Archive for August, 2009

This year Obama was inaugurated as president, Michael Jackson died (RIP) and we got up close and personal with swine flu. On a happier note, it was also Ugly Duckling’s 10-year anniversary. Sadly, there was no cake or strippers. Just a quick chat to Crumpet…

10 years is a long time – aren’t you all sick of each other by now? Who has the most annoying habit?

We’re beyond sick of each other [laughs]. But that’s 10 years working and making a living; we were a group four or five years before that just knowing each other. It’s kind of like family. You’re really sick of each other but as long as you have a respect and a common purpose, it’s like a marriage. Just hanging in there for 10 years and actually working and touring and doing some of the things we’ve done it is remarkable we’ve been able to pull it off. We’ve been able to fool them for this long. [laughs] especially when I don’t think of any one of us as being remarkably talented. It’s all smoke and mirrors, I assure you.

You are veterans – do you feel like the grandfathers of hip hop these days what with all the Soulja Boy’s and Dwele’s?

Strangely, we’ve been doing this for a very long time. We started in our late teens in the early 90s trying to put together a band, but at the same time we are intensely immature and refuse to grow up. I kind of feel like an old boy if that makes any sense.

Why the three year wait after Bang For The Buck?

First of all we’re remarkably lazy. But we toured for a long time. When we start the process of making new music, it’s really tedious to design the songs the way we do using samples and trying to create bridges and choruses and all those vehicles for song writing and the production of it.

Tell us about your new 4th album Audacity. It’s more experimental?

We tried to develop things a bit. We’ve always loved songs. Like rap traditionally is beats and rhymes. We love bridges and courses and breakdowns and build-ups and all the little techniques. We love song writing. We listen to all kinds of music. So this time we were trying to use melody more and some different harmony things. We’re a bunch of knuckleheads. It’s like cavemen rubbing sticks together when we try and develop music.

And it’s on Fat Beats this time?

Yeah this time it is a new label isn’t it? That’s one of the bad parts about being a rogue independent group – we’ve been through so many labels, so many people going out of business [laughs]. I don’t even remember what we’re doing. We’ve had five different labels on different continents. So yeah this is the first time with Hydrofunk (who do Resin Dogs).

Finally, whereabouts are you speaking from?

I’m sitting here at home doing a crossword puzzle. An Emu? That’s a big bird from Australia right? E M U?

www.uglyduckling.us

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

First there was America Apparel’s nerd glasses phenomenon. Then the shutter shades craze made famous by Kanye West. Even Ray-Ban had another five minutes of fame with their ‘90s sunglasses, thanks to Michael Jackson (RIP). Now comes Maison Martin Margiela and his single lens sunnies creation. Be warned – the one-piece lens by the Belgium fashion designer is only for the fashion-adventurous (think: Lady GaGa and Amber Rose).

www.maisonmartinmargiela.com

We love jewellery. But not just any jewellery – KidViskous jewellery. Crumpet chats to Tiffany Lee, the brains behind the hottest jewellery label out.
How did KidViskous come about?
I’ve been making jewellery my whole life on and off, and selling (or at least trying to) for just as long. I like making things, particularly little things, so it’s perfect for me to make jewellery. KidViskous specifically came around when I was painting on Louis Vuitton handbags and selling those, but wanted to do something on a smaller scale, so I jumped back into jewellery after a couple years of hiatus. I was really getting into street fashion, and there wasn’t much at the time as far as street jewellery so I took up lucite since it was so versatile and different.
Your pieces are very directional  – where do you get your inspiration from?
A lot of it comes from music. I feel like music and fashion are of the same ilk.  More often than not, people who wear certain styles listen to a corresponding music, and visa versa. And if you only do one or the other, you are sometimes seen as a poser, it’s funny. My first collection was really rock ‘n’ roll, military-come-street punk fashion, the second a softer, silly, vintage, folksy theme, and this current one is technotronic neons, geometric shapes, larger pieces, relating to the nu-rave/dance/party scene that was just emerging at the time. From there on, I’m waiting for the next wave.
kidviskous.com