Milly McMahon's Blog

High5Collective

2012-02-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Laying freaky visual narratives over strong tunes, High5Collective are an anonymous community of visual artists who first met around an open urinal.

Click images to enlarge.
Relieving their creative juices via the medium of moving art, the faceless film buffs behind Hi5 take an ingeniously alternative approach to entertainment. Engaging audiences with elaborate plot lines, exploring characters and relationships in an emotive manner, each music video the five co-write, direct and shoot is unique, charged and dramatic. Exploring extreme scenarios, predominately based upon abduction, bloodshed, lust, love and voyeurism, Hi-5 started life making music videos for songs they stumbled across online. The buzz around their offerings grew little by little; until the hype exploded earlier this year after a certain Master Frank Ocean hit up Hi5 for a video to track Thinking Of You. The five film school friends turned business partners have written and officially released music videos for Jay-Z and Kanye, Theophilus London and Citizens since. Recently signed to Partizan, the collective continues to seek out lesser-known acts that are right for a heavy dose of the Hi-5’s hench treatments.
Why did you decide to work as collective? We moved in together, so it made sense to work together because we’re all poor and couldn’t afford to do stuff on our own. What is the most accomplished video H5C have ever made? People started to take us more seriously after we did the video with Frank Ocean for ‘Thinking About You‘. It was like we became legit because he co-signed. So we owe him gratitude. Thanks Frank! How do your video scripts evolve? For music videos it’s all about what we feel when we listen to the song. The five of us will sit in the living room and throw ideas around, and it keeps snowballing until we come up with some shit that gets us really stoked. How do you inspire one another? We have krump battles and karate fights. How do you source the actors in your videos? Sometimes we write roles specifically for our friends, because we’re all about keeping it in the family, and creating a community. Sometimes we’ll have a role that we don’t feel can be represented by people we personally know, so then we cast actors – which normally consists of meeting up and seeing if they’re rad people. More often than not the people we decide to use end up becoming our friends, so our pool of talents keeps getting bigger! What draws you to particular artists? We’re huge fans of music, so we want to work with artists that get us hyped.
high5collective.tumblr.com
Text: Milly McMahon
i-Buy: Order The Whatever The Weather Issue here.

i-N Conversation: Mark Hoppus (Blink-182)

2012-02-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

Last week Blink 182 bassist and frontman Mark Hoppus braved the London snow, was invited to The Simpsons’ 500th episode anniversary party and made plans to pop for dinner in parliament. Busy Blinking.

Young Heezy, aka Mark Hoppus is the Sunshine State born surf-pop rocker who has been breaking hearts and inspiring air guitarists for over two decades. Splitting with bandmates and Blink comrades Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker back in 05 the rude, lewd, spiky haired trio who embodied a generation’s coming of age called time on their award-winning success after thirteen years of chart-topping action. Throw forward seven years, in 2012 the Blink boys return to the scene with their sixth studio album to date, Neighbourhoods. Mark stripped down, to tell i-D online all about what he’s been up to since the spotlight switched off.
Text: Milly McMahon
Film and photography: Dexter Navy
twitter.com/markhoppus
blink182.com

Jack Peñate - No One Lied

2012-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Internet - Fastlane

2012-02-02T09:28:00.001-08:00

Fancy a backy?

2012-01-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

Busses get gridlocked. Tube lines get closed. Boris Bikes are just bad. If you wanna beat the traffic, grab a backpack and hit the dirt track.

Cycling, skating and strolling is the swiftest way to avoid congestion and keep good time. Four London experts apply some pressure to their break pads and fill i-D online in on their preferred toe paths and backpacks.

From left:

Nehjat Ramoth, 35, Shoreditch, 1948 Store manager
What’s in your backpack?My laptop, a bottle of water, a notepad and hand cream (note: I hate dry hands). What was the last track you listened to?‘Don’t scandalize mine’, Sugar Bear (Dave Pearce, Best of Dance 1988 – 1992). What’s your favourite cycle route? I would say the canal path from Shoreditch to Camden.
Nehjat wears backpack Nike Cheyenne (RED) Edition.

Zainab Jama, 26 (Damn), London, Music promotion via writing, eventing and press
What’s your preferred mode of transport? Bike or Bus. Tube can jog on. I love the madness of the night bus especially with a good soundtrack. What’s in your backpack? Laptop, 8-hour cream (standard), bottle of water, pen, diary, Flaming Hot Monster Munch and a Pret Love Bar. Where’s good to go out around your ends? The charity shops around Pimlico are untapped gold, more for me. No nightlife here, its lovely. What was the last track you listened to? ‘Sink’, ZVA (Blacklabel).
Zainab wears Nicomede Talavera for Eastpak.

Nick Bam, 23, London, Consultant, writer and musician
What’s in your backpack?A change of clothes for tonight’s gig and my Macbook. Where’s good to go out around your ends?Yum Cha in Chalk Farm Rd for Dim Sum, Jazz Cafe for good music. What was the last track you listened to? ‘Oxy Music’ By Schoolboy Q. What did the last text message you receive say? It was from my Dad, asking me if I want to go the Baftas with him! Where are you off to now? I’m meeting my boys Nate & Motive to plan an event.
Nick wears backpackNike.

Alice (Moxie), 25, Kentish Town, DJ, Events promoter and graphic designer
What’s in your backpack?Standard stuff really, laptop, purse, notepad, bottle of water and my book ‘Howling At The Moon’ by Walter Yetnikoff. Where’s good to go out around your ends? I love this place called the Map Studio Cafe which is around the corner from me in Kentish Town. They serve really great food and put on loads of live music events. They also have a shop where you can buy records and have a recording studio at the back which the local kids use.
Alice wears backpackEastpak.

Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Masha Mel

i-DJ: Vessel

2012-01-27T09:50:00.001-08:00

House music maker Seb Gainsborough is doing for electronic music what Serge, his classical counterpart, did for French pop in the 60s

Signed to Tri-Angle Records, imprint of critically acclaimed artists Clams Casino, Balam Acab and Holy Other, Bristol based producer Seb, prefers to go by the moniker ‘Vessel’. Why? Nobody knows. Coming-up, part of The Young Echo collective, this twenty-two-year-old talent is incredibly intuitive and intelligent, that much is obvious from his production work. Sounding like the dark experiment of an incredibly creative mind, intrigued by its own capabilities; tempos, rhythms and levels are deliberately woven together to not fit in his music. Adhering to no rules, Seb names Vessels tracks as obscurely as the unnerving, synthesized noises he creates (James Dean and Wax Dance are highlights). New to the scene and already pioneering a whole new genre of house, Vessels’ potential to dramatically alter the electronic music climate is vast. Pushing boundaries and ignoring trends, Seb is making sounds he likes. The rest of us are an afterthought. i-D online caught-up with the brazen, knob-twiddling technician to find out about the positive movements happening in Bristol right now, that he thinks we should all get familiar with.
1. Young Echo Collective – An obvious choice, but there’s a huge amount to be excited about here for me. With the radio show starting to gain recognition and exciting releases lined-up for everyone, there’s no doubt that we’ll continue to develop and evolve as a group, and hopefully to create increasingly important and relevant music.
2. Idle Hands Record Shop – Although the prevalence of digitally available music no doubt dominates the market, I still feel that it’s a great thing to have records shops, especially in a city like Bristol. There’s nothing more to be said about the sad decline of physical stores that hasn’t been said already, but hopefully they’ll be around for a long time to come.
3. Idle Hands Records – In a relatively short time Idle Hands have made a strong statement about their sound and about creating a point of transition for sounds that have been building in Bristol for some time. That exchange between dubstep, techno, house etc, is represented in their releases in a really elegant way. Expect great things.
4. Punch Drunk – To my mind, a label that has been consistently excellent and relevant since its birth. When you’ve defined and shaped a unique sound like that I think the easy thing to do is to sit back and enjoy the tributes. Punch Drunk are always looking to evolve; they’re a classic label still actively redefining why they’re a classic label.
5. Gloucester Road/Stokes Croft – A controversial choice perhaps, considering the recent gentrification. Yes, there are more students, perhaps too many lensless glasses and charity shop jumpers for some, but there’s no doubt that the independent/subversive ethos is surviving well, and related scenes are doing well off of that energy. Bristol’s various underground artists thrive in that area, we’d be pretty fucked without it. Listen-up Council!
soundcloud.com/vessel
See our full i-DJ archive here.

Hollyoaks Hunk Alert!

2012-01-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

Breaking hearts willy-nilly, Jonny Clarke (aka Bart McQueen) is Hollyoaks’ resident ladies man.

Drafted into the fictional Cheshire village in Summer 2010 to inject a heavy dose of testosterone into the town’s drama, he has been at the epicentre of stabbing and sex change stories ever since. Lad.
A proper lad, Jonny Clarke is not too dissimilar to the character he plays on screen. Into football, girls and getting messy, he lives in Manchester with some of his fellow Hollyoak-ers. Dreamy, dark and handsome, this charming, heartbreakingly hunky thespian harbours aspirations of one day appearing on the big screen with his name in bright lights. i-D online pinned down the pin-up for some serious one on one time.
When did you first get into acting? When I was about four. My parents took me to this stage school where my sisters went. There was singing, dancing, drama. I went for a taster day and ended up being cast in the play. But my Mum and Dad had to come at the end and say, “look he’s not going to this school at the minute, he’s too young. You can’t cast him.” And that’s how it all started…
How did you land the role in Hollyoaks? I basically was really bad at school, just got really bad grades. I knew I needed to earn a living and I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I wanted a certain skill so I could earn money whist I was doing it. I thought hair-dressing maybe. I went to my Dad who got me an agent and I got a job doing a viral thing for a university and then an audition came up for Hollyoaks a week later. I just went to audition and then on the drive back home with my Mum they said I got the part. I was like, chilling.
What happens on a typical day on set? We arrive about half seven in the morning. You go through make-up, the girls take longer in make-up, I just take like two seconds. Just a bit of base then you go up to costume, get your costume on for that episode and then straight to set. You have to know your lines, you learn them the night before or a few weeks before if you’re a swat. Then we do a line run-though, block rehearsal and then you go straight for it on camera…
How would you describe your character Bart McQueen? Bit of a Jack the lad, bit of a loveable rogue. He’s got a girlfriend now but before that he used to get with loads of girls so he’s a bit of a ladies’ man.
How do you react to seeing yourself on the TV? Hate it, hate it. It’s just weird seeing yourself, I’m a pretty self-conscious person. But you have to watch yourself back to improve on your acting. So I just force myself to sit and go ‘Arghh good, cringe, cringe, cringe.’
Where do your ambitions lie? I want to go to America and do a film. I wanna be in sort of mobster films. That’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was about eight.
What’s your favourite film? That is a hard question; I’ve got so many. I’m watching a TV series at the moment called ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and I’m loving that. Steven Graham, he was in ‘This Is England’, he plays Al Capone and he’s amazing.
Are there any relationships within the cast and crew? We’re got a few. Laurie’s going out with Lucy Dixon. Jamie’s is going out with Georgie Porter. I’m not meant to say this, but theres been a few break-ups, which is sort of awkward.
What’s next? I’ve got this big story line coming up in Hollyoaks, which should be exciting and quite controversial. I really can’t wait to nail the performance.

e4.com/hollyoaks
Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: George Harvey
Styling: John William
Grooming: Theresa Davies
From left. Look 1: Jonny wears shirt SAND and jacket Alexander McQueen. Look 2: Jacket and shorts Kenzo. Shirt Burberry. Sunglasses vintage Gianfranco Ferrè at The Eye Company. Look 3:: Jacket and trousers Kenzo. Shirt Marni.

Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe

2012-01-25T03:06:00.001-08:00

Maxxi Soundsystem: Exclusive Mix

2012-01-24T10:11:00.001-08:00

Maxxi disco track DJ Sam Watts makes beautifully melodious mixes out of samples, using a laptop and a record deck. Alone he is Maxxi Soundsystem.

i-D Online Exclusive Mix: Maxxi Soundsystem by i-D online
Heavily influenced by the dirty, raw sounds and scenes Brighton boasts, wayward spirit Sam Watts is still trying to establish what kind of music he makes. Sam began making a name for himself a few years back, throwing various parties and club nights about his seaside hometown. Hosting events in dive bars and on beaches, the kind of get-togethers he organized were fully focused on who was behind the booth: music loving nights for real music lovers. Fast-forward to 2012 and Maxxi Soundsystem is set to release tracks via progressive Bristol based imprint Futureboogie and continuing to collaborate with Nervous Records, the label that discovered and signed him. Splicing together elements of house, disco and R & B, the USP of his sound-system is the instant likeability factor; the undeniably infectious tempos and steady pulsing anthem-like rhythms that command crowds when cranked up high.
Quite the maverick, his fully flavoured and fine tunes should be filed somewhere between Azari & III and Pillowtalk. Listening to hip-hop and drum and bass as a kid, Sam now cites everything from Street Sound’s electro series, to The Fatback Band and even his Dad’s saxophone practicing as influences on his trademark techniques. i-D online bowed down to the Brighton based boy and maxed out to his latest and exclusive i-D Online mix.
Your background is in events, what kind of parties did you put on? The main night I put on with my friends in Brighton is schtumm. We used to keep the venue and guests a secret. I remember once we had Radio Slave play to about 40 people in a tiny basement under a Moroccan restaurant. We are just about to get a regular slot at Audio in Brighton. Recently we’ve had some big names like Jamie Jones, Art Dept, Danny Daze and Tensnake so it’s a proper club party now.
What nights do you regularly attend? In Brighton I spend rather a lot of my evenings in the studio but I’ll always check a party that involves Wolf Music (who are local) in London. There’s plenty – Disco Bloodbath is always good fun.
How did you first come to be involved with Thomas Gandey? I booked him to play at my party, it was just before he really blew up with Cagedbaby. Been friends ever since.
How has the London nightlife changed since those early days, when you first began DJ’ing? My first trips to London clubs were to go to drum and bass events, which were mostly really scary. I think I liked the edginess of it though. I remember each DJ would play almost the same set. There is so much better dance music now that it’s far more common to hear lots of different music in one night. I think London has always been a really exciting place to go out, I just know where to find the good parties now. When I started I didn’t have a clue.
Who are you listening to right now? A DJ mix by Christophe.
Catch Maxxi at the Nest this Friday from 10pm
soundcloud.com/maxxisoundsystem

Text: Milly McMahon

iLL Manors

2012-01-24T06:18:00.001-08:00

Award winning British actor Riz Ahmed (Four Lions) stars in iLL Manors – the directorial debut by pioneering British music artist Ben Drew (aka Plan B).

A unique crime thriller set on the unforgiving streets of London, iLL Manors follows six disparate lives, all struggling to survive the circles of violence that engulf them.

Visually stunning and laced with street-wise humour, iLL Manors is narratively linked through original music from Plan B's highly anticipated follow up album to The Defamation of Strickland Banks.

Ground-breaking in its approach, iLL Manors is fast becoming one of the must-see films of 2012.

i-DJ: Gilles Peterson

2012-01-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Masterful music has mood changing powers and Gilles Peterson has the ability to make the sun shine on a rainy day.

i-DJ: Gilles Peterson Cuba Mix by i-D online
After attending a nappy night disco for underages at his local church hall, music oracle and superstar DJ Gilles Peterson began harbouring burning ambitions to become Lord of the Dance. Today he is the wildly acclaimed private eye of prefect beats, broadcasting ground breaking radio shows and pod-casts, DJ’ing and event organising internationally, on a one man mission to keep every genre of music, no matter how bizarre, unusual or outrageous, current and heard. Gilles’ only criteria is that his turntables represent hench talent from all four corners of the planet. i-D got five on it with the Michael Flatley of the new music sphere to chat MC’s, Facebook and Southern Freeze.
Do you remember the first cassette you ever brought? ELO – Out of the blue.
What music do you remember your parents listening to when you were growing up? Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot.
What is your most treasured vinyl? Terry Callier – What colour is Love (original acetate double album version that never came out).
Where is your favourite record shop in the world? Cosmos – Toronto.
How has the world of new music changed since Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud have become so popular? Are you open to all the new avenues or do you think it makes things a bit too complicated? I love it – you now have a choice of how you want your music – quick time or old school physical with heavy vinyl and thick cardboard sleeve notes and booklets – I’ll be sad when there is no physical whatsoever… tip to future collectors – buy the vinyls being made today – they’ll soon be very rare.
What elements of working with music do you enjoy the most: scouting, presenting, mixing or DJ’ing? DJ’ing probably – nothing better than an 8 hour set on a great sound system.
Which person, artist or band has had the biggest influence upon your taste in music? Earl Zinger aka my mate from across the road has constant left turns to take me down and is a pretty mad MC too. I’ve been listening to a lot of doo wop recently.
I read your first radio show was broadcast between a tree and a phone box, what was that like? Do you remember what you played? I remember playing ‘souther freeze’ by freeze a lot – it was freezing too – I remember the first phone call that came through to the phone box – someone was listening in Croydon and I thought I’d invented the internet!
What are your creative processes when piecing together a mix? Don’t spend too much time on it – allow the natural momentum to carry you through – if you over think you pay for it – and mixing takes many different variations – doesn’t always have to be beat perfect – nothing better than a short gap every now and then!
To date, what achievement are you the most proud of? Finishing the London marathon in 2011!
What ambitions do you have yet to fulfil? Finishing Tokyo marathon and then doing a 5 hour set at Air in 2012.
What was the last great party or gig you went to? The Block in Tel Aviv was unreal recently, what a venue.
What was the class talent of 2011? Sbtrkt, Kiwanuka, Thundercat, Julio Bashmore, Liz Green and Objekt.
And who are your ones to watch for 2012? You’ll just have to listen to my radio show for that!
What exciting projects have you got lined up over the next few months? WW awards Jan 21st, Japan Feb, Philippines, Vietnam, Martinique March, WW Festival July.
What do you get up to when you aren’t working? I stalk footballers.
Where are you off to now? Searching for truffles in London Fields.
gillespetersonworldwide.com
havanacultura.com
See our full i-DJ archive here.

Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Fergus McDonald

Stay+: Exclusive Mix

2012-01-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

Immerse your head in water, turn the radio up loud, tune into some late night dance, feel the blood pulse around your body to the rhythm of your heartbeat, listen to the surround sounds warp, disjointedly. Download.3D. This is Stay+.

i-D Online Exclusive Mix: Stay+ by i-D online

The efforts of two, semi-purposefully anonymous Mancunian musicians Stay+, (pronounced Stay Positive) are Christopher Poole and Matt Farthing. Great admirers of David Lynch and Kraftwerk, the boys make difficult, sketchy and indescribable music and set it to complicated, abstract videos. Confusing, provocative and deeply affective, their intention is to make an impact on listeners so significant, a trance like state is evoked. Creating a rhythmic soundtrack to the inner movements and workings of a human body, the pulsating, steady beating of Stay+’s rushing musical movements is wholly engrossing.
Revealing very little about themselves in interviews, the formerly titled ‘Christian Aids’ prefer to answer questions with YouTube videos and conduct radio broadcasts using live visuals. Cleverly fabricating an ulterior universe, Stay Positive produce evocative sounds, ebbing, flowing and blending chords like feelings, Chris and Matt are mellowing out to a movement all of their own. Stay+ got behind the wheel and took i-D online on a journey through time and space, via their five favourite night time road trips everyone should endeavor to take before they die. Download the exclusive mix here and remember hit 3D for the full experience!

Year: 2007. Car: Convertible Jeep. Journey: Las Vegas Strip to Grand Canyon VIllage. Company: Old uni mates. Soundtrack: Kid A / Dark Side Of The Moon.
An obvious choice but nothing says “America” quite like cruising down Route 66 at sunset with the roof down. And then, when it’s dark, flicking the headlights off for 10 seconds and thinking you’re going to die.

Year: 2011. Car: Rented Clio. Journey: Ibiza Airport to KM5Stay+ and the +WAGS. Soundtrack: Nicolas Jaar, ‘I Got A’.
The best part of arriving in Ibiza at night is the short drive from the airport to KM5. Probably advisable to avoid the ‘Es Vedra’ cocktails if your hotel is still far away though.

Year: 2012. Car: N47 Bus. Journey: London Bridge to Deptford. Company:Alone. Soundtrack: Stay+, Arem EP.
The new tracks sound best when you’re slightly pissed on a night bus.

Year: 2013. Car: Van. Journey: Tokyo. Company: Stay+. Soundtrack: The Jesus And Mary Chain, ‘Just Like Honey’.
We’re sure this one will happen but for now it is just a plan. Driving to our next gig in the dark in the rain drinking Kirin.

Year: 2207. Car: AG Systems. Journey: Anulpha Pass (Zone Mode). Company: Alone. Soundtrack: Modeselektor, ‘Body Language’.
A real recommendation for anyone with a PS3. Early Wipeout soundtracks got me into electronic music but now you can actually choose your own soundtrack to have an epileptic fit to.

Catch Stay+ at the GETME! 5th Birthday celebrations down at Corsica Studios this Friday.

stay.cx
thisisgetme.com

Ladyhawke Swoops Back Onto The Scene

2012-01-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

Terrified of crowds, guitar wielding, pop-rock goddess Ladyhawke, is massively talented and painfully shy. Today she proudly announces the release of her second aptly titled album; ‘Anxiety’.

Fresh and rejuvenated from some downtime spent kicking back home in New Zealand, Pip Brown, stage name Ladyhawke, temporarily retired from the limelight to focus fully on the follow up to her massively successful debut, eponymous album. Discovering the direction this new material should take whilst travelling, recording and chilling out, Pip wanted to create a record that reflected how she has matured as an artist since her first single drop. Growing out her statement bangs but holding on to her signature plaid shirts, band tees, smokey eyeliner and well-worn jeans, the girl on stage remains the same, but the lyrical focus of her new music is more inward-looking, reflecting more on the way this accomplished singer/songwriter has learned to cope with life.

Getting to grips with being the centre of attention has proved to be the biggest obstacle the Island/Modular signed artist has had to overcome to realise the level of fame she enjoys today. Still a bag of nerves at gigs, Ladyhawke is a fragile performer and her music is all the better for it. Honest, raw, powerful, occasionally frail but always brilliant she is part lady, part bird of prey, an all killer, no filler artist with a mane of gold. i-D online got the exclusive lo down on what Ladyhawke will be getting her claws into in 2012.

Tell us about the name of the album ‘Anxiety’… I guess it was sort of a tongue in cheek poke at myself. For those who know me know that I have really annoying and unpredictable anxiety, it doesn’t really give me any warning when it’s going to rear it’s head, but when it does I’m not really much use to anyone! The whole process of making this record was filled with a lot of anxiety and pressure – mostly from myself – but it was all this pressure I put on myself that ended-up manifesting into what felt like a two year long anxiety attack! It wasn’t really as bad as that but at the end of the process I figured it was a perfect title for the album!

What makes you anxious? The list is massive! But I think one of the main things with my anxiety is I find it really hard to deal with the unpredictability of people and certain situations where there are heaps of them all together in one place, eg: an aeroplane, festivals, markets etc. It’s quite hard to explain that in more detail, I know it sounds really weird, but I find it to be like a sensory overload sometimes!

How has your sound evolved since your debut album? This one is definitely more guitar-driven. I wanted it to feel lo-fi at the same time as feeling big, so made sure that was reflected in the sound of the drums, and the fuzzed out guitars.

What were the musical inspirations and references when you were writing the new material? It varied massively on this record, everything from The Zombies, David Bowie to Nirvana, Joan Jett and the Dandy Warhols.

What is the standout track from the new album? I’m not sure what other people would say, everyone probably has their own favourite track, but I would say Cellophane.

Anxiety is released on 19th March on Modular Records through Island/Universal feast your eyes on the teaser here…

ladyhawkemusic.com

Text: Milly McMahonPhotography: Rebecca Thomas (originally appeared in The To Die For Issue, September 2008)

Stay+ - Fly To Ny (Patterns)

2012-01-18T04:47:00.001-08:00

Fly To Ny (Patterns) by Stay+

i-DJ: jozif

2012-01-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Merging ambient, tidal rhythms into flowing, bass-laced undercurrents of BPM, Space resident Jozif is the funky electrician who loves his Dad and doesn’t do live performances.

i-DJ: Jozif by i-D online
A local wideboy with an eye on every scene, London based house/techno producer, remixer and DJ, Jozif, does not describe his vibes. Preferring to ‘do’ as opposed to discuss, he is the booth baby behind many a floor filling track, that you will have got down to, at some party, one night or another. A firm favourite of superstar DJ’s Craig Richards, Ben Watt, Matt Tolfrey, Andrew Weatherall, Paul Woolford and Ashley Beadle, Jozif has enjoyed successful releases via Wolf + Lamb and Vitalik as well as through self-coined, limited edition, vinyl only label, Fist of Finger. Gearing up to own the age of the Aquarius and make 2012 his own, Jozif has mixed up an exclusive 1 hour set to get i-D warmed up for another weekend. Bring on the night.
Who is your all time house music hero? There have been a few people over the years who have had a massive impact on me for different reasons. I can’t say there is one in particular that I would call a hero, as such, but Tony de Vit and Craig Richards are two people that totally and utterly changed my life with their electronic music.
If you weren’t making music today, what do you think you would be doing? Crying :)
What’s going on with Fist of Finger right now? Stuck in traffic.
How will you be keeping yourself busy in Glasto’s absence this year? Same as last year I would imagine, Finish Sonar week then dash off to Ibiza. I’m looking forward to getting some sun soon, I’m in desperate need!
What equipment do you work with most regularly? Electronically, Logic as the main hub, then a few bits of analogue gear, Yamaha An/Ax200, Korg R3 and Dave Smith Evolver. Organically, lots of tambourines and percussion bits I can hit, bang and generally make a racket with.
How did you land your residencies and what has been the best night you have played to date? Both my ‘We Love’ and ‘Bedrock’ residencies came really from just playing with the people involved and getting on really well with them. I always go on about how important the family aspect of what we do is and it’s true – performing or writing music can be really lonely so, if and when you can, it makes sense to do it with people you love.
Where do you go to have a good time and who do you like to see behind the decks when you aren’t Dj’ing? I write and play records for a living so I like to think I have a good time all the time. Andrew Weatherall and Craig Richards seem to be two people that no matter when/where/what they play, can always get me going.
Who are your top ones to watch in terms of DJ’s, artists or producers for 2012? A really strong new artist is a guy called Hamid who records on Murmur. Almost everything he’s done I’ve played, defo one to watch!

soundcloud.com/jozif

See our full i-DJ archive here.

Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Fergus McDonald

D-i-Y Records: Greco-Roman

2012-01-12T22:53:00.001-08:00

Named after an Olympic wrestling form, Berlin and London based collective Greco-Roman is an electronic music-fuelled meeting of minds.i-D Online Exclusive Mix: Greco-Roman by i-D online
Run and supported by some of the music industry’s most exciting talents – including Alexander “Full Nelson” Waldron, Dominic Mentsh, Joe Goddard, Ross Allen and Raf Daddy – Greco is the go-to source for tomorrow’s next big tune.
When did you first begin the label? Our first release was in 2007 but it wasn’t until we released our first album at the end of 2009 that we considered ourselves a real label, that’s when we realised we didn’t have a logo, a website, an accountant or a lawyer.
What distinguishes Greco-Roman from other record labels? We hardly release any records! We are more of a party and a DJ team really.
How do you discover the majority of the new music you sign?We sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for the postman to bring us cassettes in the post.
How do you define what you consider to be good music? It needs to make you think. You need to be able to see it.
Who are your strongest musical influences and references?Wookie. He played our last party, it was magic.
What are some of the barriers to entry you have encountered whilst establishing your label? Let’s just say admin isn’t our strong point
What are your plans for expansion? This year we have lots of new signings, more parties in Berlin and London and our first proper label compilation.
What are some the major labels you aspire to build Greco-Roman to the calibre of? We all met whilst working at Island Records in 2002, before it was swallowed into Universal. Its offices were a true inspiration, releasing cool, iconic, popular music for decades, a lot of which was electronic. XL isn’t a major label but it might as well be classified as such these days, and it continues the same legacy.
What is the strongest band or artist you have signed to the label? Watching Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs grow over the last few years has been really rewarding for us and he’s a great ambassador for the label. And working with a musician of Joe Goddard’s calibre, both as an artist and a partner, is exciting.
How do you describe the aesthetic and ethos of the label? We make colourful music because we dance in the dark.
What have you got coming up for the label in 2012? We are just about to announce a few new signings, some of which are hidden in this mixtape… so you’ll have to work it out!
Describe a typical day at work at the label? Holly sits in the hall of the Berlin office waiting for one of us to turn up with the key, then we all bitch about facebook and minimal techno stereotypes for hours before going home.
greco-roman.net

Text: Milly McMahon

i-D online | i-N Conversation: Grimes

2012-01-12T00:39:00.000-08:00

Not fond of hippies and well into Marilyn Manson, self proclaimed ex-goth and visual artist turned producer Claire Boucher goes by the moniker Grimes, coz she’s dark like that.

Coming up from a quiet life in Canada, lil Miss Grimes was constantly surrounded by country and folk artists and so grew her disdain. “I’m really not into folk music. I grew up in Vancouver which is hippy central, everyone just plays their guitars on the street all the time and I just wanted to do something that sounded dark and was meaningless. It was actually a joke at first, I never thought anyone would hear the music.” Most commonly spotted skulking around school campus wielding a parasol, averse to the sunlight and inspired by the more sinister side of life, Claire packed death metal cassettes by the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Black Dice as opposed to the more popular beats preferred by her peers.

First realising her creative forte splicing together experimental footage, Claire began producing her own sounds: loop pedalling, synth fuelled soundscapes based around prophetically progressive vocals. Today she is the most discussed female artist on Hype Machine and a regular topic of rave review on taste making websites Abeano, Fader and Transparent. Planning to release her fourth album in two years this March, entailed Visions on 4AD, this K-pop princess is ambitious and highly original. Making intelligent music for deep thinkers she believes the processes of appreciating decent sounds, is a personal and intimate process. “I make music for thinking, people should feel however they want to feel, my live music is all about heavy bass and having a good time.”

i-D online caught up with the singing song writer to chat Bjork, Beyonce and beyond.

myspace.com/boucherville

Text: Milly McMahon
Film and Photography: Rebecca Thomas

Various Artists - Hatched Part 1 [dirtybird]

2012-01-09T03:42:00.000-08:00

Various Artists - Hatched Part 1 [dirtybird] by Exclusive promo

Dirtybird "HATCHED" Volume 1
"Over the last seven years dirtybird has released an eclectic range of bass influenced house music. This new compilation is a glimpse into next wave. 14 different artists deliver deep house, bass music, jackin funk, and ghetto filth. From Claude VonStroke to Kingdom to Catz n Dogz there is a wide range of artists and music here but all of it has that special dirtybird feeling.

The project will be released in 3 parts spanning a bird's full life cycle from hatchling to roast dinner. A full cd release of all the music will also be available. Artists featured on this new compilation span from well established producers to amazing up and comers. The full range includes Eats Everything, A1 bassline, Tom Flynn, Christian Martin, Claude VonStroke, Samuel Dan, Nick Monaco, Kingdom, Worthy, Catz n Dogz, Kill Frenzy, Breach, Soul Clap and Sascha Robotti." - VonStroke

i-DJ: Jaymo & Andy George

2012-01-07T02:24:00.000-08:00

i-DJ: Jaymo and Andy George by i-D online

They booked Annie Mac before she got big and started out life flyering on the streets of Lincoln. Today booth babies Jaymo and Andy George are the youngest DJs to ever record a live Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1.

Enigmatic, energetic, passionate and full on, Jay and Andy bypassed uni and decided to turn life into one big P-A-R-T-Y. Why? Coz they could. Having the time of their lives and selling out 7,000 capacity warehouse parties, these two Northerners had no previous experience in event organising prior to launching their own electronic night, Moda, in Lincoln. Supported by some of the most significant music tastemakers in the industry, including Zane Lowe, Pete Tong, Boy 8 Bit, Crookers, A-Trak, Erol Alkan and Fake Blood, the boys landed residency of Room 2 at Ibiza top-spot Space this summer, which they worked in-between continuing to present their regular show on Radio One, managing a self-coined record label, also called Moda, and plotting forthcoming movements for their internationally successful club night.

Hard grafting and 100% committed, these bezzie mates uphold impossibly high standards when it comes to scouting fresh talent. Famous for their exquisite taste in music and partying endurance, Jaymo and Andy explain their unfailing fighting spirit soberly, advising aspiring event organisers and artists to go hard or go home. The lads gave i-D online a run down of the artists they believe will be owning the airwaves in 2012, and dropped off an exclusive mix for your ears only!

Miguel Campbell
Either on his own or with Matt Hughes as MAM, Miguel is smacking it right now. He built rock-solid foundations in 2011 with tracks like Something Special’ and ‘Can’t Live Without The Music’ and is about to drop the Crydamoure inspired ‘Modern Heat’. Need we say more?

Hot Since 82
His debut single Let It Ride was the secret anthem of 2011. It sounded like stripped back 90′s dance music on a big fat E. Great samples with a super infectious bass line. He’s got a load of stuff ready for 2012 – it’s equally as hot!

Maxxi Soundsystem
Maxxi has just gotten better with every release – his most recent stuff with Need Want Records and Hot Creations is his best yet. He’s a massively talented producer – he’s gonna have a big year.

Danny Daze
It may not feel like it, but Danny is still a pretty new name on the house music circuit. The fact that one of his first releases also happened to be one of the anthems of Ibiza 2011 is irrelevant – he’s a long way from peaking!

French Express
This is a label/ artist stable based in New York. They flitter between Tensnake-esque disco through to more housey stuff. Every single release so far has been a killer and all their artists have got their own unique qualities.

Polarsets
Three guys from the North East who make tropical melodic daydream indie. Still very much in the early stages, these guys have some really great music up their sleeves for the coming months.

thisismoda.com

soundcloud.com/jaymoandandygeorge

See our full i-DJ archive here.

GetMe! 5th Buffday Pardeee

2012-01-06T08:42:00.001-08:00

High5Collective

2012-01-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

AZEALIA BANKS - LIQUORICE

2012-01-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

i-Ntroducing Haruki Horikawa

2012-01-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

An early starter, Haruki Horikawa snapped his first ever photo when he was six, of his newly born baby brother. Throw forward to 2012 and H.H is shooting full blown Adonises and goddesses of the runway for fashion websites and magazines.

Click images to enlarge.

Opting to not to disclose his age, instead remaining forever young, Japanese born London based Haruki believes beauty is a state of mind. Finding incidental perfection in textures of fabrics, shades of lights and all kinds of different people he admires individuality and is most creative at the most quiet of times. Citing the work of photographers Horst P Horst, Irving Penn and Daido Moriyama as the inspiration for his dramatic, colour drenched aesthetic, Haruki is at his most productive when the sun has gone down and he is perched in some secret spot upon Hampstead Heath, dreaming up his next concept. Positive, energetic and fun loving Haruki provides his own perspective on life. Presenting his latest‘Lana-inspired’ beauty story, i-D online would like to introduce the fast-rising, forward thinking face of the DSLR generation.

Describe a typical day in the life of you? When I’m not shooting, I normally go to a coffee shop in Hampstead in the morning and sort through emails and bookings. Then I go to town and have meetings during the day and edit photos and work on sketchbooks after midnight.

How do you feel when you look at your images?Each story has a different behind the scenes story. The images remind me of those behind the scene moments… not always good ones though!

How do you describe yourself? MEGA POSITIVE! I am a very simple and positive person with a ‘just do it’ attitude. I see things in black and white. Grey simply isn’t an option!

When were you happiest?I’m not sure but I’m always the happiest boy on the planet when I’m surrounded by my favorite people.

Who should we keep one eye on in 2012? My really good friend and a great fashion illustrator Richard Kilroy. I die for his work!

harukihorikawa.com

See plenty more Haruki happiness here and find out how to ‘get the Lana look’ here.

Bon Iver reveals next single

2012-01-05T09:19:00.001-08:00

D-i-Y Records: Crosstown Rebels

2012-01-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Crosstown Rebels Exclusive Playlist for i-D Magazine by Crosstown Rebels
Starting out as Music Editor of Dazed & Confused, Damian Lazarus took to the tables as an international DJ before founding electronic imprint Crosstown Rebels. He is the unstoppable, go-to source for up-and-coming, underground music.
Art Department, Maceo Plex, Jamie Jones and Deniz Kurtel all threw down floor-filling anthems last year, released via Crosstown Rebels. Signing trend-setting talent, scouted instinctively, former A & R scout Damian lives in East London and listens to friends and family when looking for new artists. Affected by alternative, experimental sounds, he founded his label in 2003 and has overcome adversity and bankruptcy to establish his house/techno/minimal imprint as an essential home to the unbridled talent of tomorrow.
Already well prepped and ready for the exciting prospects of 2012, Crosstown Rebels will be releasing albums from Amirali, Jamie Jones, Fur Coat, Maceo Plex, Art Dept and Deniz Kurtel over the coming months. i-D online got exclusive access to Damian in his down-time to find out all about his top tips for 2012, tunes that you will soon be dancing to when the sun goes down this summer.
When did you first begin the label? Late 2003.
How do you discover the majority of the new music you sign?Friends, family and like-minded deviants.
How do you define what you consider to be good music? It’s such a subjective thing, but one must trust one’s instincts and it has to enlighten and/or inspire you. It’s also got to make you dance, in one way or another.
Who are your strongest musical influences and references?Sound people we’ve met along the way.
What are some of the barriers to entry you have encountered whilst establishing your label? Three different distribution companies going bust on us, taking all stock and money, each time. Also, Internet piracy has a constant debasing effect of sales. Dwindling vinyl and CD sales.
What are your plans for expansion? More good music, expanding into other complimentary genres from some great new artists.
What are some of the up and coming D.I.Y record labels you tip for 2011?
Hot Creations, Visionquest, Ellum Audio, No19, Culprit
What is the strongest band or artist you have signed to the label? Jamie Jones or Art Department or Maceo Plex.
How do you describe the aesthetic and ethos of the label?Have fun all the time, but be nice to your Mum.
What have you got coming up for the label in 2012? Albums by Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex, Fur Coat, Amirali and Mother of Seven.
Describe a typical day at work at the label? 12 hours at the sonic coal face mining for gold!
crosstownrebels.com
See our full D-i-Y series here.

Text: Milly McMahon

sbtrkt - ride to freedom

2012-01-03T06:42:00.001-08:00

sbtrkt - ride to freedom by sbtrkt

Clams Casino - Motivation

2011-12-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

4 Tears - Frank Ocean

2011-12-28T01:21:00.001-08:00

The XX - Open Eyes

2011-12-27T05:17:00.001-08:00

G-Mag: A CHRISTMAS TUNE & FESTIVE CHAT WITH SUMMER CAMP

2011-12-27T02:55:00.001-08:00

Encountering one another by coincidence at a gig just five years ago, Jeremy Warmsely and Elizabeth Sankey formed anonymous soft pedal synth duo, Summer Camp, to create an incidental soundtrack to an imaginary world. Building a mysterious Myspace, putting together a mixtape and going live only to experiment with the nostalgic, washed out samples they came to coin by accident, this insular, London-based duo are distinctly low-key about the acclaim they have received. Dreaming up a fantastical line-up consisting of seven swedish musicians, the illicit Summer Camp were instantaneously blogged by the trend-touting Transparentblog.com moments after releasing thier homemade material, and have since been profiled by The Guardian, NME, Pitchfork and Gorilla Vs Bear as ones to watch. After a period of time spent lurking in the shadows, reluctant to put a face to their name, Elizabeth and Jeremy’s identities were revealed after a breach of confidence leaked during a phone-interview. Since then both have embraced the limelight and played gigs across the country, supporting Sunderland quintet, Frankie and The Heartstrings, fully committing themselves to simply being Summer Camp and moving away from the new wave of ‘anonymous bands’ with which they were being assimilated. Releasing debut album Welcome to Condale, earlier this year via Apricot records, the recently married couple worked closely with Pulp’s Steve Mackey on production and cite I want You as the standout track from their self-written, stunning, twelve track compendium. Intelligent, insightful, fun, free and original this album feels like the soundtrack to a road-trip, spent with friends on a sunny day back in the 60′s. G-Mag caught up Jeremy and Elizabeth to find out how what they are proud of and excited about.

HOW LONG HAS YOUR DEBUT ALBUM WELCOME TO CONDALE BEEN IN PRODUCTION?

The oldest song on it was written in October 2009!

TELL ME THE STORY ABOUT THE SONGS WRITTEN THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM? WHAT IS THE LYRICAL FOCUS OF THE MATERIAL?

We created a small town in California called Condale and all the songs are ‘set’ there. Some of the characters are teenagers in the 80s and others are older and live in the 50s. The songs are all about the relationships between the different characters.

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE ALBUM BACK?

Proud and horrified in equal measures!

WHICH TRACK MEANS THE MOST TO YOU, PERSONALLY AND WHY?

Different days different tracks for different reasons. Today it’s Summer Camp, one of the oldest songs on the album and it had a funny evolution to the song it is today.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE IN FIVE YEARS TIME?

The moon.

HOW DID YOU FIRST COME TO BE INVOLVED WITH STEVE MACKEY AND WHAT WAS HE LIKE TO WORK WITH?

We approached him as we were fans of his work inPulp and with MIA. He was great, he broadened our horizons and helped us see what kind of band we could be.

WHAT ARTISTS OR PRODUCERS WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH IN THE FUTURE?

We would love to collaborate with Christine Mcvie from fleetwood mac, or Andy Weatherall.

WHAT EMERGING TALENT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

Love the band Theme Park, great new band from London, also Tawny Owl.

WHAT ARE THE 5 MOST TREASURED ALBUMS YOU HAVE IN YOUR MUSIC COLLECTION?

Kate Bush – The Dreaming, Blur – Parklife, Radiohead – Ok Computer, Fleetwood mac – mirage. Bullion – pet sounds

WHAT SINGLE THING HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT UPON YOUR SOUND AND WHY?

I guess the fact that we ever decided to make music together at all, it could very easily never have happened.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS?

Eat mince pies, drink ginger beer and makmerry…no comment!

WHAT WILL BE YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS?

Write better music

WHAT FIVE EVENTS SHOULD WE GET EXCITED ABOUT IN 2012?

The Olympics, Community & 30 Rock returning to our screens, Radiohead & magnetic fields touring.

AND FINALLY…

here is a little present from our friends Summer Camp to get us in the mood for the Christmas period. Enjoy!

Daphni - Yes, I Know

2011-12-26T02:24:00.000-08:00

Psychic Ills

2011-12-26T01:33:00.000-08:00

Psychic Ills i-N Session for i-D Magazine from p i on Vimeo.
Mind expanding, experimental synth magicians Psychic Ills jam out strung out sounds, heavily infused with a heady dose of 60′s inspired psychedelia. Blondes not bombs.
Happening upon each other in the Big Apple back in 2003, psyche rock trio Psychic Ills are a long-haired arrangement of musicians who make the kind of music perfect for an out of body experience. Descending like a mist, Elizabeth Hart, Brian Tamborello and Tres Warrens’ dream-like tapestries fuse together hallucinatory, eastern flavoured rhythms, realised with a bass, drums, a guitar and synthesisers. Layering vocals over instrumentals, a signature sitar is occasionally plucked as an ambient howl leads a rolling wave of drowned out dub to a dramatic climax.
The band’s second album Mirror Eye was rated with a controversial 1.4/10 by Pitchfork, signifying that many are switched off by the meandering nature of this experimental music. But a brave few, more concerned by hemp, love and loose fitting attire, find their appetite for free-spirited sounds satisfied by the niche compositions Pyschic Ills create. An acquired taste, the band are highly skilled in the art of trance and being in the company of their improvised orchestra of beats and pieces transports you to a world of time-free fun. Turn on, tune in, drop out.
psychicills.com
See more from i-D online’s i-N Session series

Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Dalton Flint

Colour-by-numbers Christmas

2011-12-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

Elli Ellisgon (aka AC Bananas) is the impulsive artist who crafts iconic, abstract scenes.

Moving to London in 2008 with love of his life and beau Saga Sig, self-taught, Icelandic illustrator Elli stepped outside of his chilly, familiar territories to explore the world beyond. Becoming curious about the complex world of art as an infant, Elli grew up surrounded by his father’s paintings. Influenced and inspired by Erró, Roy Lichtenstein, Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, this 30-year-old bearded beauty creates with conviction.Vice, i-D, Cassette Playa and See No Evil have all commissioned this brave man’s hard work for paintings, illustrations, logos and typography. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing his work first-hand, then get busy painting by numbers with this customised Christmas card he has designed especially for yule! Get printing. Get painting!

What is your earliest memory? Being knocked out with a stick by my kindergarden rival Svenni, I must have been around 3 yrs old. When did you first discover your love of illustration? I remember hanging out at my Dad’s studio admiring his paintings and drawings. My entire family is intensively creative; I guess the ink runs in the blood. I once locked myself in the bathroom in our house and took my mother’s favorite red Chanel lipstick and smudged it upon every white tile on the wall. A few weeks later I did the exact same thing in my father’s studio on one of his nearly finished paintings. My Dad caught me in action but went back into the house, got his camera and snapped a photo instead of getting angry with me. Who and what have been the biggest influences and inspirations that have shaped your aesthetic?Great artists such as Erró, Roy Lichtenstein, Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat have had a huge impact on my career, both as an illustrator and a painter mainly because what they brought to the table was and still is such an eye candy. Besides my Dad’s incredible work I believe Erró was a huge inspiration to me when I was a kid, in the early 80′s. His colours and collage of comical superheroes, American war heroes and erotic Japanese Shunga art combined was very hypnotising and inspiring to me. None of the above have shaped my style but they truly inspired me. What up-and-coming talent are you exited about? I’ve got a feeling that my good pal Danny Fox will take over the game pretty soon, he’s extremely talented and I admire his work a lot. I also admire illustrator Tomohiro Muramatsu, artist and designer Claire Barrow and Berlin based illustrator Meyoko. What are the tools of your trade? A pen and a pad, keeping it simple. Describe a typical day in the life of you… Shower, coffee and avacado toast at Wilton Way Cafe, sketch, more coffee, studio, emails, work, even more coffee, get a call from wifey reminding me to eat, eat, home, work, emails. You know, the typical day in a life of an artist, cheddar cheezy as it sounds!

acbananas.com

Text: Milly McMahon

The Weeknd - New Mixtape

2011-12-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

Echoes Of Silence. Stope reading this, download this

Check out The Fall produced by Clams Casino

Big Mac

2011-12-21T00:52:00.000-08:00

The age of the hater is over.

If you have enough time to be up on YouTube channels bad-chatting new talent, perhaps the main cause of your frustrations lie closer to home? Nineteen-year-old Pittsburgh MC Mac Miller raps only about life as he knows and loves it. He’s the poster boy for an optimistic generation coming up and taking over. Fronting the ‘thumbs up movement’ – an attitude all about raising thumbs, not fingers – he spends almost all of his time hanging out with his boys at Blue Slide Park, and has even dedicated his debut album to his cherished stomping ground. After first picking up an instrument at the age of six, Mac – real name Malcolm McCormick – could play the drums, piano, guitar and bass by eight, and went on to produce and release a much-hyped mixtape aged only fifteen. He went to the same high school as Wiz Khalifa and he’s signed to the same label, his YouTube videos are levelling up to 30 million views, his twitter page boasts well over a million followers – tweet tweet – and he’s still a teenager. “When you’re young not much matters,” starts Mac’s 2010 mixtape K.I.D.S (sampling the Larry Clark film it’s named after). “When you find something that you care about, then that’s all you got.”

Pick up a copy of The Winter Warm Up Issue now to i-D online’s full interview with M.M.

twitter.com/macmiller

Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Dexter Navy
Film: Jayga Rayn

G-MAG CHATS TO PIP GREENBANK

2011-12-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

Courtney Love’s right hand woman, Pippa Greenbank is the Dalston-based designer/DJ/entrepreneur who can most commonly be found be found behind the counter of co-owned conceptual, Kingsland road, lifestyle boutique 39-39. Best mates with the fash packs fiercest movers and shakers, Pip counts Gareth Pugh and Matthew Stone as close friends and divides her time equally, jetting between Tokyo and London. Always clutching a coffee, wearing a smile and clad in some killer heels she is infectiously up-beat and always on the hunt for fun. G-Mag took time out with the long-haired, Liverpudlian lovely to chat about her plans for 2012 and beyond!

HOW DID YOU FIRST COME TO GET INVOLVED WITH 39-39 AND WHAT DOES YOUR WORK DOWN AT THE SHOP INVOLVE?

39-39 was an idea I dreamt up with my partner Tatsuo on New Years Eve about 2 years ago. We decided to put our heads together to think up an innovative business idea and came up with the 39-39 store, along with our third partner in the business Peter who is our art director. As we are such a small team, all three of us get involved in all areas of the store. I particularly look after womenswear buying, and generally making sure everything keeps ticking over nicely.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOU?

I’m normally rushing out the house like a lunatic, late, to get to my studio in Dalston. First off there’s coffee, always coffee, then emails. I try to make a checklist so I stay on track. l divide my time equally between each of my projects, sometimes I’ll be working on my collection with Courtney Love, which involves working with beautiful vintage garments and embellishments, l love it! At other times I’m working on another project, l’m designing for a brilliant label called Inspiredcollaborating with the most amazing artist called Storm Thorgerson. Then of course there is 39-39. I love being in the store and I love hanging out with our customers. I’ll normally finish up around 8:30-ish and then either meet up with friends or just head home to chill out.

WHAT RUNS THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOUR GETTING DRESSED IN THE MORNING?

It all depends on where l’m going to be or who l’m going to be meeting that day. I could be DJ’ing in the evening, so I normally have a costume change before that happens. Either way I try to be as glammed up as I can be when getting ready in morning. Eyeliner, lippy and perfume are a must. If l’m having a bad hair day, I’ll just clip a weave in! I have about 10 pairs of Victoria Beckham Jeans which I have to say are one of the best inventions ever. They go with everything and are super hot! Other than that I love mixing it up with a bit of vintage or some of the boyfriend’s wardrobe and I always have my bling bling Baby G on my wrist.

HOW DID YOU FIRST COME TO WORK WITH COURTNEY LOVE AND WHAT IS THE CROSSOVER POINT BETWEEN YOUR CREATIVE VISION AND HER OWN?

Courtney was in London a couple of years back and had a hotel suite filled with the most beautiful garments. There were jewels, lace, chiffon, silk and antique embellishments as far the eye could see! I was told to get over to her hotel as she was looking for a designer to work with on her new label Never The Bride. I remember l had thirty minutes to drop everything and run over to Browns Hotel! We chatted a lot and we discovered we both have very similar tastes. Her vision and style is unbelievably incredible. Courtney sees beyond what anyone can imagine, some of the pieces we get to work with are just so beautiful it actually brings tears to my eyes.

WHAT IS THE MOST TREASURED ITEM IN YOUR WARDROBE?

It has to be my Kylie Dress! It was a birthday present from my bezzie Gareth Pugh. We actually worked on the costumes for Kylie’s greatest hits tour a few years back. He made me a replica dress. I cried when he gave it to me, so only Kylie and me have it!

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN FASHION?

I did my Fashion and textiles BTEC in Liverpool, then I went on to do a BA in Fashion at MMU. My first job was at Miss Sixty in Roma and then l came back to London where I’ve worked with an array of amazing people and labels, such as Garth Pugh, 7 For All Mankind, Victoria Beckham Denim, and Courtney Love.

WHO IS YOUR STYLE ICON?

Beyonce.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY?

Sunrise.

WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?

The Great Gatsby

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ON NYE AND WHO WILL YOU BE KISSING?

My other half. We will be at his parents in Oita, Japan, eating lots of new years sushi, drinking lots of sake and watching a lot of Japanese game shows. On New Years Eve will be getting up early and heading to the shrine.

WHO IS YOUR CURRENT STYLE CRUSH?

Lana Del Rey

WHAT TUNES GOT THE CROWDS MOVING AT THE MAC EVENT YOU PLAYED AT LAST THURSDAY NIGHT?

Well here are 5 crackers to name a few…
J-lo – l’m In To you
Robin S. – Love for Love
Beyonce - Run The World
Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious
Kylie - Shocked

WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO NOW?

Bedfordshire

Text Milly McMahon

i-DJ: Crazy P

2011-12-17T00:13:00.000-08:00

Pop-tastic, soul seeking, disco quintet Crazy P use vocal loops and vino to channel good vibrations with their 70’s inspired dance floor fillers.
 i-DJ: Crazy P by i-D online
Finger clicking good, the shoulder shimmying, rhythm funk, Crazy P comrades Chris Todd, Jim Baron, Dannielle Moore, Tim Davies and Matt Klose have earnt themselves a loyal following. Packing out venues all over the world for the past five years, the formerly titled ‘Crazy Penis’, first  met when they were students at Nottingham University. Discovered and signed to Mancunian imprint Paper Recordings, the electro pop outfit then spent most of their time getting messy at heady, all night raves and local parties. Experimental, outlandish and up for anything, their reputation for bringing the fun to a good night out proceeds them and today the five friends make a living playing their experimental, funky house productions at uber clubs and festivals.
Individually pursuing side projects off the back of Crazy P, the five plan to spread their wings further afield in 2012. i-D online caught up with the crew to find out what their future holds.
Tell me about your earlier days when you were Crazy Penis, were you all more free spirited, care free individuals back then? We were certainly younger which comes with a certain amount of abandonment but we were never into throwing TVs out of windows or anything! If we did it was from a ground floor hotel room and we went straight outside and brought it back in! The music has probably evolved more than changed, we’re more confident with sounds and more open to experimentation. The Penis used samples, we tend to steer clear of that now!
What fresh Nottingham talents are you excited about right now? Red Rackem, but he’s in Berlin now, Clyde officially from Derby, but hey!
Where’s good to have a good night out in Nottingham? Moog for a dance and if Boogaloo is still open that’s a good night. Other than that a good curry house and the Gladstone pub, a local face!
What are your creative processes when writing new material?They vary, mainly Jim and Chris are forthcoming with ideas. It’s the three of us that were responsible for the last album previous to which we worked as the live band thrashing out jamming sessions. This time we went back to basics and worked from a production point of view. It was an experiment that worked. I got familiar with a vocal loop machine which was new to me whilst the lads got stuck into their various instruments and wizardry. Partnered with a few bottles of vino we had some very enjoyable nights in the Crazy P towers.
How do you want audiences to feel when they listen to your music? Connected, interested, warm, sexy, vibrant, melancholic, energised, reflective, spirited, tall, ready for moving forward, a bit cheesy I know but every emotion!
Which artists, bands or DJ’s have had a significant impact upon your sound? We all grew up with good disco. War, Stevie Wonder, Chic, Kid Creole and of course all the New York inspired disco movements through to Prince, The Cure and all the quality 80s pop that is timeless. Kate Bush, Moloko, Jamie Lidel, LCD, it’s an endless list!
What’s the best gig you’ve played to date? Apart from the recent Bristol Motion gig, our Leeds show was simply the best – and The Garden Festival. It’s a tough question to answer but we are lucky to have had some quality gigs all over the place. The first memorable one was Good Vibrations Australia 2004, Nitin Sawney and Moloko on the bill, Moloko smashed it!!!
What ambitions do you have yet to fulfil? Have an empty washing basket!
crazyp.co.uk
See our full i-DJ archive here.

Text: Milly McMahon

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx - 'I'll Take Care Of U'

2011-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Tyrone Lebon: Nothing Lasts Forever

2011-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

We smell the blud of Tyrone Lebon!

Click images to enlarge.
Gentle giant, Tyrone Lebon first found love with photography in the dark room at school and with it an escape from the world. This evening he proudly unveils his debut anthology entitled ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’.

Capturing pictures of friends, loved ones and interesting people at his Brixton studio, Tyrone’s non-invasive photographic techniques allow an individual’s true character to shine through. Intrigued by slightly awkward characters, patient and sensitive to a person’s sense of self, the details Tyrone focuses on in his work are idiosyncratic. Softly spoken, kind and funny Tyrone describes his focus, as the passing of a moment, “It’s about change in life, in relationships, getting older. Photography highlights change, as a moment and all the circumstances that surrounded it are frozen in a picture, life moves on and so looking back at the picture all I see is change.”
Son of internationally acclaimed, much-loved i-D cover snapper Mark Lebon, Tyrone grew up in studios, surrounded by cameras, sitters, reels of film and piles photographs. Entranced by the mystical and magical world the dark room housed, he now too, spends every waking hour, eyes wide open, seeking the next best shot. i-D online sped to the skies and took a minute whispering in the ear of big man Lebon to find out more about his big ideas.
What draws you towards someone, emotionally and physically, which then inspires you to want to take their photograph? It’s hard to describe where that feeling comes from. I think it’s different all the time. But when you’re drawn to someone, for whatever reason, then I normally begin by trying to refind that thing through the camera. Often you learn more and see more in that person through this process and end up capturing a result that can supersede what first drew you to them.
Do you remember the first picture you ever took? Not exactly sure but probably of my brother Frank.
How do you feel when someone takes a picture of you? Most of the time slightly awkward.
What is beauty? Tis in the eye of the beholder.
What cameras do you work? Lots, from half-frame 35mm to 10×8 large format camera. I’m a nerd and love cameras so it changes all the time. But this book [Nothing Lasts Forever] was all shot on Mamiya RZ.
If you could take a picture of anyone in the world who would that be? Maybe Michael Jackson, if he came back from the dead, or Lauren Hill.
If you were to allow a single photographer to take your picture, who would you chose? Harmony Korine, not strictly a photographer, but a big hero of mine.
How do you want your sitters to feel when they see their portraits? I don’t think about that. I hope they like them. I made everyone look a bit miserable. but that’s more of a reflection of what I was after rather than them. They’re a cheerful bunch really.
Where is the most perfect place in the world? Gwenvor Beach in Cornwall on a sunny day with nice surf.
Where does success lie for you? Being content.
tyronelebon.com
Text: Milly McMahon
Photgography: Tyrone Lebon

i-N Session: Labrinth

2011-12-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Slick, Syco-signed beat machine Labrinth lays down an explosive session, laden with bass and bare flow for i-D online. Bounce on it.

Click images to enlarge.
Turned out like a true gent whilst bringing the house down to rubble and dust, twenty-two-year old Labrinth has reigned supreme on the UK hip pop scene throughout 2011. Best known for his work alongside frisky rapper Tinie Tempah, Lab-real name Timothy McKenzie-first appeared on the radiowaves after big cheese Simon Cowell spotted his potential and seized him to spit rhymes in the mainstream. Now spending his every waking hour in the studio, writing and producing, Lab is dropping unstoppable, chart-shattering sonic bombs with catastrophic effect. Linked with pretty much every UK based rap and soul artist worth knowing about (think Pro Green, Jessie J, Ms Dynamite, Wretch 32 and Etta Bond) he knocks up some series notches on the Richter scale with his core trembling tracks. Currently hitting headlines with leaks of crazy big collaborations happening between him and US artists ahead of the release of his debut album, Lab is keeping tight-lipped about what fans should expect next. Battling through the hype, i-D online took time out with the man with the midas touch for an exclusive acoustic rendition of his latest single ‘Earthquake’.
Head here to see more from i-D online’s i-N Session series.
labrinth.tumblr.com
Text: Milly McMahon
Film and photography: Dexter Navy
Styling: Ayishat Louize
Labrinth wears suit and shirt House of Billiam. Shoes Grenson. Hat Baileys.

Faith Evans - Love Like This (B+S Edit)

2011-12-14T05:12:00.001-08:00

i-D Online: Top Tracks of 2011

2011-12-14T00:06:00.000-08:00

i-D Online: Top Tracks of 2011 by i-D online2011 has been a year of dramatic highs, shocking discoveries and tragic loss. We will remember the legendary talents of Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott-Heron and Nate Dog, and look forward to the next generation their influence will give rise to.
These past 12 months have taken a tumultuous course and we have all grown a year older and become a little wiser. Offering opportunity to the unestablished, new pastures have been ploughed, seeded with fruitful crops and watered with love and care! i-D online nurtures new life.
Rude girls, good girls, bad girls and hot girls. Fierce females, in all forms stepped up, clad in flats, heels and flashing some serious ‘tude. Keeping things real, whilst still looking out of this world, Iggy Azealea, Azealia Banks, Phlo Finister, Lana Del Rey and Little Dragon materialised from nowhere and left audiences agasp with their fast-chatting opinions.
Housing bodies to the bass and housing beats all over the place, this summer’s sexy, future-dub sounds did Bristolians proud. Local lads Julio Bashmore, Benoit & Sergio and Eats Everything topped international DJ charts, bringing new blood to the fore and joining the respected ranks marked out by Seth Troxler, Hot Natured and Danny Daze. Meanwhile, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Theophilus London and Mac Miller kept things street, laying down smooth, sensuous sounds loud, proud and unapologetic, straight out of NYC and CA.
From breaking newbies to steezey MC’s, stadium filling DJ’s to platinum selling recording artists, i-D online’s top tracks of 2011 is the essential atlas of the musical elite. These are the tracks, songs and mixes which have invaded our head-spaces, all day, everyday. Reminisce, get familiar and be inspired. This was 2011 from bud to bloom.
Describing his colourful, psychedelic and detailed etchings as “deranged but polite”, Bath Spa university grad Toby Triumph is the eager pair of eyes and hands behind this month’s marvellous mixtape cover art. Contracted to work for creative and major label brands, Toby carves out a living crafting illustrations for Sony, Playstation and Google and is currently organising his first exhibition, scheduled for early next year. Citing Sir Peter Blake as his hero and newcomers Andrew Archer and Tstout as ones to watch for 2012, Toby’s triumphs are his expert abilities and brave aesthetic. Fun, fly and super chic!
tobytriumph.co.uk
See the full 2011 mixtape back catalogue here.

Text and Selection: Milly McMahon
Illustration: Toby Triumph

Phlo Finister

2011-12-06T05:44:00.001-08:00

Ted’s Tees!

2011-11-30T11:36:00.001-08:00

With his signature, marker-penned tees proving quite the hit, Ted Pearce returns to this seasons’ rails, with a fresh new line of caricature emblazoned, cotton, short-sleeved, round-necks.

Rolling out a three man strong selection of light-weight, bright white tees featuring Ted’s illustrations of his all time, TV heroes, Ted’s Draws’ AW12 collection channels some seriously strong looks. Featuring Christopher Walken (King Of New York), Eddie Murphy (48 Hours) and Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), seven foot something, Dalston-dwelling Ted regards his boutique fashion label, as his financial security, explaining ‘Theses shirts are the three kings who bring gold to my (un)stable flat, that I share with an ass.’ Retailing at a very reasonable £20, Ted’s latest, limited edition line, is designed to be worn out and get accompanied home. Ted penned us a diagram, detailing the complex formula behind the tees’ formidable, flirting force.
tedsdraws.com
Text: Milly McMahon

Sleep walking and PillowTalking

2011-11-30T11:30:00.001-08:00

Dropping a sample into the inbox of Wolf + Lamb, PillowTalk lifted their heads the following day to find the label reciting tune ‘Weekend Girl’ right back at them, live on Skype. Swing.

Irresistibly seductive and smooth; Sammy D, Ryan Williams and Michael Tello have been laying down damn sexy tunes since 2005. Making waves with their early Wolf + Lamb releases , these three, San Fran. based boys have gone on to capture attention of electronic music-taste makers and forward-thinkers Visionquest and Life and Death.
Meeting through mutual mates, PillowTalk draw influence from an eclectic mix of genres and have risen fast, famed for keeping themselves looking particularly sharp. Compulsive ad-libbers, they’re always changing-up their live shows, keeping their loyal following on their toes. When it comes to having fun and creating new material they’re seasoned Lotharios, with all the right lines and a whole lotta love from the laydees. i-D online caught up with the band of boys to find out how they like their eggs in the morning and to scoop an exclusive peek at their new video, ‘Heaven’s Gate’.
Tell us about your musical backgrounds… Sammy D was a choir boy and lettered in adjudication and sight reading. He DJ’d for close to twenty years, with releases on Classic, Dirtybird and Buzz’n’Fly. Michael Tello started playing keys, producing beats and DJing at the age of 12. He’s taken piano, music theory and electronic music classes since Junior High, and completed his BA in Audio Engineering at the age of 21. Michael has also released several original tracks and remixes for labels such as OM Records, JIVE, Cadang, Gemini Records, and Bombay. Ryan Williams never had any sort of real musical upbringing. But he has been making bedroom recordings for the better part of this last decade.
What inspired the new music and lyrics on The Come Back EP? A lot of things. We all listen to and collect northern soul, motown, indie rock, yacht rock records, and the ideas just came from our late nights in the studio. We are really influenced by so many types of music.
What artists, musicians and bands have had an impact on your sound? Sam Cooke, Beach Boys, Quincey Jones, The Tams, Hall & Oats, Frankie Valli, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Brenton Wood, Aretha Franklin, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Al Green, Otis Redding, Apparat, Aurthur Russell, Bill Withers, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Broken Social Scene, Animal Collective, Dr. Dre, Bon Iver, James Blake, The Pharcyde, CFCF, Caribou, Aphex Twin etc…
Why did you decide to name yourselves PillowTalk? Sammy’s drag name was Raven Pillowtalk at Floating Man. When it came time to decide upon a name, Pillowtalk seemed like the most appropriate one.
Which side of the bed do you prefer to sleep on and why? Sammy’s on the right. Ryan’s on the left. Mikey’s in the middle.
What are your top five tracks of all time?
1) One Step Ahead, Aretha Franklin
2) Ain’t No Sunshine, Bill Withers
3) Lost and Looking, Sam Cooke
4) Surf’s Up, Beach Boys
5) This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), Talking Heads
What’s next? We’re playing live this NYE in NYC at Verboten, the BPM Festival for the Life and Death Showcase, hopefully SXSW, and Berlin along with the rest of Europe for the summer (and possibly Japan). On top of that, there will be lots of new music that will be coming out throughout the year, collaborations, remixes, and a debut album.
How do you like your eggs in the morning? Poached.
PillowTalk’s ‘Far From Heaven EP’ is out 19th Dec 2011on Wolf + Lamb
soundcloud.com/pillow-talk-1
Text: Milly McMahon

Mario & Vidis feat. Ernesto - Changed

2011-11-30T10:14:00.001-08:00