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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.

56

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

58

Photographer - Rachelle Sabourin

Hair/makeup - Rachelle Sabourin

Models - Laura Malden, Rachelle Sabourin

Camera - Nikon fg mslr

flickr.com/photos/intrachelle

59

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.

67

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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