FASHION - MUSIC - STREET - ATTITUDE

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Editor-In-Chief Davide J Wheller [email protected]

Editor Julia Gessner

Art Director James May [email protected]

Art Editor Emily Fortune

FASHION Fashion Director Ash Allibhai [email protected]

International Fashion Editor Adrien Yakimov Roberts [email protected]

Fashion Editor As we approach the end of 2017, I ask myself Roisin O Hare where the fuck has this year gone, as I sit here looking out of ASBO HQ, I can’t help but think Fashion Assistants what an amazing year we’ve had. We are now Yasar Torunoglu, Pareace Laranza, Megan becoming global and our reach is growing on a Stankus daily basis.

MUSIC In this issue, we bring you the best of international young talent from Hong Kong, Music Editor Joao Vasconcelos Seoul, New York and Australia, as well as digging out hidden gems from around the UK. Contributing Music Editor Kit Keane The fashion team have outdone themselves, mixing the best of this year’s young graduate SPORTS EDITOR FASHION - MUSIC- STREET - ATTITUDE collections with the best of high street brands. Humza Hussian Creating ASBO’s signature style and working alongside the music team to shoot New York WORDS rapper, Cake’s Da Killa with Hattie Crowther’s Kaleidoscopic day-glo collection, Lithemba Velleman, Nailah Dossa, Otis creating a latex Donnie Darko inspired shoot. Anderson, Klei Grandison, Anesha Ramike, Josh Ingate, Seneo Muamba, Molly davis, We have WWE superstar Tyler Bate, getting down and dirty in a Raging Bull Gemma Tadman themed shoot. We also have a thought-provoking piece on How skateboarding charities in Palestine are helping to break down the barriers of race, religion and IMAGES gender for its affected youth.

Mike Lowe, Vanya Sacha, Sara Barrow, We get up close and personal with upcoming musicians and bands such as Fathiya Abdall, Lizzie Bush, Kane Layland, Grapefruit, Ash Mammals, Jacob Banks & Baby Queens. YouTube star Daina also Bada Lee, Kiran Gidda discusses her new music project and her plans for the future. VIDEO Our issue’s cover star Jason Ebeyer who is an incredible 3D visual designer Oscar Rodriguez, Azeez Bello currently based in Melbourne, Australia. He produces work using a combination of programs and mediums, combining elements from different sources to create COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR vivid scenes, which are sometimes an explosion of colour and other times darkly hallucinogenic. Andrew Cleminson [email protected] ASBO is a collaborative effort, and I want to personally thank everyone who has been involved and has contributed to making this issue. PRINTED BY Callimedia Ltd God is that the time, I can’t stop the Buffalos are calling! I love a Buffalo wing!

SPECIAL THANKS Happy Reading! Raffles Design Institute (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Design Institute, Doreen Adusei MBE, Fashion Retail Academy, Rooney’s Boxing Gym, University of The Arts London

ASBO Magazine is part of the D Foundation (registered charity no. 1101179), which nurturers the talent of young creatives and supports them into employment within the industry. WANT MORE, GET MORE! www.asbomagazine.com WWW.CONFLICTOFEGO.COM 08 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 09

10 stuff. 16 Exposure 85 The Politics of Fashion 98 Tyler Bate

ISSUE 2 Get it while THE RAGING its hot BULL

W 2017W / A – DO POLITICS & Up close CHARLOTTE FASHION MIX?

A / W 2017 CONTENTS w i t h W W E CULLENS S u p e r s t a r Tyler Bate

ISSUE 2

30 Lost Boys 42 Be Charlotte 44 Cakes Da Kill 90 Silly Games #

THE CopyCat QUINTESSEN- TIAL COOL MILLENNIAL THE U.S. RAPPER COMMITTED NERD TO UNHESITATING UP-NESS. PHOTOGRAPHY Genius Architecture

53 Ash Mammal 56 Dainá 104 Aris Van Calster X Raffels Hong Kong 118 Anthony Joshua

FUCHSIA, FUR desolate Wasteland & BUBBLEGUM PHOTOGRAPHY Kane Layland BOOTS Sultry, sulky, self-proclaimed PHOTOGRAPHY AKIF HAKAN CELEBI “semi- professional From piss-abouters YouTube celebrity to Anthony outstanding Joshua & a date performer with Vegas

58 Jason Ebeyer 64 SkatePal 120 Baby Queens 128 Urban Spaceman MAKING THE THIRD LOST Standing up IN SEOUL for “equality, truth & CITY justice” PHOTOGRAPHER Bada Lee THE SUBCULTURE SAVING PALESTINE’S YOUTH 10 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 11

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CROOX ASBO MAGAZINE WORDS

JOAO VASCONCELOS E V I T A E R C A S I N O T H G I R B ” YOU HAVE TOCONSTANTLY ” E M A G R U O Y F O P O T E H T L L A M S O S G N I E B & B U H T A Y A T S O T K R O W their music speak for speak their music itself. to theirvision: cementing let firmly and “EU”- titled - different cities, forming theirEP setin videos music seriesof a the four-piece released band theirconception.since 2015, In CROOX have enigmatic been releasing touring.” and tunes we as long as We can. are interested not anytime album an inmaking we so soon, just want to keep working we hard which newmusic of every almost load a out beputting finishing on will for month watch space!”, this group the teases, keeping projects upcoming to their close chests. their “We are we issomething “It them. inspiring have However, pipeline. inthe had for now, you just will have to to take themselves over to Toronto, to producers and Canada, work have that artists the with been re-creating than Rather EP, “EU” the as concept same the CROOX have to decided budget their use energyand iscompletely unique.” workconstantly to stay vibe the and newtalent out top the at your of churning isconstantly It game. city, a as creative isa It musicians. as us shaped hugely has you small beingso and hub have to saw origins, their of Brighton, city the side-by-side again once them its with denizens. “Brighton, itwasso career.” to amazing inour on getto early itso do Playing Great The festival Escape in We saw Justin Timberlake there few a years show that and ago always has bucket the been on list, forhighlight was us playing London to out sold a we when Forum were tour on Jeremy with Loops. last ever Secret Garden Party, have band the already setfoot incredible some on platforms. “A huge touring Great Matters, around The Music at Selfridges appearances Escape, the With and UK the in2016, services music on EP official one have band the already waves beenmaking year this clicks that tune a that’s then us with to us getinto push will studio.” what the Having released only to be more inspired by songs rather than particular artists. If we If to hear artists. bemore inspired by particular than rather songs We grew listening up to complete a from mix, to We hip-hop metal. tend As we band a from come all completely different backgrounds; musical genre. Weinto any particular just write feels what for right us. to w“We unique electronic-R&B them. of write don’t to music fit and try guitarist Tom, have band the Alan, drummer and blend crafted silky a from beginning.” the vocalist of up Made Howard, keyboardist Darren, press really and territories, CROOX the inother shape helped story weif were French, to led This gettinggreat Italian. or German, British, worked. We didn’tknow people videos the of because and launched itwas behind idea expectations. whole it and “The to people, confuse CROOX even launched,” they tell ASBO, recalling and memories project EP was ‘EU’ “The for fun of lot a was It us. together put before FACEBOOK

CROOX

TWITTER

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INSTAGRAM asbomagazine.com

@WeAreCROOX

15 16016 ASBOASBO MAGAZINE MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 17 EXPOSURE

SARA BARROW

PHOTOGRAPHY

CHARLOTTE CULLENS

Knitwear may not seem like an obvious way to speak of confidence. But this fashion designer isn’t interested in following the rules.

Fashion designer Charlotte Cullens has an inimitable knack for creating an affecting bond between clothes and their wearers. Translating her research into knitwear designs using stitching, colour and patterns, she stays true to her belief that clothing can be used to test our acceptance of social norms, culminating in imaginative, eclectic designs that challenge our understanding of identity.

A Nottingham Trent, BA Fashion Knitwear Design graduate, Cullens has placed herself in the heart of the industry. She has worked alongside PREEN by Thornton Bregazzi, Mary Katrantzou and Sophie Steller, a leading textile studio that has designed for clients including Tommy Hilfiger and Savile Row. Now, after immersing herself in both Ready-to-Wear womenswear and knitwear departments, she is working towards launching her own label.

Already thriving in her chosen profession, Cullens has showcased her work in several competitions. She was selected for judging at Graduate Fashion Week’s ‘Best Of’, was a regional finalist in the Society of Dyers and Colourists colour competition, and has had designs selected for John Lewis as part of their new range. Cullens has also travelled to Shanghai to work alongside the design team for SPINEXPO, and has had her print and knitwear samples repeatedly selected over the past two years within the trend forecasting arena. While setting up her brand, Cullens has built and secured an international profile. In addition to participating in trade shows from Paris to New York, she has been featured in Vogue Brazil and Pause Magazine, and on the eponymous Vogue.com.

Cullens is conscientious, and she’s driven. Fully aware of the demands of her practice, she is eager to be a part of the evolving British Fashion Industry, intent on supporting and developing it through knitwear that finds its harmony between eccentric fringes and a daring colour palette. Championing modern concepts and creating playful aesthetics, Cullens, confidently embracing differences, keeps rolling on, reminding wearers to be who they are.

WORDS JULIA GESSLER

20 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 21

Introducing Dama Scout: ‘Dama,’ They are the a word meaning woman found “amongst the deers” by lead singer curious kids with Eva Liu during a trip to the Natural History Museum; ‘Scout’ after off-to-the-circus Harper Lee’s tomboy protagonist from To Kill a Mockingbird. On the theatricality, patchworked name, Liu supposes banging pots into “Dama and Scout just seemed to sit nicely together”. It is this intention timeless bops in of sitting sounds nicely together that characterizes their style. Dama their imaginative Scout toys with the sound of the surreal, piecing parts from a mutual expanse under love of Japanese music, punctuating simple melodies with, what bass a bed. guitarist Lucci Rossi calls, “shards of obscurity”. There’s nothing deliberately different about Dama Scout; all of their cool is accidental. “We don’t reference anything intentionally, sonically or lyrically, but no doubt all this listening ends up leaking back out in places,” admits Liu. What leaks is a motley musicality from each member’s varying tastes and experiences. Drummer Danny Grant began in the punk and hardcore scenes, migrating “inadvertently” to the folk scene. Liu brings her childhood fascination with Cantonese and J-Pop music and its melodies, which were markedly different from the UK pop she grew up with. A few years ago, Rossi introduced the band to Shibuya-kei, a genre which emerged as retail music in Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya district in the 1990s. Think Beach Boys convertible smoothness plus elevator jazz plus 90s arcade. Add this all together, and you’ll begin to conceptualize the fountain of 90s kid youthfulness that Dama Scout tap into. Also refreshing about Dama Scout is their visuals: what Grant calls the third dimension of “this strange little world we’re creating”. In their world of wonky home-brewed angst anthems, everything veers a bit towards the absurd, especially the music videos. Expect smashing cantaloupes with croquet mallets, 90s home video glamour, and awkward close-ups as the band allows their music to make a mess all over them. “With the visuals we have more opportunity for contrast too, having an element of the surreal or uncanny, even gruesome, alongside a sugary melody is exciting to us,” asserts Grant. So where does the magic happen? In, on, around, “and, for a small period of time last year, under [the bed],” confesses Rossi. The monster that emerged from under the bed? September’s new single, “Sugar”, the most Alvvays-esque of their songs. You can hear the muffled cosiness of duvets well-tucked, the ferocious Neverland hum against mundanity. They’re self-admittedly “erratic, and also bore easily”, qualities that cause them to cram until they create, and continue to experiment with their sound through their five singles. Each song is the distinct product of good friends fiddling with their well-known instruments and “egging on the ‘weird’ in each other,” adds Liu. And it’s all effortless. “Messing “WE TRY TO TAP INTO around with key changes, unusual chord voicings and tempo changes all come naturally to us,” divulges Rossi. SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT The intimacy of their bedroom as square one is shown in their complete comfort with the unfamiliar, and their willingness to “never have any real plans”, except that juxtapositions are OURSELVES, WITHOUT IT compelling. FEELING FORCED.” WORDS KIT KEANE SOUNDCLOUD Damascout FACEBOOK @damascout TWITTER @damascout -Eva, lead singer asbomagazine.com 23

GRAPEFRUIT

Based in Kent, the Inspired by such bands as Warpaint, The Smiths, and Beach House, Grapefruit formed in late 2016, however, vocalist Angela Chase and female-fronted guitarist, Grace Holbrook have been composing together for many years, giving their songs a mature feel. After meeting in school, the couple alternative band struggled to find musicians that they “really gelled with”, saying that they never felt like Grapefruit existed until they met bassist Ollie Davidson and known as Grapefruit drummer James Hack. Davidson’s mellow basslines and Hack’s punchy deliver something beats were the final ingredients needed to create Grapefruit’s atmospheric, magical that brings almost nostalgic sound. They gig regularly, with their first few shows being played in their quaint about tendrils of hometown of Maidstone. “I can find it hard to say particularly shining things about Maidstone but we were definitely met with support,” says Chase. “I’d lost or relegated never thought of Maidstone as any kind of hub of creativity but we were actually approached by local promoters almost immediately, which is how memories. we got our first couple of gigs. That was nice, we still work with them now.” Since the release of their debut EP “Mould Me”, the band has gone from strength to strength, with a headline show at London’s 229 The Venue. As their multivalent work takes shape, Grapefruit imagine carving a positive future. Championing inclusivity, the band says they would “be happy if any LGBT person could look at [them] and feel somewhat more represented in the music industry”. Although Chase insists that they are not trendy enough to know how to be misfit music disrupters, it is their commitment to not becoming complacent in their composing that makes them stand out. They’re perfectly Grapefruit. Even their name, accompanied with simple instructions, hints at the fact that they are unabashedly themselves: if you want to know why they chose it, cut the fruit of their moniker open and use your imagination.

FACEBOOK grapefruitofficial INSTAGRAM @grapefruit_insta TWITTER @grapefruit_twi WORDS MOLLY DAVIES 24 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 25 JACOB BANKS THE SOULFUL STORYTELLER SHARING HIS

TRUTH On a cloudy afternoon before a homecoming show at London’s Village Underground, ASBO had the chance to pay a visit to Jacob Banks - the soulful storyteller who is making ways with his honest and soulful lyrics and talk to the man behind the voice. ASBO find out about his upcoming album, his creative process, his current world tour, what we can expect from his London show and so much more.

When did you get started in music?

I started five years ago when I was studying to be a civil engineer - I’d always loved music, but never considered being an artist. I was always happy being a listener. I was infatuated with being a listener, never wanted to pick up a guitar and then I heard a John Mayer album called Continuum and I fell in-love with music. I had been writing poetry beforehand and so I just wanted to be able to express myself in terms of writing and making music and as the years went on my friends kept pushing me. So I started making songs so my friends could play them in their cars and when I got tired of printing CDs I started putting them up on Soundcloud I TRY TO BE HONEST WITH and that’s kind of how everything started.

How would you describe your sound if it MYSELF, I ALWAYS TRY TO was a person? If my sound was a person it would be TELL MY VERSION OF Leonardo DiCaprio. I feel like it takes up many forms and can be many different things and so in terms of thinking of my sound, I say that primarily I’m just a THE TRUTH storyteller and being a storyteller allows me to move through different genres and not be one thing in particular. I’m not a rap artist or an R&B singer. I’m not genre specific I just tell my stories the best way I see fit.

What inspires your creativity? 26 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 27

JACOB - It means so much to me because I love films. When I write in the studio I always have a film in the background, and so every time I get acknowledged by that world it means way more to me that people will ever know. To have those people reach out to me, like Omari Hardwick, who is now a mentor of mine, and just the team at Power, it’s a massive pat on the back.

ASBO - Earlier this year, you released the EP: “The Boy Who Cried Freedom”. What was the inspiration behind it?

JACOB - The inspiration behind it, was just where The Friday before ASBO - Hi, Jacob! When did you get we were in life. Every time I looked around me started in music? I saw people begging for freedom, which I feel Jacob Banks took is the most basic thing. This last project was to the stage to play JACOB - I started five years ago asking a lot of questions, and it didn’t have many when I was studying to be a civil solutions. I was just reflecting on what I saw East London’s Village engineer. I’d always loved music around me. It was just where we were as people Underground on his but never considered being an we were just in a weird place with everybody artist. I was infatuated with being a asking for the smallest of things. European Tour, ASBO listener, I never wanted to pick up a guitar. Then I heard a John Mayer ASBO - Following on from that, with your new had the chance album called ‘Continuum’ and I fell album, what would you say is the story you are to meet london’s deeper in-love with music. I had now trying to tell? been writing poetry beforehand, very own musician and so I just wanted to be able to JACOB - The album is called Village. It’s based making waves with express myself in terms of writing on the phrase: “It takes a village to raise a child”, and making music, and as the years which is a phrase I’ve always loved because it’s his honest and soulful went on my friends kept pushing just fact that you are going to be a product of storytelling abilities. me, so I started making songs your environment. Writing the album, I had to that my friends could play in their learn so much more about myself and tackle cars. When I got tired of printing different things that I suppressed or ignored. The CDs, I started putting them up on album pulls different sides of me; the fact that SoundCloud, and that’s kind of how I’m African, the fact that I’m also British. I’m from everything started. ends, but I still speak eloquently and I’m still a civil engineer and I’m proud of all these sides of me. ASBO - How would you describe your sound if it were a person? It’s important that I celebrate all those sides, and the Village is everything that hurts me; everything JACOB - If my sound was a person, it would be Leonardo DiCaprio. that makes me laugh; all the things in my life I feel like it takes up many forms and can be many different things. that have heavily influenced me. The love for my So in terms of my sound, primarily, I’m just a storyteller and being a grandma. The love for my mum. Things that have storyteller allows me to move through different genres and not be one come and gone. I need to be really honest on this thing in particular. I’m not a rap artist or an R&B singer. I’m not genre album. I want people to find themselves in these specific; I just tell my stories the best way I see fit. songs and be able to keep them company.

ASBO - What inspires your creativity? ASBO - In creating the album what have you learned and discovered about yourself that you JACOB - Life is my biggest inspiration, and people, just talking and weren’t necessarily aware of before? connecting with people. I find that when you just talk to people they say the most honest things, and they are not trying to sound poetic. When JACOB - I’ve learned how logical I am. I’m not a I’m letting people understand me more, I say things that I probably very emotional person, the only emotional side of wouldn’t say to myself, and that’s where I get inspired the most. me is music and through knowing that, I’ve learnt how I need to change that. The situations I need ASBO - What tends to be your process when it comes to making music? to put myself in to allow me to grow and feel, outside of music, because I may not always have JACOB - I don’t try to write songs, I believe that I’m just a vessel and music, I need to learn to feel more outside of that. I let the music lead the way. When I hear chord progressions, I just keep mumbling until it makes sense and the words will fall out the sky ASBO - And so as we wrap up, when can we like they always do. That’s what songwriting is about you; go into the expect the album and what is next for you? unknown and come back and see what you’ve brought back. I trust the I’m not a very process and that the universe will help me out. JACOB - Up next, is to finish the tour. We are here until Monday, and after the London show I go to emotional ASBO - In terms of your music, what sort of feelings do you try to get LA. I’m in the US until December, and then the across to people? album is close to being done. It’s just wrapping up the tour and then finishing it off. You can expect person, the only JACOB - It’s an array of feelings. I try to be honest with myself. I always it around March. There will be songs sooner, so try to tell my version of the truth, and I make sure that I deliver my much stuff I can’t wait to put out. I’m not a fan of vocals in a way that mirrors the energy of what I’m trying to say. Being holding onto the music, I just want to put it out emotional side a good singer ain’t shit unless you can deliver vocals that can match there. So yeah it’s coming! the emotions of what you are trying to portray. So for myself, I feel like I have to be able to convey the emotion in a truthful manner. of me is music

ASBO - You recently released another version of your song “Unknown (‘To You’)”, which featured on your previous EP. What about the song is and through special to you that made you want to release another version? knowing that, JACOB - As the years went on, performing that song at every show, it always had a new meaning for me. I wanted to create a version that had the energy of the song I feel now. When I first wrote it, it was a soft and I’ve learnt how I tender song. Now, living life hearing the song, it’s more powerful. It’s more demanding and I wanted to put a version out that mirrored that. need to change ASBO - You had that song along with ‘Monster’ previously featured on the TV show Power. What was that experience like for you— having your songs featured on the show? WORDS SENEO MWAMBA that. NO FIXED ABODE LUXURY STREETWEAR MADE IN LONDON NO-FIXEDABODE.CO.UK

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20-year-old Charlotte Charlotte oozes cool millennial nerd: Brimner of Dundee bobbing like an Energizer bunny, wailing like a shoreside siren. She’s awkward in is the frontwoman a candid, teenage divulsion sort of way. of what has recently She is spellcasting in a Florence Welch blossomed into her way. Be Charlotte is the culmination of 3-piece band, Be internet cool: beginning as a shy 13-year old with an acoustic guitar, Brimner is a Charlotte. ASBO caught casually pastel-haired songstress singing up with her to get to to “screenshot [her] imagination.” know more on her “When I started playing gigs I couldn’t career beginnings and even say my name and my legs would how the support of her shake so much. But I knew that deep band mates has helped down somewhere I was loving it, so that gave me the motivation to keep going,” her overcome she confesses. On her stage confidence, her stage fright. Brimner notes her own irony: “I can’t phone up and order a takeaway on the phone but I can stand on a stage and sing my heart out to lots of people.” She accredits this to the sanctity of the stage, which, for her, is a platform for “release [from] the thoughts and worries we might have”.

Brimner’s evolution is organic, her style as nimble as a 13 year- old’s notebook. Inspiration sponged from no particular music scene, she’s instead “experimented with different influences”, as evident in the depth of her sound. The band came together after roughly four years of Brimner’s solo acts - a “natural transition” that would amplify the live show experience. Be Charlotte has since stacked singles so saccharine and smooth, we’ve included straws for you to sip them through.

In the wake of old Taylor Swift’s death, and in a time where celebrity appears to be a social media popularity contest, Brimner desires to expose the “not always glamorous” reality of making your passion your career. Self-proclaimed producer of “real pop music”, “ I’M ALWAYS GOING TO WRITE ABOUT REAL THINGS TO ME BUT ALSO THAT ANYONE LISTENINVG CAN TAKE THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE FROM.

Be Charlotte is pop bops at its finest: relevant but not repetitive, universally relatable but also personal. Her style takes a similar approach, always honest and accidentally on trend. On the accident of her glasses as a fashion statement, she tells me that “they are most definitely prescription!” Through and through, she has maintained artistic autonomy and integrity.

ASBO has its eyes on Be Charlotte for reliably feel-good windows-down anthems, and, more importantly, for her refreshing realness. Mark her words, Brimner’s not going anywhere. “If I ever felt that I wasn’t being true to myself then I would stop,” she says. “The music that I write is so real to me and everything needs to revolve around that.”

TWITTER @iambecharlotte FACEBOOK @iambecharlotte INSTAGRAM @iambecharlotte WORDS KIT KEANE CAKES DA KILLA THE U.S. RAPPER COMMITTED TO UNHESITATING UP-NESS.

PHOTOGRAPHY SARA BARROW WORDS JOAO VASCONCELOS JACKET

Emily Whitman Whitman Emily 46 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 47

“Do you mind if I eat?” asks Cakes Da Killa as we ASBO caught up sit down to interview. After a four hour fashion shoot and a quick stop to get his hair cut, who am with US rapper I to come between a man and his food? Cakes is in the middle of a packed European tour, entitled Cakes Da Killa Lush Diaries, and was due to perform at Camden’s Jazz Café later that night. Having only just released in the middle of the video to album track “Gon Blow” a few weeks earlier, I asked if this was bringing to close the his european Hedonism era for him. “Yes,” he laughs. “You are a smart cookie - it definitely is, it’s definitely tour closing the the close of a lot of things.” He pauses. “I’m re- hedonism era & branding. his chapter as I’m changing my name as an artist.” The tour coincided with the launch of double single, Shots Fired x Thirst Trap, the cover art of which Cakes Da Killa. positioned Cakes supposedly launching a double feature music video. On this artwork, he says, “I love it. I wanted it to look like a Quentin Tarantino movie, y’know? Everyone is, like, blowing me up like, ‘Yo, you really made a movie?’ Bitch, you’ve just seen me. When did you think the time came from that I just shot a movie in a weekend somewhere? I definitely have to do it. Something very RuPaul, Star Booty.” While the singles sound like a continuation of Hedonism, it’s a taster of what’s to come from his new album, with Shots Fired x Thirst Trap being the clearest nudge towards a new direction. “That’s basically what the new album is - bitches have sent for me, so now I’m coming. It’s an old song but the new material is definitely in the same realm of that.” “I’m just in a different space. I’m not the 21-year-old kid in a dorm room that wants to, like, rap about giving blowjobs anymore. Not to say I don’t do that anymore, but maybe I don’t want to talk about that for an entire project. But, yeah, I definitely feel like I’m closing off that chapter. I just dropped two new singles that were supposed to go on [Hedonism], but I’m just trying to get all of that shit out of my system. I’m just purging all of this shit.” At the time of the interview, Cakes was on the verge of turning 27 and the feeling he describes is one that resonates with many young people. “I’m, like, older now, so I’m like, fuck boys – I want real estate, I want money. Before everything was so campy - this is so fun, la-la-la-la. And now I’m like, ‘Bitch, the fun is coming to an end, you must get your shit together!” he laughs. “I’m so becoming one of these jaded, “You damn young kids - you don’t know shit,” and it’s so weird because I was just a young kid, like, two days ago.” Where Cakes named Hedonism as a reference point to where he was at that time in his life, I ask him to word what he’s feeling now. “Malicious,” he intones. “Oh, I’m about to write that down.” The change and direction of the new album may have been partly inspired by some of his favourite artists, which may surprise many. But after speaking about where he’s finding himself in his mid-twenties, it’s not surprising at all. “When people think of me as a rapper they don’t think about me listening to other types of music.” Cakes drops classic 90’s grunge and angst names like Hole, Courtney Love (who Cakes later mentions he would want to work with), No Doubt and Alanis Morissette, where we bond over our love for Jagged Little Pill. “I’m obsessed!” he says emphatically, prompting to download the album onto his phone. “I’m a rapper that raps, but my music is not really sonically just ‘rap music.’” As a musician, Cakes has incorporated genres and inspirations from many different areas of the industry, which helped open up doors and collaborations with artists like Peaches. “I met Peaches a very long time ago doing a show together, and we just started having a work relationship. She wanted me to do a song for one of her projects and that got delayed. But I was like, well, if that love is there, and I have respect for you, you need to be on my fucking project - no shade. That will gag everybody and she was like, ‘I’m down,’ and from that we did a little tour together and JACKET Hattie Crowther yeah, that’s my bitch.” 48 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 49

I JUST THINK I DON’T GIVE A FUCK AND IT JUST COMES ACROSS AS ME TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WHEN I’M JUST TRYING TO BE MYSELF.

HEADPIECE & SCARF Hattie Crowther 50 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 51

CREATIVE DIRECTION ASH ALLIBHAI The end result came on Hedonism album track “Up Out Of My Face”, LEAD STYLIST ROISIN O' HARE where a pulsating club beat and the artist’s distinctive rapping succeed in ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER delivering the sound that he wanted to achieve with the album. LIZZIE BUSH ASSISTANT STYLISTS For Cakes, collaborating with some of his closest friends on the YASAR TORUNOGLU project also brought some of his fondest memories, citing working with & PAREACE LARANZA photographer Eric Johnson on the album cover and again, for the video MUA ARSNEY IVANOV of “Gon Blow”. “[Eric] throws parties called Upstairs at Eric’s, and I wanted to give people an intimate look at what it’s like partying with me. The inspiration for the video was just taking cues from a lot of dance culture, which is definitely a big part of my music in general. There’s a lot of African dancing and basic club dances. I feel like not a lot of people, especially rappers, are not really into dance culture anymore. It used to be very hand-in-hand.” This year marks six years into Rashard Bradshaw’s life as Cakes Da Killa. His talent and intellect have both shone through, and have helped to make him into the star that he is today. Importantly, he has also kept his tongue and lyrics sharp. Although he claims that he is not an artist that “feigns over their work” or is “so meticulous”, everything that has come off from Hedonism reads like a micro-statement, whether he’s meant it too or not. “I just think I don’t give a fuck, and it just comes across as me trying to do something when I’m just trying to be myself. I think it’s great that me being myself is able to help other people. But there’s no real method to it. I’m just out here.” His visibility as a gay hip-hop artist is a focus that has surrounded a lot of his career. “As a gay artist, I am able to do things that if I wasn’t openly gay, I wouldn’t be able to do. But it’s also making me not be able to do certain things. It’s definitely a double-edged sword. At the end of the day, I felt like I didn’t have a choice. There’s nothing really straight-passing about me anyway, so to be going through trying to be quiet or complacent - it wouldn’t have worked,” says Cakes.

“If you foresee something, you can actually create it. When I was growing up there was no Cakes, no Mykki Blanco, no Le1f - there was none of this shit… And to be someone who just didn’t give a fuck, just leapt and flew… I think that’s the one thing that I think if anyone did take from [Hedonism] - bitch, just jump”.

Speaking further on the attention he’s gained from gay media, I ask him if he feels there’s been an equal playing field when having his success compared to other gay artists who are white. “No, based on so many things. It’s like gay media: black and white, that’s a very divided thing. I don’t think it’s level, but I don’t complain because I’m appreciative of that platform. I just wish that sometimes it were handled more delicately. Granted, being gay is such a big part of my life, but I feel like it makes everything one noted, as if all gay people are the same. And I think all of our experiences as gay people are just way more diverse than that.” As the interview draws to a close, we go back to his earlier comment of rebranding and changing his name. After joking about Kelly Priceless (who featured on the double single cover) being a contender for a new name, I ask what he would want people to take away from the era of Hedonism. “If you foresee something, you can actually create it. When I was growing up there was no Cakes, no Mykki Blanco, no Le1f - there was none of this shit. And to be someone who just didn’t give a fuck just leapt and flew. I think that’s the one thing that I think if anyone did take from it - bitch, just jump.”

FACEBOOK Cakes Da Killa Twitter @CAKESDAKILLA JUMPER Laura Pritchard INSTAGRAM @cakesdakilla asbomagazine.com 53

The sultry, sulky, self-proclaimed “semi - professional piss-abouters” pushing daisies from the Midlands to our earbuds.

ASH MAMMAL 54 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 55 “WE FOUND THIS HOME WITH They are Cass Rowe, Stan Greengrass, Jeeves They are friends Kanth, and George Shaw from Leicester, and THE PUNKS, since forever, they find themselves “[at] home with the punks, queers, and the outcasts,” in Skechers and whose interwoven cloaks and forest frolics, in smoky basement QUEERS AND brainstorms spawning satanic-slick electric teenage years and escapism and lullaby lyrics. THE OUTCASTS, insatiable creative They are the teddy bear goth kids, ringed in AND MET SOME appetite led them black eyeliner and slowly patchworking fits of good ol’ existential dread into transmissions from comic books, capturing fellow Brexit youths who are AMAZING PEOPLE. stories and film uncertain about the future. WE’VE ALL GOT ventures to their For Ash Mammal, 2016 was a well-documented year, including an album and two disparate EACH OTHERS next inevitable music video releases. Their audiovisual venture: music. introduction was “Taste,” a dizzying day with the band in an overexposed black and white SWEATY BACKS.” confessional, with footage so noughties: at times childishly making snow angels, and then in a true “exercise in punkish unpredictability,” the baptismal slam of guitarist Shaw into a dirty bath by drummer Greengrass. Next came hazy “Creature Thing,” lead singer Rowe’s journey to the tip of a cigarette, a lovesick raspy inhale silhouetted against kaleidoscopic band reel. Finally, last October, came their first album, The Ghost We Caught on Film. The album fades from angry to soft to noisy and back, and Ash Mammal moodswings candidly, preferring to “write a lot about how we feel rather than how we think.” Their debut album proved their poetry precocious. Young and hurt and mad about it, The Ghost We Caught on Film contains seething one-liners and “savage sexual put-downs hidden behind these beautiful harmonies,” gushes Greengrass, the source of the soprano soothing “ooo’s” of Ash Mammal. It’s a celebrated British trope: teenagers whose angst boils so unacknowledged, making noise until it is good enough to be heard after being stuffed in old traditional school gender-divided rigidity. With collective maturity stunted at 14, Ash Mammal describes life with the band as “like being in Neverland, if Neverland was a basement full of smoke and guitar amps.” Ash Mammal treads on and beyond the famed British punk basement foundation, providing enchantment for the disenchanted and digitized next generation. “We like to use disappointment to fuel us,” the band confesses. In post-Brexit Britain, disappointment in the under- 24s is thick and heavy. Needless to say, Ash Mammal has a post-apocalyptic-level of fuel for their punk experiment; sucking on notions of spoiled potential, they proudly convert “every suburban woe” into their music. They keep tabs on what “the kids are up to politically,” noting the change in tone post-Brexit: “It feels like the general zeitgeist has been social exhaustion and depression memes, but Brexit seems to have stirred something up in people.” They are the stirring authors of new British sound, one that they predict will be “angry, passionate, but probably a little sad as well,” as a nation decidedly independent reconciles with what it means to be inclusive, modern, and free for all expressions. “So much of our audiences are LGBT - we can see directly how it’s all affecting them. In a huge way, we all hate Britain, hate Patriotism, hate how the English flag has come to represent everything we despise about our country, as opposed to what we appreciate: the multiculturality, the expression of self, the punk scene and the NHS - especially in Leicester, a labour held and ‘vote stay’ majority city.” Ash Mammal will continue to be just friends with instruments draped in shiny £5 Ebay impulses, maximizing tiny places and festering disappointments; experimenting in their perpetual adolescence and looking out for the kids. Sink your claws into their self-published zine, New Shoes, and burrow your earworms into The Ghost We Caught on Film. Grab some pearls and get ready to clutch for the upcoming excellence of their EP, “Blood Doesn’t Cool.” Although its release date is still to be announced, ASBO assures it is worth waiting for.

WORDS KIT KEANE TWITTER @ASHMAMMAL INSTAGRAM @ASHMAMMAL YOUTUBE ASH MAMMAL SOUNDCLOUD ASH MAMMAL 56 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 57 CALL HER DAINÁ:

From YouTube With her grit and On a regular basis, she delivers content that serves as the perfect stage from air of natural which she can show her followers the celebrity confidence, many facets of her life. Dainá, the Of course, she didn’t come out of the to outstanding impassioned womb as a famed personality. Dainá began on Facebook, where she shared her own self-done nails and hand-made vlogger behind clothes to friends. She then started a performer the YouTube business as a nail technician, working with clients out of her house. Combining channel Tootsie home and business soon proved to be difficult, so she utilised her skills, turning Time, brings a to the popular video-sharing service sense of purpose to make tutorial videos on how to do nails. It was not long before she gained to her work. traction with people that were interested in beauty.

Since then, the England-born, New Jersey and Florida-raised influencer has amassed over 500,000 YouTube subscribers to her channel. But the foreseeable days ahead see Dainá leveraging her fame into the music industry by returning to another, greater love: singing. “Singing has always been my thing,” she beams, recalling how she’s been doing it from the age of seven. “Before I was ever on YouTube, I was singing.” With the release of her first official single, “X”, Dainá admits that treading her way into the music industry hasn’t come without its challenges. “Music was my life. I went to music college and I was doing it every chance I could: I had gigs every week, I was shooting videos and editing them myself, I was doing whatever I could to get my music out there. However, after a while I felt frustrated because I felt as if I wasn’t getting anywhere with my music.” When asked to describe her sound, Dainá greets the “ I F F A S H I O N question with a pause and sinks back into careful reflection. “I can’t describe my F O R B I D S I T , sound as one thing,” she then begins. “My sound is whatever I want it to be; it is however I feel in the moment. I don’t I ’ M G O I N G T O want to limit myself to one type of genre - I am very open to anything.” DO IT.” Citing Michael Jackson as her inspiration, she tells me that it was the late American singer’s approach to his profession that drew her admiration. “He embodies what it means to be a musical entertainer. Everything he did, he executed well as a world class performer,” she says. Dainá is carefree and expressive, and in turn, has no loyalty to any particular style. It’s clear that she lives by another dictum, one more in accordance with her character. “If fashion forbids it, I’m going to do it,” says Dainá. I sensed this was an essential truth, though something that didn’t begin to capture the keen sartorial eye she possesses. “My wardrobe is a mix. You can find a lot of sportswear inspired brands, such as Adidas. However, I also like designers such as Balenciaga, as well as some thrifty pieces that you can find on E-bay, because that is where the good things are.” The extraordinary thing about Dainá is that this pursuit of originality stems from her unwavering desire to be authentic. In conversation you can’t help but be reminded of Irish poet and dramatist Oscar Wilde’s insistence to “be yourself”, because “everyone else is already taken”; His edict seems to represent the belief system that appears to be everywhere in Dainá’s work, as well as in her attitude towards life. Speaking on what she wanted to covey through the look of her music video for “X”, she explains that she wanted to demonstrate that you don’t have to look a certain way to show people that you are doing well, insisting that success and being true to yourself aren’t mutually exclusive. She speaks with the soft realness of an artist who lives by her tastes.

PHOTOGRAPHY GENIUS ARCHITECTURE COLLECTION Tianne Messam WORDS SENEO MWAMBA 58 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 59

MAKING THE THIRD A nitid expedition through the alternative realities of artist Jason Ebeyer. JASON EBEYER IS A PURVEYOR OF MODERNITY: LUCENT, VIRTUAL AND HALLUCINATORY, THE AUSTRALIAN ARTIST’S 3D WORK VIBRATES ON THE RETINA. 62 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 63

He shapes a distinctive world that sees its Challenging inspiration from traditional painters, including perceptions and William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Caravaggio, as well as photographers Steven Klein and David wrestlin with LaChappelle. Here, in the midst of projects, Ebeyer ideas through reflects on his enthralling work. ASBO - Would you describe yourself as both an religious imagery artist and a visual designer?

and often JASON - Yes and no. I mean, yeah, I do tell people I’m a 3D artist and visual designer, but I tend to sexualised steer away from the “visual designer” aspect. This is only because I don’t want my artwork to fall into themes the realm of content creation or memes.

ASBO - Can you describe your creative process when starting a project?

JASON -So usually, if I’m making a personal piece, I’ll have the idea in my head. Sometimes I’ll sketch it out and follow it, and other times I’ll just start building up the scene, letting it come together naturally. I tend to try and keep my personal work as fluid as I can; I feel that too much planning can really shatter creativity.

ASBO - For you, what was the appeal of digital art?

JASON - I have an incredibly short attention span, so for me to be able to have an idea and create a full animation or still scene in a day or two is such a benefit to me. In saying that, though, I do have some personal projects which I’ve spent months working on. I also think that digital art is the way of the future and I’m really interested in how quickly the software - and even hardware - advances. Things that seem like science fiction today might be totally possible by this time next year.

ASBO - Is there a design philosophy that underpins and powers your approach to art and design?

JASON - I was studying graphic design when I first began to create 3D artwork for myself. I’ve completely gone against all of the design philosophy and work practices I was taught during my time at university. At the time, I felt so restricted and regimented. It just didn’t work for me and made me feel so miserable, almost like being creative was a chore. I still implement things like composition, colour theory and structure in my work. But in terms of a strict philosophy - that is a hard no.

ASBO - How would you say your work relates to augmented reality?

JASON - At the moment the work I’m producing would probably relate more to virtual reality because the entire scene is virtual. I’ve started experimenting with augmented reality and compositing my characters into real scenes, but I’m saving that for something later on this year or early next year.

ASBO - What are you working on now?

JASON - I’ve just finished some work for New York Fashion Week. Currently, I’m wrapping up a six-image, six-animation project for a New York-based fashion house, which has been a really cool project to be a part of. They really understood my work and what I do, and let me help bring their vision to life.

ASBO - Has living in Melbourne, Australia, influenced your work?

JASON - Parts certainly have. I’m involved with a monthly event called Beaút, which is essentially a massive party that celebrates art, fashion and individuality. Beaút was my first time ever displaying my work in public. Since my first event there sixteen months ago, I’ve displayed new work each month and become part of a family. I do love Melbourne but my partner and I are looking to move overseas - the main reason being, I feel Australia, in terms of art and design, is always playing catch up with the rest of the world. Don’t get me wrong, there is incredible talent here and some really forward thinking minds, but they don’t get the recognition they deserve because everyone else likes to play it safe.

ASBO - Where, conceptually speaking, would you like to see your work go to next?

JASON - Within my work I always try to explore ideas and themes that mean something to me. Ever since I made my first short film earlier this year, I’ve really wanted to get back to making a longer feature and exploring more of the themes I touched on during that piece.

WORDS JULIA GESSLER 64

ASBO MAGAZINE

SKATEPALPalestine’s saving youth subculture The the firstthe was build 2013.” of summer inthe SkatePal, wellplanning country I to began enough, start and After degree a finished the had knew I and inArabic, skateboardingthat would bereceived well inPalestine. never had who before. seen one From first that knew I trip where was I teaching excitement seethe and kids the of skateboard to used I me. skate with streets inthe outside organisation. the of “Asbirth skater, a course of I took my volunteering area inthe teacher, English an as explained the children. Davis, founded who after in2006 charity the skateboarding runs which charity a lessons for local the spokeASBO to Davis, Charlie founder the Skatepal, of With 70% With Palestine’s of population many young people their freedom. youngtheir many people almost 70-year almost cost has conflict In order In to back,give something the world have world to the decided take their boards their to West the Bank directionsfrom harrowing the in the hope of allowing these these allowing of hope the in still under the age of 30, of age the under still the skateboardersfrom around communities to communities forge new realities life. daily of asbomagazine.com

65 66 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 67 FROM MAOISM

The first skatepark was built by a handful of volunteers in Zababdeh, and has since become a safe space for the whole community. “I didn’t expect the response to be as positive as it is,” he tells me, humbled. “I had thought that skateboarding might C H I N A ’ S F A S H I O N be seen as too Western, as the places we have worked are very conservative, but it was received well by children and their parents alike. The skatepark in Asira has become a hangout for the whole INDUSTRY IS family, not just for those skating.” Skateboarding may seem trivial against the backdrop of the Israeli N O W L A Y I N G T H E occupation, however, it’s beginning to make an impact on gender equality in the area. Although Charlie makes it clear that Skatepal “are apolitical and focus on fun”, he also explains that “I have been G R O U N D W O R K F O R realising over the past four years that skateboarding offers a lot more than what I had thought previously. As well as breaking down barriers of race, religion, gender and age, it actively encourages PROSPECTS AND social inclusion. There are very few sporting opportunities in general in Palestine, and hardly any where boys and girls participate together. Skateboarding is one of very few sports where there is no E X P E R I M E N T A T I O N . hierarchy - no winning and losing.” He explains that making sure the charity doesn’t over step its mark A N D I T ’ S Y O U T H I S and try to change the local’s culture or way of life is detrimental to working so closely with the community. “We are very aware that we do not want to be seen as forcing any changes in anywhere that we NOTICING. work, but at the same time we strongly encourage girls - as well as boys - to get involved with skateboarding.” As well as from the UK, Skatepal has many volunteers from the surrounding areas. The Skateboarding charity is providing these young people with something positive amongst the difficulties offers - breaking caused by the constant conflict. “Those who have volunteered with Skatepal in Palestine have definitely had a different experience down barriers of to many others who volunteer. You cannot escape the effects of the occupation living race, religion, gender in Palestine, but the Skatepal volunteers have been meeting communities through skateboarding, not through aid organisations, and age, it actively which makes it easier to really get to the know the local people of the areas in which encourages we work.” As well as Skatepal, other charities are social inclusion. running similar organisations in order to establish a thriving, self-sufficient skate scene. “We partnered with the Palestinian House of Friendship and the Asira council TO at our last project in Asira al-Shamalyia, and we are partnering with SkateQilya, who are based in the Qalqilya region, for our upcoming Jayyous Park 2017 project this September.” “We continue to have skate classes running throughout the year, and we are preparing for our next build in the village of Jayyous with SkateQilya,” Davis explains with verve, “construction begins in September.” INDIVIDUALISM For more information head to skatepal.co.uk WORDS EMILY FORTUNE 68 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 69

A new age of angry young keyboard The nationalism warriors that jump over the great firewall blocking US social media platforms in order of Chinese youth to display their patriotic zeal on Facebook has been an and Twitter. area of interest However, recent surveys have found that Chinese nationalism is not on the rise within in the media as youth culture, in fact the opposite is true. of late. Much In the 1960’s, Maoist ideologies denied the Chinese youth of individuality in terms of has been said style. To express yourself through personal style was seen as shameful, especially about the rise as China was a uniform nation, where deviating from the standard length of pants of xiaofenhong, could land you in hot water. which translates It was feudal and firm in the undertaking of a collective communist ideology but after as “little pinks” the death of Chairman Mao, China found a way to crawl away from communism and make a mark on the global market. With little or no individualism present in its creative industry, Chinese fashion was slow to transition from communist fashion to fast fashion. Despite the time taken, China’s fashion industry is now laying the groundwork for prospects and experimentation. And its youth is noticing. “IN THE PAST, Two years ago, only 50% of young consumers opted for Domestic T H E Y O U T H Chinese brands but now the synergy of youth culture and local fashion labels are on a rise. In a recent poll, about 39% of consumers polled to D I D N ’ T H A V E T H E prefer Chinese brands because they had strong cultural elements with 26% adding that they found the styles compelling. As Ms Wang Chong, O P P O R T U N I T Y T O an associate partner of OC&C, states, “this has translated into salient demands for products, as well as producing a retail experience that resonates on an emotional level.” M A K E A S O U N D O R Shangguan Zhe founder of the brand Sankuanz, leader of a group of H A V E A N Y R I G H T fashion insiders known as the ‘Xiamen Gang’ and one of China’s rising design stars is known for leading this new individualism movement. Well T O S P E A K . T O D A Y , known for his subculture - inspired collections and collaborations with brands such as Vans and Cassio, his eclectic design inspirations range EVERYONE CAN

from Tibetan Buddhist cloaks to East-Asian gaming and prominently includes the implementation of Chinese subcultures. All of which earned him the position of being an LVMH prize finalist. He believes that “In the E X P R E S S past, the youth didn’t have the opportunity to make a sound or have any

right to speak. Today, everyone can express themselves.” THEMSELVES.” FW2017

His menswear label Sankuanz is stocked in prestigious stores worldwide, including Galleries Lafayette and 10 Corso Como. And last year, he opened a Akipelago (AKP), a multi-brand concept store that stocks his

own brand, as well as a collective of Xiamen-based designers alongside Mashama international brands like Puma, Vans and Y3. Another local Xiamen Gang certified talent is Liu Min, who launched her label Ms Min after graduating from London College of Fashion and interning at Victor & Rolf. She sells her collection on e-commerce site Taobao and is not only locally celebrated but has gained global recognition after presenting her collection at London Fashion Week. The Xiamen creatives ability to tap into the mainstream and fuse it with obscure cultural references, all whilst kicking it back in the much Saunkuaz SS18 Xander Zhou F/W2017 more laid back Xiamen certifies China as a fashion capital in the making.

WORDS NAILAH DOSSA Images Courtesy of Ritual Projects, Satellite Journal & MYTRND 70 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 71

STREETSTYLE

BROKEN WITT REBELS

“We are the Birmingham music scene,” asserts James Tranter, lead guitarist of the slow-climbing sultry band of boys in denim jackets, Broken Witt Rebels. They are the band who you want to ask you to prom: the bad boys with “The album is a various phases of facial hair. Lead singer Danny Core, lead guitarist James Tranter, bassist Luke Davis, and drummer James Dudley complete a smooth-talking quartet of mark in the sand noughties’ rock. They storm the stage with an earthquake temper, and with raspy girl-meets-boy rhapsody they twirl you by your heartstrings. Their songs promise live show for us. Broken zest, a screaming electric guitar, and heavy instrumentals carrying lovesick vocals. Put on Broken Witt Rebels for some pre-first date balls-to-the-walls confidence. Witt rebels are With offhand cool, their name “comes from newspaper headlines that [they] saw randomly gathered together,” notes Core. The so-called Rebels are a bit tongue-in-cheek. When here for the long asked about whether they had any hesitations over their impending fame, they pukishly respond with, “Just watch us.” Giving further warning, Tranter adds, “We spelt our ‘Witt’ term.” with a double ‘t’ as it stands for We Intend To Takeover.” - Luke Davis, bass guitarist As trailblazers in new British rock, they pride themselves on their ability to perform and entertain. Catapulting to fame and well-aware of it, Broken Witt Rebels sport dark shades, chic apathy, and a self-assured “in-your-face attitude” that gives them their “reputation for life-changing live shows”. To learn their rockstar ways they took inspiration from the best of classic and American rock. Davis lists rock ‘n’ roll icons Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin as major influencers in their sound and swagger. It is with these lessons sponged from the originals that Broken Witt Rebels is able to exert complete control over their stage and persona, and beeline themselves to fame. They’ve got three EPs behind them, with their most recent being 2016’s “Georgia Pine”. From “This Town Belongs to Me” to “Howlin’” to “Georgia Pine”, the band has elevated the hype for this year’s much- anticipated debut album by taunting with EPs. The upcoming album will be the product of their sound- experimentation, beginning as early as 2013. Travelling and the new momentum from fans abroad has influenced their sound, most notably, their tour time in the U.S. Their collective career highlight was a tour of the american south, at the end of which they spent a straight week in the studio fine-tuning their fresh blend of rock to their now international audience. Despite their fattening resume and following, the band remains aware of, and grateful for, their Birmingham beginnings. Without encouragement from their hometown, they wouldn’t have half of their characteristic boldness to intend to takeover. Core cites the “musical heritage” of Birmingham as “inspiring [them] to believe in [themselves] when [they] take the stage in other countries”. It is with the support from what they call their “backbone” fan base that holds them high as they push to “pioneer a new generation of contemporary and distinctively soulful rock music”. STAR SIGN Taurus As for what’s to come: a full headline UK tour, a Europe tour supporting Cadillac Three, and, finally, the OCCUPATION Retail release of their debut record. Broken Witt Rebels are on their way and they know it. “ASBO readers should LIKES Crunchy nut cornflakes, Vodka & Ducks come along and see for themselves,” Core taunts. “We promise them a disruptive night.” HATES Long hair, Underwear & Rain FAV CLUB Blue Boy FAV TRACK Elton John - Crocodile Rock FAV FILM Letter to Brezhnev BORIS, 23 WORDS KIT KEANE TWITTER @BrokenWittRebel INSTAGRAM @BrokenWittRebelsOfficial 72 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 73

CLAY, 17 STAR SIGN Capricorn STAR SIGN Leo JAKE, 22 OCCUPATION Fashion student OCCUPATION Fashion design LIKES Squares, Cats LIKES Patent leather, & Japanese rice bowls Greasy hair & HATES Hugs & Basic bitches Comme Des Garcons FAV TRACK FKA Twigs - Two HATES Theresa May, Kissing Weeks, Belle & Sebastian In public & People who are - Too Much Love slow to reply to my text FAV FILM X Men & Spirited FAV CLUB The White Away FAV TRACK Arca - Now You Know FAV FILM Cremaster Cycle

STAR SIGN Leo OCCUPATION Fashion designer STAR SIGN Leo LIKES The Simpsons, Memes OCCUPATION Work in PR & Japanese street style LIKES Dancing, My best HATES Gold hardware, friends & Ice cream Mushrooms & HATES Inconsiderate people, Waiting for parcels Mayonnaise & Bullies FAV CLUB Anywhere FAV CLUB Wherever the that’s a bit naff turnup is, I’ll go! FAV TRACK Sophie - Product FAV TRACK Location Remix - FAV FILM Mrs Doubtfire TYE, 21 JANAE, 25 Khalid ft Kehlani & Lil Wayne

STAR SIGN Libra JUSTICE, 21 CLIVE, 22 STAR SIGN Pieces OCCUPATION Fashion PR LIKES Scrumpy jack cider, LIKES Colour blocking, Bob Scampi with fries Marley & Anything 90s & My black hat HATES Tulisa, Jelly Shoes HATES Oranges - they FAV CLUB Ace Hotel are just pointless, Basement Establishment & Theresa FAV TRACK Jill Scott - Golden May’s accessories FAV FILM Hidden Figures FAV CLUB Electric Ballrooms FAV TRACK The Specials - Ghost Town FAV FILM Pan’s Labyrinth

STAR SIGN Scorpio OCCUPATION Freelance STAR SIGN Taurus Photographer/ OCCUPATION Student Cinematographer LIKES Green tea, Burning LIKES Helly Hansen, Old skool sage & Crystals hip hop & Photography HATES Ignoramusis (ignorant HATES Fake people, people), Melania Trump Ignorance & Bad taste & Casual fridays FAV CLUB Not a fan of clubs - FAV CLUB Phonox prefer house parties FAV TRACK LSDXOXO - FAV TRACK SadEmoji Notorious BIG - Juicy OLIVER, 18 FAV FILM Welcome To Me FAV FILM Friday LINCOLN, 23 774 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 75

HIBBA, 24 MAUREEN, 28

STAR SIGN Taurus STAR SIGN Don’t believe in star signs LIKES Poetry, Creating new LIKES Anything vegan, Good energy & Rice friendships In unexpected places & Vegan Cake HATES Injustice, Capitalism & Trump HATES Discriminations, Inequality & Popcorn STAR SIGN Taurus FAV FILM Women of Brewster Place FAV FILM Captain Fantastic OCCUPATION Massage therapists FAV TRACK Stormy Weather - FAV TRACK Calvin Harris & Part time actress Billie Holliday’s version ft. Jessie Reyez - Hard to Love LIKES Food, Red wine & Magic FAV CLUB The Jacaranda Club in Liverpool FAV CLUB The Jacaranda Club in Liverpool HATES Smelly people, Bullshit & Patriarchy FAVOURITE CLUB The Blue Club FAVOURITE TRACK Run - Ivorians Jay,Jay, 22 22 FAVOURITE FILM Whale Rider MONIASSE, 38 776 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 77

ALEXANDER, 21 OCCUPATION Student STAR SIGN Leo LIKES Trap music, Mum’s cooking & Travelling HATES Chicken feet, Towie & Louis Walsh FAV CLUB Clapham Grand FAV TRACK Jungle Pussy - Titty Attack FAV FILM Toy Story

STAR SIGN Aries OCCUPATION Fashion student LIKES Poetry, Music & Food HATES Complaining couples, My Eczema & People who discourage art FAV CLUB Mickey Mouse Club FAV TRACK Banks - Goddess FAV FILM Nocturnal Animals FASHIEL, 19

OCCUPATION Model KHANITTAN, 22 STAR SIGN Cancer LIKES Friends, Sportswear & Playing dress up HATES Nicki Minaj, Manufactured pop music & Reality TV FAV CLUB XOYO FAV TRACK Mary J Blige - No More Drama FAV FILM Waiting to Exhale

STAR SIGN Virgo OCCUPATION MA Art student LIKES 80’s, Retro fashion & Andy Warhol STAR SIGN Libra HATES Processed cheese, OCCUPATION Student X Factor & Harry Styles LIKES Blunts music & FAV CLUB Dollar Baby birthdaycake FAV TRACK Kraftwerk - Model JAKE, 29 HATES Children, hashtags FAV FILM Hookers at the Point & Problem patterns FAV CLUB Camden Underworld FAV TRACK FASHIEL, 19 Death Grips - Get Got ALEXANDER, 26 FAV FILM Johnny Mnemonic 778 ASBO MAGAZINE

STAR SIGN Sagittarius OCCUPATION DJ LIKES Free things, Chillin in bed eating pizza & Watching trash TV HATES Birds, Blood & Time management FAV CLUB The Box FAV TRACK Anything by Lana Del Ray FAV FILM Titanic or Clueless PRINCE JASON-JASON, 24 80 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 81 A BRITISH BOYBAND OFFER A MASTERCLASS IN DOING THINGS RIGHT.

MIC LOWRY 82 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 83

The current With their slick throwback sound, members Delleile Ankrah, Akia resurgence of the Jones, Kaine Ofoeme, Ben Sharples R&B scene in the and Michael Welch are bringing back harmonies, melodies and the UK is no secret to poster boyband pin-up look. All originating from Liverpool, they British boyband join Tayá and Clean Cut Kid as MiC Lowry: without part of the latest talent making an impressive ascent from the English quashing their joy city. “There’s always loads of music coming out from Liverpool, but and creativity, the it’s mainly guitar and rock bands,” five-piece group is says Ofoeme. “The R&B sound is gradually starting to come out doing everything in more.”

their power to be Taking their name from Will Smith’s leading the way. character, Mike Lowrey, in the 1995 film Bad Boys, the boys originally knew each other from school, though it wasn’t until they began taking vocal lessons at a youth club that they learnt to harmonize with each other. “We loved singing and doing it together as a group,” Sharples tells me over the phone. Now, six years into their life as a group, they have begun establishing a fan base through their videos on YouTube. “When we started getting more views and seeing how much people actually liked us, we thought maybe we could do something further with it.” It’s a tactic that’s definitely worked. After having racked up over 21 million views, the boys joined the likes of original YouTube music stars Esmée Denters and Justin Bieber, who the group recently supported on the UK leg of his Purpose tour. “We’ve never done anything on that kind of scale before. To play to that kind of sized crowds was just amazing, and everything you dream of when you’re growing up. Definitely one of the best experiences of our career so far.”

The band made their studio debut with the release of The Show EP in 2015, within months of being signed to their parent label, Universal. Although the band had plenty of time sharing the same stage as the famed recording artist, they also caught their own time on platforms like The Wendy Williams Show and the radio show, Elvis Duran, hosted by the celebrated American personality of the same name. In the time between the EP and now, the band have been splitting their time between the Atlantic, recording with some of the biggest production and writing names in the industry whilst gearing up for the release of their new EP. “The majority of the new EP we did as co-writes with producers and writers. We got to work with some amazing people.” Name-dropping Shift K3Y, MNEK, and The Stereotypes (who worked on the latest Bruno Mars album), the boys are pulling out all of the stops with their next step to becoming the next big boyband.

“There’s a couple of tracks produced by Harmony Samuels, and he mixed the whole record. He’s actually from London but lives out in L.A.,” explains Sharples. It’s a notable accomplishment, for over the W H E N W E S T A R T E D past six years, Samuels has produced records for leading names in R&B and pop, including Fifth Harmony, Ariana Grande and JoJo. Perhaps the most surprising collaboration, however, came when the boys appeared in the video for Charli XCX’s “Boys” video. The video, G E T T I N G M O R E which featured cameos of such male celebrities as Max Hershenow (MSMR), Shaun Ross, Barns Courtney, and countless others, found the stars under extensive coverage from media outlets for their [YOUTUBE] V I E W S A N D short cameo appearance. “We had shot the video for our last single [‘Whiskey Kisses’] and the girl who produced the video for us was producing the [‘Boys’] video, and Charli had been asking around other people to feature. They were styling everybody, and it was like one act S E E I N G H O W M U C H in one minute, and one act in another. It was a great little cameo, and the video is boss, so it was good to be a part of it.” PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKED Although the band have increasingly been enjoying further exposure, it’s their respect for their origins that attracts part of their charm. “The past year we have been to so many countries,” reflects Sharples. “We can’t even think of all the places - it’s mad. You just come back and US, WE THOUGHT MAYBE see all your friends at home and they’re all busy working. Sometimes you get really caught up in it. But when you look at it, we’re all really WE COULD DO SOMETHING lucky.”

FURTHER WITH IT. INSTAGRAM @miclowry Soundcloud miclowry YOUTUBE miclowryvevo WORDS JOAO VASCONCELOS 84 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 85 “To get to the right you go through all the POLITICS wrong” OF FASHION DO POLITICS & FASHION MIX?

INTALEKT

A blend of R&B, funk and hip-hop, with a generous dash of pop-culture A blend of R&B, references, philosophical moments and internet-influenced trills, Intalekt’s funk and hip-hop, sound is rich and complex. The album cover for his debut project, It Is What It Is, features the South London-based artist playing video games with his with a sprinkling brother; Wide smiles, a box of Cocoa Pops, and a laptop on the floor are bathed in warm light.A similar honestly and intimacy provides constant of pop-culture lyrical momentum throughout his work. Thoughts like, “I’m praying to God that we all just get by”, and, “I might not be one of those beautiful people, references, but I think I’m okay with that”, are realistic and hopeful, down-to-earth but philosophical always with an optimistic nod to a sense of a greater purpose. He describes having had a reputation for being “deep” and “knowing what to say” as a moments, and teenager, and this wisdom now manifests itself in a refreshingly honest and internet and video understated lyrical realism. game influenced The playfully authentic ‘70s-influenced music video for “Young” brings out the funk-inflected guitars and rhythms, and gestures towards earth, wind, sounds, Intalekt’s fire and funkadelic inspirations. Complex rhythms lie under full-bodied and satisfying melodies, with ever-varying textures and arrangements. He sound is rich and describes the detail in his music as coming from an “appreciation for time complex. signatures” and being “picky with chords”, interestingly influenced by the metal music he encountered at college. His most recent single, “Patience”, is a cloud of rich textures and pensive tones. Nowhere in his catalogue will you find a voice that cannot be easily described as angelic, and fittingly he says experiences in church have done “more for [him] as a musician than anything else”. Throughout his musical creations there is an engaging and uplifting appreciation for real, unexaggerated life. He describes his family as being a great support and inspiration, and no doubt this has influenced the clear, honest storytelling in his songs about intimate relationships, such as “Hold On” and “Comfortable”. “South London is where my heart lies,” he ruminates. For him, “that boom bap, that swing, wonk, soul vibe” has given him “that grit” that has made grime the best-known phenomenon of his home. On music, his final piece of advice lingers: Watch out for Marie Dahlstrom, Jay Prince, Kojey Radical, ROM and Ella Frank.

INSTAGRAM @intalektmusic FACEBOOK @IntalektMusic SOUNDCLOUD Intalekt WORDS REBECCA HARRI INTERVIEW KIT KEANE NAMILIA SS17 86 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 87

PYER MOSS S/S 2017 ASHISH A/W 2017 PYER MOSS F/W 2017 Prime Minister Magaret Thatcher & Katherine Hamnett meet meet Hamnett Katherine & Thatcher Magaret Minister Prime Katherine Hamnett Cancel Brexit T-Shirt

If you sit down for a minute and think about it, there are a lot of issues to But it hasn’t helped, has it? Hilary, even with the support of all her During the US protest against at the moment: from Black Lives Matter and Donald Trump famous friends, from Jay-Z and Beyoncé (when they were still a election last in the US, to Brexit and animal rights across the Atlantic, and everything in singular unit – before that whole Lemonade and 4:44 kafuffle), to between, including gender equal pay and trans and queer rights. Never an Oprah and every other imaginable celebrity, did not make it into White year, for the industry to let a moment du jour pass, fashion has jumped on the bandwagon House and all she was left with was a book deal with the apocalyptic to voice its views on some, if not all these topics. During the US election last title “What Happened?!”Brexit is happening. No number of Katherine first time in its year, for the first time in its history, Vogue issued an endorsement of a US Hamnett slogan tees screaming “Cancel Brexit” is going to change history, Vogue presidential candidate, calling on all its chic readers to vote for Hilary Clinton. that. And amongst his many jabs to LGBT rights since taking office, So there was Anna Wintour spotted uncharacteristically wearing a Hilary 2016 Donald Trump has issued an edict that trans people cannot serve in issued an t-shirt,and helping raise millions of dollars for the Hilary Clinton campaign. the military. He as also come out in support of state laws that require that trans people use toilets that correlate to their original gender, not endorsement Anna Wintour, in a t-shirt. their assigned or chosen gender. In so doing, he as reversed important guidelines that had been put in place by his predecessor, Barack of a US Fashion had firmly entered the political landscape. Obama, which advocated for trans students’ rights to use public presidential toilets of their choosing in public schools. During the presidential election campaign, a cacophony of designers sent candidate, collections down the runway at New York Fashion Week lamenting the prospects of a Trump presidency: Namilia’s Spring/Summer ‘17 collection All of which may lead one to think: what is calling on all its featured a Lady Liberty star spangled banner dress with insignia reading the point of fashion’s dalliance into politics? chic readers to “Take Down Trump” and pictures of a seemingly naked overgrown baby After all, Donald Trump is still the president of the United States, Donald Trump with a post that read “Completely Fucked Up” next to that wreaking havoc as he goes along and in two to four years (depending vote for Hilary photo. Pyer Moss was slightly less in-your-face, showing baseball jackets that spelt that word “Greed” where the team’s name would usually show, in a not- what mood Mrs May is in this week), the UK will no longer be a Clinton. so-subtle dig at the would-be president’s past as a property mogul. member of the European Union, and who knows what calamity that will bring to it, financially, culturally and in innumerable other non- Meanwhile in London, Ashish got on the Trump action, too, with a sparkly quantifiable ways.The true strength of being political in fashion is less sequined t-shirt in his Autumn/Winter ‘17 collection that read “Pussy grabs how many slogan tees are sold, but the awareness that having those in back”, in reference to that awful gaffe by Donald Trump that was caught on a fashion show creates. Especially in today’s digital and social media tape where he said, referring to a woman, “grab her by the pussy”.Ashish world, those images will be rehashed over and over again in people’s also learnt his voice to the other major front on political issues of the day in newsfeeds, turned into gifs, memes and boomerang videos. this collection: queer and trans rights. Queer rights have come a long way since the days of the Stonewall protests and Oscar Wilde’s arrest for sodomy: Whilst it may not necessarily mean that Donald trump will be kicked gay marriage is now legal in all of the United States following a court case out of the Oval Office because of a show at New York Fashion Week, it in 2015. In Britain, this year marked the celebration of 50 years since the may very well mean that people are more aware of the protest against decriminalization of homosexuality in England and Wales. It seemed apt then, him as an issue and that a million of them will show up at a march to see a butch looking bear of a man (not your traditional fashion model) on Washington, people that may otherwise had not been aware that parading down the catwalk wearing a bejewelled t-shirt that read “Why be there is a protest movement. That is where the change happens - it blue when you can be gay”, paired with black leather boots, police leather is built and hyped up on social media and that hopefully propels them cap, aviators and black leather gloves (all very Tom of Finland). Of course onto the street. The Arab Spring has taught us the effectiveness of there was also the rainbow-flag coloured sweater that read “Love sees no this strategy. Fashion, after all, by definition, is about the now, current colour”. affairs - it can be a terrific fuel for a nascent revolution. Ironically, the fashion industry itself is not entirely blameless of certain So yes, buy the Katherine Hamnett tee, be the cool kid for the abuses which have resulted in boycotts and protest action against it as well. moment, but the real impact will come from hitting the streets and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has long been protesting airing your views on these issues on social media. Because that outside fashion shows and elsewhere against the industry’s use of fur and matters; much more than just being cool for a minute in 2017 because other animal skins for pure aesthetics. Likewise the tragic incident of the you are wearing the “in” t-shirt. A luta continua. collapse of a clothing factory in Bangladesh which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries brought about a palpable backlash against fast fashion and the unethical labour standards that are applied to workers who produce clothes to feed our insatiable appetite for high street trash. WORDS LITHEMBA VELLEMAN Images via Katherine Hamnett, Guardian Archives, Mogul Black Lives Matter & Fashion For Lunch 88 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 89 MODERN-DAY

This obsession stretches as far back as the Victorian era (think Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and even features A RECONSIDERATION OF in those first otherworldly stories we are told as innocent children (for example, Lewis Carole’s Alice in Wonderland and Roald Dahl’s The WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MONSTROUS. BFG). Monsters are typically thought of as creatures of the imagination: unnatural atrocities that cause terror WORDS GEMMA TADMAN and bring danger to those within their fictional realm. Despite these famously frightening beings being included in stories, with the purpose of making us afraid, as a society we are enthralled by them, and we crave the terror they induce. Of course, the concept of ‘monster’ has evolved over the years, and in modern day, it is used to describe much more than the ghouls and giants that feature in stories. We frequently label events, people and creatures as ‘monstrous’ when they do not fit into society’s neat box of what is deemed ‘normal’, safe or familiar. We relish in ‘making a monster’ out of figures who consistently push the boundaries or flaunt their ‘otherness’. But what does it mean to be one of these modern- day monsters? Are they like the imaginary monsters we crave? Why might we think of the present as a time of monstrosity? As Stephen T. Asma explains in On Monsters, the word ‘monster derives from the Latin word monstrum, which in turns derives from the root monere (to warn).’ Asma says that a monster is more than a creature of the imagination, but is ‘to be a kind of cultural category, employed in domains as diverse as religion, biology, literature, and politics’. What Asma suggests is that monsters serve as symbols and representatives of a culture’s or societies fears or fuck ups. Certainly, if we look closely at Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein, we come to understand that Dr Frankenstein’s patchwork monster is a vehicle used to explore the Victorian’s concerns about morality, the social and religious responsibilities of science, and the changing role of capital labour during the Industrial Revolution. Likewise, in Stoker’s Dracula, vampirism is used to discuss Victorian anxieties over the feminine sexual awakening. In an exhilarating collection of essays - entitled This Young Monster – London-based author Charlie Fox hunts down ‘the monster’. He explores characters (both real and unreal) whose lives were gloriously paranormal; artists whose work raised infernos; creatives who transformed their bodies, who were not afraid of inciting fear or anger, and who continue to show their audiences gasp-worthy things. Using an eclectic throng of examples - including Lewis Carole’s Alice in Wonderland, Alex Delarge from Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, Tim Burton’s Edward Scissor Hands, Australian performance artist Leigh Bower, and fashion designer Alexander McQueen - Fox makes glib associations and paints an enthralling picture of transgression. The reader is shown how subversive actions and aesthetics can challenge material reality. In the current political climate, and in our demonising society of finger- pointing and labels, the ‘monster’ takes on a similar cast to the past, encircled by fear and negativity. But Fox has also discovered ‘this other kind of hideousness’, which points back at society. ‘My monsters,’ Fox writes, ‘like some radical opposition force, are embodiments of everything such toxic ideologies wish to exclude: they embody otherness and make it into art, ripping any conventional idea of beauty to shreds and replacing it with something weird and troubling of their own invention — that’s heroic.’ Fox’s monster’s embrace their ‘otherness’, and use it to make noteworthy art that is anything other than ordinary. He bends the finger back towards the finger-pointing society - its own force of evil - and makes the monsters into something strikingly original. As JJ Cohen put it in Monster Culture (Seven Theses), ‘These monsters ask us how we perceive the world, and how we have misrepresented what we have attempted to place.’ Fox goes on to explain how monstrous events are reflected in art and the media. He relates the boom of late-1980s and early-1990s vampire movies with the AIDS furore and the intensifying heroin epidemic, and connects the explosion of horror in mainstream millennial entertainment to the aftershocks of the Iraq War, describing it as ‘a manifestation of mourning displaced on to our dreams’. Monsters ransack our unconscious terrors about unsafe homes and unsettling bodies - it’s no wonder we’re all fixated on what Fox titles ‘monstrous entertainments’, from zombie parades to the smash hit series Stranger Things, to McQueen’s exhibition of spectral waifs and hybrids at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, in 2015. These ‘frightening’ figures allow us to explore political extremes, societal anxieties, and dangerous themes. They allow us to express our deepest desires, our inner creativity, new and exciting aesthetics and emotions, but most importantly, they give us the chance to explore what beauty is to us, as individuals. Monsters are powerful beings. If society deems you a ‘monster’ because you dress in a way they do not understand, then you are able to use this to call into question society’s ideas of beauty and aesthetics, and reclaim these terms. Rather than running from these monsters PHOTOGRAPHY Audrone Zutkyte and hiding under the sheets, we should look to them and embrace the things that make them CONCEPT Martynas Stirneckas different — the transformative power of art that they exemplify – for we are all monsters MODEL Austeja Skudaite within a society of monsters. 90 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 91

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TYLER BATE WORDS HUMZA HUSSIAN CREATIVE DIRECTION MIKE LOWE PHOTOGRAPHY VANYA SACHA ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER SARA BARROW MUA STEPHANIE SILV LUI 100 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 101 Tyler Bate is a WWE superstar. He is also the first-ever WWE

United Kingdom Champion, and moment was surreal.” The tournament was a high a master of performance. A point in Bate’s unfurling career. However, it is performers like him that make a tournament like conversation offers an insight this possible in the first place. In recent years, the U.K.’s wrestling scene has rapidly grown due to into the life and work of this the rise in great performers such as Bate, and his incredible man. contemporaries, Pete Dunne and Trent Seven. So much, in fact, that during this time the WWE sold out London’s Wembley Arena with their NXT brand for an historic WWE Network special. “I think it is because everybody on the scene has really upped their game in the past few years,” says Bate in admiration of his British confrères. “The U.K. has been overlooked for a long time, which really motivates us to get our names out there more for The WWE superstar Tyler Bate is standing in the ring for a people to see what we are all about. Just look at the talent photoshoot. He’s almost irresistibly charismatic. There’s a that was in the 16-man United Kingdom Championship unique charm &swagger that the Dudley-born superstar, in Tournament, and I know for a fact there are more out this moment, is bringing before the lens. there.”

As we speak, our conversation makes a natural progression One of the performers in the Tournament was none other towards his involvement in the WWE. “It has been a great than Bate’s long-time friend, Dunne. At the WWE Network experience working for the WWE,” Bate tells me. “I have special, NXT Takeover: Chicago, which took place earlier learned many new things during my short time working there, this year, Bate lost the U.K. Championship to Dunne, in and I hope to continue learning and growing to become one of what has been called the best match of the year (so far) the greatest WWE superstars ever.” He also shed light on what by wwe.com. “It was a huge milestone for me in my career it’s like inside the WWE’s training facility, the Performance and is only the first of many more to come. I couldn’t ask Centre: “I’ve got to visit the Performance Centre in Orlando for a better opponent than Pete, he really brings out the - maybe one of the most advanced training complexes in the best in me. We managed to get an American crowd to world, and is way more than just a gym. It has seven rings of chant ‘U.K., U.K., U.K.,’ and ‘Fight Forever’. We had no idea varying softness so you can train your aerial style offense, the match was as big as it was until we looked on Twitter and harder mats for drills. There’s also an arena where you afterwards - even the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin can practise cutting promos and your ring entrance. It’s there tweeted us saying how much he enjoyed the match. I’ve to create superstars, not just athletes, and there’s always an wrestled Pete all over the world and we know how to put expert on hand to give you tips on how to master the craft.” on a show, we constantly want to raise the bar as we know it’s up to us to put the U.K. on the map.” One of those experts is “The Heartbreak Kid”, Shawn Michaels, who as both a WWE Hall of Famer and decorated sports- The praise for Bate did not end there. During an interview entertainer is considered by many as the greatest WWE star of I conducted with legendary wrestling reporter, Dave all time. The significance of being able to learn from someone Meltzer, he singled out Bate as one of the great young as eminent as Michaels is not lost on Bate. talents today: “Tyler Bate is, like, 20-years- “Shawn Michaels is a very down to earth old, and I don’t know if there’s anyone at and humble man. He had nothing but nice 20-years-old as good as him in the world.” things to say about us Brits, which is a “My mission is to Bate fully acknowledged this honour. “It’s great honour coming from one of the let [people] know a huge privilege to hear anyone speaking greatest ever,” Bate enthuses. “We have about me so highly,” he says. “I have great only had brief interactions, but I’d like to that you can achieve pride in what I do and I’m glad that people have the chance to sit with him for longer anything you set enjoy watching me.” to really pick his brain about performing.” Before all of this, Bate’s journey began your mind to with While storylines in WWE are ultimately with an unexpected fascination. “It’s settled inside the ring, WWE is more than always funny answering that question hard work, despite just in-ring performances. They look because nobody expects it,” says Bate however old you may for someone who has charisma and an when asked who his greatest influence oratorical capability, a figure who can draw is. “My favourite wrestler growing up was be or whatever your throngs of onlookers to bare witness to a and always has been Kane. I just liked how background is.” spectacle. “I focus mainly on just trying to he could just beat anybody up.” While be different from everybody else, that way he is powerfully built, Bate is considered people will remember me better than if I’m to be one of the smaller performers in just a regular guy in trunks,” Bate explains. WWE. Indeed, trying to imitate the seven-foot tall American “Trent and I have quite distinctive styles, and it’s having professional wrestler was not something I expected to hear that unique brand that gets the crowd to engage with you. from the 20-year-old sensation. We’re here to entertain, and the more you can connect with the audience, the more you’ll get them on their feet.” “For a while, I tried to adopt Kane’s style as my own. But as It’s that connection with the audience that allows Bate to I grew older, I realised that when you just be yourself, you not enter the ring only with the force of a phenomenon, resonate a lot more with the audience. When I decided to be but also become an inspiration. “I like to consider myself Tyler Bate and not Kane, I really began to grow as a performer a role model for young men and women in the U.K.. My and looked to build on my character.” mission is to let them know that you can achieve anything you set your mind to with hard work, despite however It was this thinking that led to his career-defining moment old you may be or whatever your background is.” And at the WWE’s U.K. Tournament in January of 2017, where he this even extends to his eating habits. “I’m one of a few was crowned the first-ever WWE United Kingdom Champion. WWE U.K. stars to be a proud vegan, which surprises a On the experience, Bate tells me: “Since the WWE U.K. few people,” the wrestler adds. “It’s a myth that you need Championship Tournament, I have been able to live the best to be a heavy meat eater to be an athlete; we eat a lot of of both worlds in professional wrestling, on the independents lentils, oats, nuts, and seeds. It’s a lifestyle, but I strongly and WWE. I love the indies but it’s also great to be able to believe in it. I’d love to inspire people to also try a vegan have the WWE banner above my name too, and be able to diet.” perform in front of millions on the WWE network. The two days in Blackpool for the tournament itself had one of the Bate’s journey thus far has been nothing short of best atmospheres I’ve ever performed in front of. On my WWE remarkable. But perhaps the most incredible thing of all debut, I had one arm raised with the WWE United Kingdom is that his journey has only just begun, and one suspects Championship in one hand, and my other being raised by that the bravura executant is on an upward trajectory. Triple H. I wouldn’t say I’m the type to get starstruck, but that After all, he is already immortalised in history. 102 ASBO MAGAZINE

“I focus mainly on just trying to be different from everybody else, that way people will remember me better than if I’m just a regular guy in trunks.” ARIS VAN CALSTER KNITTED SLEEVES KNITTED - Zepar Kong (Hong Siu Polytechnic University) PRINTED SHORTS & LEG GAITERS LEG & SHORTS PRINTED PRINTED DRESS PRINTED

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This weekend in Hong Kong, I learn how a shy, young art student has Aris Van Caster clad in fuchsia become one of Asia’s humblest fur and bubblegum boots, and most captivating influencers. We start our interview over dinner, she sits tall against trays of through the steam of our wonton noodle soups. She’s softly spoken mangoes and durians. Her and mesmerising. multi-coloured braids cascade Born in the Dominican Republic, Aris grew up in Antwerp, Belgium, to her thighs, and the gold before venturing into Asia — where she now lives in Bangkok. hues on her face tell-tale a It all began when she starred in a reality television show in Belgium. long day outdoors. She chuckles, “as you might have guessed, there aren’t so many black TV stars there! I wasn’t ready for the attention that came with it. I had to get out of there. So I moved to Italy for a while.” On her first move to Asia, she recalls, “My parents were working in Qingdao, China. So I ended up moving over. It was probably the most courageous decision I’ve ever made.” Brave, but not easy, she says – especially as as an outlet. Adoring viewers would empower her with messages of unity. But a young black woman. “I had people grabbing when she tried to discuss things with her family, they shut her down. my ass on a daily basis!” Even women? I ask. “Especially women! At the time I had a big “That’s when I knew I needed to step away. If you can’t express yourself with ‘fro so people would just pull at my hair in the the ones you love, there must be something wrong.” As if freeing herself street. They’d want to just, feel me. It’s just from an anchor, she cut off contact with them. We spend the next day walking a difference in culture – maybe it’s through chaotic and tranquil corners of the one child policy. It’s like they’re Hong Kong. Smiling every step of the raised to believe that they can do way, it’s like embracing the city with an what they want. After experiences “IF YOU CAN’T old friend. She tells me about this one like that, you become immune to a evening at a bar in Ho Chi Minh. She was lot of things. It builds character.” wearing a trilby. Her eyes were glassing EXPRESS over as her date performed some mediocre She brushes off her stories, but monologue. reveals that it’s never been easy to YOURSELF WITH appear optimistic. The more we talk, Out of nowhere, someone lifts off her trilby the more she reveals the darkness THE ONES YOU and runs away. “Who the fuck does that?!” that’s shackled her for years: “I’ve She knocks back her seat and chases the always been depressed, and I never mysterious figure. After a night running knew why.” LOVE, after him, she closes lips with the man who would later become her fiancé.“We Now, against the neon THERE MUST decided to move to Thailand, and luckily pandemonium of the Mong Kok he found an art gallery that wanted him. Ladies’ Market, Aris is a vision in BE SOMETHING He was just… Awesome. Supporting me white; chin thrown back, totally with anything I wanted to do. He’s helped unfazed by attention from crowds me through so much.” After a stint in with pointing fingers.The next WRONG.” corporate styling (“It didn’t make me question writes itself: how does happy!”) Aris began to build her own brand a girl who grew up feeling so small, rise to - designing her website, finding her voice in a blog, and building her Instagram become such a spectacle of strength? Our presence. chat continues in an opulent cocktail den on Hong Kong Island, where she remembers her “We live in such a time that you can choose to be you. And just go online, and first trip to Thailand. She had experienced create your own world.” She adds, “And it’s the most amazing feeling knowing a kind of self-renaissance, arriving in the that the reason people want to work with you is purely because they like your middle of the 2014 military coup d’état. aesthetic, and find power in the way you express yourself.” “Suddenly, the world opened up. I thought, As the trip closes, we grab drinks on a rooftop in Wan Chai, the city’s red light wow, other people have way bigger problems! district. The conversation falls on her idol, Grace Jones. “I love when you Depression is an introverted thing, but now watch her interviews; she shuts people down with the snap of a finger. She’s I was getting to experience life outside of taught me that it’s okay to have boundaries and say no.” Aris reflects on the myself. It changed me. When I returned to responsibilities that come with influencer life. “I saw a comment the other day China I was a different person. Not long after, that said, ‘I want your life!’, and that to me was so sad. I know some influencers Katy Lo @ Raffles (Hong Kong) Design Institute Lo Katy I decided to move to Vietnam.” The most whose whole lives revolve around putting pretty pictures up, with no meaningful - Mote.Mai - crucial step towards self-discovery wound substance. That’s no way of living.” up being the most heartbreaking. After months of self-study and therapy in Vietnam, “Everyone’s got baggage,” she adds. “The only difference is that some people she realised a destructive relationship with recognise it, and others keep on pretending. Us influencers, we need to show her mother was stopping her from moving the world that we are human.” - Dollskill forward. “I started reading about the effects that narcissism in parents, can have on The next evening, Aris Van Calster returns to central Bangkok to her fiancé. children. My relationship with her checked Meanwhile, back in Yau Ma Tei, flecks of gold dust still glisten on the ground.

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Anthony Joshua – it’s his incredibly entertaining and explosive boxing style currently sits as that has captivated the world. However, the one thing holding a unified world him back from ruling the world of champion, holding boxing - is a date in Vegas. “He’s already a wealthy man. He could three separate easily be the first billionaire in boxing” – Barry Hearn. The words heavyweight titles. above came from the mouth of However, it’s promoter Barry Hearn, who just so happens to be the father of not only his Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn. Just after AJ broke pay- professional per-view & attendance records in accolades that the UK (not to mention breaking his opponent Wladimir Klitschko), make AJ such Barry Hearn told The Sun that the heavyweight sensation can indeed an incredible become the first-ever “billionaire superstar in boxing”. AJ continued his ascension in April of 2017 - by knocking out the legendary Wladimir Klitschko on home-soil, in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. The fight also surpassed a million pay-per-view buys in the UK. With this enormous win, AJ continued in his quest to join the likes of past heavyweight greats like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, in the upper- echelon of boxing. For years, heavyweight boxing was looked at as the pinnacle of the sport. Great superstars like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson carried the sport of boxing with their incredible fights, as well as, their equally exciting antics outside of the ring. However, post-Tyson, boxing’s heavyweight division fell flat. Then along came the young British sensation, Anthony Joshua. His calm, cool demeanour became an instant hit with the fans. Not since the days of Mike Tyson, has a heavyweight boxer brought the crowds to their feet like AJ has. While it looks like AJ is destined to cement a spot among the greats, one thing is holding him back... Vegas. AJ has yet to fight centre stage at the ‘fighting city’, Las Vegas. Las Vegas has long been looked at as the pinnacle of Boxing, and that is where the past greats cemented their places at the elite level. Boxing commentator, Max Kellerman even summed it up at the Gennady Golovkin VS Canelo Alvarez fight. Max said on the broadcast that Gennady (the older, more experienced fighter) had never been on “this stage before” whereas Canelo, the younger fighter was deemed as the more experienced fighter because of his previous Vegas bouts. A main event fight in Vegas not only draws the attention of the entire world, but it also promises fighters a huge paycheque which can at times surpass a hundred million dollars. “HIS NEXT An Unknown in the States Mixed Martial Arts legend, Chael Sonnen works as an MMA analyst for ESPN but also covers other combat sports such as boxing. Post-AJ vs B I G G E S T Klitschko, he revealed that he had never heard of Anthony Joshua prior to his bout with Klitschko. “I’m a pretty good boxing fan here. I had never heard of him”, Chael said on his podcast: You’re Welcome. Sonnen also revealed CHALLENGE DOES the ratings for the boxing bout were very low in the US. Chael’s words were certainly surprising, but they also highlight how significant it is for a boxer to compete in the ‘fighting city’. In the UK, AJ is as big a star as any, but N O T L I E I N T H E perhaps in the most important boxing market, he is not yet a “superstar”. Geography continues to hold AJ back from entering the upper echelon of world boxing. R I N G ; I T L I E S However, AJ connects with his fans, especially the younger audience, as his story before boxing is one that resonates. In a Lucozade Sport ad, it shows his life prior IN A CHANGE OF to boxing, and how criminal activity led to trouble with the law, but thanks to his mother (who is also in the ad) and the sport of boxing, AJ is now a champion. It’s a relatable story, which also provides a role model for the youngsters SCENERY” that are still choosing the path of crime. He even embraces the showmanship element of boxing by having major artists like Stormzy sing his entrance music. Time to Roll the Dice: AJ is destined for global superstardom, but it is clear to see his next biggest challenge does not lie in the ring; it lies in a change of scenery. The joy of the home-crowd support is something, he will have to leave behind in order to fulfil his destiny and etch his name amongst the Anthony Joshua and a date legendary heavyweights. And if he does want to be the first billionaire in boxing – AJ will have to roll the dice in Vegas.

with Vegas WORDS HUMZA HUSSIAN BABY QUEENS

Many assume that Jammin to some roots music and hip-hop [whilst] talking to each other in Brooklyn accents, talking about the NY hip hop music scene, being silly and calling each Baby Queen’s name other “Bwabyyy””. After, they joined Monique Bux (vocals/keys), Ruth Vibes refers to them being (vocals/guitar), and Estelle Ios (bass guitar/vocals), forming their unique sound young queens. And as organically as their name. yet it teases at Baby Queens attribute their song writing skills to their upbringing. “We were all brought up on incredible music, of all genres. Monique’s father was a blues something altogether bass and guitar player, Vanity’s father was a break dancer, [Cara and her sister] different: Vanity Estelle spent a lot of [their] childhood living in the van at various beaches with [their] father who is a nature loving hippy-surfer.” Baby Queens further add that Jay and Cara Elise they “were born into colourful, heartfelt, humanitarian families” and spent a lot - both vocalists of their formative years travelling the world with the great soundtrack to their youth (consisting of Blondie, No Doubt, X ray Specs, L7, Hole, Sonic Youth, The and bassists in the Pretenders and Gladys Knight, to name a few) provided by their parents. female-five piece that These women say they “represent almost is transcending genre every race on the planet” between their with their fusion of “We have all seen mixed heritage, and are passionate R&B and soul. about standing up for “equality, truth much injustice in and justice”, with the fervent belief that everyone should have equal rights. our lifetimes on a Partly inspired by the U.K. government’s personal level and on fear of the emergence of the 1977 punk scene, Baby Queens hope to incite some a global scale, I guess passion, and empower people to stand we really hoped up for what is right. It is unsurprising that Baby Queens have some powerful we could make a female influences - including Tracy Chapman, Jean Grae, Stevie Nicks, difference with our Erykah Badu, and Janis Joplin - driving music” them to make a difference with their music. The main misconception that they have faced is that they are an “X-factor-industry created girl vocal group”. There’s something almost ironic about this false impression of Baby Queens. They are against what they call the “vibe of sickening narcissism” stemming from some heavily autotuned mainstream pop, hoping instead to create music that is lyrically meaningful and full of soul; music that is for everyone - “but especially the broken souls, the feelers, artists, empaths, and believers”. Their honest, music-first approach has been met with widespread support in their home city of Cardiff. “Coming from a small city, and a small Celtic country, gives us the underdog title,” Elise enthuses. “When we have made achievements with the band the support is off the chain. It’s like we’re doing it for Wales, and the people of our country. I think it’s always been like that here - such a small country with a tiny population, if anyone Welsh does well at anything at all they will have the whole country behind them, which I find very Celtic and tribal, and very beautiful”.

Baby Queens speak about their objectives with lucid clarity: “We’re hoping to give a positive alternative, lyrics with substance, with soul, music with feeling, that speaks of love, pain, compassion, unity, equality - anything real that helps you connect to your true self, not your false ego.”

Facebook Baby Queens TWITTER @baby_queens Instagram Babyqueensofficial Words: MOLLY DAVIES

asbomagazine.com 125 MAAD ABOUT THE GIRL

A YOUNG MULTIHYPHENATE APPROACHES MUSIC WITH A RARE, WONDEROUS INTENSITY, AS WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. 11266 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 127

“I would take classes every weekend. I was doing tap, jazz, and modern dance, and when I went to Harlem School of Arts, I would take horse riding lessons, piano classes and drawing. It was just super creative and I don’t know if parents get a notion that their children want to do something, but I guess my mom was just like, ‘Okay, I guess she really enjoys doing these things.’”.

Being nurtured from a young age to experiment and branch out into different areas has had a strong effect on how she handles her career. “I absolutely love music. I’ve been a musician for some time now and I got into DJ-ing recently to help spin my own music.” An attempt that has certainly helped her get noticed in circles that many artists this early on in their career could only dream of. The bio on her website lists her as having DJ’ed for REVOLVE Born and raised in and Chrissy Teigen’s Fourth of July party, while also appearing on playlists for New Jersey, singer- brands such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., L’Oreal, and Puma, to name a few. As an independent artist, MAAD took it upon herself to be completely self- songwriter MAAD reliant, where regular modeling gigs allowed her “music career to flourish”. In an era where 360 music deals are considered to be a norm and record has been openly companies can profit from every area of an artist’s life, MAAD lauds self- encouraged from the reliance. While being fresh out of high school, and beginning to explore her life as a recording artist, she taught herself how to use Pro Tools. “I think age of four to fully it’s like a stage where you’re like, ‘Let me just try different things.’ So this was when I’d get instrumentals of Jay-Z and Nas and I would just sing over embrace the creative those.” Don’t ever expect to hear these bootlegs though – they’re not there arts. Having previously for our entertainment. Instead, it presented MAAD with a learning curve that would later help shape her experiences in the studio. “I think you need those attended the Dance experiences to know what’s good. As much as they make me cringe, and they will never appear, it’s good to have those experiences. You wouldn’t know Studio of Harlem, that you’re in a better place if you didn’t hear the shit that you did before,” and Harlem School she says with gentle earnestness. of the Arts, a taste to At the beginning of 2016, MAAD released the video for “Sweet and Low”, the first taster into her life that is caught perenially in the limelight. The era of take on challenges Lé Funk was born. “I love the Studio 54 scene - I wish I was there. The ‘70’s was always something that I absolutely loved.” The seven-track EP was laced and inspiration is with MAAD’s inspirations of Diana Ross, Luther Vandross and Nile Rogers, something that would while also appealing to the mass crowd who missed out on the iconic era. “My music is funky and groovy and playful and sexy. Lé Funk was an introduction follow her throughout for people to really get who MAAD is.” her entire life. Working alongside production team PRODUCEDBYTHEVAMP on Lé Funk, the grassroots knowledge and skills have equiped the singer to be able to take her craft beyond an alloted studio time. “It got to the point where in order to progress, you have to be self-sufficient,” MAAD says. “My good friend, Rielly, he said, ‘Just learn how to use Pro Tools. Learn how to do things on your own so you don’t have to wait for anybody.’ So now I can go into a session and just record myself.” One notable highlight is the EP closer “Touch Me”, which the singer recorded with long-time friend Ro James, who earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance last year with her debut single, “Permission”. “Ro James has been my friend for about eight or nine years. I’m very proud of him to be Grammy nominated. That record was one of the first we did off of Lé Funk, like two and a half years ago.” The duet closes the EP in a way that many R&B fans will remember their favourite album ending: The bass line is heavy; and the production - gorgeous, with the two voices complimenting each other in a sound that is as sexy as the lyrical content. Over the past few years, the industry has been seen to recognise the talents of female artists who take ownership of their time and talent, with less commitment to being reduced to just a face and voice in a business model. “It’s just better for your career if you don’t wait for anybody. I don’t enjoy waiting for people to tell me, ‘Yeah, let’s just schedule this at another time, everybody’s busy this week.’ So for me, if I just get instrumentals from people, and I just connect with different writers, or I just write something for myself - it just has more of a connection because I don’t have anybody telling me, ‘Okay, well, you have twenty minutes and then we have to wrap up.’ I just record at my own free will, which has been great!” With a new EP due to be released at the top of next year, I ask MAAD what she foresees in her future and it’s clear she has no signs of stopping. “Probably still doing what I’m doing right now. At some point I would love to open a modeling agency,” she muses. “I see how it is to be a young girl and kind of confused and you don’t know who is doing what, so I think that could be really helpful. I have to love it – I got into DJ-ing and it became a new obsession for me. Shit. Maybe I should open a DJ school, too? When you have the background in something and you can help other people, get to where they want to be – that’s the whole purpose. We are just here to inspire others.” “I don’t think a lot of people would want to sit through those sessions with me. I would go take for take until it’s a vocal that I can feel.” FACEBOOK MAAD TWITTER @shesmaad INSTAGRAM @shesmaad WORDS JOAO VASCONCELOS 128 ASBO MAGAZINE asbomagazine.com 129

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