Blakroc

Words by Alex Bec, Monday 04 January 2010

Oh wow. Just when I thought I couldn’t cram any more of The Black Keys into my ears, along comes arguably their best project to date. The American blues-rock aficionados who have released seven studio records in as many years have popped up with a collaborative album, drafting in some of hip-hops biggest names to stunning affect.

No real originality shown with their invitees, but more than enough to make up for it in the music. Take some time to watch a few of their nine ‘webisodes’, triumphantly documenting the magic. Look at that, I didn’t even mention the great logo either.

Work / Illustration Jerkcurb invites us into his world of noirish dystopia and mischief

As both musician and illustrator, South London-born and based Jerkcurb (AKA Jacob Read) frequently sees his disparate creative disciplines collide and inform one another, instilling in both a unified atmosphere of noirish dystopia.

Jamie Green — 12 August 2016
Features / Graphic Design The story of cult label Burger Records' visual identity, crazy work ethic and perma-teen vibes

Since emerging in primary colour-clad punk rock ideals and a cloud of marijuana smoke back in 2007, Burger Records is just about the hippest, goofiest, punkest and most democratic record label around. In true DIY stylings, the label was founded by two guys who just love rock ‘n’ roll and all its accoutrements – the people, the zines, the sleeves, the sofa-surfing buddy-dom – and to this day they do pretty much everything themselves.

Emily Gosling — 09 August 2016
Work / Music A sleepover with a bunch of strangers, thanks to Max Richter's eight-hour Sleep opus

Losing circulation in a very cold pond, an insanity workout in a gallery, dancing about in my pants for the sake of a reinterpreted Twin Peaks; I’ve done a lot of strange things in the name of art, but none as yet have made me as nervous as the prospect of a sleepover in a studio with ten strangers.

Emily Gosling — 21 April 2016
Features / Miscellaneous Kevin King on five years of Secret 7”: where graphic design, art and music meet

Over the last five years Secret 7” has become something of phenomenon. Combining music, art and design, the project has, as of 2016, produced 3,500 one-of-a-kind record sleeves for 35 musicians, raised well over £130,000 for charity, and in 2015 welcomed 22,000 people to the London exhibition. Last year also saw the two-day vinyl show extended to a month-long affair in Somerset House, a model that has carried over to this year, with Sonos Studios in Shoreditch playing host to the fifth edition of Secret 7”.

Alexander Hawkins — 14 April 2016
Work / Film Lernert & Sander create three-in-one music vid for Dutch band

In what is probably one of the more minimal music videos in recent years, the four members of Dutch band De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig stand in three repeated rows, wearing white, grey and black sweatshirts. Directed by Lernert & Sander, the pair behind the new Cos film, the back-to-basics video actually serves as three, and cleverly, you can click on different tabs to hear different tracks played over the same visuals. The effect is somewhat disorientating as you switch between songs, suddenly seeing the correlating row – either white, grey, or black – come into sharp focus. What could be seen as lazy or penny-pinching is actually executed so well, and so seamlessly, it makes you wonder why such resourcefulness isn’t used as inventively more often.

Alexander Hawkins — 10 November 2015
Work / Animation Ely Dagher’s hypnotic and erotic animated vignettes for Model 86’s EP (NSFW)

Numbers on the back of varsity jackets count down, tiny bodies walk across taut bellies, legs swing open and shut, heads roll back in ecstasy, and doppelgängers look between each other’s legs in surprise. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful animated vignettes that Ely Dagher has dreamed up to accompany a new EP from Manchester-born producer Matthew Wilcock aka Model 86. No strangers to fruitful collaboration, earlier this year Ely’s short animated film Waves ’98 scored by Model 86 went on to win a Palme D’Or at Cannes.

Alexander Hawkins — 27 August 2015