Coming straight outta Walthamstow, Jak Pietryga is best known for lurking around the big smoke and killing it for The Harmony on a daily basis. This year however, he got the closer in Morph’s southern fried and zooted flick, ‘Yam Dat‘ and more or less confirmed on several trips around the continent that he has one of the raddest switch f/s bigspins you’ve ever seen this side of Mike Carroll.
He shared his thoughts and favourite moments of the year with us in this installment of Reflections.
Best personal moment of 2010?
Surviving last years new years party.
Fave skate trip?
It’s gotta be The Harmony trip to Berlin. Had a sick crew come out there with us, Buddle got involved, it was all round good times. Had the usual Harmony luck with the weather as it was pissing it down most days but we carried on regardless, basically just skated the skatehalle demo park. The days the sun decided to make an appearance were really productive though so hold tight for the edit dropping soon!
Best song/ Best album?
I’m not really one for going out and buying albums really but Morph lent me the new Giggs album ‘Let Em Av It’ and it’s a banger.
Most satisfying trick filmed/made and at what spot?
That would have to be my ender from ‘Yam Dat‘. The switch biggy down Aviva 9. Kinda went there with the trick in mind thinking it’s in the bag, because I always do that trick and it wouldn’t give me much grief, then I started grieving! You know… start getting close then lose it etc. So when it eventually went down, it went from being a trick I didn’t really rate myself, to something I was proper stoked on.
Newest trick learnt?
900 to manny.
Fave trick/line you witnessed?
I would have said Smithy’s switch noseblunt to bk lip but he already mentioned that trick in his Reflections. Errrrr, I reckon watching Barney Page and Joe Gavin skating the cheddar block at Southbank is up there. Doing new tricks on a block I thought had been absolutely rinsed off already. Yeah it was pretty impressive, think that edit should be dropping soon also.
Skate DVD you watched the most?
Blueprint – ‘Make Friends With The Colour Blue’
Your MVP of the Year?
Joe Gavin. He smashes it on a daily basis!
Fresh Blood tip for 2011?
Joe Buddle man! Guys been killing it on road!
What are you looking forward to most about 2011?
The Harmony changing to Rock Solid Distribution, I’m pretty keen on that. Going away on more trips and getting a part together for an upcoming video.
The Harmony x Etnies – Joe Gavin’s Shoe Launch
Always enjoy going up to Manchester. There was a party gong on for the shoe launch as well so it was a good weekend, went to a graffiti comp an all. It was proper!
Dylan Rieder Gravis Promo
No sound on the Youtube version of this edit but you get the idea. (Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper – Ed.)
Two days in Antwerp
This trip was real good, proper nice weather, there was a sick comp and met some good people out there. The street spots out there are ridiculous an’ all.
Nike SB Big Push 2010
If you didn’t vote for this to win the Big Push you are a mong!
Willow welcomes Joe Gavin and Barney Page to the European Etnies team.
Some serious skating in this edit and I can’t help but crack up every time I hear Willow speak.
Portrait: 
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Sam Bird has recently invested in a Canon 550D and has gone on a filming mission around London resulting in this short little edit entitled ‘Under Grey Skies‘ that’s a perfect aesthetic treat to get you hyped this cold monday morning.
A word from the promoter before the show lets us know that this event is a couple of tickets away from selling out. It seems they completely underestimated something along the way as we get into the upstairs room to find it at possibly the fullest I’ve ever seen. Even for support act Cerebral Ballzy, it’s a bit of a strain to get any sort of view at all. And forgive us, but we don’t fancy being too near the front given both bands’ reputations for hurling objects (and themselves) into the crowd as well as a tendency to puke / spit / generally emit bodily fluids when on stage. Despite being confined to a small square near the back of the venue, it’s still possible to enjoy Cerebral’s exuberant take on old-skool punk rock and hardcore as they barrel through upbeat songs about “drinking til you puke”, “not having enough money to pay for the tube” and “girls”. It’s certainly obvious these guys are basically kids but that’s what makes their reinvention of the genre so potent and fun.
“The last time we played here was when we released this single!” declares a grinning Andy Cairns, shortly before the spidery riff of ‘Turn’ incites roars of joy from the sold-out crowd. Indeed, it’s been a good few years since Therapy? have played venues of this size, but tonight many casual fans have been enticed out of hiding by a very tasty carrot; the prospect of the band playing their 1994 breakthrough ‘Troublegum’ album in its entirety. Unsurprisingly, faded t-shirts and beer guts abound, but this crowd certainly compensates in enthusiasm for what it lacks in youth.
Glitch-hop producer extraordinaire 