Originally posted on Beinghunted: 06. - 28. December 2001.
Misc.: Nike, Futura, Stussy, etc.
To wrap up 2001 let's combine the last couple of posts from December 2001. There was a bit about One True Saxon, a label that was quite refreshing at the time, a few posts about collaborations such as the Kostas x Stussy package and several MHI and Futura projects, more from Nike, Lowrider from Tokyo as well as an update on the World Of Pain series by James Jarvis for Silas.
Compendium Notes
Looking back at these stories from 12 years ago, it's quite interesting that many of the products/projects/companies have resurfaced just recently. Nike released a set of Gum Air Force Is and announced three new colors of the Footscape Woven Desert Boots, Padmore & Barnes are finally (thankfully!) producing their classic silhouettes again, BAPE is stronger than ever (not so much the Bapesta...), and technical outerwear seems to finally have found its way into the 'mainstream'.
After many Compendium posts, reviews of stories posted 12 years ago, today I have something from the present – a preview of the game "Heathen" by independent French studio Frog Factory.
The last computer game I played was Quake III (or IV) around 1999/2000. After that I lost interest and with the switch from Windows PCs to Mac I also switched off that habit. Needless to say that having ditched my TV around that time buying a console was out of the picture, as well. Admittedly, I missed neither – TV or gaming.
But then, just last year, a few circumstances lead me to delve into the matter of gaming again. I started reading "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal. The pure statistics (number of gamers globally, amount of time spent gaming, etc.) came as a surprise to me, as people never seem to talk about computer games. I also noticed that prices for high-definition TVs had gone down as well as those of current-state consoles. This and a preview video of Crysis 3 had me convinced. It was the right time to find out what it's all about.
Ssales figures alone point towards gaming as the future of entertainment: within the first 24h after its release, GTA 5 made $800 million in worldwide revenue pushing aside all other previous entertainment releases (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc.). I'm sure that the film industry is well aware of the fact that this market is huge. Next-gen consoles not only offer processing power for breathtaking visuals but also for intelligent gaming/interaction concepts. What modern games are still lacking, however, is good scripts. I have yet to play a game with a unique plot. So far, I have 'just' liberated two islands from terrorists (and ghosts), have fought three modern-day wars (and fought off terrorists), killed thousands of zombies (and fought off terrorists) and roamed modern-day cities as assassin (or terrorist). The stories to most of these games could easily fit on a napkin. A small one for that matter.
Let's hope that some of the script writers who have been bringing us great TV miniseries find their way over to the gaming industry. As said, the possibilities are there. Just take a look at this pre-alpha clip from Heathen. The scenery is captivating. Imagine being able to walk through the jungle, exploring the islands, the creatures... and not just simply blasting them to pieces. Could be/should be a great experience.
November 2013
Puma Mostro
25. November 2013 / Jörg
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 06. December 2001.
Kicks: Puma Ltd.
The Mostro is a great shoe. Especially in that highly desirable camouflage style. You have that one? Do you need another pair? Yes, since Nike has been quite lame those last couple of months and the Metro Attitudes won't be released until spring, get yourself a pair of the new Mostro ltd. Go search for a dealer that carries this fine shoe.
Compendium Notes
I had to write this. I had to say "The Mostro is a great shoe." Why? Because I had bought a pair myself on a trip to Tokyo earlier that year. And it was a special purchase, as it involved 4-6 staff at the sneaker store. First my size wasn't available. Hardly any shop carried any type of sneaker bigger than a US 10 - I needed an 11 - in Japan during that time. So the very friendly shop assistant talked to the store manager who called Puma Japan to have my size shipped in from their warehouse. Only that I had planned on leaving Tokyo for a few days to travel to Kyoto. "No problem, please come back when you're back in Tokyo." ... 'Yeah, right', I thought, 'as if... (they would actually get that shoe for me)'.
So I went to Kyoto, came back to Tokyo and, indeed, went back to this shop. As I entered, the manger immediately ran up to me, greeted my and with the rest of the store staff guided me to a seat. The assistant who had helped me the week before went to the storage room and... got me my Puma Mostro in US 11!
It was the camo color-way, which was rare-er at the time. I must admit, I did like the style - and not only because of this great experience on my trip. However, that excitement didn't last very long. Less than 12 months...?
Silas World of Pain by James Jarvis
24. November 2013 / Jörg
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 04. December 2001.
Merchandise: World of Pain
As announced a little while ago, the new 'World of Pain' by James Jarvis was just released. This time it's Lars who will start ruling your Rock & Roll world. As a true follower of 'World of Pain' you will need the action figure (both color variations) and - of course - the comic. Don't forget the badges w/ all different 'WOP' characters.
Compendium Notes
This post is a definite clue that there must have been entries before October 2001, otherwise I wouldn't have used the pharse "as announced before".
Silas' UK-based operation closed a couple of years ago, however, the license was sold to a Japanese company that continues to produce great apparel and accessories under the Silas & Maria label which is also distributed to a few accounts outside of Japan.
If you'd like to learn more about World of Pain check out James Jarvis' portfolio website.
Made in Italy: Air Force I, Air Trainer SC, Air Max 95
19. November 2013 / Jörg
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 01. December 2001.
Kicks: Nike Lux
The first samples of the Nike Lux line have surfaced. The line will include the Air Force I, Air Max 95 and Air Trainer SC High. The shoes will feature high quality woven leather. Prices are expected to be even higher than the Nike Air Woven. Availability = limited to the max. Check back for images.
Compendium Notes
Hmmm... "the first samples have surfaced". Well, why then did I not post any pictures? Seems as if I just wanted to get the info out and have a post for that day. The writing isn't the most creative, either (more of a Tweet one would say nowadays). But then, even at such an early stage, I now remember, I had realized how difficult it might get to be writing about new sneakers, T-shirts, etc. on a daily basis. Finding new superlatives, new descriptions and reasons why we should be buying the n-th version of something...
While I slowed down over the years, many other sites have sprung up and are still writing about the same subjects. Sometimes getting carried away and taking us on literary excursions... why we should be buying the n-th version of something... But then maybe they have more reason (thus more motivation?) to do so now, as that n-th version of something might be blinking in a banner next to said text.
Did I just get carried away?
You'll find the original tiny picture of the Nike Lux Made in Italy sneakers in the slideshow as well as a few bigger versions sourced online. The AM 95 and AF1 are from Kicks On Fire. The Trainer SC I saved a little longer ago.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 28. November 2001.
Art: Fist Full Of Yen
Haven't spent enough money on posters, tees, books and kicks yet? Plus you dig Geoff McFetridge's designs. Here is what you do: go to fistfulayen.com, have your AmEx ready and fill your cart with posters, tees and buttons.
Compendium Notes
Fistfulayen–another of those independent online projects that offered transatlantic shipping. I picked up Geoff McFetridge's Fangframe poster kit and... had it framed. At the time, the frames cost 10x more than the prints...
Fistfulayen is still around as a blog with varying subjects. I did find an old screen-grab of the homepage with the GM banner.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 22. November 2001.
Retail: Commonwealth Stacks
New designs by Michael Leon and guest artists Lucy Mckenzie and Geoff McFetridge are now available on T-shirts. Also check the new posters.
Compendium Notes
In the early 2000s a number of independent graphic studios established small retail/production enterprises. One of them, Commonwealth Stacks, was the brainchild of Michael Leon, well-known for his design work for Girl and Chocolate Skateboards as well as his involvement with Arktip Magazine.
In fairly frequent intervals, C.S. released numbered T-shirt editions, as well as posters, etc. either by Leon himself or guest artists as was the case in November 2001. The scans posted here are of postcards from the series. The "Eagle & Hyena" might be the most recognizable design from this period.
Commonwealth Stacks no longer operates, however, the skateboard brand "Stacks" (a partnership between Michael Leon and Reese Forbes) is quite active.
Below I've also posted a few more links from other sites I frequented (and bought from...) around that time. Maybe some of you remember Braveland and HunterGatherer?
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 27. November 2001.
Kicks: Nike Footscape SL
If you want to look sharp on X-mas you shouldn't miss the new Footscape SL. They'll give you this holiday-look with smooth brown leather and gold details...
Compendium Notes
In retrospect I believe it's safe to say that for sneakers most of the original color-ways are still the best ones. Possibly because the 'first impression' counts. When a new sneaker becomes popular it is because of its design, the technical but also aesthetic aspects. The Nike Air Footscape was part of a series of revolutionary footwear styles–amongst them the Air Rift, Air Max 95 and Moc–released successively in the mid 1990s. For many sneaker enthusiasts, those years were the best/most fruitful in Nike's history. There was a constant stream of innovations but also a continuity of superb color choices for certain styles.
Seven years after its first release, this new make-up of the Air Footscape was released in a leather version with gold detailing. A little too gaudy, maybe, but at the time it was well sought-after.
For the slideshow I've uploaded the original (and very tiny...) image used on Beinghunted and added a few more photos as well as the original advertisement of the first Nike Air Footscape.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 21. November 2001.
Art: Rostarr at Return of Houston
Sorry for posting this info late. But there is still time to catch the art of Rostarr (you might have seen his work at NYC's alife) in Tokyo. Return of Houston is showing 'Graphysics A.W.T.C.' until Jan. 6th 2002. Relax Magazine has the merchandise that goes with the exhibit...
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 19. November 2001.
Kicks: Nike Woven
Can someone please tell Nike that there is no need to put this shoe out in huge numbers/variations? Be prepared for 1 million colorways to come out over the next three decades. This shoe will be dead very soon. Too bad. And why do they look like the fakes sold on ebay?
Compendium Notes
The first set of Nike Air Wovens cost me a lot of sleep and numerous expensive phone calls. When I had learnt about these it was already too late as they were all gone at the official retailers - in the UK (Berlin's Apartment was unknown to me at the time...). However, when I contacted Offspring in London shortly after the release, I was told that they were expecting a re-stock. Immediately I pre-ordered two pairs, which they indeed sent out to me. However, these Wovens turned out to be the Chili Reds, the fourth color released 2000. Nice, but not as cool as the first three.
As we know now, the Nike Air Woven can be considered Nike's first true lifestyle shoe and the one that kicked off the so-called "sneaker craze". Not so crazed were many of the colorways that Nike released in the following years, though, and one of the worst ones was subject of this post from November 2001...
Surely, I can't leave this story without posting images of the originals and I must admit that my pulse just went up a little while putting together these slides!
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 04. November 2001.
Art: Vava Ribeiro at Colette
This just in from Paris: Colette is showing works by Ribeiro from Nov. 5th until Dec. 8th. Go there!
Compendium Notes
You should have noticed that I skipped this post from the fourth of November. Not because it was too short, anyway, but because I was trying to organize some photos from this exhibition at Colette. I would like to follow up on that at a later point, however, while sorting my archive over the weekend I stumbled upon the unopened invitation for this event. For Beinghunted I used Colette's online content so I might not have had a reason to open this letter...?
After more than a decade, this letter was opened and its contents finally digitized.
Make sure to subscribe to the Beinghunted Instagram account for more from the Beinghunted Archive and other current affairs.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 16. November 2001.
Kicks: Nort 235
You're too afraid to go to Iran to check for old Pumas? You don't know anyone in Tokyo who is willing to search for those vintage Metro Attitudes that you need? Now is the time to go to NYC. Air fares are low plus there is a new spot to find what you've been looking for: Futura's old pal Stash (of Subware and Recon fame) will open his own sneaker store, specializing in - you guessed right - hard to find, limited edition Nikes, Pumas, Converse and Adidas.
Compendium Notes
In 2005 I did a project together with Nike for Nort Berlin. It was a campaign for the re-release of the Nike Air Zoom Spiridon. Errolson Hugh of Acronym, Stash and myself each created a design that was later used for billboards in Berlin during fashion week that summer.
The first Nort store was located at 235 Eldridge Street next to Recon and 360 Toy Group. Both Nort stores - New York and Berlin - no longer operate.
If you have pictures of the first Nort 235 store on Eldridge Street, please contact me.
Links:
Sneaker Freaker: Stash
Disney's 100th Anniversary / Japan
1. November 2013 / Jörg
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 15. November 2001.
Anniversary: Disney RMX - d100
So you thought birthdays were about cakes and candles. Well, think again. Also, no one would have guessed that Disney had the guts to let its oh-so-sacred figures get remixed by Non-Disney-ites. OK, here comes d100 - once again, Japanese only. Take a couple of Japan's finest artist/designers, give them Mickey & Co. and as a result you get a fresh take on a rather lame subject. You have never seen Mickey in translucent Kubrick-style Lego...?
Compendium Notes
This is the first Beinghunted post with photos! I vaguely remember having sourced them from a Japanese bulletin board or toy forum but after 12 years none of the original images can be found through search engines anymore. Thus I have to settle for the two jpegs I've used back then.
What I do remember well is that I felt a bit uneasy about using Disney-related material. That's why I put a small Copyright note in the upper right-hand corner. Not that that would have made a difference...
As we all know, Disney has had numerous such projects over the years. And the best ones – surprise, surprise – always happen(ed) to be Japan-only.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 15. November 2001.
This is the first Beinghunted post with photos! I vaguely remember having sourced them from a Japanese bulletin board or toy forum but after 12 years none of the original images can be found through search engines anymore. Thus I have to settle for the two jpegs I've used back then.
What I do remember well is that I felt a bit uneasy about using Disney-related material. That's why I put a small Copyright note in the upper right-hand corner. Not that that would have made a difference...
As we all know, Disney has had numerous such projects over the years. And the best ones – surprise, surprise – always happen(ed) to be Japan-only.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 14. November 2001.
Printed Matter
Relax #58 is out at your international newsstand. Main feature is Paris - with all the important people, galleries and retailers. Also: pics from the opening party of Futura2000/Nike Urban Action by Colette. As always James Lavelle gives you the must-haves for the month. So learn Japanese!
Compendium Notes
My first review of Relax Magazine on Beinghunted did not include and scans. None of those very early posts had images. Not because there weren't any available but because I wasn't sure if I could actually 'grab' them and use them for copyright reasons. After having finished my studies in Communication Science I felt I had to stick to the basic rules of journalism... one was not to use content that wasn't my own without either getting permission or stating the source. Due to the low-res quality of my images I felt it wouldn't cause any trouble for the publication but serve more as PR. I do know that with my regular reviews of Relax and Huge I introduced these magazines to a global audience.
In October I talked about the Futura show at Colette. So in this issue of Relax we get to see some photos, finally... James Lavelle's LTD. EDT. column - always a highlight, but most notable is the Stüssy World Tribe Tokyo party advertisement on the back.
Relax Magazine is no longer published.
Links:
–
Bond International, London
28. October 2013 / Jörg
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 07. November 2001.
Retail: Bond International
When in London don't miss Bond Intl. - they were among the first to bring you names like Good Enough, Very Ape, Silas and Modern Amusement. Hence, the Japanese are all over it. If you see them leaving the shop - no need to go in (unless you wear XS). But here's your chance to get those sought after items without risk... Up next: new vinyl dolls by James Jarvis!
Compendium Notes
Two of the best shops in London in the 1990s were in the Carnaby Street neighborhood: M-Zone (today it would be called a "Stüssy Chapter Store") and Bond International on Newburgh Street: the first one, the tiny one, with that legendary bench outside. In my post the line "if you seen them leaving the shop" relates to many disappointing retail tours to London. Except for maybe one time when I got lucky, I always heard the same sentence: "Ape & Goodenough - sorry, we just had some Japanese customers come in an take everything. We have a few tees in XS left...?"
Bond International still exists in a different location but in the same neighborhood. The brands have changed, obviously, but the logo is still the same. Back when Bond did their own apparel line, the lion head - inspired by the reggae label Wackie's Records - carried a similar weight as the Japanese labels sold in the shop.
To give you an idea of what the style was 20 years ago, I scanned a photo from a story in i-D magazine from July 1993. I've posted this on Instagram a few weeks ago when I went through my archive and since then it's become one of my favorite images from that time. Goodenough, Stüssy, Fuct, Fresh Jive, New Deal, Ben Davis...
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 06. November 2001.
Retail: Tokion USA
Tokion NYC, publisher of the magazine w/ the same name is issuing ltd. ed. T-shirts by Ryan Mcginness and Futura2000. While you're at it, also check items by Michael Leon, Rostarr, ESPO and Stüssy. You gotta hurry - the good sizes are getting scarce.
Compendium Notes
Tokion Magazine is no longer in operation, but its reputation lingers on. Especially their art projects and toys are still very much under discussion, especially the highly recognized Neo Graffiti Project. Over a period of three years Tokion worked with then up-and-coming artists such as Kaws, Barry McGee, Misha Hollenbach, Haze, Margaret Killgallen, Stash, Os Gemeos amongst others to release sets of posters, stickers and lastly also toy figures.
Tokion launched in Japan in 1996, opened a second office in Los Angeles in 1998 and moved to New York in 2000. Apart from the magazine Tokion operated two retail spaces - in Tokyo and New York.
Tokion was one of my favorite magazines at the time. I've kept all the issues I could get a hold of and I've also archived some/many of their releases. There will be more bits appearing on Beinghunted as we move through the archive. For the slides I picked a few of the early Japanese covers, one of my favorites from the US as well as the posters from Kaws, Shepard Fairey and Barry McGee.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 02. November 2001.
Vector-based Animation Experiments.
Check out the Flash experiments at Lodown.com. Those guys have done their homework... as always 2-D, 3-D and 4-D are remixed to make your eyes go nuts.
Compendium Notes
I'm glad that Lodown appears in one of the earliest posts on Beinghunted as I believe that this magazine played a vital role in all that developed out of this melange of Graffiti, Skateboarding, Hip Hop, and sneakers that nowadays is summarized under the well-worn-out term of urban/street culture. I'll surely take the time to talk a bit more in-depth about Lodown in a future post, for now, let's take a look at these reels.
Anyone who was in online-design in the late 1990s and 2000s remembers the first Flash-based websites. Design Is Kinky used to be the ONE destination to find new and experimental online projects.
There wasn't much of a purpose for many/most of these sites, other than to push the limits of this still rather basic animation tool. I never dug into the subject myself - other than the Beinghunted header animation - but remember managing web projects that did involve Flash... Nightmareish considering the time and effort to produce even the littlest of effects... The examples you can see here did not take hours but days... maybe a full week each?
Luckily the guys at Lodown archived all of their early work. Check out two of the clips mentioned on Beinghunted in 2001 now on YouTube. Remember: developers had to work for 640 x 450 screen size back then.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 01. November 2001.
Futura2000 Book. Ltd. Ed.
100 copies of Futura2000's book are available from Mo'Wax online, Hideout, Recon, Nowhere, and Houston. Each edition is customized by Futura w/ paintings and signature. It also features an exclusive package design by Ben Drury. You need to hurry - these are flying off the shelves. Price is $125.
Compendium Notes
What Mo'Wax was for music in the 1990s and early 2000s, Booth Clibborn was for books. No other publishing house was as forward thinking in regards to the subjects as well as the design and production of their titles as these guys. Damien Hirst's "I Want to Spend..." and "Sneakers - Size Isn't Everything" are amongst my favorites but the highlight remains "Futura". This edition, art directed by Ben Drury, is less of an art book but more a compilation of photographs, illustrations, scribbles, newspaper clippings, fold-out posters, stickers, texts, personal items... It is safe to say that all of us who picked up this book spent hours, days and maybe even weeks exploring and deciphering all of its contents.
The news entry from November 2001 seems to be about a special version of the book that was customized by Futura. Unfortunately, my "Data Raw" folder from that year holds no saved images of this edition. Thus I can only show the cover here. Please visit Ben Drury's website for a further look. Side note: if you don't own a copy yet, you should consider buying one soon. Prices have gone up considerably already.
If you own a customized version of "Futura", please let me know. I would like to follow up with more details and maybe even some photos.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 28. October 2001.
Stussy Dunk High
As mentioned earlier, Nike has teamed up w/ Stussy to get the colors right on the legendary Dunk. So there you have it - now available at Stussy's London outlet are both colors. For those of you who are not living in either Tokyo, NYC, London or L.A. (which is probably true for 90% of you) - check the current auctions at eBay. However, be prepared to pay up to $300 per pair.
Compendium Notes
Back in 2001, Beinghunted was updated using static HTML. With each new post, the old Index page was overwritten. When I switched to a content management system I archived the old website but never found the actual first version of it. There must have been more posts in October 2001. Starting my project with a holiday notice doesn't seem right.
Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know that there was one store in Germany that sold these - Apartment in Berlin. I got my cream-colored pair through eBay, actually, after selling a pair of Air Jordans. It was one of two "reseller" sneaker purchases I made (had to make) through eBay. The second was the Stash Air Max BW. Again, a pair of Jordans had to go for those.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 25. October 2001.
Carp Skin Rod Laver by adidas for Oki-Ni
So you were the first to get Evis Genes around your neighborhood. Didn't last long before clowns around you were sporting the crap Italian remakes. Presto I.D. - you had them first. Now they're everywhere. Looking for the ultimate in individualism...? Go to London! Go to Oki-Ni! Everything they carry is only made for this particular store (Levis, Evisu, Adidas, Fake London). Ok, are you happy now with your carp-skin Forrest Hills?
Compendium Notes
Beinghunted was never meant to be a blog (neither the term nor the format existed at the time) with daily updates. Two days passed before this story was posted. I was a little more critical (openly that is) at the time, as one can tell. What puzzles me is the fact that the shoes are clearly Rod Lavers but I put "Forrest Hills". Maybe sarcasm?
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 22. October 2001.
Munich/Bavaria deck for Hessenmob
Beinghunted is proud to be part of the Hessenmob experience. We were involved in the latest Metromob series which features one of our designs. Also check the "Life without Walls" campaign (stickers & adverts).
Compendium Notes
Over the years, many well-known artists and designers have created board graphics for German-based skate company Hessenmob : Don Pendleton, Michael Leon, Mark Gonzales, Flying Fortress, Shepard Fairey, Evan Hecox, Andy Jenkins and many more. It is an honor to have my design listed amongst these names!
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 21. October 2001 together with the Bapepsi story.
Futura Exhibition / Nike Urban Action
So you weren't invited? Don't feel bad: check out snaps from the opening party of the Futura2000/Nike Urban Action gig in Paris & you'll see that James, Nigo and friends weren't that much of a show.
[...]
Compendium Notes
It's unclear now, why I combined two stories in the original post. For the BGHD Compendium you will find the second part about Bapepsi in a new entry. The text mentions photos, however, in the current archived version of this post, there is no link to a gallery or other website. It might have been removed at a later date due to the images no longer being accessible. Thus I cannot explain the "...not much of a show" comment, either.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 21. October 2001.
Bapepsi 2001
[...] besides A Bathing Ape has teamed up w/ (was bought by...?) Pepsi to bring you (and millions others) Bapepsi. Stop this monkey business! Now.
Compendium Notes
The connection between the Futura exhibition at Colette and the Bapepsi project is not really too apparent looking back... Unfortunately, the website www.bapepsi.com is no longer live and it appears impossible to find images of the original cans or Bape products released as part of this collab. The images used for the Beinghunted Compendium entry are scans from Relax Magazine (no longer published). In 2012 Bape and Pepsi re-launched Bapepsi.
Originally posted on Beinghunted: 20. October 2001.
Sign Age at Galerie de Miguel
For the first time in Germany: Ryan McGinness' exhibit at the Gallery de Miguel. "Sign Age" includes the alife mural (consisting of 360 panels), various works in enamel, and also parts of the shtick exhibit at Houston (extensions, etc.).
Today is the last day of the show - the gallery will be part of the "Long Night of Museums" and is open until 2 a.m.
Compendium Notes
As mentioned in the text, the highlight of this exhibition was the 360-panel mural that had been on display at the first alife gallery/shop space in NYC on Orchard Street.
The content for this post was later used for the first Beinghunted online feature in 2002.
Passarella Death Squad are back with a new EP called "Giant", and a video by Timothy Saccenti, who has worked with Flying Lotus, Washed Out, MNDR and Depeche Mode, amongst many others.
For those who have yet to experience PDS, they are a duo who met in London over a shared love of the darker side of music - from The Cocteau Twins to Techno obscurities and everything in between. Along with a connection over music, this extended to fashion – in Danny’s words: "I’d put an advert in the NME looking for a female singer for Dark, Electronic Noise and Emilie replied to it. Upon meeting for the first time she was wearing a T-shirt she’d made which looked a lot like something I’d just been trying to create and it went from there - was so weird.”
PDS has gone on to become a successful clothing label, a stand out was their 2012 collaboration for club pioneers "Shoom", which along with Boy’s Own became known for pushing Balearic and Early House music in the late 80s, early 90s.
PDS began releasing music in 2007 with the tribal beats of "Black Out", very minimal in production, and showcasing Emllie’s haunting vocals. The next two years saw sparse releases, that all had the same ethos of quality over quantity, followed in 2010 with their eponymously titled debut album on Ex.Micronauts label Republic of Desire, to critical acclaim and plaudits from many of the underground Electronic scene's best producers.
Lead single "Giant" launches with an enigmatic combination of filtered beats that entwine in perfect time with Emilie’s ethereal voice. "Stars and Stripes", delivers a homage to the home of electronic beats – Detroit, whereas "Untitled" is a musical journey of metallic sounds welded together. Finally, "Blue Lips" runs in parallel across thundering basslines, and clipped layered synth-sounds - four tracks equal in artistic power.
We caught up with Danny Passarella to ask him about the video for "Giant".
Beinghunted: Could you tell us the meaning behind the video and how it relates to the track?
Danny: The bull fighting idea was to act as a metaphor for the lyrical context of the song, which is about a woman who is abused by her partner - the bull being the woman, and the matador being the dormant male.
What is next for PDS?
We have completed a new live set, which is more club based and are ready to take it out on the road. Plus are working on the next EP called "Empire."
Passarella Death Squad: Giant EP
Out now on Days of Being Wild Records, and available at Colette, Piccadilly Records, and Phonica, amongst many others.
Pioneering record label Mo'Wax will be twenty one years old next year, and as part of those celebrations (plus, support permitting), its owner, James Lavelle will be getting on the road and bringing the show to a venue near you.
Lavelle, a tastemaker in music, fashion and the art scenes was instrumental in bringing BAPE, Futura and Major Force to a wider audience, plus his UNKLE project achieved mainstream success.
A few weeks back, when James and his crew started opening the containers, we were invited to his storage facility at the end of London’s Kings Road to view the full archive of Records, Toys, Star Wars, Blade runner memorabilia, plus incredible art collection, and to talk about Mo'Wax.
Beinghunted Interview with James Lavelle
Beinghunted: So it’s been 20 years since you created Mo'Wax, how’s your memory?
James: Not great, well that’s what I’ve been told! Going through this has been like going through many, many memories; it’s a bit weird - like opening a tomb.
And, how was it, when you started to go through all the boxes?
To be presented with everything in one go, it’s quite overwhelming. Pictures of my daughter when she was very little, to letters from ex girlfriends. Also, there was every letter and document from Mo'Wax too; it’s a capsule in time.
When did the ‘tomb’ shut?
About seven years ago, but things were always quite erratic anyway. Items got pushed into various archives over the years, and now I’ve got it all in one place it’s like looking at your life over the past 21 years.
It seems like such a snapshot of your life, not just Mo'Wax Records.
It’s quite emotional in many ways, and in some ways it’s quite sad, but it also shows what amazing things were happening over that period too. Because, as toys go, I was arguably one of the top toy collectors in the World – same with sneakers, same with clothes, same with records.
Before Mo'Wax, what were you into just before you started the label?
Records, just buying records…
What style of music were you buying?
When I started it was hip-hop, then as I got more into it, I got interested in samples, and that came largely from the black music scene; that was the sample palette. Then it was about collecting breaks, which extended into soundtracks and film music. Also, discovering bands of that time, which were The Verve and The Stone Roses, and Radiohead were happening.
What was the inspiration to create a record label, and was it always going to be combined with art, clothing etc.?
The imagery of hip-hop was a big factor, it was science fiction lead, it was logo lead, it was brand lead - also being into Sneakers, Tron, Star Wars, Blade runner too. But really, the big inspiration was being a DJ and having records to play exclusively that nobody else had – all the cool DJs had their own record labels. It’s always been about getting things that nobody else had, that was what the culture was about.
Tell us about how the fascination with collecting began?
I got into Star Wars when I was about eight and had a friend who’s Dad worked in America and bought him back figures. He told me about a ‘Dewback’ figure, which was only available in the US, and people never believed me it existed.
So did it?
Well, I was walking down the Essex Road in London when I was about 18 and found one in a store that specialised in Star Wars figures, so yes!
And what about other items?
Yeah, it was the same with trainers and records, which was a reflection of my youth. When I was in New York, I’d go to Broadway Sneakers and be the first person to wear Air Mocs, and limited edition Jordan shoes in London - it was all about individuality.
Back then how did it feel that people were copying your style?
That’s interesting as at the start of Mo'Wax nobody bought the toys; nobody was interested in A Bathing Ape either. I opened an old copy of The Face Magazine and there was a six-page feature on me, but The Face banned me from wearing BAPE, as they didn’t think it was cool enough! At the start people weren’t interested in Futura prints or toys – I started Mo'Wax Arts and we hardly sold a thing. A lot of what I did was unsuccessful, I may have started things.
There was a close circle of like-minded people all involved in similar things: music, design, etc. - Futura, Stash, Nigo... How did these hook-ups come about?
That’s the amazing thing about life. You’d go to a record store, you’d meet like-minded people, you’d meet their friends, then you’d DJ at their club and it snowballs from there.
I met Oka who started Kubrick in a toyshop in Japan, which was the best place for bootleg prototypes. I literally went to Japan and knocked on Nigo’s door, I knocked on Medicom’s door, too.
And the UK connection?
Michael Kopelman (The Hideout, Stussy & Very Ape & Bape, then) would come to Bluebird Records where I worked. He and Tim Simenon (Bomb the Bass) gave me my first Major Force Record. Then when I worked in Honest Jon’s I had two Japanese customers come in one day, and I said I would swap rare records for Major Force ones - they said: “We are Major Force!” That’s how I met Toshi and Kudo.
What happened after you had identified them?
We hung out, then I started making records with then, I made the first UNKLE record with them, and they moved into my building in London's West End. That’s how I met Nigo, as anyone in the music and fashion world would want to meet Tosh and Kudo, that’s how influential they were.
Who else was in your building?
Howie B had a studio there; Fraser Cooke had an office there. I then met the guys from Straight No Chaser Magazine, and I was writing music reviews for ID Magazine, too.
What was Japan/Tokyo like when you started working with those guys over there?
I went for the first time when I was 18, just when I started the label. It was a Straight No Chaser tour to about 15 cities, which still is the most places I’ve played at one time in Japan. I met up with Takagi-kan, and Hiroshi – Kudo hooked me up with them.
Major Force was legendary, and must have had a big impact on Mo'Wax? And who did the design for it?
Major Force was a massive influence for the label, and responsible for the strip down the side of early Mo'Wax records, they were based on the strips that Japanese imports would have. Major Force, Hollywood Basic, Def Jam, Warp, Blue Note and Talking Loud were all a big influence - they had an inherent style and image. And, it was Toshi who designed the Major Force logo.
In regards to your archive - did you ever, at one point, think about where all these items might go to 'afterwards'?
I wanted to start a museum when Mo'Wax was young, but the culture didn’t exist then, urban archaeology...
Archaeologists are digging up relics from thousands of years ago - making references and drawing conclusions about those cultures. What would people think when they find items like the ones from your archive?
What a messy fucker! Erratic – good Blade runner collection and 2001, but yeah someone who had far too much time on his hands!
What have you got planned for the 21st Anniversary?
We’re doing book with Rizzoli (Urban Archaeology), and doing a series of events. Some re-releases of classic Mo'Wax Records, and doing new collaborations with many of people we have worked with over the years. Art Shows, gigs, clothing, sneakers, lots of projects.
Tell us about Kickstarter and the Mo'Wax film in planning?
We need money to be able to produce an amazing exhibition to tour around the World, so are asking for the support of Mo'Wax fans old and new to donate a little in order to get the project moving. Unfortunately after 20 years, I have walked out with very little, whilst I do have possessions, I need help to do this.
Have you got full control of Mo'Wax now, and if so what are the plans for the label?
I did a deal with AM, and then did a deal with XL. I hired Nick Huggett (Island Records) who signed Adele and MIA; they changed the face of British music. These connections all happened through Mo'Wax - Richard Russell from XL used to come to our office. In terms of Mo'Wax I have the name and am considering my options, taking one step at a time.
What were the highs and lows when running Mo'Wax?
Highs: Being able to make your dreams come true, working with some truly gifted people, and sharing that experience.
Lows: Since I was 18 years old I have always had people working for me - dealing with the politics of running a record label, and that was something I wasn’t very good at dealing with.
Did any tracks go unreleased, and will they see the light of day this year?
1000s, whether they get released, wait and see…
What are your favourite releases on Mo'Wax and why?
Entroducing (DJ Shadow) was arguably one of the best records of the last 20 years for what it stands for. Things on Headz, Richie Hawtin’s La Funk Mob remix (Motorbass), and Major Force was massive for me thing for me on a personal level.
How did the ‘Gonz Priest’ collaboration happen?
We had a relationship with Mark. I was sponsored by Slam City Skates and it sort of came out of that. Will Bankhead was one of the best skaters in the UK, and Giovanni Estevez was a great friend from Supreme, so a lot of connections.
I did the first ever Aaron Rose show outside of America too, so always had a relationship with the skate scene.
Any funny/crazy stories you can tell us about the Mo'Wax Years?
It’s all morphed into one! The things I liked were going to The Sound Factory in New York for the first time, or going to see Massive Attack DJ at Bagley’s (London). Going to see Carl Craig in Detroit, or going to The Cave for the first time to see Takagi-kan or Hiroshi DJ. And of course Fabric (London), it was the lunatics running the asylum, much more lawless and culturally free back then. Smoking a blunt in LA with Jules and Futura, things like that. Sorry, the most important gig I went to see was Soul II Soul versus Shock Soundsystem, when I was 14 which was Ashley Beedle’s crew.
What labels/music/designers, etc. are you excited about at the moment. Anyone young/new who is similar to the folks you worked with 20 years ago?
I think Will Bankhead’s (Palace Skateboards) doing some amazing things; he’s really come into his own. Other than that, I don’t really label watch anymore.
Any advice to young ‘Lavelle's’ wanting to start a label/creative project?
Get a good lawyer, and don’t spread yourself too thinly like I did. Also, don’t seek approval from others, believe in what you do.
You did a Mo'Wax Urban Archeology Exhibition at Gallery Schueppenhauer in Cologne/Germany in 1996, what was on display there?
We showed a lot of artwork, around 100 posters that Ben (Drury) had produced, and a series of Futura images and a five-sided custom-produced box with graphics.
You’ve done so many interviews over the last 21 years, and have been asked a lot of questions, but is there one question you wished you’d been asked and what is it?
"Are you okay?", "How are you doing?", "Hi, can I help you?" – that would be nice.
Urban Archaeology: 21 Years of Mo'Wax
You can actually help James and Mo'wax by donating to the 21st anniversary Mo'Wax fund set up to finance the upcoming exhibition. Then, you could also get to see this amazing snapshot of one the most important times in street/urban culture's history - go and ask how James is, too.
We are glad to have been offered this rare opportunity to take a look at the Mo'Wax archive in its raw state. Thanks also to James for taking the time for this interview!
A thumbnail of a scan of a T-shirt. An eMail, a phone call and the consequences.
A big part of Beinghunted used to be the "Quick Links" section. Long before Twitter, I set up this feed of messages–only a few lines of text with a gallery pop-up and URL–to be able to shoot out quick bits of info or simply to tease bigger stories. One such quick link in early 2004 was a tiny thumbnail of a bad scan of a T-shirt from Supreme for their spring/summer collection featuring a black and white photograph of Kate Moss.
The files–most of the Supreme catalogue for that particular season–had passed through several nodes before ending up in my inbox and I wasn't 100% sure what to do with them right away. I believe I hesitated for a few days before I decided not to post any of them. Except for that one thumbnail which I assumed was too small to be recognized by anyone, anyway.
However, similar to the digital route this file took to reach me, it also quickly found its way back to Supreme in New York. Three things happened afterwards: 1) I received a very polite eMail asking me to take the picture offline. 2) I took the picture offline. 3) I received a phone call from someone preceding my source for those files by 2-3 instances within the data stream. This person, who happened to be a friend of mine, too, seemed somewhat stressed out.
Besides the fact that those files–and the Kate Moss design, one of the highlights for Supreme's 10th anniversary, in particular–should not have been passed on, it was more the presentation (or lack thereof) that caused aggravation. As a retailer myself I know all too well the feeling of disappointment when either a project or product surfaces weeks if not months before a set date. Pictures are mostly unprofessional, information is based on speculation rather than facts, the story is more or less spoilt.
As we all know, that little teaser did not affect the impact of this T-shirt design when it went on sale. It did, however, affect my relationship with Supreme. Shortly after, I produced the first official Supreme online feature on Beinghunted. And a few years later when we started carrying Supreme at Firmament I received their PDF catalogue with this note: "This catalogue is for buyers and business owners only. No part of this catalogue should be posted online at any time."
After more than nine years, it should be OK to re-post that original JPG file from the Beinghunted Quick Links section but also a few more of the scans from that catalogue. Even more so as they contain other highlights such as the Rammellzee backpacks, as well as the Andrei Molodkin Box Logo T-shirt and decks.
Check out the Beinghunted Archive section for the Supreme Beinghunted Features published over the years.
After the 10th Anniversary Kate Moss T-shirt, Supreme released another design with the model for its 2012 spring/summer collection, as well as a special version of the original for Japan with OriginalFake in 2008.
Ryan McGinness Sign Age, 2001
3. June 2013 / Jörg
2001: Ryan McGinness in Munich at Galerie de Miguel.
With early features such as the gallery visit to Ryan McGinness' exhibition "Sign Age" in Munich, Beinghunted established a new format for online publishing.
Besides the regular news posts on Beinghunted, I thought it interesting to expand the content to 'live' coverage of art shows or gallery openings. Without any real size limitations–other than transfer rates–the scope of such a digital feature would be much broader than in a printed publication. The fact that the story could be published almost simultaneously to the actual event was and still is yet another advantage to print. People could virtually attend a gallery show, they could get an idea of the space and in many cases would still be in-time to visit if they happened to be around.
The first features on Beinghunted did not differ much from the rest of the content other than that the picture format was slightly bigger, and most importantly, that the images were not sourced but taken by myself or the various contributors over the years.
During one of my trips to New York in 2002 I went to see an exhibition at the Urban Experience museum where I was also allowed to take pictures for Beinghunted. While the format for our online features was still under development I decided to put together an online gallery that readers could click through. As simple as it sounds and looks now, no other website (there really weren't too many 'other' sites...) had done anything similar.
The second feature on Beinghunted, a gallery visit to see Ryan McGinness' show "Sign Age", was published after the Urban Experience show, however, the photos were taken quite some time before then in the fall of 2001. Finding out that a gallery in my hometown would invite one of my favorite artists was quite the surprise and seeing the 360-panel mural that had previously been shown at Alife in New York a true highlight. I'm happy that I was able to retrieve the original scans of the photos I took almost twelve years ago. Due to the grain of the APS film I used at the time, the photos seem to have a vintage look-and-feel. For this re-view of this early Beinghunted feature I'm happy to display those shots in a much bigger format embedded in a modern slideshow.
The first 'proper' Beinghunted online feature, an interview with creative collective Rabbit & Redtree, was published in early 2003. The three-part interview with Earn Chen and James Lavelle that we published in 2005 was the first of its kind online and is the predecessor of the modern feature format used by many online publications nowadays.
One of the longest-running sneaker resources online–rediscovered.
This past weekend I started sorting through the dozens of archive CDs and DVDs that I've accumulated over the years, alarmed by the fact that the files on one of them–named "Acronym® Studio Pics" (!)–could no longer be accessed. Neither on a PC nor on my Mac. Thus I decided to transfer all CDs and DVDs onto an external hard drive to be uploaded to 'the cloud', avoiding future data incompatibilities, hopefully.
While copying I stumbled upon the many JPGs of POTA memorabilia from the early days of eBay, A Bathing Ape apparel and goodies right-mouseclicked from Japanese bulletin boards and hundreds of tiny images of sneakers.
Among them I rediscovered a collage with the Stüssy "stussymax95" T-shirt released in 1999. Apart from a similar design from Stüssy–featuring the first Nike Air Woven pattern–this particular T-shirt I consider my 'grail', a must-(but-never-will)-have.
Without further research I shared the image on Instagram... Since Google, Bing and Yahoo tend to forget or no longer index data from even a few years back I didn't even expect the original to be still online. Out of curiosity, I typed in "stussymax95" into the Google image search... and to my surprise found the original website where it was posted in 1999: Alternate Sneakers from Japan, published then and now by Mr Koji Ueda.
Alternate Sneakers was also the first online publication I ever contributed to back in 2000. Even if it was only that one post, I felt (and still feel) honored that my pictures and my name are still there.
Almost a year before I put Beinghunted online this collaboration between Futura and Levi's Japan launched with an elaborate microsite.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s the one gallery/store that served as a global hub for the coolest projects and products, the one that hosted some of the best art shows, was Houston in Seattle. Houston offered a wide selection and archive of the best Japanese Magazines such as Relax, they produced their own collectibles such as the Futura digi-print canvasses and Houston was one–if not the only one–online store to sell the first Kaws Companion figure by Realmadhectic and Bounty Hunter. It was definitely the only shop to use Futura and Bathing Ape packing tape for their shipments...
Apart from their physical space Houston also curated an extensive website with features, interviews and online exhibitions to accompany each of their projects. For the Levi's x Futura collaboration Houston produced a microsite that served as a 13-day countdown for the product launch in Japan and the charity auction of the signed pieces hosted at the store in November 2000.
The 13 Flash clips embedded in the this online feature convey the same aesthetics that Futura applied to the digital collages of his online portfolio at that time (home.dti.net/futura): roughly animated CCTV-style footage, original drawings, vectorized illustrations of his Pointmen, but also screen shots of email conversations about the project–all intertwined with actual product shots and design details of the Levi's design collaboration.
Get Adobe Flash player
Flash clip #13 from the Levi's x Futura micosite by Houston originally published on the levisxfutura.com website in November 2000.
Unfortunately, the original website and online feature is no longer active. However, in foresight of Beinghunted, I had archived all of the Flash clips, number 13 of which I've uploaded here.
Even though a little 'rough' in its production style, this 'vintage' bit of online content appears as fresh and contemporary as it was more than a decade ago.
If you follow Beinghunted on Instragram you might have seen the photo of one of the items from this collab posted a few weeks ago. The original pack consisted of a 1967 model denim jacket, a 1966 model 501® jeans, a sweatshirt, and a diary-type booklet as featured in the clip. I was lucky enough to have a friend in Tokyo grab me one of the sweatshirts back then as the jeans and denim jackets were impossible to get a hold of.
The original website "Levi's x Futura by HOUSTON" was published in November of 2000.
Bettery Magazine – Tokyo Video Feature
24. May 2013 / Jörg
Tokyo Mobility.
A few weeks ago I was inivted to produce a feature on mobility in Tokyo.
When I was asked to produce this feature for Bettery Magazine I was quite excited as it gave me a chance to explore Tokyo with a different premise–to learn about how people actually live in this Metropolis, how they travel, where they like to spend their free time.
The first part of the feature gave some basic information about Tokyo and for the second and third part we met up with Tokyo local Mai Nguyen who showed us around and gave us some insights into her daily life.
Just this week, the video footage that we shot for this feature went live. In those three clilps you will get to see some amazing views of the city and hear some of my friends talk about their experiences living in Tokyo.
After almost 2 years of tinkering with various designs and formats, Beinghunted.com went live in the fall of 2001 as a simple online diary.
The first Beinghunted post from October 10th is a notice regarding taking time off. When I archived this version of the website I searched on the webserver as well as external hard-drives and CDs for a backup of the actual first HTML pages with more content. I'm assuming that there were a few posts prior to that particular one:
"yes, we are also humans, too, and humans need a break from time to time. so, we hope you stay sane while we're off to the south. check back by october 20th. cheers."
It doesn't seem plausible that I would have started the site with no actual content but a message that I wasn't going to post for a few days.
Without the help of modern content management tools, I had to update the site in static HTML, adding rows for every new post and then saving the new page under the same name. The original "index.html" was modified with each entry and transferred to the web server. At one point, the version that has survived replaced the original page and the earlier posts were lost.
I designed the layout for Beinghunted in one day with a color scheme loosely based on one of my favorite sneakers at the time - the Nike Air Max 95. What took the longest was the header animation consisting of the deer, a loop of layered clouds and birds. I had no knowledge of Flash at the time and spent a whole weekend tweaking the layers, the loops and speed. And it's still working after almost 12 years...!
This initial design of Beinghunted was kept until the spring of 2002. After that it changed every half year. Still my favorite is the "UNDFTD Splatter Dunk" theme introduced in January of 2003.
