If you were to illustrate the word ‘love’ through one photograph, what would it be? We’re planning on running a photography gallery on our website on Monday 13th February to be entitled The Love Movement. The idea is simple: curate an online collection of photographs that, in one way or the other, allude to the word ‘love’.

Cinema

Be Film Festival, Brussels

The 7th edition of the Be Film Festival, an four-day long showcase of the best of Belgium cinema, not only offers five days of film screenings but also gives cinephiles the chance to meet with directors. Besides several premieres, the festival provides a selection of the best films released in the past year, with certain screenings even accompanied by live music performances – Belgian band The Bony King of Nowhere, for example.

From 19th until 23rd December

Bozar, Rue Ravensteinstraat 23 – 1000 Brussels

Cinematek, Rue Baron Hortastraat 9 – 1000 Brussels

www.befilmfestival.be

Exhibitions

Vincent Fournier, Brussels

Courtesy Joye Gallery

You could say photographer Vincent Fournier has it in for robots and rockets. Having travelled the world on a quest to document the secret and unknown world of space exploration (his passion project has taken the Frenchman everywhere from Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia and the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah to the Atacama Desert Observatories in Chile, Fournier’s photographs capture with mystifying exactitude the intriguing world of space research, doing so with all the innocence, exuberance and excitement of a child. This is the first comprehensive exhibition of the artist’ work in Brussels, and is sure to delight fans of Solaris and 2001, A Space Odissey alike.

Until 18th January 2012

Joye Gallery, Chaussée de Vleurgat 125 Vleurgatsesteenweg – 1050 Brussels

www.joyegallery.be

Riffs, Brussels

Courtesy of Wiels

Riffs is an exhibition of the wide-ranging works of Yto Barrada. Showcasing everything from the artist’s old and new sculptures, her films as well as her photographs, the exhibition is evidence of Barrada’s engaging narrative – more statement than mere observation (Her pictures display rare plants, children absorbed in a game or a road under construction). Having studied political science, the artist also leads the Cinématheque in Tangier, which makes the current social and political upheaval currently gripping North Africa especially relevant. Indeed, Barrada’s work seeks to show the complexity of  Moroccan reality and everything that continues to resist homogenisation plans.

Until 31st December

Wiels, Av. Van Volxemlaan 354 – 1190 Brussels

www.wiels.org

Music

Chilly Gonzales, Brussels

Grammy-nominatee, world-record holder (longest ever piano play), prodigy producer, versatile vocalist. It’s fair to say Canadian-born, Paris-based Gonzales has more than a talent up his sleeve. He’s back in Brussels tonight touring his latest album: ‘The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales’. Expect lots of laughter, wit and a good dose of playful arrogance.

22nd December

Botanique, Rue Royale 236 Koningsstraat, 1210 Brussels

www.botanique.be

James Taylor Quartet, Ghent

The James Taylor Quartet, described as one of today’s most important British jazz-pop crossover outfits, comes to Ghent to celebrate its 25th anniversary after having played about 1000 shows and released countless of albums. The band’s latest, titled ‘The Template’, makes good on the quartet’s reputation for blending funk, mod and acid jazz in its very own, distinctive way and continues in its tradition for unabashed, unashamed and unrestricted goodness.

23rd December

Vooruit, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 23, 9000 Ghent

www.vooruit.be

Café Central Christmas Party, Brussels

If you’re of the type to run for the bar the minute the Christmas tree goes up, chances are you’ll end up at Cafe Central this Saturday. Trading in Stille Nacht for experimental, psychedelic rock, the downtown drinking den invites Brussels-based Shazzula (of acid punk group Aqua Nebula Oscillator) for a night of electric eclecticism. Everything from kraut rock, noise and progressive rock is on the menu.

24th December

Café Central, Rue Borgvalstraat 14 – 1000 Brussels

www.lecafecentral.com

Fuse & Wildfamily Xmas Madness, Brussels

Wildfamily, a collective led by Belgian DJ Igor Vicente and known for its truly wild nights, is set to put the house on fire at Fuse this Saturday, giving yet another perfect excuse for Christmas grumps to escape the dreaded festive proceedings. Igor, known for his dark and deep sound, is also part of Ultrasone, a collaboration with DJ Vernon Bara. Both have played all over Europe (Spain, France, Ukraine, …) and the duo recently started putting out their debut tracks on the reputed Visionquest label. Christmas’ going to be a party this year.

24th December

Fuse, Rue Blaesstraat 208 – 1000 Brussels

www.fuse.be

Photographer Ulrike Biets

(This feature was first published in the white album)

Interview Nicholas Lewis, with additional research by Pauline Miko

I just saw the video for your single Honey Bunny. I think you guys posted it on your Facebook page two days ago. It got quite a good response. Are you happy with it?

Yeah, I think so, yeah I like it. Well you know, it’s not a big deal for me. It’s more for the fans.

This interview we’re doing is going to run in our November edition and it’s going to be themed “the white album”. Hum now, I read in an interview of yours that you have some sort of fetish for white sneakers…

Ha ha!

…and I noticed that the car, the Corvette, in the video was white as well. I mean, is there a link to be made or is it just me tripping out?

(laughs) No, you’re, no… You’re reading into it too much! The Corvette is silver.

Well I watched it on my shitty laptop.

Yeah. I wear the shoes not because of the fact that they’re white, but just because of the fact that they’re the classic Air Force One’s. You know, because of the fact that they’re not trendy. That’s why I like them.

I don’t want to indoctrinate anybody with any kind of theories, but I do want to communicate my feelings.

Compared to the first one, this new album sounds a lot richer, more accomplished. I mean, it definitely sounds like you have come of age as a songwriter. Other than relentless touring, what would you attribute this maturity gain to?

Yeah, you know, I don’t think there’s any difference. One third of the songs on the new album were written at the same time than the songs from the first album. It’s just that the recordings are better, we’re working in a studio, with a group of musicians that are very good. But in the first album I was playing every instruments and JR was running all the equipment and now on this album we had engineers, producers and musicians and a studio and everything was done right. But there’s no change.

On the album’s first song Honey Bunny, which is also the video you just released, you sing ‘they don’t like my bony body, they don’t like my dirty hair’ and then you go on to sing about a girl who loves you for who you are. This theme of acceptance – are you referring to anyone in particular or is it more of a general statement?

It’s a general statement. The song was written at the time when the person in the song doesn’t know for sure if they’re ever going to find somebody, the right person. It’s about saying: I’m not going to give up, I’m going to keep trying because it might be right around the corner. It’s about optimism.

You’ve been quoted as saying that you think that music is a spiritual way to communicate transcendent things…

Yeah, it’s more about just communicating my feelings. I think it’s important for me because I’m trying to figure these things out myself. It’s just talking about it in the songs in the same way that somebody might go to therapy or write a journal. That’s really the motive. I don’t want to indoctrinate anybody with any kind of theories, but I do want to communicate my feelings. For me it’s really selfish.

If Pitchfork had given us a bad support on this album it wouldn’t have made a difference. The tour was already booked before this. We don’t go and say like: ‘ Hey, look at the score, will you give us a show? ’

How important is the validation of web- sites such as Pitchfork to you? What do you think of this moral authority that one website commands on the indie scene?

I don’t really know. I don’t follow it, I don’t check it, I don’t read it. But I know when they give us a good score, I hear about it. It’s just like anything, when you get an award or you get praise… It’s really not the time where you feel successful. You feel successful the first time you listen to the album after it’s finished. It’s the same for live shows – when you’ve had a good show and when the audience was really great. And after that it’s like when people close to you are telling you they have real respect for what you’re doing or something. And finally after that, of course you want to get some respect from the people in the industry. But it’s really not the first thing. Our booking agents, our record label, our fans, … They were there before our first album, before we got a review. I think it helps, of course, but I know for example if Pitchfork had given us a bad support on this album it wouldn’t have made a difference. The tour was already booked before this. We don’t go and say like: “hey, look at the score, will you give us a show?”

Doing my research, I couldn’t help but feel that you’re definitely moving closer to the mainstream and it’s not a move that you seem to be doing yourself. Rather, it’s the mainstream that seems to be embracing you, I mean you have interviews in GQ, Vogue Italia, showcases on Conan. How do you feel about that? You’re clearly becoming the darling of the airwaves.

It’s just because those people are just slower than the public. You know, it’s the same in politics for example. Finally yesterday, there’s no discrimination about homosexuality in the army anymore. It’s just the government always needs an extra 10 years just to catch up. It’s the same with people like GQ. They would never say “Oh, I saw a band last night in a bar, let’s do a story!” They wait until you’re becoming rel- evant. The only reason that the mainstream is catching on is because they’re the slowest ones. Probably the final person to catch on would be like hum… Obama or something!

That’d be nice…

Yeah, that’s the goal! They’ll give me a call and say: “I’ve listened to your album and it’s really good!”

You recently stated in an interview that “The album should go down in history as an important album. I hope people realise that. Whether they do or not, they should at least not write it off as music that is trying to sound a certain way.”

Yeah, you know, I believe that this is a great album, I believe that the music is great and that we did a good job making it. We took huge steps up from the first album to the EP to this record. It would have been really easy for us to spend three or four thousand dollars and make another one of those and just put it out and stick to what we know, but we invested much more money into this new record. That’s the whole thing, even right now, on our tour, everybody got engaged to go on the road and they get paid a lot of money. And you know, the easy thing to do would have been: keep the same plan up from the beginning, keep the money just low, keep going on cheap tours, and rack up some money for ourselves. You know, when you look at it, it looks like a small business or something: every time we get extra money we put it straight back into our business and we make a better thing for the people involved. I have a lot of pride about what we’re doing because for me it’s the first time in my life where I’m doing something and I’m basically a part of a company. I’m making decisions. I’d like for people to understand that this is a very serious effort and that there is a lot of work going on. People like to label you as a certain thing and to me it’s frustrating because here I am 32 years old trying to run a company, make a career out of this and make the best albums possible.

You’ve spent some time in Belgium. Can you tell me how you ended up here, where you lived, any memories you kept, things you remember about the place?

Yeah I spent like six months there! I was living in France at the time and my mom had a new boyfriend and I wasn’t getting along with him and that was becoming… you know young teen (I was like 13 years old, or maybe 12) and I was being rebellious. So there was this place where they wanted to send me away so I could maybe be mature or something and to be totally honest with you I don’t really know what city it was, I don’t remember anything about where I was. I remember that it was a very nice place and I liked it a lot. We had goats roaming around freely.

Do you remember if you were in the French speaking part or in the Flemish speaking part?

I was speaking French, for sure.

So you went with your mom to Belgium?

No, I was by myself. I do know one detail, which is that they used to take all the children together and there were a lot of children and we’d go sing in the docks of Antwerp – where there are all the big ferry boats from every- where around the world – and we’d go on the boat and sing “Stille naaacht, tralala naaacht”.

Really?

I’m serious!

To the sailors?!

Yeah! And then we would sell some cassette tapes of us singing. And that’s how we would make some money. But it was like a program for kids who were kind of having a hard time growing up. You’d go there and learn how to sing Christmas carols and take care of goats and play outside. I don’t know if that helped me or not. But I remember I liked Belgium a lot.

You’ll be playing in Brussels in November. Do you still know some people here?

Oh, I don’t know anybody there. Even one year later I never spoke to any of those people again. That’s the story of my whole life, you know. Be somewhere, experience it, leave and forget about it.

What about the time you spent in Texas?

Well you know there is a huge amount of time there. When I moved to Texas I was 16 years old, in 1996. And a lot of things happened. I spent about nine years there.

So nine years after you moved to San Francisco?

Yeah. When I moved to SF I was 25.

I feel like in my youth I had religious music, and then in my teenage years I had punk music and it was only when I became an adult that I wrote my own music.

But you were always into music, like back in Texas, you were already playing in bands?

No, when I first moved there all I did was just buy albums. It was the first time for me to buy albums. I spent about four years just buying as many albums as I could. I was just a fan, a very honest fan of bands that were on MTV. That’s all I knew. And then I got into punk and that’s a very different thing. A part of the thing that came with my punk lifestyle is that I moved into a house where a lot of us played music together. There’s something about getting into punk very seriously where you do start playing music, and I did, but it wasn’t like this. I never wrote any songs, I didn’t care about music. It was just like in the same way that religious people sing in a church, and they have a huge musical history, well it’s the same for punks I think. Every punk will tell you “Oh yes, I’ve been in a band.” I feel like in my youth I had religious music, and then in my teenage years I had punk music and it was only when I became an adult that I wrote my own music.

What do you qualify your music of now? How would you describe it?

I really don’t know. I think it’s just pop music or you know, rock and roll music. Like I’ve seen our CD on iTunes and it’s says “alternative music”. You know I think that’s really nice but I think that’s also very big. Like “alternative to what?”

A lot has been said regarding your upbringing and how important religion was, so I don’t want to go into detail about it. But, your album’s name evidently conjures feelings of some sort of religious reference. Now I’ve also read that it was not your attempt at all. But I guess what I’m trying to get to here is that seen from our eyes, the current political climate in the US is really highly charged on religion. So I just wanted to know: where do you stand on that?

I don’t really agree actually. I think that’s a mess. It’s kind of like the idea that America is free or something like that. These are lies. I think that the “in God we trust” and the American Republican sort of Christian thing is a lie that is presented to the rest of the world so you guys think we’re very religious. It’s propagated by the American government and by the culture here. I spent a lot of time in my life travelling around the world, living in countries for years and years. I still travel now and I follow the world news and I’ll go so far as to say that a lot of European countries are more strongly Catholic and traditionally religious than America! For example if you go to Belgium, it’s the same kind of feeling in America: some people are religious, some people aren’t. Nobody really cares. You know, Bachmann, Rick Perry those people are not religious people. They’re hypocrites. They do that to receive votes. The population here is just stupid. You know I guarantee you that those people all have really disgusting demons in their closets.

Do you have religion overload? Given your upbringing, is there a point where you’re like “Gosh these guys are making so much out of this!”

Hum I don’t know, I kind of understand the whole reason why people are saying that. I think it’s because of the 60s American “hippie cult”, you know, it’s something that happened here, and half of the country (maybe 75 percent) subscribe to this. They all said: “Yes we should drop out, we should take drugs, we should have free sex…” I mean there was a time when the Children of God were very normal – I mean not specifically our cult but – these were the very normal feelings that America was turning to. And then everybody knows that these things came and failed. I mean people killed them- selves, the Government went in and killed the branch deviant. Everybody knows that free sex lead to AIDS. America has literally shifted. So there are two elements. One, it’s interesting to see the child of this very specific American culture come and say ‘this is my take on what actually happened’. But then for other people this cult is just so bizarre. This crazy sexual cult. All these things they don’t know about. You know: yes there is a religious aspect but I don’t think it’s so much religion, I think there is a political and historical element to it taken by the adults. You know, I feel like I got fucked over by the older generation, by the hippies. I realise that. But then for the people of my age it’s like ‘he was born in a cult’. This is very dark. I think nobody has ever asked me any questions about religion, it’s always like ‘So then, what happened?’ They want to hear juicy things ‘Oh your brother died’, ‘Oh your mom did this, your mom did that.’ I never had anybody ask me about the religious beliefs of the John Booka.

Do you still, to a certain extent, live the way you where brought up? Do you still believe in certain of the things of The Children of God?

No I can’t you know, it’s not possible. In order for me to do that, I’d have to separate myself from the world again and live in a community with hundreds of people, I’d have to stop earning money, I’d have to… We used to live in a very complicated way and I think I would never live like that again. I would have to go back to them. I’m 100 percent free right now. I had no freedom before.

Is it a part of your childhood that you look back at negatively?

No. Because I don’t want to do that. I did that for a long time but it’s very unhealthy. You know I would not just be upset; I’d get so angry. It’s not even an option for me to be upset about that. If you research anything about this group, you’d know what I’m talking about. You’d know that the children try to kill the parents that brought them up and kill themselves. This is not a fucking joke! I’ve been out of the Children of God since 1996. It’s a long time ago. And I’ve learned how to appreciate what happened to me and like myself. If I don’t do that, it’s all over. I’d be finished, other people would be finished. You know, there is just no option. The only option that I have is to say “everything is fine”.

One of the things in your childhood is that you couldn’t discover music directly. Apart from going to record stores, how would you discover new music now?

On YouTube. (laughs)

Personally, SF is a city I love. I’ll always remember the record store “Amoeba Records”? Does that still exist? Does it hold a lot of meaning to the city’s musicians? Did it help in anyway for you? Did you play there?

Yeah we played there for our first album release. I go there all the time, I live in that neighbourhood, so that’s where I buy my albums.

Like I said, this interview is going to run in our white album, which will evoke themes of purity, transparency and honesty. Which are themes that could really describe a big chunk of your latest album. There is a fresh naivety, it’s simple, self-spoken. You talk about ‘starting anew, that’s why I’m sticking with you, nobody makes me feel better and magic.’ It’s very honest and transparent. Is that kind of who you are? Do you  say things the way…

Yeah yeah. This is how I am. I’m very open. Of course it’s great for the song writing and it’s great for interviews and it’s great for any kind of public personality. When I see people, I can talk with them and it’s just much easier to be just very honest but then at the same time I have a lot of stress…distressfulness. I feel stupid or I feel like people know too much about me. You know I read interviews and I feel like they made mis- takes at the wrong things. I have to talk to my family all the time because they think I have a drug problem…The reality is that I’m OK, you know. The reality is just that I’m running a big business here. People work for me, and there’s been a recession in the United States for the past five years while I had to develop a brand new company! And I’m doing well, so.

I can’t help but notice that any artist refering to his band or his art as a business is pretty rare! I’ve never met an artist who takes it so seriously and really talks about it like you’re the General Manager for the company “and I have employees and all”. You know, this shit is serious!

Ha ha! I don’t know. Maybe it’s the wrong thing to say.

Just to give me an idea, I don’t need a specific figure here but you know this second album, it’s getting so much praise. Is this it for you? Are you guys kind of like comfortable for the next five years of your life and can you now buy yourself a studio and invest in gear and buy yourself a house, or…?

No! I mean, nobody makes money selling records anymore.

But you’re touring.

Yeah but this is our first tour for the new album. And sure, if we tour for the next two years, a lot, we can earn enough money. Anyway, without getting into money details, reality is yes, we have a opportunity right now: we could stop recording, play tons of festivals and outdoor…because the licenses are admitted…Coca-Cola…Just today I turned down a option from Tommy Hilfiger!

Why?

Because that’s what we do. We would not accept Tommy Hilfiger’s option for a commercial and we would not play festivals for two years on one album and keep the money apart: we’re going to the studio by next year.

I feel really similar to Biggie or 2 Pac’s personalities; they both were raised by a single mother who was very dynamic with a lot of personality

If I had to choose a musical genre that was the furthest away from what you guys are doing now, I’d say rap is definitely it. Do you listen to any hip-hop, who’s is your favourite gangsta rapper?

Oh I love hip-hop. My favourite rapper right now is Tylor the Creator. I’ve always liked rap. I feel really similar to Biggie or 2Pac’s personalities; they both were raised by a single mother who was very dynamic with a lot of personality. 2Pac’s mother was a political activist, Biggie’s mother was a single mother and they both didn’t finish college and they, at some point, started to write songs and they became very open and honest and tried to write everything and they did it until they died. And Biggie’s real name is actually Christopher Wallace. But, realistically I feel exactly the same as those two guys. I used to be a very big Wu-Tang fan but I think that’s kind of over now.

We asked a couple of our readers to send us questions on Twitter and one reader had a particularly funny one. He’s like ‘What does it feel like to be idolised by Pitchfork media but not to be able to be found on Google?’

(laughs)

I read somewhere that you’re working on a reggae album. Is that a project that’s still going on?

Yeah, I mean not really. When I talked about working on it, that was the time when I was writing the songs but I had to put them away. That’s really how all of our work is done: I write them, put them away and the next day of work is just in the studio, there’s nothing in between so yeah, the first job has been done for the reggae album (the songs are written) but really I don’t know when we’ll work on it, I don’t know if this is going to happen.

It will be a Girls project, then?

I’d like it to be. I’ve received a lot of oppositions from the others involved, specifically on this one! It’d have to be done differently. I think that people have done co-records like that. It’d have to be done in a studio with a Jamaican pro- ducer, vocal musicians and all that.

All right. Last question: if I’m not mistaken, you like Oasis, the band?

Oh yeah!

What do you prefer, Beady Eye or High Flying Birds (Liam and Noel’s new projects)?

Oh God, I wish I knew, ah. I’d really love to tell you an answer but I haven’t listened to either of them. My intuition is to stick with Noel on this one.

Watch the video Honey Bunny:

Girls’ latest album Father, Son, Holy Ghost is out now on True Panthers.

(This interview was first published in the white album)

I was about to ask you what I needed to do to make you take off those scarves of yours but you’re not even wearing them…

Haha, you wouldn’t have wanted to hear the answer anyway.

What’s with them anyway? Is this just a marketing ploy? It’s not even that original, Daft Punk already did it before you…

Wearing scarfs is no different than wearing shoes. Actually the marketing people told us not to do it as they thought it wasn’t charming enough. But we see it more like a theatrical performance that adds a visual element to the band. We get more attention on stage and sometimes people shout “Take them off!” By the way, Daft Punk worked 16 months on their helmets – it was an important artistic element. And in the end every band has a certain outfit.

If you work every day to earn money you don’t have any time left for creativity.

The music website Pitchfork accused you of focusing too much on fashion at the expense of your music – how do you respond to that?

Aaah, Pitchfork – they bashed us, right? This fashion stuff is ridiculous. I mean, look at us! When we went touring in the US, we had one carry-on bag for all three of us. We spent 10 hours in the tour bus every day and played every night in the same stinky dirty clothes.

You’ve all lived in squat houses, how did you end up there? What was that like?

We couldn’t afford to move to London, the rents there are crazily expensive. And if you work every day to earn money you don’t have any time left for creativity. That’s why we chose to live in a squat. We turned the building into a gallery and slept with seven people in one room. People from all over the world were coming there. Many of the people living there with us are respected artists now, they have successful galleries in London, one girl is writing a book and Dominic Jones is making jewellery – for example for Beyoncé.

Do you still live in squat houses when you go back to England now?

Unfortunately we had to stop. We’d come back from our tours and in the meantime all our stuff would have been kicked out. For a while we also lived in another place, a warehouse that was used as a showroom for toilets. We threw huge parties there with bands such as Mystery Jets coming to play for instance. Sometimes more than 5000 people would show up.

Didn’t you get problems with the police?

Funnily the police couldn’t do anything because it was not allowed to shut down an illegal event with more than 1000 people due to the risk of a riot. Unfortunately they changed that law.

We are involved in every aspect of being a band. For us it’s not only music but the whole package: the sound, the look, the feel.

Gary and Simon, you both went to art school, how does that influence what you do as a band?

We make all the artwork ourselves and are involved in every aspect of being a band. For us it’s not only music but the whole package: the sound, the look, the feel.

It’s quite a big step from living in a squat to being signed with a label like Kitsuné – how did that happen?

First we only played in our squat house at the gallery events. Then many people liked it and encouraged us, so we continued. When we played a show as a support act for The Big Pink the people from Kitsuné saw us. Kitsuné was perfect. We didn’t want an English label because then you are pretty much stuck in the UK. With Kitsuné our music is released everywhere in the world and we get to travel. If we only played in England we would be very unhappy people.

England is too oversaturated when it comes to music. There is no love left.

You don’t like your home country?

England sucks. Everywhere else you get treated nicely and there they treat you like shit. It’s too oversaturated when it comes to music – there’s no love left. In other countries people take care of us, we get nice food and everyone is friendly. In England they give you six warm beers for three people, if you are lucky. But we do like to play in London because our friends live there.

Did signing with a label change you as a band?

Before we basically just worked with our laptops and now we have a studio. We became much more professional. It takes a lot of time and hard work. We can’t get hammered every night anymore, people pay money too see us now and we don’t want to let them down.

You’ve been touring a lot, what was your best experience?

We really grew to like performing with electro acts and DJs. It’s cool when people sing your songs and dance to them. When we wrote the songs we didn’t realise the stroby late night music potential they had. It’s funny how they develop their own lives somehow.

You’ve been criticised a lot for your video ‘The Greeks’ that was done by French trio Megaforce – many found it too violent.

Tom & Jerry is much more violent and disgusting. In our video you can see that it’s always the same kids and it’s obvious that nothing happens to them. We were very honoured when all these Christian websites in the US said it was evil!

Your music doesn’t seem to be very lyrics-driven, is that true? What do you write about, what inspires you?

The voices are an instrument in the mix, equally important to all the other elements. The lyrics are actually quite essential and we really don’t get enough credit for them. We do tell stories, we don’t write cheesy crap. The main motif in our lyrics is escapism: We are not trying to tell how shitty life is, we want to talk about something fun.

The main motif in our music is escapism. We don’t want to tell you how shitty life is.

You wrote a song about Berlin, what’s that about?

The song is about drugs and Berlin does loads of drugs. It’s a cool city, we played there three times. We went to this amazing club, Berghain. A crazy place with darkrooms and stuff. There was this girl who just grabbed Dom and pulled him into a cubicle, best kiss ever. Can you put that on the website? He needs to find this girl again!

Do you have a favourite song on the album?

They are all wicked of course! No, seriously, right now we really like What??? and Oranges. And what’s cool is that when people approach us they all have a different favourite song – which means that we made a strong album.

What do you associate with Belgium?

We played at Les Ardentes, that was cool. Of course Belgian chocolate and fries – delicious. And Belgium has better radio stations than many other countries.

What’s next in store for you?

We continue our European tour, then we play in Brazil and in early December we go back home to England for a Christmas break. We are also constantly writing new stuff, ideas just keep coming.

Watch the award-winning video ‘The Greeks’:

Native To was released on Kitsuné in June 2011

Available on iTunes here

It features artists talking about their fear of the blank canvas, professions that still wear white aprons at work and the oldest tennis club in Belgium (members are required to wear white). It also features a snowball collector, a tribute to white socks and an interview with White Russia (the band’s whose song, Charmless State, was used for the teaser).

Come on down, get your copy, have a Volga (Brussels’ latest beer) and a little boogie (Nosedrip‘s on decks).

Address for the night: Rue Vandenbrandenstraat 2 - 1000 Brussels (Next door to Galerie Catherine Bastide and behind Café Modèle). Find it on Google maps

JOIN THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK

All images by Raya Rayax

Light. It sometimes points you in the right direction.

Light. It sometimes entertains you.

Light. It sometimes comes from outside.

Light. Sometimes you receive it.

Light. Sometimes you dance to it.

Light. It sometimes is captured on tape.

Light. It sometimes is imaginary.

Light. Sometimes you try to catch it.

Light. It sometimes is artificial.

Light. It sometimes is magic.

Light. It often can be found at the end of the tunnel.

Light. It sometimes becomes an addiction.

1. Copy and paste this link onto your wall http://itunes.apple.com/be/app/the-word-neighbourhood-life/id419048887?mt=8

2. Add a message to the post encouraging your friends to do the same. Something along the lines of “Win a Word goodie bag by posting this link on your wall.” (Extra points will be scored for originality here).

3. Take a screenshot of the post, and email it to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be

We have 15 goodie bags to dish out, so the 15 first readers to email us their screenshots will get theirs. And, as mentioned, those readers that make a particular effort in terms of originality of tone and efficiency of message will get extra love. Promised.

If you happen to see some when you’re out and about, please do take a picture and email them to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be so that we can increase our archive.

And, if you want your pack of 25 ‘We Own Belgium’ stickers (6 euros a pop), email us at wewrite@thewordmagazine and we’ll tell you what to do.

Photographer Antoine Ghisoland

Nike Sky Force ’88 (from 85 euros)

Available from Oki-ni

Slove is playful. It’s sexy and suggestive. It teases you. Even leads you on sometimes. It’s highly addictive too. Like that girlfriend of yours you spent all night with, and still want more. Slove. Slow + Love as we find out when we speak with Léo Hellden and Julien Barthe, the two men behind what is arguably one of the strongest efforts to come out of Paris this year.

A lot has been made about the recent revival the French music scene is going through, especially so in the indie/electro/house scene. Where do you feel you fit into this, given that, although very French is some ways, your overall sound seem to lean more towards the other side of the Atlantic…

Julien: I think our melody and sounds come from the UK’s & beats and sequence scene, but also from  ”savor faire” old school house and a very french touch for sampling …

One of the things I like the most about Le Danse is the drums. They’re rhythmic, come in at the right moment and always provide just the right amount of tempo to a song’s backbone. I particularly think they hit the right spot on Carte Postale. Who does the drumming?

Julien:  I mostly take care of the drums, mixing real drum samples with techno drums.

Who does what in the band? How do you go about composing a track?

Julien:  Positions aren’t fixed. Sometimes Léo suggest a melody and I’ll respond or vice versa.

Carte Postale is probably the most fun-loving yet sexy track I’ve heard in some time. Somehow, I imagine 30-something bored housewives wearing headbands all working out a sweat to the song. The vocals couldn’t be any simpler, yet they seem laced with ‘insider’ references. Who is singing? What’s with the number counting? And, most importantly, what’s with the “Si tu as un plan cheval, let me know”? I assume it is telling that the counting stops at 69…

Léo: The singer is Anne-Laure from Appaloosa. We contacted her after hearing “the day“. For us it’s a perfect pop song. I’m not sure about what she meant with the lyrics. I’m just happy that I was around when she recorded it. When she’s recording she puts herself in a state, an out of body experience, and I don’t think that neither me nor Julien expected that style but were both amazed. It was intended as a demo but we basically didn’t touch the song after her recording to not fuck up the presence of the performance.

Anne-Laure Keib: This song, I was back from a trip to Camargue, South of France. I took this trip after someone dear to me, died. He was someone very destructive. I arrived in the most lovely place, near Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, owned by a British woman, and it was 8 hours of horse backriding, everyday, for three weeks, and it was amazing. One of the happiest moments of my life actually. When I came back, Leo and Julien asked me to write a song and sing for them. They were into the stuff I have been doing for my band, Appaloosa. I was in front of the mic and started to count. I guess this counting is about when you go through borderline or painful experiences, and find a stability and peace of mind, with doing something you really love doing, something very positive for your well being. The “si tu as un plan cheval, let me know”, I guess, is a bit ironic, not sexual, but more like “let’s make shit happen.”

Can you talk to us about the various different people involved in the making of the album?

Julien: An the beginning, Léo & me started pop songs which tilted towards dance music and we suggested them to singers we knew…

You have several projects you’re working on at the same time. Can you tell us a little more about them?

Léo: Tristesse Contemporaine is a project with Mike (also on Slove) and Narumi, a Japanease keyboardist and vintage clothes shop owner. We just completed our first album, produced by Pilooski. As for Aswefall, which I do together with Clement, our second album came out last year. We’re working on new songs now and hoping it doesn’t take five years until the next one.

Julien: I’m always running Plaisir de France, remixing many French pop personal hits.

What is both you guys’ background? Have you always worked in the music industry? What were you doing before Slove?

Julien: I studied graphic design and used to play bass and guitars in an indie pop band until 1993, then discovered DJing in 1995. I started to produce singles as Plaisir de France on Pro Zak Tax record in 2000.

Léo: I started in 1997 as a guitarist with Swedish singer Jay Jay Johanson and worked with him for about five years. Since then, I’ve worked on different projects and moved gradually into composition and production. I worked for some time antiquarian booksellers first in Stockholm and later in Paris. Right now I’m not doing it anymore but wouldn’t mind doing so again at some point.

I’m just happy that I was around when she recorded it. When she’s recording she puts herself in a state, an out of body experience, and I don’t think that neither me nor Julien expected that style but were both amazed.

Can you tell us a little about the atmosphere in the studio whilst recording? Where was the LP recorded? How long did it take? Did you develop any routines/habits (good or bad) whilst recording?

L. We share a studio in Paris and spend much time there talking and making music. The Slove album took about two years and an intense six months of finalizing.

Who are you listening to at the moment? What’s the last album you bought? Were you listening to anything in particular whilst recording the album?

Julien: At the moment I’m listening to indie pop, lots of edits and electronic dance music. The last album I bought is the soundtrack for “My Little Princess” by Bertrand Burgalat and Mogwai. During the album’s recording sessions, I was listening to a lot of house revival from Mark E , Eddie C, Noze, as well as edits and remixes from Joakim, Pilooski, Superpitcher, Inflagranti, Cosmo vitelli, Get a room and Datassette.

When and how did you guys meet?

Léo: First time we know of is at Sonar in 2005. We were playing in the same party, Julien with Sweetlight and me with Aswefall. Some years later we met again in Julien’s studio. I was renting the studio next door on a short term basis to finish the second Aswefall album. We ended up sharing Julien’s studio and started making music together.

What’s in store for you until the end of the year?

Julien: Good remixes of fFash and a release of two Plaisir de France remixes of a French 80′s band Mikado.

Slove’s debut album is out now on Pschent.

plaisirdefrance.net/artistes/slove

pschent.com

Anthony Gonzalez, the creative mind behind the project, thinks big with this self-proclaimed concept album: “It’s a retrospective of my life, from childhood to being a teenager and then an adult.“ Setting the bar quite high he cites The Beatles’ white album, Ummagumma by Pink Floyd or Smashing Pumpkin’s’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as inspirational influences – concept albums which had heavily impressed the young Gonzalez. M83, this time produced by Justin Meldal-Johnson (NIN, Beck, The Mars Volta) clearly do not reinvent themselves but rather take their typical sound one step further, going for a more symphonic and epic sound. ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’, in part due to its sheer length, acts as a vast playing field for the band, allowing it to experiment and let their creativity run wild. And, although this gives the album an added layer of cosmic complexity, it does at times go on unnecessarily, and runs the risk of loosing your attention. That being said, the double album offers a truly multifaceted listening experience skillfully uniting the coldness of 80s inspired synthesisers with romantic pathos. “It’s a journey, not unlike a rollercoaster ride“, Gonzalez explains. And ‘Midnight City’, the LPs’ first single, is the perfect incarnation of the dreamlike and at the same time dancy tunes that we grew to love Anthony Gonzalez for.

Watch the album teaser

Watch new single Midnight City

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is out on Naïve on October 17th

Available from iTunes here

With thanks to Grégoire Pleynet for the behind the scenes footage.

Following a three months hiatus, we’re back with a bang. Our blue album. It hits the street Friday, 2nd September and we’d love for you to join us for a drink or two and a little boogie. It’s all happening at the À St Médard Centre for Arts, located on Rue Haute 298C – 300 Hoogstraat, in 1000 Brussels (it’s a 2min walk from the flea market). Proceedings begin at 19h00, with a small showcase of the Prouvé RAW collection, a collaborative exercise in design re-edition that sees denim brand G-Star RAW partner up with design manufacturer Vitra to re-edit a collection of Jean Prouvé design pieces. Expect historical artefacts, blow-up print outs and a lesson or two in denim excellence. We’ll also be handing our some Word-branded cotton goodie bags (filled by the likes of G-Star RAW, Hugo Boss and ourselves) to the 250 first readers to arrive so make sure to come early. Join the Facebook event page here.

Musically, we’ve concocted a line up sure to get you up on your feet:

1. Sixsixsixties(Antwerp, DJ set)
2. Slove(Paris, Live)
3. Ménage à Deux (Brussels, DJ set)

The Word: What gets you up in the morning?

Dynooo: My cellphone, usually. Only I get up around noon.

TW: What puts you to sleep?
D: Coffee. In the morning.

TW: The freshest thing you’ve heard lately? an expression, a verse, a joke, an insult, a word, anything
D: My buddy telling me about these little house cleaning robots he’s building. He made one out of a bristle, a 9v battery and the vibrating motor from a PS2 controller. He named it The Bristlebot and apparently it has 2000 something views on Youtube.

TW: A few words on your label mate Cupp Cave….
D: One of my best friends. He takes me through the woods and gives me tranquillizers. We have granola together.

TW: The alter-ego/alias you feel most at ease with?
D: Bob.

TW: Your fantasy?
D: A nice little girlfriend would be cool. Turned into such a loner.

TW: Your naughtiest moment?
D: A couple months ago at the supermarket I snatched a cherry.

TW: Your vice?
D: My solid 7 daily cups of joe.

TW: What gets you in the studio?
D: I’m most inspired by movies. Last week I saw every Vincent Gallo film I could get my hands on. I fucking loved Buffalo ’66 and The Brown Bunny (get over the fellatio scene, people). Really into Chloe Sevigny these days.

TW: One word to describe your music (and it can’t be dope)?

D: Dome.

TW: The one album you’d kill for?
D: Can’t think of one. Sorry.

TW: The year you were born in?
D: 1983. Flashdance and Mario Bros.

TW: The year you should have been born in?
D: Naww I’m good.

TW: The TV series you’re watching at the moment?
D: Twin Peaks season 2 again. Best series ever made. Me and François can talk about that stuff for hours, he recently found 3 gigabytes worth of special features. So exciting and timeless.

TW: A good joke you’ve heard lately?
D: A bit ashamed of that one. In London this hoolie-looking Scotsman told me a joke involving a knife and a baby. It was so absurdly disgusting which made it superfunny. People need to lighten up.

TW: Your top 5 albums of 2011 up to now?
Hype Williams – One Nation
Lone – Emereald Fantasy Tracks
Ssaliva – Thought Has Wings
Peaking Lights – 936
James Pants – James Pants

TW: Your favourite fictional character?
D: Benny Dalmau

TW: What’s your next move?
D: Carpe diem, brother. Carpe diem.

Follow Damien on Twitter for wordplays and jokes.

Where are you right now? What time is it?

Logo’s Merit is out now on Kitsune (2011). Buy it from iTunes here

The first instalment in our series comes courtesy of Soumaya Dancemachine, a DJ and party promoter who constantly criss-crosses the Belgo-German border in her ever-lasting quest to put on some the best parties around. She’s best known as the founder of High Needs Low, the next edition of which takes place on 9th July at K-Nal.

Listen to Soumaya’s Soundcloud here.

Photography Tine Claerhout

Photography Tine Claerhout

Photography Tine Claerhout

Photography Tine Claerhout

Photography Tine Claerhout

Catclub special birthday edition

This Saturday, 25th June

iMal, Quai des Charbonnages 30 Koolmijnenkaai - 1080 Brussels

Active since 2000, he’s now released 10 albums of irreverent swinging remakes with jazz trio Lounge Against The Machine (milking the dairy joke with members aliases like Bobby Ricotta, Frank Feta and Billy Bleu), spoofing cult classics with titles such as I’d Like a Virgin, Sunny Side of The Moon, OK Bartender, Tuxicity, or Aperitif For Destruction. With Cheese’s trademark crooner style and falsely naïve emphasis on explicit lyrics, bubblegum pop hits are suddenly exposed for all their vapid absurdity, angst-laden anthems (System of a Down’s Chop Suey, Slipknot’s People Equals Shit) take a humorous pathetic turn and the offensive (Nine Inch Nails’ Closer, Nirvana’s Rape Me) verges onto the profoundly disturbing. The result is riotous and nothing short of plain genius. Paying his very own “fromage homage” to the biggest names in music, Davis selects songs that “have that special… something, songs that will be around five, 10, 20 years from now.” By no means the sole perpetrators of the Vegas lounge-style cover genre, RC & LATM remain the loudest and edgiest, pushing the latent irony of current Top 40 hits to the farthest. Don’t miss the band’s only headlining concert in Europe this year, at London’s HMV Forum on 6th July.

Slipknot – People Equals Shit

Closer – Nine Inch Nails

Rape Me – Nirvana

System of a Down – Chop Suey

Gin and Juice – Snoop Dogg

Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot and Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode live on the Jimmy Kimmel show

Milkshake – Kelis

Creep – Radiohead

Smack My Bitch Up – Prodigy

Let It Brie comes out in July on 26th of July.

Photographer Adam Goldberg

The Goldberg Sisters’ self-titled debut album is out now on [PIAS].

Thanks to Piwifilms.

Photographer Sebastien Bonin, Fashion Laurent Dombrowicz

Graphic designer Emil Kozak posing for the Braun Cruzer campaign

“I guess what really hooked me on skateboarding was the creativity,” he says from Barcelona, where he moved to from his native Denmark for, as he puts it, his ‘love of skateboard (and his girlfriend).” After an initial phase of lots of “staring at the ceiling because of the language barrier”, Emil managed to set up a design practice in the city that focuses on art direction, graphic design, illustration and communication for well-known, influential culture and fashion imprints such as Eastpak, Burton or Nike. ‘Danish design made in Barcelona’ became his tag line. Think Northern pragmatism with Southern warmth.

Today, Emil’s inspiration net is cast slightly wider, with everything from mother nature and photography to surfing and pop culture giving him enough material for reflection and creation. And, with a visual style that tilts towards the playful and good-humoured, it is no wonder he has taken his art to, well, the canvas.

Read our Q&A with the man-of-the-moment below.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

Graphic designer by day, artist at night.

How did you get into art?

It has been a slow process of realizing that my main voice is visual in some sense.

How would you describe your art to someone who hadn’t seen it before?

Naive, bold, positive and simple. I love simplicity. I like to speak as clear and precise about a certain theme… I feel simplicity does that.

What was the reason for your breakthrough? Luck? Talent? Stamina?

I mix of the above. I also think I have been fortunate to have long periods of uninterrupted reflection, which might get some balls rolling. Especially when I moved to Spain from my native Denmark. I often found myself in situations of staring at the ceiling because of the language barrier. Now I speak Spanish fluently, though.

Why did you start working with skateboards instead of canvases?

I started when I began skateboarding, itʼs quite common that skateboarders customize the board and griptape etc. I think skateboarding is a very creative game. Itʼs about making something out of nothing. A skateboarder sees a playground when other people see an empty parking lot. It is like this imaginary world that you can go to when the other one sucks.

How long have you been skateboarding?

I got a skateboard when I was around seven years old (a little orange plastic board) that I used to play with in my grandparentsʼ living room. Throughout my early teenage years I got obsessed with skateboarding and I spent a lot of years studying magazines, movies and skating the streets of my city. But what really hooked me on skateboarding was the creativity: ripping with style, the colors, the music and the visual marks blew my mind. From there on it kinda influenced every part of my life and way of thinking.

Why do you live in Barcelona? Tell us about your studio and the art and board scene there.

I am from a small island in the south of Denmark. From a city called Maribo. I moved to Spain a bit more than five years ago. My girlfriend is from Valencia and we wanted to live together in a place that was kind of “in between” our two backgrounds. We also decided on Barcelona for practical reasons… The airport, its central location and the fact that we had a lot of friends already living in Barcelona. On top of that, the art scene etc. is pretty exciting here… lots of stuff going on! Good graffiti and great places to hang out with a skateboard. With my studio I focus on art direction, brand/identity development, graphic design, illustration and communication for a wide range of clients. The studio was established in 2003 and has been working with the most well-known and influential brands in arts and culture, fashion and entertainment. Usually clients contact me because they are looking for something visually strong, with a contemporary twist – Danish design made in Barcelona!

Perfect start to your day? Perfect end to your day?

Surfing at sunrise, and having a beer at sunset…

How long does it usually take you to work on a piece of art?

A lifetime plus one to 30 hours…approximately.

Whatʼs your favorite subject to paint?

Anything that somehow relates to western culture and the human condition.

What do you think makes a painting an artwork?

It all comes down to context. In this day and age anything can be considered art….it just depends on the context.

Whatʼs your favorite piece of work so far?

The Kindergarten Legends. They are ideas from when I was in kindergarten myself. I remember that we used to tell stories about other kids who had apple trees growing in their tummies, because they had swallowed the seeds from an apple. We actually believed it – I love the surreal imagination that kids have!

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Skateboards, Alicia, the city, the nature, sentences out of context, logos, typography, my brother, ping pong, surfing, guitars, handwriting, photography, books, paint, doodles, animals, children, pop culture and pretty much everything in between!

What people and artists do you admire?

Iʼm fascinated by creative people who have had a life-long creative career. People like Milton Glaser, Man Ray, David Lynch, Herb Lubalin and many many more…

Name the last three things you bought?

The book ‘Niagara’ by Alec Soth, an Olympus point-and-shoot camera from the 80s for only three Euros and a flashlight.

What do you do in your free time?

I spend time with friends and family. I also enjoy surfing, books and lazy days at the beach.

What are you most proud of?

Working on my own, and being in control of my own path.

What projects do you have coming up?

Iʼm in the midst of creating a surf brand. It explores the phenomenon of localism, but from a different angle. Instead of the surfers being the ‘locals’, the point is Mother Nature being the rightful owner of a given area. Sharks, water, whales etc. Humans are NOT the center of the universe. It is called ‘Locals Only’. I recently also did a collaboration with Braun cruZer for one of their product lines. At first it might seem an unusual thing for me to team up with the guys from Braun but actually it was a cool combo. After all, just like my work theirs also revolves around style. And besides Iʼm into beards myself and like to express my personality with the way I look.

And not one, but two parties. One in Brussels on Friday 20th May. And one in Ghent on Saturday 21st May.

In Brussels on Friday, 20th May from 19h00 onwards.

Address – L’Epicerie Fine de la Senne, Rue de Bon Secours 4-6 Bijstandstraat 1000 Brussels (a 2min walk from Prive Joke). Find it on Google Maps here

With music by William (Uphigh Collective) and JustNathan

In Ghent on Saturday, 21st May from 19h00 onwards.

Address – N°13, Sint Pietersnieuwstraat 9000 Ghent (a 1min walk from the Vooruit). Find it on Google Maps here

With music by Judo Club, Ping Pong Tactics (live set), Dynooo (Surf Kill), Tino and Fred Nasen

Join the Facebook event here

Sponsored by Schweppes and Dolce Gusto

“A lot of my transitions flow and connect fluidly like I am telling a story,” says Ronnie Abaldonado, one of the judges to this year’s Braun Battle of the Year breakdancing contest. A Filipino living in Las Vegas, Ronnie (28) has secured some of the most respected break titles around (winner of the 2007 Red Bull BC One, first place at Las vegas’ prom Am, first place at Cannes’ Break The Floor), a feat he attributes to sheer hard work, commitment and determination. “Stuff like this doesn’t just happen to you. It’s hard work. I train at least two hours a day, five days a week.’ says the straight-talking breaker, conscious of his influence on emerging dancing talent and his responsibility to tell it how it is. Having gotten serious about breaking at age 10 (he lived in Guam at the time), he first started emulating moves picked up on MTV”s music videos and imitating his older brother Rodolfo. At the time, his ultimate goal in life was to be as good as him. He quickly overtook his brother’s stage prowess, and went on to achieve much more than mere family supremacy. Becoming one of the States’ highest ranking b-boys, his style quickly became synonymous with an intricate attention to detail, sharp execution and a heavy dose of realism. His many variations of freezes, his intricate footwork as well as his power moves are now the stuff of legend, with Ronnie’s name firmly engraved in every self-respecting hip hop fan’s mind. His success has even led to an appearance in b-boy documentary Turn It Loose, endorsements by leading advertisers (Braun) and, today, every kid from Sao Paolo to Seoul name-dropping Ronnie in the same way b-boys from the 1990s’ heydays name-dropped Crazy Legs. Call him a no-nonsense breaker. A ‘blood, sweat and tears’ type dancer who means serious business. And it shows.

Watch a break sequence Ronnie filmed for Braun

Watch a behind-the-scenes video of Ronnie shooting the Braun Body CruZer campaign

This post is the first in a series of sponsored profiles on up-and-coming ‘movers & shakers’.

• Photography Toon Aerts, Vincent Dechamps, amongst others

Photographer Benoît Banisse Art direction and styling Flore van Ryn

01. Just click it

We’ve become experts at commissioning photography, art directing as well as styling it, but when it comes to photography itself, we let the professionals do the talking. It’s not like we wouldn’t enjoy getting behind the camera and shooting a gorgeous pair of… shoes. It’s rather that, well, we can’t really be bothered with the technical aspect of it all – you know, aperture, shutter speed, contrast, focus and what not. Imagine our joy, then, when this beauty landed on our desks for a little test. It’s light, has interchangeable lenses and, wait for it, does it all for you.

α NEX-3 16mm interchangeable lens camera by Sony (€500)
Available from Sony Centers throughout the country
sonycenter.be

02. Prints please

It’s a known fact that we’re of the type to look down on people when first meeting them. Often wrongly interpreted as snobbism, it’s only really a sometimes worrying obsession with footwear. We won’t judge you by your looks, your intellect or even your personality, but we will judge you by the shoes you wear. Call us shallow; we believe the shoes a person wears are just as telling a character clue than, say, whether or not you bite your nails. You’re on safe ground though if we meet for the first time and these are the shoes you’re wearing. Part of Converse’s collaborative collection for women with Finnish textile printmaker Marimekko, they’d say three things to our trained eyes: she’s cool, confident and carefree.

Jack Purcell x Marimekko (€89,95)
Available from Bellerose (Brussels)
converse.be

03. The revolution in red

Although you could argue that, in this day-and-age of virtual protests and desktop unrests, all you need to organise a revolution is a Facebook page and a handful of Twitter followers, we’d like to think of ourselves as a touch more old school – even in the small matter of deposing governments. Fact is, if we ever were to seriously consider overthrowing the powers that be (not such a far-fetched idea considering the country’s record-breaking political deadlock), we’d start with plotting the downfall on paper. Not any kind of paper of course. You see, if we’re going to spend time musing on coup conspiracies, you better believe it’s going to be done in keeping with a certain colour-coded structure. Thus, a red notebook. What else?

Red notebook by Atypyk (€13)
Available from Bozarshop (Brussels)
atypyk.com

04. Teenage angst no more

For as long as we can remember, bloodshot eyes and red spots were as central to our teenager looks as Dr. Martens and ripped 501s. For bleary eyes, Minhavez was the make of choice, never failing to whiten our eyes just in time for afternoon classes or inquisitive dinner with the elders. For the red spots, the perfect miracle remedy somehow eluded us as we painfully saw our faces turn from smooth operator to rough calculator with each year going by. If it were today, however, we’d find solace in Kiehl’s blemish control cream, a now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t kind of magic.

Minhavez eye drops (€4), available in pharmacies.
Kiehl’s Acne Blemish Control treatment (€39)
Available from Senteurs d’Ailleurs (Brussels) and Kiehl’s (Antwerp and Ghent). kiehls.com

05. Death traps

Equally as terrifying as they are beautiful, these carnivorous plants feed off small flies and insects that get lured into their traps. And whilst some species from the exotic jungles of Borneo or Guinea are big enough to gobble up entire rats, these apartment-sized carnivores won’t be turning your living area into the Little Shop of Horrors just yet. Indeed, these imported versions rarely outgrow their pots, although that’s not to say you won’t catch them snapping up a fly or two. You know, just for starters.

From left to right: the venus flytrap (dionaea muscipula), cobra plant (darlingtonia californica) and the rosy sundew (drosera hamiltonii), between €4 and €6.
Available from Velvet Café (Brussels).
velvetine.be

06. The red hiking hood

Come spring, this pullover jacket by favoured hiking and extreme sports brand Napapijri could very well become your new best friend. Part of the label’s Geographic line, which focuses on sportswear and urban pieces, this summer take on their classic Skidoo cut packs a polyamide shell fabric that makes it extremely lightweight, windproof and water repellent. We’ve always been purvey to somewhat of a mix-and-match aesthetic, and this bright but bold hoodie just about does it for us.

Skidoo summer jacket for men by Napapijri (€199).
Available from Napapijri (Antwerp).
napapijri.com

Photography Bo Ningen

Address – Le Bar Rouge, Rue du Pépin 41 Kernstraat (1000 Brussels). Find it on Google Maps here

Join the Facebook event here

Music by Jealov

Can you describe where you are right now? What do you see through your window? What’s the vibe like today, the weather? What time is it, your time?

At the moment I’m living in a quiet central area of  Tokyo (Japan). From my room on the 7th floor, you can see  the Tokyo Dome, well known as a baseball stadium, and also a bunch of buildings. During daytime, you can see cars and people everywhere from my balcony. Come night, it’s quiet and gives you a feeling of loneliness. Well maybe it’s just because I am writing this at 2am. Spring still feels far away, although it’s getting warmer these days. I don’t really deal with the cold that well, so it has been tough for me. But everything is getting better and better, almost like a calm feeling.

There isn’t a lot of info about you online, so could you introduce yourself to us? How old are you? What’s your real name? Where did you grow up? What kind of kid were you at school?

My real name is Takafumi Sakurai, I’m 24 years old. I’m going to university. My stage name is EMUFUCKA, it’s my name upside down. I born in MIYAGI prefecture, also home to Gagle and Mitsu The Beats. I sometimes go to theirs events whenever I visit them. I personally think that Sendai has a diverse culture, especially in terms of music. During the summer time, an amazing jazz festival is held, you can also visit marvelous record shops. Not far from the city, there is also the Jazzy Sport in Morioka. Sendai was influenced by this shop a lot. When I was a kid, I was a shy and unactive boy. However I was lucky enough to have a lot of good friends. Well, I was quite pessimistic and shy and that has not really changed. Both of my parents were working and whenever I was home, I played games, watched cartoons… I thought that I was a kid who couldn’t do anything good. But when I turned 20, I moved to Tokyo and have lived here ever since.

Your album’s really refreshing, experimental and cerebral yet coherent. Certain influences really come through, both old and new, which is nice. What did you grow up listening to? To what ‘music tribe’ would you say you belonged to? Where do you lean musically nowadays? What scene would you say you are part of in your hometown?

Thanks, glad to hear that. Originally, my mother used to teach music at school and she let me play piano and violin. That really influenced me so much and I ended up listening to classical music on CDs and vinyl. Well not only classical music but also old Japanese pop music from animation and games. Then I fell in love with Hip Hop music after junior high school. I started to produce music when I moved to Tokyo, so it is quite recent. Before producing, I was MCing. I did not listen to Jazz, Soul all sorts of African music until I started to make beats. What triggered me to look into these styles was my quest for samples. I think my music could be described as “BEATS” music and I have some intention to make my music as BEATS. But to be honest I have no interest in genres. This genre-thought really limits producers’ ability. So it’s really up to the people to decide what genre Emufucka’s music belongs to. I personally want my music to be fresh all the time, you know. But I believe all of my roots go back to Hip Hop and I really would like to keep my music this way, but also bringing what I think is beautiful. Before I was in love with the sounds from J Dilla or Madlib, trying to make beats like them. These are the people who deeply influenced my sound. And I still love them. I basically love all sorts of music, but nowadays Beats, Electronica, Psychedelic, Experimental, Dubstep, Glitch, Techno, House, Post Dubstep, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Game Music, Soundtrack, Alternative…etc… And I can’t name a lots of my favorite artists but recently Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawk, Rustie, Clark, Dorian Concept, and James Blake are the people I really feel influenced by.

Regarding the music scene in Japan, we unfortunately do not have a great beat music scene, in comparison to LA or the UK. Only a few people are doing this stuff here and I do believe our music is out of date by maybe two or three years? You could even say the same for my music.

Having Count Bass D on your album has to be every rapper/producer’s secret fantasy. How did that work out?

Before this album, I didn’t know him personally. He is one of my favorite artists. When I started making an EP and choosing tracks, (this is the track called August), I was thinking it would be cool to have Count Bass D‘s voice in it. I sent him a track through SNS without any expectations. And he really liked it… Known as an obscure artist in the music scene, I really appreciated his approval and interest. The process of making music with him was quite simple. He recorded his vocal part at his studio and I edited it. Tableek from Maspyke is also taking part in my new EP.

Listen to August -_ft_Count_Bass_D

Listen: August_ft_Count_Bass_D.mp3

What is your next secret fantasy? Who’d you like to work with/have on one of your next releases?

My next release will be two remixes on a label in LA that will hopefully be out this year. I cannot describe it’s sound but I am sure people will be freaked out. And I keep making music for next EP. I already have done some Demo Beats. Hopefully, the release will come out this year or early next year.

Can you tell us a little about how you came to release this EP on Citywurl? How did that connection come about?

I originally collaborated with Slye Records, which is run by a company called aright Entertainment. But there was no chance for a release to happen because they weren’t really feeling it. I sent my demo beats to Citywurl and things worked out like this, that was around last April… Citywurl is a brilliant label I think. I’m grateful that Jonas, the A&R from Citywurl, gave me this opportunity. Releasing music outside of Japan shows that people appreciate the music itself, you know. I am not sure about the situation in other countries, but Japan is all about connections and networks.  So I probably can say that not all the music being released in Japan is because the music itself is cool. I happened to witness some people going through that shit so I really did not want to go through it myself. I just keep making music. Some people use music as a tool for success but I do not see it like this. I just wanna make good music and listen to pure music.

Can you talk to us about the album itself? How would you define it? Take us through the track listing. How do you pick title names for the tracks?

I think this EP is my perfect first album. I was able to put all the old and new stuff in there. I picked the selection from hundreds of tracks I made. And I also took good care of the balance of the album as well. The track list is Brain Machine, Inherit The Stars, The Heater, Lovin’ You, Galactic Soul, August. I picked the titles from my favorite films, English and American literature, science fiction novels, animation and cartoons. Whenever I make beats, I try to imagine them visually in my head. Smell, colour, warmth, space, texture,…

Where do you actually record? Do you have your own studio? Can you describe it for us?

All of the tracks were created in my room. A tiny, nine tatami size-studio with the minimal equipement. It was hard to get it with my budget. One PC, DAW-software, speakers and Audio Interface, MIDI controller that looks almost like a toy, a cheap analog recorder, a second hand synthesizer. I know that expensive gear could create a better sound but that doesn’t mean it can create inspiring sounds or tunes. Well, so far I don’t feel really eager to use that.

Can you tell us about the album, the moment or the person that made you get into making music? Are you self taught or did you go to music school? What instruments would you like to be able to play?

No one made me start making music. It came naturally. But I was certainly influenced by my mother who is a music teacher. I have always been in a musical environment. So I can say that I got a sense of music in my blood but I’ve never played any instruments properly. If the occasion presents itself, then I would love to start piano or violin again.

Whats on your current playlist? What are you listening to right now?

These are the tracks which I recently listened to…Young Montana? Ver / Astro Nautico, Connecting The Dogs / Rushkeys, Sometimes I Get Down(Mike Slott Remix) / Kotch, deadcatclearll (Baths Remix) / Themselves, Fancy Forty / Luice, Hold On (Sub Focus Remix) /Rusko feat. Amber Coffman, Night And Day / Oriol, Youth Blood (12th Planet & Flinch Remix) / Little Jinder, Good Boy / My Dry Wet Mess, Tsubomi & Erika’s Rubber Boots / Quarta330, Voices (Dorian Consept Remix) / Nosaj Thing, No Security feat. Kelis (Rustie Remix), Untitled_rsn / Joker, Snowy Lava / Ametsub, Stop What Your Doing (James Blake Remix) / Untold & James Blake, Pitter Patter / Redinho, Trapperkeeper / Low Limit, Carbonated / Mount Kimbie, Everything is Alright (Daisuke Tanabe Remix) / Yellowtail, Sing What You Want (Rusko’s Skwee Remix), Beast Nite / Rustie, Peaky Caps / Gold Panda, Domino Part A / Mr Flash, A Camphoraceous Elixir / Busy, Bits N .Dots.2 / RLP, Ill Yuykb / Coco Bryce, Yo! (Slugabed Remix) / Melkeveien Vs Nino..etc

What local bands are you into? What are the good parties to go to in your neighbourhood/city? The record stores you go to? The magazines/blogs you read?

Regarding events, I often go to Cosmopolyphonic radio show and also Breakthrough by Jazzy Sport. I only go to events where I can listen to good music. For record I often go to Janis, Jazzy Sport and Disk Union. I tend to get music on digital supports but at the same time try to get physical ones as much as possible. For magazines… Sound Recordings which features new instruments, DAW, “how to use” guides, etc… My favorite blogs and sites are 92bpm, Moovmnt, FACT Magazine, Ghostly, Just Like Music, XLR8R, Red Bull Music Academy, In to the Woods, You’ll Soon Know, Pitchfork, Rinse FM, Sonic Router, URB, nutriot, Music Forest and Tokyo Breath Sauce. Tidal who writes Tokyo Breath Sauce is a good friend of mine, an amazing person who tells me a lot about music.

Hudson Mohake, Neon Indian and the whole brainfeeder-low end theory sound and scene come to mind if Iwere to draw comparisons for the purpose of context/reference. Would you agree that, even from a distance, you all belong to this new tribe of electronic artists for whom hip hop probably played a big part in their musical upbringing…?

Well it is a really difficult question. well I personally categorize them as BEATS rather than Electronica Hiphop. I am sure there are a lot of opinions or perceptions about it, so I cannot really say what is right or wrong. All artists have different opinions but as I said before, my music could be categorized in non-genre music like ‘BEATS’ and that is what I am aiming for. For instance in my case, I got so much energy from J Dilla or Madlib… like Hiphop sounds and then now Electronica, Psychedelic, Experimental, Dubstep, Techno, House, Glitch, Post Dubstep, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Game Music, Soundtrack, Alternative… all kinds of different music. I embrace everything from them to create my sound. There should be a lot of controversy going on but what I can say is we should not create boundaries between them but just feel the music and enjoy it instead. If the music has a vibe, why do we have to focus on the genres?

There’s this ability to beautifully mix the old with the new which I found appealing in your EP, a strong sense for the past but with an eye firmly to the future kind of thing…

Thank you, sir. I am just glad to hear those positive comments. There are so many things that I really wanna do. So please keep your ears open for the next releases as well.

Except making music, what is your other bad habit?

I’m able to read people. And I am a cautious person, I tend to worry about almost everything.

If you were asked to curate a festival, who would you have headlining?

There are too many in world wide base so I will pick up Japanese artists…Aqua Dub, a.z, Alpachikabuto, Curicopo, Clearfixx, Daisuke Tanabe, DJ Keita, DJ Kicks, DJ Mitsu The Beats, Danny Masao Winston, Dai Kurihara, Eccy, Fujimoto Teturo, Fitz Ambrose, Gagle, Grooveman Spot, Himuro Yoshiteru, Hiroaki Oba, Hinako, KK, Kan Sano, Kawakami Kohei, Kenji Sakajiri, Legro, Monkey Sequence.19, Madmaid, Masaya Fantasista, Mizube, MMMMMM, Mimosa Pudika, mfp, Nadsroic, Neo Hetare, Ovall, Okada Yasumasa, Ogiyy, Pepin, Pigeondust, Quarta330, Ramza, rigly chang, Ryo Matsui, RLP, Super Smoky Soul, Sauce81, Sayuri Takimoto, Shiiiiii, Tidal, The Astronotes, Taro Yoda, Toi73, Yukari Takanose…and so on. I know most of the people personally but they are just amazing people. Theirs performance, activity DJ…everything is just cool.

We have 10 tickets to be won for the fair’s private view on Thursday 24th February (tickets are valid for two persons, and remain available for the rest of the fair, which goes on until Monday 28th February). The 10 first readers to send an email to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be, with AAF in the title box as well as your full name, postal address and date of birth in the body of the email will each be sent a ticket.

The Affordable Art Fair

Tour & Taxi Brussels

From 25th february to 28th february 2011

Special thanks to Wilfried for making sure the camera safely got back to us.

Where are you right now, and what are you doing?

Hi there!! We’re in Chile in Valparaiso where we performed at the Rockodromo festival on Saturday night, heading on to Santiago tonight.

What time is it where you are?

17h.

Can you tell us a little bit about your move from Chille to Paris in 2001? What spurred it? How much do you miss Chille?

In 2001 we’d been doing Panico for 7 years.  We had already a long story, our label Combo discos and about 4 records released.

In those days bands would’nt play much outside Chile, and at some point we were frustrated of performing in the same venues for the same people.

We needed some fresh air so that’s why we decided to move towards mexico. But finally the first label interested in releasing our music outside chile was a french one.

That’s how we ended in Paris.

Listening to your albums, you come across as a band born to be performing in front of an audience. Would you rather be on stage than in the studio?

Two totally different situations. Our music is based on a mixture of energy and transe so it works really good live. But the studio is the place where we experiment with sounds and rythms so both are great to us. But we’re definitely a band that enjoys gigs!

Can you tell us a little bit about working together with Jon Savage on Kick? How did you find recording in Glasgow compared to recording in Chille or New York?

The difference with all our previous recording experiences is that the studio we were recording in was owned by musicians and therefore it was full of instruments, pedals, weird synths. And above everything it wasn’t clean and clinic as many studios are. This one was messy, strange as it was built in the backstage of an old theater. And Paul was great, we really enjoyed sharing this moment with him. He was very professional and focussed, as we only had 5 days to do the whole album.

You also had Christian Vogel remixing the album, and Joakim contributing to the producing…how did that come about?

That was for our previous album, Subliminal Kill.  It happened because Joakim was releasing the album on his label  and he suggested Cristian to mix some tracks, we were in the idea of making a record that would sound great in night clubs.

You sing in English on Kick more than you do on any other of Panico’s album. Is it a conscious decision, a more a natural progression?

It’s because I was bored to sing lyrics that no one could understand outside south america! So when we started writing this album i added more and more words in english in my songs. It’s sort of a Spanglish thing. At the end, nobody really understands what i say – but i think it’s fun doing it. Seriously i think i can have a better contact with our audiences in europe now.

To Europeans, your history begins in 2005 with Subliminal Kill. But, in fact, you’ve been around since 1995 if I’m not mistaken, having released four albums in Chille. How difficult has it been to crack Europe?

It was hard, specially at the beginning, because we came from a comfortable situation to a tough one. So it took long before we started having our own audience again. Also we had all the classic problems people have when they come to europe and want to live there : visas, language, money etc…. So it was like penetrating a jungle without the equipment ! But now we’re enjoying this a lot, I think people know better the band, it’s been very intense.

Your relationship with Tigersushi began by a chance encounter in a Parisian book store. Could you tell us a little bit more about that?

It was in 2004, we were living our worse days : absolutely no money, no label, no distribution. We were desperate and we wasted our last funds in releasing a 12″ vinyl with 4 songs. So we were selling ourselves the ep to record shops and some art book stores. We met Joakim in one of those and we enjoyed the music and that’s how all began again…. it was our last chance!!

Being mostly an electronic label (although recently that could be debated), it might seem odd to some that you’ve developed such a successful relationship with them. Could you talk to us about your work with the label, and how you see yourself fit in with the rest of their roster?

It’s true, but at the same time Tigersushi is an eclectic label and Joakim is open minded. We wanted to have a weird rock band in his label; and he thought we’d fit good.

Would it be right to say that you’ve moved the band a little closer to pop with your latest album? Its definitely a little more radio-friendly…

Yes probably; it’s because we came back to writing songs more than just jamming and building tracks based on that jam sessions. We wanted to write songs again and sing chorus and bring an emotion to the listener:)

You’re about to embark on the European leg of the promo tour for Panico. How has been the response to the latest album? Can you tell us about some of the opening acts you played with in Latin America, and some of those you’ve chosen for Europe?

Yes, we’ve had a good response to the record, specially in the UK, wich is great for us. We’re working there with a label called Chemikal Underground and they’ve done great work. We will tour the UK in April and then the rest of europe and summer festivals.  Now we’re in Chile doing a summer tour as the album was just released here, and we’ll be performing with LCD Soundsystem in Santiago next week. All very exciting!!

What’s next for Panico? Can you talk to us about your schedule for the next 6 months?

We will perform in Europe and South America for a couple of month, and then in September we’ll release a movie called “Panico, from rock to eternity”. It’s a documentary directed by James Schneider. The camera follows the band on a trip to the Atacama desert in the north of chile and shows the recording of an experimental album in isolated ghost towns and meteor craters.

What is the band’s vice when on tour? The bad habit you instantly get back into…?

We’re like any band, alcohol abuse I guess !

What are you listening to at the moment? Who gets to pick what you all listen to on the tour bus/van?

Depends, there are no rule, but it’s all very eclectic, from cumbia to industrial music. I’m enjoying the album of a band called Creep.

If you had to make a top 5 playlist of your all time favourite songs, who would make the cut?

I’d say

Perez Prado “Caballo Negro”

Modern lovers “Roadrunner”

Los Golpes “Olvidarte nunca”

Sonic youth “Teenage riot”

Bo Diddley “Who do you love”

Panico’s new album, Kick, is out on Tigersushi

Love or loathe Ariel Pink’s unique brand of psychedelic lo-fi pop, the LA-based artist has taken the world by storm with his single Round and Round. Hailed as the breakthrough artist of 2010, we caught up with him last time he was in Belgium. This is the first of a series of no-fuss interviews of up and coming bands and the intriguing  characters behind them, courtesy of Yana, a young Antwerp-based writer/photographer.

Name: Ariel Pink Rosenberg

What’s your current state of mind?

Bright.

Tape or vinyl?

Both?

Which life-altering experience had a major influence on you?

My friend went crazy. My sister got in a car accident in 2005. Too many to mention.

What has actually changed for you since you got signed on 4AD? How was this release different from all the others?

It was different in every way. Not so much because of the label.

Interview and photography by Yana Foqué

With thanks to Michael Michaels (meneertje plezier, pleasure, no-way josé)

The last time you played in Belgium (Alost/Aalst) you where a bit ill and your voice sounded really raw. For many of us it was the show of the year though! How did you experience this on your end?

We loved this show! Borbetomagus (the other band with old farts) were very funny. But I was so sick…

Where did you play your first show?

In The Smell – LA, North Hollywood. (NOT downtown where it is today!). It was 1997.

What can – in your opinion – never go out of style?

The past!

What’s your favourite song to hear on the radio?

“Touch of Grey” by the Grateful Dead.

What’s your favourite kind of noise?

Good noise.

Interview was first published in our black album

Where are you whilst you’re writing this, and what were you doing before we interrupted you?

Hello, I was playing a guitar I just bought and drinking coffee.

Where were you hiding all this time? Seems like you’ve popped out of nowhere with one killer of an album…

Thanks, I’ve been writing and planning… travelling around and behaving badly.

The album was released end of September. What have you been up to since?

I’ve done some remixes (Fenech Soler and Kele from Bloc Party) and load of shows. I then took some time off in Berlin.

Given the mainly positive response it’s received, are you now booked for DJ sets up to end of 2012 or something?

Since day one we’ve tried to only play the most interesting parties and shows.  I’ve been lucky so I say yes to what I really want to do.  That’s the nice way of saying I’m difficult to please, but my agents are cool.

Your album Generation Hexed has had everything from 1/10 reviews to 10/10 reviews. How do you explain this ‘you either love it or hate it’ reception? There seems to be no in-betweeners…

Right! My favourite reviews were where people hated on one song that another review hailed as total genius.  It helped me not worry about people’s reactions.  I think some people thought I was cocky or being too clever because I was known for quite intense rave music but the album is more melodic than that.  It’s better strive to grow and be more than what we are.

There’s pretty much not one music genre that isn’t somehow drawn upon in Generation Hexed. How would you describe your sound?

I don’t know. Ha!  Sorry, that’s not helpful for an interview, right?!  The album is melodic yet hard, a little funky and clear influences of my punk rock beginnings.  The album is really the story of the last 18months of shows and touring.  It’s all made at home, so it feels raw in places. I suppose it’s a bedroom electronica album with grand ideas.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? What do you listen to, generally and at the moment?

Right now a lot of early electronic music and afrobeat.  I’m also going through Strictly Rhythm’s back catalogue, their history of house music holds so many awesome tracks.  Marcus Lamkin aka Shit Robot just sent me his album which is really great. I’m also loving the UK label Night Slugs, those guys are putting out some serious stuff right now.  So funky.

What is the first LP you can remember buying? What was the last one?

I think the first one was Michael Jackson’s “Bad”, the last was a Serge Gainsbourg album.

How do you construct a song? Where and when does it start, and stop?

Once I have an idea, I make a demo and I send it to my manager.  By the time he listens to it, I’ve changed the track twice and it sounds completely different.  I know when a piece of music is finished, I just feel it.  If it’s not good when its done it gets disposed of, maybe I take a tiny segment I like and start something new with that.  ”All These Plans” from the album started this way, I used the “Oooh” chorus sound I made for a different track but threw the rest away and kept only this sound.  Having good feedback is important as I can get lost in the tiny elements of song, forgetting the bigger picture. I get lost in the sonics. My manager and friends pull me back out…haha.

Can you tell us a little about the village you come from? What was your childhood like? How much does it inform your music?

It’s a beautiful place by the sea in Scotland.  It’s very busy in summer with tourism but growing up there you always felt so cut-off from the rest of the world.  I could go into this a lot more but let’s just say that as a child I use to have fantasies of tidal waves, storms and earthquakes tearing the land under the town asunder and allowing me to run off to live my life as I saw fit.  I was a dreamer child, head in the clouds as they say, I used to draw over every one of my school books.  I’d say the town did not directly influence my music but it shaped me as an outsider and made me very stubborn.

Is there a musical tradition in your family?

None at all.

Your punk/metal background is well-known, and clearly shines-through in your music. Can you talk to us a little about that period in your life? What bands were you listening to at the time?

It started with certain earache bands like Entombed and Carcass then someone played me Black Flag and Fugazi which really sealed it for me.  My tastes broadened and I got really into post-punk – The Fall, Bauhaus, Joy Division and PiL. From that it was into Krautrock like Neu, Harmonia and Can and started listening to old rock n roll and rockabilly. I was buying records mail-order and from the only record store in town every week, I was addicted to all this exotic music and I dreamed of leaving my town.

Greco-Roman (the Berlin-based label which released Drums of Death’s debut) seems to be the perfect home for your eclectic work. Can you talk to us about how that connection came about?

After I came back from NYC where the Drop The Lime and the Trouble & Bass guys had brought me out to DJ a little for them, I made a mixtape of beats and weird noises that found its way into the hands of Joe (Joe Goddard of Hot Chip) and Alex (Alexander Waldron, co-founder of the label) from Greco. I played a party for them in Manchester that was really fun and has now gone down in legend for some crazy stuff that happened.

A little obvious one: what is up with the make-up? How long does it take you to apply it?

What’s with you NOT wearing paint??  Well… It’s pretty simple, I used to make music with strings and live instruments and such things so when it came to deciding to make dark and powerful music I wanted to do something that would stand-out and contrast with all the other artists.  I knew how I wanted to perform the live shows so I needed a guise to match the energy of the performer.  I’m not a performance artist… Nothing about the way I move is an act… I just jump onstage with a laptop, samplers and a mic and tear up the club the best I can.

Having never seen you live, I’ve had to resort to shitty youtube videos to get a sense of your live acts. They come across as phenomenally energetic. How do you feel when on-stage? What do you want the audience to take away from your live shows?

A Drums Of Death show is sweat, noise, basslines, love songs and techno…haha. I try to merge a physical show where you feel really involved with what’s going on onstage with percussive, noisy and soulful rave music.

You’ve worked quite a lot with Peaches. How did that connection come about?

She just came up to me at my first show in Berlin and we got talking.  She’s hands down the most professional and hard-working person I’ve met.  I really want to write more for her, making the “I Feel Cream” track was cool but trying to find time to do this is difficult.

Generation Hexed featured Gonzales playing piano on the last track. How was it working with him?

We met in Paris, he said he’d love to play for me so I just sent him the track via email and he did it pretty quick.  I had been warned he was real slow with emails but it was simple and straightforward.  I wrote the piano part originally but upon hearing his recording it felt brand new, like hearing it fresh for the first time.

Your remixes are also starting to garner quite a following. Just out of interest, how much would one set me back?

Ha.  It really depends… I’ve done some for free, some for a lot of money. I did the Hot Chip one for free but Joe remixed me back. Joe is also co-manager of the label.

More technically, how do you go about remixing a song?

Sometimes I want to re-write the song completely, other times I just want to take a tiny piece of it and create something really hard and weird.  I try to make them all funky and different to the originals, I’ll usually keep the vocals in too.

You’ve recently revealed plans of a project with Mumdance. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Mums Of Death!  Yeah, I’ve known Jack aka Mumdance for a little time now and we bonded over lost summers spent playing computer games.  We’re the kids of the 16bit age and still love the crazy music from those games. Big influence on us. We’ve finished our first EP which will be available from Beatport and such places as you’re reading this.  It’s all original music inspired from games like Golden Axe and Shadow Of The Beast… I’ve started calling it 16bit Soca or Mega Drive carnival music

What does the future hold? Gigs? More collaborations?

The next single from Generation Hexed will drop in February followed by a lot of touring after that.  Each progressive single will show more melody to what I do.  I will definitely be writing more music and there’s some cool collaborations coming.  I’ve sung on a track by Detboi, an old school house track that’s really funky, this will come out in 2011.   There will be some Mums Of Death shows… It’ll be a DJ assault team thing with elements of my live show mixed with Jack’s and his MCs. There’ll be dancers and crazy shit.

What will you do straight after having answered these questions?

Drink more coffee. Play some piano.

We have a habit of firing away some rapid-response type questions. Could you therefore answer the following without really taking the time to think about your responses?

Stage or studio? Stage

Analog or digital? Digital

Black or white? Black

Fast or slow? Slow

Short or long? Short

Right or wrong? Right

Under or over? Over

Sad or happy? Happy

Rap or hip hop? Hip Hop

Loud or quiet? Loud

Up or down? Up

Driver or passenger? Passenger

Crack or pop? Pop

Drink or smoke? Drink

Live or die? Live

Follow Drums of Death on Twitter

Photography Sarah Eechaut, Sarah Michielsen and pleaseletmedesign

Pictures below courtesy of Sarah Michielsen

Pictures below courtesy of Pierre and Damien

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The portfolio is a photographic carte blanche given to a photographer whose work we like. The idea being to give the possibility to emerging talent of seeing their work published on the magazine’s pages. Up to 8 pages at that.

Two conditions. One, the work submitted must somehow or the other relate to an edition’s given title. Two, the work must exclusively be created for the magazine’s pages.

Interested ? First thing to do is email your most recent work (a PDF portfolio of no more than 8 pages including your full name and contacts details) to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be, with ‘Portfolio submission’ as a title. If we see a fit, we’ll be in touch within a week.

In the meantime, and in order to get your inspiration going, our 2011 editorial calendar can be found below. Get to know our albums, get a sense of what’s on our mind for each colours throught the keywords and, by all means, do already start pitching ideas.

With extra special thanks to Julien Hassid (director), Jochem Thyssen (distributor/actor), Yassin Serghini (photography/camera).

Photography Ulrike Biets

Photography Ulrike Biets

Dan Klein, 30, singer and songwriter

Lead singer and keyboard player for Belgian band Vismets, Dan just spent his summer tirelessly touring the country as well as France following the May release of their debut album “Guru Voodoo”. The band ended the tour with a bang at a sold-out AB Box gig.

We sort of expected a rock n’ rolla to stock up on beer and crisps at the local night shop, but Dan led us to the Japanese supermarket instead. No booze, no junk. Just raw fish and gallons of green tea… “I once lived off nothing but Japanese food for about six months. If I had to spend a month in a bunker, that’s all I’d need.”

From left, clockwise: seaweed salad, wasabi crackers, Yukimi Daifuku mochi ice cream, Minori sushi rice, Yakinori Tokusen (roasted seaweed sheets), Genmaicha (green tea combined with roasted brown rice), Asage Nama miso soup and fresh salmon.

All available at Super Store Nagomi
119 Chaussée de Vleurgatsesteenweg
1000 Brussels
+32 (0) 2 648 59 11

Kim Peers, 33, model and stylist

She’s been the face of high-end brands such as Prada, YSL, Guerlain, and has walked the runways from Paris to Milan for the past decade. Kim now devotes her time to her first baby, born this past September.

Supermodels that actually eat… Shocker, right? Yet Kim’s extremely health conscious selection was actually based on precise calculations of the human body’s nutritive needs and the idea that a month in a bunker could become a spiritual quest. “I only picked things I really like and that could remind me of home. In order to remain sane, I allowed myself a few goodies: cake during the first days, then one coke for each following week.”

From left to right, top to bottom: Oxfam bio coke, Allos Amaranth tropical muesli, Allos Amaranth fruit muesli, bio apples, breakfast cake with cherries, breakfast cake with raisins, Horizon peanut butter, Abinda pâté, Florentin hummus

All available at Het Natuurhuis Bioshop
29 Otto Veniusstraat
2000 Antwerp
+32 (0) 3 233 23 56

Vincenzo Regine, 31, chef

Vincenzo settled at the Bocconi’s restaurant seven years ago, where he became head chef. He recently left the five-star Hotel Amigo’s restaurant to take on the direction of Via Lamanna, a 1400sqm lifestyle space on avenue Louise/Louizalaan, dedicated to Italian haute cuisine and set to open early December.

Could a man who cooks for a living get turned off by his kitchen’s stove? Certainly not. In fact, all Vincenzo wants in his bunker is a dish he cooked straight after picking his ingredients at the morning market: a roasted pheasant filet with mushrooms and pumpkin. “I want to treat myself and eat the entire dish on the first day. I’ll just read The Perfectionist, Bernard Loiseau’s biography, during the following 29.”

From left, clockwise: pheasant filet, thyme, raisins, pumpkin, chanterelle mushrooms and thinly sliced bacon

Pheasant purchased at the Good Meat butcher and vegetables from the Horeca 2000 grocer, both located at the Brussels morning market (only open to shops, grocers and restaurant owners)
Quai des Usines/Werkhuizenkaai
1000 Brussels

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/15868930[/vimeo]

© Ulrike Biets

Photography Sanne Delcroix

Photography Melika Ngombe

Cupp Cave

Dynooo

Miss Slott

Sagat

Mac Fly store
Bagattenstraat 5
9000 Ghent
Belgium
+32 (0) 9 224 43 00

Photography Ulrike Biets

Valeria fell down the stairs

Uschi bumped into a pole as she was walking on the street

Sophie fell over while she was weeding her garden

Ben tripped over a dog in the midst of a drunken night

Sebastian cut himself accidentally

Laurence’s pinky toe was squashed between his bike and a wall

Marieke was badly bruised by a serum injection after going to the hospital for a gastrointestinal bleeding

A stranger after a street fight

A stranger after a street fight

Seppe tried to uncork a bottle of wine against a tree in the park

Below are some of the pictures you weren’t supposed to see.

Photography, fashion & art direction KKGB

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/14235264[/vimeo]

The Warriors

Left to right, top to bottom: Byram Model’s Own — Jérémie wears Tank top “Le Fabuleux Marcel de Bruxelles”, Sheep skin vest Costumart, Jeans and boots Model’s Own — Selwyn wears Jeans Diesel, Zipped boots Sacha — Raphael wears Jeans Denham from RSRV — Ezekiel wears Jeans Diesel, Lace up boots Boss Orange — Enzo wears Jeans Denham from RSRV, Tee shirt and Trainers Model’s Own — Idrissa wears Jeans Closed, Lace up boots Sacha — Jurgen wears Jeans Diesel, Chains Model’s Own, Boots Sacha, Leather vests and batons Costumart

The Lizzies

Marjolijn wears Vest Mais il est où le soleil?, Dress Patrizia Pepe, Belt (worn as a necklace) Ikks, Necklace Nico Taeymans, Clutch and cuff Delvaux, Bracelet and necklace (worn as a bracelet) & ring Swarovski, Booties Robert Clergerie — Sandrine wears Sweater dress Natascha Stolle from Hunting & Collecting, Belt Model’s Own, Feather headband Costumart, Necklace Marion Vidal, Bracelet & ring Thomas Sabo, Necklace (worn as a bracelet)& Bracelet Longchamp, Clutch Model’s Own, Boots Rog Willer — Sabrina wears Dress h&m, Necklace Marion Vidal, Belt Patrizia Pepe, Feather headband Costumart, Ring Melody Eshani @ Kakkoiiiro, Bag Gucci − Khloe wears Tee shirt h&m, Leggings Filles à Papa, Necklace and bracelet Marion Vidal, Shoes Model’s Own − Louise wears Tank Ikks, Leggings and clutch Filles à Papa, Necklace Marion Vidal, Wedges Robert Clergerie − Julie wears Cardigan Hoss, Top Jean-Paul Knott, Leggings Patrizia Pepe, Feather bracelets Mais il est où le soleil?, Clutch Model’s Own, Shoes Robert Clergerie.

The Fixies

Leon wears Cardigan Tommy Hilfiger, Shirt Essentiel Homme, Shorts épisode, Hat Costumart, Trainers JoJo’s —Xavier wears Vest éric Bompard, Tee shirt Vandenvos, Shorts épisode, Socks and shoes Model’s Own —Yoann wears Shirt Tommy Hilfiger, Trousers Lacoste, Trainers Model’s Own —Romain wears Cardigan Lacoste, Trousers Céline Collard, Shirt and shoes Model’s Own —Hannibal wears Cardigan “Le Fabuleux Marcel de Bruxelles”, Shirt Tommy Hilfiger, Trousers Hugo by Hugo Boss, Cape Model’s Own, Trainers JoJo’s.

The Hockey Jocks

Pedro wears Jacket Onitsuka Tiger, Tee shirt Superdry, Jeans Levi’s, Trainers Nike —Nicolas wears Jacket Levi’s, Cardigan Boss Green, Jeans h&m, Tee shirt and Sneakers Onitsuka Tiger— Joe wears Jacket l.o.g.g., Polo Onitsuka Tiger, Shorts Model’s Own, Trainers Converse —Karim wears Jacket épisode, Tee shirt Nike, Jeans Filippa K, Trainers Nike —Rokko wears Jacket Nike, Hoodie Superdry, Tee shirt Nike, Trousers Bellerose, Sneakers Diesel.

The Circus

Hyun wears Blazer Costumart, Tee shirt Filippa K, Trousers Essentiel Woman, Necklace Uto Pia, Brooch “La mouche à deux culs” from Lez-arts-cachés, Trainers Perso —Ilyas wears Woman blazer and Tee shirt h&m, Trousers épisode, Necklace Uto Pia, Shoes Sacha —Jean-Baptiste wears Jacket Closed, Woman’s top h&m, Pants épisode, Necklace Uto Pia, Brooch “La mouche à deux culs”, Bracelet Model’s Own, Stick Costumart, Shoes h&m − Deborah wears Lamé vest Costumart, Trousers épisode, Necklace Uto Pia, Shirt Model’s Own, Socks Rue Blanche, Boots Sacha —Yves wears Vest Diesel, Tee shirt Filles à Papa, Trousers Rue Blanche, Necklace Uto Pia, Shoes Model’s Own —Minh wears Perfecto Agnès b. Femme, Tank top “Le Fabuleux Marcel de Bruxelles”, Trousers épisode, Necklace Uto Pia, Suspenders Costumart, Trainers Fago.

And here are the picture you weren’t supposed to see…

KKGB is

Photographer Gabriele Trapani
Photographer’s assistant Basile Cuvelier
Art director Nam Simonis
Fashion Amarande Angely, Brunel Mintona
Hair & make up Orla McKeating & Miaou and Eileen Caytan@cestchic.be with Redken
Video Federico Zanghì
Editing Matthieu Becker
Casting & Executive Production Soumaya DanceMachine

Thanks to

Tamarind Foods, La Fabrique 22A, Belinda Cordier from C’est Chic, Fred@CutMe, Nico & Yoann from Reservoir Shop, Marie-Pierre Duquenois, Cristina Damman & Costumart

And all the gangs

The Warriors: Jurgen, Idrissa, Ezekiel, Selwyn, Enzo, Jeremie, Byriam, Raphael
The Lizzies: Sabrina, Marjolijn, Julie, Sandrine, Louise, Khloe
The Fixies: Xavier, Romain, Leon, Hannibal, Yoann
The Hockey Jocks: Joe, Karim, Rokko, Nicolas, Pedro
The Circus: Jean-Baptiste, Hyun, Minh, Ilyas, Deborah, Yves

Taking over the indoor playground of Ixelles’ Ecole Les Mouettes (Av. des Eperons d’Or 16 Guldensporenlaan, 1050 Brussels), we’re throwing yet another party that’ll ensure you give the start of the year the kick off it deserves. It’s all happening on SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER, from 22h00 onwards.Entrance is €7,00. Find the school on Google Maps here (it’s literally a two minute walk from Flagey).

LINE UP FOR THE NIGHT
Jean-Biche
L-Fêtes versus Bernard Dobbeleer
Lady Jane (Catclub)

To give the whole event just an extra dose of themed integrity, we’ve even enlisted a yearbook photographer for the night, whose mission it will be to photograph each and every guest coming through the school doors. Come prepared then, as your lovely mug might end up in our November-December edition.

Join the Facebook event page here

And here are some images of the school that’ll host our party:

]]> http://www.thewordmagazine.be/office/saturday-18th-september-we-go-back-to-school/feed/ 5 http://www.thewordmagazine.be/office/the-throw-away-project-jimmy-edgar/ http://www.thewordmagazine.be/office/the-throw-away-project-jimmy-edgar/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:36:41 +0000 Ulrike Biets http://www.thewordmagazine.be/?p=3057 When we met Jimmy Edgar at Dour festival, he was holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand and his buddy Otto von Shirach with the other. We asked him to let go of Otto and take our disposable camera instead. Which he did. The first single of Jimmy’s new album ‘XXX’ is called Hot Raw Sex and by the looks of the pics he shot for us, the man is for real.

Photography and captions Jimmy Edgar

"Should I put on some lipstick before we do this?"

"Stay like this while I show you my 'intensions'"

"Re: 'look what I did to you', perfection too bad it's not permanent"

"Despite falling out of bed head wounds, cigarette burns and chest xrays we are actually quite normal bloodsuckers"

"When the flash is too bright black nails licking bleeding lips"

"Re: 'can I wear your shirt?' yes, can I wear your everything?"

"Don't scare me like that, xoxo"

"From this angle is how I will steal your heart"

"And this is how I will steal yours"

"I have a cardboard play house in Berlin, and this weekend I don't give a fuck about being in complete disarray"

Mamiko Motto

Where does the name Hepcat come from??

Its a Jazz term from the 1950s meaning cool, hip people amongst jazz musicians.

What are your musical roots?

To be honest with you I think firstly, everything started for me with jazz music. My dad is a big jazz music lover and he used to sponsor an international jazz music festival and as soon as I was a teenager I started working there so it was a big inspiration. Saying that I can’t really remember the last time I listened to a jazz record!

What inspired you?

Working at the jazz festival as a young teenager made me realise I wanted to be involved in creating a show, not just a ticket-buying spectator. Being around creative people at such a young age really helped.

What’s your Belgian connection?

I was studying fashion back in my home in Lithuania and at 17 decided I’d like to pursue my studies at the Antwerp academy of Fashion. Being very young I had been a little shortsighted in my decision to come to the fashion school; I soon realised I didn’t enjoy it so instead I decided to just stay for a few months. That summer, I met DJ Koenie who owns Wally’s Groove World and is a legendary house DJ here in Belgium. We started going to loads of parties together and I started working here at the record shop, gave up university and got lost in music here.

Describe your Hepcat’s HQ. What equipment do you use?

Usually I do it from home from my little studio using Seratel Technology. I invite guests over to my house in North London, I cook dinner, we drink, chat and then we broadcast through my website with is connected with an American server called Ustream. Its quite a nice and comfortable way of doing it and shows the essence of live radio.

Was pirate radio a strong influence for the broadcast?

I don’t really think so , I wanted to create a base from which I could play music and be creative, that was the main driving force. Broadcasting from home only makes it more special.

What’s a typical day for you?

I don’t really think there is a typical day for me as I do a lot of very different things most days and for that I’m really happy. I quit my job; I used to work for a Dutch record label and since I gave it up I am the happiest person because I don’t like doing repetitive things or routine. I guess its the same as most people working from home; breakfast, coffee and then opening up my laptop to see what the day brings.

Where would you say Hepcat’s home is?

Original hometown will always be Antwerp as this is where it all started but it’s been such a long time and we’ve moved so much right now its also London, at my home in Muswell Hill. It’s quite different to when it started as a slot on Radio Centraal!

What generation do you regard yourself from? Analogue or digital?

I was a hardcore analogue lover and there was a time when I was really against all the digital music and DJing taking over but I realise it’s stupid to be so negative and stubbornly against things because it holds up progress. Digital media has allowed people to create a great platform for young people to express themselves musically and to be creative. It’s important to be open minded.

How does your process of collaboration start for a broadcast?

It happens differently; sometimes I just meet people when I’m out, people I know or through friends  but sometimes I contact people I don’t know at all through their myspace and ask them over. For me the most important thing is the production of live radio. The charm of it is in the unpredicatablilty so for me its important to have people here mixing instead of playing pre-recorded material even if that means waiting for people to make it over!

How would you say you access music and learn about new music ?

It’s a mix of an organic way of finding new music and targeting wellknown sources. I like going to second hand record stores and finding old and good stuff no one knows about. For new material I just check the internet, research and get new and unreleased stuff off my producer friends.

You work a lot with Hudson Mohawke, how did that collaborative relationship start?

He used to be a fan of the show and then one time at a gig in Amsterdam I said hello and we kicked things off. I guess that started a series of collaborations,  a highlight being a track we recorded for Warp Records 20yr Anniversary limited edition box set. I was also his support DJ for almost all his gigs last year for the last album: it’s a lot of fun.

Favourite records of 2010 so far?

This year has already been so amazing for music with some very very strong releases. I really have to say Hudson’s Butter album is an amazing and absolutely fresh piece of music. Other stuff includes the label Numbers, the new UK funky revival, together with Deadboy ‘If You Want Me’ is a big big record. And also the new Mark Pritchard‘s Africa Hitech, it’ll be coming out later this year, is a sick record.

Any tips for the future?

I think this guy called Lone who releases stuff on Werk Discs is gonna be a next big thing. His latest productions are absolutely amazing. I would definitely say watch out for him and his brand new label Magic Wire Recordings.

Future Plans for Hepcat Radio?

My designer Stephan Serrato who is collaborating with me on this project is finishing off his masters at Arnem. He’s arriving here soon and we’ll be making a second version of the website and making changes to that. I’m hoping to get a slot on Rinse FM. Would love to start doing a night in London but locations etc are tricky and it takes a lot of organization.

We wait with baited breath to see what comes next from Mamiko but meanwhile we’ll chill, groove and dance to the tunes she blasts every Wednesday night at 10pm on Hepcatradio.net and Samurai.fm

The disarming femme enfant Uffie admitted to us she enjoys pretending to not understand a word of French, that way she can secretly eavesdrop all ongoing conversations in the press area.

Lola Olafisoye, singer of Chrome Hoof, certainly has what it takes to be Grace Jones’ little sis – crazy as hell, but full of humour. Here she is on her way to the stage, where her band is about to give one of the most impressive concerts of the entire festival.

The only element capable of outshining their music was the mad wardrobe donned on stage.

Atari Teenage Riot is back! Anno 2010 Alec Empire, CX Kidtronik and Nic Endo stirred up the public with their digital hardcore – which stands for an ear blowing sound and phenomenal boost of energy. This gig was (rightfully) many peeps’ absolute highlight at the festival.

Atari Teenage Riot’s front man Alec Empire posing for us right after the gig.

The outer space monsters from Gwar certainly know how to entertain an audience. As if their ridiculous outfits weren’t enough, they went on to chop Hitler’s penis on stage, beheaded the Pope, skinned a Taliban terrorist and sodomized Jesus…

After a Gwar gig, one is bound to be covered in blood and semen (fortunately fake).

Giacomo, singer from rock band Romano Nervoso, enjoyed every second of it.

The dudes from Monotonix are authentic madmen. Here, singer Ami Shalev attempts poking his own eyes with the metal sign. During the concert, a member of the audience went on to call him a monkey – He made sure to correct that person by pointing out that he is in fact a Neanderthal.

The band ended up playing outside of the tent, because they constantly moved all of their instruments, in all directions, even from bottom to top – At certain moments, every band member was up in the air, even the drummer and his drum kit.

We ran into Dim, the leadsinger from Belgian band Driving Dead Girl – who opened the festival Saturday afternoon – well on his way to become completely wasted, courtesy of Jack Daniel’s.

New Young Pony Club pose with towels after their gig. They were a little bit sad they couldn’t linger more to check out the other bands playing at the festival.

Otto Von Schirach and Jimmy Edgar share a bottle of whiskey behind the scenes in between their two gigs. Otto is a complete nutter and it turns out Jimmy is not only a skilled DJ, but also a revered fashion photographer – which explains his frenzy when he saw my vintage camera. We obviously gave him one of our disposables to shoot away. Stay tuned!

For some reason, Luuk from Shameboy was very keen on badmouthing the girls from Flemish band K3.

Here are The Subs arriving at Dour, self-promoting their hit single by wearing a tawdry t-shirt from The Pope of Dope.

The boys’ pumping beats and raw energy was so infectious that it lead the crowd to go bananas. Some even tried to pull down the pants of singer Papillon while he stage dived – without any success.

Here’s a glimpse of what can be soon expected with our Throw Away Project

Well, that’s exactly what happened when Pete Doherty snapped the entire journey from his dressing room until the moment he hit the stage with Babyshambles at Les Ardentes, even inviting the massive crowd that gathered to say “cheese” for a few photos (scroll down for footage of the epic moment). Sadly, he left the disposable camera on an amp and when we rushed there in search of it, it was nowhere to be seen. Suspecting it ended up packed with the rest of the band’s gear, we approached him via Twitter, asking him to send it back to us. He kindly replied: “I def. will, if I find it. Cheers!” In the meantime, here are some shots picturing him with our beloved camera, starting with us explaining its various functions such as triggering the flash.

© Ulrike Biets

© Ulrike Biets

© Olivier Donnet

© Olivier Donnet

© Rachel Dery

© Rachel Dery

© Rachel Dery

Here’s our man capturing the audience as he steps onstage. Fast forward to 1.00 for a load of the action.

Pictures by Ulrike Biets

The one and only Pharrell, listening to his iPod as he exits his ride to get into the dressing rooms. The iPod actually contained all of N*E*R*D‘s brand new top-secret material. No one was allowed anywhere near it, save for two very lucky journalists.

Pete Doherty posing minutes before Babyshambles‘ concert. We handed him a disposable camera to play with, more on that right here.

We hitched a ride with him in the shuttle driving the band to the main stage. Pictured here is a glimpse into the life of an artist constantly surrounded by photographers and fans.

Cypress Hill‘s Sen Dog took a five minute break from the show for some herbal relief with French girl band Plastiscines.

Julian Casablancas showing off his guns before his gig. We’re guessing the singer ditched his trademark leather jacket because of the heat. He did however make sure to put it back on when he got on stage.

Turntable masters Birdy Nam Nam‘s victorious group-hug following their mad show. We rarely saw so many hands up in the air – they might be French, but these boys sure know how to throw a party.

Here’s the ever so stylish Charlotte Gainsbourg exiting the stage after her concert.

Being fashionable involves sacrifices, such as wearing leather pants despite the scorching heat…

Alice Glass posing before the Crystal Castles gig. We handed her a disposable camera after taking this picture. When we asked about it two hours later, she was too cracked out to even remember having it in the first place.

Crystal Castles’ gig as seen straight from the mosh pit. Hair was pulled and punches were thrown in order to protect the camera and get this shot.

The Midnight Juggernauts after their gig, with drummer Daniel Stricker holding one of our disposable cameras. Their whole summer being packed with dates throughout Europe, the US and Australia, we’re really hoping they’ll send it back with their exotic tour adventures.

We caught Adam Green after his gig having a drink at the artists bar. He professed his love for Brussels and the Ancienne Belgique then bummed a cigarette off us so we stepped outside with him.

Despite almost passing out from the heat, he still asked for some Ketamine. We couldn’t help out. When quizzed about the substance’s effects, he simply answered “it’s like you’re on TV maaaaan”.

John from HEALTH, wiping his gear after rocking it onstage.

BJ, HEALTH’s drummer, was kind enough to get on board with our newly conceived “Throw Away Project”. Check out the boys’ snapshots here.

Jona of YACHT didn’t leave much in his dressing room after leaving the festival, except this used towel and dirty underpants.

Here’s the disposable camera Jamie Lidell gave back to us. Check out the pictures his girlfriend took of him during his show here.

© Ulrike Biets

Here’s what the boys took with our disposable camera right after the gig:

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

© HEALTH

Below are your usual festival pictures taken from the front stage area:

© Ulrike Biets

© Ulrike Biets

© Ulrike Biets

© Ulrike Biets

And here’s your exclusive peak at what was happening backstage:

© Lindsey Rome

© Lindsey Rome

© Lindsey Rome

© Lindsey Rome

© Lindsey Rome

© Lindsey Rome

© Lindsey Rome

By Renasha Khan

© Ulrike Biets

© Ulrike Biets

For starters let’s ease into these with Metallica rocking out at Greece’s Rockwave Festival, 2007, with a relatively well behaved circle of death.

Here’s Suicidal Tendencies at We the People Festival, LA, 2008. Look out for the hilariously random close-up of a girl vibing out to the music!

The kids watching Everette at the Urbis Music Festival, Manchester, 2006 seem oddly synchronized in their moshing but it soon descends into mayhem. Loving the kid in the camo-trousers. Now that’s what we call dedication.

Slayer rip it up at Tuska Festival, Helsinki, 2008 with Angel of Death and it seems their fans know how to mosh. The evolution of the mosh: clear the pit, mosh hardcore then settle into a rowdy circle of death!

Never been in a mosh pit? This is the closest you’ll get minus the bruises with a POV mosh experience with Metallica at SoniSphere 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLJKckubLj0&feature=related

The strobe lights at the Leeds Festival give us enough of a glimpse of the carnage these Sick of it All fans cause in their wall of death. We can only imagine the damage done after that!

Ending on a high note, this has to be our favourite; Be it Lamb of God or Caliban playing at the Wacken Open Air, they pumped up the crowd for the most brutal and wild walls of death we’ve seen. A little violent, yes, but what did you expect? This is how you Mosh!

Words Alex Deforce

© Maren Spriewald

© Maren Spriewald

With the triple CD-set ‘Boxof’, the cult jazz label has compiled some of the finest moments of his career. From his early work as a jazz fusion pioneer with his band Placebo to his unique Moog synthesizer sound explorations on the solo effort ‘Sam Suffy’, up until his most recent offerings as a solo artist on Blue Note, creating what was later described as ‘St. Germain-style house music’ (though it is said Moulin was first), ‘Boxof’ provides a solid overview of Moulin’s legacy. A music heritage that has transcended styles and genres, the Belgian composer’s tunes having been sampled by some of the world’s greatest producers such as J Dilla, Madlib, DJ Vadim or singers Baloji and Jill Scott, to name just a few.

‘Boxof’ succeeds in showcasing the mind and vision of an artist whose sole purpose was to explore and discover, constantly crossing-over various genres and bridging gaps between his connoisseur’s references and the mainstream music that surrounded him. The compilation’s major flaw however, lies in the total absence of any Telex track, Moulin’s synth-pop band that boosted his career and placed him on the map. That said, a fair number of unreleased tracks featured in ‘Boxof’ almost make up for this regrettable omission. ‘Boxof’ therefore proves to lack relevance if you’re looking for a complete review of Marc Moulin’s career. Then again, if you all you require at this stage is an introduction, ‘Boxof’ is a good start, if only for the extensive liner notes by Bernard Dobbeleer.

Marc Moulin and Placebo – Only Nineteen

Placebo – Humpty Dumpty

J Dilla’s Love Jones, containing the Humpty Dumpty sample

Photography Alex Salinas Styling Pholoso Selebogo

Jeff: Scarf H&M, Jacket Hugo By Hugo Boss, T-shirt Fred Perry, Belt Damir Doma, Trousers Juun J, Shoes Model’s Own

Dorien: Salmon orange jacket Dries Van Noten, Denim Jacket Kokon To Zai, Silver top Maria Francesca Pepe,  Leather pants El Delgado Buil, Shirt (wrapped around leg) Anntian, Sneakers Model’s Own

Niels: Denim shirt Levi’s, Dress Gareth Pugh, Trousers Pam, Mask Giuseppe Virgone

Tess: Necklace Uncommon Matters, Leather jacket Jeremy Scott, Blouse Gemma Degara,  Cape blouse Martin Lamothe, Skirt Charles Anastase, Leggings American Apparel, Shoes Model’s Own

Stephanie: Biarritz Hat Stephen Jones, Tights Gareth Pugh, Trousers Superfine,  Sweater Slow And Steady Wins The Race, Blue Cape Bruno Pieters, Shoes Model’s Own

Peter: Top Complex Geometry, Vest Damir Doma, Scarf Damir Doma,  Top shorts Band Of Outsiders, Bottom shorts Band Of Outsiders, Shoes Models’ Own

Koen: Hat J Smith Esq, Top Damir Doma, Trousers Patrick Erwell

Photographer: Alex Salinas

Photographer’s assistants: Koen Verminnen and Jeff Jacobs

Stylist: Pholoso Selebogo @Touch by Dominique Models

Stylist’s assistant: Michael Smit

Make-up: Sigrid Volders with Chanel and Bumble & Bumble

With special thanks to:

Ra Antwerp ra13.be

Hunting and Collecting huntingandcollecting.com for lending their collections.

Writer Marcus Barnes, photography Charlotte May Wales, additional research by Renasha Khan

In 1994 we fell in love with a new sound that we had never heard before, it was Jungle music and we couldn’t get enough. After hearing a few tunes on the TV we were hooked and we needed to hear more … it was almost instinctive when we turned the radio on and searched the FM band for some more Jungle. And we found it straight away. At the time the two biggest stations were Rush FM and Kool FM – we would have arguments at school about which was the best station. Without those stations we never would have known about all the different tunes, DJs, MCs and producers of that era – they opened our eyes up to a whole new world. In 2010 some of these stations are still on the airwaves, but what does the future hold with the likes of live streaming on the internet, podcasts and advances in technology that now allow almost anyone with a computer to be a DJ/broadcaster ?

Mini-documentary on Rush FM, Part 1

Part 2

In the mid to late 80s, the burgeoning house music scene was growing fast and its exponents needed an outlet to play their new music – main-stream stations weren’t providing it, and so, inspired by the famous Radio Caroline, they set about finding a way to set up their own stations and play what they wanted to hear. Preceded by stations like Transmission One, based in Ladbroke Grove, which played early Hip-Hop (the real, early UK stuff), these DJs and MCs took inspiration from a radio station on a boat and took to the rooftops of London’s tower blocks to get their music out there to the followers. Accused of being funded by drug money,blamed for interfering with the radio frequencies of the emergency services …and of course for playing what was referred to as ‘devil music’ by some, the early pioneers of pirate radio faced a huge struggle to establish themselves.

Insiders of the Pirate Radio Scene in london give their insights

Kool FM is considered to be THE premier pirate radio station. Broadcasting for over 18 years, they have not only established themselves as London’s leading pirate station, with a name that is now known all over the globe but they have also helped to establish some of the Jungle/Drum ‘n’ Bass scene’s best known DJs and MCs. DJ Chef has been playing on the station for the last few years, getting his big break in 2004, when he appeared in a guest slot. The East Londoner sees a direct link between the early ’soundboys’, the owners of reggae soundsystems, and the evolution of illegal broadcasters. With a distinct lack of underground Caribbean music being played on commercial stations, Chef explains that the soundboys needed a way to play the music they wanted to hear, and so the legendary Station FM was born. One of the very early pirates, Station played host to a variety of Caribbean music -Roots – that was a far cry from the pop-style reggae that was being played on the mainstream stations.

DJ Chef explained that, in this day and age, it’s possible for anyone to become a DJ and, thanks to the Internet, anyone can broad-cast their music to a global audience without much effort. But, in the early days of pirate in London you had to know somebody who was already involved in the scene to even be able to get behind a set of decks. The technology was very hard to come by and expensive – Chef was only able to have access to a pair of Technics 1210s because he had a friend who was the first in the area to pick some up. The whole thing was very much a closed market, a specialised area where being in the know was pretty much the only way to have access to the scene. To be able to get onto a pirate radio station took a hell of a lot of leg work, not just meeting people but working hard to establish your name, to let people know you could play a credible set, you had the skills and knowledge to be able to hold your own on one of the top stations. All this helped to create a strong, thriving movement – a close family of broadcasters, DJs, MCs, producers, promoters and a highly appreciative, dedicated audience. If you were a fan of Jungle, Hardcore, Acid House, Techno, Rave and everything else in between then the only way to get your fix of what was happening within these underground music genres was to tune into a pirate station. Kool FM and Rush FM were initial rivals however, proving just how close the community was, they broadcast from the same tower block, in rooms next to each other.

Chef tells us that Kool’s godfather, the legendary Eastman, says the station is all about community – built up over nearly two decades on the airwaves. It’s the ‘Underground Heartbeat’ of the scene and always will be. So much so, that he says if Kool FM was offered a legal licence, he would accept it, but still maintain a pirate separately. Citing Kiss FM as a prime example of a pirate that has gone legal and been watered down, Chef sees the difficulty of maintaining a legal station (financial costs, advertising, bowing down to major labels and so on) as detrimental to the station’s original ethos. Stations like Kool FM and Rinse FM have helped some of their scenes’ biggest stars on the road to success DJ Brockie, MC Dett, Ragga Twins, Navigator, Mampi Swift, Trace, Ryme Time, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah and many others first found fame through pirate radio and are now at the top of their game. Creating the foundation of a music community that is so particular to illegal radio in the UK.

An old school jungle set from Kool FM with DJ Brockie and MC Det

Tinie Tempah, Pass Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaBi_vdDqsE&feature=related

Chef himself not only DJs in clubs and on radio, but he also works with young people in Newham, East London to teach DJ skills and producing. He recently established a radio station at the Newham Academy, so a new generation of people are gathering the skills to be able to broadcast. This is all done with the aid of UStream, a relatively new internet concept which allows users to broadcast live audio and video from their PC, Mac or iPhone. And this is where it gets interesting; the website is almost like a multimedia version of Twitter – you sign up and you can deliver a live DJ set to your followers from your bedroom, or even from the club you’re playing at. Which Chef often does. Not only that, but you can connect to other social net working sites, like Facebook, Bebo, Myspace and Twitter, and update your status to tell all of your friends/acquaintances that you’re broadcasting. On top of this, every live stream can be archived and watched over and over by thepeople who subscribe to your channel. If anything signals a move away from pirate and into a whole new world of individual broadcast via the internet, then UStream appears to be the beginning of something new and exciting, if utilised in the right way. Still relatively new and untapped, UStream offers the kind of possibilities that were unheard of just five or 10 years ago. Imagine taking a mobile phone with you to a club, and being able to broadcast your entire set via that phone… and of course, away from the live club aspect, it offers the chance to be able to DJ from your bedroom and broadcast across the globe.

But Chef reminds us that the established stations will still hold a certain resonance and respect, and up-and-coming DJs will yearn to play for them. Even now he gets multiple requests from DJs for a chance to play on Kool FM because it offers the kind of prestige that money and new technology just can’t buy. The demand to play on pirate radio is still there, and will not dissipate until there is a legitimate replacement for it. On top of this, having so much at the tip of your fingers creates a kind of laziness, an apathy that didn’t exist when technology was harder to come by. With so much at their disposal, youngsters can dip into whatever they want, try it for a while and, if they don’t like it, move on to the next thing. Grime music being a prime example – the genre exploded in the early 2000s, everyone was an MC or a DJ and kids were producing music on their Playstations. It created a few stars, some of whom are still around today, but just as quickly as it appeared and all the free space on the FM dial was full of Grime stations, it dropped off. The youngsters becoming bored of it, or finding something else to do. Chef believes pirate radio will continue to exist, despite the speed at which technology is growing and allowing anyone to become a broadcaster. It has been passed down through generations, a London culture which has never really translated to other cities or countries around the world, thanks to London’s very special mix of migrants and indigenous people.A city that has created Jungle/Drum ’n’ Bass, Dubstep and is unrivalled in its diehard mentality towards its specific cultural movements.

Across the water, pirate radio may not have had the impact that it did in London, but it has still had its role to play. Chef mentioned a brilliant story about a DJ from Austria who came to London at the height of the Jungle explosion- found some pirate stations during his time here and was so inspired he went back home, bought some equipment and set up his own station in the mountains, broadcasting tapes he’d made. France once had a large pirate presence, with socialist-run stations running for several decades before they were legalised. Most Pirate radio stations in The Netherlands are based in the countryside and play a kind of Dutch folk music that has a niche audience; although rural, rather than urban, just as in London, these stations are born out of a need to play music that the mainstream just doesn’t cater for. Pirate radio station Radio Tonka provides political commentary and has a roster of dedicated and loyal DJs, playing a varied mix of Jazz, Punk, 80s New Wave, Flamenco, and Hip Hop. Founded15 years ago, Tonka initially broadcast every night between midnight and four am. They started out in various places including the Hague, but moved into a more legal realm five years ago. They are now broadcasting on the wavelength of another local (funded) radiostation, Denhaag FM, six days a week.

Back in London, the Flex FM Team were also on hand to fill us in on London’s pirate scene, they see pirates on the FM frequency as provoking a kind of nostalgia amongst its listeners – that familiar ’snap, crackle and pop’ instills a kind of warm feeling unlike the synthetic sounds of a live internet stream. Losing reception is all part of the fun.

Over the last few years the rave scene has seem something of a comeback, with illegal warehouse parties way out in Essex becoming an almost regular occurance, and of course, with this, plenty of old school radio listeners have got back into it, picking up where they left off and searching the FM band for a bit of old Hardcore or Jungle. Where else can you find it but pirate radio? The team behind Flex FM believe that the airwaves should not be owned, Government control oppresses the freedom of music – legal stations have very little room to really play what they want at any time of the day. Pirates allow artists who may be overlooked by the mainstream to get their music out to the people who matter. There’s an almost diehard mentality amongst the Flex FM Team, an acknowledgement that their scene needs to continue to stay alive – the thrill of the chase comes into it too. Working undercover to evade capture from the DTI, getting your aerial up, finding a good location or pulling up to a car that’s actually tuned into their station is all part of the excitement of pirate radio. No amount of technology can replace that.

So, will the Internet take over? Pirates are already on the wane, but as long as there is an active audience and a willing amount of participants, illegal FM stations will always be in existence. The internet has its plus points and no doubt offers a whole new world of possibilities, but the grassroots and the foundations will, hopefully, always be in the pirate movement.

Photography Ulrike Biets

Thanks to Rolo Tomassi for letting us hop on their tour bus.

01.

Production, pocket-sized

The ever-growing portability of music production and performance is clear. Many musicians-especially DJ’s-can throw the majority of what they’ll need for an upcoming show in a bag, jump on an Easyjet flight from Berlin to wherever, and entertain eager listeners by the hundreds. The Play Station Portable—or PSP—helped to revolutionise portable entertainment, combining into one tiny object the services previously offered by both gameboys and home entertainment systems. And now, PSP and Rockstar games (and hip-hop producer Timbaland) have united to create the new program Beaterator. It is not just a video game, but a musical tool, a means to produce tracks electronically, professionally and portably. It’s a pocket studio.

Sony (€ 69,99) sonycenter.be

Beaterator (€ 12) rockstargames.com/beaterator

02.

Hard-as

Berlin-based Uslu Airlines’ nail varnish appeals to us on so many levels – every shade is named for an airport code – LAS (Las Vegas, USA) is a chunky blue glitter, WWI (WoodieWoodie, Australia) is cerise, while KNO (Knokke, Belgium) is appropriately old gold – the colours are ace, and they produce special varnish for DJs. So far they’ve collaborated with Headman (ZRH, pale blue), Ed Banger (PSG, lime green), Rollerboys (JMK, lilac) and Fetisch (THF, metallic steel – named in loving memory of Berlin’s Tempelhof). It seems almost a waste to lavish such care on fingers in an era when they’re more likely to be tapping the keys of their computers during a set than touching actual vinyl, but we must admit that we’re dead jealous.

USLU Airlines nailvarnish, (€ 21) available at Princess Blue (Antwerp) and Colette (Paris).

usluairlines.com

03.

You were saying ?

It seems ironic that a career in music can do such damage to the very organ that allows you to hear, but take it from us – the downside to heavy gigging in your 20s is damaged hearing in your 30s. Made-to-measure earplugs can cut out ambient noise when you listen to your iPod, or let you sleep on the tourbus. They block hazardous noise, but allow you enough hearing to have a conversation, and are (apparently) comfortable enough to wear all the time. Molded from rapid-setting silicone, the earplugs are produced and tested in just one 20 minute session, ensuring that your ears don’t go the way of Pete Townsend’s. Hello? Hello!

Sonomax bespoke headphones (€ 95+VAT) including fitting and testing.

astbelgium.be

04.

Freak Out Requiem (I-IV)

There’s pretty much nothing that we can say about Krautrock that wouldn’t get some nit-picking obsessive chasing after us with an arm-length list of corrections (the suggestion that Krautrock attracts nit-picking obsessives is probably enough to get the antagonistic ball rolling). So we’ll keep it brief. This is a book about late 1960s-70s West German experimental music, coming out of the commune movement, influenced by radical electronic composer Stockhausen, free jazz and general futuristic craziness. Not a genre so much as a diverse movement (the British press came up with the Krautrock tag), championed in the UK by DJ John Peel. Proponents may or may not include Faust, Can, Amon Düül I, Popol Vuh and Neu!. This looks at Kraturock’s roots and influence, with great visuals and contributions from muso bods including that unbelievably cool chick from Add (N to (X)), which, frankly, does it for us.

Krautrock, Cosmic Rock and Its Legacy (2009) by Ed Nikolaos Kotsopoulos – Black Dog Publishing

05.

Teen dream hygiene

The sanitary fixtures of the summer festival circuit are enough to reduce the toughest of bands to squeaking hysteria – and frankly, who among us hasn’t been psychologically scarred by the sight of mountains of ick rising above the level of the toilet seats, and the total absence of loo paper and washing facilities? No tour bus should be without ample supplies of bog roll, and a stack of Imodium to make sure that you don’t cut through your supplies too fast. Lack of washing facilities can (kind of, just) be made up for with wetwipes and antibacterial wash – tourbus etiquette also demands we mention that your FEET also need to be washed. And your socks changed. No, really. They do.

Wetwipes, handgel, lavatory paper and Imodium available in all good pharmacies.

06.

We don’t recommend doing this

As every classy barkeeper knows, the correct vessel in which to serve a Vodka Red Bull is a disposable plastic glass. No straw, no ice, no umbrella. Classy barkeepers, to be honest, are pretty snotty about Vodka Red Bull – usually it’s easier to purchase to the two fluids separately then mix them yourself – but we’ve discovered that it does have a name (‘Birch’, apparently, although ‘Heart Attack’ was cited as an alternative), which makes it a proper cocktail, no? Definitely not big, or cool, or clever. But for the purposes of documentary accuracy, we felt compelled to include it in our tourbus lineup.

Absolut Vodka and Red Bull, both available in nightshops across Europe. Prices may vary.

Photography Melisande May McBurnie

Having received the promo some 10 days back, I initially (rather shamefully) gave it a listen on my shitty laptop which, needless to say, didn’t do the mix any favours. I then slot the CD into my car stereo, and have been hooked ever since. Like the most classic albums out there, it grows on you with time and this one doesn’t fail to deliver.

Sadly, we weren’t even able to catch Kode 9 for a phoner, so instead had to settle with shooting off a couple of questions via email. Not ideal, but better than nothing…

(Scroll down to win one of five copies of the mix we have to give away.)

Where are you at this exact moment?

I’m in my studio.

What attracted you to the Dj Kicks project?

They kindly asked me to do the mix.

Was the decision to do the mix a hard one?

No, I was happy to do it. I’ve only done one released mix CD before back in 2005 and it makes a nice change from the thousands of online mixes floating around.

How did you go about selecting the tracks?

The mix is really just a snap shot of my sets from the last 6 months. The only tangent really is the little R&B interlude in the middle as I felt the first half and second half of the mix are quite tense and needed a bit of fresh air in the middle.

Were there any tracks you would have liked to have on the mix but didn’t get clearing for?

I had Jam City’s refix of ‘Ecstasy’ by End Games on there but we couldn’t clear it so it had to go.

How long from initial call from the label (K7!) to final tracklist?

I finalized the tracklist in February. I took me a couple months to put together the line-up I wanted.

How should the everyday listener, one which might not be familiar  with your work but more with their mix series, approach the mix?

With an open mind hopefully.

Were you previously a fan of the DJ Kicks series? Which ones did you have?

The one I knew best was the Kemistry and Storm one from the late 90s. I was aware of the series but didn’t own any of the others.

Did you have any doing in the album’s artwork?

Yeah, I suggested a theme based on an earlier photoshoot that I had suggested for Wire magazine last year.

We recently did a piece on Sonic Warfare (for our print magazine firstly, which we also ran with on our website http://www.thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/bad-vibrations/). What have been the responses to your book? Where did your initial interest in the subject stem from? Will you be taking the subject any further?

Yeah, I’m already planning a sequel. More news on that soon. The response has been decent so far. . .really I expected people to be more hostile and cynical about the project, but I haven’t come across too much bitchyness yet. The initial ideas came from two sources: the Copolla film Apocalypse now and fictions of sonic warfare that Public Enemy, Wu Tang Clan and Underground Resistance framed their music in.

What current projects are you working on? What does the second part of 2010 as well as 2011 hold in store for you?

I’m working on an album with Spaceape that should be out late in the year. Over the summer, I’m doing loads of gigs to promote the K7 mix. I can’t see much past that now except I know I will be starting working on the new book over the summer, and I’m doing a sound installation related to the book in New York next summer with the sound art collective I’m part of called AUDINT.

Can you list three of your favourite releases of 2010 up to now?

Flying Lotus‘ album (Cosmogramma), Actress’s album and the Steve Reich boxset I bought recently (not this years release).

What’s in store for Hyperdub over the next few months?

We’ve got 12″ releases coming from Ikonika, Ill Blu, Cooly G, Scratcha in the pipeline and Darkstar and Terror Danjah albums dropping after the summer.

Have you already been to/played in Belgium? If so, where and when?

I have – I’ve played in Leuven at Stuk and in Brussels a few times (can’t remember where exactly).

Win a copy of Kode 9′s DJ Kicks:

The first five readers to answer the following question will each be sent Kode 9′s DJ Kicks mix: Which track was Kode 9 not able to clear for the mix? Email your answer to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be.

Their formulaic melange of euphoric beats mixed with the mellow lyricism of Maxi Jazz is the basis of much of this record, with epitomised by tracks like ‘Tweak your Nipple’ and ‘Sun to Me’. New tracks but the same old trusted sound. What is strange is that I’m sure the group know how to create a modern sound. Instead what is on show is a reluctance to move on from the genre they defined by what seems like a fear to lose their mantle as dance legends. What is also telling is the remarkable lack of hype around the release of this record. It’s peculiar that, for their first album in four years, The Dance has been released solely on iTunes for digital sales and in Tesco store in their native UK; a move that one can only see as Faithless removing themselves from the sphere of brutal comparison against latter-day contenders. A sorry and at the same time damning indict of their faith in this particular album. That is not to say that this isn’t a good album. Upon listening to the album, one is reminded of the mastery this trio, along with successful collaborations with old time partners like Dido on tracks like ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘North Star’. Both these songs are great examples why Faithless remain stalwarts and anticipated headliners at summer festivals all over the world. However, The Dance lacks the emotion of its predecessors and as such you’re left waiting for that stomach-grasping drop that make their past hits still so emphatic and era-defining.

With The Dance, Faithless have succeeded in creating another enjoyable yet emulative album underlining their trademark rousing beats, drops and hypnotic lyricism, it’s just a shame that it lacks the innovation to be really relevant to the contemporary landscape of dance music. In short, I expect more from them.

Get the album here.

Words Alex Deforce, photography Gunter Blokken

Precinct 5's Tom wearing Nike Sportswear AW77 hoodie by South-African artist Kronk, Nike Sportswear kit tee by Kronk, Norse Projects pants and Nike Sportswear Dunk High AC by Kronk from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist

Precinct 5's Tom wearing Nike Sportswear AW77 hoodie by South African artist Kronk and a Nike Sportswear kit tee by Kronk from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist

Nike Sportswear Dunk High AC by South African artist Kronk from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist

“Precinct 5 is a logical next step after years of running sneaker store Patta together with Edson”, says Mr. Wix. “The shop is located in a former precinct, police station number 5. The beautiful thing about the P5 store is the modular system we’ve gotten designed for the location. Since the opening we’ve changed the set-up already three times. We’ve recently started with Nike Stadiums as well, so from now on we’ll be developing projects together with Nike.”

Precinct 5 store

Malwin Wix aka Mr. Wix wearing a long sleeve t-shirt by Nike Sportswear, Levi's Denham-Enplus 495 jeans and Nike Air Footscape Freemotion by Mister Cartoon from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist

Precinct 5's Denia is wearing Nike Sportswear tank by UK artist James Jarvis from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist and a shirt by Folk

Nike Sportswear LunarLite Rejuven8 Mid by James Jarvis from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist)

Here’s what Delta had to say about repping his country the World Cup way: “It’s fun to work within the constraints given by this type of work, as opposed to what I do in my personal work. This is of course in my style, but let’s say that this was made with my designer cap on, while the rest is with my artist cap on. I’ll always experiment, but with this World Cup concept for instance, I had to experiment within the limits of four colours: black, white, orange and blue. The best thing was the tight deadline. For some reason that calms me down, whereas with exhibits, I’m stressing out like crazy. For this one, I had my work done on time, amazingly.” Delta, aka Boris Tellegen, has created a geometric world with his art that is a colourful reflection of the constructivist movement that brings to mind both block-like cities as well as pixelized digital environments. His artwork for the assortment is an extension of his blocky visual language: the boxy mascot is a simple-yet-dynamic running man, the crest is a cubic puzzle of numbers, and the font is heavy as concrete.

Precinct 5's Tom is wearing a Precinct 5 white tee, a Nike N98 track jacket by Dutch artist Delta and Nike LunarLite Chukka Woven by Delta from the Nike Sportswear Six collaborations with a "State of the Art" Twist

Dutch artist Delta on his bike outside Precinct 5

Each collaboration includes classic staples of the brand like the N98 Track Jacket, AW 77 hoodie, kit tee, polo shirt and short for both men and women; a tee for men and tank for women. Each kit includes a selection of Nike Sportswear footwear coordinated with the apparel. The Football Six collection can be found in selected shops throughout the world such as Precinct 5 in Amsterdam or Colette in Paris. Some items from the collection can be bought online in the Nike store.

Photography Benoît Banisse, art direction and styling facetofacedesign

1. The holy grail

Just when we thought it was high time we stopped going to client meetings in beat down high tops and, instead, start making our billion dollar pitches in more adult-looking shoes, we stumble upon new brand on the block Jojo. Designed in Belgium, the fresh-faced sneaker distinguishes itself from the rest through its wrap-around shoe lace as well as its playful colour pairings. With strong environmental sensitivities underpinning the brand (for each pair of Jojo bought, one tree gets replanted in Niger, or one year’s supply of drinking water is secured for a person in Sierra Leone), there’s not a lot Jojo can do wrong in Word HQ at the moment.

Jojo (€79)
jojoproject.com
Available in Brussels
from Prive Joke and Reservoir Shop

2. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAGH!!!!

There you are, supervising the trial of an experimental gamma bomb for the US Defence Department one minute, and the next you find yourself transformed into a thick-skulled, mood-triggered mutant. Darn it, you’d think a genius scientist would be able to carry out his breakthrough research into nuclear weapons technology in peace without
having to turn into a Marvel comic book icon every time he got a little too excited. Remind yourself not to get ANGRY with this T – it even glows in the dark for that alluring hint of radioactivity.

Hulk T-Shirt (€59.95)
Marvel Vs. Hilfiger Denim

3. The birth of cool

We’re far from being experts in watch wizardry, although we know good design when we see it. Perfectly proportioned and carved out to please, Swatch’s classic watch has recently been given an artistic makeover in the shape of its 60+1_2 (pictured on the right). Designed by David Benedek as part of the company’s Colour Code Collection, the
cool, composed and confident wrist wear – complete with lo-fi demeanour and engaging colour palette – ticks all the right boxes.

From left:
Swatch’s Purple-And-White (€38) and 60+1_2 (€43)

4. The ultimate breakthrough tool

When considering sheer force and the word “stiletto” (not to mention the onset of acute pain), one would probably think about footwear before hardware. The Stiletto TBII 15’s combination of low weight titanium material and leverage
both increases the strike force and allows for less user fatigue: it’s the kind of tool that will last forever. If the TBII 15 is the Prada stiletto of hammers, then Vaughan Manufacturing’s V5 is the new pair of Doc Martens. While less chic, it
is more durable (the Stiletto can only be used for wood framing, the Vaughan can be used in any situation) and more affordable.

Top to bottom:
Stiletto TBII 15 (€255), available from rutlands.co.uk
Vaughan V5 (€61), available from axminster.co.uk

5. Future’s so bright

Founded early last year as a Euro-centric variant on the American original, Wired has quickly laid claim to our magazine stack’s top spot. For most magazines, breakthrough content is all to do with style – format, delivery, image, graphics, interactivity. For Wired, breakthrough content involves finding out about the future before it happens. Which kind of leaves the rest of us choking on its dust.

Wired UK (€7,90)

6. Rep that Rap

We totally fell in love with design studio Unfold’s self-Replicating Rapid prototyper (RepRap) when it was on show at Z33’s ace Design by Performance exhibition. Their version was tinkered to print in porcelain, and hooked up to a nifty computer program that allowed visitors to throw virtual pots that were then built layer on layer by the RepRap over the duration of the exhibition. Created according to an open-source plan developed by Dr Adrian Bowyer, the RepRap is a financially accessible 3-D printer that can be replicated using parts that it can manufacture itself, coupled on to locally available components. This one was built at Sint-Lukas University College in Brussels from a kit bought online.

Darwin RepRap kit (€940)

Read more about Dr Adrian Bowyer’s RepRap Project here

Illustration la villa hermosa (www.lavillahermosa.com)

Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand but the relationship between these two worlds has been tightly reinforced these past years. Blame it on Hedi Slimane and his obsession with the British indie scene that emerged during the noughties or on the decline of the record industry, various partnerships and synergies are flourishing everywhere. Bands turn to fashion for lucrative deals and brands view these emerging artists as a new way of attracting young customers and revamping their image. Burberry suffered a serious brand image downfall in the nineties, but pulled itself back up thanks to Christopher Bailey’s arrival. Scoring top British names alongside hot new talent and heavily drawing from the nation’s promising musical scene for its advertising campaigns was an instant success and has become a trademark. The clip for their new perfume, aptly named The Beat, had Agyness Deyn dancing and jerking to “Got Ma Nuts From A Hippy” by the Fratellis. The Scottish band had managed pretty well so far, but performing in front of the fashion world’s crème de la crème in London at the 2007 launch of the new scent surely didn’t hurt in terms of exposure and popularity.

Aggy swinging to the Fratellis:

The Fratellis performing at The Beat’s release party in Koko, London:

A while later, a surprisingly similar looking version of Jon Fratelli, although younger and prettier, could be seen in The Beat for Men’s campaign. 20-year-old George Craig had been featured in Burberry’s previous and current ads, and is now the brand’s new it-boy. He’s walked the show in Milan, recorded a voiceover segment for the TV clip, even picked up the Menswear trophy on behalf of Burberry’s creative chief officer Christopher Bailey at the 2008 British Fashion Awards. Guess what… He’s got his own band, called One Night Only. Bailey found them online and apparently really liked George’s look. Their music is heavily featured on Burberry’s website and they performed at the Burberry day extravaganza held in New York last year. Whether in the music industry or modelling business, this simple kid from north Yorkshire is now worth solid gold. The band’s endorsement may be cringe-worthy (they are now practically a walking billboard for the brand) but it has offered them the kind of publicity their record label never could.

The Beat for Men, featuring Kristian Walker (Last Gang), Will Cameron (Blondelle), George Craig (One Night Only), Jonny Epstein (band manager), Alex Pettyfer (model and actor)

Sam Riley channeling Ian Curtis once more in Burberry’s Fall 08 campaign

Collaborations and the exploitation of the band’s image can take various other forms. Franz Ferdinand recently recorded an exclusive song for the latest campaign of Dior’s Lady Rouge bag, with vocals from current face Marion Cotillard, yet they do not appear in its promotional video clip. The Glaswegian band’s involvement with that particular French house is not that surprising considering its bond with Slimane, the former creative director of Dior Homme. He confessed Alex Kapranos figures amongst his favourite persons to dress, and for a while all of his models looked like clones of the Franz Ferdinand front man, channelling both the band and the brand’s angular, sharp and skinny aesthetics.

Marion Cotillard and Franz Ferdinand’s Eyes Of Mars track for Dior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ief8o5LH7Ig

Hilfiger Denim teamed with hipster darlings The Virgins in an attempt to reinforce its New York street cred, shooting the band “playing” in front of the Brooklyn Bridge for last years Spring campaign. The same brand had Mark Ronson, then a young rising DJ in the Big Apple, posing in a recording studio for one of their ads a decade ago. He can now be seen playing his guitar and cuddling his chérie Joséphine de la Baume in black and white shots for the latest Zadig & Voltaire campaign. The Parisian brand has always positioned itself at the crossroads of fashion and music. Now it has launched it’s own music label, set to promote young artists. How long until the rest of the fashion land jumps on that bandwagon?

Mark Ronson, the current face of Zadig & Voltaire

Sean Lennon and his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl for Zadig & Voltaire’s Fall 2009 campaign

In an Absolut world you’re with the band. Or how drinking Swedish vodka can provide the illusion of hanging out with Wolfmother

The Virgins for Hilfiger Denim:

Additional research by Timothy Palma

Emmanuelle, style icon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aRuWJi9T20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFFH8NEPUc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCsE5ty2d-o

Utterly cringe-inducing dance scene (we’ve all been there):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkAwWAvQduA

Oh! It’s warm is here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjIltgaU0Zg

Who doesn’t have a recumbent bike in their office?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU8MI9ottUQ

And here is the piece we ran with in our March-April 2010 edition:

An icon of liberated sexuality for over half a century, Emmanuelle has been the subject of the most successful series of skin flicks ever made. Her name became a by-word for blue movies and her imitators travelled the earth and beyond, from the Italian sexploitation gorefest Emanuelle and the last Cannibals to the Emmanuelle in Space series. She has inspired fashion collections, chair designs and satire aplenty, but beyond the free love and exotic locales, who is the real Emmanuelle?

Writer Hettie Judah, Illustration Steve Jakobs

“Emmanuelle aime les caresses manuelle et buccales…Emmanuelle aime les intellectuels et les manuels…” Serge Gainsbourg, theme to Goodbye Emmanuelle

First released in a clandestine pressing in 1959, Emmanuelle carried neither the name of its author nor its publisher, it was just Emmanuelle a novel centring on a bored clique of expats wiling away their life in Thailand on a diet of sports, saphism, intrigue and passion-dampening erotic philosophy. The eponymous heroine is a nineteen-year old with a genius for sex (and a time-consuming masturbation habit) who is inducted in the ways of the new eroticism – a doctrine of free love that abhors the banal and routine.

The Parisian publisher Eric Losfeld purportedly received the manuscript in a hefty parcel with a Bangkok postmark. He split it into two separate books – Emmanuelle and L’Anti-Vierge –but despite receiving considerable attention in the alternative press, restrictive obscenity laws kept both books underground until 1968.

In its official version, Emmanuelle appears as the work of Emmanuelle Arsan, purportedly the nomme de plume of Marayat Rollet-Andriane, the Thai-born wife of a French diplomat. Marayat kept details of her identity deliberately vague, saying that everything that needed to be known about her was to be found in her writing.  What biographical information there is gives her date of birth as 1940, which would have made her 17 in 1957, when the manuscript arrived from Bangkok. There has since been considerable speculation that the Emmanuelle Arsan writings were largely the work of her husband Louis Jacques Rollet-Andriane. Certainly the long conversations on moral sexuality at the heart of the book read more like the rationalising of a free-living middle-aged diplomat than his teen bride.

Never the less, Marayat associated herself fiercely with the character of Emmanuelle: a slight, full-breasted figure with waist-length black hair and precocious physical allure. As the first Emmanuelle movie went into production, Sylvia Kristel recalls ‘Emmanuelle Arsan’ as being so horrified with the director’s choice of casting that she refused to meet her; “She is the heroine of her own book,” recalled Kristel. “It’s her story. She is Eurasian, dark-haired, short, an emancipated woman before her time. I am tall, pale, docile, with strict morals, shaped by my religious education. She comments that Emmanuelle would never have brought her partner to the set. She would have devoured the crew and the natives with contagious nymphomania.”

Sylvia Kristel back in her Emmanuelle heydays...

In the end, of course, it is the lean, fair Utrecht-born Kristel who won Emmanuelle. The strong-willed beauty queen – who became the lover of Belgian intellectual Hugo Claus when he was 45 and she 22 – was condemned to spend her life identified with this single character, to which she had not even been allowed to give a voice. Her relationship with Claus pre-dated the Emmanuelle films (although he encouraged her participation in them) – and it seems significant that it was perhaps the only ‘pure’ relationship that she had with a lover. The intoxicating character of Emmanuelle dominated all the rest. “Men have loved my body,” she wrote recently. “I have been their fantasy, but I’ve seen few hearts. My fans were faceless, and I didn’t belong to myself….I wanted to be big when I was nothing but a child. I wanted to be looked at and that’s all that ever happened.”

Through a life scarred by alcoholism, cocaine addiction, exploitation and bad relationships, Kristel time and again found herself wooed by men unable to separate her from her most famous role. Even in her 50s, recovering from major surgery, she was treated like public property, a walking emblem of liberal sexuality submitted to intimate questions about orgasm on French TV shows.

Sylvia Kristel today...

It has become a cliché to describe the original 1974 Emmanuelle movie as tame by modern standards – what is much more striking, in fact, is its coupling of force to female enjoyment. While the women happily toy with one another and masturbate openly, most of the penetrative sex seems to be initiated in circumstances little short of rape. Watching the film you can see a vista of ‘when a woman says ‘no’ she means ‘maybe’’ thinking and date rape rolling out in its wake. Emmanuelle may end the movie as a sexually liberated woman, but she attains this status via enforced pain and humiliation. Matters are not helped by the fact that Kristel so rarely looks as though she’s having a good time – her faked orgasms have an edge of disgust to them, and certainly in the later films, she has an absent demeanour assisted by her hearty uptake of coke and champagne.

The free-loving ethos is shattered in the third movie by marital jealousy – the new erotic philosophy that provides the series with its raison d’etre is implicitly discarded and normal service resumed. But while the sexuality of the film is very much of its time, the book is genuinely transgressive, with a lingering fascination with childhood sexuality that leads to some unforgettable pronouncements – “The erotic woman is the one who, at snack time, calls her son and tells him to make a sperm sandwich for his little sister.”

While the books are almost an exercise in sexual philosophy strung out between physical diversions, the films communicate this new libertinism via the lush exoticism of their locations (Thailand, Hong Kong, the Seychelles) and artful mise en scène. Both the first two films were made by fashion photographers, the first by the Dutch-born Just Jaekin, the second by Francis Giacobetti, whose softcore aesthetic was honed on the Pirelli Calendars, and who was also responsible for the iconic publicity stills from the first movie. With wardrobes raided from Balenciaga and beyond, it’s not surprising that the style of the films has had a particular influence all of its own. Everything from Sylvia Kristel’s haircut, to the heavy kohl eye makeup to the rattan furnishing to the peek-a-boo eveningwear became a cultural reference. The Emmanuelle style has influenced fashion collections (notably from Veronique Branquinho) and is still visible on women of a certain age. Unlike Sylvia Kristel, of course, the generation of copycat Emmanuelles really did choose to align themselves with an image of sexual hedonism and availability – and thus perhaps most deserve the title of the real Emmanuelle.

Photography Melika Ngombe.

The serie’s first image will also be making a short appearance in our May edition, out this Friday. Subscription info available from here.

The French Horn Rebellion sporting Hilfiger Denim clothes "we didn't know much about but love them now." (Photography Melika Ngombe)

I met up with the ‘brothers slim’ a couple of hours before they are set to take the stage at Brussels’ K-Nal as part of some Hilfiger Denim-underwritten showcase that sees them paired together with, amongst others, Das Pop, Team William and DJ Motor. The minute they enter, I am immediately struck by the energy the two siblings bring with them, somewhat similar to the music they make. Engaging and moving, yet soft-spoken and inclusive.

“We’re mainly an electronic band because of Kitsuné” says Robert, who confesses that ‘Up All Night’ (their first single) actually was the first ‘four to the floor’ tune he’d ever written. “I had heard Fox & Wolf’s Youth Alcoholic track and instantly went and got all the Kitsuné Maison compilations” reveals Robert, explaining his attraction to the label’s ecclectic and quirky style. “(When word came) about being on the Kitsuné Maison 8, we were dumfounded.” You don’t say: your first ever single ending up on what is probably one of the most respected compilations around is quite a feat indeed.

Pressing the duo on the specificities of their sound, several (mixed) responses are belted out, giving the impression that they don’t feel the need to label themselves, or their music, in any way that’d make it easier for the industry to package them. “We create moods and like the unexpected” explains David (the more experienced of the pair whom, as a producer, worked on MGMT’s Time to Pretend EP). Robert, ever the  classically-trained musician and a French Horn rebel himself, even goes a step-further (sometimes, one suspects, to have one-up on his older brother), stating “I don’t know why I make dance music”.

Sticklers for timing, programming and curating the acts booked for one night (they throw regular parties in Brooklyn under the Brass Magic moniker), their inability to define themselves is compounded by the very clear idea they have of when they should take to the stage (or the decks): “We’re definitely a half past midnight band,” says David “evening and late night is when we play well.” To put it in their words: “We launch the party, and the DJ climaxes it.” Definitely the brainy type (we spent a good 5 minutes talking about the merits of reximing other bands’ songs, and how enriching it was to study other people’s musical layering), the band’s approach to making music is very much shaped by their sibling complimentary. Robert does the demo, and David finishes it. “When I (write or compose) a track, it sounds incomplete without David.” says Robert who goes so far as evoking Tarantino’s approach to movie-making as inspiration: “We take the old to make new.” And new their sound is.

Their single ‘Up All Night’ definitely is driven by a dance-like tempo says David, although the melodies and moods that regularly pop up mean it could just as easily provide the background music to a picnic in the park. Contrasts people, it’s all about contrast. Here is a band that thinks nothing of layering a French Horn (an instrument which, let’s face it, doesn’t exactly buy you an induction into the Rock and Roll hall of fame) on top of a patchwork of electronic beats and synth-driven punch lines, supplemented by dreamy vocals. Think Sébastien Tellier with a little Chromeo.

Their music, just as themselves, doesn’t take itself too seriously (check the hilarious ‘Williamsburg version’ of the ‘Up All Night’ video, which takes direct aim at the neighborhood’s commuting boho-hipsters as proof), provides the soundtrack for a generation of debauchery-prone understated anti-hipsters with more than just a little free-time on their hands and a good dose of untapped talent. Call them dancefloor nerds, even nightlife poets.

Thing is, David and Robert evidently seem to be having the time of their lives, yet have no illusions that this could all end tomorrow and that they could be back to their former lives – with David probably earning yet another producer credit on the next major indie release coming out of the Big Apple and David waving his magic wand as lead conductor of, say, the New York Philharmonic).

French Horn Rebellion don’t believe the hype people. They shape it, then move on to the next thing.

Get your exclusive download here.

Stream the band’s new EP, Beaches and Friends, here.

Photography Melika Ngombe

So it comes with no surprise then that Hilfiger Denim – the rugged and rough offshoot of that very preppy brand of Americana – thought to reinforce its rock heritage (the denim brand regularly features emerging music talent in its campaigns, with everyone from The Virgins to The Films being cast as models) in the shape of Hilfiger Denim Live, a travelling showcase of international and national established and emerging talent.

A showcase that’ll make a pit stop in Brussels this Thursday 1st April 2010 at the city’s essential hipster dugout, K-Nal. With Das Pop headlining the show, Brooklyn-based duo French Horn Rebellion (an interview of whom will be posted on these pages in the following days) turning things up a notch after the lights go off and DJ Motor (Depeche Mode‘s tour DJ) climaxing it all at the after-party, the weekend starts on Thursday this week.

Not ones to tell you about a party without getting you on the guest list, we’ve got 10 duo tickets to give-away. All you need to do is email wewrite@thewordmagazine.be with your full name, postal address and mobile phone. First 10 readers to do so will each receive one pair of tickets for Thursday’s club night (to be picked up at our offices in Brussels), courtesy of Hilfiger Denim Live.

Brooklyn's French Horn Rebellion

Photography Charlotte May Wales

Dover Street Market still feels fresh as new despite being around for half a decade, making it one of the best, if not ultimate, shopping addresses in our book.

Let’s face it: shopping can be an absolute drag, even for the most athletic among us (and particularly if you’re wearing 6-inch heels). Sure, department stores are convenient – and easier on the Jimmy Choos – but while they’ve simplified the game, they’ve also killed the fun. The brand and designer’s visual identities are wiped out in favour of a uniform, sleek, if not sterile, atmosphere, and before you know it, you’re suffocating on the stench of consumerism pushed to the max. The billboards carrying artist Barbara Kruger’s slogans: “I shop therefore I am” – “you want it, you buy it, you forget it”: that Selfridges displayed in its windows for the launch of its 2007 Boxing Day sale summed it up with a chilling dose of irony.

Comes the curious case of the Dover Street Market. The six-storey shop located in London’s Mayfair district, created by Comme Des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo and her husband Adrian Joffe, does not look like any other place in the world. It operates as Comme’s London flagship store, stocking all ten lines as well as its perfume range, yet offers a cutting-edge selection of other high fashion brands as well as more challenging independent designers. Often compared to Colette, it almost makes the Rue Saint-Honoré’s temple of cool look mainstream. Dover Street is not a department store, and dismisses the trendy label of concept store. And even though the price tags are not for the faint-hearted and there’s a fair chance haggling won’t go down too well, the ‘market’ appellation seems to be the most fitting one. Kawakubo envisioned this project as a tribute to Kensington’s iconic market and has always professed her love and fascination for bazaars all over the world. The goal was to channel their energy and disorder in order to create what she describes as “beautiful chaos”.

The overall raw and unfinished look of the premises: bare ceilings, concrete walls, coarse wood and plastic film covering the elevator’s buttons: put it light years away from the clean and polished interiors of the neighbourhood’s designer boutiques. There are eccentric touches, like the cashpoint machine hidden in a giant hut in the middle of the room, antique dealer Emma Hawkins’ exquisite collection of Victorian stuffed birds and rare animal skulls at the entrance, and tongue in cheek plays on random every-day objects, such as the vending machine that sells Dover Street Market label t-shirts for £25 a pop, or the big portacabins that serve as fitting rooms (trust us, trying on garments in one of those is truly disarming). It’s all topped off with an atmosphere of creative tension spilling from the eclectic stall designs, and the singular sense of style and laid back attitude of the staff, that make them look more like Factory hangers by than busy bee salespeople.

The anti-glam aesthetics are no shocker to those familiar with Comme Des Garçons shops and philosophy, but the novelty here is in the direct collaboration with the other brands involved. Artistic freedom and creative control are offered to designers like Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, Phoebe Philo for Celine or Nicholas Kirkwood, allowing them to direct their own space. In return, Dover Street Market is granted limited edition ranges and exclusives like the Peter Jensen collection and Charles Anastase’s ethereal drawings.

Constantly renewing the space, Dover Street Market undergoes a biannual makeover named Tachiagari, meaning ‘start’ or ‘beginning’ in Japanese. The store is closed for a few days during which all the installations are revamped and new designers introduced. This spirit of perpetual evolution creates excitement among its loyal customer base and it’s now traditional to find an army of fashion cognoscenti queuing outside before each re-opening.

If we were to play one of our favourite games and imagine we were obscenely rich for the day, a pair of Cutler and Gross vintage shades, Bibi’s rings made of prehistoric mammoth ivory, a lifetime guaranteed leather bag courtesy of Bedouin, and a whole lot of Rodarte, Pierre Hardy, Hussein Chalayan, Comme des Garçons, Givenchy, Giles, Ann Demeulemeester, Behnaz Kanani, Giambattista Valli, Bess jeans and Proenza Schouler could all easily find their way into our shopping basket. For now we will just indulge in a veggie pie by Rose Bakery’s organic open kitchen on the top floor, the latest issue of Monocle magazine and a Comme Des Garçons Play striped knit.

Thankfully the visual treat is free. One of the most intriguing areas is the world archive; pieces collected by Michael Costiff from around the globe, from African masks and tribal jewellery, to communist memorabilia. Magazine geeks will thrill to the Idea Books corner, a simple table and chair surrounded by Angela Hill’s jaw dropping collection of vintage magazines, vanished cult fanzines and old art books. The basement stocks enough gems to make any street wear junkie or sneaker fetishist’s head spin in a fraction of a second.

We were lucky enough to be allowed a guided tour before opening hours in order to take shots, and caught a designer presenting his new collection of handmade denim, limited to one hundred pieces, to the team of sales assistants. Sessions of this kind were frequent, we were told, and essential for the creator to pass along the knowledge and love invested in the product. This passion and attention to detail on the part of everyone involved seems to be a kind of key to Dover Street Market.

Adding to the mix is the aura of mystery around the place, sacredly guarded by everyone involved. There is no advertising, buyers refuse to comment on their modus operandi, Kawakubo is notoriously media shy and when she or her husband grants an interview, they remain carefully elusive, reluctant to define the Dover Street Market philosophy. The stubborn secrecy and vagueness could be perceived as presumptuous and almost become annoying, if not for its irreproachable result. The idea is that each individual that comes to the store is meant to make up his or her own answers and interpretation of what it’s meant to be. Dover Street Market is different to everyone. Kind of like a David Lynch film, only with nicer clothes.

So you have it, our second exhibition. This time, we’ve gone for something a little closer to home, presenting the works of five of the magazine’s photographers: Ulrike Biets, Sébastien Bonin, Kris De Smedt, Sarah Eechaut and Sarah Michielsen.

The show opens on Friday 23rd April, from 18h00, in the centre of Brussels. Strong work, free drinks and a good vibe. Come and have a look.

Attend (or not) on Facebook by clicking here

To put it in the words of the game’s creator: “…The game is to be played as often as you can, in order to be prepared for any kind of disaster. The game is to be played with anything you can lay your hands on as a pawn. You just have to feel that this button or sipping top or whatever you use has the potential to represent you and save the earth. Best played with two or three survivors. You’re free to decide what to do with them when you reach the centre square and win the game.”

Monopoly it ain’t. Then again they say love is the new green…

Illustrations Félicie Haymoz, photography Aggloweb

A pawn of choice

The domino was covered in shiny tacky stickers. When it fell on the "I love you" sticker, she had to kiss all of us. Love conquers all... yet she sort of lost the game.

That's my blue bird of paradise car! I came second, thanks to its powerfull non-toxic engine.

The five of us were full of Christmas cake and eager to win the race...

The winner of the game, the Red Horse gave a vigorous speech about how wooden toys would overcome and save the earth.

This is a good demonstration of how to hide under the table when you cross the TWISTER path on number 36. Also, you'll need a huge stack of chocolates to eat when arriving in the Swiss Shelter.

First off, the shots we ran with in our Morning After edition…

Day one...

Day 3...

Day 12...

Day 20...

Then two behind-the-scenes ones:

What Sarah – who shot the series – had to say: “Excited Mimi followed me every morning when I climbed into the attic to photograph the rotting breakfast. After I took the last picture, someone was only too happy to gobble up the decayed food.”