All Images Courtesy of African Apparel
After recieving African Apparel’s Freddie Mercury T-shirt for Christmas I became interested in the company. I liked the playful name and the artwork that they have on their t-shirts. I got in touch with them and find out a little bit more about the label.
Andy Devine. African Apparel originally started as a band, thumb what happened to that?
African Apparell. Our act still exist under different names, see lately we’ve been called Postman Pat and Goblin Comb . We started the project as we wanted to play raw fucked up ethnic music. I got into the Sublime Frequencies label thing and was researching loads of different folk music from around the world but what I prefer was always the raw stuff, viagra buy old tribal chief grawling playing a one string luth. The real stuff, no pissing about. So we tried to recreate that in our own style. It sounds funny but we’re pretty serious about it.
AD. Is the name just a dig at American Apparell or is there something else behind it?
AA. Well I needed a name for this band. Our music doesnt sound anything near what guys who are into American Apparel would like so I just thought African Apparel would be a good name for it so yeah I guess it is a dig in a way
AD. Was it always intended to become a clothing label or did it happen organically?
AA. Not at all, it was only when I posted the Bob Marley design online and everybody asked me where they could buy it , that I decided to print it. From then, I used the cash to print other shirts from others artists I like. It was more our band t shirt at the beginnning.
AD. Is there any sort of philosophy behind the label?
AA. Put out tees by artists I like who do stuff differently. Taking risks.
AD. How/why did you choose the artists/designs you’ve released so far?
AA. Some of them are people I know and like, some of them are people I have discovered through zines, net or books. There is not a recipe, just people who I think are good and do things their own way.
AD. Could you tell us a little bit about the two new designs you have coming out?
AA. I have three actually. One by Milo Brennan, a piece he did for an exhibition which is a collage inspired by Beavis & Butthead called SkullRockDeath. Another design is by Belgian Artist Brecht Vandenbroucke, I really dig his stuff, awesome paintings and drawings. Google him! Finally, the third one by Ryan Riss a.k.a Craptical from Seattle who is really pissed off cos Lil Wayne has been jailed. Same again google him, mindblowing stuff.
AD. Do you think you’ll start producing other clothing items other than t-shirts?
AA. I’m not sure really, I’m thinking of having sweaters too and balaclavas but dunno when that’ll happen. I like to keep it simple.
AD. Can any artists submit ideas to you or do you have a specific idea of who you want to work with next?
AA. Well, I do have a specific idea of what I want but if people think they’ll fit they can submit stuff but we’re already collaborating with others artists for upcoming releases.
AD. If they can where would they send them?
AA. Afroapparatus@gmail.com
AD. How succesful have you been so far, I own two of the three t-shirts you’ve done so far and they always get a great reaction from people?
AA. I’m not sure what you mean by “successful”. We’ve been selling our tees around the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Moscow , Berlin , NY , Melbourne, Paris etc… So i guess people do like them and its pretty satisfying to think people are wearing your tees around the world . Financially I get enough money to get new tees done and promoting them, thats all that counts so far.
All T-shirts can be purchased from the African Apparel site here.
All Images Courtesy of African Apparel
After recieving African Apparel’s Freddie Mercury T-shirt for Christmas I became interested in the company. I liked the playful name and the artwork that they have on their t-shirts. I got in touch with them and find out a little bit more about the label.
Andy Devine. African Apparel originally started as a band, order what happened to that?
African Apparell. Our act still exist under different names, cost lately we’ve been called Postman Pat and Goblin Comb . We started the project as we wanted to play raw fucked up ethnic music. I got into the Sublime Frequencies label thing and was researching loads of different folk music from around the world but what I prefer was always the raw stuff, old tribal chief grawling playing a one string luth. The real stuff, no pissing about. So we tried to recreate that in our own style. It sounds funny but we’re pretty serious about it.
AD. Is the name just a dig at American Apparell or is there something else behind it?
AA. Well I needed a name for this band. Our music doesnt sound anything near what guys who are into American Apparel would like so I just thought African Apparel would be a good name for it so yeah I guess it is a dig in a way
AD. Was it always intended to become a clothing label or did it happen organically?
AA. Not at all, it was only when I posted the Bob Marley design online and everybody asked me where they could buy it , that I decided to print it. From then, I used the cash to print other shirts from others artists I like. It was more our band t shirt at the beginnning.
AD. Is there any sort of philosophy behind the label?
AA. Put out tees by artists I like who do stuff differently. Taking risks.
AD. How/why did you choose the artists/designs you’ve released so far?
AA. Some of them are people I know and like, some of them are people I have discovered through zines, net or books. There is not a recipe, just people who I think are good and do things their own way.
AD. Could you tell us a little bit about the two new designs you have coming out?
AA. I have three actually. One by Milo Brennan, a piece he did for an exhibition which is a collage inspired by Beavis & Butthead called SkullRockDeath. Another design is by Belgian Artist Brecht Vandenbroucke, I really dig his stuff, awesome paintings and drawings. Google him! Finally, the third one by Ryan Riss a.k.a Craptical from Seattle who is really pissed off cos Lil Wayne has been jailed. Same again google him, mindblowing stuff.
AD. Do you think you’ll start producing other clothing items other than t-shirts?
AA. I’m not sure really, I’m thinking of having sweaters too and balaclavas but dunno when that’ll happen. I like to keep it simple.
AD. Can any artists submit ideas to you or do you have a specific idea of who you want to work with next?
AA. Well, I do have a specific idea of what I want but if people think they’ll fit they can submit stuff but we’re already collaborating with others artists for upcoming releases.
AD. If they can where would they send them?
AA. Afroapparatus@gmail.com
AD. How succesful have you been so far, I own two of the three t-shirts you’ve done so far and they always get a great reaction from people?
AA. I’m not sure what you mean by “successful”. We’ve been selling our tees around the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Moscow , Berlin , NY , Melbourne, Paris etc… So i guess people do like them and its pretty satisfying to think people are wearing your tees around the world . Financially I get enough money to get new tees done and promoting them, thats all that counts so far.
All T-shirts can be purchased from the African Apparel site here.
All images courtesy of Lazy Gramophone Press
Two years in production, cost The Book of Apertures is the fourth publication by Lazy Gramophone Press; an arts collective whose emphasis lies embedded in collaboration – as a process to produce original, nurse personal, prescription and pragmatic works – by any aspiring artist or writer who feels like getting involved.
At the launch of The Book of Apertures, there was an honest and reverent sense of a team effort, with a mutual respect for each contributor’s offering; be it a short story, an illustration, or a poem. As Phil Levine, a founding member of Lazy Gramophone explained of the project, “it feels like everyone has had their own part in it, like an original hand-made arts and crafts feel.” And it is this sort of grassroots method that has combined and juxtaposed creativity to make for a wonderful environment of ideas and imaginings.
The premise of the group’s new book was that each contributor was given the theme of the unexplainable; focusing on elements of life that just don’t make sense… and to run with it. What was produced were some fantastically remarkable works. Some to make you laugh – The Kidnapping of Little Wallet, by Guy J Jackson had me giggling away in inappropriate circumstances; and some will make you cry, or muse, or just smile (the opening poem, Moment’s Notice by Helena Santos is just lovely). It is this variety that makes the book – the personality of each contributor is exhumed, as Levine reflected proudly (and rightly so). “There is such a wide variety of people that everyone’s got their own style so you can’t directly compare any of the stories, they are all very individual.”
Sam Rawlings, who edited the collection, was equally beaming with the end result. Of particular significance seemed to be the fluidity with which the whole process evolved. Speaking at the launch, Rawlings elucidated that “the idea went out and we didn’t know how many people would respond, it could have been one or two or it could have been more – it turned out that we had about 22 or 23 people, so it was great. It wasn’t everyone at the start – people heard about what was going on and kind of joined in half way, and it started growing and morphing.”
Illustrated throughout, The Book of Apertures combines artists renditions; another dais by which talent seeps from the pages. The book is aesthetically pleasing to the extreme, a myriad of perfectionists jigsawed together amidst a slightly obscure semiotic whole. Dan Prescott, who designed and typeset the book, has produced an impeccable labour of love.
The Lazy Gramophone group as a collective have demonstrated a remarkable and inspiring ethos throughout this project, and their willingness to provide a means of expression is second to none – as Levine said: “there should be a platform for where it would be easier to put work out there, so our work can get out to a wider audience… The emphasis is really on collaborations, anyone who wants to get involved, be it the creative side, the technical side, or even the business side, anything, a mixture of people doing their own thing, and we want as many people involved as possible.”
Several of the writers in The Book of Apertures will be holding readings in and around London prior to the official on sale date, April 6th. Filled with intricacies, I would happily recommend the book to anyone. On asking about their next project, it appears there are more collaborative projects to come – however, as Rawlings joked, “this took two years so don’t hold your breath!”
Categories ,Arts, ,Arts Collective, ,book launch, ,books, ,illustration, ,illustrators, ,Lazy Gramophone, ,limited edition prints, ,literature, ,poetry, ,press, ,print, ,Sam Rawlings, ,Small press
Similar Posts:
- Oaf-rageous!
- London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Presentation Review: Ada Zanditon (reprise)
- Marcus Oakley book launch: The Idea of Something
- Doodlers Anonymous Epic Colouring Book: Colouring Book Review and Editor Interview
- Valerie Phillips Book Launch
