The 1980s inspired artwork shouldn’t work and yet it does. Warp’s latest boy-wonder Hudson Mowhawke is making a name for himself as someone who doesn’t stick to the safe option. His debut LP Butter is out shortly but in the meantime try these tasters; Opps is fantastic, an ode to club hedonism and a perfect slice of urban electronic soul that melts in your ears like butter spread over hot toast. Nice if you like sort of thing.
A recent promo that grabbed my attention was the Eyedea and Abilites By The Throat LP. The release caught me by the eye, as it were, thanks to the fantastic watercolour illustration by Michael Gaughan. Modern subject matter + old-school techniques x painted with a guy who shares a surname of a master = a recipe for success.
The LP it promotes isn’t too shabby either. This is the Minnesota-based duos first release since E&A. MC Eyedea is perhaps best known for his prowess as a battle rapper, he won HBO’s Blaze Battle. DJ Abilities, meanwhile, is a futuristic sonic landscaper, who contributed to El-P’s outstanding Fantastic Damage. Throughout By The Throat the combination plunder many genres including punk, turntablism and straight-up hip-hop. Guitars and hip-hop normally remind me of Limp Bizkit and bring me out in a cold sweat, but thankfully this record strains more into grunge terrority. Well worth a listen. For more information head over to Rhymesayers Entertainment.
Super-fresh artwork for Gift of Gab’s new LP Escape 2 Mars. It looks like the art director has been spending a lot of time checking out 1980s legend He-Man and Ralph McQuarrie’s artwork for Star Wars. Musically, I’m not sure what direction the album will take, though I am sure it will feature The Gab’s trademark rapid delivery. Check out the free download El Gifto Magnifico as a taster.
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.
Seriously dope Cold Chillin’ T shirts available from Stones Throw. In conjuction with Biz Markie, photographer George DuBose (see Bonafide issue 01 for an in-depth feature), Soul-Cal and Traffic Entertainment Group, they have released a whole range of fresh Tees featuring the original Haze designed Cold Chillin logo, Biz Markie and the legendary Juice crew. All OG photography from the legendary DuBose for this seminal hip-hop label.
Get there quick before we buy up the whole damn lot www.stonesthrow.com
At Bonafide we love dope design. In particular we get sweaty palms about design work for music purposes. It was great then, to see an art exhibition cover the subject in such depth. The Gallery @ The Civic in Barnsley, Revolutions: From Gatefold To Download, tackles how designers respond, creatively, conceptually and laterally, to their brief. We give the gallery two thumbs up for putting on a great show and showing some of the bigger public galleries outside of London how to curate an exhibition that students and creative professionals will respond to.
