Mix 1 - R.I.P. Dulo

RIP Dulo by somenorthernbastard

This is a set I did for the magazine I design - Now Then - http://www.nowthensheffield.blogspot.com

I played it out at Dulo, sadly no longer with us, one of Sheffield's finest relaxed drinking establishments.

People come round my house a lot and ask what the fuck I'm listening to.
I'm not a DJ, I love sound, mainly bass, but also the twiddly bits inbetween on occasion.
I draw a lot, I have to listen to music when I draw, lots of drawing = lots of music.

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM - GHOST LAWNS
CURSOR MINER - CARNIVORE
AARON SPECTRE - MORE FIRE
BUCK65 - THE UNTHINKABLE (VENETIAN SNARES RMX)
ITAL TEK - DEEP POOLS
GRAVEDIGGAZ - DIARY OF A MADMAN
ROUNDTABLE MC'S - ARCTIC BATTLES
DIGGA - THE CYCLE
TECHNO ANIMAL - CRUISE MODE 101
GZA - LIQUID SWORDS
COMPANY FLOW - INFO KILL II
JERU THE DAMAJA - COME CLEAN
ZOMBY - AQUAFRESH
BASS CLEF - GET ON THE A1O
KODE 9 - PORTAL
BATTLES - ATLAS
RAMADANMAN - BIDDING WAR
BLACK SABBATH - WAR PIGS
SHACKLETON - BLOOD ON MY HANDS
THE ROOTS - SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF THINGS

NowThen Magazine links

There's been a distinct lack of activity on here, but the same cannot be said for the amount of work I've been doing. I've had a few massive mural commissions come in over winter and am busy planning something a bit different for each one. Pictures to follow when they are at a point where I like 'em.

I've started putting all copies of Now Then up on their own blog.

Keep up here.

If you are an artist, send me submissions, if you write, get in touch.

Just finished the March issue with Luke Drozd - a well constructed mash of styles, illustration, screen, photography, I really like his stuff, he isnt afraid to experiment and keep the level of effort the same across whatever he's doing.

Flickr

Going through local stuff from Flickr, I found these recent shot of the Run Hide Survive lads.


The backdrop is an early square fractal design I did. The squares expand from a point in the fibonnaci sequence, cos I was loving it at the time. I'd never taken any pictures of it so was crazy to see it on the net. One of the people who use the space has said he finds it quite intimidating in the flesh, with a giant maroon monolith constantly hovering over his head. critics.

I really like what geometry does to the shape of space and how we perceive it.

The fisheye's made it look amazing - have a look at more of the photographer's work over at chimpola.com. He's taken photos of just about every Sheffield band going and half of Yorkshire's - in a tough game he's got a real style to his work.

You've got some blue on you.

This is where my true passion lies. Getting high as fuck on solvents in small confined strange shaped spaces, covering my arms as much as the walls in paint. Frowning trying to fuck up spraying in an evenly spaced mess.


This is in a new bar in town - run by Arctic Monkeys and Threads lads. I'm really pleased with how its gone, the right amount of fuckups and the right amount of mad stencil complexity - approached it with the same image in my head that translated onto the walls.



They also have the dubious honour of my first ever pair of toilet doors. I've gone off the girl already but more flatcaps is the way forward.



I've got the new NowThen underway - with this absolutely ridiculous artist illustrating it... going by the name of Nychos from Austria...


He's one of those stupidly prolific artists that makes me do a little bit of sick in my mouth, and is doing us a custom cover and poster for the January issue, along with new content from his American shows. Can't wait.

Feedback always appreciated, no point in putting this stuff online without people giving their two pence. Tell me what you think, even if it is critical and well thought-out abuse, I probably appreciate that to general compliments.

Safe.

NowThen - December

We got Kid Acne in to doodle for this one. For anyone that doesn't know, he's a world famous type who lives in Sheffield and draws birds for a living.

Download the new issue here.

I've spent the last week with my arms covered up to the elbow in spraypaint. This is in progress - really pleased with how its going.

State of Art.

I wrote this a while ago, but I still actually appreciate it - rare for my work - generally six months after I've finished something the sight of it makes me wince.

I've been designing tattoos for myself for the last ten years, another ten and I may be happy with them.

The only point in actually putting any of this stuff on the net is to actually get feedback from people, so get on it. I am honestly interested in all you bastard's opinions.

(AUGOR, TSK, US)

I stand watching as two streetforce officials, sweating slightly behind multiple sheets of yellow nylon, work together to take a small sticker from a pane of glass on that 'new' development on Ekkie Road. You know the one, its been empty in the huge 'great opportunity for cafe/restaurant!!' space for at least the last five years. The sticker was a wicked little illustration of a empty fuel gauge, with 'hope' written above. It'll be back in place soon enough I reckon.

Fact is, Sheffield's expanding. Fair enough. Problem ain't the expansion however, it's how it's being done. I for one refuse to live in a Sheffield thats been pissed on by money hungry property developers. All of them building their identical dreams in pale brick, glass and steel.

But yeah. This is about art. Well for a start, for me it's not. I go into galleries and by and large am left cold by what I see. The same picture of a tree on a hill. That bloody scarface pop art picture. Its identical art for those identical flats I was talking about.

It's about dedication. Think about how graffiti's done. Middle of the night, looking over their shoulder, maximum of half an hour in one place. So cold the paint is coming out the can in spats and drips. Working from a drawing they've worked on for weeks, transferring something a few inches wide into something that covers an entire wall. Shit, but that outline's a bit rough... but just imagine what they could do if given time and places to do it properly.

As loathe as I am to take lessons from the South, Brighton Council over this summer put up boards ALL over the city centre, miles of the things, and actively encouraged and paid muralists to come down and decorate. Just imagine what that vandal that scrawled a tag down your shop shutter could have done if you'd given him the time and the encouragement to do a proper job, something to make your business stand out from all the bloody chain stores on your road.

(SILENCER, US)

So what if all they've done is write their name? Would you prefer a brand name, a corporation? In a world where we see ideal living through the latest products, the latest clothing, I find it refreshing to see some individuality expressed. Before you dismiss it as the latest outing from an aggressive egotistical teenager, just look at the amount of work that's gone into showing that they want to do something more with their lives.

This bits for you. The older generation. The dads, the mums, the employers. The 'get a proper job' lot. You must have heard of Banksy by now. Thats proper money that fella's getting. Graffiti is everywhere, loathe to say it, but its mainstream. The world over, street artists are now in galleries, in that latest ad on telly, in the latest range of toys for your kids, on the catwalk and in your magazines.

Foster the kid that bothers to do something creative, that bothers to do something different, because they are the ones who will be making the proper money in the long run.

This isn't a world where you can work for the factory down the road all your life.

This is a world where we have to be in charge of our own lives, our own talents, our own money, our own jobs, because if we aren't, they will be sold off to someone else for someone else's gain.

We've established now that a kid with a pen isn't the real criminal. If anything these kids represent our individuality, in a world where Tesco's in on every street corner, that sticker, that paste-up, that mural is the thing that gives our Sheffield streets their colour.

(AUGOR, TSK, US)

Everything is slowly becoming the same. We have the same problems, racism, poverty, drug abuse that is elsewhere, and its all happening in our city centre, thats increasingly like every other city centre in England, EXACTLY the same chain shops, all made from the same materials. Is it any wonder that we are ending up with more and more people just saying 'fuck it' and not bothering?

Our kids are told they have every opportunity when they are growing up. Be a doctor, be an architect, be a professional footballer, be famous for a few years based on nowt apart from stripping down to your kegs in Big Brother. Slowly, as they grow up, they realise how futile most of their ambitions are. With any luck, someone will come along to encourage their talents, and they'll be a productive member of society. That's what this is about. Appreciate those that want to make something more of themselves, because without them we are lost.

I'm not asking you to like that tag on the roof down on London Road. Im just asking you to appreciate the effort and skill that went into it. Thirty thousand years ago, one of our ancestors dipped a burnt stick in the fire and drew a picture of a bison on the cave wall.

Nothings changed, apart from the walls we now draw on. Do me a favour, and next time you look at a wall someone's painted, try and appreciate it.

That's all I want from you.

NowThen magazine.

I've spent the last 9 months building a local magazine for Sheffield.

Independent art, music, trade, and news.

Starting to become well proud of it. It's a lot of work to do on me tod but its well rewarding to have a project I can return to monthly and see ways in which I can make it better. Having never been taught to design in my life certainly has its hinderances and massive knowledge gaps, and challenging myself to learn new skills weekly makes me very happy.

The concept behind it is to theme each issue after a decent artist - with single submissions from local artists and friends whose work I thrive off. I have to say how fucking amazing a few of them have been -

Phlegm. Dan is one of the hardest working people I've ever met, properly dedicated to his work and developing a body of work that has one of the most distinct styles I've come across. He's stupidly talented, did our first magazine (which is so full of mistakes on my part Im not even posting a link to it...) and has contributed a fake ad to hide amongst the others for every issue we've done so far. I can't explain how greatful I am to him, so I'll just promote the fuck out of him instead. He's just released a new comic - get hold of a copy here.

local pen genius called Craww (who will be our featured artist in February, my birthday issue so it had better be good mate!)

I've had some sick artists in illustrating it - here's links to a few recent copies.

September issue was Keaton Henson from London village -
Get it here.




October issue was Matt Cipov from Seattle -
Get it here.



November issue was Women158 from Leeds -
Get it here.

Tell me what you think.

Presently putting together an issue with a lad called Kid Acne, he's a bit fuckin good and I have a massive smirk plastered over my face.