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.
Caught up with Groovement the other week at a Marva Whitney gig and got discussing the amorphous music and various guises of Jnerio Jarel. Agent J has secreted away a rather out-there interview Jarel that he’s planning on putting up shortly. We agreed that the Lex mans output, so far, has been a curve ahead of the game but wasn’t always that easy to get into - my ears clearly need to speed up to year 2050 frequencies.
Our chat reminded me of this excellent mix, sounds that the kids call wonky and dubstep. For our reviews of the Shape of Broad Minds and the Willie Isz visit here and here or for an exclusive interview with Ehquestionmark, the design dons behind the regulation dope as artwork, check this excerpt and cop one of the remaining copies of issue 01.
DJ Kentaro will be bugging out Liverpool tonight as he starts off a round of UK gigs. His tour of duty will end with a face-off against the legendary DJ Krush. Anyone interested in seeing these two DJ heavyweights collide should head to Koko, London, on 3rd October; everyone in the vicinity of NW1 brace yourselves for impact! Excellent promotional artwork provided by the super talented Grampian Mountains.
Graphic designer/artist Gareth Bayliss has just released his Peace logo as a t-shirt in collaboration with Australian art facilitators Teeluxe. The artwork has been screaming ‘put me on a t-shirt’ ever since we first saw it, so it’s great news that it’s out there.
Gareth has worked on music packaging for a wide array of artists and record labels, his rather impressive roll call includes Mo’Wax, Dizzee Rascal, Illicit Records and Deadly Avenger. Check out his work at his new streamlined site or (shameless plug alert) for a more in-depth insight into his creative approach, his time working at Mo’Wax with Ben Drury and the ‘don’t sweat the mad design technique’ behind the artwork for The Rapture’s Echoes LP, purchase a copy of Bonafide issue 02. Peace.
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
