As usual we’ve raised the stakes and aimed to put out something that you won’t find anywhere else. A UK themed issue from the red and blue colour scheme to the fashion imagery through to the innovative musicians and artists we’ve spoken to, issue 04 celebrates our very own local originators.

Peep the roll call of exclusives. On the music tip we’ve got exclusive features with the bedrock of UK hip-hop. From the grey High Plains of Huddersfield, Jehst and the YNR crew, cover star Klashnekoff reloading for his next saga, the cerebral thoughts of Ty, electronic pioneers Coldcut/Ninja Tune and Daddy Skitz. Also in the mix is the un-definable Jamie Lidell, floating vocals from Fatima, the relentless underground warrior Cappo and Radio 1xtra DJs Benji B, Mista Jam and DJ Target.

On the visual side of things we chat to street artist agent provocateur D*Face, visual storyteller Slinkachu, dope designers Oscar and Ewan, and include illustrations by some of the UK’s finest pencil wielding talent.

Oh yeah, and from across the Pond, the one and only Mutha Fecking Gaslamp Killer drops in for a cup of tea. Cop your copy here or from the usual stockists including TATE, Fopp, Magma, Rough Trade and all good record stores.

…Read More.

Filed under: Artists, Bonafide magazine, DJ/Turntablism, Dub-step, dubstep, Electronic, Fashion, Graffiti, Graphic Design, Hip-hop, Magazines, Photography, Soul, UK hip-hop by J.G.
5 Comments »

Having grown up on the mean streets of South Woodford, a sleepy suburb of East London, my friends and I plagiarised all types of funky colloquialisms from the rude boys and girls of nearby grime hot spots like Leyton and Bow. One of the most popular and general good-times term of the time was ‘kotch’, an expression that can loosely be defined as ‘to relax’, in both the noun (‘to kotch, and play Street Fighter’) and adjective ‘kotching’. …Read More.

Filed under: DJ/Turntablism, Electronic, Funk, Hip-hop, Mixes by D.K.
3 Comments »

Dan Medhurst, Bonafide go to photographer and all round top guy, is holding his first solo exhibition at the City Arts and Music Project this February.

East of My Youth and the West of My Future features images shot during a six month trip that began in the Far East and ended in America’s West Coast. The exhibition takes its’ title from a line from Jack Kerouac’s legendary beat novel On the Road, and documents Dan’s journey along off-beat tracks and forgotten spots and his meetings with eccentric characters. And in keeping with the old-school adventure feel, Dan documents his experiences using an old Nikon 35mm SLR.

The exhibition starts on the 3rd February (and runs until the 2nd March) and the opening night features another Bonafide favourite in the Kidkanevil, who will be creating magic on the ones-and-twos. A show that should wow both visually and aurally, if you are about checkit out.

Filed under: Art Galleries, Artists, DJ/Turntablism, Electronic, Photography, Uncategorized by J.G.
1 Comment »

Those electronic, bass and experimental music connoisseurs over at Bleep have compiled their top 100 tracks of 2010, including bangers by the likes Dam Funk, Gil Scott-Heron, Squarepusher and more (97 more to be exact). It’s a broad selection that spans 16 countries, crosses various genres and lasts more than 9 hours, catch a preview listen here.

A now annual offering the high-quality DRM-free MP3s are available for just £30 for a brief period only, and we have a limited edition gift card with download access to all 100 tracks up for grabs, just answer this question; can you give us an example of an onomatopoeia? Send your answers into the usual address at mailto:mailbox@bonafidezine.com with Bleep in the subject heading, competition closes 28^th February.

Filed under: Competitions, DJ/Turntablism, dubstep, Electronic, Funk, Hip-hop, Rap by D.K.
No Comments »

David Rodigan/Various
Fabriclive 54
Fabric

Reggae music is a multi-faceted beast, from the student friendly roots sounds of Bob Marley through to the head nodding sonic echoes of dub and the extreme digital noise terrorism of modern dancehall.

In the UK there is one man who has been at the forefront of all these sounds and more, undisputed heavyweight selector for over forty years, David Rodigan.Props therefore (again) to Fabriclive for letting the maestro take the helm for the latest instalment in their prestigious mix series. …Read More.

Filed under: Reggae, Reviews by D.K.
2 Comments »

Concrete Ocean is a new upcoming exhibition by Slinkachu.

Running for a month at Andipa Gallery (3 March – 2 April 2011) the show is set to demonstrate Slinkachu’s evolving production techniques, with his little folk marooned in aquatic locations within the urban environment. Based on the promo shot for the exhibition (the piece is entitled The Last Resort) I’m thinking Desert Island Discs sans seagulls, sand and ice cream but with lots and lots of pigeons, concrete and subtle jokes.

Having interviewed Slinkachu for Bonafide last year (check out issue 04 for the exclusive scoop) I can vouch that he is one of the most interesting, amiable and imaginative artists I’ve encountered to date. If you are in London during March make a beeline for what promises to be an exciting show.

Filed under: Art Galleries, Artists, Street Art by J.G.
No Comments »

Chopped Herring as an organisation is difficult to introduce. The website is a mish-mash of subterfuge, where facts, fiction and jokes merge into one. Indeed this tongue-cheek approach, matched by a passion for music, is why the label and head honcho, Pro Celebrity Golf, came up on the Bonafide radar. The record that acted as the calling card to the output was Three Sinister Syllables, an epic, crate digging delight that took over two years to produce, and for underground heads (I’m talking those that run on deep, forgotten subway routes rather than your fairweather Kings Cross to Picadilly Circus lines) and vinyl fiends, cemented Chopped Herrings reputation and underlined Pro Celebrity Golf as a person who lives and breathes hip-hop, from when he wakes up in the morning until he collapses over his decks in a sampling filled reverie.

He says he loves to write and rarely gets to do, so hopefully this interview will give him a platform to school us in the world of the Herring.

…Read More.

Filed under: DJ/Turntablism, Rap, UK hip-hop, Uncategorized by J.G.
4 Comments »

Upon signing up to The Street’s mailing list we didn’t expect to be bombarded with daily updates of Mike Skinner’s existential musings, but it’s testament to the man that they often make for a good read. For todays email Mike sticks to what he does best – cracking geezer garage with Kano on the rap tip over a Zed Bias inspired beat.

UK G Odyssey is taken from the imminent Cyberspace and Reds mixtape, and helps builds anticipation for the new and reportedly final album by The Streets, Computers and Blues out next month.

Filed under: Video by D.K.
No Comments »

As the Adele remix goes large on the blogsphere, check out Jamie XX turn on Benji B’s new Radio 1 show. Picking tracks with the ease of kid taking candy, this is some future beat shit. V.v nice.

While you at it check out J Rocc chatting to Benji B on this weeks show and then clear your ears, sit back and enjoy one of the world’s finest DJs drops dope record after dope record, and debuts tracks from his new album that is out soon on Stones Throw.

Filed under: DJ/Turntablism, dubstep, Electronic, Free Downloads, UK hip-hop by J.G.
No Comments »

Jamie Grind
Footwork EP
Fortified Audio/Boomkat

The success of James Blake suggests that a wider audience are opening up to the broad strokes of electronic music.

For those in the North, Jamie Grind has released his Footwork EP, available on Boomkat as a digital download and soon to be issued as 12” by Fortified Audio, filters the genre of ‘Juke/Footwork’ through the sieve of Grind’s own UK garage and dubstep influences. The result is a lively and energetic EP that strives to pin another Leeds’ flag on electronic/bass music map.

…Read More.

Filed under: Dub-step, dubstep, Electronic by J.G.
1 Comment »