NO.3the dj mehditribute issue

editor in chief / CREATIVE DIRECTOR

SPECIAL THANKS

CONTACT

FRONT COVER

SORAAN LATIF

DJ MEHDI FOR ALL THE GREAT

MUSIC OVER THE YEARS

CHROMEO

SARAH TALLEY / MIKE LAWLEY /

DOUGLAS CROSS

OLLANSKI FOR ALL YOUR TIME

SPENT ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS

7shadesmagazine@gmail.com

facebook.com/7sobm

tumblr.com/7sobm

OLLANSKIDANIEL LEE HARVEY

PETER DAVIS

ROBERT JONES

ELLIOT BENTLEY

ANONYMOUS

MOUKOUO

SORAAN LATIF

MARCUS KUZVINZWA

KEITH YOUNG

KATIE ELEANOR

KIMMO SAVOLAINEN

SERGE LEBLON

CHARLLOETTE WALES

ZELINDA ZATICHELLI

LAURENT GRINO

HANS THIJS

WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

AEROPLANE INTERVIEW

MOUNT KIMBIE INTERVIEW

TOKIMONSTA INTERVIEW

MUNK INTERVIEW

DANIEL WANG INTERVIEW

DJ MEHDI TRIBUTE

REMEMBERING DJ MEHDI - DAVE 1

WHY THE BEST TEND TO SELF DISTRUCT

MUSIC

ERIN FIZPATRICK

OLLANSKI INTERVIEW

ART & DESIGN

KEITH DAVIS INTERVIEW

KIMMO SAVAOLAINEN

KATIE ELINOR

PHOTOGRAPHY

STIKE COMMANDO REVIEWFILM

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ERINFITZPATRICK

ERINFITZPATRICK

OLLIANSKIi n t e rv i e w e d by E l l i o t B e n t l e y

How would you describe your own style?

In everything I do, whether it's drawing, painting,

crafting or digital design work, I'm very precise

and neat in both the process of designing and

in the execution. So I would describe my style

as being very clean and accurate as well as

illustrative and commercial, but I like being

commercial.

You studied biomedicine up to PhD level, what

caused you to leave academia and pursue

illustration full-time?

I really, really loved studying Biomedicine and

I'm still really interested in science in general but

the problem is that studying science is one thing

and working in science is another. Biomedical

science is a VERY competitive and it is expected

of you to commit yourself fully to your work and

have everything else put in second and third

place in order to achieve results and in order to

not get mobbed by the others. The point when I

finally realized that I could not continue working

like that was when I was rude at my friends just

because I was unhappy about my work situation

and the prospect of having to be in that narrow

minded science world for years to come. Also,

the salaries are bad. So from one day to the other

I quit my position and decided that what I wanted

to do is sit at home, listen to music and draw. So

I made a portfolio and sent it out to all kinds of

potential clients and two weeks later I had my

first jobs for FHM France and VICE Germany. I

really turned my work life around 180 degrees

within 2 weeks.

Do you think your scientific background influences

your work?

Yes. Absolutely. I think that my scientific

background influences ALL aspects of my

thinking and thus my life, but I like that.

Your illustrations tend to be highly detailed and

realistic, do you use reference photos and how

long do you spend on an individual image?

Yes, I do use reference photos for the most part,

especially when I'm doing portraits of people I

have never actually met before. Alternatively I

start with a photo as reference but improvise on

details and customize it freely. Sometimes, for

some projects, I use real models or my fantasy.

That doesn't happen that often anymore which is

a pity because I do like free work more.... About

the duration, that really depends of course, but

the front cover drawing for this issue for instance

took me about 2 days full time work.

As well as traditional illustration, you’re known

for your paper craft models, when did you start

making these?

Ever since I can remember I have been

papercrafting. My mum used to joke that she

should marry a man with a paper factory, but I

never did it "professionally" until two years ago.

I'm really bad at saying "No" to commission

requests so one day the art director of a Swedish

magazine asked me if I could do an illustration for

a summer festival article and I said yes before I

got the actual brief which basically said that I had

until the next day to fill two big newspaper-sized

pages. Of course I could have never managed

to draw pictures of that size in my style until the

next day. So I decided to build a festival island

out of paper and felt, with stages, toilets, tents,

trees, everything. Eventually taking photos of it

and creating illustrations out of these photos.

Looking back at the pictures now after 2 years

they were really not very good because I only

had less than 24 hours but people liked it. It was

really creative and it was the start of many paper

crafting projects. But you know, I really want to do

more papercrafting projects and there is some

pretty great stuff in the pipeline!

Khoi Vinh has recently written about the lack of

illustrations in many digital magazines and blogs

(click here to read) - do you think there’s enough

illustration on the web outside of art and graphic

design communities??

Hm, good question. Well after thinking about this

for two minutes now I would say: there actually

IS a lack of good illustrations OUTSIDE of these

communities. I'm not really surprised that this is

the case because good illustrations cost money

or SHOULD cost money and the general notion

on the internet is that everything is for free and

ever changing. So if one sees illustrations on

different blogs and magazines OUTSIDE of these

communities you mentioned it's not often as

good as the better paid, or let's say "rewarded",

illustrations produced for print.

How did you get into writing a blog for Be Street

magazine?

I'm friends with Benny and Shu, the founders

and editors-in-chief of Be Street and they asked

me one day if I'd like to blog for them and I said

yes. I would like to update my blog every day but

I don't find the time to do so which is a shame

because I really like the blog and the readers like

it and there are some other great people on the

website blogging for Be Street (like photographer

Shu Pan or illustrator McBess, who I love ) so I

should really try and update it more often. Hehe.

What are your upcoming projects?

I'm planning an exhibition for January 2012

together with some friends here in Berlin where

i'm gonna be showing original drawings but

also big models of paper cities and character

design toys I made. I seriously wanna learn

a new language. I'm going to start illustrating

scientific texts next week so it feels a little like

going back to science which I'm really excited

about. I'm going to be doing a pattern-making

course, you know for clothes, and I really wanna

take a pottery class. Oh and of course I'm gonna

be doing my many magazine illustrations every

month. So there is a lot to do. Woop Woop.

Finally, what do you see yourself doing in ten

years' time?

I have no idea and it doesn't matter to me right

now. I've always been doing so many different

things in my live so I don't know what's going

to happen in 2021. I ONLY hope that I won't

get cynical and will continue to follow my

intuition. Cause if I do that I know I'll always

be doing great!

Ollanski's portfolio

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a e r o p l a n ei n t e rv i e w e d by d a n i e l l e e h a rv e yp h o t o g r a p h y by S e r g e L e b l o n

In the year 2007, Stephen Fasano and Vito Deluca both from Italian Heritage formed a

duo. Both who were influenced from the integral sounds of disco and Moroder’s appeal

began to create music. The duo then landed a recording deput on Eskimo records with

the 2007 single ‘‘Aeroplane’’and later again that year with ‘‘Pacific Air Race.’’ Stephen

and Vito continued their influential path through remixes, some of the most notable being

‘‘Friendly Fires Paris,’’ and ‘‘Sebastian Tellier’s Kilometer.’’ However, in the fullness of time,

the duo dispersed, Stephen proceeded to infuse his energy into a solo career as a DJ

and Vito continued formidably into fomenting the future for Aeroplane. In 2010, Aeroplane

made its full-length album ‘‘We Can’t Fly.’’ I was lucky enough speak to the man himself

and find out the origins to one of the biggest marvels in the down-tempo dance scene. I

mixed with early electronic stuff like italo disco

or early house music.

I’ve read in previous interviews that your Italian

heritage impacts your musical overview, could

you elaborate more on this?

My family came from Italy in the 70's and they

were all into music but Italian music. So at home

there will always be an Italian artist playing on the

turntable. Italian artists like really dramatic and

nostalgic melodies. This is how it influenced me,

I starting loving this type of melodic construction.

Also in the mid 80's a lot of the italo disco pioneers

started producing pop singers, and as my mother

was listening to all of that, I guess that was my

first experience with electronic music; electronic,

because it was made with synths and drum

machines.

Your latest release ‘‘We Can’t Fly’’ which came out

in late 2010 is a true gem to the electronic scene.

It’s different to what we usually see peak up from

duos like Justice. It has a minimalistic strum to

it yet it manages to keep all the key attributes of

what a good electronic track should be. I cannot

help but think 80’s rock ballads when listening to

Superstar and Fish in the Sky; did you explore

deeper into the decade when shaping the album

together?

The album was I think some kind of statement

that I wanted to make by recording like my idols

did, everything, live and analog. I went really

far into exploring those genres, at the frontier of

good and bad taste, but again I like cheesy stuff

so it's not a real problem for me. Now that this

is out of my system I can embrace technology

and make a new album that will reflect this era.

Use my influence in a more subtle way. When

So where are you at right now?

On a plane from Brussels to Helsinki.

When did you start to get an interest in DJ’ing

and producing?

I started getting into music at around 7 or 8. My

uncle was a DJ. That's around the same period

that my mother bought me my first keyboard, a

Casio that I shouldn't have thrown away. Then

around the age of 11 or 12, I started to learn

music. Making tracks started at around 16.

How would you describe the Aeroplane sound

and what are your inspirations?

I don't know how to describe the sound; it's more

a journalist discipline. My inspiration is mainly

pop music from the past. 60's 70's and 80's

you have an "influence" it's supposed to perfectly

merge with something new, what I did wasn't

really influenced, it was trying to make the same

music as back then.

You’re very well known for your remixes particularly

Friendly Fires – Paris which has a massive

following amongst clubs and around the internet,

how do your remixes fluctuate from your own

work?

A new track is a blank page. A remix is not. You

have to deal with what is already there. That's

more or less the only difference, but it's quite

a big one.

Have you ever thought about doing movie scores

like Moroder did for Scarface and Conti for Rocky?

That is my childhood dream. Rocky soundtrack is

for me as big as The Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The

Moon. These two records equally influenced me.

I heard that you are an accomplished piano

player, does this act like a catalyst when it comes

to producing?

Well, it helps a lot when it comes to composing

but my ears are so trained to the theory that

sometimes it's a problem. When I try to get out

of it or do something abstract it's difficult for me

as I have to un-learn a lot.

What have you been listening to lately?

A lot of new music and new artists that I was

choosing for my compilation out in October.

I see on Soundcloud you release a DJ set each

month, where do you find the time when touring?

Mixing the set is easy. But it takes a month to

find 10 or 12 good tracks to put in. And I actually

mainly do it while touring in the plane or my

hotel room.

If you could perform with any artist fom the past

or present, who would it be and why?

David Gilmour on the guitar, Bernard Edwards

on the bass, Prince on the Linn Drum and Marc

Hollis on the vocals. This is basically what I want

music to sound. All the time.

Do you have any upcoming projects or anything

else we should know about?

A mixed compilation called In Flight Entertainment

made of 100% exclusive tracks. There's not much

else to know about me besides music really.

Aeroplane’s facebook

m o u n t k i m b i e I n t e rv i e w e d by r o b e rt j o n e s p h o t o g r a p h y by C h a r l l o e t t e wa l e s

Glitchy and Minimal are terms thrown around to describe tracks which, at there best, could

be produced by many anti-social teenagers on their Macs, after a naive listen to the likes

of James Blake or Jamie XX. Thankfully, 7 Shades of Black decided against interviewing

one of these socially awkward imposters and instead set up a questionnaire with one of

the finest purveyors of hypnosis inducing electronics. Mount Kimbie have been prowling

the scene for some time now, bubbling away beneath the surface and allowing their

influence to steadily filter through to an expanding crowd. Now gaining higher billing at

festivals, TV appearances and nods from the industry, Mount Kimbie are on the cusp of

sharing what they do with a very large audience indeed. We put it to them to explain what

their blend of loops, samples and beats should actually mean to us.

with a lot of positive press coverage and we also

have a strong core of fans.

Do you feel that your opinions within the music

industry are sought after more often, now you

have established yourselves as proven recording

artists over several years?

I couldn’t say really, I guess neither of us feel

the need to comment on other music, and if we

like an artist or band, we like them. We do get a

lot more promo’s through on the e-mail though!

At the most basic level, minimalistic soundscapes

similar to what you create have been in vogue

for a while now. Who do you believe are your

contemporaries?

There are a few artists that we have been close

to either as friends or musically, James Blake,

The latest EP offering “Carbonated” has just been

released on Hot Flush Recordings, what does it

offer to newcomers?

It has three excellent remixes on it by Klaus,

Peter Van Hoesen and Airhead. Carbonated

is the final single from the album Crooks and

Lovers and there are two other tracks on there

that didn’t make the final cut for the album but

we felt needed a release.

“Sketch On Glass” EP has become a staple of

my DJ set, despite it being released back in 2009.

Since then, who or what has played a key role in

where your music stands now?

Our managers have been crucial in getting our

music where it is today, making us take what we

do seriously and make the correct calls in testing

times. I feel that we have been very fortunate

Klaus, Jamie XX, Joy Orbison, Ramadanman,

Addison Groove, Scuba etc. These are people

that we have a lot of respect for and are pleased

to be making vaguely similar sound with.

It is now festival season around the world, what

has been your favourite live performance so far

on this tour?

We had an excellent show at Conne Island in

Leipzig on a German tour we did lately. We were

there with ‘Cloud Boat’ and the venue is amazing,

in the middle of lots of trees and greenery, with a

skate park and BBQ. The crowds were brilliant;

it was certainly one of my favourites from this

summer.

I hear subtle nods to woozy Drone and Reich

styled syncopation, are there any genres you can

never see being part of your creative process?

Not really, we seem to get referenced with

anything from pop to jazz. We would never ever

bring in Gabba or Psy-trance into the mix though.

Who at the moment is on your mixtape while en

route to the next gig?

Hmm, let’s see, for me (Dominic), Shabazz

Palaces, The Fall, Mellowhype, Suzanne Kraft,

High Places, Wild Beasts, Waters, Wu Lyf,

Shlohmo.

Do you function at your best onstage before an

audience or recording alone together in a studio?

I don’t recall how I function at home in the studio,

all we know at the moment is being onstage and

we are OK at it!

What can we expect Mount Kimbie to be setting

out to achieve in the next year?

A record that blows Crooks and Lovers out of

the water, perhaps a new direction, more live

shows, maybe a few remixes, more merchandise,

less tweeting.

Finally, we’ve decided in the spur of the moment

to visit the zoo, which animal are we heading to

see first?

Start off light with some gibbons or owls.

Mount Kimbie’s facebook page

Jennifer Lee born and raised in the South Bay area of Los Angeles is a deviant when it

comes creating textual soundscapes. Her music is a thick mixture of digital manipulation,

dusty percussion and vintage samples which she manages to fuse together with other

instrumental elements. She has been highly praised by others in avant-garde media due

to her unique approach of formulating tracks. Through her recognition, she was signed

on to the BRAINFEEDER label which is steered by producer Flying Lotus. She is also a

fearless performer, her and the crowd counteract with each other like a ripple on water.

One of our writers Marcus Kuzvinwa (Languid) got the chance to speak to her about it.

Readers, this is TOKIMONSTA.

J

First of all, tell us about yourself?

I'm just a person who enjoys creating.

What kind of music were you exposed to as a

child and how has that influenced the music you

create now?

As a small child, I was mostly exposed to classical

music, but I introduced myself to hip hop and

rock at a young age. All have made a significant

impact on my approach to music.

What kind of music are you really into at the

moment?

I've been listening to a lot of music from other

artists in Brainfeeder. Asides from that, a lot of

other indie artists and a lot of older music--60s

prog/psych rock, 80s boogie, early 90s hip hop.

It seems as if your field of music isn’t in one fixed

genre, why do you think this is and how would

you describe your sound?

I think that fixating to a genre leads to the possibility

of becoming married to this classification with

little room to go outside of what you are expected

of creating. My sound is a mixture of all my

influences, but I suppose heavily rooted in soul,

hip hop, and electronic music.

t o k i m o n s ta i n t e rv i e w e d by p e t e r d av i s I l l u s t r at i o n s by o l l a n s k i

Out of all the equipment you use, which one is

your favourite and for what reason(s)?

My Rhodes piano is my favorite. You can play

anything on it and it will have a feeling of depth

and warmth.

How do you go about putting live sets together

or mixes? (Like your recent mix for okini “Love

With Sound”)

Live sets are built around a skeleton of my own

music. I am constantly changing the way my

set is linked together. With the OKI-NI mix, I

wanted the entire mix to have a specific mood,

this being an eerie romantic sound. I chose my

songs and found a way to mix them in a way that

made sense. The musical selection is always

the most important when I put together mixes.

What is your process with your beats? How does

it differ from your process of making remixes (i.e

your remix of Shlohmo’s “Hot Boxing The Cockpit”)

With my music, I have no approach. I may start

with a melody, chord progression, or drums. For

remixes, I always try to create a mood different

from the original. If the song is soft, I will try to

go for a more aggressive remix, if it's aggressive,

a softer remix, etc.

Will we be excepting any collaborations anytime

from you?

I am actively working on my project with Suzi

Analogue, called "Analogue Monsta." It's an

extremely fun project that I think will be a bit

more uplifting.

How do you view the music in the US compared

to the UK?

I feel as the UK is more open to new music, as

a population. It may take the same percentage

of people in the US to catch on quite longer.

However, I feel as the UK is not married to sounds

and will move on quite quickly to something else,

while many in the US build a relationship with

the music they listen to.

Lastly do have any advice for aspiring producer/

laptop musician in your demography?

I say all these aspiring producers should try their

very best to maintain a sense of individuality. In

a world where music is so easy to create, the

last thing you want to do is make something that

already exists.

Tokimonsta's facebook page

m u n k i n t e rv i e w e d by D a n i e l l e e H a rv e y p h o t o g r a p h y by Z e l i n d a Z at i c h e l l i a n d L a u r e n t G r i n o

Munk to me can only be described as one of the masters in the German disco scene.

Munk has released several albums, Aperitivo in 2005, Cloudbuster in 2008 and his newest

one to date, the ever so mighty, The Bird and the Beat in early 2011. The new album

oozes out futuristic tones through a sugar-coated blend of house music. I got the chance

to speak to him about the process he undertook when making it, his drink alter-ego and

how he managed to find a assembly of bond-girl worthy women for the video shoot of

‘‘Keep My Secret.’’M

Firstly Bird and the Beat, your newest album to

date, has endlessly catchy tunes, what was your

creative process when making it?

I recorded it in different countries and the idea

was to include singers, actresses, and a lot of

female voices from different countries.

So I did the record at friends’ studios in Rome,

Marseille, Paris, London, Berlin and other cities.

Process: I am a musician; I play piano, drums,

and other instruments. So I play a lot of stuff live

and then resample and re edit it in the studio,

i then carry work on overdubs and reworking.

Then I sing my melodies and the girls copy my

singing.

On this album you have collaborated with a

number of different girls, from Munich’s Pollyester

to Lou from London’s New York Pony Club, who

has been your favourite to work with and why?

There is no favourite as everybody is very

different. Pollyester is a real musician that has

been playing in my old Munk band for years.

Clara Cometti is a singer and fashion designer

(a.p.c.) that lives in a different world than, for

example, Joyce Muniz, the crazy house dj’s

from Sao Paolo. So that makes it interesting with

every single girl, the differences in personality

and ideas and background.

Imbedded into most of your tracks is a bass line,

a synth and a drum line, do you play all these

instruments in the recordings or do you jam with

different musicians?

Ninety percent I play myself. On two tunes

there is a guest drummer and guitarist (from San

Francisco Stones throw label)

You, in the ‘Keep My Secret’ video, it’s like looking

into a 1960’s James Bond picture, so many

beautiful ladies, where did you find them?

Haha…It’s all party girls from Munich and Berlin;

friends of the 2 guys who directed the video (Kil

the Tills) and myself.

Who directs your music videos?

Different friends, some are young upcoming

artists that are NOT professional video directors

(Kill the Tills for ‘Keep My Secret’, Paze for new

video ‘Mis Labios’). Others are super professional

directors like Doublezero for the FOR RUE DE

ROME video.

Are you working on any new projects at the

moment?

Yes, two albums, the new Munk album, to be

released in early 2012. The tracks are finished.

I am recording vocals in August and September

in Berlin. Another instrumental jazz album, for

the end of 2012.

You run a label under the name of Gomma

Records, when you first started, what were your

goals and ambitions? Do you feel that now as a

record company; you have fore printed yourself as

one of the innovators of the house music scene?

My partner, Jonas Imbery, AKA the Telonius,

and I started Gomma around 2000 because

we had some disco infected tracks made that

we wanted to release. But no other labels were

interested in disco aesthetics in this time. So, we

had to start the label ourselves. The first releases

were immediately picked up by some influential

London people, like Jaques Lu, Cont (Adonna

producer), James Lavelle, Aheley Beedle, A.O.

They asked for more. So, we went professional.

What has been your most enjoyable, and worst,

touring experiences?

Too many, but playing in Mexico three weeks

ago was amazing; five cities full of Gomma fans,

singing along to Munk songs, and all the mescal,

tequila and great food.... loved it.

Down in L.A is one of the best records I have

ever purchased and to this day it still flirts with

my speakers. What was your inspiration behind

this track?

haha.... great. Thanks. I will tell you a mystery.

The lyrics had been stolen from a 70’s love song.

I changed the essential words. It became

this song about a Germany girl going to Los

Angeles and living a Californian summer, high

on pharmaceutical drugs.... The original song

is a catholic love to god song.

Where did the name Munk come from and what

is the basis of your studio, in terms of equipment?

Nobody can remember anything from those first

Gomma years.Different studios - different gear.

One brain - same brain.

Any upcoming artists we should look out for?

ESPERANZA, a new Italian band, slow, sweet,

for listening. On Gomma in a few weeks.

And lastly If you could personify yourself as a

drink, what would it be and why?

Amaro Siciliano, a sweet but hard, dark but

sunny...and funky.

Munk's facebook page

Hey Daniel, thank you so much for taking the

time out to do this. Where are you now and what

are you up to?

I happen to be in a suburb of San Francisco,

California this entire week, staying in a sunny,

newly built old person’s apartment building with

my grandma. She is 94 now, physically weak

but mentally still strong. At age 80, she used

her savings to travel the entire world. Two years

ago my father, her eldest son, died from cancer

and it left an empty spot in her life. She always

defended my being gay and even supported

Obama in US elections. I try to come here twice

a year, visit her, my brother, and his two kids. It's

the most non-DJ aspect of my life; no gay bars,

no Berlin this week, just family time...

We're halfway through 2011. Has it been a good

year for music? Any specific highlights?

t takes me back to 04’ when I first heard “Like Some Dream I Can’t Stop Dreaming” on

a Tramp! podcast. Listening to Daniel Wang for the first time. Even though that song

was first released in 93’ it sounded (and still does) so new. Who knew that after 8 years

from first discovering that gem I would be interviewing one of the most respected and

unique produces from the past 20 years. If you don’t know who Daniel Wang is then you

should look into his label Balihu which has released some amazing records. Famed for

his passion for the records he loves and just as famed for his opinions on the music he

doesn’t like. Ask any producer now, especially those involved in the surge of nu disco

and modern house and they will give you one name. Ladies and gentlemen, this is

Daniel Wang...

d a n i e l wa n g i n t e rv i e w e d by p e t e r d av i s

II really don’t know what happened in the music

world in 2011. I don’t have MTV or internet at

home in Berlin. In just the past 3 days in the

USA, I finally heard Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”.

It was as awful as I expected. I found Justin

Bieber disappointingly mediocre. I think Amy

Winehouse had great talent. I watched her fall

off the stage in eastern Europe somewhere. The

new J. Lopez song ripping off Kaoma/Lambada

is dreadful!, So over-ground; not very thrilling.

Underground, I’ve lost track. I don’t mean to

sound cynical, there just isn’t much truly thrilling

contemporary music.

Is there anyone right now that you are really

liking, that our readers should go and check out?

Anything new to check out? My theremin

professor, Ms. Pamelia Kurstin, just released

an album with percussionist Sebastian Rochford.

I saw this on the internet today, haven’t heard it.

But even the BBC gave it a good review. I'll bet

it's really interesting!

Being a guy from the north west of England, I

love to pop into Piccadilly Records as often as I

can. Do you have any memories or stories about

that place?

I think I even have two plastic shopping bags from

Piccadilly Records at home, but I can’t remember

where it is or what it looks like! You know, the

traveling, sometimes it's all a blur. Sorry, the

hungry wolf only remembers the taste of bloody

flesh, but not the forest in which it was hunted.

Speaking of record shops, are there any that

you just have to visit when you are in different

countries and cities?

Must-visit record shops? I guess A1 in NYC

is the one I know best. I remember visiting

a huge warehouse in Detroit years ago, but I

forgot its name. Ten years ago, CoverMusic on

Kurfuerstendamm in west Berlin still had good bins;

today the disco gems are long gone. Chez Youri,

in Paris, also closed. Honestly, I’ve gotten my best

records mostly from Ebay, Youtube, and nameless

flea markets lately! Good or bad, that’s the truth!

We recently lost the talented Gil Scott Heron.

Where there any particular favourites of yours?

Yes Gil Scott Heron.. I didn’t know his whole

discography very well. But I met him in person

at a festival for five minutes just last year, even

took a photo with him and put it on my Facebook

page! He struck me as incredibly conscientious

but tragic, he was totally exhausted and high on

weed. I think years of thinking about racism and

injustice can destroy a sensitive person. I found

the death of Michael Jackson overrated though.

The songs and production of Quincy Jones and

Rod Temperton made him; people confuse the

consumable product with the person himself.

Otherwise I’m not keeping track of who died

lately. When you record music, you immortalize

the essence of a person anyway.

You have been doing this for a while now so you

must have had some pretty memorable parties

in your time. Which ones stick out to you?

Most memorable parties in the past twenty

months: Hove, Norway, Helsinki, Finland,

everyone singing along to Heatwave, dancing

to classic instrumentals. Horse Meat Disco in

Berlin, London, Lisbon. A few years ago I’d say

Tokyo, or London too, but it depends on lots

of factors beside the music. If people have to

pay twentt pounds to hear me, it doesn’t feel

intimate. I think the best parties now are often

outside the big cities.

Is there anything exciting happening in the not

too distant future for Daniel Wang? Any releases

or projects coming up?

Anything exciting coming from me?

I am ashamed to give same reply as the past five

years: I’ve been too busy travelling. I hope to

finish renovating my new flat and home studio this

year, and then I will start fulfilling dreams, Playing

live percussion, theremin, and singing myself.

Strangely I sound a bit like a 50’s crooner, Johnny

Mathis and such. Or maybe like D.C. LaRue?

Are there any parties that are coming up that you

will be attending or playing at in the future that

our readers should try and go along to?

Parties I recommend? Well, if you’re in Berlin,

I recommend this club called ABOUT BLANK

at Ostkreuz.. Nice sound, nice garden! But my

favourite is SOJU Bar in Kreuzberg, crystal clear

sound, great neons. The big techno club in

Berlin, I will not name any, almost all sound bad.

I like the raw spirit of raves but people have to

get the acoustics right if they want to play good

music seriously.

Finally, if there is one record that you own that

you take everywhere and just listen to no matter

what the mood or situation, what is it?

One record I can listen to forever? Can I name

three? Soul disco: Heatwave, Candles LP. But

at home I always play bossa nova: Jobim, Stone

Flower LP. It was produced by Eumir Deodato,

lots of Fender Rhodes piano. And the Bill Evans

70s Rhodes album called From Left to Right.

bossa+jazz, electric+acoustic. These albums

make me feel like I’m floating on a cloud.

Daniel Wang's facebook page/

confess that I can’t really put a finger on how Dj Mehdi was seen on the international

music scene, nor the impact he had on the electronic scene. Apart from the shear love

and homage his work and soul received from peers and fans, doubled with the fact that

he managed to slowly successfully evolve from a pioneer French hip hop producer to

the product of his musical journey he was when he left us; obviously unique but more

importantly still in evolution. I

Out of curiosity, and I guess to refresh my memory

as if I was already scared to forget, I randomly

browsed the web for videos, pictures, read what

was said on him, and his music.

Besides the general facts expected from

Wikipedia, most of the tributes kind of started

by “The electro producer…”, “The electro/Hip Hop

producer…” or “The Hip Hop dance producer…”

followed by the sad news and a short history

of the late. All acknowledging his work from

Signatune and I am somebody, with the majority

ignoring the “Hip Hop” part of their introduction

sentence when it came to his history.

It’s easy to understand why, his new found and

more global audience outside of the French

hexagon discovered him via the electro scene.

His life and sound before that does not seem to

be that relevant to most. The thing is, it really is!

You need to have a grasp of where he’s coming

from as a man and artist to understand the how

and why of his evolution and sound.

His encounter with music came early, no further

than home, from listening to radio, the Arabic

music ever present by cultural rights, his uncles

and dad who had a huge collection of discs in

which he found himself playing with the home

decks between the age of twelve and thirteen.

the audience at the very edge of themselves

emotionally. It was incredibly mature, the guy

producing these gems just could not be my age,

I couldn’t picture it then, it didn’t even cross my

mind, that sound was too big, too good not to

come from the mighty states. Wrong, it was from

Paris and it was amazing, still is.

I did use the word “pioneer” early on, remember?

I can hear some of you thinking, come on now!

The fact that the first disc he bought was Public

Enemy is not trivial. A career as one of the most

talented Hip Hop producer was to follow, in

the characteristically edgy atmosphere of the

then French Hip Hop scene; reflection of the

state of mind of the youth living in the French

estates. The social context of that time (the

90's) (which has not improved much really) was

similar to the ever present projects situation in

the states, glamorized or condemned by the

mother American hip hop culture at the time.

Hip hop in France was not just a mirror image

of the mother, it shared the same struggle at the

same time, but it had it's own sound.

A sound that Dj Mehdi, part of one of the most

influential and controversial hip hop group and

crew in France with few other producers shaped.

His sound was deep, sensitive, often dark, but

always powerful. Always taking the mc's and

The French touch sound is known all over the

world when it comes to electro, we can definitely

give him credit there, but how pioneer can a

French hip-hop producer be in Hip Hop. He was

obviously one in France, and carrying the torch

so brightly with his friends and peers gave to

Hip Hop it’s way into the French youth culture.

There was a time where Dj Mehdi and the electro

scene couldn’t be on the same flyer, Hip Hop

nights were unpredictable, could turn nasty at

anytime. The electro scene was and always is

about good vibes, having fun and so on. When

he brought his new sound, many were surprised,

many didn’t understand.

Basically, many didn’t understand, that he might

have want to have fun for a change, all these

years of expressing fight, pain and struggle gives

you a real sense of appreciation for simple things

I guess. Being as talented and open minded as

he was, he just evolved, his sound was coming

from a different place, a different perspective.

That new journey of his just started.

Gone too soon.

Moukouo

DJ Mehdi pushed boundaries by twisting the

unexpected. A lot of people are use to having

electro and hip hop sold separately however

both are in fact very similar when it comes to

the flow of drum and synth patterns. DJ Mehdi

understood this and implemented both genres

together and the outcome was a sound that was

so fresh and innovative.

During the early stage of his career, DJ Mehdi

remixed acts such as Cassius, Koma and Joakim

Lone Octet and composition soundtracks for

French and international films. This was the

beginning of a passage and Busy P soon took

DJ Mehdi under the battalions of the Ed Banger

crew after acknowledging his passion for music

and it showed within his infectious persona.

The two of them together hosted a party series

at the legendary underground club Pulp. Over

this period the nights continued, DJ Mehdi grew

more and more into the role of entertaining a

crowd, his style fractured almost, something that

sounded unique to new ears, he is an individual

who doesn’t keep to a set playlist, even if it’s

a slight incision, he will always try to make it

different from other sets.

DJ Mehdi was asked by Busy P to create his own

music for the label; with an already extensive

background in the inner circles of hip hop, I

knew from the start, it was going to be decent.

I first heard the album Lucky Boy back in 2006,

just a few months after its release. I was thirteen

years old and in high school and my number 1

downfall was digging for music. I always had a

fascination with it and if I wasn’t working, I found

the nearest computer to me and plugged in a

pair of headphones and just sat there until it

was time to leave.

I discovered the album during a search on

YouTube and the drums in my ears melted away,

it was the opening track that made me stick to the

very end. The entire compilation is an evolution

of his sound, take track two I am Somebody

which features Chromeo.

You can hear the early funk influences, like Zapp

& Roger & Rick James. The song focuses upon

the subject of gaining recognition and the way

Dave 1 sings it overshadows the rhythm of the

other instruments. It keeps in your head and for a

song that has both funk and hip hop components

is a difficult thing to do.

The variation also keeps things interesting, like

Saharian Break and Love Bombing. Both have

this streak of 80’s hip hop and then you have the

melodic tones of Fafi on Lucky Boy. DJ Mehdi

bought out another addition of this compilation

Lucky Boy At Night in 2007 which features the

track ‘‘Lucky Girl.’’ This has a whole new trait

to it, the beat is raw and dirtier, Fafi vocal style

changes also and it works well with the b-boy

concept on the cover.

Following on from his full-length release; DJ Mehdi

wraps up a prelude (Black, Black & Black) for

the album (Red, Black & Blue) which features

a mixture of reworks as well as a couple of

unreleased treasures. It’s a sanctuary of artists,

ranging from Sebastian Tellier, New Young Pony

Club and Santigold. I like how DJ Mehdi keeps

the originality of the songs either it be the riff,

the vocal, anything that is key. He will lock it in

as that is the fragment we remember in the track

before it’s been remolded.

He latterly paired up with British grandmaster

Riton to form house group Carte Blanche. The

two of them toured in the summer months of

2010, visiting all major capitals in Europe and

North America with four turntables, one mixer

and a Roland TR-909 for company.

I think I can happily say this man made a huge

and eclectic imprint on the music industry and

it’s so sad for me to be speaking about him in the

past tense when he had the likelihood to continue

his craft for many years to come. He had an

unbelievable gift and I can say whole-heartedly

he was one of the best producers and djs to

have ever existed in France and in the world.

He had a capability to influence all who listened

to his music and a character to match. I have

looked up pictures, people responses to gigs and

all they keep on exclaiming about is his smile.

You’ll see djs today who hide themselves under

alter egos and simulate barriers through the beats

they create, but with DJ Mehdi, it’s all him. He

was music and still is music, it never grows old.

He will always be remembered and for me, he is

a role model and someone who carved a desire

in me at the age of 16 to start mixing with the 1

and 2s myself. I am forever thankful for that.

Daniel Lee Harvey

I wrote this text on the plane back from Paris a couple of days ago. I first intended it to

be a series of personal notes: an attempt to retrace the chronology of our friendship with

Mehdi. Then I figured I’d share it. It’s long and perhaps too full of factoids. But that’s how

Mehdi, ever the raconteur, like his stories: starting “ab ovo” (from the very beginning, the

origins) and rife with trivia. So here it is, my own personal Mehdipedia entry…

Remembering DJ Mehdiby David Macklovitch ( Dave 1 )

Remembering DJ Mehdi HOW WE GOT TO KNOW MEHDIPRELUDE MEETING IN PARIS

I first met Mehdi over 11 years ago, in the

summer of 2000, but to properly explain how

this improbable encounter even took place, I

must rewind to a year or so before. As some

of you may know, in the mid to late 90s, way

before Chromeo, I was a hip hop producer in

my hometown of Montreal. Along with my little

brother A-Trak (whom I’ll refer to as Alain in this

text), I owned a small indie label called Audio

Research, which was distributed by Fat Beats:

arguably the greatest institution in independent

hip hop culture (the Fat Beats flagship NY store

closed a year ago, I hope you got a change to

visit it). In 1999, Audio Research released its

most successful 12”: “2004” by Obscure Disorder

(a group composed of three of our high school

friends rapping, Alain on scratches and myself

on beats), featuring Ill Bill and Goretex of Non

Phixion.

One day, I got a call from our Fat Beats label rep

(and worldwide crate-digging authority) Amir,

saying something to the effect of: “My man from

France wants some beats from you. He loves

Obscure Disorder.” The gentleman in question

goes by the name of Olivier Rosset. He owned

the indie distributor Chronowax, the Fat Beats of

France, so to speak. In our first conversation, he

asked me if I had heard of DJ Mehdi. I had no

idea who that was. He said that Mehdi was one

of France’s foremost hip hop producers, that he

loved “2004” and that they wanted to get beats

from me for a project they were working on. (Keep

in mind that I had never made beats for anyone

outside of Montreal before, so I was thrilled.) I

was going to spend a few months in the south

of France that summer; we agreed to meet then.

After graduating from college in 2000, I got

a scholarship to study for the summer at a

French Literature institute in the southern town

of Avignon. Olivier invited me to come up to Paris

for a weekend, crash at his place and get to know

his group of friends. I’ll never forget getting off the

metro at Place de la République and scrambling

to find the Chronowax warehouse. When I finally

got there and met Olivier in person, we clicked

instantly. (Here’s a fun fact: as the office was

getting ready to close for the weekend, a bunch

of people were crowded around a turntable,

listening to a test pressing. Olivier was like: “This

is going to be huge.” I barely knew anything

about house or electronic music at the time, but

thought to myself: “Cool, a house beat with the

‘Rapper’s Delight’ bass line over it.” Years later,

I realized that the test press was Alan Braxe’s

“Running.”)

Olivier was anxious for me to meet Mehdi, whom

he called his brother. We all went to dinner that

night. Mehdi and I talked about sampling. I had

used Arabic music on “2004” (a record I stole

from Pee’s parents’ collection, incidentally) and

so had he on 113’s hit “Tonton Du Bled”.

We talked about chopping drums. He was a hip

hop nerd, just like myself. But he was way more

accomplished: only one year older than me, and

he had made beats for just about all of France’s

major rappers. I clearly remember us debating

who’s doper, Jadakiss or Styles P (Mehdi said

Jada but I was like: “Nah man, the streets are

feeling Styles.”) Later that night, Olivier proudly

played me a bunch of DJ Mehdi productions,

including a compilation entitled “Espion”, which

they were releasing together. As the record spun,

I read all of Memed’s articulate liner notes. I

don’t know why some of those stuck with me to

the point that I was able to quote them back to

my brother two days ago! Yesterday, in Paris,

I got a chance to look at that EP again, for the

first time in years. What a trip, or should I say,

what an honor – names on the track listing that

I was barely familiar with at the time (Zdar, Boom

Bass, Feadz) have since become our friends

and colleagues. All thanks to Mehdi.

STAYING IN TOUCH

So what was this project that Olivier wanted me

involved with? Well, Chronowax had just signed

a young French rapper by the name of Rocé.

Both he and and Mehdi were affiliated with the

crew Mafia K’1Fry. Eventually, Olivier offered me

a sort of executive producer role on Rocé’s debut

album. They came to Montreal in the summer of

2001 and I oversaw the mix, producing a track

on the record as well. Mehdi had done two.

Here’s the video for the first single, directed by

none other than Romain-Gavras, who wasn’t

even 20 at the time.

By then, I was starting to stray away from

producing hip hop. Without really knowing what

kind of music we were going to make, Pee and I

signed a deal with the Montreal-based electronic

music label Turbo. I played some of our early

demos for Olivier during that Rocé trip and he

didn’t quite get them (probably because they

weren’t quite good.) But as always, we kept in

touch. In the summer of 2002, Pee and I finally

had a band name and a handful of songs. Turbo

was getting ready to release our first single. I

sent Olivier more demos, including “Needy Girl.”

He called me back and told me how much he

loved that track, then passed the phone over

to Mehdi who said it was cool that I producing

other stuff than hip hop, as he was doing the

same. In 2002, he released his major label solo

album, “(The Story of) Espion.”

Olivier was sending me press clips where Mehdi

charted our songs without us even having an

album out. And sure enough, as Chronowax

worked out a merger with the now defunct mini-

major V2, Olivier offered us a record deal for

Europe. I couldn’t believe it when, just a couple

of months ago at Le Bain, Mehdi played the Juan

McLean remix of “Me & My Man,” which was on

our first single through that label! (Olivier also

released a compilation of original songs sampled

by Dr Dre, for which Mehdi wrote the liner notes.

I really encourage you to read them if you can.

He has such a sincere and knowledgeable

eloquence, a truly unique prose later exemplified

by his Cool Cats blog posts.) Around the release

of our first album, we were taking a lot of trips to

France, where Mehdi introduced Pee and me to

a whole network of early supporters of our music,

including his best friend and close collaborator

Pedro Winter, who is now like family to us.

I AM SOMEBODY

Right around that time, Pedro formed Ed Banger

records. When Mehdi would swing by NY, we’d

grab a bite, have a drink or go record shopping.

In the summer of 2005, he came with his girlfriend

Fabienne, who was pregnant with their son.

I recall that afternoon as being particularly

happy and carefree, with Memed showing me

his recently completed Lucky Boy tattoo. That

was going to be the title of his upcoming album

for Ed Banger. That same summer, he asked

me if we would remix the first single. Instead,

we wrote a song to it and recorded the vocals

in a Los Angeles motel room during the fall of

2005. It became the main version of the track,

although it took a while to figure out a definitive

edit; hence the “Montreal” and “Paris” versions

on the single. Meanwhile, Pee and I were working

on our own sophomore LP.

With almost half of the album done, I moved to

Paris for a year in the fall of 2006 on a French

Literature scholarship. A few days after my arrival,

Memed asked me to make a cameo in the “I

Am Somebody” video. (I knew he was a fan of

leather Members Only jackets, so I wore one to

the shoot and he got the nod, or “dédicace,” right

away.) Here’s the clip, directed by So-Me; both

he and the aforementioned Romain have now

become two of the most acclaimed directors of

our generation. Mehdi also asked us to perform

at the “Lucky Boy” release party.

That’s when I saw him DJ for the first time. Behind

the decks, the friend whom I had thus far only

known as a producer absolutely blew my mind.

Not only with the impeccable tastefulness and

precision of his mixes, but also with his posture

and aura. His inimitable dance, his concentrated

and contagious smile. Surely many of you are

familiar with what I can barely find the words to

describe here. In the following months, Mehdi

invited me to do a few tag team DJ sets with him

and each time, as I was watching him go, all I

could think of was: “I can’t wait until Alain sees

this.” (Ten days ago, at the Fool’s Gold Labor

Day party in New York, as I stood onstage while

Mehdi did an impromptu set, I thought the exact

same thing: “Alain stop socializing and get over

here so you can see him killing it!”)

While I was still in Paris, friends from Montreal

asked me to suggest someone to book for

their New Year’s Eve party. I immediately

recommended Mehdi. I remember picking him

up in the freezing cold and taking him to my

brother’s house. The second they started talking,

it was as if I no longer was in the room. Before

my eyes, one of the most beautiful friendships I

have ever witnessed was born. That night, along

with Pee and some other friends, Memed came

over to my parents’ house for New Year’s Eve

dinner. He stole the show, and not only because

of the pink sweater he was wearing! During our

animated family discussions, he jokingly refuted

every single point I was trying to make, charming

everyone with his customary poise. My parents

were smiling. “Finally, someone comes along

and challenges that know-it-all, smart aleck son

of ours,” they probably thought. Together, we

ushered in the year that Mehdi wanted to get

tattooed on his arm: 2007.

When I came back to Paris, the city was buzzing.

Ed Banger had become the most important

record label in music. Justice were getting ready

to unleash their debut album, and Pee and

I also had to complete ours. I would update

Mehdi regularly and get his feedback throughout

the entire process. One night, he came to

my apartment to hear the last songs we had

completed. I remember his exact words after

“Bonafied” came on: “Ok c’est bon les gars,

vous avez vraiment poussé, là vous êtes prêts”

(“ok guys, you really gave it the extra push, now

you’re good to go”). His favorite track on the LP

was “Waiting 4 U.” He asked to remix it early

on and I’m not sure it was ever really finished

by the time it was released. I like it because it

showcases his distinctive drum programming.

From 2007 on, we all became full-time touring

musicians. We saw Mehdi more than ever, but

AROUND THE WORLD

that’s when things become a blur: there are too

many memories to recount. Every few hours

during the last couple of days, another dinner,

another joint gig, another chance meeting has

come to my mind. Another muddy European

festival, another Winter Music Conference in

Miami. I can’t keep track. I remember all of us

together at Coachella 2008, one of the biggest

moments in our careers. I remember Memed

DJing before us when we opened for Justice

at Madison Square Garden (he knocked over

one of our guitars and broke it – probably while

doing his signature dance – though I’m not sure

he ever admitted it). I remember him DJing at

our biggest headline show that year: Shepherd’s

Bush Empire in London. He had worked “No

Favors” by Temper into his set: a completely

random rarity from a mix CD of ours. He was like:

“That’s my joint, I love that song you guys put on

there.” Pee and I were baffled: “How do you even

remember this?!” But that was Mehdi, always

paying scrupulous attention to details, making

you feel special in the most unexpected ways.

This was also the period where Alain and

Mehdi’s friendship blossomed. They went on

tour together, played countless back to back

DJ sets, even traded apartments for a couple of

months. Memed was no longer just my homie:

he was another older brother for my younger

brother. Alain would go on vacation with him

and his family. They took such amazing care

of him, and never missed an opportunity to tell

him to put his phone down (anyone familiar with

my brother knows that he can’t). Some of my

Mom’s favorite pictures of Alain in recent years

are from his vacations with Mehdi and Fafi, some

of the only moments when he’s enjoyed actual

downtime. There is no possible way to express

how grateful we are for this.

Through Mehdi, we became part of a social

circle (“l’équipe,” as he called it) which now

includes some of our dearest friends. Trips

to Paris without a dinner at his place were an

anomaly. Pee and I used to refer to him and Alain

as the honorary members of our band. Our Billy

Prestons. Naturally, when it came time to mix

down our third album in Paris, Mehdi was the

first one we invited to the studio. He loved “Don’t

Turn The Lights On” and we asked him to remix it

with Carte Blanche, his latest project with Riton.

LUCKY BOY FOREVER

As you can see, DJ Mehdi was a fundamental

part of my musical apprenticeship. For Pee and

me, he was more than a kindred spirit and a close

friend: he was someone we admired. Someone

who would come up in our daily conversations.

Someone we never thought it would be possible

to live without.

Memed, we’re going to miss your smile and

unabashed embraces. We’re going to miss your

greeting us with a “T’es beau” (along with a

comment on my heeled boots, your latest joke).

We’re going to miss your cooking and your

long-winded stories. Your thoughtful messages,

your expressive notes. You, the social glue, the

nucleus of the crew, the most loved person we

have ever met. Such a talented musician, such

a generous friend, such a beautiful man. Mehdi,

you’ll always be the Lucky Boy, but we’re the

fortunate ones to have known you.

Dave One - September 15, 2011.

WHY THE BEST TEND

TO SELFDESTRUCT

WRITTEN BY MOUKOUOPHOTOGRAPHY BY HANS THIJS

WHY THE BEST TEND

TO SELFDESTRUCT

WRITTEN BY MOUKOUOPHOTOGRAPHY BY HANS THIJS

Something always happens every time Marvin

Gaye comes out of my speakers, something

different EVERY SINGLE TIME. It’s like discovering

feelings and emotions I forgot ever existed. And

it goes beyond vocal performances, even though

his voice and what he does with it are not to be

questioned, I know we’ll agree on that.

The same, in thousands different shades of

emotions, happens with Otis, Freddie Mercury,

Hendrix’s guitar, D’Angelo, Nina Simone, Amy

Winehouse, Van Gogh, Donny Hathaway,

Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Basquiat, Stevie

Wonder, Van Hunt, Pollock, Etta James, and

so many known, unknown, past, present, dead

or alive performers across the channels of self

expression.

Where does that come from, that extreme

sensitivity that they have, that makes their

art speak and touch you in places where

sometimes the ones you’ve known all your life

can’t manage to see a glimpse of; a glimpse of

who and what you are or trying to be.

Why is that during those few minutes of pure

magic that artist seems to be so close to

whatever you (the real you) are going through,

and yet you only know what they show you and

that seems to be enough.

How does that work? I mean… that intrigues/

fascinates me. That “over” sensitivity towards

the world, that unique connection they have

with their own soul that led more than we all

wish it did, to the self-destruction tendencies

that most of them seem to have.

The key to that, as far as my understanding

goes has to be in the way these chosen ones

did/do deal with it on a daily basis. And most

definitely how their environment perceived and

dealt with them in these regards.

It’s not an easy one, as we need to have way

more information than we have in regards

to what made them the human beings they

became. It could take two or three lifetimes to

understand one’s mind, let alone a troubled

artistic mind, but we can start trying. It kind

of became one of those things I still need to

put some light on, being an artist myself,

and having touched my mental bottom self, it

became a must to have a good think about it.

Who knows what one can find.

The ways in which a piece of art can have an

effect on you are varied. Let’s take music as

a playground for this. A song does it with the

performer, lyrics, production, interpretation,

intention, the context, time and place it

connects with you and so on. Sometimes one

of these parameters is enough to make it an

universal classic, most of the time, a random

mix of them does it, and when it does connect,

there is no way back; if there is, believe me it is

not what is says it is on the tin.

Take a look at the sheer number of covers you

come across these days, one of them actually

kick-started all this mental gymnastic I’m

putting myself through right now. Etta James’s

“I’d rather go blind” cover by the queen of the

self-proclaimed royal couple. There is no doubt

that in terms of performance very few can test

Beyonce, vocally or on stage, and if emotions

responded to the tremolos and notes she hits,

no brain could have withstood it. The thing is, it

doesn’t work like that does it? Etta James gives

me a story I have no choice but to believe, and

it’s like new every-time. A lot will disagree with

me on this but B’s rendering of the same song

is really has no flaws, with more layers than the

original, basically she nails it but it curiously

doesn’t reach that place. It’s my opinion of

course but come on listen again, there is just

no match James is all around you, inside and

out of you during these three minutes, smoothly

and without fuss.

While Beyonce is in front of you like the latest

flat screen TV full option with ten million colours

but can not stop you from falling asleep

watching it.

“I try to choose the songs that really are

basically coming from my heart. I think that

through the songs that I select, people know

what’s going on in my life.” Diana Ross gives

a very valuable point here to illustrate what I

just said. And in regard to that, you can tell me

that Beyonce is singing someone else’s song,

it’s not her story. MJ wasn’t ten years old and

still makes people cry with songs that Smokey

Robinson wrote for him talking about things he

was evidently too young to fully grasp.

Yes I know, you will tell me that it’s not a good

example, I’m comparing the incomparable, but

I’ll stick with it for the simple reason that for

most of the aspiring artists nowadays seem to

be convinced that a pair of shades and being a

good singer, in a time where an amazing singer

can be found in two minutes on Youtube, is

enough to become an icon, and I guess some

of them are in their village, but I’m sorry even

more so than before being unique is a much

more difficult, you can disappear as quick as

you came with all the talent in the world in your

vocal chords.

You need to have a connection of some sort

with your soul and the universe (sounds crazy

isn’t it?), for you and your art to be sensitive

enough to approach greatness, on top of

whatever talent you may have. Unfortunately,

that connection seems to come with a price to

pay, a price bearable to some and by a mile

less to others.

Consider a mentally fit adult that remained

amazed and touched throughout his life by the

very same things that use to move him in his

childhood, with the simple difference that he’s

not a child anymore. He doesn’t perceive the

world as the world says he should, in result the

world doesn’t see him in the way he thinks he

should be.

There is a strong probability for that individual

to deeply struggle to fit in, feeling lonely even

when surrounded by loved ones. Constantly

on the edge emotionally, prone to produce

greatness or to freefall into depression,

paranoia or other traps of the mind, looking for

answers to ever changing questions in their art.

It could be that the best material we’ve

experienced so far, somehow came to life

in the midst of that inner struggle, on that

emotional edge, falling from it, being on it

staring down at darkness or pulling away from

it. Greatness often seem to appear in balance

to artist’s felt intensity of fear or love in equal

measure, gifted ones of course. Driving some

of the most sensitive ones to loose themselves

in the process.

Of course, there is a substantial amount of very

talented artists that will tell you a different story,

but it could be one of many answers to why the

best tend self-destruct.

”I wish you could understand… please believe

me… please care…please love…fuck it…let

me be ” are the words screaming at the back of

my head when the best confess their struggles

and joys through MY speakers.

And you?… What do you hear ?

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K e i t h yo u n gi n t e rv i e w e d by a n o n y m o u s

Let’s start with the clichè, what spurred your

interest in photography and design, particularly

in pursuing it as a means of living?

I have always been involved in some form of

creative process in one medium or another. At

a young age, I grew up drawing and playing

music. After college, I started taking photos as

another creative outlet. For quite some time now,

I have found both design and photography to

be my prominent focuses day-in and day-out.

Although I'm still inspired by all forms of art and

life, these days I tend to devote most of my time.

I have chosen to make my career in something

that I have always been into.

After browsing through your Flickr account I’ve

noticed you have a fondness for film as far as

photography goes. In your opinion, is there

something about film that is better than digital,

or is there another reason all together you stick

with the analog?

I prefer analog for aesthetic reasons and the

way it captures light. I've shot digitally and it's

just not my personal preference. The photos I

choose to share are all analog, there's something

about film that I think digital just can't visually

replicate and capture.

What are your thoughts on digital manipulation

in photography?

I'm personally not a fan of it. In some forms

of commercial photography I'm sure it has its

home. The type of photography I choose to

be influenced by and pursue is usually film

unscathed and unmanipulated photography.

Is there any single artist, photography or designer

who has greatly influenced your work?

A lot of my friends in Austin who are designers

and/or photographers influence my work.

Currently, I have been following the photo work

of Alec Soth, Tim Barber, and Ken Heyman.

There are just too many designers and artists

for me to specifically name.

As a photographer, would you consider yourself

technical or experimental?

I see myself as more of an experimental type of

photographer and challenge myself artistically.

It's helpful to know your gear but it's also way

important to challenge yourself creatively and

know your medium in that regard.

What kinds of design assignments attract you

the most?

I'm drawn to projects and clients that have a lot

of heart and love for what they do in their work

and craft. I am attracted to independent projects

of all different types but I think it is important as

a free lancer to be selective.

How would you describe your photographic/

design style?

Photography for me is heavily influenced by

early Americana, the same with design to some

extent. Design pulls inspiration from photography

and thousands of years of art. Influences of

photography come from a much smaller window

of time. Both mediums seem to pull a lot of

influence from the post modern aesthetic.

What is the most common reaction to your

photographs?

A common reaction I receive from people is the

"mood" and "air" the photos create. The majority

of my photos have this deadpan emptiness

about them and a weird sense of humour and

feeling. The photo captures real t¬hings that

many overlook or do not see.

Keith Young's website

KIMMO SAVAOLAINEN

KIMMO SAVAOLAINEN

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KATIE ELEANOR

atie has a formidable talent, the talent to create other worlds. By gazing into her portfolio;

you will begin to feel a depth for my description. Katie uses photography to document

her thoughts and conceptions. She has an ambitious mind and a curiosity for sampling

innovative ideas. She captures these dream-like ventures in ancient forests, haunted manor

houses and straw meadows, anywhere that will allow her stories to become animated in

a euphoric energy.K

When I stare into these photographs, my

mind begins to unravel. I feel like I’ve been

taken on a nostalgic journey through time.

I love how some of the photographs have

a double exposure to emphasise this and

to show that the subject within has some

integral relationship with the location. The

tones are musty and the focus of the aperture

sharpens specifically on areas that give

us viewers an impact. The models, the

locations, rocking horse and coloured smoke

are all spell-bindingly beautiful and it’s her

eye that gives these elements an inhalation

of life.

It’s amazing to see pictures taken like this,

untouched from artificial pollutants, just

natural. I feel this is something incredibly

controversial today and could be either

done well or badly. Katie however is not

a novice but a diamond within her craft.

She has been credited in various culture

magazines as well having the opportunity

to exhibit some work down Missouri, Herne

Bay and the Rag Factory in London.

Katie Eleanor's website

ow we all know about the great jungle action films

like Rambo and Predator. We all love war films

like Full Metal Jacket Apocalypse Now. Today

we are not going to review anything like that, we

are going to review the best jungle action film

that you will probably never watch!

Strike Commando is a piece of over the top

jungle action cheese from 1987 directed by

Bruno Mattei. Before I start I will sum up Bruno

Mattei in one word, genius! Those film snobs out

there will be waving their fists at that remark but

Mattei for me did what a director should to do.

He made films that are entertaining, interesting

and watchable. I could probably go on and on

about my love for Bruno Mattei but I have to tell

you about this film!N

OK so normal reviewers would give you plot

point after polite point but I'm not going to do

that. No it's not because there is no story. No, it's

not because the story is bad. This is a film that

I want you to discover for yourself, rally up your

troops, get some supplies and seek this film out

because you seriously have not seen anything

like this. What could be so awesome you ask?

Well, let Uncle Peter tell you!

For those in the know about this side of cinema,

you see the names Mattei and Brown (who the

hell is Martin Scorsese and what on Earth is

a Robert de Niro!?) you will either collapse in

agony or hold your head up high, eyes wide

open, that smile beaming. The combination of

Mattei's signature directing style mixed with the

sheer brilliance of Brown's acting is something

to witness with a few beers, friends and all your

brains left splattered in a pile at the door. Bruno

Mattei is in full force with this film. With blatant

rip offs from films like Rambo and the overuse

of stock footage (which appears in most of his

other films) this will have you laughing at every

cliche' and pretty much every shot. However, it

would be unfair to say this film doesn't have it's

good moments and the story is pretty basic but

I've seen bigger budgets create worse stories.

This is a well directed action flick that even the

movie snobs can appreciate.

The real charm of this film is Reb Brown. God I

love Reb Brown. Look on Youtube and you will

find compilation video after compilation video of

Reb Brown shouting. It's what he does best and

he is in full swing in this outing! Hit him in the face,

he'll shout. Give him bad news, he'll shout. Have

a conversation with him, he'll shout. He shouts

at just about everything thing and it makes me

laugh each time. To be fair, he is decent at acting

but there is nothing better than a full force Reb

Brown screaming and firing in to the distance

for no reason. You couldn't be manlier even if

you tried. We also see and this really touches the

heart see Reb Brown cry. Yep. Even the biggest

cry and oh boy, the scene where Reb Brown is

talking about Disneyland to a dying child… you

will never be the same again, that scene alone

is worth finding tis film.

This is one of those "so bad it's good" movies.

One of the many jungle action flicks that are out

there for you to discover. Personally, I think this

film is a masterpiece and anyone who again,

likes films of the same vain as Rambo should

definitely seek this one out. A mixture of non

stop action, lots of shooting and shouting, Reb

Brown facing off with a bald Russian in an oh so

humorous fashion, funny dialogue…. this is that

film your friend is so proud to have discovered

and shared with you. This is that film that is

played at parties. This is that film that all those

online geek film critics love. On the other hand,

it's actually a well directed and acted film for the

most part, got a good pumping soundtrack that

has probably been lifted from other films and I

do feel there is some artistic merit to this. Like I

said, Mattei made films for people to enjoy and

this is Bruno Mattei in fine form.

Sadly, there is no DVD release of this film hence

the shady quality of the images and truthfully,

there will probably never be a release. The only

legitimate release as far as I know is the Japanese

VHS which is quite hard to come by as this is a

film with high cult status. Look out for bootlegs

because that's the only way most of you are

going to see it. You can find pretty much all the

film and the infmaous parts on Youtube, so give

it a go. The copy I have is ripped from the VHS

and has Japanese subtitles which for me, just

adds to the charm of this film. Hopefully one day

a company like Arrow or Shameless will pick this

one up and give it the release it deserves.