Well hello creamers. Apologies for the lack of posts during the past month, both Soph and I have had other things going on. I’m currently spending holiday season in Austin Texas and thought I should blog while I’m out here. Yesterday I explored some of ‘downtown’ ATX, in particular SoCo – Southern Congress Avenue to the likes of you and me. Thrift stores, boutiques, independent coffee shops and Taco bars- it was the perfect haunt for a midday stroll in the sun. I came across Creature’s Boutique, a shop carrying unique clothing and jewellery by independent local (and American) artists. I purchased this beautiful Small Circle Hoop Pendant in 14k gold overlay.
It’s by San Francisco-based designer Kris Nations. I urge you all to have a look at her website- the jewellery’s aesthetic is spot on. The pieces are, according to her, made up of ‘equal parts sophisticated and bohemian, with a little bit of vintage inspiration thrown into the mix’. Vintage in style but with no chance of leaving behind a green hue on the skin? Perfect.
I also have my eye on these pieces:
Old Town Bracelet in Coral, California State Pride Pendant and Townie Necklace.
So, Jade had a bit of a mare last week... I had some bad feedback for her Murder Inc choice; I'd already given the track a bad press so it was perhaps doomed from the offset. Fast forward one week, however, and JC's certainly found her stride. I planned to put out a girl group only RNB friday this week but my creamy sister has put forward such a soultastic selection that I can't wait til next week to put it up.
I'll start with JC's slow jam, perfect for those snowed in nights with someone sexy. Bad bitches only.
Mmmmm yea baby all night long. I like that little thing aroung YOUR navel, Donell Jones. Ok, time for the girl group special. We tried to go for unlikely choices.
Up first, we're keeping it British with the "power of a woman" four piece possé that is Eternal. Is it me or do we still dress a bit like this now? I'm personally loving the volume of the ladies' weaves, you just don't get that lift nowadays.
Not strictly rnb, but it's got an irresistably hispanic groove, not to mention the singers are twins just like JC and I. On out year long jaunt in Madrid, JC and I got called every single nationality referenced in this video. Are you dominicana? No. Mexicana? Boricua? Colombiana? Cubana? Pakistani? China? Brasilena? NO NO NO, please stop.
And last of all, because we all feel a little unpretty sometimes... especially when you're wearing a boy's t-shirt and have a tiny splatter of baked bean juice on it (sorry Martin).
Yes, it has come round again folks! This week has gone quicker than you can say, "It's bloody freezing bitchesss". Semi-hibernation has made it impossible for me to post this week, but I've got to keep this little feature rolling. There's already so much going against the school of sound that is RNB, my laziness cannot be held responsible for dragging its majestic beauty further down into the dark, dank recesses of defunct-dom. Here are my picks of the week; lower your centre of gravity and wile out to these weekend wonders.
Amerie's '1 thing', a seriously funky sampler of The Meters' 'Oh Calcutta', I chose this for the weekly pick for a particular reason. Theo Parrish has just dropped his grooving house refix of the tune on limited edition vinyl. Renamed 'Just1LoveBug', it's quite possibly better than Amerie's hotpant hit. As a sidenote, Jade and I believe that our child would look like Amerie if it were possible for us to make a blasian baby, so this song always has a special place in our hearts.
Theo Parrish's house refix
Smoother and slicker than a sharp knife through butter, it's the long overdue return of the VOCAL HARMONY GROUP RNB LOVE SONG. Blackstreet serve up the goods with 'Don't Leave Me', a song that I've personally been rinsing since I acquired the Pure Swing re-released compilation. I rock this bad boy on the 119 home from work and sashay all the way up Bennetts Avenue. Try it, you'll feel real, real good.
Last (and by all means least) is a Murder Inc rewinder that JC's been humming all day. This would be so much better if stinky Ja Rule wasn't on it.
Take the imaginative direction of Fernando Trueba and the simple yet visionary animation from Javier Mariscal and brother Tono Errando and whadoyouget?
Chico y Rita- an epic love story which begins in pre-revolutionary Cuba when budding pianist Chico falls for the sensual and seductive singer Rita. As most love stories go, the pair is painfully separated and the film follows Chico’s journey to find his amor. In fact, the director himself stated that the film’s thread is in the style of a traditional Latin ballad: longing, heart-ache and plenty of passion. Not to mention the issues of social and racial politics weaved in.
Set against a backdrop of the jazz scene in La Havana followed by New York, Paris and Las Vegas, the film is a treat for the eyes and the ears. It remains simplistic yet beautiful, with a vivid palette and an even brighter soundtrack- expect Cuban beats and American bebop. Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo even have cameos. What impressed me most was the way Errando sketches the cityscapes, even if it did make me feel a little depressed at my own artistic abilities (or lack thereof).
Feel sumptuous in this fusion of fuschia polka dot mesh and toffee elastic; this is the perfect lounge bra.
However, this 1970s inspired beauty is not just for lounging around. Come summer I’ll be wearing her under a vest with gold chains a la Carrie Bradshaw. Added bonus- the straps are detachable at the back so you can cross them!! Why does this excite me so?
Visit Aubin and Wills - 12 Floral St. London WC2E 9DH
Inspired by a Brenmar mix posted on xlr8r this week, double cream has decided to launch RNB fridays. Presenting the finest super smooth cuts from the past 20 years, we're hoping to ignite party vibes and flames of lust alike ahead of the upcoming wintery weekends. We defy you to suggest that these tracks don't instantly instill an overwhelming desire to get down and dirty. (Should point out that double cream do not, under any circumstance, advocate rahs who grind.)
Ciara stirs the hermaphrodite rumour further with this sexy string infused, 2007 groover. Dance moves to make your tings come alive and a right good weave!
Bow Wow and Omarion smash it with this bongo punctuated banger.
Brenmar rework, slick like rick but shame we can't see Cassie's hot bod in this video.
GRADUASHUN In the immortal words of the androgynous soul sista, Pink: “In our family portrait, we look pretty happy/ Let’s play pretend, act like it comes naturally,” poignant and telling lyrics of diva Pink’s complex childhood experience of a broken home. Enhance these lyrics with a music video featuring the aforementioned artist parading around an urban loft apartment with her manly groin definition clearly visible over low rise, khaki combats, haunted by her former childhood self weeping in a matching outfit and you’ve got an rnb emotional rollercoaster on your hands.
Look at this family photo taken at my graduation ceremony last week! I’m sorry but we look really bloody happy, it looks natural, we aren’t wearing terrible clothes, we’re posed in aesthetically pleasing shade order. Little does anyone know my parents despise each other, did not communicate all day and my sister who agreed to mediate the event decided to jet off to Ibiza a few days before. Thus, I want to commend Pink for her insightful musical analysis of the distorting powers of the photograph, often highlighted by such sayings as ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ and ‘things aren’t always as they appear.’ I’m not as perturbed by my family portrait as Pink was. Unfortunately, a shadow of my 4 year old, bow-dotted afro sporting former self did not follow me up on stage to collect my certificate. That would have been quite funny and perhaps could have instilled in me an emotive response to the day. Instead I complained about being hot to my mum, attempted conversation with my mute dad and then stuffed my face with a complimentary cupcake with green icing that went all crusty on my academic robes. Enjoyable day nonetheless, the main highlight being a girl from my course nearly imploding on stage (,enlarged on either side by two huge projection screens,) after being announced as Oliver instead of Olivia upon accepting her degree. Ouch. Four years of further education to be called Oliver at the final send off.
That’s a little snippet of what happened to me last week. This is my new blog. My name is Sophie. I want to practise professional writing so I feel like I should have one of these. I expect nobody will read it, if they do they’ll probably mock it. I will pretend to take this lightly but really I’ll be cringing and convulsing inside like poor old Oliver did during her public mortification.
Mr Elijah and me looking hard obviously! Last night he showed me an upcoming release on Butterz that is going to blow Grime followers' brains out.
Oh my! Then he showed me something even more wild. An old blog venture that turned into a cult chicken following, this project has given me BIG INSPIRATION for double cream. Only click the chicken if you like chicken...
It’s brazenly obvious thatSheffieldduo The Squire of Gothos "buss pure joke" when they get into the studio. Their self-proclaimed style and (we hope) sardonically misspelt track names say it all: the latest album,We Do Scorpion Thingz, promises ‘the sickest and most insane basslines known to man weaved around basterdised elements of hardcore, dubstep, jungle and techno.’ Upon first reflection, I would erroneously suggest that there isn’t much of aUKmarket for such a warped sonic fusion, but with a back log of wax releases on the likes of Coin Operated, Tigerbeat6, R8, Electrostimulation, it seems that the TSOG boys have got ears pricking. Is "mutant bassline rave for the 21stcentury" a personal aural preference, perhaps not. However, it’s important to take a new release at face value, without preconceptions and attempt to dispel the niggling urge to judge track names such as 'Cum Wid Dat' and 'Phonin 4 Shinez' without giving them a listen.
'Dark Thing' makes for a promising introduction; ominous electronic mists, erratic bleeps and the gradual induction of sonic layers create an impressive tension that wouldn’t be out of place in a Shackleton set perhaps. Teetering on the edge of the bassier side of ethereal techno, the track is intelligent, compelling, relevant even. A slight spattering of the TSOG’s sense of humour creeps in and out without causing offense, suggesting the boys’ subtle creative stamp on this new strain of electronica. If only the stamp stayed as subtle throughout.
The next few tracks present problems; the dated warbling basslines, irritatingly speedy high hats and defective and overused vocal samples feel like a brutal attack on the eardrums. With computer game samples over vocal shifting over perhaps the most annoying drop of the whole LP at 2.34, 'Lypo' is the overwhelming lowlight of the album. Everything comes in excess - speed, layering, track phrasing, bassline - which admittedly is one of the premises of hardcore rave music butWe Do Scorpion Thingzjust seems a bit phoney. Whenever a ray of hope shines through, (the grimey riff and funny vocal interjections that almost take on a personified character in 'Chewing Minnows' for example) another track falls short (the butchering of Bob James’ 'Take me to the Mardi Gras' break on 'Old Skool' springs to mind).
The Squire of Gothos boys have clearly had a lot of fun making this album; the Velcro-sounding synths on 'Harder Things' act as the perfect metaphor for this. Indeed, we all feel the guilty pleasure found in scratching on Velcro at different speeds from time to time. Such acts, however, are strangely satisfying for the perpetrator and often not so satisfying for his audience. Simply put, there’s way too much going on here and whenever a phrase intrigues and excites you, it is lost amidst an avalanche of sonic confusion. Even at a creative epoch in which hybrids of former electronic genres are changing the face of British dance music, the TSOG blend of hardcore, garage, jungle, techno and everything in between represents the soundtrack to a rave that I don’t really want to go to. But maybe I’m just getting old...
The Squire of Gothos:We Do Scorpion Thingzis out now.
If you enjoy feeling on the cusp of madness and sanity, listen to this
My predilection for purchasing crop tops is, in a way, farcical. In the past 2 years, I have bought a grand total of 12 of these midriff-baring garments. (May I care to add that Sophie T falls just behind me with 7). The irony is, I never actually intend to get it out.
Cotton, lace, silk, velvet, sequin- my wardrobe is characterised by a plethora of these miniature articles that would probably look better on a 10 year old. Yet, as the photo above reveals, it seems my gravitation towards le crop top did in fact start around this age. On my 12th birthday I chose to sport a bright pink Kookai number. JLo meets 1990s girl band was my inspiration I do believe.
Today, as I was cruising through the usual non work-related websites in my post-lunch haze, I came across an article on style.com that made me very happy. According to them, the midriff is the new “hotspot”. Crop tops are back, and pairing them with anything high-waisted will earn you a gold sartorial star. I could have told you that! Give me a job please. A flash of midriff, note: a subtle flash- belly buttons are a no no- is the new erogenous zone. Forget choosing between boobs or legs, the middle’s where it’s at. Hurrah. My past purchases will not be slung onto the ever-expanding sad, limp pile of rejects awaiting to be put on eBay. Go cropping mad people!
The Night Slugs imprint seems to have spent the year pushing boundaries that might have seemed imperceptible to unknowing eyes. As soon as these margins are crossed, however, it’s clear to see the magic formula label boss Bok Bok and his contemporaries share, and how they are applying it in their mission to take over gloomy, enigmatic dance floors worldwide. It’s an enormously innovative feat, which bodes well in a time in the UK when people are fervently dedicating their attention and curiosity to the new concepts and sounds that are changing the face of British electronic music. With over two years success on the party scene, an impressive roster of releases and the label’s first LP set for release in a couple of weeks, Night Slugs are at the heart of dance music influence right now.
While the label’s mainstays share various inspirations when it comes to their sound – the intricate beat building from the likes of Bok Bok, L-Vis 1990, Girl Unit and Kingdom often comprise strong 808 driven rhythms, dazzling neon synths, catchy melodic riffs and ridiculously contorted vocal samples – their tracks stand apart from one another, each with a unique sense of mystery which makes them addictive to dance floor residents. Touching on everything from favourite club spaces to archaic philosophies on aesthetics, solidarity within the British scene to the guiltless pleasures of RnB, Bok Bok gives Data Transmission an insight into the mind of a night slug. Can I get a wut wut?!
Do you think your crowd has changed since Night Slugs started a couple of years ago? I speak to DJs who say they’re sometimes disheartened by newer crowds, and that they’re not actually listening...
I can’t really complain about our lot. Definitely new people have come and we’ve definitely grown since we started out, but at the same time from day one, people who come down to Night Slugs have always been about the music first and foremost. There are a lot of people who really closely follow mixes and they’re on the ball with releases and stuff like that. Without wanting to blow our own horn too much, I think what Night Slugs has achieved is a really nice balance between those who are kind of heads for the music and come and spot tunes with people who are just kind of a party crowd. It’s a great balance because it’s not a kind of trainspotter, boring, standing around night because the vibe is really powerful and tangible. The music makes people happy and they respond to it. The people are really open-minded as well; we can play all sorts of different genres to them and as long as we keep it cohesive, it works.
What is your ideal kind of rave space? It must be quite important to you when constructing a specifically “night time” music genre.
Me and the others have been talking about what our ideal club would look like, after having played in Amsterdam in this club called Trouw. It’s a really cool club, it’s my new favourite club actually. It’s got some really cool minimal neon lights in it and that’s it. They don’t have your normal cheesy looking lights which I hate. If you can’t have designer lighting I prefer complete darkness. In fact I think sometimes complete darkness works really well. So yeah, me and the others were talking about this, we came up with a few concepts. I don’t know if it’s installation art but it’s certainly really creative lighting.
Hai. My name is JC and I am 22 years old. Once upon a time I lived in Madrid and interned at Spanish Vogue. A coveted existence it was, being surrounded by Alaïa body-cons, Louboutins and the like. I had an Erasmus grant to cover my penchant for eating out and (over?) zealous spending habit, not to mention an apartment block complete with swimming pool and Ernesto the lifeguard.
Oh how the mighty fall.
Now my familiar consists of a hellacious commute to a central London office- style circa 1990- spreadsheets that make my eyes go square, crockery drop off points, RSI and a savings account.
After 2 years of dormancy I’m attempting to start blogging again. With me on this voyage into cyber space is my trusted Sophie T. While she gets the toes tapping, I will attempt to dazzle you with my insight into sartorial style. However, I will probably just end up showcasing what I buy and what I wish I could buy. Books, photos, mere frivolities, all things aesthetically pleasing- these are what you can expect from moi. And hopefully YouTube videos galore.
I am no longer a student, this much I know. But it doesn’t mean I don’t like to moan about it everyday. Perhaps writing about my transition into grown up life will also help me get over the fact that I’m already in it. . .
Life as an eternal intern certainly has its perks (free Bestival tickets, club entry - NEVER VIP), but it is mostly swathed in an unremitting sense of anxiety and disillusion. Will anybody ever pay me for a full day’s work? Who the hell can tell; I for one know that I set out on my post-student life with a (semi) confidence in my written ability and a strong curiosity in electronic music. Evidently, I took these attributes as a sure sign that my name, sophie t, was destined for the bright lights of online music magazines and e-flyer club-night texts most commonly found in 18-30 year olds’ junk email folders.
We can all keep our fingers crossed that the day will come when the music industry will welcome me in recently-rescued-Chilean-miner fashion, complete with balloons, verbal praise and the light matter of a 16-18k salary promise. Until then, I must go on squeezing out as much excitement as possible from incidents such as well known music journalists writing to my office to stress that, ‘whoever wrote this press release really knows how to sell a club night’. These things do massage the ego but unfortunately they don’t pay the bills.
JC and I have decided to write a blog, focusing on what we believe we know best and hopefully rubbing our contrasting interests up into a frenzy of journalistic brilliance. As I said, I like music. I also have deep-seated issues with the state of the public transport system and its users, I like animals doing funny things with other animals, and perhaps more than anything, I like reminiscing about the past with a good sprinkle of exaggeration.
