November Mixtape 2012

 

This month at i-D HQ we’ve been listening to Kendrick Lamar on loop, following Barack Obama’s re-election and finishing the forthcoming Winter issue. As i-D MIX returns to XOYO, listen in to our working inspirations…

Kicking back at BBC Radio 1Xtra’s towers, chatting with Charlie Sloth, Sarah Jane Crawford, Twin B and Mistjam this week, i-D online got the inside scoop on who and what to cotch onto and listen in for on the up-coming grime and hip hop scenes. Fully into the transatlantic, R & B licked rhymes coming in from across the ocean right now, Joey Bada$$, Brenmar, Kanye, The Weeknd, Cyril Hahn and Kendrick Lamar have commanded our attention for the past few weeks. Long-standing i-D faves Julio Bashmore, Maya Jane Coles, Miguel Campbell, Maribou State, Ossie, Tale of us and Joy Orbison make a welcome return to the i-D online soundcloud, blending heavy doses of breaking house music alongside break out artists Lozano, Tev’n Kennedy, Different Sleep and Haleek Maul. The all man army fronting up the i-D Mix night, taking place tonight (08.11.12), throw in a track of their own for good measure. Kowton, Baunz, Brassica, Jet Letts and Ghostpoet are our own private DJ’s for one night only and you’re all invited. Music is moving, emotional, archaic, inspirational and entirely about identity. i-D is all about you.
Our favourite named fashion illustrator Andy Bumpus sketched up the trippy, monochrome GIF to rep the November i-D Mixtape. A graduate of Northumbria University, the animated creative studied fine art after witnessing Salvador Dali’s preparatory sketches in the Tate Modern first hand and experiencing an epiphany. Working for Vogue, Time Out, Amelia’s Magazine and Antipodium, Andy also cites painter Paul Klee as a significant influence and is currently busy working on a number of commissions which he juggles between managing a self published zine. Andy is nice, we like him, you should too, check out his stuff here.
Text and selection: Milly McMahon
Illustration: Andy Bumpus

i-D Online October Mixtape

London Fashion Week kicks-off today; music, models, parties and expensive behaviours ensue. Fuel the next few heady days with this full-on, deep house, disco beat laden cocktail of rhymes, hooks and drops.

One time Hud Mo collaborator and ex A$AP in-house designer,Dominic Lord creates drone-y, daydream rap infused lullabies using gunshots, birdsong and baritone vocals. He is i-D online’s hotly-tipped talent for 2013. Establishing his fresh, solo material this summer, dropping dope tracks on thefree d/l, we have featured not one but two of Dominic’s most recent releases on September’s mixtape; Old English andPierce, featuring Grimes and Pusha T. Why? ‘Cos he’s that exciting. Trust…

Enthralling and intriguing, unsigned, angelic acoustic artistDana Williams teams-up with the almighty Freddie Gibbs for standout track ’The Hard’; badman bros Main Attrakionz lay down ‘Do it For The Bay’ with Davinici; whilst Cassie croons from her balcony, chatting dirty rhymes with Young Yeezy. Forging allies left, right and centre, an industrial army of electronic artists arrive in force to raise the energy and get your pre-autumnal pulses raising. The leaves may be turning and temperatures might get icy but its all good on our SoundCloud. Forecasting purple skies at night Citizen,Jimmy Edgar, Brenmar, Midland, Ben Pearce and T. Williamscause delight with knee-jerking, body twitching Traktor and Ambleton generated soundscapes. Listen in for Baauer’sextraordinary ‘Harlem Shake‘ if you need a dose of dance inspiration.

The full-browed, dip-dyed, brown-eyed beauty behind this month’s mixtape cover-art is Kelly Anna. Mates with i-D online editor, Sarah Raphael, she first came to our attention after designing tees for Plan B’s ‘iLL Manors’ tour. Studying at LCF she can now often be found experimenting with fashion film and styling and etching live catwalk illustrations for runway shows. Partial to a GIF, her pink fingered, monochrome submission excited us, a lot. Thanks Kelly Anna, you’re the very best.

Text and selection: Milly McMahon
Artwork: Kelly Anna

Browse the full monthly mixtape catalogue by clicking here.

i-D Mix

i-N Conversation: Plan B

“I’m very passionate about what I do, I’m passionate about art and the integrity of my art. I think my art is about injustice and about things that I think are wrong with this country, that are wrong with this world.” Ben Drew (aka Plan B), i-D’s The Just Kids Issue coverstar.

Challenging society’s misconceptions of the underclasses, Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew believes music is his therapy. Each track the incensed artist labours over, producing, writing, performing and recording is a piece of art that he needs us – his audience – to appreciate and understand. His aspirations lie beyond shifting units. Deep inner turmoil inspires the lyrics that Plan B lays down in the booth, which Ben Drew in turn refuses to elaborate on in interviews. Adopting the more soulful, slickly suited persona of Strickland Banks for his previous conceptional album The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, Ben has returned to his roots in rap music for his latest release iLL Manors. Directing and producing an accompanying major motion picture of the same name which was revered and chastised, Ben has been working non-stop for the past few months, unable to release control of the multi-million dollar empire he has single-handily grafted. An established director, actor and accomplished musician and still only 28-years-old, Ben has acted in and worked on six cinema released screenplays, with a seventh soon to launch. Vulnerable, valiant and defiant, Ben is the voice of a generation who fight for their rights and seize what they believe they deserve. He provides food for thought, not fuel for the fire. Unflinching, his loyal following stands strong at five and a half million Facebook fansand 300k tweeting disciples, backing his every move. Michael Jackson was Ben’s first ever hero. Ben Drew is mine. I got up close and personal with the chain-wearing, Topman-loving badman over a glass of rosé one Friday evening…

ill Manors, the album, is available here. The Deepest Shame EP with remixes from Andy Cand Cinematic comes out on Monday 10th Sept; pre-order here.

time4planb.co.uk

Text: Milly McMahon
Film: Makda Iyasu
Photography: Alasdair McLellan for The Just Kids Issue
Styling: Elgar Johnson

August Mixtape 2012

Don’t bother warming-up, i-D online’s mixtape is August’s hottest event.

For this month’s mixtape, pop stars of yesteryear Brandy, Destiny’s Child and JoJo join forces with beatmakers Boddika, Dusky and Schoolboy Q to help get you in the know about what’s good in new music. Whilst others have been exerting energy winning races, competing hard and scoring medals, i-D has been focussed on just one activity; entertaining you!

The Summer flavours feel Balearic so get set to bare your skin. Whether you’re off to Ibiza, Burning Man or braving Notting Hill Carnival, you only live once, so live young. The bold and beautiful crew included on our Pre-Fall mixtape have been busy cooking up some al fresco beats to whet your appetite for the heady nights each artist’s tunes fuel. Stand-out track and recent i-D online ‘Song of the Day’, ’All For You‘ from Andres sits snuggly alongside Vybz Cartel’s roughly brilliant ‘My Crew‘ (the official video is a must-watch). Former i-D MIX night headliner Hot Since 82 serves up6 minutes and 42 seconds of spicy deep house whilst The LOL Boys give Carly Rae Jepsen their right royal remixing treatment. The best things in life are free. Golden sunshine, good feeling vibes and great times are priceless. Save your pennies, pound this mix.

The ruggedly handsome and artistically crafting Simon Peter Frank Cook is the allusive lad behind Stone and Spear and this month’s mixtape cover art. SPFC’s distinctive logos and signature etching techniques are uplifting, eye-catching and inspired. Shortlisted for New Designer of the Year in 2010 by Creative Review who described him as “one of the year’s most promising graduates in visual communication”, i-D also cherry-picked Simon in early 2010 as one of the top illustrators to keep one eye glued on. Recently returning from a year long stay in Paris where he was working as underRiccardo Tisci at Givenchy. Look, learn and enjoy more of his artwork here.

Text and selection: Milly McMahon
Artwork: Stone and Spear

Browse the full monthly mixtape catalogue by clicking here.

i-N Conversation: Conor Maynard

With our older, Plan B-loving brother releasingThe Just Kids Issue onto newsstands this week, we’re getting our youth on at i-D online too. Enter a certain twenty-year-old, Brighton-born popstar who already counts Frank Ocean, Usher and Pharrell amongst his collaborators…
#letsgetyouthful

There’s too many girls, and it’s become a problem, for Conor Maynard at least. He likes Balenciaga, trainers (owning over fifty pairs) and Rita Ora, but not in that order. Working with the industry’s most successful producers and songwriters, Conor doesn’t seem to get fazed by much, smiling, chatting and constantly keen to reiterate his obliviousness to his own stratospheric success. Conor’s position as pop prince of charts and hearts was solidified earlier this month as his album went straight in at number one in the UK. Preferring not to be compared to those who have trod a similar path so successfully before him (nod towards Justin Timberlake, Justin Beiber), Conor insists his talent is entirely unique and original and that one day he will win a Grammy, not an unlikely prospect given the speed with which he’s moving. Meet the fast-chatting, slow-singing blonde bombshell, with a cheeky freckle by his left eye and a wink in the right. Little sisters evacuated? Hit play and go…

conor-maynard.com

Text: Milly McMahon
Film and photography:George Harvey

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