VOL. 2 - ISSUE 18 // SPRING 2019 MUSIQUARIUM - MONDAYS FROM 4PM TO 6PM FRESHLY SQUEEZED - WEDNESDAYS FROM 4PM TO 6PM THE SPIN EVOLUTION - FRIDAYS FROM 4PM TO 6PM CJSW WEEKLY SPINS TUNE INTO 90.9 FM IN CALGARY OR ONLINE AT CJSW.COM FEATURE FEATURE - TECH DOM & BIO SUIT TEAM FREQ. DIRECTOR OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES Avi Butalia – [email protected] EDITOR-AT-LARGE Sheena Jardine-Olade – [email protected] Kim Noseworthy & Sandra McIntyre MUSIC EDITOR Kayla Graham – [email protected] CULTURE EDITOR Magdalena Gorski – [email protected] FASHION EDITOR Kim Noseworthy – [email protected] COPY EDITING Maria Berlando – [email protected] CONTENTS PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Brad Simm MUSIC PRODUCTION BY Blackwater Creative 12 DESIGN & LAYOUT GRIME FACTS Tariq Bakir 04 Alannah Pohran – [email protected] Mike Trudeau – [email protected] Danielle MacLean – [email protected] Rendel Valerio – [email protected] - FEATURE LABELLED: RECORD STORE DAY Kasia Gorski 06 Each Freq is thematic and every issue will be stamped with our brand of perceptiveness, Ashley Ang – [email protected] curiosity and honesty. Adrian DeVries – [email protected] Zak McGurk – [email protected] A SAMPLE STORY: THE AMEN BREAK Michelle Hillman – [email protected] Kayla Graham & Alannah Pohran 08 DIGITAL MEDIA WELCOME TO TIJUANA EMERGENCE (ih-mur-juh ns) Chris Murphy – [email protected] WAAJEED Shaylon Haberman – [email protected] Sheena Jardine-Olade 10 Matt Hill – [email protected] • the act or process of coming into being; becoming apparent, visible. DISTRIBUTION Be Seen Street Team – [email protected] FASHION SALES ASCENSION (uh-sen-shuh n) Kim Noseworthy – [email protected] TECH DOM & BIO SUIT PHOTOGRAPHERS Kim Noseworthy & Sandra McIntyre 12 • The act of changing location in an upward direction; rising. Grime Facts – Original photo by Ben Walsh Waajeed – Original photo by DTR Media Tech Dom – Original photos by Jessica Pechet Gabriel Hernandez Solano & Peter Kronish UNBOTHERED Unbothered – Original photos by Jared Bautista Jared Bautista 18 Smolik and the CO.LAB – Just Jash / Jashua Peter Grafstein Calgary's Culinary Condition – Portrait by OUTLIER Imagery TRANSFORMATION (trans-fer-mey-shuh n) Welcome to Tijuana – Gabriel Hernandez Solano • change in form, appearance, nature, or character. CULTURE • metamorphosis. Freq Magazine is a quarterly magazine. No parts of Freq Magazine may be reproduced without prior written consent from SMOLIK AND THE CO.LAB the publisher. Freq Magazine welcomes submissions but accepts Magdalena Gorski 24 no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials. ZENITH (Zee-nith) 117 - 17 Ave SE WELCOME TO TIJUANA Calgary, AB T2G 1H3 Gabriel Hernandez Solano & Peter Kronish 26 • A highest point or state; culmination. For all advertising inquiries please email [email protected] CALGARY'S CULINARY CONDITION 26 Neil Malik 32 freqmag www.freqmagazine.com MUSIC GRIME FACTS THE CHANGING STATES OF GRIME With its distinguishable sound, and its In an attempt to understand what makes In one of his standout songs “S.O.S.” (Save Our melting pot of influences, grime is a genre grime less palatable to North American Sound), Yizzy mentions that he feels grime that is deeply rooted in the streets of London, audiences, I asked Yizzy if he thought there was being appropriated by people who didn’t where it emerged in the early 2000s. It sits were similarities between U.K. grime and embody and respect the true culture, and that comfortably in the 135-140 bpm realm and American rap. “Culturally, there are a lot of it’s been used as a buzzword to gain attention. is characterized by its jagged garage-like similarities,” he says. “Both sounds stem from basslines, hard-hitting snares and sawtooth communities typically below the poverty “At the time there were a lot of people, pages synths. Much like hip-hop, there is a strong line, with people finding music as their only and brands talking about grime this and grime emphasis on the MC being at the front, as outlet or way to escape the day-to-day that when grime had nothing to do with what- well as a “bars” culture, where clever punch- harsh reality. The differences would obvi- ever they were talking about,” Yizzy says. “It was lines and raw depictions of urban life are ously be the tempos at which both genres as if they were using the word to gain more respected. Grime’s influences stem from its are typically made at, the lifestyles associ- attention or create controversy. I saw this, and ancestor U.K. genres of 2-step, ragga, dance- ated with each sound, and how each genre that no one was really calling them out for it, hall, and garage, and it is heavily linked with was formed.” so I decided I would.” dubstep. The genre’s hybridization of U.K. subcultures with a cutting-edge modern At only 19 years old, Yizzy has had quite Another problem Yizzy saw in the genre was twist has united a variety of music scenes the impressive start to his career, already the lack of evolution and effort in the lyrics, and has allowed its spread. Moreover, with getting accolades from some of the best despite the overall productions and sound its depictions of urban life and integration in the genre, such as grime heavyweight increasing. “The quality of productions, in of traditional African and Caribbean musical Sir Spyro. To him, it was natural that he got my opinion, have gone up,” Yizzy says. “The influences and lingo, it brings minority into grime, even though he feels it could hunger and competitiveness has gone down groups together and gains the support of the be easier to make it in American hip-hop. slightly compared to when grime started, and I traditional sound system cultures that paved “It's typically been harder to make it in U.K. think this can be heard in the music. MCs have the way for modern bass music in the U.K. grime compared to American rap,” Yizzy become a bit too relaxed and lazy with lyrics, or says. “A lot of it comes down to American putting time into a song or project, etc. What In North America, however, grime is still a rap being mainstream music for many years, this does is leave you with a sound that's almost growing scene despite efforts for recogni- whereas U.K. Grime music has never really a shadow of its former self.” tion in the mainstream. For example, Drake had a consistent run as a mainstream sound, has featured grime heavyweights Skepta and and therefore has never really got the full Yizzy’s words leave questions. Will true grime Giggs in projects, has been vocal about his attention it deserves.” be dead before it even has a chance to make appreciation of the genre and U.K. under- it in the mainstream? Or is it the nature of true ground music across his socials, and has Despite the lack of worldwide mainstream grime that makes it undigestible to mainstream even signed to Skepta and JME’s label Boy attention on grime, Yizzy was always drawn North American audiences? Regardless, the Better Know (or BBK for those in the know). to the sound and art form—even if that push on North American soil continues. What- Further than that, Skepta has collaborated meant never seeing crossover success in ever happens, one thing is for certain: grime is a with North American superstars like Pharrell North America. “I just felt a connection with staple in the U.K. and deeply rooted in its culture. and A$AP Mob in recent years. Despite this, grime from day one. I liked the energy, the As it expands, it would be difficult to dissolve grime as a genre continues to stay under passion, the rawness, the life stories. It just its true sound, and I am hopeful for its future. the radar in North America while being had everything I could want from a genre of excessively popular and integrated into music,” Yizzy says. “When it came to MCing 2019 is set to be a busy year for Yizzy with tons pop culture in the U.K. To gain a deeper and making songs, it was very natural for of releases and collaborations. Stay up to date perspective on the current state of grime, me, and I enjoyed it, which showed me that with Yizzy @officialyizzy. both abroad and at home, we exchanged grime was truly the genre of music that I some words with grime up and comer, Yizzy. wanted to move forward in.” • TARIQ BAKIR 4 FREQ. MAGAZINE // VOL 2 - ISSUE 18 // SPRING 2019 FREQ. MAGAZINE // VOL 2 - ISSUE 18 // SPRING 2019 5 MUSIC LABELLED EXAMINING RECORD STORE DAY There’s nothing quite as enticing as the Wells goes on to say that Heart to Heart sense of kinship amongst a lot of the folks smell of a record store, or the feeling of has never had a chance to participate. “We who come out to participate.” He adds, unwrapping fresh-pressed wax and slap- don’t even try. It truly disrupts the entire “I think people get excited to see other ping it on the decks for the first time. industry for the independents. It kind of people excited about music. I know I do!” There’s a certain romance vinyl-lovers kills my soul a little bit knowing that my experience, especially when it comes to releases are held back by plants pressing Wells adds that “Vinyl has become independent labels that give us their heart the millionth edition of the Beatles’ Abbey quite popular again, but the amount of and soul from deep down in the groove. Road album for a RSD release.” pressing plants with competent, skilled engineers are not growing at the same With Record Store Day approaching on “Record pressing plants are scarce, and rate.” Hopefully, the market can respond April 13, 2019, it was only fitting for Freq the demand is high,” Kynoch explains.