Author: Crossfire

Gillingham Skatepark to be resurrected?

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 13, 2010

Back in the 80’s when dayglo clothing ruled the roost Gillingham’s concrete skatepark in Kent was one of those classic parks that people would travel to from afar. Over the last few months locals have been toying with the idea of digging it back up so it’s fresh for the summer of 2010.

Who knows if it will happen or not but the park is sat there still filled in with rubbish and sand and the momentum online is all go.

Check the Facebook page for updates but let’s hope that this legendary part of UK skateboard history can once again retain its glory. Good luck to all involved.

Album Reviews

These New Puritans

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

If you’re fan of angular dance punk and are eagerly awaiting the new album from These New Puritans, prepare to have your horizons expanded somewhat.

If, however, the idea of a formerly quite sketchy band producing a colossal prog pop record, incorporating brass, choral vocals and dubstep wobble appeals to you, then the latest album from the Southend-on-Sea quartet might be just up your street.Lead single We Want War will tell you everything you need to know about Hidden, the album which is set for release on 18th January.

It’s a huge seven minute epic that evolves from guttural synths and tribal drumming into a fully fledged electronic beast that appears capable of swallowing us all. The song, and indeed the album, is a massively ambitious step into the dark for These New Purtians, who might have easily followed up their debut with something rushed, yet this blows 2008’s Beat Pyramid out of the water.

Check out the suitably epic video below, which features people flying around blank space in ultra slow motion before disintegrating into some water. Yeah, it’s that kind of song.

Sleekly Lion.

Skateboarding News

Nike SB- Don’t Fear The Sweeper tour edit

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

Part 1 of the US tour featuring new inductees Eric Koston and Cory Kennedy.

Skateboarding News

Dan Murphy joins Foundation

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

Yes indeed, one of the cornerstones of Mystery Skateboards’ team has upped sticks to Todd Swank’s outfit.
This is his welcome video:

Music News

Pulled Apart By Horses tour dates

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

Pulled Apart By Horses have announced plans of a forthcoming tour of the UK.

The group will be supporting Glassjaw at the end of the month and then move on to some headline shows. The dates are below:

January

24th – Manchester Academy with Glassjaw
25th – Nottingham Rock City with Glassjaw
26th – Glasgow Queen Margaret Union with Glassjaw
28th – Derby The Royal
29th – Bristol The Old Firestation

February

11th – Wolverhampton The Slade Rooms
12th – London Koko – Club NME
13th – Cambridge The Haymakers

Music News

New Dessa video

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

A new track from the upcoming album by Dessa has found its way online.

Poor Atlas is on A Badly Broken Code, out on Doomtree Records on January 19th and it’s going to be amazing:

Film Reviews

Avatar

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

20th Century Fox
www.avatar-movie.co.uk

You have likely heard all the hype regarding Avatar, but to fully comprehend the magnitude of this film it is best seen for yourself, as there are no words to describe just how unbelievably enjoyable, realistic and enthralling it really is.

Written and directed by James Cameron, the film centres on a place called Pandora in the year 2154 where humans are engaged in mining a mineral while the Na’vi, the indigenous blue-skinned feline humanoids resist their presence fearful it destroy their sacred bond with nature. Sent in to make peace and learn the ways of the Na’vi is former marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a wheelchair bound man substituting for his murdered identical twin brother. Since Pandora’s atmosphere is fatal to humans, genetically engineered human-Na’vi hybrids called Avatars are created. With Jake’s loyalties split between the RDA (and the prospect of new legs) and the Na’vi, he fails his task to convince the Na’vi to relocate, instead gaining their trust and helping them in a coming battle – Human vs. Na’vi.

Avatar is an onscreen hybrid of full live-action shoots, computer-generated characters and live environments; this makes distinguishing between onscreen images difficult yet incredible to watch. Throughout there are scenes of combat, romance as well as fighting for what you believe in. Visually, the environments are spectacular and some of the finest you will ever see on the big screen. From waterfalls to trees reaching through the clouds and landmasses suspended in mid air, they are like images from a dream being bought to life on screen. Making the images that much more impressive is the 3D effect, which may be less impressive as expected but does engage a viewer more than an everyday 2D film. There has been so much thought and creativity placed into Avatar. As well as scenery there is the look of the Na’vi characters, which are supposedly inspired by a dream Cameron’s mother had long ago of a 12-foot-tall blue woman, with added physical strength exceeding that of humans.

It was brilliant to see Alien heroine Sigourney Weaver back in the limelight and working alongside Cameron once again, but it was Sam Worthington who impresses. Being a relatively newcomer to Hollywood and the big screen, Worthington gives Jake a very ambitions personality and a strong determination to do what is right. If you haven’t seen Avatar yet, you are missing out on something historically epic in the movie industry and will be kicking yourself if you don’t.

Michelle Moore

Skateboarding News

The UK’s biggest indoor skatepark build needs your support

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

The South is starting to push for the design and build of the biggest indoor skatepark in the UK. The town of Romsey in Hampshire is the location for the park which would include street, bowls, vert, banks and pools if the project gets the green light it needs to progress.

The plans below are said to be only a quarter of the size of the overall design and with the South of England seriously lacking in indoor skateparks overall, let alone having a world class facility this concept created by the guys at Gravity has our 100% support and will hopefully get yours today too. You can help this cause by joining the 7 Southern Districts Skatepark Facebook Page as the more people that back the project, the more likely local councils will see that public interest is high.

Richard Bartlett from Gravity Parks who is behind the overall pitch says that ‘The only way that this can be funded is if 7 different District Councils are involved in the investment of the project. The final design will be released either on the 15th February 2010 or when we hit 4000 Members whichever comes first.’ Join the petition today wherever you are from as one day you may be able to get a train down to this and enjoy riding this park yourself.

Skateboarding Product Reviews

Vans Deathsmith Flannel Jacket

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 12, 2010

Some things never go out of fashion, whether you’re new to a particular style or whether it repeats itself onto your favourites lists, some things just age well and will always be in demand. One of the garments I like to place in this category, is a good old skool Vans quilted flannel, simple by design, practical in use and very warm over the cold winter months!

Every skate company that features a clothing dept would have done at least one of these over the past decade or so, but through experience I can tell you that this one is probably amongst the best I’ve ever owned. It looks like all the others, but the sherpa body lining and quilted inner arms will keep you very warm in this comfortable and very well fitted jacket, without giving you the appearance of Britain’s fattest skateboarder! Not sure how they’ve pulled it off, it’s so warm but not super thick?!

The jacket really looks more like a warm shirt than a coat, but don’t underestimate it’s ability to save your life in the blistering wind! It features 4 front pockets too, so you can keep your fiddlers tucked up nicely and not have them dangling out in the cold.

Buzz Chart

RJD2

Post author By Crossfire
Post date January 11, 2010

RJD2 is a staple of the underground hip hop scene and returns with a new album The Colossus on January 19th.

The Philly based, Ohio-raised produced broke through with his Def Jux released albums Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke before venturing off into less hip hop based music with his The Third Hand album on XL. Three years later and RJ is back, bringing out his new record on his own label, RJ’s Electrical Connections and, it seems, going back to his hip hop roots.

Snippets were posted on his site along with the full version of Games You Can Win which features the vocal talents of Kenna, to give fans an idea of what to expect. But it’s on this new track, which you can hear by watching the video below, Let There Be Horns, that RJ’s percussion come back to the fore. The horns of the title are prevalent and the synths add dimension to the track but it’s the drums, those oh so brilliant drums, that do the damage.

Have a watch as the Minotaur gets a little stressy and ruins RJ’s shop in this great video and get hyped for the rest of the album, it’s sure to be a winner.

Abjekt.