Download - Seven Shades of Black - two
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Editor
Writters
Soraan Latif
Daniel Lee Harvey
Peter Davis
Roman Dennis
Robert Jones
Elliot Bentley
Andrew Hollingworth
Ricardo Pereira
Clare L T Dunn
Marcus Kuzvinzwa
Nneka Idika
Jake Brown
Soraan Latif
James Worsfold
Rachelle Sabourin
Courtney Boydston
Jordan Nicholai
Max Capacity
Chamo San
Benni Tiley
Dan Rynne
Soraan Latif
Rachel Klahn, James
Worsfold, Jose Espiritu
Front cover - Dan Rynne
danielrynne.tumblr.com
Photographers
Artist
Illustraions by
Special Thanks
We have a ten page special on the beatmaking
culture interviews featuring the comments of
Handbook & Negrosaki. Writen by Daniel Lee
Harvey, I am sure that he will enlighten you
onto new sounds just like he did in issue one.
Up and coming artists Chamo San and Jordan
Nicholai gave us their time to answer a few
questions along side 8-bit junkie Max Capacity.
The Beastie Boys are featured by two different
writers, while Ed Banger prince SebastiAn also
gets featured with his much anticipated album
Total. In the fashion work we have a brilliantly
written feature about the art within fashion by
Nneka Idika, while Roman Dennis tackles the
three designers that make up KRUHX.
The cult film culture takes a firm grip within
the magazine with a delighful Rubber review
while we have another feature about cult films
themselves as a genre. There’s so much more
to mention but I shall keep that as a surprise
for you. Enjoy.
Editors NotesContributions
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Contents
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Click this page for more information about how to buy the issue
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Max CapacityI came across Max’s work on Flickr only a few
days before the deadline of the magazine. I
was just overcome with his style, colours and
the nostalgic feel that his work possesses
I simply had to put him in the magazine.
With Kavinsky’s 1987 ep rolling in my ears
I asked him a few questions and luckily he
managed to answer them all, enjoy.
Max Capacity. Interesting name, where did it
come from ?
My real name is Max, and I saw a sign that
said “Maximum Capacity” on a machine
somewhere. So I took it.
I also noticed that you kept your own portraits
either very pixaled or you’re hiding your face.
What’s the attraction for you and the hidden
persona ?
It’s mostly an internet anonymity thing. Partly
because I’m a shy person. I post lots of pictures
of myself on my Tumblr blog, but for all my more
official-ish stuff I like to use more ambiguous
images.
What was your first gaming console? Do you
collect old video games
My dad had an Intellivision. I remember the
first game I ever played was AD&D. But when
I was a little older I saved all my money and
bought a NES with Super Mario Bros. and
Duck Hunt. I’m not a collector so much, due
to space issues mostly. If I could, I would have
a collection of arcade games. But I mostly buy
games and then end up reselling them when
I’m done. Or I tear them open and glitch them
out and end up throwing them away.
When did you start making pixaled design
encrusted with glitches ?
One night I was drinking a beer in my garage
and I had an old NES sitting next to me and
I decided to try circuit bending it. I had done
some audio circuit bending before, so I had
an idea of what I wanted to do. But then it
worked, and I liked it, so I took some photos
One night I was drinking a beer in my garage and I had an old NES sitting next to me
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of my TV and posted them online. I think that
was some of the first stuff I ever did.
What software do you use ?
I use lots of weird small homebrew apps
for converting things between PC and ZX
Spectrum or C64 protocols a lot. I’m still using
Photoshop 5.0 because it’s all I really need.
Virtual Dub is also really useful for working
with videos. I go between Virtual Dub and
Photoshop 5 constantly.
Your colour palette is rather strange but for
the purpose of your style it works. Who would
have know that a toxic mix of orange, pink and
green could have worked so well for instance.
I don’t confine myself too much to any color
palettes, but I definitely have my favorites
that I go back to all the time. I suppose if I do
confine my palette, it would be only the fully
saturated colors. I really do enjoy working in
monochromatic black and white also.
You designed an ep for Kuedo’s Videowave ,
out July 4th. Would you be interested in other
music projects ?
I was so proud to be involved with Kuedo and
Planet Mu! I’d love to do more work like that.
I’ve done a few music videos for some artists,
but I would most like to do album cover art.
Electronic musicians seem like the natural
choice, but I’d really like to do some covers for
some punk or new wave type stuff. My favorite
band is The Spits, so they’d be my first choice
of people to work for.
With your cityscapes you have a range of styles
from minimal to detailed designs, is there a
reason for the variety ?
When I first started doing the cityscapes I
was simply extracting (and in some cases
reconstructing) pixels from games. And there
was a wide range of detail present in those
sources. It got me thinking about what it really
takes to signify a living city. Then as I went
on, I was less satisfied with that and I started
manipulating the sources along those same
lines to make them more “mine”
You have many references to 80’s/90’s pop
culture, such as MTV, Teenage Ninja Mutant
Turtles and an endless source of other material.
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Do you think It’s possible to take cultural
references from the present and give it that 8
bit feel, but at the same time have that same
nostalgic effect on the viewer ?
I think, like alcohol, pop culture needs to
ferment a little before it really gets good. I
don’t even go to movie theaters anymore. I
hate when I’m excited to see a shitty movie
and someone tells me “it sucks.” I think once
there’s some distance in time from cultural
material we get to form our own complete
image and opinion with less influence from the
world around us. Maybe that’s what nostalgia
is. I remember all the video games I played
as a child looking much more vivid than they
actually do upon inspection.
Apart from gifs and digital work, have you looked
at the possibility of anything else, collaborating
with someone in a completely different field ?
I’ve dabbled with that idea a little, but budget
is often a concern for me. Collaborating is
something I really love though, so hopefully
I’ll have more opportunities to branch out in
the future.
How do you think you can develop your style for
the future, after all the retro stuff is a fashionable
trend now but probably wouldnt be in a few
years time.
Oh, I think there will always be something cool
or fun to do. And if things start to go badly for
nostalgia in general, I’ll just become more and
more degenerate.
By Soraan Latif
Max Capacity’s
flickr.com/photos/max-capacity
like alcohol, pop culture needs to ferment a little before it really gets good
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Chamo SanChamo San is an illustrator that started early
in his career to gain an online reputation.
The cause of this internet buzz are San’s
moleskin sketchbooks. As you read his
thoughts and view his illustrations, I’m sure
you will understand why.
Chamo, growing up in the great city of
Barcelona, have you been influenced by the
culture your city ?
I’ve always lived in Barcelona. I’ve grown up
in a very cosmopolitan city where people are
very kind. When I moved to Paris for a year I
knew that Barcelona is my place.
After studying at university for four years,where
you experimented with photography, sculpture
and I’m sure many other materials, what brought
you back to illustration ?
I’ve always been good at drawing, but it’s a
very isolating world. I started to experiment
with photography and then I discovered a
new world. For me it was a relaxing exercise
because you don’t start from a blank page.
Then I discovered a lot of ancient techniques
with Atelie Retaguardia, but I come back to
illustration because I know that’s my field.
Even though you’re currently an illustrator, have
you ever gone back to uses the other techniques
such as sculpture, within your present work?
Now I start to draw on different surfaces.
I’ve never worked in classic sculpture. I aboard
the 3rd dimension with the Penique productions
project.
Any main influences in general or anyone
that has really inspired your work or style?
Did your tutor in Paris Philippe Comar greatly
influence you?
I have so many influences from artists around
the world (past and present). I like paintings
The freelance work I think is hard for everybody right now
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but love the pure drawing, from James Jean
to Juan Francisco Casas. The work of Philippe
Comar doesn’t inspire me actually (I can’t say
I really know his oeuvre), but he is an excellent
drawing teacher “(the best I had in Paris.
How did you get involved with the Penique
productions ?
Penique productions start as a class project
by Sergi Arbusà. A university friend of mine
since we started Fine Art. After some proofs
he decided that we could work as a team. In
the team there is Sergi Arbusà, Pablo Baqué,
Pol Clusella and I.
Initially, before you began to develop a reputation
online, did you find it hard to get freelance work ?
Reputation online came perhaps because
I’ve worked with Conrad Roset, Guim Tió or
Amaia Arrazola. The freelance work I think is
hard for everybody right now, at least in Spain.
So much free publications, but not so much
in terms of paid jobs.
Has there been a major turning point in your
career so far when you started to get recognition
online ?
No, I don’t think so.
I know my career has just begun and I must
continue to work as I’m doing now. That
reputation online it could be something
ephemeral. I know, I love to see other people
works and I think a lot of them are just like me.
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They don’t think to please other people with
their work, but themselves.
It must be a great feeling to see your work on
sites like fffffound.com
Sure. It’s very exciting. It means that you are
good, but they always show the same pictures. I
must create new things or everybody (including
myself) will start to get bored about my work.
Is there a part of you that worries when you
see your work across sites such as Tumblr or
fffffound that other artists may steal your style ?
The style thieves don’t worry me at all. I mean,
if a lot of people start to create the way I do,
perhaps I’ve create a new artistic movement,
it could be nice.I don’t know... I don’t think I
have MY STYLE. I’m young.
Most of your work is within the space of
sketchbooks, is there a level of comfort that
you have within your sketchbooks because
your so you’re so used to working in them?
The most “famous” of my works was just
made because I was bored. It’s easier to do
something well when you don’t have high
expectations. When I take a job I put a lot of
pressure on myself and sometimes the work is
not so natural (that’s because I’m beginning).
Do you theme your sketchbooks or do you just
express any emotion you may have at that time
within them ?
I have two types of sketchbooks. The big ones,
where I draw isolated things. And the little ones
I always carry with me and where I draw real
things happening during my day
Do you use any type of biro pen within your
work, or do you have a preference about the
branding of the pens you use ?
The style thieves doesn’t worry me at all. Perhaps I’ve created a new movement
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It really doesn’t matter. Obviously a good
painter uses the best brushes, but it’s not
because of the brushes he is good at painting.
He can just work easier.
I read a review of one of your pieces online
(above) The reviewer suggests that you are
making a comment about the colours associated
with good and evil, by using white for the wolf.
Is this something that you were trying to make
a comment on ?
Hahaha... No... I really didn’t put that much
thought into this one while I drew it.
Lastly do you have any tips of students coming
into this hard economy, where its hard to get
jobs ?
It’s hard to get work in Spain and elsewhere
right now, but even if it’s hard you must try to
work in the field you love.
By Soraan Latif
Chamo San : chamosan.tumblr.com
That reputation online it could be someth ing ephemeral
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Living in London, one of the most multicultural
cities in your world, has that at influenced you ?
Definitely. Maybe. No. I’m not too sure. London
has its diversities for sure, but most of my
influences come from what’s beneath the
obvious. In a way I would agree that the rhythm
of the city, its uniqueness has affected my work
.... or maybe its the idea of a city? It could be
any city. Its just that feel of being buried within
the high concrete buildings, walls, cosmetic
capitalism, the money and the dirt, all seeping
together. I am just this single speck. I like that
feeling. It gives me time to think.
Would you describe yourself as a conceptual
artist ?
Jordan NicholaiJordan is a multi-talented British artist who can
work with anything that you throw at him. A firm
believer in self expression, he gave me a very
honest interview, allowing his personality to
seep through the pages. We talked about his
work and the ideas behind them. I feel very
privileged to have met him in the flesh.
Conceptual artist? I wouldn’t say that I’m
not. But i’m more symbolic. I’m not really into
creating ‘concepts’ I prefer to be myself and
examine my own thoughts.
How do you approach your work, is it all very
personal about you or a mixture alongside
issues that effect other people ?
I approach my work very honestly. Many of my
pieces examine my own emotions, thoughts,
memories. I would definitely say that even
though my pieces stem from a personal realm,
I want the viewer to take something personally
subjective out of it.
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Where do you draw your inspirations from ?
I draw my inspirations from everywhere. Music,
film, television, ideas of ideas. Childhood
programs, family photos. Objects without
meaning. I love Pipilotti Rist and fashion.
Whats the process from the blank canvas to
the finished piece, on the left ?
This piece was a long flowing process. I found
this vintage shop, and adored the mannequin
that was dressed the window. She looked sad.
I liked that. I used the image as a foundation
for the piece, overlaying with paint, evocative
fabrics (e.g lace), vintage perfume bottles.
I think i started this method originally within
my sketchbooks.
What techniques and methods have you played
with ?
Methods and techniques. I’ve done most things.
except film. Collages, painting, photography
and drawing, sound effects are my main ones.
It’s all building toward a masive installation. I
keep exploring.
When did you start to place items ontop of
your work, how did this come about and why
do you do this ?
First began collaging actual objects earlier this
year. I love finding random objects. I’m inspired
my them. I feel close to them. So i use them.
Do you do anything else apart from paintings ?
I do other things. I love photography. I use a
lot in my paintings. I would still love to do film,
i have so many ideas. They just come to me
as i’m going down the street. I love the idea
of music and incorporating it with imagery. I
also style and create fashion wear.
You do some fashion styling don't you ?
Yeah I’ve done a few fashion styling things,
helping photograpers especially at university.
But in a way I am the photograher, the stylist
and the fashion designer. I need to do it all to
be satisfied. I hope I’m not sounding arrogent.
Im just passionate.
Do you think that it’s easy to fall into the trap
of following trends within art ?
I don’t look for trends for inspiration. Why
would you ? Especially if you’re doing a fine
art course. I think true artists look outside the
art frame as a basis for inspiration. Never lie
to get ahead. Be honest. No mater if people
hate you.
Where do you see yourself in a few years after
you have finished university ?
Carreer wise. I have no idea. That’s the beauty
of life. I have desirables. An art director, a
stylist, a photographer, an author...there are
so many things i want to be, but I’ll probably
end up in Tesco. By Soraan Latif
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Wild house parties, smashing up shops and
being confronted by your future selves: it’s
all in a day’s work for the Beastie Boys. The
video for ‘Make Some Noise’ - lead single to
‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’ and sequel
to the classic 1987 video to ‘Fight For Your
Right’ - sees the continued misadventures
of Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA, ending with a
dance-off between the 1987 incarnation of the
Beastie Boys and the “future” Beastie Boys.
It’s an apt metaphor for the constant question
facing musicians that last as long as the Beastie
Boys themselves. A quarter-century into their
career, who are the real Beastie Boys? Are
they the lanky, gawky punks that released
‘Licensed To Ill’ twenty-five years ago, or the
middle-aged hip-hop superstars of 2011?
(Ironically, in this case the answer is neither;
all six are played by an A-list cast that includes
Elijah Wood and Will Ferrell.
After Adam Yauch (that’s MCA to you lot) was
diagnosed with cancer in 2009, the comeback
album ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part One’ was
understandably delayed; but for inexplicable
reasons the second part has been released
first. Regardless of the twisted logic of its
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They once again revisit their noisy punk roots, with
surprisingly decent results
release, ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’ is
the first proper album from the Brooklyn hip-
hop trio since 2004’s ‘To the 5 Boroughs’, and
after seven years of nothing but a greatest hits
collection and a disappointing download-only
instrumental album, an important chance for
the Boys to prove they still have what it takes.
Anyone worried that the Beastie Boys might
have succumbed to the commercial, auto-
tuned hip-hop currently clogging up the charts
can breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, they stick
to the distinctive sound they have refined over a
long-spanning career: funky guitars, energetic
drumming and deep bass that can only be
described as “phat”. Yet, as sumptuous as the
production of ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’
may be, it often threatens to obscure the songs
themselves - not to mention the Boys’ rapping,
which is so laden with reverb, distortion and
vocoders that it’s often difficult to make sense
of a word they’re saying.
Then again, perhaps that’s a good thing -
the rhymes and flow may be up to their usual
standard, but there’s little more than traditional
hip-hop egotism, the political messages of ‘To
The Five Boroughs’ long abandoned.
As with all of the Beastie Boys’ work, however,
this is in no way straight hip-hop. Their work
has always been an eclectic mix of funk, rock
and whatever they feel like sampling at the
time. ‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’
is a bouncy reggae number, bolstered by a
charismatic geust turn from Santigold, and
‘Tadlock’s Glasses’ is an unexpected treat, a
claustrophobic electronic track with hisses,
bleeps and bloops.
In ‘Lee Majors Come Again’ (originally
included on the ‘Solid Gold Hits’ compilation
as a bonus song) they once again revisit their
noisy punk roots, with surprisingly decent
results. The weakest link is a new version
of ‘Too Many Rappers’ - originally released
as a single almost a year ago - that still
doesn’t quite hit the spot, despite featuring
basslines that could easily level a building.
What is noticeably missing from all of
these is the relaxed swagger of past albums.
Conversely to most bands, the Beastie
Boys seem to have become increasingly
apprehensive in their old age, with few of the
relaxed grooves of their classic work present.
It’s difficult to place the blame: is the result of
an emphasis on electronic sounds, which by
nature are often more intense, or something
more innate?
If the big songs are a little on edge,
then, it’s the short interludes interspersed
throughout are truly entertain. The half-song
‘Funky Donkey’ is blessed with some of the
best riffs and wittiest lyrics of the entire album,
while in ‘The Larry Routine’ the trio mock their
own tradition of introducing themselves.
The album ends with two of the weakest
of the bunch, however - a disappointing and
unsatisfying ending, particularly considering
the strong opening of ‘Make Some Noise’.
Which leads us nicely back to that dance-off,
which (having descended into a literal pissing
contest) is ended by a squad of police cars
arresting both the old Beastie Boys and the
new Beastie Boys. The metaphor is an apt
one: in ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’ the
Boys just about prove that they’re not mutton
in lamb’s clothing, but a force still worth to
be reckoned with.
By Elliot Bentley
The trio mock their own
tradition of introducing themselves
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The Beastie Boys If you were born in the 90’s you probably don’t
know who the Beastie Boys are. And even if
you have heard of them, you really needed
to grow up with their music in your cassette
player to fully understand their commitment
to their ideas and sounds.
Irony would dictate that a group of teenagers,
all from wealthy Manhattan families, playing in
hardcore punk bands, would come together
in the early eighties as the Beastie Boys. And
even if their underground hardcore punk sound
wouldn’t last long, the teenage angst would
come out as one of the most revolutionary
sounds of the last two decades. With the
release of their first hip-hop hit, Cooky Puss,
rap became the bigger part of their identity,
incorporating heavy metal riffs and angry
b-boys. After opening for Madonna in her The
Virgin Tour and being on the road with big
industry names as Run DMC and LL Cool J,
the trio was set.
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But being the first all white rap act to get to the
top of the charts didn’t come easy. And soon
enough comparisons to other rap legends like
Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel or the Fab Five
Freddy would become inevitable. They were
obvious sources of inspiration for the band, but
the clash of a parody style with an insightful
point of view in their songs would make them
stand out on their own. The same can’t be said
about the silly style of their follower, Vanilla Ice,
who could never be taken seriously like the
Beastie Boys were
The release of their first album, License to
Ill, became the fastest selling rap album of
the 80’s and the first ever to get to #1 on the
Billboard album chart. In a time where MTV
was as huge as porn for teenagers, the first
single from the record, (You Gotta) Fight For
Your Right (To Party!), would become the music
channel’s anthem and Beastie Boys were now
big enough to get away with their revolutionary
violent lyrics about drugs, guns, alcohol abuse
and empty sex. Surprisingly, the first popular
act to openly sing about such themes.
By the time the second album was released,
in 1989, few could predict how the band’s
Paul’s Boutique would set the tone for nineties
psychedelic pop. And despite its modest
success, the experience of collaboration with
the Dust Brothers would make them leaders
on the art of sampling, ultimately proving that
there was no new ground the band couldn’t
break. Could you even imagine a world where
contemporary R&B, rap and hip-hop didn’t
use samples on most of their songs? Eminem
surely can’t.
For their following albums the band decided
to create their own record label, Grand
Royal, as well as a magazine by the same
name, intended to cultivate a larger musical
community. Rumor has it that the magazine
introduced the popular expression “mullet”
to the world and was also where the British
band Sneaker Pimps got inspiration for their
name. Either by songs, political statements or
even films, the Beastie Boys reach the masses
with different points of views of how the music
industry should work. They are, above all,
music lovers and that’s what sets them apart
from the common band. We know every band
loves music to some extent but it takes a real
listener (and a spark of genius) to transform
what you absorb into something new. They
didn’t follow trends, they set them.
By mid the nineties the Beasty Boys cultural
influence had spanned as far as to create a
whole new music genre known today as nu
metal which was made famous by bands
like Limp Bizkit, Korn or Kid Rock. Even
though the band [inspired, created, which
ever you like] this genre of music, the reject
being associated with it as stated in their 1999
single ‘Alive’: “Created a monster with these
rhymes I write, goatee metal rape please say
goodnight.” Luckily or not, nu metal faded while
The Beastie Boys were only getting started. Ill
Communication and Hello Nasty would take
the last decade of the twentieth century by
storm with massive hits like Pass the Mic and
Intergalactic.
Eight records later, two decades of music
and a teenage skin shed behind, influences
as broad as they can be and an immense will
not to settle for average best describes the
Beastie Boys journey. We can even blame the
Beastie Boys legacy for popular bands like
The Black Eyed Peas. But we’ll try not to hold
that against them. Still, the mainstream music
scene is packed with unnoticed Beastie Boys
references. Hip Hop, rap, pop, techno, punk,
mixed and matched in a poor combination of
the band’s sound scattered by lazy producers
and over-produced bands with little to say.
Fortunately the rare exceptions do exist and
we can also thank the trio for the inventive
rock sound of Beck, the psychedelic echo of
Daft Punk or more blatantly, the comedic trio
The Lonely Island. We go as far as to say that
even Rage Against The Machine were clearly
listening to some Beastie Boys at the start of
their career.
Nowadays, it’s almost criminal to put the
Beastie Boys in one box. They transcended
the rap act genre and earned themselves a
category of their own. Internet may have killed
MTV, but it didn’t kill its video stars. And Hot
Sauce Committee Part 2 just comes to prove
that 20 years later the Beastie Boys still claim
their right to party like no one else.
By Ricardo Pereira
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What is your first thought when I mention beat
maker?
Someone who sits in their bedroom getting
intoxicated on a conjunction of weed and sushi,
someone who respects music for what it is or
someone who feels the need to deconstruct
tracks into something else, in fact the beat
maker has many identities; there is no need
for labelling as everyone is entitled and able to
do it. The thing I love most about it is though...
there are no limitations; you as the conjurer
Beat Makers
are able to piece together a delicacy from a
sample that has been lost for years or is fresh
from release.
So when did beat making start up? There is no
answer, beat making could be a clap, a vocal
or an instrumental, it transpires through history
to the earliest of musicians, but that doesn’t
have the elements of how a beat is done today.
In the 1980’s, individuals like Kurt Blow and
Afrika Bambaataa pioneered the notion. Kurtis
W
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Blow’s ‘‘If I Ruled the World’’ used the first
sample loop; it was from a record by the Trouble
Funk called ‘‘Pump Me Up’’. With the help of
hip hop producers, J.B Moore and Robert Ford,
he was able to slice it into a continuous loop
which repeated through different sectors of
the song. The 80’s on a whole, mothered many
beat-making contraptions, the Fairlight CMI, a
digital sampler released in 1979 continued to
be one of the main parts of any studio set up
within the decade. Another is the Roland TR-
808 which was used heavily by Bambaataa.
His album “Planet Rock” was unlike any other
before it, it didn’t contain samples, it contained
instrumentals. ‘‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’’
is a great example of this and shows how the
use of vocal and synth can harmonise each
other through a 4 by 4 beat sequence.
Juan Atkins was another who experimented
through futurist ic motherboards and
sequencers. His track ‘‘Cybrotron Clear’’ is
noted for pioneering techno. All of these I
speak of from your Blow’s to your Bambaataa’s
are the nitty-gritty to beat making. I say nitty-
gritty because they are some of the first, they
created something that embellishes samples
from their production into something alot more
retrospective. Alot of people will find a track
memorable due to a rhyme in lines or how a
bass, guitar, synth or drum can keep it locked
in a small department in the back of our minds.
With Beat-making, a producer will find this
part that makes us remember it and turn it into
something we did not think could be achieved.
When the 90’s rolled in, beat-making became
concentrated in hop-hop and also the rate of
samples being used in tracks multiplied. Your
basic structure would be the sample and then
a drum machine that would divide it through
breaks. The one thing that is almost visible
in any 90’s hip hop track is an intro which
is usually 1 to 8 bars. This is a portal to the
listener ears, I know I do and probably alot
of others will determine the rest of the song
due to the quality of its start. Take Pete Rock
Your basic structure would be a sample and then the drum machine
30
& CL Smooth’s ‘‘They Reminisce Over You’’,
the intro is a minimalistic soul sample which
features a strumming guitar and a drum line
that amplifies every bar. This in itself just shows
how an intro can intricate the theme, ‘‘They
Reminisce Over You’’ was a track dedicated
to TROY better known out of Heavy D & the
Boyz. Pete Rock sampled a Tom Scott cover of
Jefferson’s Airplane Today. This song focuses
on the feeling of desperation, self-denial and
pain bought on by love. He wanted the track
to be in shadow with his emotions on his loss
and it worked incredibly. I find that many in
the 90’s focused upon subjects that related
to society, cultural discrimination and one’s
thought on relationships and life ambitions,
these days that innovation has changed.
But there was someone that made the 90’s
definable in beat making, it was a dude known
to his artists and fans as J Dilla, but what made
him so special?
For Starters, J Dilla made an angelic difference
to the hip hop scene, especially in America in
many artists made tributes, many still wear t-shirts saying ‘‘J Dilla Changed My Life’’
31
the heart of Detroit. Having produced albums
to some of the biggest names in the game, J
Dilla progressively became more and more
dominant and it wasn’t until I heard his solo
material, I found how much skill and creativity
a human being of his stance could possess.
For any fellow J Dilla fan out there I can whole-
heartedly say that his 2006 instrumental album
‘‘Donuts’’ was the perfect showcase for his
talent. Every song on this album is crafted to
the point, the samples, the instrumentals and
authentic scratches emulated to what I like to
call salvation through music.
J Dilla would search through the most
transcendent of record stores in order to find
that perfect sample. He didn’t just crack it in
two and give it away to some languid mc to
record over. He was very humble about his
work. Take the Slum Village’s ‘‘I Don’t Know’’,
it flips the James Brown vocals from ‘‘Make It
Funky’’. Just by hearing it, you can tell J Dilla
spent time perfecting when the sample would
enter during the lyrics.
J Dilla unfortunately passed away on 10
February 2006, just 3 days after his 32nd
birthday and the release of his final album
‘‘Donuts’’. However upon his death, his legacy
continues, many artists made tributes, many
wear t-shirts saying ‘‘J Dilla Changed My Life’’,
a foundation was made in his name that will
help to cure children affected by lupus and
a number of projects developed that aim to
source the future generations of aspiring beat
makers and producers.
From this, I decided to speak to someone who
creates beats on a regular basis. He goes
by the name of Handbook. Handbook has
been someone who I’ve known for a couple of
months but during that period it feels like I’ve
known him for years due to the supremacy of
his music making. Handbook originates from
the ever-so-lovely York and creates his sounds
through a home studio. I asked Handbook
Thanks to guys like Flying Lotus, I felt it possible to make my own music.’’
32
one simple question ‘‘why did you start beat
making?’’ and this was his explanation.
‘‘Beat makers such as J Dilla and Flying Lotus
paved the way for a new generation of people
who wanted to get involved in making their own
music. After I discovered these guys a couple
of years ago, the desire to make music of my
own really took a grip of me and I had to work
out how I was going to start producing my own
music. I bought an MPC1000 from a friend
and that was it. Sampling, making beats and
constructing my own pieces of music, I loved
it. I felt liberated and found myself devoting
hours and hours of my life to making music that
I wanted to hear, but felt wasn’t being made
or more closer to the point, not in the volumes
that I wanted to hear it. I spent most of summer
2010 making a couple of tracks a day and it
finally felt as though I was making something
worthwhile. Thanks to guys like Flying Lotus, I
felt it possible to make my own music.’’
Handbook has just released an album called
‘‘Celebriteeth’’ and to anyone who is already
familiar with his work, you know it’s his best by
far; he just grows and improves every time he
produces something new. With this album in
particular, Handbook focuses upon the iconic
actors and actresses of the past and gives
life to their traits through slick cuts, slices and
dices. One key element that has been made
apparent through alot of his work is the way he
handles percussion. It isn’t too noticeable yet
it manages to intensify the uncooked flavours
of the sample involved. Handbook has done
greater glory on this one and when listening to
it, you can begin to visage a 1950’s Hollywood
with blue skies and bustling film studios.
To hear celebriteeth, check out handbook’s
bandcamp:
handbook.bandcamp.com
J Dilla and Flying Lotus paved the way for a new generation
33
As a child, i was exposed to r&b (from the 70s
to the 90s era), new jack swing, gospel, hip
hop (late 80s to early 90s), and even video
game soundtracks that i would listen to after
i played each game. i was most influenced
by 90s r&b, and it’s reflected in much of my
own music today.”
How did you come up with your name?
I went through a bunch of aliases before i got
to negrosaki. i used to rhyme before i made
beats, so i went by the name kin jazama (play
of the name jin kazama from tekken) for a
while, and then shogun. the name negrosaki
is open to many interpretations, but i mainly
chose it because it sounds cool, and it’s a play
of “nagasaki” in japan.”
How did you actually start making music?
Since i was at least 7, i’ve always had some
kinda desire to create music. i would copy
songs on the piano by ear. i officially started
making beats in 2007. one day i started
messing around in fl studio 4, and had so
much fun that i made multiple songs for the
heck of it. after showing people the beats and
seeing their positive reactions, i decided to
keep going with it.
Beat maker Marcell James who goes under
the name of Negrosaki is continuously pulling
out interesting and innovative projects; Marcus
Kuzvinwa, one of our fellow seven shades of
black writers explores deeper into his sound,
his influences and future.
Negrosaki. as a child which music were
you exposed to and would you say this has
influenced your music and the way you create it?
A big inspiration of mine is Roy Ayers. His use of synth is masterful.
34
In terms of your sound, how would you describe
it and what genre would you put it in?
It is kind of difficult for me to describe, but if i
had to put it in a genre, i’d put it in the “neck
breakery” genre. it’s a mix of r&b, hip hop,
video games, and some occasional glitches.
What are your favourite tools that you use to
cook up your beats? also why do you use these
in particular?
Fl studio 9. i’m used to how fl studio is
organized, and so much can be done with it,
more than many people realize. many people
don’t know what i use, even after hearing like
10 of my beats. that just goes to show fl studio
haters out there that it’s the producer that makes
the music, not the equipment.
Looking at your earlier compilations with
‘’negrosaki remixes the 90’s’’ and ‘’negrosaki
readjustment’’ which both incorporate many
different styles, but your latest ‘’negrosaki from
scratch’’ track seems to strut into more of the
funk realm, is this a genre you delve alot into
for inspiration?
yes indeed. a big inspiration of mine is roy
ayers. his use of synth is masterful. i noticed
how many producers on soundcloud have
incorporated a style of funk too, and it really
made me want to try it myself.
In your newest relese negrosaki from scratch,
tell us about how you wanted it to sound?
I wanted folks to know that i’m more than just
a ‘remixer’ who can sample. i have my own
sound too. that being said, i wanted folks to
hear how my music would sound if it was in a
video game of some sort. i recently graduated
college and my major was game art & design.
in many video game projects that i’ve worked
on in school, i was the official go-to guy for
music.
I wanted folks to know that I’m more than just a remixer who can sample
35
In your short bump videos, we noticed that you
use an array of videos to accompanny your
songs. we’d also like to ask how you came up
with your callout, ‘negrosaki’?
I came up with it in late 2007. i’ve always
liked to let folks know whenever they heard
something that was mine. i felt it was a nice
touch. though recently, my tagging techniques
have changed a bit, and are less robotic and
distracting.
We’ve noticed that your’e not currently on a
record label. whats is your reason for this?
Ever since starting college, my main focus
was just school and expressing myself. i never
gave joining a record label much thought. I
mean, yeah, i’m part of music groups like kc.93
records, but that’s still developing.
It seems that artists have certain integral pieces
that act as a catalyst to their creative proccess,
for example erykah badu and flying lotus with
their jewelery. do you have one?
Hmmm... nothing like that comes to mind for
me. all i have is my mind.
If you could collaborate with any three visual,
musical or any other type artists from the past
or present who would they be?
I’d love to collaborate with madlib, pharrell
williams, or roy ayers.
Last of all, favourite record of all time?
That’s an extremely tough one. but i’ll probably
have to go with “i can’t help it” by michael
jackson.
Wish you all the best for the future and thank
you for your time
thanks a bunch for interviewing me.
By Daniel Lee Harvey
Interview written by Marcus Kuzvinzwa
Contribution bu Jake Brown
Marcell James / Negrosaki
soundcloud.com/negrosaki
36
INTERPLANETARY MUSIC
Now in the 2000’s, beat making has turned
a corner and has become more in tune with
space, there are so many mimics within the
industry who do it for all the wrong reasons
but in order to be a true beat maker, you have
to be able to hear what other people cannot
hear within them. They are the inner-voice and
as the inner-voice, they have to communicate
to others what they are distinguishing off the
sample they find.
Flying Lotus will have to be one of the key
contributors to this style. His albums, solo
works and collaborations all have a unique
style to them. I call it future music. It just
cannot be labelled; there are so many different
approaches that it is almost offensive to label it
as a genre. He draws on a wide-range musical
palette and learns to focus it into a muse of
low bass-lines and distortion.
Others like Erykah Badu channel this future
thesis through their appearance. The jewellery,
the tattoos and the clothing pieces all seem
to dock a specific message. At her latest
festival appearance, Erykah was fashioning an
Indian black saree and several tribal tattoos
along with her usual line up of rings. Erykah
is a massive believer on how humans are
continuously evolving and I think this is the
way she expresses it. Her ankh ring is a piece
of Egyptian symbolism which means new life.
The cuffs on our arm represent freedom and
most of the clothing she wears contains traces
of sentimental history. She sews it all together
into a character and changes it per project
she is involved in.
There are so many artists I can label and
say beautiful words about but the point I am
trying to put across is that something different
is happening and it’s a movement we will be
Commercialised producers follow trends and will seek an opportunity
37
lucky enough to see. Beat making has made
some dramatic changes and through time,
producers have advanced their senses. With
people like Negrosaki and Handbook, they
are both from normal backgrounds; they both
make it from home and both do it because
they enjoy it. It isn’t about the equipment but
the person behind it.
We can all focus on receiving samples but do
we all have the ear and the ability to pick up
a piece of a equipment to create something
that is innovative and unique?
No, it’s all depends on yourself; you cannot
seek the help of others but yet yourself. It’s
the same with any genre of music out there,
what is the point of emulating when you can
create something that is opposing others?
We all sit and question, why are the charts
continuously sprawling the same sort of
material? It’s because they know its successful,
commercial producers follow trends and will
seek an opportunity if it means they can get
large sums of money out of it.
With underground genres like trip hop, they
earn to seek the help of the internet. There
are so many different forums and projects
that people are free to collaborate in and
it’s a massive boost to promoting upcoming
producers as well. Trip hop is massive in the
U.S but in the U.K, the genre has the slightest
of being seen. It’s formulates around the inner
circles of the underground but won’t brace the
service until the next couple of millenniums.
This is simply the music people will be playing
in their spacecraft in the year 3015.
By Daniel Lee Harvey
38
SebastiAn - Total
39
adies and Gentlemen! I give you
Total, Sebastian’s latest album. An
eargasmic mix of heavy bass and
mellow tunes to keep the listener
satisfied from beginning to end.
I am sitting in my garden with my headphones
on full volume listening to this melodic
masterpiece and for the first time in my life I
am in awe at how brilliant this album is. It has
been a three year wait for die hard Sebastian
fans and I can assure you that this album will
not disappoint. The contrast between smooth
electronic funk in tracks such as ‘Love in Motion’
and the fantastic ‘Embody’ and the punk-rock
rage of ‘Total’ is something only Sebastian can
pull off with his trademark style. It seems as
though he has been preparing for this album
through out his career with the appearance of
a small number of his earlier work making it
into this album and fitting in so well that i feel
like its the first time I have heard the tracks.
There are certain tracks on the album which
sound far too good not be listened to without
getting up and dancing around you’re bedroom.
Tracks such as ‘Embody’ mark a turning point
for Sebastian. Pedro Winter (Busy P & Owner
of Ed Banger Records) stated the following;
“When I heard “Embody” for the first time I imagined Prince and Sebastian in Paris, sharing a glass of wine in a smoky basement”
When I read this, I could not help but agree
with him especially when I heard ‘Love in
Motion (ft Mayer Hawthorn)’ because the vocals
sound exactly like Prince and his style but with
Sebastian’s dark twist.
I have been a big fan of Ed Banger for
about 3 years now and every time I hear a
live DJ set from Busy P or Justice, I pick up
on a track I have never heard before, i used to
search the hundreds of electronic music blogs
for hours at a time with no mention Of these
unknown songs until I heard this album, they
are all here! Ed Banger say that they are like
a big family made up of close friends and the
artists on the label, so it is no surprise that a
few of these tracks end up finding their way
into a set only to blow the crowd away without
realising they just heard a future classic in the
electronic world. Which leads me to believe
that this album will be an all-time great with
electronic music fans around the world for
many years to come.
40
remix. I highly recommend you have a listen to
this particular Remix if you are yet to experience
it. Sebastian has been said by Busy-P (Pedro
Winter) to have created the “Ed Banger sound”,
the sound we are so familiar with. I believe that
the ‘Ross Ross Ross - Single’ started this so
call sound, the dark twist of hard drum beats
and little samples randomly dropped in. He
carries on this trademark sound today in tracks
like ‘Total’, albeit very slightly, there samples
put in that remind me off someone dragging
their finger nails down a chalk board and i
think sebastian wants people to associate a
sound with something that people don’t like,
only a dark and twisted genius can pull this
off without sounding like they tried to hard.
Since 2007, electronic music started
to become unpopular with all the current
pop artists copying the style of the original
electronic artists that started a sound that
would be loved for many years to come. Artists
such as ‘LMFAO’ and ‘Lady Gaga’ have started
to produce tracks with a very french twist on
the already stolen sound in my opinion. Some
people say that this is killing the electronic
music that we know and are passionate about,
I also believe that pop bands would have
finished off an already wounded genre if it
wasn’t for this album and a helping hand with
Justice’s ‘Civilization’. After listening to this
album, i hope it spurs on other artists to get
back into the studio to secure the future of this
genre once again.
By James Worsfold
41
’m sure we’ve all seen Boyle’s cult classic
Trainspotting and felt the same feelings of
discomfort and anguish as we’re submerged
into the dark and murky depths of life as a
junkie. As we watch the relatively mundane
action unfold through the eyes of Renton we
experience the struggles and turmoil of leading
a life of addiction, fuelled by the constant
strive to reach that alluring next hit. But how
can a film of such depravity contaminate us
so much that we herald it on that mysterious
cult classic pedestal?
When we watch a cult classic we know it and
feel it, but how? We have a perception of what
we understand ‘cult’ to be, but there doesn’t
seem to be any rules. There are no set motifs or
paradigms that a director can work towards; it’s
CULT CLASSICS
simply something that happens and something
that we understand as an audience. Whatever
it is that makes something a classic transcends
from the screen and impacts us leaving a
lasting impression and feelings of uneasiness
far beyond the final scene.
Cult classics seem to reek of anarchy and
we seek pleasure in temporarily suspending
our normal lives as we are submerged into
the narrative. There’s often that element of
non-conformity which challenges the way we
perceive the world. For the most part we plod
along living within the constrictions of society I The individual against the group
42
but for some brief moments when watching a
cult classic we can broaden our horizons and
experience a different way of life. Cult narratives
provide us with illicit and taboo content which
we would normally not consider and presents
them ‘disguised’ in the medium of film. Without
us realising it we are submerged into filthy
surroundings of drug addicts, criminals and
underdogs. They are provided as the only
protagonists and for this reason we watch
with awe. We find ourselves watching for all
the wrong reasons following the gritty twists
and turns of an underworld which we realise
isn’t ever far from us.
There is a constant struggle between good
and evil, the respectable and the unrespectable
and we seek great pleasure in teetering on the
edge before succumbing to the dark realms
of the forbidden. This struggle between the
chaste and the lewd is presented ironically
aesthetically beautiful in films like Trainspotting
despite the typically undesirable, harsh and
ugly subject matter of the narrative.
Cult celebrates the now and cult classics
eternalise the notion of the now lived irrationally
and to excess. The cementation of narrative
in a particular time period creates an air of
poignancy, resulting in effects that linger far
beyond the mere narrative. Cult narratives are
thus, to a certain extent, social commentaries
which transport the reader or viewer to a
particular place or time through references
to iconic factors of their contextual environment
which may include geographical landmarks,
musical references or trends and fashions. Cult
narratives present these aspects aesthetically,
forcing the immersion of the viewer so that
they too can share and experience the moral
troubles and social climate of the protagonists.
The irrationality of cult fiction identifies it as
being in opposition to conventional rational or
‘normal’ society. It is abundantly clear then that
cult represents a form of counterculture, one
that errs away from the norms of acceptability
challenging the strict social structures of its
We chal lenge society and break laws.
43
environment. Cult is and always will be the
psychological against the social - the individual
against the group, the personal against the
general. The protagonist is our leader and
through them we are able to challenge similar
social suffocation and escape into a momentary
world of rebellion.
The majority of viewers will live a life of
conformity, going through life within the
restrictions of law and social acceptability.
Cult bombards us with the illicit and the illegal
invading our contrasting serenity. We relish in
this temporary juxtaposition and welcome it
into our mundane lives.
When we watch a cult classic we momentarily
become the “bad-ass”. We challenge society
and break laws. For the fleeting moments that
we are watching a cult classic we are the guys
on motorbikes corrupting girls and scaring
towns, we are drug addicts and criminals
fighting against “the man,” we are underdog
vigilantes we are counterculture and we love
it. We love it because for a while we can rebel
and challenge our own constructs and we
love it more as afterwards we realise that our
lives of social acceptability aren’t so bad at all.
By Andrew Hollingworth
44
RUBBER
Gather up your family.
Find yourself some
shelter. Do not... I
repeat, DO NOT
answer the door
to anybody! Good
people of the world, Bin Laden might have
been killed but the world is still not a safe place.
Something is still out there that has the power
to kill, maybe something worse... in fact! Yes!
Ladies and Gentlemen we face a new threat by
the name of Rob. Rob the tyre.... Wait, what!?
Yeah OK, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause
alarm and bring the world to a stand still but I
needed your attention (and hey, why the hell
not edit this review last second and exploit
Osama’s death?) because quite frankly, this
is one of the best films I have seen this year.
The film of course is Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber.
A lot of well deserved hype was made prior
to this film’s release and being one of the
people who knew from the early days of pre
production, I feel like I have been on a journey
“In the Steven Spielberg movie, E.T. why is the alien brown? No Reason…”
45
with this film. Yeah I’ll stop rambling and get
straight on with it!
I’m not going to bore you with a scene by
secen review of this film. In fact this is less of a
review and more of a promotion for this amazing
little flick. Right off the bat, this is one of the
best looking films I have seen for a while. The
film is shot (from what I have researched) on
a Canon 5D. There is so much detail in every
shot. The tread on the trye, the single strands
of hair, the Calirfornian desert... this is just a
gorgeous looking film and makes me wonder
why Hollywood invests billions in developing
these uber 3D cameras and such when they
can pick up a point and shooot camera and
shoot some really interesting and genuinely
beautiful shots. Quentin’s eye for a good angle
is something I haven’t seen before. As far as
tyres go... this is the best looking tyre I have
ever seen! The Californian desert itself looks
amazing, especially combined with the use
of lighting. Cinematography is picture perfect
(is that a pun?) all the way through this film.
Aside from looking original, the plot and
the dialogue are just as interesting. The story
takes me back to films from the Grindhouse
era. This is the best exploitation film that wasn’t
made in the 70’s. All you need to know is that
Rob is a tyre and he kills a lot of people...
And a couple of animals. The body count is
pretty, pretty, pretty high in this film. The police
are trying to stop him. Will they? Won’t they?
Well you have to watch for yourself won’t you
sonny Jim!? So yeah, that’s all you need to
know story wise.
One of the most overlooked things about
this flick is the dialogue. If you are familiar
with Quentin’s films or his music under the
name of Mr. Oizo you know already what to
expect. Obscure comes to mind... in fact a
word more severe than that... can’t think of
it though! There are a lot funny lines that will
even take the hardest Oizo fan by surprise
including an amazing little speech right at the
start of the film.
Let’s talk more about the tyre and the special
effects. One of the many things that surprised
me was how well effects are. Just the way the
tyre moved amazed me... in fact it still does.
You don’t see any string (yeah, real technical
talk) or anybody pushing it... It looks awesome
and moves as if it is alive.
What also amazed me was the practical
effects in general. Got some really nice head
explosions that are a great throw back to
Just the way the tyre moved amazed me ... in fact it still does Their beards could
take over the world
46
Scanners and Chopping Mall. Like I said, it’s
good old exploitation. Overall, the effects are
something to be witnessed.
Finally I would like to talk about the cameos
and the soundtrack. Straight away you will
see some actors you already know. Fans of
Ed Banger will also see some familiar faces.
The soundtrack is provided by Quentin and
the better half of Justice; Gaspard Augé.
Collectively, their beards could take over the
world because they’re awesome but that’s
enough of my weird little facial fetish... that
sounded worse than I’d hoped. ANYWAY, the
soundtrack. Bloody awesome and just what
you would expect from Quentin and Gaspard.
If you aren’t familiar with their music, shame on
you.... and go check them out... Sorry.
In a nutshell, if you like weird films... this is
for you. If you are a fan of Grindhouse films or
good old exploitation... this is for you. If you
like some good gore... this is for you. If you
like contemporary films... this is for you and
hey, if you like the idea of a tyre perving on a
gorgeous French girl in the shower... there’s
something with us... I mean you.... and yeah,
this is for you. Just go out and watch it!
Oh and before I forget, the film snob inside
me would like to advise you to go out and try
to seek out the 3 disc French blu ray edition...
ces’t super!
By Peter Davis
47
48
Names and Roles?
Yana Matusovski, I am the photographer and
the coordinator of the shoots.
Garrett Naccarato, I’m the art director and
stylist.
Jordan Reimer, I’m the makeup artist and stylist
How did KRUHX begin?
Y: We had been working together at fashion and
art events around the city. I think we noticed our
mutual attitudes towards the artistic community.
Despite Calgary having a small fashion base,
everything is done by the same people, with the
same stylists, models and photographers. And
with the monopoly, everything ends up looking
exactly the same and unoriginal. There was
no outlet for our vision, so I said “fuck trying
to break in with these people! let’s do our own
thing.” We wanted to create something all our
own, with our own ideas and philosophies.
We’ve always had a rebellious mentality and
I think that is how style is made.
G: We started because we were very frustrated
and uninspired with the fashion industry in
Calgary. We had so many ideas but no outlet
where we could make them a reality. That is
why we created KRUHX.
J: I feel like us just taking control of what we
wanted and creating a vision and having it
come alive was reason enough to for us to
want to create our own world under our name.
What does ‘KRUHX’ mean?
Y: the word kruhx or (crux), has many
definitions; it is a cross, a constellation, but
also “the critical or transitional moment”. We
are obsessed with the piece that completes
the composition. The one thing that throws it
off slightly, but inevitably make it a unique and
distinct form of art. The word kruhx means that
pinnacle moment of a challenge, the moment
where we are most creative.
Tell us what you do as KRUHX?
Y: we create artistic, photographic spreads.
G: We utilize all of our talents to create thought
provoking editorials.
49
J: inspiring young kids wanting to create a
world within their world and following their
dreams and hopefully in some way challenging
views through art
What are you most inspired by?
Y: Music, the people I see on the train, alot
of artists on the Internet. I wouldn’t say my
aesthetic is necessarily similar to theirs, but I
am motivated by their passion to create.G: I
draw the majority my inspiration from geometry
and architecture. Most of my work has a
somewhat geometric feel to it; I love sharp,
clean, crisp, structured things. I’m also inspired
by everyday life and individual style which is
why I look towards street style blogs as well.
J: old films, documentaries, gay culture,
theature, pieces of music, for me it’s a mash
up of things but I always store away in the back
of my mind something that really caught my eye
or made me inspired and ill start sketching or
making things to start the creative juices and
elaborate on the piece as i go.
Who are your idols in life?
Y: I used to have many, but I’ve realized there
is no point to idolize someone or something,
your expectation of yourself becomes bias, and
your work can become boring. I like mixing
it up. I guess we are bias as human beings.
G: I don’t really have any specific idols. I tend
to look up to people who are successful, happy
and doing what they love.
J: I am inspired a lot by the typical music icons
billy idol,george michael, madonna, grace
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jones and then my other idols range from
bloggers to actors to directors i listed off my
musical idols first cause music has inspired
alot of my ideas for our photoshoots.
7 shades of black love ‘Form’, tell us all about it
G: Well...because I’m inspired so much by
geometry I wanted to shoot an editorial based
solely around geometric structural shapes and
having a background in graphic design I found
it to be the perfect opportunity to combine both
my love for design and my love for fashion.
What are you currently working on?
Y: We just finished up our campaign in
collaboration with the Fabricated show, and
now we are moving onto a new creative shoot.
G: Right now we have a few shoots on our
brain and we’re going to be shooting another
one real soon.
J: the next shoot is going to be amazing
because its going back to our roots and
creating interesting pieces most of which will
all be hand done and hours of time have been
put into them!
Sounds fun! Tell us what do you do outside
of KRUHX?
Y: Rock n Roll.
G: Work just like everybody else.
J: i always wonder if people expect us to say
something glamorous but truth be told we
are honest people who do the same things
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working our way to the top, getting my coffee
black, going to the magazine store, going to
work then coming home and looking forward
to hot summer weather, which will mean better
weather to shoot in.
Besides “rock n rolling” Where do you all see
yourselves in ten years time?#
Y: I would love to see KRUHX take on new
projects within the fashion community. Fashion
shows, maybe creative direction in films. I’d
personally love to work for a publication. Who
knows, I can’t even think about 6 months
down the line.
G: I see KRUHX becoming a creative agency
where we work on various fashion related
campaigns and projects. Eventually I’d like
to work for a fashion retailer where I’d assist
with the marketing and buying aspects.
Alternatively, I’d love to work for a publication
as a Creative or Art Director of shoots.
J: The one question everyone asks in interviews
and the one i will never have an answer to.
To finish tell the readers of 7 Shades of Black
one fact that no-one knows about you
Y: ....
G: I love playing video games. I’m a closet
gamer haha.
J: when i was 9, jawbreaker among other
movies got me really interested in fashion.
By Roman Dennis
kruhx.com
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T he art and beauty of
fashion extends further
than the simple colour and
style of a garment; a basic
knowledge of draping
does not a designer make;
and the “do these make my rear look like the
Himalayas?” moments should not be the fruit
of a designer’s labor. A keen perspective,
however, and the knowledge that art, like
fashion, is wearable are paramount in creating
unique works of art meant for the human form.
While the use of geometric shapes in clothing is
not a new concept, designers are finding new
and creative ways to extend their knowledge of
fashion from a simple silhouette, to the larger
than life haute couture pieces that are not only
avant garde and daring but beautiful in their
architecture as well.
The Art of Fashion
Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake is
at the forefront of such artistic expressionism.
One of his newest ventures, 132 5. Issey
Miyake, is a clothing line made from various
recycled materials. While this might be a
difficult concept to grasp (try to follow me on
this though), Miyake’s creations are meant
to be two-dimensional pieces with various
cuts and shapes embedded into them. The
two-dimensional pieces, which look like
nothing more than intricately tailored table
mats, can then be pulled upward and into
3D form to create dresses, jackets etc. These
unsuspecting pieces are perhaps most striking
in their geometric fortitude and their ability to
unfold into wearable pieces.
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The Art of Fashion While the mainstays of ready to wear seem to
be translatability for the masses, the structured
and often abstract pieces are the ones that
grab and hold our attention. Like sculpted
art we watch, mesmerized, as models barrel
down the runway in pieces that jauntily flare
at the hip and point at the shoulders. Often
times complimented by blunt haircuts and
makeup straight out of Zenon the Zequal,
for a moment these designers allow us to
explore the boundaries of fashion and art in the
21st century. London based designer Louise
Goldin’s F/W 2010 line, for example, is full to
the brim with pieces that are both futuristic
in their detailing but authentic to the human
form in their padded nature. Both Oblong and
dimensional shapes flare from top and bottom
ends of the Goldin’s pieces creating interesting
silhouettes while forcing us to find the beauty
in the shape of them.
Similarly, Russian born designer, Irina
Shaposnikova is creating pieces that both
intrigue the mind and appease the eye. The
designer’s 2009 debut line ‘Crystallographica’
presents memorable pieces that resemble
crystalline ice structures more than they do
garments. Constructed like glass houses,
Shaposnikova’s works are glowing and ethereal
in their texture and material but meticulous in
their build. Made up of triangles of the acute,
obtuse, and equilateral nature, many of the
pieces are set to colours like white, black, and
gold, giving a futuristic quality to the crafted
pieces. The line’s biggest strength however,
is its practicality and the wearability.
The biggest challenge for consumers and
designers alike is getting past the barriers of
the impracticalities in geometric based fashion.
While they’re intriguing to look at and fun to
discuss, many pieces can, at times, come off
a bit costume -y. While a major goal should
be to impress and to push the boundaries of
imagination, fashion is also meant to be worn
and enjoyed. Many designers are now learning
to present their pieces in such a way as not
to become lost in translation. Less obvious,
however, is the convention and beauty in these
pieces but more apparent, and some would
say more important, are the attention to style
and architecture that comes from artists who
dare to forgo tradition.
By Nneka Idika
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SelfSimulation
have no idea what I look like. Seriously. Walk
over to a mirror right now, and what do you
see? Eyes? Cheeks? Lips? If I walk over to
a mirror right now, this is what I will see: A
little burn tool at half opacity under my cheek
bones would really define them, and my eyes
are looking dull, so some dodge tool would be
great. Jesus when did my cheeks get so puffy?
Some liquefy tool will correct that. Anyone
out there familiar with Adobe Photoshop will
recognise these tools. The problem is, I can
see them at work in my mind on my reflection,
not just on a computer screen.
Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be some
long-winded dissertation of some personal
issue of poor self-esteem or a body dysmorphic
disorder. This is going to be the story of digital
retouching and how it affects millions of people
around the world, including myself.
First of all, I do not condemn the practice
of enhancing images in the digital darkroom.
It would be hypocrisy at it’s finest if I did, since
I don’t know anyone else that retouches his
or her images as much as I do, and I’m not
just talking about landscapes and kittens; I’m
talking about portraits.
Enhancing one’s appearance in media
dates back far before our friend Photoshop
was born. One of the most famous examples
is an 1814 painting by Jean-Auguste Ingres
called La Grande Odalisque. This stunning oil
painting of a nude woman reclining with her
back to the viewer was done at the hey-day of
photorealistic paintings, towards the end of the
neoclassical era. As your eyes take in the figure
of the woman you can tell something is off; your
eyes do not deceive you. Ingres chose to add
five extra vertebrae in her spine. Art historians
have come up with numerous theories as to
why he did this, but the point is he chose to
depict this beauty in an inhuman way.
Fast-forward 197 years and let us examine
how this false depiction of people, particularly
“beautiful people” affects us. Although it’s no
I
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secret that virtually every single image of your
favourite celebrity has been doctored to erase
their fine lines, blemishes, and unsightly fat,
many of us still forget. We see these images
and long to look as flawless, and when we
see ourselves in the mirror disappointment
and anger creep into our minds and cloud
our vision.
Advertisers know this, and they take
advantage of the untrained consumer eye. I
think it was a year or two ago that I purchased
a gossip magazine at the airport (the only
acceptable place to purchase these mind
numbing publications) and was dumbstruck
by what I found inside. There was an article
about the Kardashian sisters rejoicing about
their wonderful new slim and fit bodies. They
credited their new physiques to a product
called QuickTrim. To the more observant
individual it was painfully obvious that their
“new bodies” were the work of our friend the
liquefy tool in Photoshop. Kim and Khloé are
standing in front of a backdrop of foliage, and
the grass and plants around their waists and
legs is warped. Although I wasn’t surprised that
the girls were retouched to look thinner, I was
shocked that such obviously sloppy editing
made it into a popular magazine.
Of course, aside from glaringly visible
edits, there are the more masterful and hidden
ones that our eyes accept as photographic
truth. The gaunt cheeks, concave stomachs,
and mile-wide gaps between thighs. None
of this is possible. This brings me back to
what I said earlier: I have no idea what I look
like. Browsing through my Facebook or Flickr
pictures of myself does not show me what I
looked like at the time the photo was taken. That
being the case, I look upon these images that
I consciously and deliberately retouched on
my own to “improve” myself and I find myself
thinking, “I looked so good then!” when in
reality I never looked like my simulated self.
“To simulate is to feign what one doesn’t
have”, straight forward words written by
Jean Baudrillard in his book Simulacra
and Simulation. It is an immensely difficult
read, nothing I would ever recommend, but
Baudrillard makes some points that are relevant
to my topic.
I apologise in advance if I have misinterpreted
his text, but what I was able to draw out of his
cynicism was some new insight on images as
signs. Let’s say this was a perfect world, and a
picture taken of you fell into the image phase he
describes as, “it is the reflection of a profound
reality,” or in fewer words: what you see is
exactly what exists. With digital retouching in
the mix, the image falls under the more ominous
phase of, “it has no relation to any reality
whatsoever.” This needs no translation; his
message is clear. René Magritte had a similar
Trust me, you will be fighting a losing battle.
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idea in his famous painting The Treachery of
Images (Ceci N’est Pas Une Pipe). The painting
isn’t really a pipe; it’s a painting. Likewise, our
brains should remember that the images we
see in media all around us aren’t what they
depict; they are just images, and most likely
they fall into Baudrillard’s category of an image
that has nothing to do with reality.
If you take nothing away from this article,
besides a headache and the notion that
I’m psychotic for having auto-Photoshop
programmed into my mind’s eye, just
remember to never trust your own eyes when
it comes to captured images. There is no
more photographic truth, so don’t go beating
yourself up if you never measure up to what
artificial beauty is laid before you. Trust me,
you will be fighting a losing battle.
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Rachelle Sabourin
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Photographer - Rachelle Sabourin
Hair/makeup - Rachelle Sabourin
Models - Laura Malden, Rachelle Sabourin
Camera - Nikon fg mslr
flickr.com/photos/intrachelle
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60
61
62
Courtney Boydston
63
Photographer - Courtney Boydston
Hair/makeup - Courtney Boydston
Models - Courtney Boydston, Curtis Beavers
Camera - Canon 50D
flickr.com/photos/kortini
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65
66
ause for a second and
consider what exactly made
you interested in this article.
The painfully cool font that
plasters these pages? Or
something really strange,
the quality of journalism?
From the local Supermarket to Ebay, art to
music, the images and pictures you see sway
your judgement as to whether you should take
a deeper interest. You are just one consumer
in a sea of billions. How important then do
you think presentation and image are in the
business of music?
Bands are often victims of their own image
based prisons, be it The Beatles and The
Rolling Stones or Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.
Yes they all have a need to convey their ideas
and concepts visually but they can also easily
fall victim to it. Glance over your shoulder to
the 60’s and notice the difference between the
styling of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Once Parlophone had twigged the potential
within the group, The Beatles had their early
Rocker look binned and were thrown into
sharp suits. They now looked smart and
wholesome, and consequently were loved
by all demographics of society from, little
Lucy right up to Great Aunt Vera. Jagger and
his mob were almost opposite, their early
sharper image progressed into a selection of
louche Technicolor attire with influences from
Asia that conveyed a mantra of indulgence
and excess. A group that were loved by the
Image in music
that errs away from the norms of acceptability
challenging the strict social structures of its
environment. Cult is and always will be the
psychological against the social - the individual
against the group, the personal against the
general. The protagonist is our leader and
through them we are able to challenge similar
social suffocation and escape into a momentary
world of rebellion.
The majority of viewers will live a life of
conformity, going through life within the
restrictions of law and social acceptability.
Cult bombards us with the illicit and the illegal
invading our contrasting serenity. We relish in
this temporary juxtaposition and welcome it
into our mundane lives.
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rebel within most teenagers of the day and
not trusted by their parents. Nowadays this
powerful combination of style and image is
arguably even more important than the music
itself, building an entire world for the act to
exist within or destroying their chances before
a single note resonates. Styling alone has the
ability to break a burgeoning career as easily
as snuffing out a candle.
With manufactured pop acts ruling the
airwaves again, image has helped to forge the
career of people such as Rhianna, Katy Perry,
Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. This ranges
from those considered saccharine sweet and
oh-so innocent like Bieber, with his fan-base
of addicted fangirls and skin crawling middle
aged women. Then we have the more risqué
acts that get by with a decent sprinkling of sex
throughout their work, tracks like “S&M” or “I
Kissed a Girl” are proof of how sexing up sells
instantly. And then you have those that are just
bizarre, artists like Lady Gaga who produce
synthed up pieces of pop music that are woven
into an alternate reality. She and the team
behind her have wielded the notion of style and
image creating a persona so powerful it almost
renders her music irrelevant. This is nothing
original either, even when analysed casually
you can see Lady Gaga for the repackaged
Madonna product she really is, a definitive
exhibit of the force of style in the music industry.
However, is this just the limping beast that
is pop music? Each new band or artist is just
a concept that has its brief sprint across the
golden plain before tripping and falling down a
rocky ravine to continue its ailing existence. On
occasion a band that breaks rapidly manages
to maintain the quality and quantity of its
creative output; Arctic Monkeys for example
continually manage to keep the time between
albums down to two years. Even when looking
into the spectrum of music that would be
considered independent from the charts, you
encounter a similar issue of fashion and fads.
Bands that are born out of fast burning music
scenes tend to be the victims of fashion, tossed
a new genre, over hyped for a few weeks and
then kicked out to recycling banks at the local
Morrisons, ready to be turned into next months
“Best Band Eva!!!”
The Horrors were dismissed as manufactured
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product clad in black skinny jeans, black
winkle-pickers, black barnets and black
waistcoats. Their strong styling caused them
to be considered as a brief flash in the pan that
would boost the sales of monochrome clothing
for a couple of months. Critics failed to notice
the black 7” discs of vinyl clasped close to
their chests, the source of an encyclopaedic
knowledge of 60’s Garage and Psychedelia,
New-Wave, Soul and Electronica. Such a
passion for the afore-mentioned would hint
that they were destined for more than the well
constructed and vociferous play on snotty
60’s punk that was their debut album. Indeed,
they produced a Mercury Award nominated
follow up album that featured in many critics
“Albums of The Year” lists. An album that had
the ability to nod at those inspirations from the
past, without recycling any of it with the same
ethos as mainstream pop.NME made it their
number one album of the year (although they
would vote an album of “Rainforest Sounds”
you find in a garden centre with the same merit
if it was trending on Twitter long enough.) But
their skinny jeans image did little to assist their
rise to credibility.
Es dd
Advice to aspiring bands:
Build an image and concept to live within but
do not let it overshadow the creative process
of your song writing. Your style is an aspect
that should evolve naturally, observed more
by those outside than those within the music
bubble.
Advice to consumers:
To be blunt, don’t purchase whatever the
mannequin in Urban Outfitters is wearing and
don’t cut your hair like that guy from “that new
band, you know them, the cool ones, with the
cool hair.”
Time to consider the conclusion that will finish
this article neatly with a proverbial pretty bow
on top. So why did you decided to read this?
The alluring pictures dotted around the page
and the painfully cool font would both draw my
eye. But was it worth the time, did you gleam
anything at all? Or was this just another flash
in the pan.
By Robert Jones
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An author wants to be remembered for their
craft, for all their pieces of art. Nobody in
the artistic world wants to fall into the trap
of being a ‘one-hit wonder.’ However, some
do and cannot always escape it. The author
remains known for one novel and one novel
only, their other books are cast aside and are
neglected somewhere on a book shelf. Well I’m
here to amplify those lesser-known works. To
prove that these pieces are worth a read just
as their hit-making ones were. Below is a list
‘Didn’t they write...?” Famous Authors and Their Other Books
of four works of literature written by authors,
most famous for a particular novel, and my
reasons as to why these are as valuable as
their well-known pieces, if not greater. A
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Her Fearful Symmetry
Audrey Niffenegger
known for The Time Traveller’s Wife
When Elspeth Noblin dies she leaves her
London flat overlooking Highgate Cemetery to
her twin nieces (who never knew of Elspeth’s
existence), Julia and Valentia Poole. The
condition being that their mother is to never
cross the threshold. The twins uproot from
their suburban American home and hope that
in London their own separate lives can finally
begin but they have no idea that they have
been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives.
“Robert lay with her in the dark, in his bed, as
the knowledge and horror of what they had
done spread before him.”
Three words: Blew. My. Mind. The fact that
this novel was consumed by myself in a mere
four and a half hours should assure you that it
is, most definitely, of the same calibre as The
Time Traveller’s Wife. Niffenegger has this
amazing knack with characters. She manages
to get right underneath their skin, exposing
their strengths and weaknesses so the reader
feels like they know them. However, she tricks
you, she pulls the rug out from underneath the
reader’s feet and the character you grew to love
is now a completely different person. Expect
to encounter a love-hate relationship with the
characters, there will be moments when their
actions will put you into a state of shock. It’s a
warped journey through Niffenegger’s brain and
the twists are unexpected and unpredictable.
Admittedly, some of the descriptions are a
little contrived and had me cringing, but when
looking at the arrangement and the situation
being depicted, there is little any author can
do without achieving some kind of ‘cheese’
factor. A new favourite in my bookshelf, and
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I wholeheartedly urge you to enter into this
ghost story with a difference
For One More Day
Mitch Albom
known for The Five People You Meet In Heaven
Charley Benetto, a broken man on the brink
of suicide takes a midnight ride, his final
journey to his small hometown. However, as
he staggers into his childhood home, he makes
an astonishing discovery. His mother - who died
eight years earlier - is there, and welcomes
Charley home as if nothing had ever happened.
“Because there was a ghost involved, you may
call this a ghost story. But what family isn’t a
ghost story? Sharing tales of those we’ve lost
is how we keep from really losing them.”
Mitch Albom deserves some kind of trophy
marking him as ‘an author who succeeds in
making readers cry.’ If you enjoyed The Five
People You Meet In Heaven, then this is most
definitely the novel for you. The novel carries
heavy hints of death, after-life and self worth,
which though not everyone’s cup of tea, very
much appeals to your inner emotions. If you’re
the kind of person who loves to throw quotes
into day to day conversations, particularly
ones of depth, Albom has a whole stack of
them piled up in here with your name written
all over them. His dialogue, the exchanges
between Charley and his mother, his character
development are almost flawless. Cecelia
Ahern states that ‘Albom sees the magical in
the ordinary,” which really sums up what this
novel is about. Whether or not you believe
in life after death, this novel really brings to
the forefront the importance of now and the
significance of the decisions you make. With
a more simplistic tone than The Five People
You Meet In Heaven, don’t be surprised if you
prefer this. By Clare L T Dunn
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