The first physical releases of this project came out on underground French indie-pop/shoegaze label “Beko” and his first ever record titled “Hearing Colors” came out as a collaboration between Beko and Berlin based label “Mater Suspiria Vision/Phantasma Disques.” Soon after its release, blogs started to pick up Vicuña's music and eventually found him an official record deal with XL Recordings imprint, Abeano. They would soon re-release “Hearing Colors” as a free mixtape and a 12-inch EP titled “Supernatural” which was praised by major publications such as The Guardian and NME. Coincidentally running into King Krule while in the studio gave birth to collaborative tracks on his self released “Shapeshifter” album which features King Krule under his Edgar the Breathtaker alias. Eyedress also contributed to Krule’s 2017 record “Ooz” where he recites a Krule poem in Tagalog beneath melodic keys on the foreground.
Because of Shapeshifter and numerous supporting write ups from Noisey and
The Fader, Eyedress’ music was discovered by legendary producer Prefuse73
who eventually got him a record deal with London based Lex Records.
Sitting down with the soft-spoken musician was both experiential and educational.
Exposure to his improvisational creative process allowed us to see how his brain
operates, especially while creating a rough draft beat exclusively for this
occasion. So many artists operate on feeling rather than formulaic
steps, allowing them to access their truest form of self-
expression. Eyedress is no exception.
“You know you’ll make something and in one week you’ll hate it. You gotta let it
pass the test of time…” Opting to create sounds through digital means as
opposed to the “live” Eyedress is able to create continuity within his
work, one reason he chooses to create sounds through drum
machines and software as opposed to
the traditional instruments.
During our conversation he reflects on his roots in the Philippines, where politics
and the country’s infrastructure create an environment in which one’s fellow
countrymen will sabotage your success in order to keep you from
moving forward. This lack of unity and a proper support system
is a common thread throughout the country. A lingering effect
of colonial influences from decades of outside involvement
in the country’s history. A flawed mentality he believes
should be abolished, especially since experiencing greater
Filipino love and unity in the United States.
Eyedress continues to create eclectic audio experiences accompanied by his own
extensive visual repertoire. Over time the artist's creative portfolio caught the eyes
of Brain Dead's Kyle Ng, Harajuku’s Big Love Records and London’s Boiler Room.
ARTICLE BY:
LUCAS CHEMOTTI
TAK KATO
TRANSLATION BY:
LEO KATO
LOCATION:
TOKYO, JAPAN
"HIROFUMI "KOJI" KOJIMA: A CONVERSATION WITH THE ATMOS DESIGNER"
©2019 BLENDS UNDERSTANDING OF NOTHING
Based in Manchester, United Kingdom Desire Press is an independent creative
collective brought together by Ben Thompson. A graphic designer by practice,
Thompson’s vision for Desire expands on print magazine making to digital
works, and interactive installation spaces. During our recent trip to Europe,
we met up with Ben and Meg to understand a little bit more of what
Ben’s vision behind the Desire Press label.
ARTICLE BY:
LUCAS CHEMOTTI
LOCATION:
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
"DESIRE PRESS: BEHIND AN INDEPENDENT CREATIVE PUBLICATION"
©2019 BLENDS UNDERSTANDING OF NOTHING
Born in Lisbon, Portugal the U.K. based graphic artist, Mr. Phomer has made career
and a name for himself within the streetwear/art scene with his simple, dark, gritty
graphics. Inspired by nostalgic punk, hip-hop and rave subcultures of the 80s-90s.
Over the years, his vision and execution have granted him a vast graphic portfolio
with clients ranging from the sneaker boutique Foot Patrol to NTS radio and
legendary hip-hop producer, Pete Rock. On a recent trip to London we met
up with Mr. Phomer where he showed us around the East London,
Shoreditch area he lives and works in as well as SCRT, a
shop he frequently collaborates with.
.
ARTICLE BY:
LUCAS CHEMOTTI
LOCATION:
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
"MR.PHOMER: INSIDE HIS EAST LONDON STUDIO"
©2019 BLENDS UNDERSTANDING OF NOTHING
The exhibition entitled "Labyrinth of Undercover" introduces the brand's intricately intertwined and multifaceted creations. The venue, displaying 25 years of its valuable collection archives, videos of shows, dolls, and paintings, is literally a labyrinth. You are sure to experience the real appeal of Undercover, which does not fall strictly within the fashion category and is rich in cultural features.
The beautiful exhibition will be live for public viewing until the 23rd of December 2015 at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in Japan. If you have a planned trip to Japan between now and the 23rd of December, we highly recommend you to view this exhibit firsthand.
]]>]]>