Colin Kennedy (this one) has made a short film on the Matix Capital Collection with some stunning statistics on how clothing sold in the USA has increasingly been produced outside of the USA.
Matix’s Capital Collection was made with pride in their home country, watch the excellently shot video to learn a little more about the skate industry in tough economic times.
The Nandos ExPERImental Jam went off at The Boardroom this weekend and as always, Get Lesta were down to get everything covered. Enjoy their swish edit of the day below.
This week our eyes were treated to the absolutely professional talk-show hosting of Frank Gerwer as he spends a week with Tony Miorana.
It’s one of the more interesting things you’ll see in the skateweb this week so click on the screenshot below to see why. Warning: includes an example of what all adverts should look like. Anti Hero = do want.
With a string of sold out shows under their belt taking them to all four corners of the globe and a Grammy Award winning album for Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, we catch Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai of Phoenix at Fracophone festival Francofolies and ask if they’ve picked up on any influences on the way and shaping where there heading to next…
Interview and portrait: Nazlee Jannoo
You’ve been on the road for a long while now, without much of a break! Do you find time to pick up any new literature on the way?
Christian: Right know I’m reading Deleures – a French philosopher who writes about cinema. It’s very complicated, quite complex but we have a profound respect for cinematographers…
In terms of developing you music video it must help reading these philosophers and critiques – would you ever try you hand in making a music video? You must be very involved in the process…
Christian: As we have a lot of respect for cinematography as an art form it would be something very hard for us to create ourselves. It’s a very rich art form that we couldn’t attempt to create – we wouldn’t know where to start! It would take ten year worth of work on our part – as we have ten-year worth in music – to be good at it. We very much respect that craft and tradition.
On the other hand and we really love the fact that now with Youtube other people are creating their music videos, showing their visions and interpretations. We think it’s really cool – there are quite a few amazing ones for Lisztomania. They’re some of our favourites.”
As you are so impressed with some of the ‘alternative’ videos out on Youtube would you consider allowing a fan to direct an official music video…?
Laurent: The beauty with Youtube is that we don’t have any involvement – fans have made the video for themselves. The videos have a life of their own and gaining hits so we feel we don’t want to meddle with the process.
You are playing Field Day which is considered as one of the most important festival for alternative music – is it still important for you as a band to still acknowledge your alternative rock origins? Some bands throughout the careers have consciously changed direction throughout their music careers however Phoenix has remained constant. Was this a conscious decision?
Christian: We’ve never questioned this as this is something that has never crossed our minds but for us it’s very important to be, and still remain part of a counter culture – and to play this kind of festival.
Why have you decided to perform at Francofolies now? It’s one of the most highly respected music festivals for artist of French origin….
Christian: It’s a Francophone festival yes but it’s the first year its been open to other language but with French origin.
Any new acts which have caught your attention on your travels?
Christian: I’m really into this guy John Mouse, he’s great.
On Hype machine there are dozens of new remixes that filter through the chart regularly. Do you approve many of these remixes that spread across the web?
Christian: Some of them we put on our blog – we love the idea that our music is being engaged with.
We’ve actually released a collection of our favourite remixes out there – it’s semi official, but it’s out there……
You’ve been together as a band for a long while, and being based with you music community, you’ve seen your peers go on to great things (Previous incarnations include short-lived band Darlin’ who Laurent, Christian’s older brother had formed with Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo who together became Daft Punk) and success feels like its long time due – have there been any fundamental changes with being awarded with a Grammy for instance?
Laurent: It’s meaningless but it makes things easier. We wrote this album with a few friends in mind and our idea was to touch very people with it – that was our goal.
Christian: It’s impossible to try to please everyone so this time we tried to please as few people as possible – but within intention to please these friends a lot – and it turned out to be the most successful album. One thing that did come out of the success of the album is put in a very good position, but it almost happened organically. This is album that sounds the most like what we were trying to do since the beginning of us recording.
Words: Richie Inskip
Photography: Harvey Mills
A good bacon sandwich must be the best cure for a stinking hangover and this Sunday morning (5th September) had the same effect, but the pork came in the form of the HAM JAM. Fighting the early signs of rain, the day kicked of pretty early after a hard day’s Battle in Hastings. With the bruised warriors and fresh recruits a new day began. The mission was easy- to rip apart the best bowl in the country and take a share of the £1000 cash prize money. With the help of the sponsors (Santa Cruz, Ocean Sports, Independent) and 20 cases of Redbull, Shoreham Bowl was ready to stand up and see how many men would draw their pork sword and show some real balls.
The under 16 Jam saw 7 year old Luke Shoonbrood getting hooked up with Little and Gnarly after dropping the deep end first time and making himself the youngest skater to drop the bowl to date. It was cool to see these kids flying around concrete corners with rock n rolls and early grab lay back airs. Harry Phelps really showed the future for UK bowl riding and that it’s not just about kickflips and rails, these kids were rad!
Mark Munson gets inverted
Then it was the turn of the older boys, or masters as they liked to be called, and rightly so. You are only as young as the bowl you’re riding and these guys rediscovered the meaning of youth. It might have had something to do with sea breeze but they fully skated for over an hour with some obscene lines over the Deathbox (a.k.a the chicken box). With Jelly providing the rubber chicken, it was apparent that some of the old boys had not choked it enough recently. The best trick over the chicken box saw front smiths, board slide rocks and big frontside airs. Although, it was always Mark Munson’s invert over the Box that was taking home the bacon (and a slice of pool coping).
Pulley goes frontside while All-Terrain-Trev crosses his legs before an arm snapper
The Pro-Am jam saw, Greg Nowik, Jake Collins, Potter, Pulley, Trev (ATT), Sean Goff, Teabag, Paris and Col ‘Cannibal’ Adam amongst others fooking killing it. Teabag hopped in with the SYB boys to travel down from Edinburgh on the over night 10 hour coach trip to show his demon side and feed off the session. Hurricanes, massive front 5’s, switch Back D’s were all pocketed and Tea Stained. Scottish Col would have brought Elton John to his knees with his take of Rocket Man with massive Rocket airs and crazy egg plants, it was the invert on the Redbull Fridge that earnt him the most cash. Nowik was just himself (plus the bowler hat) and had faster feet than an Irishman on coke during paddy’s day. He must have loved the music with some crazy coping dance and huge air walk fakies. All Terrain Trev took home the highest air before snapping his arm over the deathbox. Get Well soon Trev!
Greg Nowik cranked dat superman
In all, the pork was roasted, the crackling was crunchy and everyone that turned up to the Ham Jam had their fill. See below for the meaty edit roasted by Mr. Danny Bulmer.
One of Manchester’s most notorious heavy hitters, Dave Monoghan is now riding for Ekta Skateboards.
To honour the occasion, he went to the Pump Cage and knocked out ten amazing tricks for all the internet to enjoy. Watch it below. Style!
Talons are currently preparing for the release of their debut album ‘Hollow Realm‘ on Big Scary Monsters Records. In addition to news of a UK tour the band have offered up a download of their track ‘Peter Pan‘ which can be grabbed below.
The band will be playing the following dates,
September 29th – Norwich Arts Centre
September 30th – Camden Underworld, London
October 10th – Leeds Weekender @ The Well
October 18th – London Camden Barfly
October 21st – Cardiff SWN Festival @ Y Fuwch Goch
October 22nd – Leeds Brainwash Festival
Rhymesmith extraordinaire MF Doom, now officially known as the notably harder to Google DOOM (probably stylised with capitals for extra connotations of DOOM) has announced a series of UK dates next month for his self-dubbed DOOMSDAY tour.
He will be joined by Jamie XX and a whole host of other acts at the following dates:
October 13th – The Warehouse Project, Manchester
October 14th – O2 Academy Brixton, London
October 15th – Concorde 2, Brighton
October 16th – O2 Academy, Bristol
October 18th – The Arches, Glasgow
American rock 5-piece The Sleeping have posted the video for ‘Young Vibes… Don’t Run Away From Me‘ online.
The song appears off the band’s new album, The Big Deep due out on September 28th through Victory Records. Watch the video directed by Eric Richter below.
This week’s installment of Agency Thursdays over at the Stereo Sound Agency introduces the second ‘Who Dat!‘ clip, featuring some superb skating from the new Stereo flow mandem Brian Gille.
Click the screengrab below to get to it.
