Thursday, November 6, 2014

A Universal Language: RxDIO's Story



RxDIO was brought into the AUL project at the very last minute. After months of planning and running back-and-forth, AUL was surrounded by great uncertainty as the disappointments persisted. After it had emerged that we had to change our whole narrative to better accommodate the new subjects of our story, RxDIO came in and contributed to what is probably one of the most intricate stories I’ve ever worked on. He welcomed us into his home and introduced us to his world. RxDIO released his Live A Little EP in August 2013. In my view, Live A Little will be those ‘always-on-repeat’ type albums. Songs like Toberman St, Slave To The Truth, Merrier, and a song which had me reflecting a lot, Liars, are one of the many musical gems in a body of work that is both personal and graceful. What blew me away about him was his ‘unfilter-able’ and ‘unedit-able’ personality. In my opinion, his Live A Little EP embodies great substance. 


His responses to my questions bring a new dimension to the AUL story, revealing moments of reflection and wisdom. It’s important for artists to understand the source of their inspiration, not to only know it, but to understand it. Artistry occupies an intricate place in those who shape it. The AUL story is about those intricacies. What I’ve observed from RxDIO in the few months I’ve worked with him is that the source of our strength is in our inspiration. The degree to which we remain anchored to who we’re truly are depends on the significance we place in that which we draw our strength from. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve through AUL. 


phsicsmag (p): Based on your understanding, what would you say constitutes to the idea of “a universal language”?

RxDIO (R): The same way some would say there is beauty in everything, or that God is in everything, I believe all of those statements and others similar to those are true. I think when looking for the beauty in something, or God, there is certain understanding to be attained and a way of perceiving things around us to be utilized. I think the revelation of an idea and ideas such as this and applied to our daily lives is when “a universal language” is spoken.


p: Do you feel music is still the “universal language” it once was, or are artists better off creating musical niches for themselves?



R: Music will always be the “universal language” it once was...to me, artists “creating musical niches for themselves” is what helps music to be the “universal language” it is. We are all unique individuals who have unique reactions to the unique moments of our unique lives so of course sometimes things in our lives aren’t representative of how we may feel, like music, but that would be a bias opinion of my own if I felt that way. I’m not the only one this planet. So what I do is create music that speaks for how I feel. The same as the person miles away from me with a totally different life, lifestyle, way of thinking, and musical preference. How I see it, it’s not what type of music we do, or what we say, or if we agree or have totally different views or how we do it. It’s simply us doing it that allows someone to “speak the language”. To feel attracted to something as much as it is attracted to you.

  article originally published in phsicsmag's A Universal Language issue available for download here

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Warby Parker Fall 2014: More than just ‘makers’ of eyewear


Design is a lot like life; if you keep doing what you’ve always done, chances are you’ll remain where you’ve always been. Great design moments throughout history were those that shifted the scope of broad collective thinking into a new era. In recent memory for example, the iPod became one of those major shifts because of the way it changed how we carried and purchased our music, while also laying the foundation for the products that followed it. Effective design is able to transform the way we live, plan, and shape our lives. Since its inception, eyewear brand Warby Parker has managed to bring to life those great design moments through their “rebellious spirit” and “lofty objective”. The brand takes a “socially-conscious” approach to eyewear design and construction. Warby Parker’s Fall 2014 collection will be available starting from 3 September 2014, and we at Phsics Media are excited to contribute towards this great collection’s exposure.  


When viewing Warby Parker’s Fall 2014 collection, thoughtfulness and personality are the first things that come to mind. This new collection proves that Warby Parker are more than just makers of eyewear. Each piece reflects a push towards a broad-minded kind of thoughtfulness: one that is aware and forward-looking. The nine piece collection is comprised of updated acetate frames with titanium temples, brand new styles in crystal, and angular silhouettes. They’ve also added two new hues, namely the Stripped Pacific and the Petal Tortoise. We love how each style is able to speak the personality of its wearer. This shows that great product making takes place when nobody is excluded, and that’s powerful. Go do great things!  



The Warby Parker Fall 2014 collection can be viewed here 

Images courtesy of Warby Parker 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

A Universal Language: Maddy's Story

article originally published in phsicsmag's A Universal Language issue available for download here

Following their successful debut EP in 2011, Sound Fx grew to become one of hip hop’s hidden treasures. The duo would go on to release 2 EPs and 3 mixtapes. It was in 2013 that Sound Fx would bid farewell to their fans through the release of Empathy, a powerful and thought provoking body of work. Upon initial contact with the guys, I managed to get through to Sound Fx member Maddy McFly. Our first exchange was short and thorough. He was excited about my invite to be part of the AUL feature story. Maddy would later confirm with me that Empathy was it; Sound Fx would be no more.

Empathy taps into the soul of its listener. Apart from igniting passion, this album is also able to almost imprison you, causing feelings to fluctuate throughout its flow. Accompanying its solemn storyline is a musical album with melodic cords, imaginative basslines, samples which were appropriately selected and impeccably chopped, and an almost ‘sequential harmony’. Empathy speaks the universal language; whether it’s the universal language of love, pain, or frustration. To put a full stop on Sound Fx is perhaps premature at this stage. I’m waiting for the day these two will be back in studio working together again. Maddy McFly is more than an art-piece figure on the wall of music. His passionate discourse in the AUL documentary film reflects on his hunger and drive.



phsicsmag (p): Based on your understanding,what would you say constitutes to the idea of “a universal language”?

Maddy McFly (MM): I believe a universal language is a language that transcends the barriers of race, culture, politics, and religion.It is a language that is understood by all regardless of background. A universal language is felt and not spoken, it is relatable by pure emotion because that is the greatest and deepest level of connection we can have with one another as humans.



p: Do you feel music is still the “universal language” it once was, or are artists better off creating musical niches for themselves? 

MM: I do believe music is and will always be a universal language because rhythm is felt and not spoken. With the growth of technology we see more and more people turning to music as a form of communication so i do believe music is still a universal outlet. We don’t all speak the same languages but we all feel the same emotions and good music is emotional. It connects us all whether we are aware of it or not.


For more on the AUL Story:
A Universal Language Film can be watched here
Phsics Media online platforms Digital Timeless Facebook / Youtube / Twitter 

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Perpetual rags of the second-hand clothing market



article originally published in phsicsmag's A Universal Language issue available for download here

Much of the commentary around the secondhand clothing market seems to be content with continuing on with the current secondhand clothing business model provided clothes in Western countries don’t pile up at landfills. Fashion is increasingly becoming disposable because of the way conventional retail has diminished what used to be considered as one’s ‘basic capsule’; a pair of jeans, a coat, a few dress shirts, and so on. Fast fashion retail isn't the sole contributor to the issue of unwanted clothes.  In the secondhand market, charities collect clothes from donors and sell them to secondhand dealers at a profit. The dealers determine among themselves, the market prices for the clothes without any economic references. When you factor all that in, along with the imported clothes from low income sourcing destinations which drive up the demand for secondhand items by contributing to contractions in domestic textile industries, the secondhand issue is enormous. 


I would like to respond to some critical questions on this topic which aren't being answered. Do we need a secondhand clothing market? Yes, I believe people should be given the right to choose to buy secondhand goods or otherwise. Should we regulate it? Yes, especially in countries where domestic industries are hurt by it. Does it add value? Sadly not; even though affordability is certain, the economic considerations for producing brand new clothes through stimulating local economies are far much greater. Even the people employed by the secondhand clothing market would  be better off benefiting from established, transparent, regulated industries where things such as retirement plans and social benefits actually exist. What should retailers do to prevent stockpiles of unwanted clothes? Perhaps fast fashion’s next drive should be to recycle clothes. You return an old unwanted item to a Zara or H&M and they top up your purchasing credit with it or something similar. This will be more aboveboard and less stringent on resources. The secondhand clothing market is a present day reality.

For more on the AUL Story:
A Universal Language Film can be watched here
Phsics Media online platforms Digital Timeless Facebook / Youtube / Twitter 

Friday, March 14, 2014

Private Life Collection by Phsics.Private


Contextualizing Private Life’s design brief is like driving in reverse through a mountain pass. This was a complex collection from its inception. It was the result of the frustration I had working on Phsics.Private’s first collection back in 2012, and I must have penned it more than five times. Accompanying the Private Life brief was a figurative moodboard which captured the symbolism behind the idea of the Private Life. The overall design philosophy behind this capsule collection can be attributed to a Margiela, Coppens, or Simons (notice how they’re all Belgian), alright then we can add Touitou to that list. Of all the Phsics brands, Phsics.Private has to be the one I’m most careful about. Being a participant and a commentator at the same time can leave you exposed. When I set up Phsics.Private back in 2012, I wanted to establish a link between my magazine publication and my higher-order imagination. I wanted to feel what the designers I wrote about felt, and I wanted to see what they saw. It’s possible to achieve all of these from an editorial standpoint too, but my experience so far has taught me that playing on the field and watching on grandstands are concepts which are at extremes of each other. So then, what is Private Life? 


The Private Life is a state of completeness. It’s about being able to see beyond your imagination. What I’ve observed along the years is how the ‘culture of fashion’ evolved into the ‘fashionable culture’, where anyone who chooses to live it becomes content with the allure of ‘living in the moment’. The Private Life is a bold statement which says, ‘I don’t have to be part of this fashionable culture, but I still possess great taste and sensibility’. The intricacies behind this collection are what make it so fascinating. It’s more than a clothing capsule collection, there’s an underlying discourse within it. An eye opening dissertation which the Private Life collection introduces so effectively is that of the ‘quality of life’.  



Lastly, I really hate sounding like a capitalist, but these capsules are the fuel to the business. The magazines I put out, the documentary work I’ve done so far, music and photography clearances, a major part of what I’ve put out was supported by this brand extension. Many thanks to my incredible team comprised of Marco Oggian, my designer, and Nedret Eren, my manufacturer. My next collection will be for women, but until then, guys can pre-order the Private Life by emailing me at soulphsics07@gmail.com
Blessings
// Crewneck – USD35.00
// T-Shirt – USD25.00 


Photographer Marco Oggian
Model Paolo Rossi
Location Laveno, Italy
Creative Director Tebogo Mohlahlana 

Sunday, March 2, 2014

PhsicsMag Issue no.4 - A Universal Language


Working on this fourth annual issue made me be that person who forced their way into very uncomfortable situations. As people we are afraid to get uncomfortable. I found myself having to convince people who have never heard of what I do that they could work with me to produce something as remarkable as this publication. I’ve also introduced film to be an extended medium of this magazine. 


Waking up knowing that your film is in its second day of production, and everything is up in the air will have you asking yourself “what did I get myself into?” and frankly speaking,there’s nothing glamorous about feeling that way. You actually find yourself in a very uncomfortable position, and the only thing you can do is to put your life jacket on and hurry along. In the end, the greatest feeling comes when your product comes out exactly the way you had envisioned it to be. Even if only two people share it among themselves, knowing that you pushed through that very difficult storm to be where you are is the best feeling in the world. The creative process is similar to sailing through an endless ocean. There are moments of calmness, and there are moments of “we’re about to sink!”, but nowhere can you give in. The escape is just too perfect. A friend of mine challenged me. She’s about to launch her resort bag collection which was assembled in Ghana and Burkina Faso. She left her air-conditioned London home to be out there under the sun, on the grind, far from the glamour! If you had to ask me what other fashion people are doing right now? Probably picking outfits for Instagram or browsing the web for “inspiration”.My problem with glamour is that it’s very short sighted. 


During my recent trip to Milan I caught up with a friend who knows all about the fashion industry. He told me of how the back-end of the fashion business over there treats and nurtures its talent. On the surface it looks very glamorous, but what actually goes on is unbelievable. In this publication’s fourth edition, A Universal Language, I wanted to broaden my scope. I’m not a music reviewer and I never was. I knew that writing about music would challenge me. I wanted to do a music issue. I wanted to be uncomfortable. From where I’m sitting right now, this issue is more than a music review. It’s personal and it carries a lot of intricacies. I wanted to achieve exactly that be it with the publication, the documentary film, and the Private Life collection; each of these elements of my brand speak A Universal Language. Stay blessed