colectivo index 003!

Spring is in the air. There’s something about the transition towards the spring/summer season that is so welcoming; whether it’s being out and enjoying the warmer weather, wearing some lighter fabrics, listening to feel-good music, or simply being inspired by the more lively colors that are slowly beginning to surround us. For this edition of the colectivo index, we are thrilled to share some seasonal related items & things that make us look forward to the upcoming months.

Founded in Toronto in 1985, headquartered in New York City, Club Monaco brings you luxury married with modern sensibility. Club Monaco strives to fulfill the hunger of the culturally influenced; those who want fashionable pieces, but continue to love wearing the timeless classics. As a brand they represents the delicate balance of mixing aesthetics without becoming forcefully conspicuous. Club Monaco has only been a brick and mortar shop until March 26, 2012 when they launched e-commerce coinciding with their S/S 2012 lookbook which we are obviously digging a whole lot. source: club monaco

Don’t let the sun and heat do a rough number on your face as the temps begin to climb up. Getting its start in 1965, Baxter of California calls Beverly Hills its headquarters. They offer a variety of mens grooming essentials that we should all have in our arsenal to battle the rough elements. Aside from being an outstanding product, Baxter’s appealing packaging and graphic design falls right in line with the colectivo’s creative pallet. source: baxter of california

Hot off the press is Imagine: How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer. In this book author Jonah Lehrer looks at the science of creativity and breaks down the complex process so that we can all learn to apply it more effectively. Lehrer discusses how vital being in a rut is, the importance of playfully thinking like a child, and productive daydreaming. There is no reason why Imagine: How Creativity Works shouldn’t be guiding you to be inspired throughout the Spring/Summer season. $15 available here. source: brain pickings

The Hill-Side should really need little introduction. NYC’s The Hill-side keeps it simple with scarves, pocket squares, bandanas, ties, blankets, and other bits. Brothers Emil and Sandy Corsillo, take well-sourced fabrics, Japanese design influence, and create amazing wares out of their NYC headquarters. We have felt great admiration for their design aesthetic, branding philosophy, and the top-notch quality of their products. We are looking forward to their Spring/Summer 2012 offerings. various products available from hickorees.source: need supply blog

We are constantly checking our radars for great examples of collective efforts, so we would like to introduce you to the awesome people at Kinfolk magazine. A quarterly magazine curated by a community of creative folk who share the same interest in organizing small gatherings that are simple, uncomplicated, and less contrived; while fostering a family like environment. Be sure to also check out their great looking online journal for some inspiring photography and design references. $18-24 available here. source: kinfolk mag

And now for some well deserved eye-candy, we give you the Design Museum iPad app. In preparation for their upcoming move to bigger premises, the Design museum of London has launched its free iPad app to showcase some of its most iconic objects. Developed by twentysix with support by Dezeen, the app is slick, minimalistic, and super user-friendly. It’s definitely the perfect companion for a moment of loungin’ or when seeking for some design-related inspiration. avaliable free from itunes. source: dezeen

Finally, for some proper summer vibes, our friends at Neovinyl have recently released the 1st volume in a series of back to basics House related EPs. Arthur Jnr – Distant Thoughts EP (Neovinyl Roots 001) is an ode to classic House that oozes rawness, deepness, and all kinds of funked up elements. If you ask us, this is the right material to drive any evening in the right direction. £5.20 available from beatport. source: neovinyl soundcloud

No Comments by fandinoh on April 8, 2012

filed in colectivo index, lifestyle

tagged baxter of california, club monaco, colectivo index, design museum, jonah lehrer, kinfolk, neovinyl, the hill-side

colectivo digs cities aviv!

For the next Colectivo Digs feature, we would like to call your attention to Memphis’ Gavin Mays aka Cities Aviv. Shout outs to Memphis for this fantastic submission into the eclectic hip-hop landscape. The Memphis rapper draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, ranging from soul to minimal wave. 90’s hip-hop is no stranger in his creative mood board. Although surrounded by three six [mafia] albums, Memphis rap, and other underground rap influences, Mays, spent his time listening to metal, alternative rock and punk, and even became part of a hardcore band–Copwatch. After Copwatch disbanded, Mays, decided to give writing rhymes his full attention. As per his profile on tumblr and facebook, his mission statement is to make pop music for the unpopular.

The 22-year-old idiosyncratic Memphis rapper’s main body of work can be heard in the debut CD, Digital lows. In digital lows, cities hits us with an uncommon flow, precise wit, and amusement-laced ferocity from an outsider/insider perspective onto hazy tracks and the occasional jaggy boom-bap beat. Cities aviv brings some serious personality and originality, evident in his references to 90’s cult bands, 90’s hip-hop, rhythms and witty rhymes. Digital lows won’t be anything you can pigeonhole either; it is intended to be all over the place, just like the scatterbrained rapper.

So now that you know what’s up, keep track of Cities Aviv via his twitter: @citiesaviv and be on the lookout for his next batch of old school inspired, twisted, and future searching beats & rhymes.

No Comments by fandinoh on January 24, 2012

filed in colectivo digs, sounds

tagged cities aviv, colectivo digs, hip-hop, memphis, mixtape, music

shaolin jazz – the 37th chamber = wu tang meets blue note jazz!

Remember 90’s hip-hop? Both the east and west coasts were bringing you serious audible pleasure, or “Flavor in Ya Ear,” as Craig Mack said. In the west, you had the G-funk, or gangsta-funk, which brought you funk music samples, multi-layered, melodic synths, while riding on slow hypnotic grooves of drums and deep bass. Its champion? Dr. Dre, aka “father of G-funk.” The 90’s were a vital period in hip-hop’s history, and here at colectivo futuro, we concede that the most notable group of that time frame was the Wu-Tang Clan. Representing the east coast, specifically New York’s Staten Island borough, the Wu-Tang Clan stepped onto the hip-hop scene, wielding their lyrical swords with the same precision as fighters from a martial arts movie – which inspired the group’s name.

Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 chambers) LP followed their immense single in which they alerted you to “Protect Ya Neck”. The clan definitely had you protecting that neck – the distinct lyrical assault their nine MCs were going to deliver was definitely something that was about to turn you on your head. They were raw and fearless in their approach. When speaking of 90’s hip-hop, especially production wise, we have to point to its distinct sampling of jazz records. Needless to say, jazz and hip-hop go hand in hand. Both genres rest on the syncopated rhythms of drums to carry trumpet melodies or deliver lyrics. For comparison’s sakes one can contend that if anyone was as vital and distinctive to the jazz genre as was the Clan to hip-hop, that would have no doubt be Blue Note Records.

Established in 1939, Blue Note Records not only brought you some of the finest records that jazz had ever heard, but it also brought you beautiful cover art designed by Reid Miles. A career graphic designer, Reid joined Blue Note Records in 1955 to design album covers after working for Esquire magazine. Miles’ graphical design work for Blue Note is to this day some of the most highly regarded and respected cover art work in music history. This brings us to the purpose of this post, since here at the colectivo we are committed to sharing with you all good things audible and visual, it is a must that we share the Shaolin Jazz project, or as NPR called it: Where the Wu-Tang Clan Meets Jazz.

Shaolin Jazz: The 37^th Chamber is the meticulous union of musical selections from the legendary jazz label with one of the most significant groups in hip-hop culture. And the conductor taking us on this excursion of carefully crafted vocals, jazz tracks, and chopped up samples, is DJ 2-Tone Jones. An Atlanta native now residing in the nation’s capital, DJ 2-Tone Jones rocks many hats. Aside from catching him spinning at numerous venues throughout the D.C. area, you can hear him rock the speakers on Ill Street Grooves radio show on D.C.’s own WPFW 89.3 FM/Pacifica Radio. Additionally, 2-Tone is a member of a cutting edge art troupe/marketing group known as AM Radio: Artwork Mbilashaka. But it was Gerald Watson, a lifestyle-marketing agent, who initiated the concept of shaolin jazz. The idea was conceived after interviewing Logan Walters, a graphic designer and the curator of a series of jazz inspired Wu-Tang album covers entitled Wu-Note (most of which you can see sprayed out on this post). Watson soon reached out to DJ 2-Tone, a long time colleague, and when presented with the idea, he immediately jumped on board. Watson then went back to Walters to kick off the project and the rest is musical history!