Yannick Ilunga aka Petite Noir, the inventor of ‘noir wave’ and member of the Capital of Cool creative crew just brought out his new single Pressure and a trippy music video to accompany the tune. Freshly back from London town, he spoke to us about what inspired him, unique music and bad grammar.

Image: Travys Owen

How do you create music? Is there a particular process?
I just create what I feel. I just go to the studio and make music. It doesn’t really have to be a particular way or a process.

Do you expect to reach a certain type of individual with your music or do you expect anyone to like your sound?
Anyone could like my music. I don’t really try to target a market while creating it.

How important is it to you that you sound unique?
Everyone has to have their own sound. I feel like a lot of people have been trying to copy a song without referencing properly, but it’s very important because it defines who you are.

Do you think, music-wise and generally, it has become harder to invent stuff today because it seems like so many things have been invented already?
It just takes creativity. Everything is borrowed from something else – nothing is a hundred per cent.

Image: Travys Owen

On that note, what kinda music do you borrow from? What genre\artists inspire you?
80s, new wave, that’s why I created the word ‘noir wave’. That’s my genre – and African music.

As an artist are you scared of the word ‘pop’?
No, not at all.

In an interview with “The Guardian.co.uk” you said “you can appreciate a Britney song as much as you can appreciate a Radiohead one.” Why do you say that? How do you measure taste? Is there some sort of standard?
No, hmmm, it has nothing to do with measuring standards or whatever, if the song is good the song is good. You can’t just hate on artists because they make pop music or because you think it’s uncool. It’s just about having an open mind. Britney spears could have a song that could be as good as a Radiohead song.

Who inspires you? What’s on your iPod? Who’s your favourite artist out right now?
Right now I’m listening to a lot of ASAP Rocky, Metronomy, a lot of Devonté Hynes (Blood Orange).

What did you grow up listening to? What kinda music did your parents make you listen to?
I grew up listening to a lot of pop music and Congolese music.

Image: Adrian Louw

Would you say your music is South African? Are cultural ties important to you?
No, my music is not South African. My music is worldwide, from everywhere, from all over. I don’t wanna classify my music as from a specific country. I wanna classify it as everything I have done in my life. All the places I have been and everything I have listened to has influenced my music.

So how would you position your sound? If you ever had to be nominated for a Grammy, which category you think they would put you on?
Best album of the year (laughs) – but seriously it would probably be like alternative pop or something close to the genre.

What African artists would you like to work with?
I would like to work with Amadou Mariam from Mali – they have a really good sound.

You have been to Europe, would you say it’s harder for African artists to make it than European ones?
I think if you make music that whoever likes it will buy into it. I don’t classify myself as a Cape Town artist. I’m just based in Cape Town.

How was South African music perceived when you got there?
Not many people knew about a lot of South African music in England or Europe. South Africa is definitely bringing out a new wave of unique artists I think!

Why did you decide to go London?
For me London is a better place to work. I’m not really in my comfort zone here.

Image: Travys Owen

Pressure has a toned-down drama to it, would you say your music is sad music?
No, it’s just emotional.

What inspired the track? What were you going through at the moment you wrote the song?
Social pressure…just everything in general…anything that pressurizes your life…issues such as not fitting in really!

Did you misspell ‘Petite Noir’ on purpose?
Yes I did misspell it on purpose.

…Why?
Because I wanted to.

Where you bad at grammar?
I was actually really good in grammar, I just didn’t feel like it.

So the mistake should be approved because of your grammar skills?
Yes.

When can we expect an album from Petite Noir?
Next year sometime…so unsure exactly when right now.

What’s next for Petite Noir?
A European tour next month in November and a few festivals and dates on my own.

Image: so-many-animal-calls.blogspot.com

Click here to watch Petite Noir’s music video for Pressure on onesmallseed.tv
Interview by John Norman

You’re from Joburg right? Tell us about the fashion scene there vs. Cape Town.
Johannesburg is Cape Town’s cool little sibling. The inner-city is really coming alive, creating its own unique culture. With markets popping up all over the place, people are migrating back into the CBD. I think it translates into a really fun street style – less heels and tailored lines and more about second hand, bargain buys and most importantly, fun.

Tell us about your new project, The Frown For Rayne
The concept of the video originated from a desire to explore witchcraft, in a beautiful and enigmatic way. We wanted to reference ‘South Africa’ through the portrayal of a Sangoma. We wanted to create something not exclusively for the brands involved but that would impact the South African scene.

This video shows that we don’t need to be defined by our location, but we can still be inspired by it.

There was that whole thing in the early ‘70s, art rock and glam rock that tried to merge art forms so that music could transcend the audio. Is that an important part of your project?
Music transcends into the visual and, in turn, fashion transcends into music. The project would not have been as impactful were it not for the collaboration with the Frown. Music stimulates us in a different way to something visual and the fusion of the two creates an impactful connection.

Tell me about the track in the video.
The track was created around the video as we originally intended the project to be a fashion film. It is difficult to associate one type of music with the work we do as our aim is to make each project entirely unique. Jessica Rayne was hugely inspired by her time in London and the connection with the music scene is definitely reflected in her designs and our collaborative work.
 

The link between fashion and music is becoming more prevalent with the current success of fashion films which ultimately need to be partnered with music because films need soundtracks. The fashion film is about capturing that synergy succulently.

There seems to be a prevalent element of female strength to the video. What inspires you on that theme?
Rayne is about women who are strong individuals and we needed a star to represent that. We are both young business owners who have gone out on our own to create two very strong brands and we are focused on building up other women in the fashion industry who share our passion. The collaboration between Gaschette and Rayne becomes something bigger than our individual brands. Eve is a strong female figure, that is why we chose her to represent our concept and Rayne.

The scene with the abortion addresses the historical archetype of the deadly female — in that she can create life and therefore is a threat to her male counterpart because she holds the key to immortality through reproduction. It’s about something like an inverse immaculate conception — but because it’s quite obviously something evil inside her, it has to be expelled from her body in an equally unnatural way.

Was the final product similar to the original concept or did you just go to a warehouse with some flour and let it get a bit out hand?
The final film was an evolution of the original concept but it remained close to original thought process. We sat down and developed a story line of witchcraft and Steve Marais and Colin O’mara Davis suggested adding an African influence with creating a story inspired by Muti.
The flour was a crazy last minute decision (Steve is a genius!) that just enhanced the visual aspect of what we wanted to achieve.

What’s the inspiration behind the clothing? What’s the story that we’re watching?
Jessica Rayne: My Designs are influenced by the year I spent studying in London and the way I dressed- the gloomy weather affects your mood and style. I try to still keep the core of the brand quite romantic at heart. London was all about grunge, sheers and velvet- the mix of grungy and feminine which rings very true to Rayne and my personal style. Rayne focuses on a vintage second hand culture and sustainability that is a lifestyle overseas more than something that they aspire to as we seem to here.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Jessica Rayne: I hope to have my own studio space and boutique in JHB and perhaps one in Cape Town and potentially a menswear line. I am also passionate about changing South African’s attitude towards vintage and luxury basics.
Jessica Lupton: I would like to travel and discover new sources of inspiration. I am determined to change the way the regular South Africa’s see fashion.

Thanks Jessicas!

Interview by: Adam Alexander

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

The eBook collects, resurrects and digitalizes old articles, interviews and photographs of the band that would otherwise have been forgotten in old archives. The crowd-funded book comes in two parts, each covering 25 years of the bands career.

This is the largest eBook ever published on The Rolling Stones running over 2.000 pages. It contains without exception high quality press content – with original articles and interviews from back in the ’60s, some of them digitalized for the first time. The eBook is enriched with more than 130 carefully selected images.Original footage has been adapted for the digital age to be accessible to readers on all platforms.

How to Win

Now you can stand a chance to win a free copy of the first instalment of the eBook, covering their first 25 years from 1962 to 1986. To win just write on our Facebook wall and Tweet us your favorite Rolling Stone lyric.

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Image : Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

Original footage has been adapted for the digital age to be accessible to readers on all platforms.By unearthing old material the aims to take readers as far back as a time when peace and love still seemed possible, London was the hippest place to be and the Stones were the coolest new band around.

Few bands have a legacy like the Rolling Stones, who have left a permanent mark on worldwide music culture. Whether it’s in the dusty record collection of an aging fan, the t-shirt of a girl who’s never listened to them before, or the earphones of a kid discovering them for the first time, the Stones are still iconic and loved.

Words:  Adam Alexander

Images: Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary eBook

image : chezbeeperbebe.blogspot.com

image : sandradieckmann.blogspot.com

Dieckmann had no intention of living in London but through a series of events has now settled and has a quaint studio/ apartment. In a recent interview with Etsy Blog she says ‘The circumstances of my life have put me in a place that I love and that I call home. Here in East London, UK, I work from my home studio as a freelance illustrator. With my cat, Little Crumb, and my friends around me, I have built myself a colourful nest filled with animal faces, books and things that inspire me. It’s a good life.’

image : lostateminor.com

Dieckmann’s main source of musing is nature, wildlife and friends… ‘My work revolves around nature, wildlife, dreams, longing and observations, and is inspired by all that touches me personally – time and space, nature, friends, conversations, music and learning.’ Her illustrations of animals and wildlife are very unique and created in an almost storybook-like manner. We are bombarded with so much art that is inspired or pertaining to our society and the issues surrounding this; it’s an endless dialogue between the art and viewer. Sandra’s work takes the edge off and one can just merely look and ponder about the simple things in life.

image : wolfeyebrows.wordpress.com

image : wolfeyebrows.wordpress.com

Life Is What You Make It! It’s easy, in a way, to realize that you only have one shot at happiness – meaning this one life – and believe that being happy means creating your life in the best way that you can. It’s the best form of motivation. Bad things will happen, but they don’t happen to tear you down and make you stop – on the contrary. There are positives and learning to be drawn from anything. Reality only exists in your own mind, and in a way everything just depends on your perspective. Change your mind and change your heart.(Etsy Blog)

Words : Bianca Budricks

Sources: Etsy Blog, sandradieckmann.com, lostateminor.com

images:  chezbeeperbebe.com , sandradieckmann.blogspot.com, wolfeyebrows.wordpress.com

image : featureshoot.com

image : featureshoot.com

Kellet  comments to Feature Shoot in a recent interview  ‘The idea for “Team Vodkovia” started in the spring of 2011 when Olympic fever was really beginning over here in London. I thought it would be good to get involved and would be fun to invent some athletes who were specifically matched to the event they would participate in. Brave New World Style.’

image : featureshoot.com

image : featureshoot.com

Oli Kellet is a London based photographer and has worked with an array of agencies as an art director, from which he resigned from the industry to pursue his career in photography.  Kellet also has a few other projects showing his unique style as photographer, definitely worthwhile to go have a peek at his work.

Words : Bianca Budricks

Sources: olikellet.com, featureshoot.com, whatisengland.co.uk

Images: featureshoot.com

The Umuzi Photography club in conjunction with David Westhead and John Cole from Wilton Pictures recently exhibited the works of eight talented young photographers at the Oxo Tower on London’s Southbank. The exhibition named Wembley to Soweto is a collage of life for these eight young adults interspersed with photos from the 2010 Fifa World cup. The exhibition stands as a terse reminder that service delivery in many parts of Africa is still a pipedream.

While the images speak for themselves I had the chance to interview three of the photographers who are emerging as a talent to be reckoned with. First was Thapelo Motsumi, he stands nervously with hands in his pockets, a camera slung over his shoulder, Thapelo graduated high school last year and is currently on a gap year doing freelance photography for places such as Marie Claire and Vice. His philosophy on photography is simple, ‘I like pictures that have an impact, pictures that show peoples lives.’ His pictures at the exhibition sold out within hours and it’s not hard to see why, the simplicity and beauty in the still images stands in contrast to the subject matter, life in the township.

Shonnez Cassim knows what she wants and is on her way to getting it, a 19 year old student at the University of Johannesburg, Shonnez small frame may fool you but her personality and enthusiasm dwarf her pint size physique. She would like to integrate photography into child psychology and create a learning program for children who in turn would teach other children in the community. As she explains, ‘I’d just like to make a difference.’ For Shonnez there is something powerful in photography that highlights how little things people take for granted can have such a powerful impact on others.

Last up due to her shyness is Patience Ndhlovu, even though her hands flutter nervously and her voice comes out just louder than a whisper her photography speaks volumes, she explains that, ‘ If I want to tell people something I always know that it doesn’t have to be verbal, I can do it with pictures.’ A sixteen year old student with ambition, Patience is not just happy doing photography but also wants to be an accountant whilst continuing with her photographic work.

The Umuzi Photography club started with disposable cameras and a handful of students in 2009 to the present where they run courses from introduction to photography to advanced photography. Their successful model of teaching young disadvantaged children to show their world in photos is one that is going to see photography changing. With Wilton pictures involved in projects in other countries with similar backgrounds such as Brazil, with children from the favellas against the backdrop of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, this mode of photography could effect change that governments have failed to.

Umuzi in the meanwhile is set to expand their current model within South Africa, having already had over 150 students in Johannesburg pass through their learning centre in Bramfontein they are now looking towards expansion in Cape Town. One thing is for certain, the photographers from the Umuzi Photography club have taken a subject bled dry by the media and introduced a fresh new perspective into it. For more information on the exhibition check out their homepage www.umuziphotoclub.blogspot.com or go to www.wiltonpictures.com

In much the same way Da Vinci’s inventions were ahead of their time, Red Bull is creating a sound system so advanced it makes current sound rigs look like tapedecks. The Red Bull Music Academy World Tour kicks off in Cape Town with a three day event that we don’t want you to miss. Read on to find out how you can win a double ticket to the three-day event courtesy of one small seed and Red Bull.

Between August 29 and September 1st Cape Town will host the visionaries behind the world-famous Valve Sound System (UK), Dillinja and K-aze along with SIAN, DJ and founder of Octopus recordings (UK) and some of South Africa’s most prolific crews, DJs, promoters, producers and creative collectives. What is being done is the construction of a massive sound system that will travel to some of South Africa’s largest musical events as a tribute to the nucleus of club culture. When completed, the collaborative construction of the world-class system will be capped off by a three-day festival of sound. Taking place at The Assembly in Cape Town, September 1-3, it will feature a full spectrum of electronic music where all participating local crews will have the opportunity to perform on the newly built system alongside world-renowned selectors.

Dillinja – hard noize

Having pioneered the first filtering drum system and creating unique Amen breakbeats, Dillinja and K-aze are versatile producers and mix masters who, since the 1990s, have been lauded as versatile producers and mix masters. Fellow Briton SIAN throws down his own hypnotic take on techno with his avant-garde approach and trademark experimental DJ-ing style.  With a list of 26 talented and respected DJs throwing their hats into the ring, it’s almost guaranteed the event will blow everything else out the water.

Lemon D vs Aphex Twin – Manhattanannou

With the Red Bull Music Academy World Tour hitting over ten major cities all over the world including Berlin, Paris, Detroit, Melbourne, Rome, San Paulo and London kicking it off from Cape Town is a great hour we’re sure the city is happy to accept. Each stop will delve into unique elements of the Red Bull Music Academy experience, bringing together influential musicians from various corners of the world across different eras of music to pay tribute to the pioneering sounds that paved the way for today’s deepest funk and hip hop.

So be at The Assembly from the 1st to the 3rd of September to show your support and pride in Cape Town’s own vibrant and definitely celebrated club culture. For your chance to win a double ticket to the THREE-day event courtesy of one small seed and Red Bull rack your brain a bit, do a bit of research HERE, leave a comment below answering the following questions and tell us why you want to go. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 30th August.

1. What is the name of the Soundsystem that Dillinja and Lemon D built?
2. Name one of the famous Soundsystems owned by eccentric DJs during the early days of Jamaican Soundsystem culture.
3. Where would you like to hear the Red Bull Studio Signal Control Soundsystem aside from the Assembly next week? (Choose any party / venue. Who knows the Soundsystem might make its way there one day).

Belgium street artist Roa has taken over London’s East End with his massive black-and-white murals of animals, hand-painted on walls of derelict buildings. Starting his work in the quaint cobbled streets of his hometown of Ghent in Belgium, his work now decorates buildings all over Europe and in New York. This year he held his solo debut exhibition at Pure Evil Gallery in London, including original works on A4 paper, locker doors and even street works in the area.

London, UK

London, UK