On the subject of fresh record cover artwork, Emily Macaulay (for Iamstanley) delivers the goods for the Simonsounds Reverse Engineering LP. Cutting up found photography and employing retro graphics, the artwork matches the LP – which we reviewed a while back – with it’s understated chic.
Wednesday night saw Soho’s primo bike store Tokyo Fixed Gear play host to none other than Bonafide collaborator Emilski’s debut show – regulars here will recall the London artist’s fresh-to-def Bonafide X Nike Tied Together tee. The night – in conjunction with Topsafe, the crew who launched the first hardback homage to London graffiti AKA Crack ‘n’ Shine – showcased a number of hand-painted signs amid all the bird bones and beer, pitting some of London’s dirtier dens of fried chicken inequity against each other to amusing effect. The whole affair definitely got Bonafide thinking about a little Junior Spesh on the way back to the bits, but we settled for another wing and some exercise over at Deviation. The signs will hang for the next week, along with some three-colour screen printed tees (as well as the original print) so hot you’d think they just came out the fryer. Hit up Topsafe for more info. JW
Typo Graphical is an excellent place to bookmark. It provides an insight into the contemporary international scene (hell they featured us recently) and is run by the multi-talented John Hall; John wrote for Mass Appeal back-in-the-day and divides his time between contributing for crack Oz mag T-World, developing Typo Graphical and growing his reggae influenced lifestyle brand Selector. Featured are the latest set of Selector cushions. Thinking about it I can’t think of a more fitting item to be inspired by Jamaica’s laid back sounds.
Bonobo’s lush new album, Black Sands, dropped at the end of March and is a brilliantly deep piece of work. Appropriately this is complemented by some pretty nifty artwork. Art directed by Oscar and Ewan and photographed by Pelle Crépin, the LP and singles release feature lovely sweeping shots of the Lake District.
“Based in the beautiful landscape of the Lake District, the three shots (album and two singles) are photographed so the place where the next shot was taken from is in view, forming a triangle.”
The photography captures the atmosphere and stillness of the environment and makes you want to pack up, head to the Lakes and then put on your boots and just walk for as far as you can. Perfect.
We’ve got a copy of the limited edition release that includes a rare 5 inch transparent piece of blue vinyl goodness. To be in with a chance of winning, email mailbox@bonafidezine.com and answer the following (topical question).
What large land mass spits near a beach made of black sand?
Competition closes 30th May 2010. The winner, drawn out of the electronic hat, will be notified via email. Best of luck.
RQM got in touch with the dope on his new project/EP, Colours Fade, that he has produced with street-artist Remed. Remed has provided an illustration that packages a limited run of 7inches and the image portrays the hedonistic tale that the wax tells. Nice idea, super nice execution. Available to all Berlin headz here.
Not visited the 2K by Gingham store for a while so it was good to see that the site has had a facelift and boiled down the content (as a the marketing bods would say). The site is all the better for it and I reckon 2K remain in the premier league of t-shirt design. One of my personal favourite’s is still available too. Designed by Mario Guay this is a rock-and-roll design and a classic in the flesh.
Chimps and t-shirts have history of course – A Bathing Ape/Very Ape, SSUR, Paul Frank, X-Large, Ben Davis and countless imitators. Simian design was done to death during the 90s and 00s so it’s good to see that there is fresh life in the old monkey yet!
From old-school hip-hop to hip-hop on the outer reaches.Kidkanevil’s love affair with all things Japanese continues apace with the release of his new LP Basho Basho. Listening to the tracks it sounds like hip-hop through an ancient East Asian filter. Check it out and take advantage of bagging one of his previous albums, Problems & Solutions or Back Off Man, I’m A Scientist, for free when you purchase the CD.
What I also really like about KidK’s releases are the artwork. Produced by Matt ‘Monkey Boxer’ Bailey, Matt’s work has great flexibility and the illustrations for Basho Basho and the single Megajoy/Minjo are really suggestive of woodblock prints, feudal Japan, Rashoman and things of that ilk. Now that’s what I call proper record cover artwork.
BTW anyone not aware of KidK should check out our interview in issue 02 and his ill Public Service Announcement mix on Groovement. Both are straight outta Tokyorkshire.
Came across this at the terrifyingly good Its Nice That. It appears to be an archive of old-school flyers. Scrolling through the visuals, and there are a lot, is a bit like entering a different era. The flyers are basically a historical documentation of the birth of hip-hop. Also, from a design point of view, this gold in terms of inspiration. Likewise, if you are looking for an authentic old-school moniker visit this site!
On Friday night I went to the excellent Cracked exhibition at the Mews of Mayfair, something of a cultural dichotomy to find this mischievous graffiti housed within the heart of London’s bourgeoisie shopping district, but thankfully it avoided any class clichés and was a nice space with dope work.
I also met Fred, the curator of the show and publisher of the book Crack & Shine, which is surprisingly the first in-depth look at the individuals and crews behind London’s burgeoning graf scene since the late 80s. Check back for a full review coming soon. As you can see it’s a handsome swine and though £30 might seem steep it’s sure to impress as a Christmas gift this year, that and a copy of the new issue of Bonafide, of course.
It’s been a while in the making but issue 02 is finally unleashed on the world. Featuring exclusive features and interviews and with Neon Neon, Large Professor, Peanut Butter Wolf, Kid Acne, Kidkanevil, Flying Lotus, Ben Eine, Best Joined up, Gareth Bayliss, Mo’ Wax records and more.
It’s not your standard throw-away trash. With attention to detail throughout, from the writing to the visuals, Bonafide is a keeper. Which is why we can’t bring one out every month! Secure your copy here and get it delivered straight to your door. Click here to see more shots of the mag
