Flatpack Festival is a Birmingham-wide initiative taking over venues across the city offering an “embarrassment of film-related riches” every March. We’re awaiting the launch of the full programme in February, until then watch the video compilation of last year’s event and also visit their site at http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk/festival/ which also has a load of really interesting local history photographs and bits and pieces.
Some great performances here using modular synthesizers, for those not in the know a modular synthesizer is a type of electronic music instrument first developed in the 1960s. Once thought obsolete, it is now experiencing resurgence right up to the cutting edge of contemporary music. An upcoming documentary ‘I Dream of Wires’ will celebrate this giant and complex instrument, including interviews with the likes of Keith Fullerton Whitman and Trent Reznor.
Like many windows into the worlds of ‘dedicated and obsessive subcultures’ (director Fantinatto’s own quote!), I Dream of Wires promises to be a very interesting watch. Find more information about it here:
So the race is on once again for the for coveted Christmas No.01, the last few years its been pretty X-Factor heavy at the top spot. X-Factor have the winning formula boiled down to a fine art. The Official charts website have given a nice break down on who’s in the running for 2012 right HERE. It looks like this year it could be anybodies race.
Dappy premiered the video for his next single Rockstar last week and it features Brian May from the legendary rock band, Queen. I don’t think anybody could have predicted that team up. The collab came about after May spoke about being a fan of Dappy’s previous single ‘No Regrets’ in an interview, saying: “I just heard a great song by the guy from N-Dubz, Dappy, ‘No Regrets’. I started listening to the words and thought, ‘My God that’s the kind of song worthy of an award for lyrics’.” Nice words from the rock legend.
The video is second to none and is shot by the award winning music industry legend Colin Tilly.
Niall used to work in a skate shop, which I spent too much money in as a youth on pair’s of trainers, I probably didn’t need but were cool at the time. I always remember Niall having a keen interest in taking photographs, Tho.. at the time I just assumed it would have been skate photography and thought little more of it.
It wasn’t until quite a few years later I came across his Good Rats series. A pretty captivating series of images of young punks, well worth a look, see it HERE.
His latest project “Anger” A video installation looks incredible, lets hope this will be exhibited in the UK, for the meantime you just have the incredible trailer to wet your appetite for more, Check out the details of the installation HERE.
We’re happy to be part of the recently published 3D Type Book by Fl@33, the most comprehensive showcase of three-dimensional letterforms ever written. Featuring over 1,300 images of more than 300 projects by more than 160 designers including Sagmeister, Vaughan Oliver, Milton Glaser, Italo Lupi, Hort and Non-Format. The variety of work is amazing, spanning decades and materials, from nails and balloons to human skin.
Fl@33 made this great video which takes you through the entire book (with musical accompaniment by Lou Rawls). Published by Laurence King, you can get your copy here.
Yann Gross has recently published a collection of photographs documenting the lives of the skateboarders who skate Uganda’s first skatepark in Kampala. You can find the book here and here.
Back in 2009 I wrote something about the Ugandan Skateboard Union for Club Mumble, what they were up to and the films they were making.
“our film is slow but in the works. It will cover the construction of the park, interviews with the skaters, a super hero short film, skating footage, and lots of goats and ducks”
They have some amazing photographs and stories on their blog, like how they originally had to skate barefoot and how the first mini ramp was destroyed by heavy rain last November (the structure of the original ramps was actually made from soil). The website has some additional information about the work the Uganda Skateboard Union are doing to bring skating to Uganda’s youth through small donations from all over the world. You need to take a look at the photographs they have, really inspirational stuff.
The first video feature of the event itself from Red Bull with some lovely footage. Nice to see the logo we designed in full effect on the track and on the specially commissioned sprocket trophys and Charge frame (with custom headbadge) for the winners. Good to see mountain bike and trial rider Chris Akrigg taking the win. Some great images by Roman Skyva here.
We designed the logo for the Red Bull Mini Drome event recently and here’s the new trailer. Top fixed gear riders from across the UK are ready to do battle this Saturday, January 15, when the world’s smallest velodrome hits York Hall in London’s East End. Registration closes at 5pm, January 10 if your interested, I would but i’ve got gears. For more info visit redbull.co.uk/minidrome