New Ink

DO IT! is 3 (and closing night) video

2011-12-28T21:27:00.002+01:00

DO IT! is 3 - and out! The closing night at Snafu went down heavy and was great to see so many regular faces make it down to bid adeu. Tuff Wax duo Cruicky and Yoin set the tone at the pre-party before the residents (Uraki Riddim, Kid Bell and White Chocolate) warmed up nicely for the first ever Auntie Flo live show in Aberdeen. The foundations were set for Ikonika to tear down the club and bring three years of groundbreaking audio visual events in Aberdeen and Oslo to a close. A fitting way to end with such a high profile guest in place of the AWOL dEbruit. Big news coming soon about what next for DO IT!, check a video by Campbell Montgomery above and his pics from the night on RA here.

Video footage and editing by Campbell Montgomery

DESIGN: Leslie David

2011-12-04T19:17:00.015+01:00

A lot can be made of a name, sometimes. After first catching a glimpse of her creative talent on the Its Nice That site, Leslie David had me conjuring up the image of a witty veteran New York illustrator with years of wisdom and life behind them (possibly more to do with the proximity in name to a certain comedian) - how wrong could I be. As dashing in physical presence in front of the camera as much of her oeuvre of work, David is graphic designer and illustrator originally from the South of France and now based in Paris collaborating with clients such as Surface to Air, Nike and Colette - when not exhibiting her own personal projects. Her patchwork of elegant styles, often intertwining a strong sense of colour and hand illustrated elements catches the eye immediately. There is a great depth in the variation of output as well - digital and analogue realities are mixed with cheeky psychedelic, amazonian or even Futurist overtures. Watch out for her work in the years to come.

Photo of Leslie David © Carol Burri / All other images © Leslie David 2011

ART: Todd McLellan

2011-11-29T14:31:00.068+01:00

Canadian photographer Todd McLellan`s latest series of images have been resonanting in my head for the months that have passed since he first unveiled them to the public. 'Dissasembly' is a collections of photographs capturing old relics from our past in fully dismantled form. Each piece is careful placed in such a way that the intricacies and craft of these mechanical objects is exentuated and emphasised - leaving a strong nostalgic analogue stamp on each product. The series includes images of objects such as a rotary phone, lawn mower and a typewriter.

Images © todd mclellan

Mondayjazz ‘It Came From Uruk’ mix by Uraki Riddim

2011-11-15T13:04:00.002+01:00

New mix and artwork I just completed for the Mondayjazz website. I remember listening to their early podcasts and looking in awe at the bookings they made for their events in Vilnius so a nice way to round up the DO IT! concept getting a mix on their site. Included in the mix are tracks from some of our favorites past DO IT! guests such as Mweslee, Onra and Dorian Concept. Click on the link here to listen to or download the mix. Tracklist is available on this link here.

'It Came From Uruk' artwork by Alexander Horne/Uraki Riddim, 2011

Road Trip to Innovation

2011-10-30T22:40:00.000+01:00

Road Trip to Innovation is adventurous trend guru Delia Dumitrescu's first proper book publication and looks set to be a 'must have' for budding creatives and those curious of trends and innovations. Published by the trend agency TrendONE, Road Trip to Innovation explores the writers initial understanding of future thinking, innovation and trends. There are interviews with experts, theory and methodology behind the fields and the origins of this burgeoning sector of creative work. The book is officially released on Amazon from November 10, place a pre-order via the link here.

Image of Road Trip to Innovation from Trend One, 2011

THINK magazine: issue 11 'Remix'

2011-10-09T17:19:00.000+02:00

Think no.11 is now online and available to read at thinkmag.net. The latest issue follows a 'Remix' theme, examining recycling and re-use culture through articles focusing on design, architecture and fashion. For my contribution as design editor I decided to write about the inspiring 'trash-to-treasure' artwork of Brazilian artist Vik Muniz and the evolving works of designer Ron Arad. The latter designed one of the most iconic 'remixed' objects in recent history, the Rover chair, however his latest works have varied from architectural sculptures to temporary spaces - contrasting sharply to the stylized thrift designs from his early career.

Image from Vik Muniz 'Wastelands', 2011

NIKE 1948 CONCEPT STORE

2011-09-28T23:52:00.000+02:00

Nike 1948, a pop up concept store from the sneaker brand giant, is back in London. In 2008 the pop up store, which plays on the year London last hosted the Olympics, was first unveiled in an abandoned railway arch in East London. Keeping it East, the site is in Shoreditch, but revamping the space radically for the run up to the Olympics - Nike 1948 promises to be a creative hub for locals and visitors through a series of installations, screenings and events. The opening event a few months ago served up a champagne delivery of music, Radio 1 DJ Benji B and Warp records Glaswegian DJ/producer Hudson Mohawke amongst the acts playing at the event. The launch also coincided with the release of their own Ipad app, which includes bite size chunks of content such as interviews and fresh artwork. Great to see a global brand putting more into local communities and using creativity from exterior down to the core of the concept.

Images from Nike 1948 concept store, 2011

DESIGN: EXPOLOGY AT ECSITE 2011

2011-09-11T18:28:00.000+02:00

Since early 2011 I have exhumed most of my daylight hours working with an Oslo based agency focusing on exhibition and interaction design. Since 1993 Expology has been working in related fields until finding focus with the design of exhibition spaces, interaction and communication solutions. One of my first jobs with the studio was to create the identity for an Expology showcase at the Ecsite Annual Conference 2011 in Warsaw, Poland. Instead of the usual corporate filled pamphlet we decided to create notebooks printed in FSC certified Munken paper which encouraged the user to think and invent their own page filling solutions. Inside the 'Ideas book' are intentional spelling mistakes for recipients to stay alert and look out for, the mistakes are a play on the Charles Rennie Mackintosh quote 'There is hope in honest error, none in the icy perfection of the mere stylist'.

Expology identity designs for Ecsite 2011

CITY: CALGARY

2011-08-14T20:11:00.003+02:00

Calgary seems to get a raw deal when it comes to judgements on the cultural merits of the Canadian city. After hearing that it was an 'oil' or 'cowboy' city I was surprised by the amount of cafes, boutiques, arts and music events on offer during my first visit. My second visit earlier this year was even more rewarding as I was invited to DJ at the Northern Lights party at HiFi club and spend some time checking out more of Calgary with one of the organizers, MrGeography. The experience gave me a closer introduction to the supportive and cross collaborative nature of the creative community in the city, something other aspiring cultural hubs could look to for inspiration. Look out for an interview with Mr Geography's RinseOut crew on the DO IT! blog soon, meantime keep up to date with mixes, events and tips from the guys via their site here.
Calgary snaps by Alexander Horne and Julie Arrive.

ART: WLD/WLVS Presents Stu + Stu = Stwo

2011-08-08T23:06:00.005+02:00

Art in Aberdeen has been a contentious subject of recent what with the furore surrounding the Union Terrace Gardens project and the will they/won't they scenario regarding the possibility of a new arts center being included in the project. Thankfully under the bureaucratic mist of this saga Aberdeen's young artists and creative do-ers have been busying themselves with projects that most certainly deserve at least an appreciative wink from afar. None more so than the team behind WLD/WLVS who have added an attractive and regularly updated online presence to communicate, motivate and inspire the creative activities of those residing in or from the area. Stu and Stu are part of the team behind this initiative and even manage to find the time to create illustrative drawings and paintings that perfectly mix the raw granite cityscape of Aberdeen with the green natural beauty that surrounds it, each in their own respective style. Don't be a welly and miss their anticipated joint exhibition at Kilau if you are in Aberdeen from the last weeks of August through to October, with free alcohol on hand from Brew Dog on the opening night also it would be naive not to be there if in the AB10 area.
Event Poster for Stu + Stu = Stwo at Kilau, Aberdeen from 14/8/11 until 8/10/11

OSLOVE

2011-07-27T16:33:00.002+02:00

THINK magazine: issue 10

2011-06-30T17:14:00.003+02:00

The latest THINK magazine came out this week making it a milestone of 10 issues. My contribution for issue 10 was an article following the theme of 'Style' and focusing on an impressive clifftop property designed by the Forma design group and located on the fringes of Los Angeles, California. Stunning views, impressive spatial design and all following a strict sustainable strategy - the Vicino House is something to behold. Read more about the building and other articles from issue 10 via the link here

Image from Vicino House, Los Angeles, USA

PRESS: DPI MAGAZINE

2011-06-26T16:42:00.000+02:00

A few months ago Taiwanese graphic design and illustration magazine DPI featured my work and an interview as part of the 'Keen Creative Generation' issue. They were particularly interested in my collaborative work using graphics and music in events such as the DO IT! night I have been running with friends since 2008. Was an honor to get so many pages and be asked about my projects. Thanks DPI, be sure to pick up the mag online or a physical copy if you are visiting or live in Taiwan.

Images from DPI magazine issue 141

CITY: BERLIN

2011-05-31T22:45:00.013+02:00

Finally made it to Berlin after five years of trying, cannot wait to go again. Locals may sway in favor of pre-gentrification past times but, the city still has a unique spirit compared to most other urban destinations. Panorama Bar was of course a deeply satisfying experience, took me back to visiting Rex for the first time in my teen years. Best bar was Paloma though, for the post-apocalyptic Blade Runner meets Warriors building and train station view out the futuristic angled windows.
Berlin phone snaps by Alexander Horne

DESIGN: UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

2011-05-28T01:50:00.004+02:00

Following on from my graphic work for the Universitat de Barcelona last year, I have been working on some more logo designs and taking these further by integrating them into web banner layouts. The new logo, and team banner, was for the TEAM bureau. TEAM represents Trade Unions, Economic Change and Active Inclusion of Migrant Workers so a humanistic essence was at the core of the design. The final design incorporates a group of different sized people shapes huddled around each other with a wave like arrow flowing to the opposite end where the same icons exist in the reverse colour. You can see a glimpse of the final design below or in greater detail on the Universitat De Barcelona website.

My first project with Universitat De Barcelona was a logo design for ESRU, European Social Research Unit, so it was interesting to go back to that design and have the opportunity to develop the surrounding context via a web banner design. The design remains true to the abstract cubist forms of the original logo but, adds dynamism and depth to the banner.
TEAM logo and TEAM and ESRU web banner designs by Alexander Horne

MUSIC: RA REVIEWS

2011-04-29T22:34:00.092+02:00

With just a few weeks until Sonar Barcelona time, June 16-18, and to coincide with the announcement of RA's anticipated off Sonar events and special tenth anniversary celebrations - what better time to have a brief look over some of the releases I recently reviewed for the RA website.

It would be no understatement to say that Brian D'Souza aka Auntie Flo is somewhat of a pioneer in Scotland's highly reputed and tightly packed electronic music scene. From being one of the first promoters to bring Riccardo Villalobos to UK shores, embracing AV and live multi-DJ performance via his Edinburgh night Pogo Vogue and most recently holding down residencies at two of Glasgow's most acclaimed nights serving new world music (Afro Futures) and dark underground italo and Detroit respectively (Slabs of The Tabernacle). When not playing alongside the likes of Shackleton, T Williams and Mike Paradinas - It was just a matter of time until a label worthy of his quality took the next logical step in putting out his own productions. Check out the review of his full debut EP for Huntley and Palmers here. Auntie Flo plays live at DO IT! Abz on the 13th May!

From one new independent label to one that has managed to reach out to heads into dubstep, house and hip hop through some heavy bubbling underground releases. Run from the Dublin based record store, All City is the creative endeavour of Olan O'Brien - a true digger and finder for new and old musical gems. Somehow each release on the label manages to weigh up the sound of now with something that reminds us of the music we loved yesteryear - a vision no less apparent than in the first EP from the collab. series featuring jazzy beats magician Mike Slott and the dubbed out machine city techno of Martyn. A glittery space beats journey on one side and a straight down the road 4x4 club journey on the flip - just how they used to make them. Read about the EP in detail here.

Likewise released on All City, Krystal Klear is apparently a, one a few it seems, heir to Dam Funk's future boogie throne. He does his reputation some real good here with this solid release capped off in style with an old school piano house remix from HudMo. Check out more track info here.

MUSIC: CELLAR SESSIONS

2011-04-26T22:57:00.008+02:00

Cellar Sessions is a new fortnightly pre-club concept at the original home of DO IT! events, Cellar Bar 35 in Aberdeen. Hidden away from the rowdiness of Union Street and tucked beneath a bustling corner of Rosemount, it is an ideal location to showcase local talent, visiting guests and most importantly - DJs who have a diverse interest in music old & new.

Growing up in Aberdeen, there always seemed to be a great selection of music on offer from resident DJs and visiting guest acts. From hip hop, funk, house and techno to drum'n'bass - all were covered. Sadly, almost coinciding with the demise of Triptych festival, this mix of output and destinations for music dwindled. With the Cellar Sessions however, we aim to provide a frequent free entry platform for such a culture to grow again. We will also feature live visuals and art installations.

Above: Cellar Sessions poster designs for Feb/Mar and Apr/May by Alexander Horne 2011.

COMMUNICATING ARCHITECTURE

2011-03-31T20:54:00.005+02:00

With centuries worth of critique and theory stored in anywhere from dusty library vaults to the hard disk of the latest Ifad, it is a surprise to find a dearth of accessible discourse on the state of architecture today. With the exception of publications such as Architonic and the 'mook-esque' Mark from Frame Magazine, there is little else in the way of discussion and dispersion of knowledge for those not familiar with the field. Architects can be a right haughty bunch, I remember a university talk from a well-known Spanish studio some years back - the opening gambit of 'Somos arquitectos (pause), pero tambien (pause again) somos humanos' brought about an outbreak of revolutionary standing hand claps from the audience of wannabe star-chitects - strange it was such a revelation to be told they are humans as well as architects. Thank goodness then for engaging studios such as JDS, and BIG, and for the 27. project which interviews studios such as the aforementioned on a quest to de-mystify and jargon break down the story of architecture in Europe today. At last, architecture that talks to non-architects. Watch excerpts via the 27 site or follow on Designboom.

MATERIALS: SURFACE DESIGN

2011-03-12T20:18:00.002+01:00

The austerity of 2010 may resonate in the everyday working environment, but it is a different affair in the world of materials and surfaces. Leaving behind the need for layering up with multiple weighty garments to ﬁght the cold winter months and moving toward early Spring - bright pastels are already sprouting amidst a yearning for more solid and vivid colours. Along with this ﬂourish of lightness comes softer and more rounded shapes, simpliﬁed natural forms masking inner high performance ﬁbres. With less complex and more natural facades, the internal narrative of such materials introduces moisturising abilities, breathable and thermal regulating surfaces and light organic alternatives to heavy wools or synthetics.

Milkoﬁl is a lightweight textile representative of a group of biomimicry inspired performance materials that are becoming more readily available and desirable for the everyday womenswear market. Made from milk ﬁbres which moisturize the garment-wearers skin while they wear it, Milkoﬁl is a lightweight alternative to cotton or wool and is suitable for machine knitting - making it ideal for use in clothing, underwear and bedding. Similarly soft in tactility, Spiderweave is a super-light and ultra-resistant ﬁbre produced in collaboration with the University of California and Grado Zero Espace in Italy. The web material is sourced from golden silk spiders and then machine woven into fabric form to become a textile that feels like silk, is elastic as nylon and thirty times stronger than Kevlar.

Outlast Adaptive is another textile with ultra-resistant properties, although unlike Milkoﬁl the high performance NASA designed material is not available at a high street price. Using nano technology, Outlast stores heat and releases it when the garment wearer requires it and vice versa when cooling down in a warm environment. As materials such as these weave themselves into surfaces and completed garments, designs such as Camille Cortet's 'Snake and Molting' snake skin inspired tights will become more visible and shorten the difference between nature inspired materials and structures to become ﬁnished natural products.

Above: images from top to bottom ('Snake and Molting' photos by Vincent Van Gurp)

PRESS: THINK ISSUE 8 'RESORT'

2011-02-22T18:07:00.077+01:00

Think magazine issue 8 went live together with a new website last week. While web designer Robin Egg Blue was busy on the layout the new site, I contributed to the latest issue with an article on the Ritz-Carlton Tamuda Bay resort in Morocco. What with a relative calm in the face of public unrest in their neighboring countries, the future looks bright for this exotic North African outpost - apparently tourism has doubled there in the last ten years. As contributing design editor for Think, I got the chance to pick up on this burgeoning tourism destination and have a look at the sustainable merits of the Tamuda Bay resort. Read that article and the rest here. Also featured in Think issue 8, a new advert for my design studio.

Above: Alexander Horne 'One Size Fits' advert. 2011

LA MIXETTE#53: URAKI RIDDIM

2011-02-16T16:17:00.004+01:00

Lamixette#53 Uraki Riddim by La Mixette on Mixcloud

Back in January, Musique Large honcho Fulgeance gave me the chance to put out a mixtape for his excellent La Mixette series. Fulgeance is a live performer, producer, label boss and early pioneer of the current 'beats' movement. Armed with an MPC and do it yourself ethic - he has a real modern day hip-hop spirit and is one of the people who inspires to keep putting in the hours organizing events, buying vinyl and generally supporting all other like-minded creative souls. Musique Large plays home to the funky, tropical and boombap sounds of Debruit, Rekick and Fulgeance himself. His own productions vary from boogie, hip-hop to funk. I reviewed his latest EP release on Musique Large a few months back for RA, you can read the review here. Heads up for those that didn't know, support this inspiring guy and his excellent label. Below are some Fulgeance vids and a Low Club guest who we will be seeing soon at DO IT!

ROJO affiliated film: Nova

2011-01-27T22:58:00.016+01:00

On the rare occasion when I had more than 20 crumpled Euro notes nestling in my pockets while living in Barcelona, the lure of ROJO magazine was often too hard to sway from. From the reassuring Mook (magazine/book) weight of the publication to the inviting documentation of journeys, processes and finished works from artists synonymous to the streets of cities like Barcelona, Buenos Aires or Berlin. Alongside other Spanish publications such as Serie B, Neo 2 and Pasajes Diseno - ROJO played a formative part to my years in Barcelona, inspiring and introducing artists who did not define themselves as solely a product designer, a graphic designer or an architect. Some great news then that they are about to release a film introducing some of these artists. Check the Nova trailer above, directed by Isaac Niemand and featuring music by the excellent Bradien.

Above: Vimeo trailer of Nova. Film directed by Isaac Niemand 2010.

press: DPI feature my work

2011-01-23T21:35:00.001+01:00

◆北歐映像：視覺與音場的加乘魅力｜Alexander Horne
目前棲身於挪威的 Alexander 間不容緩地推行影音表演計劃 DO IT!，他相信聲音加視覺的音場造景時代即將到來，聲音與設計的加乘魅力即將成為日常享受之一。......

....yup! Just before December break, Taiwanese design magazine DPI contacted me regards an interview and feature of my work in their 'Keen Creative Generation' issue. They picked up on my graphic work via the Norwegian illustration trio Cupofill and the above poster, which I designed for a DO IT! Oslo event featuring Mweslee and Telephones in June last year. The magazine came out a few weeks ago, and I am currently waiting to receive a physical copy by post. Get it on with Google translator if you want to read a preview on the DPI site here.
Above: images from DPI magazine 'Keen Creative Generation', January 2011

1INA100

2011-01-14T12:51:00.011+01:00

1INA100 is a fresh label with Edinburgh roots. Freddie Webb and Aldo Kahane came up with the idea to showcase work from artists through limited edition t-shirt designs. Each garment is silk screen printed by hand, numbered then signed by the contributing artist - giving each item a unique touch and a personal intro to the artists work. The label garnered a healthy wee amount of press at the tail end of 2010 on sites like Dezeen and the online shop/blog/zine Holy Ghost. My better half picked up on the buzz and out-gifted me, as usual, with a delivery of the above design by Nina Lilliebjerg-Heder. Check out Nina's blog for some ethereal snaps.

images of 1ina100 products: t-shirt design by Nina Lilliebjerg-Heder 2010

Norge 2009-2010

2011-01-07T15:11:00.005+01:00

For the past two years I have been living in Norway, initially working as a project leader for a material and trends company (Nordic Materials) in an idyllic town on the West coast and latterly going it alone as a graphic designer in Oslo (Alexander Horne). I went head to head with the harsh Winters, learned how to run a single person company the hard way and met some life affirming folks - particularly through music. Takk for sist Norge, from 2011 I am based in London.

photos: Norway 2008 - 2010 by Alexander Horne

Two Down, More to Come

2010-12-30T02:21:00.094+01:00

Hats off to any of you who have attended, played or followed DO IT! since we started out in a dark Doric November back in 2008 - we celebrate two years of events and collaborations this month! From the moments Jon Reid, Jonathon Brown and I (Alexander Horne) sat in my parents house evolving the idea having returned inspired from several years in Barcelona, to the kind gesture from our last performing artists in Oslo - it has been an exciting journey and great excuse to meet people pro-actively involved with culture across Europe. Photos from our 2nd birthday shindig in Aberdeen can be found on Resident Advisor. At our closing Oslo show, Halvor Bodin once again set the visual barometer high with a complete package of pre/post event work to combine with his ever-evolving live performance. Pics from this and other shows can be found on our FB group here.
videos: DU 'Softness' (Sprutbass remix) and Rustie 'Bad Science' by Halvor Bodin, 2010

Re-newed Frontier

2010-12-05T01:04:00.018+01:00

Bucharest was a fruitful trip in terms of culture intake and productivity earlier this year, the latest and final piece of work as a result of that visit has just been published on Architonic. Read the 'Bucharest: The 2010 Mix' article and my previous contributions for the Zurich based magazine here. As much as the city was an eye opener with an elegant decay of opposing styles - pieces from the imperial past melded with influence from outside and around the neighboring Western and Eastern worlds - creative discourse appeared to be be at a shy and emergent stage. One of the few creatives to actively assist in the article research process was Corvin Cristian, whose interior design for the re-vamped former stock exchange building can be seen in the images above. Bucharest is not a perfect city but, it is an exciting place to visit and energizing to hear from locals with visions for what could be. Staying at a place like the Hotel Rembrandt certainly benefited the experience, as too did my hosts.

images: Advertising agency Headvertising's Bucahrest HQ, interior design by Corvin Cristian

press: Think issue 7 'Future'

2010-11-23T19:49:00.001+01:00

Think have been looking ahead with their timely 'Future' issue coming out at the turn of a decade. For this issue I supplied the cover design and an article on the burgeoning Bucharest scene, featuring fashion designer This Is Lü and graphic talent MihaMiha. It was a pleasure to be given the opportunity to design the cover so I set to work on a unique piece. The result; a 3d pixel amazon-scape alluding to how a digital future can alter our vision of the natural environment. View it here.

image: front cover by Alexander Horne, Think magazine issue 7 'Future', 2010

art: Appplesmash

2010-11-20T18:02:00.000+01:00

In a society where convenience and familiarity regularly wins over pragmatism and social openness, I was delighted to discover Michael Tompert and Paul Fairchild's 12LVE exhibition this week. Although it can be argued that Apple products are a well designed piece of equipment, recent episodes have left me feeling part of a minority observing swathes of cash ready consumers lurch towards the latest gadget in the brand-led belief that it will greatly improve their life. Turning your back to other punters in a cafe or bar to play a retro video games or being wired to emails buzzing through 24 hours a day is not a social progression in my eyes. In Norway alone the statistics are startling, almost 20% own an Iphone. As much as a great gadget it is for business, watching grown up professionals fight to whack their gadget out reminds me of being in a Primary School gym class observing the tension between owners of a pair of Nike air sneakers and the poor chap with the Hi-Techs mulling about in the corner. Which is why it is so refreshing to see someone smash up some Apple products for the sake of art. These products are not perfect untouchable icons, this exhibition reminds us of the lack of natural aura consumer products have and of their temporary existence. Read more here.

photos: from the 12LVE exhibition by Michael Tompert and Paul Fairchild, San Francisco 2010

city: Bucharest Beat

2010-10-28T19:45:00.075+02:00

All the blood, sweat and beers that go in to running events in two cities throughout the year seems to pay off (never financially!) in Autumn time. Last year DO IT! collective were hosted in Helsinki and Bergen for two differing gigs but equally fun trips during August. This year it was just me (Uraki Riddim) on a solo trip to Bucharest via Copenhagen in late October. Copenhagen opened my ears to an exciting instrumental beats scene which is arguably the strongest right now in Scandinavia, the label Hobby Industries and New Folder collective making up the best of it. Bucharest peeled back my eyes to an otherworldly place. Hosted by ex-pat DJ and journalist Tom Wilson, I was given the insight needed to map my way through a city that without assistance I would have struggled to grasp. Full of contrasts, romantic and mysterious historical corners it is a metropolis like none other I have visited. Playing at Ota's minimal looking basement club (complete with kitchen for making hearty soups) alongside Tom was incredible, the crowd were so locked in and ready to dance - someone name checking and asking for a spin back on a Mike Slott tune will surely be a once in a lifetime request! Props to Fresh Good Minimal for press, check them out for a lowdown on the Bucharest scene.

photo: from the excellent Bucharest based photo blog Revelator//Planet34 by Andrei Mocanca

music: Oslo Institution Closes

2010-10-10T19:08:00.030+02:00

It is with a relative degree of sadness that The Villa closed their doors after one last dance on 2/10/10. Although the club had sat below pizza institution Hells Kitchen for less than five years, it had won a place in many music aficionados hearts in Oslo and from overseas. From New Wave to old age disco via dubstep, skweee and house - the club was the only spot in town close to rekindling memories of clubs such as Edinburgh's The Venue and old Bongo Club (sadly also both defunct). For readers not familiar with those venues, perhaps the best comparison came from one revered DJ visiting for a set during Oslo Live who compared The Villa to Plastic People in London - only better. The Oslo nightscape maybe changing with the arrival of new venues and rumors of takeovers on the horizon but, in the meantime we salute you The Villa; door and bar staff, regulars, visiting acts and in particular the booking team of Tore Jazztoback (Ost from Ost&Kjex) and Scot Electric Lane (Jen McConachie). It was a pleasure to play there on several occasions and in particular for our DO IT! event during Øya.
video: Oslo Experimental presents: DO IT! Oyafestivalen, The Villa 13.8.10 by Halvor Bodin

press: Think issue 6

2010-09-29T15:54:00.001+02:00

Think magazine issue 6 came out some weeks ago and marks something of a landmark for the thought provoking and aesthetically conscious publication. Editor of the magazine Jacqueline Carlisle has upped the output ante of Think by introducing not only web and Iphone apps but, also pressing a limited run of actual physical copies. With an article from talented Scottish designer Scott Jarvie and my own regular contribution discussing issues related to the 'Progressive' theme, there should be something in there for not only designers but also those interested in ideas and sustainable issues we face today. You can read the latest issue here.

image: LEED certified Cherokee studios by Pugh & Scarpa, Los Angeles 2010

Architecture by Night

2010-09-18T01:50:00.007+02:00

As reported by design blog Its Nice That - one of my favorite projects of recent years is back! Kubik is a pop-up club concept from Germany which pits raw urban architecture with electronic music in a fluoro Blade Runner-esque temporary space. The creators of the project, Ballestra Berlin, have previously taken the club to spots as diverse as Eindhoven, Dubai and Warsaw. The temporary structure is constructed using disused septic tanks joined by an outer metal membrane, each tank has a small L.E.D inserted in them which is connected to a midi control that allows a VJ to control the lighting patterns. When I first saw the Kubik concept in Barcelona I was in awe of how an already scenic space (next to a port) was transformed into a theatrical and functionable culture venue by night.

video: by Chad Samson, Barcelona 2007

DO IT! abz 20.08

2010-08-19T11:20:00.003+02:00

Heading back to the Granite City to drop some of the new Dødpøp wax I picked up from the guys having played out with them at The Villa a couple of times this past month. Especially looking forward to playing some records before and after Lamplighter's first full live show since he dropped his debut LP on Antimatter. Lamplighter's ever evolving sound caught our eyes and ears since the very first day we started this whole DO IT! jaunt. Chris Clark, John Carpenter and Prince Paul - these influences are all in there. Warming up for Cars & Trains on a cold and dark Aberdeen night some years back, he managed to capture the darkness of the nordic spirit with a peephole of light and communicate it through a crisp layered sound that could be best imagined as a beats incarnation with more attachment to folk than the grimey boombap or new jackswing that swaggers loudly at the moment. I'm going to playing with our Aberdeen residents Kid Bell and White Chocolate, with Uber AV (M.O.C. & Ben) on the visuals and a selection of Aberdeen's street aret continuum adding some live illutstrion to the event. Check out the Resident Advisor events page or fb event for more details.

poster: by Sio, 2010

RA: Singles Reviews

2010-08-18T15:10:00.005+02:00

What with Resident Advisor just being nominated for a BT Digital Music Award for 'Best place to discover new music' I thought it would be an appropriate time to have a quick run down on some recent single reviews I've dispatched on their site. To vote for RA - click here to register and vote. 3 releases varying from disco to beats - all with an underlying cosmic vibe, in reverse order from oldest to the latest.

First up is Spanish visionary Mweslee and his Eurocarne EP for Mamiko Motto's ever evolving Nod Navigators imprint. From the outset this release has been one that stands out; it is very apparent from the variety of production and depth of musical knowledge demonstrated on this EP that the producer is someone who has most certainly served their music traineeship. Five years DJing at an R'n'B club obviously hasn't done Mwes much harm, he is now at the forefront of new Spanish music alongside others such as his Arkestra label partner Bflecha and Lo Fi Funk honcho and DJ extrordinaire Chelis. Check out the review here.

Closely related in the classification game and gaelic background - LuckyMe duo DomSum and Martyn Flynn aka The Blessings first official release, also on Nod Navigators, is ethereal and impecably referenced. Covered in a light cosmic blanket with a sweet underlay of new jack swing, hiphop and acid euphoria you could listen to this Ep at dusk or dawn. As with the Mweslee release, the greatest thing that can be said about this release is that it is interesting, relevant and enjoyable music and not just a one genre representation or scene jumping horse. I cannot wait to hear more from these two, read about the EP in greater detail here.

Similarly euphoric but, more directly aimed for the dancefloor - Skatebård's Starwatcher release on Luna Flicks is an EP which divides opinion. As a live performer, producer and DJ his status in Norway is unquestionable and it is certainly worthy of some greater attention outwith of the Nordic domain. However, on this release for the two good productions from the man himself it is let down by some substandard remixes - most notably the Plastique De Rêve mix which could have been found in a 90s trash can. Nonetheless, for the strength of the originals this EP is well worth picking up. Check out some more about it here.

Øyanatt: Oslo Experimental presents DO IT

2010-08-15T19:45:00.015+02:00

Friday 13th was a massive night for DO IT! and Oslo. Through support from Oslo Experimental, we had the privilege and power to book two of the finest active purveyors of contemporary music alongside a showcase of the best of Norwegian skwee, a legendary graphic artist and our very own Norway based residents and regular collaborators for a memorable Øya festival party at The Villa. While Cupofill went all Friday 13th with Jason masks and blood red markers in the lounge, the Dødpop crew treated those who managed to fit in the backroom skwee shop to a barrage of lofi funk squeaks and blips that included Beatbully, Sprutbass and a live debut for Kapteien Melkevein's new Mother North project. The main room got hot and sweaty to Inko's heavy hitting opening DJ/live set before I spun some slower experimental beats as a prelude to Dorian Concept, whose tailored live show transformed the club into a dancing pit of awe and joy. Inko and I took it up a notch to get things ready for the much anticipated live show of soon-to-be Warp album debutante Rustie, which as expected tore up what remained of the club. All this was complimented by some industrial influenced imagery from VJ Pop Com and some incredible disected and deconstructed works from the well-known Norwegian designer Halvor Bodin aka VJ Superlow. More coverage to come soon!

poster: by Alexander Horne (me) and Cupofill. 2010 / video: Sprutbass 'Matt Huffley' by Halvor Bodin

Logo Design: ESRU, Universitat de Barcelona

2010-08-10T09:43:00.012+02:00

Considered to be the best university in Spain, The Universitat de Barcelona has over 30 specialist research units focusing on expertise in subjects ranging from mathematics to sociology. One of these academic and research organisations, The European Social Research Unit, contacted me with the request of a new identity design to be used for an upcoming international conference and thereafter as their continuous brand image. The brief requested something similar to the existing Universitat de Barcelona logo. The result was simple and bold with the social quirk of a slanted main image and highlighting of key words in the logo text.
ESRU logo design by Alexander Horne

press: Nytt Rom (No)

2010-07-26T21:54:00.012+02:00

Some busy days freelancing and traveling with pen and paper at hand this past few months so just catching up with old news here at New Ink. Clean, minimal, spruce fresh and classy - Nytt Rom is a beautifully crafted publication from Norway that goes beyond the presentation of designers and their products. Every issue editor/designer/creator of the magazine Hans Petter Smeby single-handedly invites readers into the realm of the featured designers' living rooms and kitchens; sometimes asking them about their inspirations and other times intricately photographing the little details of their lives in the studio or at home. Late Spring this year, I had the honour of being invited to feature in the magazine for a small-medium sized apartment special. Hans Petter visited our place, asked some questions and took some snaps from my portfolio and new living abode. You can pick up the current issue for the next few months at any good newsagent in Scandinavia and by mail order on the internet from anywhere else in Europe. I'll also be keeping a few copies on hand if you want to see what the mag looks like.

Nytt Rom #19, 2010

Black Denim Wars

2010-07-01T16:31:00.006+02:00

Was pretty impressed with Anti's black metal takeover at PechaKucha Oslo a few months back whilst showcasing their black denim label, Anti Sweden. This public act and some well thought out international collaborations, that include gore artist Justin Bartlett and more recently Jeremyville, really spell out this Norwegian label as one to watch amongst the sea of Swedish fashion sharks that dominate the Oslo high streets. Its been refreshing to see a Norwegian label turn the tide on an image of being a rich consumer paradise to a country with dark soul and witty come backs of their own, in reply to the permanent jibes from the yellow and blue neighbours. You can read my article and interview with Anti in Vice Style here.

video from Hintmag on Vimeo. 2010

Sonar 2010

2010-06-29T16:59:00.025+02:00

Just about recovered from the 2010 edition of Sonar festival and accompanying events. While last year could have been seen as a welcome return to form for the festival in the face of competition from other local festivals - this year Sonar excelled itself with the representation of more homegrown performers and the increase in actual music acts. Gone were the almost staple diet of Detroit techno kings playing the closing hours at Sonar night and in its place more bands, live shows and a whole Friday night stage more less dedicated to hip hop.

Thursday kicked off with a sizzling hot party organized by the former Friends & Family promoters, now called Plat Du Jour, in collaboration with Hyperdub that witnessed pretty much the full Hyperdub roster, Mweslee, Guido and Flying Lotus as a special guest alongside a host of others. Rolling out of bed the next morning was difficult and I was unlucky to miss Arkestra's BFlecha playing live in the RBMA stage. Alongside Noaipre and her later performance in Sonar Galicia with Arkestra leader Mweslee - it was refreshing to see such acts finally get some recognition and what I hope will be continued support. Other performers from Barcelona and around Spain at the main Sonar event worth noting were; Delorean (uplifting trippy fun but quite flat), the future psychedelic drone of Narwhal, a disappointing John Talabot who whirled between his more interesting recent production and tedious tech house, a promising petite poppy performance by Lucrecia Dalt and a solid daytime DJ set at the outdoor stage by Annie Hall.
Of the big acts for those with more discerning tastes; complete with towel on head and fetching female aides, Moodymann played a wonderful midday ode to vinyl - spinning solely slabs of wax with live playlist commentary, a real education for the techno heds. Flying Lotus went as far out as to drop some Weather Report on Friday night (the first time someone dropped jazz at that stage!?) and gave everyone who plays only one genre of music a lesson - jumping from beats to jazz to deep house to electro to garage and back again. Joining these two in the big name league; Hudson Mohawke who also played off Sonar events most nights and the Saturday LuckyMe showcase complete with hippo mask disguise. Friday night he made his own with a memorable DJ set alongside Olivierdaysoul on the mic - his presence and sounds filling out the 8,000 capacity SonarPub stage.
Although there was many other acts worth mentioning, Hovotron playing a live set at new Barcelona record store Discos Paradiso for a Lo Fi Funk showcase being one, the main surprise and show stealer was Brooklyn gal Pursuit Grooves who I only previously knew as one of the producers featured on the first Beat Dimensions compilation from 2007. Curious I made my way to the front and was blown away with the soulful jaw jack beats and house euphoria of her live set. Punching pads from a Dilla tiempo through to a bouncy house hop via uplifting acid house moments - she even had time to jump on the mic to whisper some slick rhymes, when not jumping energetically around the booth. A fantastic live show which, had everyone in the RBMA tent grabbed and bouncing. Listen back below:

Images from RBMA and Sonar.

DO IT! oslo 25.06

2010-06-24T00:17:00.005+02:00

Coming up to end of June and time for the third DO IT! Oslo session at the hallowed home of music that is Blå and it's gonna be BIG. We got Mweslee - one of the hottest and most exciting beats talents around playing a live set - alongside one of Norway's finest proteges playing one of his last gigs before his Berlin move, Telephones - and lets not forget the talented groups of residents that include local illustration crew Cupofill, VJ Pop Com, myself spinning wax and potential Norway's first real beats representative Inko who shares his Domenican origins with a life in the nearby Oslo town of Tønsberg. Music is going to take in anything from jazz, funk, soul, boombap, garage and beats with a nice tropical underline. Something for the floor and something to go home and remember the next day as a cultural experience worth mouthing about on Monday morning. Big up Tom at La Cocina for helping us hook this one up. Oslo you have been warned -
JUNE 25TH AT BLÅ FROM 22:00 DO IT!

Poster: by Alexander Horne (me) 2010.

DO IT! live jam # 1

2010-05-31T22:58:00.008+02:00

End of May and getting ready for some major upcoming DO IT! gigs, The Villa on the 12th June and 25th June at Blå with esteemed and much revered guests Mweslee and Telephones, myself (Uraki Riddim), Inko and the Cupofill illustration crew hooked up for a bit of a jam session. Inko has been working on some really sick live stuff recently developing his already progressive production skills, on show on his myspace, and through online releases such as the great Oscillations compilation. I dropped some beats and scratches on one turntable and a mixer while Inko went through his new beats on the MPD. As with all DO IT! events there was a visual backdrop; on this occasion it was Cupofill, who sketched with some fat black markers on white paper live to the heavy sounds we created. Attached are some pics from the session and a rough recording (real rough as this was the first time Inko and I ever hooked up). We hope you enjoy it. It's gonna be something fresh and ready to bust your eardrums and a groove for June 25th!
Live session 28.05.10 by Uraki Riddim

Nou Norge Gem in the Rough

2010-05-23T16:01:00.005+02:00

Scotland on Sunday recently published my travel piece on coastal Norwegian town Ålesund. The vibrancy of the town combined with the enthusiastic forward thinking from local creatives such as architects Sandbakk & Patterson and the owners of design hub and gourmet coffee cafe Invit left me with a memorable and favorable impression. Aside from these innovators there was room for restauarants with water-side access to allow for the delivery of fresh seafood everyday and a hotel designed by the world renowned architects Snøhetta, Hotel Brosundet. While the experience was resoundingly positive, when comparing my hometown of Aberdeen to Ålesund it paints a grey picture of the lack of culture vibrancy supported by the local state and private sector in Scotland's Granite City. With proposed projects such as concreting over a renowned Victorian garden (one of the only green spaces in the city centre) to become a carpark and consumer playground it is left to young artists to support themselves and develop Aberdeen's culture identity independently. One of the few sprouts of green shoots in the creative sector in Aberdeen has been the transofrmation of a derelict basement site into the base for 26 Collective. I hope that for the sake of the city, these young innovators are allowed to flourish and paint a more gleaming picture of the city.

scanned image of Scotland on Sunday, Spectrum magazine 9th May 2010.

Designer Roots

2010-04-26T22:44:00.005+02:00

Jacqueline Carlisle's ever improving Think magazine recently released their fourth issue in time for Earth Day. My editorial contribution in the latest issue comes in the form of a piece entitled 'Designer Roots' and aims to introduce readers to the existing world and potential of Biomimicry. In conjunction with this field, architects such as Oslo based Bifokal have opened my eyes recently to the potential design can have as a tool for tangible knowledge value as opposed to the hot air we have become accustomed to from certain other designers in recent times. Design inspired by nature has a refreshing ring to it in the hangover of a period of excessive consumption and greedy attempts to defy nature's logic. As much as I felt for those left stranded and apart from loved ones, there was something refreshing with the recent flight restrictions due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. It would be great if for one week a year we could plan in advance to stop all flights as to ease congestion and stop the incessant and ridiculous notion that we need to move non-stop around the world at all times. Master of marrying the poetic daydreams of yesteryears philosophers to modern day dilemmas - Alain de Botton published a great article about the notion of a world without planes. Read it here.

photo from Biomimicry workshop at AHO in Oslo by John Christer Høiby 2010.

Catch of The Day

2010-04-16T16:37:00.010+02:00

Way back mid 00s; amongst the energetic illustrations and polemic wordage of hyperdope Lowdown magazine I came across a write up on a guy called Flying Lotus. Didn't need any encouragement to hit up his myspace after reading up on the Coltrane and Dilla links and wasn't exaclty dissapointed! What has happened since then, not many could comprehend. Going into Summer 2010 it is as if we have gone back to the early 90s - the heydays of triphop, beats and 808s - when post rave festivals such as Tribal Gatherings were getting off to DJs like Krush and James Lavelle (pre Unkle). Sounds from 'grimey London', 'sunny Cali' and the 'motorcity folklore of Detroit' stir the imagination before even listening to anything so it has been of great pleasure to recenty discover some Nordic talent outside of these big hitting 'beats' hotbeds. A graphic designer and hottly tipped producer to boot, Offshore comes from my hometown Aberdeen. His beats and mixes meld raw energy with maturity and music knowledge that are rarely found by Djs over indulging in one of the many genres that he splices and blends with ease. Over the North Sea, Inko has been surviving the Norsk winters for over five years developing a sound which shares the melodic rough bristles of Flying Lotus with exotic boombap depth. Be sure to try catch them at the following DO IT! nights;

OFFSHORE - DO IT! abz - May 7th at The Tunnels

INKO - DO IT! oslo - June 25th at Bla

New Ink in 3D

2010-03-26T11:37:00.013+01:00

New Ink is going 3D! None of that 90s 3D cereal box giveaway nonsense though. In fact, we are working on some fresh ropa (clothes) straight outta Oslo. This Summer, New Ink will unveil three fresh t-shirt designs and the Uraki pattern tote bag (check out Uraki Riddim myspace for the design). Uraki pattern was inspired by the discovery that the first ever city in the world was from Iraq, Uruk. Uraki represents the terminology for a citizen of this first city. The other designs will be inspired by the contents of the blog - architecture, beats, illustration, landscapes and abstraction. Check out some of the early sketches and be sure to get in touch if you are interested in picking up one of these hot cakes pre-release.

Illustrations by Alexander Horne (me) 2010.

DO IT! oslo 12.03

2010-03-04T19:58:00.005+01:00

Our second DO IT! session in Oslo welcomes some of the biggest droppers of mektig (heavy) beats this side of the Viking peninsula, the Bitch Boys, spinning hot tracks next to an exciting live solo project from promising Bergen band, Leif and The Future. All this mixed in with our intercontinental Oslo residents and Cupofill, one of the freshest crews to hit Oslo, since they first imported Colgate, will be throwing the laws of illustration out the window and getting down to a serious live ink'n'sketch session throughout the evenings proceedings. MIR is a bric brac artsy hide away bar shrowded in internationally famed graffiti artist' pieces in a building which contains a lo fi music studio used by local punk bands and uber hip illustrators and graphic designers Yokoland. Turn up and represent if in the Oslo area and for those in Aberdeen make sure to catch some of the artsy goings on throughout Saturday evening 13.03 and culminating with a DO IT! night at Tunnels.

Poster: by Alexander Horne (me!) 2010.

Scando Robot Funk

2010-02-25T12:09:00.010+01:00

Wading through the splutter of very ordinary Indie acts at Norway's by:larm festival last week, I came across my first direct experience of Skwee music courtesy of a night dedicated to it at underground Oslo club The Villa. Skwee has been bubbling under the radar for a while since one of the genre's first international introductions via Sonar 2008. It generally sounds like future funk made by machines from the era when they looked like cyborg robots and has roots mostly from Scandinavia, particularly Sweden and Finland. I had a chance to meet one of the scenes driving figures, Mesak, during by:larm and got so excited by the sounds I heard at The Villa and on his new album The School of Mesak - I've written a review about both that night and the album. There is something for beats heads, disco, house and even grime DJs in this album - be sure to get on this Scando-wagon and pick it up!

Skwee/Mesak street tag

Design Think-ing

2010-02-23T17:41:00.005+01:00

'Intrinsic Incision' article featuring Ronen Kadushin is now published in issue 3 of US based, sustainable design magazine Think. I will be contributing design editor for the same magazine's forthcoming special 'Earth Day' issue which will be online around the end of April, to coincide with other Earth Day events around the globe. Earth Day originated around 1970 as a day of educational talks and debate to raise awareness about environmental concerns. You can find out about some of the various events going on throughout the globe on the Earth Day network site.

Think magazine issue 3

À bon chat, bon rat

2010-02-04T11:22:00.037+01:00

Suffering from post-cheap flight travel trauma and subsequent illness from the multiple chicken marching arrangements (extensive bus journeys, caged into tight squadrons of ill travelers before embarking and vice versa) put paid to any previous words about my recent Paris jaunt. Here are some nibbles from the French metropole of amour and tardy waiting staff; Staying around the Château Rouge area of Paris was grimey warm - like onion soup - charming, colorful and full of slapdash market stalls. The daily contraband operation at nearby Barbès metro was a theatrical masterpiece; sellers moving back and forth to the changing of traffic lights or loitering like seasoned flâners. One of the lures of Paris on this occasion was a return to the Rex Club for a set by legendary mixer Francois K. You can check out my review of this event on Resident Advisor. Ultimately, the best cultural olives in this swing-by-trip were the burgeoning design and culture scene in Bastille and the vibrant and youthful burst of bars in Oberkampf.

'ticket collage' by Alexander Horne, 2010

Breaking the ice

2010-02-01T13:36:00.012+01:00

Street culture, urban expressionism, creative jams - these exist to a minor extent in Oslo but, it's just there does not seem to be any visible showcase or cross field collaboration going on with them. If a tiny paint shop at the back of a night club and one store dedicated to street-affiliated threds and pleasures, Hunting Lodge, is pretty much all there is to show - it cannot be a healthy thing! Or is it going to change.....just recently Oslo based trio Ole, Lars and Martin brought some life and well needed urbaine vigour to the cities artscape with their 'All Bottled Up' exhibition, held in the cavernous confines of a student bar with free beers (near impossible in Norway!) and a live show by synthy new wave Bergen talent Leif. It was a welcome addition to whats (not) going on here and thankfully like the kind of event you would find in cities such as Barcelona or San Francisco. Check out some pics from the exhibition below or read the write up they got on Superfuture.

'All Bottled Up' photos by Alexander Horne, 2010

Oi Oi Osloposters

2010-01-25T13:45:00.011+01:00

Last Saturday we held our first DO IT! event in Oslo at a tiny artsy hide out called Sound of Mu in the Grünerløkka district. The turnout was average but, the music on offer from our guests Proviant Audio and DJ Woo was of the highest eclectic quality. We initially had some sound problems what with fitting a full brass ensemble, conga drums, bass player, beat maker and djs into such a small space but hit the high notes for originality regards the billing and uncovering of a new Nordic talent, Proviant Audio. Norway based or visiting people can catch them live as part of the music festival By:Larm next month, which this year is run by head honcho of the seminal Norwegian imprint Smalltown Supersound - Joakim Haugland. Anyway, it might not have moved too many people but, my latest DO IT! poster got published on Osloposters - a great resource and community for the art of poster design in Oslo by designer Stig Andersen. It gives me great pleasure to be recognized alongside some of the eye catching posters around here and I only hope other people start up similar sites around the world in the hope of resurrecting the dying 'art of the poster'. Thanks to Jan for photos on the night!

'Nordic Eye' poster design by Alexander Horne, 2010

Our Ability to Sustain Sustainability

2010-01-13T23:35:00.008+01:00

''To be taught to write or speak – but what is the use of speaking if you have nothing to say? To be taught to think – nay, what is the use of being able to think, if you have nothing to think of? But to be taught to see is to gain word and thought at once, and both are true.'' John Ruskin / Selected Writings (Oxford World's Classics)

An article for Architonic magazine questioning the tangibility of the terminology 'sustainability'; it's common misconception, examples of use and how we could use such terms in an eco-effective and holistic manner. The article, entitled 'Sustaining Sustainability', features references to the excellent Architecture for Humanity group and an introduction to recently developed 'sustainable' programs such as Cradle to Cradle design and Miljøfyrtårn. As discovered through the harsh reality of economic downturn - the Western world has been overproducing and consuming. Many design services are sprouting through the rust of those who have bolted themselves to the sinking ships of dated production mechanisms. But, who is governing these design services? What gives these companies the power to certificate producing designers? These are issues that need to be addressed as design molds into something that can bare more visible relevance to all in society. Read the full article HERE. Godt Nytt År (Happy New Year) as they say here!

'Sustainable Pie' illustration by Alexander Horne, 2009

Intrinsic Thought

2009-12-19T23:09:00.008+01:00

''Eighty percent of the environmental impact of today's products, services and infrastructures is determined at the design stage. Design therefore has an enormous impact on resource efﬁciency in our economy, and can make a critical contribution in the transition to sustainability.'' John Thackara / Doors of Perception

Just completed an article for the sustainable focused design magazine Think. The subject matter was a Berlin based Israeli designer called Ronen Kadushin, whose timeless futuristic forms not only bare a sharp aesthetic but also provide a stern indication as to a potential future in design. He suggests that open sourcing design in the same way the information technology industry has done will enhance it's growth and development. You can read the article from Feb.2010 when Think issue 3 will be available online. Think is an original concept by Jacqueline Carlisle and its emergence from the USA comes at a relevant time what with the loss of ID magazine and the need for voices in the sustainable design debate.

'Flat Knot' design by Ronen Kadushin

Design of the Times

2009-12-10T13:50:00.003+01:00

I recently had an article about design in Norway published on the popular architecture and design site Architonic. The article, entitled 'Beneath the Surface', was a reactionary piece to the growth in public attention the 100% Norway exhibition had brought 'Norwegian design'. While it is healthy for any burgeoning and young creative scene to receive public attention through press coverage, it is also important to provide critique and comment. This kind of realist guidance and opinion appears to have been missing from the many subsequent articles reporting on 'Norwegian design'. 'Beneath the Surface' does not laud any Norwegian designers, more it asks why something was made and what it means to people, not just designers. The article introduces socially aware design projects such as the 'Blanke Ark' polling box designed by the industrial designers Kadabra and graphics studio Blueroom. It also mentions some of the other exciting projects going on outside of Oslo that do not exist on a reputation of stylizing to sell.

'Ballot Box' design by Kadabra and Blueroom

Polka Odd font

2009-11-17T19:29:00.008+01:00

'Polka Odd' - my first font! A couple of weeks ago I was asked by a web designer friend from Aberdeen to come up with an alphabet he could use for a new logo font. James Daniel goes under the alias of Robin Egg Blue in the web design game. When not serving people with an eye for good food at one of Aberdeen's finest eateries, Moonfish Cafe; R.E.B is completing web designs for clients such as film producers, furniture designers and restaurants. Robin Egg Blue has a contemporary style in a city which rarely does; he completes projects that have serious value with a smile. I aim to represent this serious but, approachable and fun image with some small playful creature details on big, bold and abstract forms. The animal features sometimes look like little feet, eyes and bites.

'Polka Odd' font design: by Alexander Horne (me)

DO(1)T!

2009-11-09T13:01:00.010+01:00

One year ago this month I wanted to kick start something of a petit creative revolution in my home city, Aberdeen in Scotland. As it has been documented in the press recently, through the tribulations of the contemporary art center and Union Terrace Gardens project, despite hosting a fine art school and many aspiring young creatives Aberdeen is not quite the hub of creativity and culture as it could be. Compared to similar sized cities such as Bergen across the North Sea or Dundee down the road it is very slow to understand the support and encouragement required by young creatives, especially in such a tough economic climate as now. The petit creative revolution that is DO IT! is now one year old and we are ready to celebrate this Friday with two special guests with strong local links. The first guest, DJ Giles Walker is a resident dj at Snafu Club and an important local figure in the introduction and booking of new music and acts from around the UK and beyond. Our headline guest, Two Eyes, is a rare talent from Edinburgh who when not designing buildings, pulley systems or riding bikes up extremely challenging hills can be found secretly composing deep future music in his humble Leith flat. We have been lucky to export our own 'deen talents to cities such as Barcelona, Bergen and Helsinki this year so for this one year celebration if you are in town come and enjoy DO IT! in Aberdeen and support and celebrate with the local creatives that make this collective a vivrant force in Aberdeen and beyond.

Poster: by SIO.

Put a +47 on it

2009-10-29T17:48:00.006+01:00

Earlier this week I arrived in Oslo on a permanent basis. I've spent most of the week wandering through the streets for inspiration and education when not on the serious business of finding work. Its a fairly compact city, taking under an hour to walk from East to West, but with more of a grubby urban cosmopolitan sprawl than any other Norwegian city I have so far seen. For all the grimey and alluring corners of this capital city though, it takes quite a trawl through the streets, patience and a local guide to find out places of interest that are worth checking out. The main hot spots (bars, galleries, cafes) are to be found in the Grünerløkka and Grønland districts in the East. The center on the other hand is a bit of a commercial disaster.

I'm working on an article for Architonic magazine at the moment that discusses the underside of the coverage the 100% Norway exhibition has been receiving in the design press recently. Now I am based in Oslo it has been revealing to see many more projects that have not received as much clamor as those involved in the 100% exhibition, but have more long term aims at their core. One of those projects is not so much a place for high profile product design but, a fringe building (off the beaten track) that houses different studios and one main organization that conducts and consults in projects between art and architecture. 0047, housed in a former dairy factory in Grønland, to me could be anywhere; Barcelona, Sao Palo, Berlin, New York. It is representative of the cross-disciplinary movements seen throughout the world today in arts and science, technology and craft. There are several other such places in Norway, Transplant where i worked and a creative space just outside Ålesund, but i am mostly looking forward to what is happening in this city and forthcoming projects from groups such as 0047 amongst others.

Photo: early 0047 project covered by D2 magazine.

DOing IT! craft style

2009-10-16T20:59:00.004+02:00

Had a couple of weeks back in the UK before I return to Norway for la vie Oslo so suggested to my DO IT! collaborator Sio that I could design this months poster. It was also to be the first time I was DJing in Scotland since January earlier this year and had booked Brian D'Souza to come up North for a live set and Oslo based French designer and VJ Julie Arrive to do visuals alongside our residents. Regarding the poster; problems arose when I remembered the baggage handlers with idle hands that had left me with one mac charger less while returning from Sonar festival, Barcelona this year. With no workmates to borrow from and a distinct lack of mac shops or anywhere with a mac charger in Aberdeen I had to knock together a 100% craft poster with the aide of hands, pen, paper and scalpel. Came out quite nice in the end and I actually really enjoyed being away from my computer for those few days. Going to be working a lot more with hand illustration and collage on a couple of artsy projects coming up so keep an eye out. Also worth noting is the expansion of our DO IT! brand to Oslo where we will continue to host artsy guests from around Norway, Scotland and beyond. DO IT!

Poster: by Alexander Horne (me!).

Ekko Fest 2009

2009-09-30T20:24:00.005+02:00

Finally got round to writing a review for Resident Advisor from Bergen's Ekko Fest this year. The line-up was a great example of how smaller and more compact festivals can pick an astute and interesting line-up without the commercial constraints inflicted upon larger festivals. Suffering from a spot of Norsk swine flu and some sad news from back home detracted from my full enjoyment of the event but, some lager beverage medicine and good company made sure the stellar line-up was enjoyed as best possible. Losing it to Clark's delicate thrasing and merging of light and folksy sounds with crashing breakbeat and electronic noise was by far the highlight. Best new find of the three day festival was definately Velferd, who played a nicely executed live set that took in twisted disco and house sounds amongst many subtle layers. He is in fact also a member of the the band The New Wine from Bergen, who have been getting lots of attention in Norway this past year and will undoubtedly prop up elsewhere soon. Check them out here.

Photo: Clark rocking the Studio room at USF Verftet by Julie Arrive.

Full Pupp Label Night - Resident Advisor article

2009-09-07T20:29:00.010+02:00

New article just up on Resident Advisor from an Oslo trip I made a few weeks ago. Was in town to check out the nightclub Bla and, perhaps of deeper significance, label night of Cosmic Disco don Prins Thomas. Last time I caught this guy playing was in Barcelona a few years ago at a more house music oriented venue called Sala BeCool. That particualr night in Bcn the only people on the dancefloor not willing Norway's Prins to crank up the bpm's to a more familiar and fast speed was a defiant James 'Global Souljah' Barrie, myself and my friend Andy. This time in Oslo the crowd was a bit more clued up and patient, bar a few drunken Nordic types. Check out the full article and by all means leave some words here.

Sessioned Out

2009-08-30T22:38:00.014+02:00

The culmination of four Transplant Sessions witnessed the idyllic settings of Transplant transported to a wider audience and through a larger platform earlier this month. On the 22nd August the Transplant Sessions was hosted by Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall for a showcase of Nordic-themed electronic music and visual talent. DJ and Transplant Sessions coordinator Uraki Riddim curated an evening worth of musical and visual performances featuring acts from France and Scotland to local Bergen acts on the up and established. DJ Asel started the evening with a finely woven set of electronic music from near and far and following a light and occasionally indie and ambient stream. His record selection was complemented perfectly by the breathtaking landscaped visuals of vj Birk (from local night VJ picks the DJ) who combined three projectors seamlessly to make a whole wall of imagery that sucked onlookers in to another place. I followed on from Asel with some chopped up beats through to nu-disco and house before going back to back with Slabs of the Tabernacle's talented resident Brian D'Souza prior to his live set. We were guided visually by Oslo based French designer vj Julie Arrive whose cinematic borrowed and occasionally cheeky work added a click and a clack to the bang bang of the music. Brian's live set took in a wide selection of influences from afrobeat, italo to house and techno and kicked off a host of revelers to shake and move on the dance floor. To take things up to top kilter, and close the night, Nabovarsel resident Sanhueza and Tobii live made sure nobody left the dance floor with a latin wrapped mix of house that took in tribal, deep and electronica edges. Keep an ear out for these guys!

There will be some podcasts and video footage available by the end of this week courtesy of Brian D'Souza and visual artist Ling Lee. Meantime, if you happen to be in Norway this September get yourself over to Bergen for one of the most interesting and welcoming compact electronic music festivals in Europe - Ekko Fest. Amongst those playing is a relative homecoming gig for Royksopp, there first in Bergen for almost ten years, Bergen's new house sensation Tobii live and the spaced out acid disco of US based Nite Jewell. You can check the full line-up and order tickets here. For UK based music afficionados be sure to get up North to Aberdeen for DO IT!'s October session at Cellar bar which will include the UK debut of Brian D'Souza's new live work, myself and vj Julie Arrive.

Sub-Urban Dexterity

2009-08-29T20:51:00.013+02:00

Last week at Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall rocked! Over 200 heads were in attendance to see a line-up that wouldn't have been out of place as a mini festival. The roster included some spectacular landscaped visuals by VJ picks The DJ's vj Birk, Ekko Fest organizer DJ Asel, myself (DJ Uraki Riddim) accompanied by Julie Arrive's visuals, an exclusive debut for Brian D'Souza's new live work and a Norge treat in the form of Nabovarsel starlets Sanhueza and Tobii live. Big thanks to those who performed and attended. Check out some pics from the party below;

Photos: (from top: dj Asel & vj Birk, Uraki Riddim, Brian D'Souza & vj Julie Arrive, Sanhueza & Tobii live) by Ed Barber.

Lähdemmekö nyt!?

2009-08-15T00:07:00.006+02:00

Just got back from a 48 hour express trip to Helsinki with 4/5 of the DO IT! collective where we performed for the Cheap Tricks night at a former tram factory turned cultural center called Korjaamo. Cheap Tricks is one of a plethora of lo-fi and independent nights sprouting out through Helsinki with a mixture of young and old, girls and boys stearing them all. Cheap Tricks is the work of busy Helsinki-ite Lani Nordlund, who while studying in Helsinki manages to run this electronica themed club night (Cheap Tricks) and a more indie and band friendly night called Säpinää at the same time. Helsinki was cool, more so thanks to our tram active and bar alert host, and threw up some very interesting new music acts and moods.

The city in general had a strange mixed feeling between Soviet Eastern Bloc and little traces of distant Swedish rule hidden amongst the abstract blocks. I aim to be back to visit Finland and Helsinki soon when I will be able to write more in detail. Meantime, Helsinki's answer to Glasgow's Jackmaster (so called busiest man in music) Lauri Soini should be the first port of call for music reference in Finland's capital. With hands in many pies, as a live act, dj, promoter, producer and director of progamming for the uber swish Nolla bar it wouldn't go amiss to check out some of the many traces of his work. Lani's tip for a local band Fotoshop weren't hard to leave on at a high volume and we will be hoping to bring them over to an Aberdeen DO IT! night at some point soon alongside some of the other interesting acts we met and listened to. A couple of exciting and better known acts we came across in this Scandic/Soviet middle patch were the Cure-esque Villa Nah, the bizzarely titled and tropically charged Le Corps Mince de Francoise and last but possibly most bizzarely the genre defying Jaakko Eino Kalevi. Special thanks to our host Lani Nordlund, photographer Juho Lähdesmäki and Vixen Vj Paula!

Poster: by Cheap Tricks graphic designer Johannes Pokkinen.

CHΞ▲P TR!CKS ♥ DO IT!

2009-08-14T14:23:00.003+02:00

Some photos from our recent trip to Finland's capital. We have some exciting collaborations coming up with Finland and Norway regarding bringing acts to our DO IT! residency every second Friday of the month at Cellar Bar 35, Aberdeen. You can read more and follow the DO IT! group on facebook here.
Photos: (from top: surprised guest, Introvert live, djs Uraki Riddim & White Chocolate, vjs M.O.C. & Ben) by Juho Lähdesmäk.

Islands in Space

2009-07-27T22:11:00.006+02:00

Photos from a recent jaunt around the west coast of Norway that featured Bergen and Stavanger. Arrived in Stavanger just in time for the end of a food festival called Gladmat (happy food). Was also lucky to catch a pre-NuMusic party with DJs from Stavanger, Oslo and London playing in a tent at Gladmat and later on Cafe Resept. Ironic that the best food all weekend was a 'big fat burger' from a cafe across from the graff shop at the top of a wee hill, at the back of the city, and not the actual food fest. Buttered'n'herbed New Jersey potatoes, juicy and well packed patty with blazing sun on the terrace followed by some rolling in the grass. dulce!

Photos by Alexander Horne and Julie Arrive.

Out The Box

2009-07-26T23:08:00.008+02:00

Passing through a wet and drenched Bergen amidst a brief sojourn through the West Coast of Norway brought up the discovery of some new cultural pearls recently. Originally planning to cover Berghain resident Len Faki's gig at the underground cave-like Teknikerkroen club in Bergen, plans had to change at the last minute due to Faki's postponement of the performance to a later date (supposedly he had a bigger gig!). A detour, arguably for the better, introduced a long running and classy soulful night in Bergen and the opportunity to visit one of Norway's youngest and most exciting societal hubs, Stavanger.

The Grand Terminus Hotel is something of a Bergen gem, combing classic Nouveau and Deco styles with a soft yet prominent vein of contemporary urban chic running underneath. The 1920s hotel is smack bang in the center of Bergen and due to it's geographical proximity to a grave yard, often is referred to as the funeral hotel. Sitting directly opposite Bergen's quaint train station and in front of a grave yard though only adds to this places charm and the feeling of a plethora of hidden stories. If a director could best capture the mood of this interesting corner of Bergen, and in particular the aura of the building, it would be fitting to suggest someone of Jim Jarmusch's style would fit. Black and white flooring, deep wooden whisky bar and high ceilings make this a place of class and what no better music to stem a night of music from for such a venue as jazz. In Grand Terminus the jazz is served cort and without the ZZs in the form of Jassbox. Long running and deeply funky, this night serves a potent start to an evening and draws a crowd as diverse as up and coming electro producers to fashion designers and fat beardy men (well dressed though). Hats off to organizers Espen Horne and Åse Langesæter who manage to bring in a melting pot of local and national djs every session with sounds from hip-hop, soul, funk and swing - all with a jazzy evening fresh vibe!

Photo: dj Fusa at Jassbox, Grand Terminus 24/7/09 by Julie Arrive.

Sonar 2009

2009-06-28T21:59:00.006+02:00

The only downturn going on in Barcelona from June 17th - 21st this year was a void of early risers missing out on hotel breakfasts. Perhaps that was an isolated experience for myself and my traveling companion but, what was prevalent at Sonar festival this year was that not only were the huge number of attendees, 3 day passes and Saturday Day sold out, but the curiosity and hunger of those in attendance. Over the past few years of this festival, an occasionally disjointed roster has often attracted a more laid back, diverse and interesting crowd to Sonar by Day. Sonar Night though, seemed to lure a louder, beer swilling and toxic mix that were more intent on hunting down the most repetitive, recognizable or 'banging' beats on showcase that particular evening way out In Fira 2, Hospitalet. Sonar 2009 however, was quite contrary.

A festival that many see has one of the most influential brands in electronic music today. The organizers have been steadily building strong relationships with other global electronic music channels such as the always compelling Red Bull Music Academy and, fast becoming a leader in the breaking of new underground music worldwide, club and BBC radio DJ Mary Anne Hobbs. Indeed the latter connection with BBC has even grown to include another stage during Sonar Day featuring BBC radio DJ Huw Stephens and several introduced acts. Alongside these newly established partners, stalwarts of electronic music and Sonar veterans (Hawtin, Mills, Garnier and Carl Craig), fresh beatmaking talent and many bands convened to make this one of the most fluent and well blended Sonar's I have witnessed. For such a large festival and with a global reputation, the music selection and event organization is always going to be a tight rope of opinions and critique. For really to the point up to date line-ups it would be much easier and self-satisfying for electronic music enthusiasts to check out smaller and younger festivals such as Italy's Dissonanze, Norway's NuMusic and even the only comparable North American counterpart Mutek, held in Montreal. However, what Sonar holds over these other festivals is a consistent mix between new and old, underground, uncovered and well-known acts. A healthy move toward a more band friendly festival was also a real feather in the hat for Sonar this year. Having been trumped, in many critics opinions, by fellow Barcelonian festival Primavera Sound in terms of quality and depth of the line-up and perceived 'coolness' of the crowd this year spelled out a strong comeback for a date that crosses all electronic music enthusiasts minds come mid June every year.

In terms of the actual festival, a mixture of classic acts making comebacks (Grace Jones and Orbital), genre defying experimental acts (Animal Collective, Fever Ray, Crystal Castles) and a strong showing from what we now generally call the 'Beat Generation' was solidified by a plethora of off Sonar events. Strangely these off events seemed to actually compliment the core festival as opposed to detract from it. Pick of the bunch probably being Flying Lotus's Brainfeeder night taking on local Barcelona night Plat Du Jour (ran by the former organizers of Friends and Family). Our very own DO IT! collective also had a night on that you can read about below.

Sonar highlights were witnessing a room fill to the bassy wobbles and wibbles of the ever charming Vienna based Dorian Concept and courtesy of his Korg machines, keyboards and at one stage shoe. You can watch some highlights here. Fever Ray had a very stylish yet brief set taking influence from the Gothic and Futurist fashions du jour at the moment. Glasgow's Rustie put in a very strong performance mixing wonky, r'n'b and rave inspired breaks to a rather limp crowd, showing he has a lot more than just exciting production in the armoury. But, festival highlight was undoubtedly the performance that was but never was. Crystal Castles and Alice Glass in particular normally pack a punch or two musically wherever they perform but, after numerous sound problems I don't think anyone expected Glass to layout a security guard with a fist after failing on first attempt with the biggest drum on stage. Check here for THE highlight of Sonar this year. Thanks to Delia Dumitrescu for the photos, who I met mid Dorian Concept. You can check out her latest blog entries and photos via her site here.

Photo: Muhsinah (USA) live during Sonar Day by Delia Larisa Dumitrescu.

DO IT!!! Barcaloca

2009-06-21T22:48:00.003+02:00

A big thanks to all the good people who made it down to an intimate and perfect Sonar aperitivo DO IT! night at Marula Cafe in Barcelona. Numbers hit around the 100 mark and those in attendance managed to catch a great variety of DJ sets. From Sunday Joints Roger C's eclectism of afro bass and other various treats, some rare latin and salsa cuts from the man Timber through to some fantastic wu womping funky and fresh beats outta New Zealand via Brazil courtesy of Bobby Brazuka. A special shout of appreciation to Marula's Antonio and Nuggets Club's Mighty C-Zar who got us through the first DO IT! in Spain. We're scheduled to travel to and play in Helsinki and Bergen next on a Nordic swoop and in the company of Glasgow's Brian De Souza so look out!

Poster: by Alexander Horne (me!).

Scratch It!

2009-05-26T21:20:00.006+02:00

Having provided a platform for collaboration between Finnish VJs the Vixen VJs and myself, DJ Uraki Riddim, for the first Transplant Session we decided to go for a similar music and visual combination for Session # 2. Instead of a typical VJ and DJ set-up however, we took influence from an era of hip-hop that produced movements of not only music but dance, art and fashion. Our second session explored the history of the 'Scratch' and intended to reinterpret it's raw essence in a new format. Scratching in a musical sense, is the expression and manipulation of records to make new sounds and rhythms. It is an aspect of turntabilsm, performance DJing, and one of hip-hop's art forms. Other hip-hop art forms include break dancing, street art and MCing. Regular jam sessions brought these four art forms together and it is in this spirit that designer, artist and my work colleague Jan Brauer and I came together to create the 'Scratch' themed night that included an exclusive showing of Doug Pray's excellent documentary film 'Scratch' and first public showcase of Jan Brauer utilizing his scratch board technique live while I spun some classic and new hip-hop, electronica and dub beats.

Hailing originally from near Leipzig and following a working period in New York, Brauer moved to Dale I Sunnfjord on the west coast of Norway to work with Ralston&Bau design studio and Trasnplant's innovation and design center. For the duration of his stay he has attentively developed a unique scratch board technique to further communicate his deep, twisted and occasionally wicked humorous illustrative style. You can check out some images of the stunning final scratch board piece from this night and some of his other work's here. Brauer is also part of a mobile, playful and provocative graphic collective named Gono Gono and you can check out some of their works here.
Photo: Jan Brauer at work during Transplant Sessions #2 by Leon Vaarheim.

FIXed

2009-05-18T20:54:00.014+02:00

I was in Bergen a few weeks ago for The Fix party at USF Verftet, created by the people behind Ekkofest as part of Bergenfest. It was a strong line-up (featuring acts like Flying Lotus and Gang Gang Dance) for such a compact event and I was impressed enough by the party to write an article for Resident Advisor magazine.

Bergen is quite a small sized city compared to similar central European destinations but, it makes up for this with a core of cultural and nightlife activity from the heart of the city. While the venue for The Fix was a little away from the center, toward the end of the port, the walk was only about 15 minutes long from the main buss station. The actual venue, USF Verftet, is a former Sardine factory and provided an interesting array of cavernous passageways to mostly low ceiling rooms. Other places worth checking out in Bergen include Cafe Opera where you can enjoy a coffee while people watching during the day and get down to some of the cities finest djs every Friday and Saturday. I'll be back to Bergen soon, where I hope to find out a lot more about the city, it's people and it's artsy goings on. Until then I'd recommend booking a trip for September's Ekkofest which, promises to bring an exciting batch of electronic acts to a charming, cute and compact city.
Photo: Gang Gang Dance at The Fix by Asle.

The Fix - Resident Advisor article

2009-05-16T13:22:00.008+02:00

I just got an article about The Fix party in Bergen published on Resident Advisor. You can read the review and leave any comments here. Resident Advisor have a couple of interesting parties coming up during Sonar week (June 18th - 21st) in Barcelona including acts like micro house pioneer Akufen alongside recent RA podcast contributers Thomas Brinkmann and Jus-Ed. The first part of the party is an invite only pool party but, things will heat up and open up regarding the door policy in the evening when RA takeover the newly refurbished Boulevard Culture Club, formerly Fellini. As well as some great parties it will be a great week for new music from the past year and an exciting look into the future so expect some exotic photos of long nights, short days and words about what went down pronto.

Today

2009-05-04T23:24:00.007+02:00

"Everything is fluid. Styles change, materials change but, people don't"
Paula Scher, designer and Pentagram director

Nordic Visions

2009-04-26T20:16:00.010+02:00

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of sharing a stage with Finland's Vixen vjs as part of a new venture in Norway by the name of Transplant Sessions. I spun records as part of the DO IT! collective, under my dj guise Uraki Riddim, and organized the event at Transplant's innovation and design center in Dale I Sunnfjord on the West coast of Norway. Transplant Sessions is a platform for electronic music and visual talent from Nordic countries to showcase themselves through live performance and documentation of their work online. Transplant Sessions' first guest, Badass Bambi from Vixen vjs, represented Finland and on the night provided a beautiful, colourful and abstract re-interpretation of the Transplant venue's idyllic surrounding landscape.

Vixen vjs are originally from Tampere, said to be Finland's equivalent to Manchester, where they have been performing with the local Plauge dj collective at their Off The Hook club night and their very own Pikku Sisko Disko parties (little Sister disco). Vixens are two female vjs, Pony Revenger and Badass Bambi aka Video-Jukka-Paula aka artist Paula Lehtonen. Their attitude and style is unique but, also representative of a significant number of smaller DIY club nights and parties sprouting up throughout the world. It was a pleasure working with the Vixens and it is certain that DO IT! and Vixen vjs will be colloborating again at some point later this year when their busy schedule allows. Before Vixens bring their visual venom to Scottish shores, or wherever else a future colaboration takes form, check out Paula Lehtonen's own personal artistic output on her website here.

....

2009-04-13T22:18:00.009+02:00

The softened reflections that come from loss with a sensation of hollow numbness. Your good will and warm nature was infectious at every event, gathering or get together we had. The memories were golden. May you rest in the peace.

Fresh buds from LALAland

2009-03-20T00:13:00.012+01:00

There has been much talk recently of something of a significant and sustained wave of culture and artsy goings-on hitting sunny California and in particular LA. Wether the West Coast of the United States has finally put their dukes up to face the East, and mainly New York, for more than a couple of bouts of culture bragging rights is yet to be seen. What is apparent and much to the joy of music-hungry enthusiasts the world over is the vast quantity and depth of beat-making talent flowing out from Arnie's backyard. These producers/musicians are not only putting exciting new sounds at the forefront of listener's minds but, they are doing so with an armada of illustrators, graphic designers, publications and record labels collectively and through frequent collaborations.

This movement or attitude is of course not exclusively an LA or San Francisco thing, as similar music and art hooks up can be seen from Glasgow to Vilnius , Tokyo to Amsterdam, Vigo in Spain and many more. The matter of fact though is that for something some have tagged as a 'post Dilla' sound, for want of calling it something, has found the greatest and richest source of output from Los Angeles, California. Over the coming weeks two highly anticipated albums straight outta this LA vortex of creativity are ready to drop. The producers are Matthew David and Teebs , and you can catch them live on Mary Anne Hobbs excellent Radio 1 Breezeblock show from the 7th April and 24th March respectively.

Itch magazine article

2009-03-12T22:00:00.010+01:00

Just got an article entitled 'No Time For Pie' published in ITCH magazine. It's an attempt to examine the significance of the current economic situation to the creative industries with some conclusions. Click on one of the links to check it out.

How it is...

2009-02-25T22:59:00.009+01:00

I aspire to do but, often find myself stumbling over an urgency to inform... this blog combines those and provides an insight and instigator for those who share perpetual interests with an incessant hunger for cultures nou.

I aim to provide interviews, articles, doodles and photos from the boundless and global worlds of design, beats, artsy things and thoughts. Peace + enjoy NEW INK!

Alexander Horne