

It’s 2013 AD and humanity is on the verge of extinction because of an army of evil, twisted monsters roaming around. So your a hot witch with what I would say is the biggest gun I have ever seen and you have to singlehandedly save the world. This is just one of those quirky games that you’ll either love or hate. The game play is rather dated & certainly nothing new; and the graphics are somewhat PS2esque in appearance. However, the spells are damn powerful & loads of fun combined with the super destructible environments. Yet this game’s online ability & oddgreat moments don’t make up for how good in could have been.

Frontline “Fields of Thunder” is a fairly generic WW2 realtime strategy game. However the creator’s history is right on the mark and there is a uniquely tight focus here on the tank warfare (in particular) that raged around Kursk in 1943. The re are two 10-mission campaigns which are told from the points of view of both the Nazis and their Russian adversaries. Thus you will get a broad spectrum of playing not only good and bad but taking part in one of the toughest free for all skirmishes the world has ever seen. You will also get a broad look at some crucial moments in this war. The graphics are ok but nothing insane thus this is deﬁnately one for WW2 fans.

Action/Xbox

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War/Strategy/PC

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THE FAST & THE FURIOUS Racing/PS2

Namco have successfully managed to attach a francise to a game that isn’t worth your time and effort. Yes yes, you’ve got your 10,000+ polygon count but who cares? The game is slow and the tracks are so simple that a blind man would be able to navigate them. The sad thing is though, because it has ‘The Fast and the Furious’ branding on it, kids will buy it. This game should be crowned king of quick cash-ins and Namco really should be ashamed to stoop so low. Kudos thoroughly recommends looking elsewhere for your motorsport pleasures. EA’s Need For Speed Carbon or THQ’s Juiced are far superior.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R Action/PC

This is one of those games that looks deeply exciting and in some ways, it really is, yet in other, just the little touches it could have been so much better. Basically all ﬁrst person shooters must be held against HalfLife 2 as a benchmark. The storyline here is great, as are the locations and character interaction (although speech would be a plus than reading reams of text) However when it comes to gun toting action and the reactions of the partly lethal partly retarded opponents it is hard to not feel disappointed. This is a great game and well worth your money but be prepared to stop and think that could have been better at various points.

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Image by Pascal Blanché from Canada // www.3dluvr.com/pascalb

BULLET WITCH

ART & DESIGN

JIM FISCUS

“My work is photography. There are a number of steps that may be used to make my images stand out, but really it’s all based on lighting and composition” There can be no great digital manipulation without ﬁrst capturing an excellent, well lit and well composed photograph. This is a driving statement in the world of Jim Fiscus, one of the most profoundly talented creators of imagery Kudos Magazine has ever come across. He has shot for everyone from recording artists such as Jay-Z and Ludacris to major television companies such as channel 4 all over the world. Fiscus who grew up on a rural farm in Texas, just north east of Dallas, has an intriguing approach to photography that crosses the genres of art as he mixes the ethics and meticulous nature of a painter with the style and love of lighting possessed by a photographer. “My work is photography. There are a number of steps that may be used to make my images stand out, but really it’s all based on lighting and composition” says Jim of his style. With this approach he often uses a base photo to create an image that is both real and yet completely unique - a visual masterpiece entering the upper, unexplored echelons of reality. Jim treats every image as a personal piece no matter who the subject is, be they a platinum recording artist, a celebrated documentary ﬁlm maker (Morgan Spurlock of “Supersize Me” fame) or a comparatively “normal” lady (pictured left) living in the entirely different, albeit sun drenched world of Brazil, far from Hollywood, it’s glamour and lights.

“In high school I worked as a “photographer” for a company that shot marathon runners as they crossed the finish line” While his career has been a long and committed undertaking, Jim’s love of photography was instilled deep inside him from a high school age. “I’ve always done photography to some extent. In high school I worked as a “photographer” for a little company that shot marathon runners as they crossed the finish line” explains Fiscus, “It was for one of those companies that sold prints to the runners via mail. I would shoot the runners, mix the chemicals, process the film, make the contacts and mail them, then make the prints that were ordered. I did everything but the billing, which my boss kept secret. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.” After high school Jim headed to East Texas University where he studied under Jim Newbury. However, Jim’s father, who was concerned for his son’s chosen path, urged him to study business as well. Jim did his father’s bidding until one summer spent working at an fish canning factory and taking photos in Alaska. After this experience he knew in his heart that photography deserved his complete and utter focus. Nevertheless at this stage his success was a far off fantasy and he was working as a plumber to support his studies. It was a make or break time of his life – photographer, or plumber, it was all down to him.

The Octopus (above) is one of Jim’s personal pieces and is the story about our inability to predict the future.

Above is a shot of Outkast on the set of “Idlewild.” Below is a shot taken for Channel 4 in the UK for the “Greenwing” series.

Luckily Jim took to his chosen path with gusto and managed to work as a commercial photographer for a number of years. Yet, in 1993 he met his wife Lisa, who was a digital artist at the time. This was a profound moment in both his and her careers and of course lives as they would marry and are to this day. From this point forward they combined their knowledge to crush black colours, smooth out skin tones and alter shadows to create the “look” Jim’s photographs now possess. He was way ahead of his time and these days digital manipulation is not only second nature to most creative photographers it is something that is taught in schools. “Digital manipulation is a tool as is the Zone System. If I were in school I’d put my money on learning the Zone System.” Says Fiscus. The Zone System is a system by which you understand and control every level of light and dark to your best advantage. It works in digital just as it does for sheet ﬁlm. He went on to say “after obtaining that information and skill, the act of manipulating an image with a computer makes a different type of sense. I feel that many schools are teaching students how to make images look weird with a computer rather than teaching them to make sound photographic images. Good digital post production on a bad photo almost always results in a bad, weird looking image. All that said, there are brilliant people emerging from these programs.”

“I feel that many schools are teaching students how to make images look weird with a computer rather than teaching them to make sound photographic images.”

“I also get to work with really great advertising agencies and creatives. It’s much easier to make a strong image when you have a strong concept.”

Above is a shot of Cee-Lo Green (Gnarles Barkley). Right is a shot taken for a Nicorette ad campaign.

“A lot of people are involved in the execution of these images. I assign speciﬁc tasks and then let each person do his or her job. I don’t ask people to do things that they are not good at.”

Jim lives by the connection of the very fundamentals of photography with a filter of technology to create something above and beyond a standard photographic image. He shoots 90% of his work on film prior to any additional post production so the majority of production is done on an organic rather than digital foundation. That said Jim was keen to stipulate that to create his images he does keep his finger firmly on the pulse: “I keep up with the changing environment and implement the tools that contribute to the pictures. I’m more aware of technology than techniques” he admitted. Jim now works closely with 4 different digital teams in Dallas, New York, London and LA – a far cry from his early days of working under established photographers developing and carrying equipment. “I am privileged to work with amazing people. I have a very cool studio manager,

great assistants, veteran producers, stylists and set designers, and am represented by Mark George in London.” He explains, adding “We all have a good time when we work. I also get to work with really great agencies (Advertising) and creatives. It’s much easier to make a strong image when you have a strong concept. These wacko UK art directors are great. Although temporary, my art director becomes the center of the team.” Fiscus, unlike many artists; is happy to work with others, even on personal work, to achieve something incredible. “A lot of people are involved in the execution of these images. I assign speciﬁc tasks and then let each person do his or her job. I don’t ask people to do things that they are not good at.” This is admirable for an artist to happily share his creative ideas and work and is obviously a glowing reﬂection on the talented people he works with.

Above is a shot of Ludacris taken in a series of 5 for The Source Magazine. The series of ‘Time Sequence’ images tell a story and were shot over a 48 hour period and depict the star as a carnival leader.

“Ludacris was great to be with. Funny and smart. With celebrities I work very quickly. I’m told I’m faster that most photographers. I let the person see how quickly we are moving through the shot list. They always have a good time!”

Logistically Jim is constantly on the move, every project is finely tuned and highly systematic; allowing the team to work on numerous projects at once. This is one photographer who has clocked up a hell of a lot of air miles and is quite the frequent traveller, often flying throughout the US, to the UK and beyond. Of the UK Jim says “The work over there is delightfully bizarre, they are far more willing to take risks” when compared to his US based projects. However while Jim has a very busy schedule he is carefully looked after by the affable Mark George who heads up his management company “I feel very lucky to get to do creative work for a living. Mark George is rather selective about the projects that I shoot. This selectivity is not necessarily financial, but is based on good creative ideas and doing fun work. This allows me to put my full energy into each image” he explains before adding that no matter whether it is corporate, financial or for his own pleasure “Every picture is a personal piece.” While Jim did not originally start out as or even settle into portrait photography for a number of years, it is now both his focus and his calling card and he has carved his very own niche and Fiscus “look” right into the genre! Of his portrait style he says “All these portraits are weird little stories. Sort of like when you are in the shower or business meeting and you realize you have some absurd imaginary dialogue running through your head. A dialogue that has something to do with a person, but that is not based on the real life situation you are in. I just take the main words from the mental story, write them on a piece of white paper, decide on objects that represent those words, and design a picture. I find that people will participate a completely absurd image, where an image that is closer to their life experience is uncomfortable. So, why not go crazy on this stuff?” For Jim to create his unique brand of portrait he must first delve into his subject and understand who and what he is working with. “I do a lot of research. I have to understand who the person really is in order to help them move away into something else” he says.

“Morgan Spurlock is great in that he is driven to make his art. He asked me to shoot the art for his upcoming movie. I did the photography in Milk studio in NYC. It will be a great film. Morgan is very funny.” As I previously touched upon, Jim has shot for some seriously well known people including Ludacris and Morgan Spurlock. “Ludacris was great to be with. Funny and smart. Morgan Spurlock is great in that he is driven to make his art” explains Jim. We at Kudos didn’t get to speak with Jim until issue deadline because Morgan asked him to shoot the art for his upcoming movie. “I did the photography in Milk studio in NYC. It will be a great film. Morgan is very funny. With celebrities I work very quickly. I’m told I’m faster that most photographers. I let the person see how quickly we are moving through the shot list” he says, adding; “They always have a good time!” So has Jim ever shot a ‘perfect image’ or is this something that even exists to photographers, even at this level? “You know we are all still looking for the perfect image” he says. So after this long in the game and with such lofty heights achieved is this still his passion or is this now solely his job? Does he still get the adrenalin shot to the heart when he is creating images? “Yes. It gets better all the time!” He says and you know what? After seeing his latest work we sure as hell believe him. www.fiscusphoto.com

Words by Liam Thomson

GALLERY//

This wonderful manipulated photograph/concept is titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wing Collectorâ&#x20AC;? - it is by Melissa who hails from the United States. See more of her work by heading here: http://thisyearsgirl.deviantart.com

This photograph is by Krisna Aditya who hails from Indonesia. You can see his work by heading here: http://bocokok.deviantart.com

This wonderful visual retelling and of course â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;humanisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of a classic Simpsons group image is by Canadian comic artist N. Matsumoto. See more of her work by heading here: http://www.spacecoyote.com

GALLERY//

This image is by the awesome visual designer Bernardo Neves who is from Portugal. He creates deep, colourful images. You can see his work by heading here: http://blade-bd.deviantart.com This photograph is by Dimitar who is from Bulgaria. He takes wonderful emotive portraits and scenery shots. You can see his work by heading here: http://dechobek.deviantart.com