Child stars that flame out are nothing new to us in 2013.

The artificial game of thirst for celeb content and the need to push celeb content has been around for decades.
The one difference these days is the internet and social media.

As quickly as an image/story/fabricated piece of crap has been unleashed – there’s another one to follow it.

So the ‘Child Stars Turning Looney Tunes’ alums have been not been shy of late!
They include Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and the grandaddy of them all Michael Jackson.

But, there’s one who appears to have not only danced with celebrity downfall, but is primed to come out the other side smelling of roses –  Miley Cyrus!

If you had told me 5 years ago that I would have been writing this…I would have slapped you.
But there’s an undeniable truth to it.

Miley might be about to become a crossover star.

The ingredients?

• She’s getting copious amounts of love from mainstream and credible people that include OddFuture, Pharell, Snoop Dogg, Will.I.Am and (forgive me) French Montana.
• She’s doing activities which appear to be fulfilling her own enjoyment and not part of a masterplan.
  I mean who would advise a child star to do a twerk video, smoke weed and make questionable fashion choices?

With a healthy dose of IDGAF, she’s slowly but surely earned some credibility stripes.

Lest we forget, there is a race element – the innocent little white girl doing ghetto things now – but she’s not gone all Amanda Bynes on us just yet (if you don’t know – get to know about Bynes here).

The one determining factor will be the material she releases.
If she can pull that off successfully, she’ll be following the path Justin Timberlake has successfully foraged.

We see Justin on Fallon in 2013, and he’s the polished, relaxed, über crossover appeal artist.
Back in 2001, his move from boyband popster to urban superstar started with a strange falsetto MTV Awards performance of ‘Like I Love You’, produced by the hottest thing in urban music at the time – The Neptunes.

Not since ODB shocked us all by appearing in Mariah Carey’s ‘Fantasy’ Bad Boy Remix video had pop managed to get street credibility.

So I can’t help but wonder where Mylie will be in 11 years time?
Rehab, or getting Grammy’s?

I am now an interested bystander!

R

First off some attempts by artists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga to sell their music really disgust and worry me.
Fine controversy and sex sells but there has to be a moral stance taken when the majority of your fans are young and very impressionable kids.

They are the future doctors, journalists, teachers, politicians mothers and fathers who will be the backbone of our economy and society.

In this capitalist world the new Gods are more often then not these ‘beautiful’ celebrities and there are huge self-esteem issues arising for young kids as a result of a desire for this ‘image’, as it rarely leads to fulfilment.

So its unsurprisingly ironic we have a horrible appetite to see these celebrities fail, purely to satisfy this low self-esteem we have developed from them in the first place! Hence the love for ‘fail videos’ and people embarrassing themselves on reality TV.

Anyway I feel this could be changing……. I hope.

The hype surrounding Beyonce this year is going to be enormous.
With her new album dropping later in the year she has already she has started selling tickets for ‘The Mrs. Carter Show – World Tour’, signed a 50million sponsorship deal with Pepsi, had a flawless performance at the ‘Half-Time Super Bowl Show’, a HBO Documentary and covered Vogue & GQ, after taking a year out to just ‘live life’.

Now all this exposure has personally made me very hopeful, and it’s all because she’s a great ‘Role Model’. Her love for her family, marriage and her child were some of the main areas of her HBO documentary that particularly stood out for me. If she will be getting as much expose as I’m guessing she will we may be seeing a trend towards a more family oriented image for celebrities. You can already see Kanye West is on that vibe, so is Wiz Khalifa and of course Adele.

That’s why I wish her all the luck this year because I think she can have a positive impact on popular culture.
(Ed’s note – However it does seem that Beybey is channelling a renewed ‘ghetto vibe’ with her latest offering.)

I saw a great tweet that said “every

time Beyonce does something amazing Rihanna takes more clothes off for Terry” ( Terry Richardson). … its true and it’s sad. It’s also times like this you realise why Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift…

Charles

Regular contributor to BANDIT, Charles also runs his own imprint RecogniseTheMovement, a music label and a radio show.

Especially seeing that this year “more Smartphones are forecast to be shipped globally than feature phones” as reported by IDC (see here).

To understand the meaning behind my statement that APPs could be the new ‘internet’ take the simple example of the process taken to check BBC News online.

Assuming you are already logged in, with a laptop/computer you have to:

1. Open an internet browser
2. Open a search engine
3. Type in BBC News
4. Then search for it
5.  Then find it
6. Then finally click on it.

In absolute terms this is neither an arduous nor time-consuming process.
However the time of this process is reduced when using APPs. Meaning that in relative terms the above process has become timely and arduous.

With an APP the phone is already on so therefore you:

1. Unlock the phone
2. Locate the APP
3. Open it.

This process is infinitely quicker as there is no need for search engines or internet browsers.

Even more so with APPs you have downloaded the selection that best suits your needs and wants.
Therefore your need for internet browsers and search engines reduces more and more and you end up with having your own personalised ‘internet’ in the form of APPs.

Our young generation that already require instant gratification are getting it, and will want more.

Charles

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When Charles isn’t giving us his undiluted opinion on modern culture, he co-runs the blog http://recognisethemovement.com/

with the Bandit team. It has been a great experience – these guys really know what they’re doing and, as we discussed over burgers this lunch time, the past 3 or 4 months have been greatly beneficial to all parties. There’s exciting things on the way!

So I’ll leave you with this thing of beauty I came across yesterday. It is an installation/wall clock at the Design Days Dubai / Victor Hunt Gallery, made out of hundreds of black and white, analogue clocks. Programmed with an iPad, the hands rotate to form sumptuous, animated graphic patterns. They also tell the time, strangely, in digital format.

‘A million times’ by Humans since 1982 from Humans since 1982 on Vimeo.

The

artists, Humans Since 1982, not only have a great name, but do some great work, much of their portfolio including clocks. This is just the best example of it I saw.

So that’s me clocking off, thanks for everything Rob/Christian/Bandit, like I said, it’s been great.

See you around : )

Pete.

Cheeky P.S… if anyone is interested in seeing my work (currently pre-Bandit), feel free to take a look.

It was partially interesting to see that earlier in the year Barack Obama made his first overseas visit, after his inauguration, to South East Asia.

This is always a very important trip as it signifies the future intentions or worries of the West.

He attended the 21st ASEAN Summit. The ASEAN is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. However for me it was one of the main talking points of this summit that grabbed my attention, particularly when it coincided with Obama’s visit.

They were in talks about a new free trade bloc, similar to that of the EU or NAFTA, to be called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (PCEP), that will include the 10 members of ASEAN, the ASEAN +3 ( China, Japan, South Korea ) as well as India, Australia and New Zealand

This trade zone would lead to a market with a combined population of over 3bn people, nearly half the world’s population, and a combined GDP of nearly $20 trillion, just below a third of that of the worlds.

This will be a future new hub of power in the world

The trip definitely signifies the USA’s belief that this region of the world is the ‘Next-2-Blow’ and also shows the USA’s fear of it.

China has shown that they believe this trip by Obama is aimed to increase the influence of the USA in that region to contain the growth of China

Or another reason Obama is showing interest is that Thailand has recently been found to have an enormous un-tapped oil supply…. Hmmm.

Regardless it seems that this year will see the USA try to maintain its dominance in the face of the rising powers in the Far-East. But what are the implications?

As the Far-East starts to grow in influence politically and financially over the West will this also mean the same is to be said culturally…? Probably.

Their disposable income will increase which undoubtedly makes them a desirable market for companies. So either the universal messages of large western firms will begin to be made more appealing to the Far-East. Or new huge firms will emerge from the Far-East and expand into the West bringing with them cultural images and values.

This is still very early on, but it is a very significant moment. We might be seeing new cultural influence on our products, music and films sooner then we think.

Charles

We’ve run out of Creme Eggs now, but we’re still listening to Jessie Ware. She’s been a hot subject around here for weeks now and that takes something special.

Daughter of BBC Journalist John Ware, she had originally planned to follow in her father’s footsteps and was working for the Jewish Chronicle (UK) when old friend Jack Peñate requested she sang backing vocals for him at a session with the BBC. I would say that Jessie is probably Peñate’s best contribution to the music industry. From there things took off slowly though – perhaps to do with Jessie’s modesty and the refreshing fact she never even dreamed of becoming a pop star. Well sorry, Jessie, you are one.

Having made friends with the likes of SBTRKT, Julio Bashmore, & Sampha, she featured on a few tracks that caught my attention on Youtube in early 2011. Her gentle yet heartfelt highs work brilliantly, echoing over the carrying bass and chop-chop beat of SBTRKT in “Nervous”.

She went on to make her solo debut with “Strangest Feeling” later in the year, followed by “Running” and “Wildest Moments” in early 2012. Unfortunately, none of these reached higher than No. 46 in the UK charts, however the last track managed No. 3 in Belgium. Although Jessie may not yet have made her way onto many iPods on home shores, the connections and tracks she had made so far meant that the music industry was definitely listening up to her undeniably strong voice.

This track “Never Gonna Move (110%)” is one of my favourites. With Julio Bashmore on production it has a definite dance music, Little-Dragon-esque vibe to it, which suits Jessie well.

Enter those Disclosure brothers, who remixed “Running” into a fresh, spring/summer bouncer. Far from the only remix of a Jessie Ware song, this one in particular showcased Jessie’s vocal talents better than her own songs did, pushing Disclosure well and truly into the spotlight and pulling Jessie, obligingly, further in with them. Now it seems like everything they touch turns to gold, but that’s another story.

It was this track, that reminded me of Jessie’s name. In fact, this track does a lot for me and did a lot for Jessie!

SO GOOD, RIGHT?!

After it’s release in August 2012, her debut album “Devotion” reached No. 5 in the UK charts. It seemed that over the past few months everyone had woken up and now knew how talented she was. I think people needed an album in order to enjoy her voice properly. At least I did. One of her solo singles just didn’t fit in a playlist for me, and did little for me on it’s own, disappointingly after I had been so obsessed with some of her earlier work with Sampha. However now I have the album, I can sit and enjoy track after track of the

same soulful voice, paired with the production class of Julio Bashmore, Dave Okumu and Kid Harpoon. For me the album strikes a perfect balance between foot tapping, gentle desk-dancing and soul so rounded you stop still.

I had found that this need for an album before I could fully appreciate an artist was also true with Emeli Sandé and Adele. I never downloaded a single because, well, I wouldn’t listen to it. But an album is different. It covers a block of time and takes you somewhere: perfect for getting your head down and working, sitting in the London tube, or cycling somewhere in Copenhagen as dusk falls after work. Or for writing this post.

Jessie Ware has been nominated for Best British Female Solo Artist and Best British Breakthrough at tonight’s 2013 Brit Awards. I’m rooting for her in the first category where she’s up against Amy Winehouse (just… no), Bat For Lashes, Emeli Sandé, and Paloma Faith.

Jessie got lucky, is one way of looking at it. Her career was started by Peñate only to be helped along by SBTRKT and friends, Bashmore and Disclosure. No, she didn’t have a hard childhood to write about. She didn’t go through rounds of rigorous popularity auditions on the X-Factor, nor did she drink to excess and take all the drugs under the sun for her art.

But who cares, she herself said that she is a singer, not an artist, and she’s a bloody good one.

Here is the song that first caught my attention. Sampha & Jessie Ware – Valentine, with Jessie looking even more “normal” than usual!

Good luck to her.

And if anyone fancies sending us some more cream eggs, you know where we are.

Cheers,

Pete.

(Recently Kanye West’s Creative Director, Virgil Abloh launched his clothing line with a publicity tour of Europe.
BANDIT’s Charles breaks down the more controversial elements of the clothing line’s strategy)

On the topic of the whole Virgil Abloh/Pyrex Vision fiasco I personally think there is absolutely no problem.

Lots of people are whining about how Virgil Abloh’s recent Pyrex Vision items of clothing are printed on cheap material yet have got such high prices.

( If you are new to Pyrex Vision find out about it here )

The fact that the whole collection sold out within minutes, proves there are people who are willing to pay that price – so get over it.

If you are complaining about it, it’s because either, you’re just hating on someone making money, which the Hip-Hop community is famous for, or you’re just jealous that you can’t afford one.

If you honestly are angry purely at the fact that it is too over priced then simply don’t

buy one…. You don’t have to.

There are people who want to buy it…. Simple as.

Also, he is not promoting it as a fashion brand, he’s promoting it as a culture.
Hence the tag line ‘The Youth Always Win’, enlisting Kanye West and A$AP Rocky wear it and having it go viral on Tumblr and Instagram just intensifies the demand.

So  you are not paying for material and craftsman ship, you are paying to be part of that in-demand culture.

A brand gives you an identity, and so you are communicating your identity (or the culture you want to be situated) through the purchases you make. We have seen consumption become more a matter of cultural meaning and less a matter of utility.

For instance, in 1980, nearly all of an average S&P 500 companies’ value was based on its tangible assets; however, now, “tangible assets accounted for only 30 to 40 percent of a company’s value. About half of that intangible value—close to 30 percent of total business value—is attributed to brand. For many companies, then, brand is their single biggest

asset”.

This proves that consumers are placing more and more value on the intangible, identity giving and cultural aspects of products, and so Virgil is providing just that, hence why it all sold out.

He’s moving with the times, so buy it if you want, if you don’t then stop whining.

Charles Oxley

When Charles isn’t giving us his undiluted opinion on modern culture, he co-runs the blog http://recognisethemovement.com/

Thanks to Emil for the heads up!

Ed’s Note: We would like welcome yet another new voice to the BANDIT blog.
Claude is a young student hailing from NYC, with a passionate opinions on music and culture. That should make him a perfect fit!
Hope that you enjoy his posts!

In his premiere edition, Claude shares an artist that we should all get to know a little more, XXYYXX.

______________

I’ve been following this guy for some time now and I must say his music is exactly what he calls it “experimental bass.”

The kid’s name, yes “kid,” is Marcel Everett and he is a 17 years-old resident of Orlando, Florida.

The Florida producer is on the cutting edge of music combing the dim spectrums of chill wave, trap rap, dub step, and other genres.

The upcoming artist has had a lot to offer and has released numerous arts of work sampling archaic artists such as TLC and Amy Winehouse.

XXYYXX hits experimental on the dot, he has recently come out with the visuals for his most recognizable song so far “About You,” which features vivid images of recording equipment and beautiful women manipulating smoke.

The captivating visuals and the lyric less song is what left me at awe.

It really doesn’t remind me of anything I’ve heard before.

What I love about his music the most is the fact that his “experimental bass” is truly an art form. I hope that his come up in the hip hop, rnb, or whatever game his genre fits with, will have an effect on the mainstream, and that is making music what it really is

and that is an art form.

He is working his way up the ranks and has received recognition from JMSN, an artist who has been compared to the Weeknd and recognition from Usher.

With numerous projects such as XXYYXX, Still Sound, and Mystify and extensive touring, you should check him out!

Check out his tour dates and more of his music on:
http://xxyyxx.bandcamp.com/album/xxyyxx

Claude Easy Jr.

This post is just a trend I’ve noticed and something I think we may see a lot more of.
It’s quite a good example of how the fashion industry influences the music industry and vice-versa.

I’ve seen the use of inverse style colouring being used a lot.

I first noticed in the Big Sean video for Mula.

Then I saw in the Stussy Been Trill video.

Then because of my near addiction to Tumblr I remembered the Alexander Wang, who recently

got made the creative director at Balenciaga which is unseen for his age, Spring 13 collection.

He presented the amazing glow in the dark collection, which caused a lot of hype.

The colours are particularly similar to that of an inverse style, it’s more colourful in the dark. I’m pretty sure this had a far reaching influence.

So then I started to see more of it.

The HBA collection:

Ed’s Note:
Nike are going hard in this direction too with their ‘RayGun’ collection

More fashion brands are going in this direction.

Stone island knitwear‘

No shock that music also quickly follows suit;  the Pusha T album

artwork was the inverse of the single artwork.

I think this is an interesting trend and one that will be cool to see where it goes.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see more glow in the dark clothing and inverse influenced colouring in advertising.

Charles O

For the first ‘I Listen To’ post of 2013 let us present to you Hudson Mohawke.

To be honest the music from this young electronic producer/DJ from Scotland makes me lose my sh*t…..
He is initiating a change. This year he has managed to bridge the gap, or probably better to say removed the boundaries between EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and Hip-Hop. You’ll find it hard to place him in a genre, (Hip-Hop, EDM, Trap…etc) yet his appeal to all is unmatched, which is a sign he’s someone to take notice of.

What I like about him is that his music solely speaks for itself. He is quite a reserved character who doesn’t speak much in interviews, which is interesting in a day n age where so much of your popularity is based on your character and style.

At a young age he was winning DJ competitions and even his early production was at such a high level, sounding similar to the extremely talented producer Flying Lotus who arguably had the best album of 2012.

And from then he worked on more solo products, notably Satin Panthers EP in 2011, through Warp Records. This is when I first came across him because it transcended across into all the Hip Hop blogs.

But without a shadow of a doubt it wasn’t till 2012 that he hit his stride and started to literally shape the sound in the industry.

Forming the duo, TNGHT, with himself and Lunice, they created the most exciting and fresh project of 2012. This 5 track EP launched with the release of the insane track “Bugg’n”.

This song completely confused me, yet, at the same time intrigued me and the more I listened the more I got that child like excitement of finding something new and amazing with the word.

It could almost be seen as modern day Punk, it’s powerful music and it’s about the youth.
Every DJ and his dog were using

TNGHT tracks in their mix’s and producers were copying their production style and unique sound ( which they mentioned in the interview with Fader)

This didn’t go unnoticed by numerous big producers, Just Blaze, seemingly uncontrollably, sung ( or tweeted ) his praises but Mr Kanye West did a little more then that. He started by bringing in Hud Mo to help in the production of the G.O.O.D Music compilation album “Cruel Summer”, where he fully produced the track “Bliss” and assisted on the production on “To The World”, “The One” and the banger “Mercy”. Which for me is the torchbearer for the future sound in Hip-Hop.

Hud Mo had been talking to Kanye’s creative director Virgil Alboh a lot on Twitter and his relationship with Kanye developed further with Kanye making a guest appearance at a TNGHT show in New York.

Then at Kanye’s cheap car mechanic outstanding and forward thinking Revel City performance, which for me was the first glance at the future of live concerts, he supplied the crazy remix of Kanyes songs “Cold As Ice” and “Cold/Theraflu” track to open the show with.

All this resulted in him signing to Kanye’s label G.O.O.D Music, or to be specific the imprint Very G.O.O.D. Beats, a few days ago, yet will still be with Wrap records.

I think this is a great move by G.O.O.D Music because it’s a good example of the need to adapt rather then fight change in order to remain relevant, and Hudson Mohawke is that change, forming the new sound of the youth.

I’m look forward to continue to lose my sh** in 2013.

Charles