Flavorpill WMC: Interview with DJ Heidi

by Ami Kealoha

As we wander down Collins Avenue like lost, drunken, sunburned children, Team Flavorpill is bound to bump into some interesting characters. We decided to take advantage of the situation and bring you quick 'n dirty interviews from the DJs, producers, promoters and general party-makers that we meet on the street. Last night at the Immigrant Records bash, we sidled up to Heidi, proprietor of Phonica Records in London. Here's what she had to say about muscles, minimal, and her residency at Monza …

Are you English, or American? Because you kind of have an American accent.
I'm Canadian.

Well, that's sort of the same thing!
No, it's not!

From where?
From Windsor, Ontario.

So how many times have you been to WMC?
It's my first time; I'm a virgin.

What are you most looking forward to, besides playing at the Get Physical party?
[Long pause] Really, the beach, and getting some sun — I see all the rest of it all the time anyway, so this is a holiday with a bit of work.

What were you expecting upon getting here, and how has it been the same or different?
I only got here last night, but it's quite… funny. It's Miami, it's everything you think Miami is going to be—lots of muscles and silicone. Lots of Lamborghinis and lots of American house music.

But you play American house music!
I do, but I mix it up with a little bit of everything. You've got to keep it fresh.

So you work at London's Phonica Records. What's happening with London's dance-music culture? Last year seems to be the year of minimal, but it seems like a backlash is afoot.
We set up Phonica three years ago, me and my friend Simon. Basically we always sold that kind of music, even when we used to run another record store, called Kubla. We sold stripped-down techno, but it wasn't called minimal back then—it was called "click house." We sell everything for everybody. Obviously quote-unquote minimal… But it's always been around, though, that's the thing. People want to latch onto this word, but they've been making techno music like this for years—Richie [Hawtin], Daniel Bell. The younger crowd has come up and they're looking for something, and they've found it, and now it's popular, but it's still quite underground.

I wonder if it's a particularly English thing — it's always been around in Germany, but in England progressive house was so strong, and once progressive bottomed out they started playing minimal…
That's because they realized what they were playing was shit! I need bass in my music. I can't deal with this high-end, trancey music. Personally, from a woman's point of view, I think that if you hit the pelvic region with your music, it's going to be good on the dance floor. If I don't feel that bass in my midsection, then I'm not interested.

You have a residency in Ibiza, right? How did that happen? No offense, but you weren't a huge name globally when you got that.
I'm still not! Through the Get Physical guys, I played a few times at Monza Club in Frankfurt, and I played a few years ago in Ibiza at Penelope's. And they liked it so much they asked me to come out. I'm still not the best technical DJ in the world, but they dropped me into it, gave me a peak timeslot, and it went down really well. They loved it, asked me back, and yeah, that's history I guess.

Have you played in the States before?
No, never. Growing up in Detroit, I've danced with American crowds a lot. It is very different. But I'm really good at reading people, and I can tell if they're not into it, and I'll change it up. I'm not gonna sit there and just play — you've gotta deal with their feelings. I'll always play what I play, but I'm quite diverse, so maybe they'll like something else.

Best and worst fashion trends seen so far?
Muscles. That's the worst. Best? Nothing yet.

by Philip Sherburne

Spec+ Spring/Summer 07

by Josh Rubin

Updating classic styles with contemporary details, Spec+ is one of the latest welcome additions to menswear in NYC. With subtle gold accents and Japanese linings, their Spring/Summer 07 collection has just enough edge to breathe new life into familiar styles without going all-out trendy.

The trench ($298), for example, is a current ubiquitous look that Spec+ keeps clean save the slant pockets and a d-ring on the back —the only slightly unusual part. A bomber (another hot option for spring, $229) in greyish lavender features a blue-and-white Japanese print lining and an interior gold slit pocket. Similar pockets show up on the exterior of the army field jacket ($289), which gets transformed in a lead grey wool pinstripe and has some fresh asymmetrical exterior pockets as well. The metallic hoodie ($99) adds flash but keeps it understated by mixing in the same greyish lavender of the bomber—the interior mock rib collar is a nice touch as well. Go here to see details.

Wood Links

by Leonora Oppenheim

In a dramatic departure from her delicate china Stain tea cups, British designer Laura Wood’s latest project is all about big, chunky and funky jewelry. Working with sheets of plywood and a laser cutter, Laura has been having fun with geometric patterns inspired by the joining mechanisms of her drawing board.

Laura says that this project focuses on reduction of material wastage; by using the laser cutter to make concentric plywood forms the most is made out of the wooden sheet. Even the spacers are made from the remaining material in the center.

The links can be used to create various accessories such as rings and single and multiple chain necklaces. We love this big statement jewellery with the neon highlights contrasted with the dark lines created by the burn of the laser cutter. Get linking. Starting at around £15 and going as high as £150, contact Laura directly (heinzmeanzbeanz [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk) for stockists.

Air Guitar Nation

by Wendy Dembo

Air Guitar Nation, the documentary about pro air guitarists, has been bouncing around the festival circuit to wide acclaim for the last year or so. Opening this Friday, 23 March 2007 (in limited release in NYC and L.A.), its day has come.

In 2002 Krison Rucker happened to read in the Wall Street Journal that the International Air Guitar Championship was being held in Finland. He got his friend Cedric Devitt to join him and they went to Oulu, Finland to check it out. Cedric spontaneously entered the competition and came in fifth place. Upon returning to New York they decided that the U.S. had to compete the next year. They formed the U.S. Air Guitar Championships and teamed up with production company Magical Elves and director Alexandra Lipsitz to make a documentary about the whole process.

Air Guitar Nation follows the competitons in NYC and L.A. to find the US Air Guitar champion, who will then go to Finland to compete for the world title. The two major contenders and characters are Bjorn Toroque and C-Diddy. The film is filled with intense competiton, lots of mullets, rock music and wicked air guitar.

For a list of upcoming screenings, see the Air Guitar Nation myspace page.

Thomas Broomé: Modern Mantra

by Tim Yu

To a level of almost maniacal precision, Swedish artist Thomas Broomé uses indian ink on white paper to create sterile interiors constructed with words and letters in "Modern Mantra," a series of 18 "text drawings"(click on images for englarged view). Broomé applies his mastery of perspective to create illusionary dimensions by positioning letters at certain angles and degrees. He even re-creates the fluidity of water and bed linens by tweaking and rotating letters the slightest bit. The words are entities in themselves composing forms through repetition and technique. The dual function of words and images is a central theme, while also a critique on the way our logo-centric society ingrains logos and brands through repetition.

His work was recently showcased by Galeri Magnus Karlsson at the Armory Show in New York. Keep a lookout for upcoming exhibitions as they shouldn't be missed.

An Interview with Lisa Kereszi

by Ami Kealoha

Dubbed "visual poetry" by Stephen Shore, New York-based photographer Lisa Kereszi is known for her prints of ordinary places in lush, deeply saturated colors. In her current show, Kereszi's subjects are spaces—strip joints, fortune telling parlors, theaters—that aspire to transcend the everyday. Earlier this week, CH contributor Jonah Samson chatted with the artist about her interests, style and background. For the full interview, go here. For an excerpt, read on. And for more images go here.

You have a new show called "Cheap Thrills" opening today at Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York. Can you tell me about it?

The show was edited down between me and Yancey from a lot of work. I didn’t set out to make a show called “Cheap Thrills.” My interest is in fantastical and recreational spaces. I didn’t pre-plan set out to have to show that I’m having.

One of the things I love about your work is that you capture a moment that would probably otherwise go unnoticed. You hone in on elements that are very beautiful and fantastic.

I think I’m trying to look at these banal things and to elevate them. I don’t think I’m passing judgement. I think it’s this mixture of love and hate. I walk in and think, “Oh, this is fantastic!” Actually, I think of that word a lot – “Fantastic.” Especially after reading a lot of Diane Arbus quotes. Apparently, she used that word a lot when she approached someone --- “You look fantastic!” or “That is fantastic!” … I also think that I’m one of these people who looks at the ground a lot. I’m always looking down or looking in corners. To give you an example, is one of the projects I’ve been working on on-and-off is about Florida. I was driving around, and I often find myself pulled to a place --- “I’m just going to make a right turn here and see what happens.” So I get to this sea-side park and there’s an X on the ground, which is probably just a marking for some construction thing, but I thought of it like X-marks-the-spot for treasure of something – especially being on the Florida “TREASURE coast.” So I’m taking several frames of this X, and this woman starts yelling at me, “The dolphins are over there.”

What work are you seeing now that is blowing you away?

William Eggleston and Walker Evans and Robert Frank. I look at it and I still get chills. I just discovered Roger Ballen, who is completely weird and wonderful. The pictures baffle me, and are so exciting, like from some other world. It's funny, I feel like I am a little conservative with my pictures. But I look at Ballen's pics, and also at Phillip Pisciotta's pics, and I get totally freaked out. I couldn't make those pictures. I am not saying they are better or worse than mine, just the products of such a different brain. I may have been anti-rebellious, because of my upbringing. I may have an instinct and react subconsciously when making work, but I am not really off-kilter or crazy, I am not making pictures that look “drunk.” They are thoughtful, but not in a conscious way, maybe. Also I just saw Mark Steinmetz's new book, which made me question how important it is what I do. His pictures are real and sincere. I want to be sure that I am too. Also, John Pilson's new book, Interregna is beautiful and telling and meaningful. I just re-watched some David Lynch, who I love. Also, I am dying for the Sopranos to get back on—I love that NJ landscape, often similar to the suburban Philadelphia where I grew up. Everything I take in influences every picture I make.

Also on Cool Hunting: Lisa Kereszi