Maiko Takeda

Last week was the New Designers exhibition in Angel. I was really impressed
with a lot of the work there. One designer who really stood out was Maiko Takeda’s.
Stunning shadows create from the pieces.

the Farmacist.

Distance and Skream

Yesterday was 100% Dynamite at cafe 1001, a sunday afternoon we always try and go to.
Its always an excuse to go to Rough Trade as well. Whilst looking through the records,
I came across this killer tune from Distance. Its the remix version of Night Vision, called
Skream’s so nasty version and it is.

I also purchased Skream and Distance’s Political Warfare single, which is also amazing.
Looking forward to hearing more collaborations from these chaps.

the Farmacist

FAM play Glastonbury!

For all you lucky bastards that are heading down to Pilton next week – there has been a late edition to the already, fantastic line-up of this years Glastonbury Festival. The Farmacist, Roots Romeo and myself, will be deejaying at the infamous Henry’s Beard cafe. We’re likley to be playing a couple slots over the weekend – dates and times still to be confirmed. Just follow the amazingly illustrated map above and drop in and check the notice board to see who’s playing when. Billy Bragg is usually among the artists who turn up and play on the stage. Hope to see you there – have a bangin’ Glastonbury experience!

Smitherz

Dan the Automator remixes

I came across the Def Beat Remixes series in Germany a few years back. I managed to
get hold of Dan the Automator’s record the other day, the hip hop producer has done
remixes for the likes of Depeche Mode and Interpol. This remix of King of silence by
Cibo Matto is so good.

the Farmacist.

Wim Crowel Lecture

This Wednesday Wim Crowel talks about his work and relationships with clients over the past
50 years of his career, with an introduction by Hamish Muir. There are still tickets available on
the ISTD site. He is a huge inspiration to me, I am really looking forward to seeing him.

the Farmacist

The Farmacist’s first Glastonury

This year is my first time at Glastonbury festival. Like a fellow Faculty member(Smitherz), it’s the only thing on my mind. I have heard a lot of bad press about how old the line-up is this year, and how bad it is, I massively disagree, I can’t bloody wait. This is who I would like to see this year.

Metronomy

Maximo Park

Qemists (DJ Set)

Ben & Lex (from my local town)

Neil Young

The Specials

The Bays

The Delegators

Bruce Springsteen &
The E Street Band

Fleet Foxes

Bloc Party

Hot 8 Brass Band

Animal Collective

Dan Le Sac Vs Scoobius Pip

Erol Alkan

Mystro

Crazy P

The Blockheads

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Dizzee Rascal

Spinal Tap

Jarvis Cocker

Bon Iver

Horace Andy

Easy Star All-Stars

Wiley

DJ Food

Badly Drawn Boy

Dub Pistols

Don Letts

Stereo MCs

Tayo

Blur

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds

Status Quo

Seun Kuti and Fela’s Egypt 80

Motown 50th Birthday

Mr Scruff

Infadels

Appleblim

And a load of cider and ale.

the Farmacist.

Japan Party!

Our good friend Hiromi Suzuki, has returned from her 2 month exile to Japan and is back with us in the glamorous London! Come down to FAM HQ this Saturday and celebrate her presence, with live disc jockeying from the Farmacist, Roots Romeo and myself – bbq – japanese dress – and possibly some good ol’ karoke (which we all know is japanese for pissed business man sing bad).

Smitherz

Look out Pilton… ‘ere we go again!

The sun is shining til late in the evening, cold cider is swiftly becoming one of my ‘5 a day’ and it’s almost time for me to make my annual pilgrimage down to Pilton, Somerset. Yes – it’s almost time for Glastonbury Festival!

For the next few weeks, nothing else matters. Any kind of sane thought I may have normally had in my head is replaced by bangin’ reggae and happy memories of staggering around muddy fields – stinking of piss, sweat and cider. All conversation is linked to a festival story of some discription and my stomach is constantly in complete knots of excitement (or fear of the battering it’s gonna take).

As any regular Glastonbury Festivaler will already know – the line-up is of little importance. The true essence of Glastonbury will always be, in the words of Massive Attack’s 3D, “gettin’ fucked and hangin’ out with strangers”.

However, the 2009 listings were revealed today and it aint looking half bad. Here’s my own hand-picked selection of artists, I’m getting all excited about.

Amadou and Mariam

Tunng and Tinariwen

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Horace Andy

Crosby Stills and Nash

The Whip

Echo and the Bunnymen

The Specials

Fairport Convention

DJ Food

Badly Drawn Boy

Dub Pistols

Don Letts

The Aliens

The Blockheads

Joe Goddard

Neil Young

Skream and Benga

Broken Family Band

Bon Iver

Spinal Tap

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Eagles of Death Metal

Fleet Foxes

Hudson Mowhawke

Q-Tip

Roots Manuva

Easy Star All-stars

The Rumble Strips

… and loads of amazingly wicked stuff I don’t even know about yet!

Smitherz

Beards are hard as fuck!

Tomorrow marks the 9th World Beard and Moustache Championships, this year held in Anchorage, Alaska. Such a prestigious event, would alone be worthy of a plug from the Faculty of Art and Music – but what elevates the WBMC from brilliance to sheer genius, is this perfectly illustrated poster campaign by Jason Nitti and Neel Williams.

A perfect marriage of humour and simple design, these posters hark back to those good ol’ days – Milton Glaser meets Alan Fletcher – or something… I hate those kind of annotations, but whatever the influence, you have to agree, they’re great posters and they work.

Smitherz

Where’s the Format?

This morning I have a hangover. Working would have been hard without
the help of DJ Format. I had forgotton how good this album is, definately
one that needs to go back in my record bag.

Where has he gone? Since his Fabric mix I haven’t heard anything about
him, no releases, no mixes, no tours. I’m hoping he will come back soon.

the Farmacist