Onore Edgewear interview

Onore Edgewear is a new clothing brand dedicated to sober and vegetarian lifestyle. It is run by guys who have been long active in the hardcore scene, including playing in a band called Providence, which all the beatdown freaks should be familiar with. This is a short interview to give you an idea what Onore is about.

Onore Edgewear is a new clothing brand dedicated to sober and vegetarian lifestyle. It is run by guys who have been long active in the hardcore scene, including playing in a band called Providence, which all the beatdown freaks should be familiar with. This is a short interview to give you an idea what Onore is about.

There are many hardcore/straight edge clothing lines out there, what made you to start your own line?

Yes that’s definitively true, there are many straight edge company but, it was like I wanted to have something I created by my own and I had so many ideas that I thought it was the right time for me to start something.

Could you tell us who is involved in Onore Edgewear? What are the primary objectives of the company?

I’m the only one involved in OEW but a lot of friends help me for making designs that come from my brain becoming real! I thank them for the bottom of my heart: xCYRx, vPIERREv, ALEX. The only aim that I have is to make shirts with designs that I like, including things that I feel right for me as being Straight Edge and Vegetarian.

How would you describe the style of Onore clothes?

I would say that Onore Edgewear has a very classic style, mixing hardcore and tattoo's image.

Your designs have images of straight edge and vegetarian phrases. How important is it to you to spread this message via your designs?

For sure designs include straight edge and vegetarian’s elements because of those things are the root of the brand but one thing who's really important is not to include rude or violent words; I don't want people who are not vegetarian/straight edge to feel judged, all is about respect; I want people to think by themself.

Running a clothing line can be a very tricky business. Could you drop some advice on kids who might want to follow in your footsteps?

I don’t think I am able to give advice on kids because of all of this is very new for me!

What are some of the bands from your local scene you’re down with? I know that you’re personally involved in Providence…

There are many bands that I’m working with right now: Lazare , Fierce, Strike Back. And of course my band Providence. A cooperation with xConfrontox should start soon!!!.

Where can people find your clothing?

People can find clothes here : www.uselesspride.com and at providence’s shows! Soon they could order from the myspace via a Bigcartel.

What are your plans for the future with Onore Edgewear?

Making new designs!

Before we wrap this up, would you like to kick some shouts?

First of all thank you Dloogi! I would like to thank angelique, xcyrx/per sempre tattoo, vpierrev, alex, djamhellvice, tonr, fab and dexter, vchrisv & vdamishv/lazare, xbenx & xecharkx/fierce, xjeromex/strike back, xsammyx/on the attack record, xjavierx/olc, xyox & vbenjhav/5blocks, vluisv/debajobarrio, xolivierx/alea jacta est, antho/cih, vmarcov beatdown, xbillyx/purify, tom/kartel, gideon and strengthen what remains guys, xjoex/pay no respect, xetiennex/8control, nina & julien.

Hardcore press review

Here's a short recap of stuff that deserve your attention: Check out Integrity live in Holland 1995 videos that were posted on Grace Of The Unholy blog. Don't miss an interview with Tony Rettman, author of the upcoming book "Why Be Something That You Are Not!" about Detroit hardcore scene that DFPS posted. A Riot Of My Own got nice Right Idea interview. Brainwrecked is an awesome blog with a lot of info about 90' hardcore scene, like Inhuman, Clubber Lang, Cold As Life and much more! The official diary of the in-progress Rob Lind ("White Trash Rob" of Blood for Blood, Ramallah, Sinners & Saints) can be found here. AsIce brind us a nice review of this year's Black'N'Blue Bowl. On the non-musical side of things, Opium website got interesting interview with Vincenzo Natali, director of “Splice”. Horror Porn: Can We Take It Seriously? Horror-movies.ca got the answer.

Rap appreciation post

Life is not only about hardcore so here's a short collection of rap videos you're not gonna see on MTV anymore. From old to new, from Nine to Jada, this is for the kids who can appreciate a good beat and skilled rhyming. And if you enjoy Freddie Gibbs track that was posted here, make sure you pop his new album, Str8 Killa No Filla! Anyway, enjoy!

Jadakiss - Who's Real ft. Swizz Beatz, OJ Da Juiceman



Nine Feat. ARL Da X'rsis - Ova Confident (Remix)



Tucka Da Huntaman - Watch Your Back



Freddie Gibbs - The Ghetto

New Lionheart merch

Allinmerch webstore got some new items from Lionheart. This stuff looks damn good and surely will get you a lot of looks from the chicks so if you want to freshen up your wardrobe for the upcoming summer, give it a look.

Free desktop wallpaper from Hardboiled Webzine and Gore77 Graphics

Hardboiled Webzine teamed up with one of our favorite graphic designer Gore77 to bring you this exclusive zombie themed desktop wallpaper. Enjoy! Available in multiple resolutions! Also, the interview with Gore77 should be ready pretty soon so stay tuned!

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[Un]titled photography book update

I've just updated the article about the [Un]titled book with the answers from Patrycja Gagan, awesome photographer who apart from doing great work with capturing on film the sheer energy of live acts of such bands like Sick Of It All, Some Kind Of Hate, Terror and many others, provided work for couple of hardcore albums, fanzines and professional magazines. You can check out her work here and read the interview here

Hardcore Press Review

Reactions to EDGE documentary and other scene related stories from all around the web:

“Edge” Documentary Sets Audiences Straight - The Celebrity Cafe

The culture of sobriety: EDGE offers a broad perspective on the straight-edge movement - Vanguard

Palace Theatre in Syracuse to present "EDGE" documentary featuring Karl Buechner [+interview] - Syracuse.com

Hardcore Krishna: Veteran punk singer Don Foose returns with furious music and a spiritual message - Cleveland Scene

Greg Bennick of Trial Interview - Seventh Dagger blog

Top 5 Hardcore Albums by Jason Mazzola of Cloak/Dagger - Decibel Magazine

20 best: US hardcore - FACT Magazine

Straight Edge Music - myfoxboston.com

Ghost Town Interview - All Year Summer blog

Sheriffs developing gang task force: "ut Fernley has the heaviest population of Hispanic gang members, while the more rural areas in the south of the county are seeing an increase in Straight Edge or Hate Edge gang members made up of predominantly white school-aged teens who are anti-smoking, drugs and alcohol, but have no problem with using violence to spread their message." - Biker News

Straightedge: What Every Parent (and everyone else) Should Know - Idaho Falls Today

Extreme Flashbacks: CM Punk and Constructing The Underlying Straight Edge(s) - The Wrestling Daily

Juggalo Rydas vs. Straight Edge Militants - Spike

Two bad ass animations from Diluvio Gallery

This exhibition started actually in March but it's just in recent days that I came across it. These short movies were created by Niles Atallah, Joaquin Cociña and Cristóbal León. I'm no way into art but I dig some slick, dark images from time to time and this stuff is pretty disturbing.

Lucía, Luis y el lobo (Lucia, Luis and the Wolf) is a video installation in “Sala Cero” on the 2nd floor of Galería Animal (Animal Gallery) in Santiago, Chile. The exhibition is made up of the short films Lucía and Luis that are projected on a wall in the gallery as well as a series of other short animations shown on small screens in a pile of dirt and furniture. The exhibition closes the first stage of an animation project formed by Atallah, Cociña and León. The next stage will be a feature film called La casa lobo (The Wolf House), preparations for the film will start later this year.

Lucía is the 1st short video of the 2-part series “Lucía, Luis y el lobo” (”Lucía, Luis and the Wolf”). The video was shot frame by frame with a digital photo camera. Materials: charcoal, dirt, flowers, found objects and cardboard.


LUCIA from diluvio on Vimeo.

Luis is the 2nd short video of the series “Lucía, Luis y el lobo” (”Lucía, Luis and the Wolf”), it is a follow-up to the short video Lucía. The video was shot frame by frame with a digital photo camera. Materials: charcoal, dirt, flowers, found objects and cardboard.


LUIS from diluvio on Vimeo.

Click here for more info.

New pics from Gore77 Graphics

Gore77 have posted couple of new pics on their myspace profile. This time it's all black and white but luckily they still stick to the horror and gore themes in their work. They're really good at giving these images that creepy look making you think of that sleazy old gore movie you've seen when you were a kid. If you're in a band, run a label or are a musician and are looking for a good, high quality design, check out their myspace profile and maybe you will dig their style.

Check out some more of their work:

[Un]titled hardcore photography book - an interview with Roman Laris

Here's the interview with Roman Laris and Patrycja Gagan who are one of the photographers behind the upcoming [Un]titled book. The album focuses on diy hardcore/punk photography and will be limited to 500 copies only. It should be available this winter. I really like the idea so I thought it's only right to ask the author few questions to give us some more info about the project and the basics of photographing hardcore shows in general.

Could you please tell us something about the Untitled project and how did it come about? What do you hope this book achieves?

Roman Laris: [un]titled european hardcore/punk photographers is a book of 6 diy photographers who are sharing same passion for hardcore photography. The idea came from me a year ago after I released my first paper photo book Black Sheep. I know Jan, Patrycja and Sheep from London hardcore shows, Marian is a friend of my Slovakian friends and Monika is a friend of Patrycja, and I know all of them are talking wicked pictures so I asked them if they would be happy to work together in one project, completely DIY it means that the book is paid by us, put together by us and its gonna be promoted and sell by us. There are no other parties involved apart of Shaun Ponton who helped us to designed the book and Adam Bobro who arranged the printing and professional advise.
I dont know what I want to achieve? Probably self promotion, promoting DIY ideas and letting people know that they dont need to have big names and labels behind them to achieve something. I love to keep things in my own hands and I love sharing it with others and I believe that whatever you do, you should share it with others, thats the only way to progress and go forward. On the end of the day I hope more young and diy amateur photographers will be inspired and start releasing their work or start to cooperate and talk.



Could you tell us who is involved in the making of the book and how do you think their style of photography differs? What type of themes should we expect from the book – is it focusing on gigs and bands pictures or did you also tried to portray other areas of the scene?

Roman Laris: You have to buy the book and see on your own eyes how different we are. Some of us are using digital cameras some of us analog, some of us are focusing on sing alongs, potraits or moshing parts, some on details or emotions...its all there and I love it! We are all different persons with different techniques of shooting. Jan is more into analog and old fashion cameras, Patrycja and Monika are more rockumentary orientated in this book, Sheep is a crazy man, in a good meaning of that word, and his photos are full of energy and driving force, Marian likes using fisheye lense capturing the sing alongs, and I love capturing energy of the gig, faces and emotions. This book is going to have it all under one roof! Promise!

Patrycja Gagan: Each of us have created a space for a so called short-photo-project, which I believe, defines individual style and presents the field of ones interests. “The scene” is a complex theme, so is capturing it. Therefore, [un]titled presents not only live shoots but everything which emerges from it. Each photographer’s section differs though. Roman Laris photography is all about being a part of the entire experience and his images are emotion orientated. I’ve seen him moshing and shooting at the same time, believe me. Monika’s section is a photodocumentary material presenting a Polish band called The Black Tapes. You’ll find images from shows, studio and backstage in her section. Marian Magdolen is a fish-eye-action man capturing gigs in, let me use this term here, “modern live shooting”. Sheep. When it comes to Sheep I’d love to mention that he’s been working on his individual photobook and I said to him “Look man, save your work for the book and try to came up with a short-photo-project which you could do for [un]titled without borrowing images from your main project”. We sat down in his room, started to browse images and I’ve noticed that he has got a massive collection of moshing people’s portraits. And I went like: “This is it”. Let’s look at it from the opposite perspective. Shows are not only what we see but also what bands see, how the crowd responds to their music and how the energy transforms. I’m calling Sheep’s section “Faces Of Mosh” and you better check it out, maybe you’ll find yourself on one of those images. My section is a tribute to a band called Sunrise. I’ve always wanted to give them something back since they gave so much to me. I own tons of Sunrise photos from shows, tours, studios, practice room, promo shoots, hang-outs etc. I have never managed to compile it into a separate project and I thought that [un]titled gives me enough space to finally present Sunrise’ images and let them know they were my family. Jan Urant is a photographic dino working with analogue cameras, which I adore in photographic context. He created a portrait vs. live shoot project with Down To Nothing and Have Heart in my opinion being his highlights. Jan is the last photographer, closing [un]titled with the sublime Dead Swans image, which I personally consider as the strongest hc photo of this decade.

What was the key to choose the right pics which would make it to the book?

Roman Laris: I can only talk for myself, because I have choosen mine and everybody else theirs. I did not have any key, I was simply selecting pictures I thought will represent my style and work. Because all of us are paying equal share of the book, we have chosen our own pictures, its our work and nobody else should not be telling us what to put in or not, thats the way we wanted it - total freedom of expression.

For the kids out there interested to know something more about being a hardcore photographer could you give a brief walk through your work flow? What they should keep in mind when taking pics at the show?

Roman Laris: See the term hardcore photographer is not really for me, because I am always saying I am not a photographer, I dont know shit about photography, I just set it up on the spot and then focus on shooting the right angles and scenes. Maybe its all about luck and timing, being on the right place in the right time. An a good show is a good show, if the bands and crowd is shit you probably would not capture the right energy and you will have only boring faces and bands in it...I love bands who are acting crazy, driving people nuts, where people are "losing control", but still care for each other.
You have to keep in mind moshing kids, cause you dont want your camera to be fucked up by some asshole who lost it completely. Hey kids, watch for shooters and take care of each other on the shows! Dont act like wild monkies, you can mosh and still have fun not hurting others!

Patrycja Gagan: We all have different backgrounds and different approaches to photography. Jan is studying photography at the London College of Communication, Monika studied photography in Poland and recently she came back to an art school again. Sheep studied at London College of Communication but drop it off at some stage. I'm studying portrait photography at Central Saint Martins in London. Roman and Marian are just extremely talented shooters. So, through such a reference you can easily tell [un]titled is multidimensional. In my experience of capturing live shows, I have come to realize how important it is for all, bands as well as the crowd, to be correctly attuned. Good image (when based on photographic skills) will be, therefore, the spark that emerged from such a collective experience. Personally, I love to think about photography as a process. So, it’s not only the moment you're trying to capture but also what is before and after. Before refers to photographer’s equipment and how he/she would select format of camera, lens, ISO sensitivity, camera settings to suit particular situation and by “after” I mean the whole process of editing and developing.

In general, during a session, how many pics would you say you take to find the right one?

Roman Laris: I normaly take 20 to 30 pictures for a bands set like a one film for a band, not usually more, depends on a band and their show. If there is nothing to shoot I usually take only portraits of the band members during the set. From a show I normally get from 5 to 10 worth shoots I am happy about.



What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing hardcore shows?

Roman Laris: Shitty color light effects fucking the white balance and stupid moshers who dont care for anybody else in the pit apart of themself.

Patrycja Gagan: Haha I love Roman’s answer to this question, especially that he’s shooter-mosher himself. I only want to mention that the hardest thing for me is compromising between being a show’s participant and show’s photographer. I’ve always found those two extremely hard to combine. Of course one can sing along and shoot at the same time, I saw that more than once and sometimes I’m doing this myself, but the question of someone's skills versus fortune is unavoidable in such situations. Hc/punk shows were and are a collective experience for me so being selective, or at least trying to be, is quite challenging.

Is there any band you would love to photograph but never had a chance to?

Roman Laris: There are bands from my hometown Bratislava or bands from Slovakia especially bands from the mid 90s, the era when I became part of our hard core scene and the energy of the mid and late 90s hard core in Slovakia were not captured properly. I was too young and broken not having enough money to buy camera, and even I had the money I was always in the pit going nuts hehe.

Patrycja Gagan: Swedish hc scene 1992-1995 era. Sunny Day Real Estate (not
that hardcore tho).

So when the book should be available for orders?

Roman Laris: If everything goes as it should, we are going to print it in mid November and I believe in the begining of December you can buy the book through us.
The book is limited to 500 copies divided between 6 of us which give us around 80 books each. People from Poland can order it via Monika or Patrycja, folks from UK can deal with Sheep, Jan and me and folks from Austria or Slovakia can ask Marian. I belive all of us can send and sell the copies via paypal worldwide. Just drop and get in touch with us, some distributions and small diy distros will be selling it too, but at the moment I cant tell you more. Check our myspace for more coming details.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything you would like to add?

Roman Laris: Thank you for your interest and help to promote our book. Its great people are starting talking about it and getting inspired by our work! Stay true!

Check out the myspace profile of [un]titled.

Check out also:
http://www.romanlaris.com
http://www.vivideyes.blogspot.com
http://www.xerinyescomingx.com
http://www.xsheepx.com
http://www.patrycjagagan.com
http://www.janurant.com
http://www.i-seedesign.com

[Un] titled

UN TITLED is a photography book put together by 6 amateur diy photographers from European scene: Sheep, Marian Magdolen, Monika Chilmon, Jan Urant, Patrycja Gagan and Roman Laris. It should be out this winter and from you can see at their MySpace profile, it’s gonna be some top quality stuff. It will be limited to 500 copies only so don’t sleep on it. Watch for updates on their MySpace profile. It’s a shame that with some many good photographers around there are so few initiatives like this one. Let’s hope that the idea will catch on enough that we'll see some more of such goodness being released in the future.

Loco Fox

"For me graffiti became a perfect source of adrenaline and positive emotions, a way to fill my life with adventures and find real friends. Every wall and, especially, train panel is a story. Every piece or throwie is another victory. It's a way to feel the pure taste of life every fucking day when you have paint and time to go on a mission."

Could you please introduce yourself? What do you write? Where are you from? What crews do you rep?
My name is Loco Fox, I am from Moscow, Russia. People may call me a graffiti-writer, street-artist or a vandal, but I prefer to call myself a “guy who draws foxes everywhere he goes and tries not to get caught”. I am also in a crew called BLS, which is formed by writers from Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Ufa.

What attracted you to the world of graffiti? How did you first get started into doing graffiti?
When I was a kid a friend showed me a Dirty Hands video tape. I was so impressed that I immediately started writing my first ugly tags everywhere. That was a start, a pretty typical one though.
For me graffiti became a perfect source of adrenaline and positive emotions, a way to fill my life with adventures and find real friends. Every wall and, especially, train panel is a story. Every piece or throwie is another victory. It's a way to feel the pure taste of life every fucking day when you have paint and time to go on a mission.


How would you describe your style of graffiti? What do you find influences you and your work?
I guess, my work lies somewhere between graffiti and street-art. I always liked characters more than fonts and my goal was to come up with my own character – simple but recognizable and vivid. A character that could be painted around as throw-ups and also has a potential for more complex pieces.
Loco Fox became such a character for me – it's original, funny and it also gives an opportunity to change its appearance, mood etc. I paint Loco Foxies with ghettoblasters, vinyl records. Foxes sporting polos, leather jackets, sky masks, crowns etc. I've been involved in hardcore and skinhead culture since my childhood, so Loco Fox often appears as a skinhead. My work is strongly influenced by everyday life, struggle and especially music.

Is there a specific statement that you’re trying to make with your work? What is something you hope people think when they see some of your work?
I want people to think “Oh, that fox again, I saw it million times before and here it is again”. Not so original, but that's the way it is.

How do you do your big pieces? Do you get the permission of land owners or do it 100% hardcore style
I haven't done any legal shit ever. Maybe someday... All of my works are 100% illegal and that's the way graffiti should be. I mean I don't have anything against legal artists, whose skills pay their bills. More power to them! But at the same time, the real essence of graffiti is in illegal activity. To stay in this endless game you have to be smart, fast, work good and be ready to come back and do the same again and again, because the city buffs everything sooner or later. In Moscow they often buff your shit the next morning.
At the same time I never paint on private cars, private houses and on the monuments of art and history. We need to respect each other, our roots and our culture.
I don't think that painting an ordinary gray wall or a train is a serious crime. The results of this “crime” could be easily removed with a bucket of paint.


You call yourself antifascist artist. How is it linked to graffiti, and how graffiti can bring some positive message to the people?
Well, I don't think I am an “antifascist artist”, but the point is that today the bullshit Neo-Nazi movement grows bigger and bigger in Russia and I want to demonstrate that I'm strictly against this shame. It may sound totally weird, but in modern Russia Neo-Nazi shit have become really huge. You can see it on the streets, on the football terraces and even in graffiti and hip hop.
Fascism became a fashion among modern Russian youth, or I'd better say pseudo-youth – puppets manipulated by another trend.

Assholes even try to make their way on the hardcore scene, but they always get their sorry asses kicked when they show up at gigs.

The situation was even worse back in the 90's, when the Nazis totally ruled the hardcore-punk scene, but then a small group of kids started the whole anti-racist hooligan thing, kicking Nazis out of the punk/hardcore gigs.

Another shameful fact is that Neo-Nazis got a total support from government. The cops always try to shut hardcore gigs, kids get arrested and people with antifascist views are called “extremists” by the police and mass media. I've seen enough cops with Nazi tattoos and other shit. It's totally sick to witness such a situation in a country that paid a terrible bloody price for the victory over Hitler's hordes. Today the grandsons of the World War II veterans sport swastika tattoos and praise Hitler.

I believe that in such situation it is crucial to demonstrate your position and stand your ground, because whatever you do – write graffiti or play in a band, you can influence other people. Or at least - stay true to yourself and your beliefs.

Could you expand upon G.W.A.R.P. – Graffiti Writers Against Racial Prejudice a little? What is it about and who else is involved?
Well, it's not our idea. If I'm not mistaken, a friend of mine saw a guy in such t-shirt in some Euro graffiti video. We use this idea to demonstrate that we are against racist bullshit – whatever color it is. Racism has no excuse, these idiots should have no place in our society.

You’ve recently done a bit of traveling with your work, most notably visiting the Mecca of graffiti, New York. How did the trip came out?
That was my long time dream to paint in NYC and it came true. It's a beautiful city with stunning atmosphere. I've got a lot of adventures there – got chased by the vandal SQUAD in subway tunnels a couple of times and was almost ran over by a train. Great trip. I hope to repeat it someday, but it's really hard for a Russian citizen to enter the USA.


So what do you think are the biggest differences between Europe and USA when it comes to graffiti?
I can't say that Russia is Europe. It's geographic position speaks for itself. It's something between Asia and Europe and right now it seems like our country takes the worst from the both worlds.
Anyway, in my humble opinion the main difference is that USA graffiti scene is much more street and freight oriented, while the Europe concentrates on commuter trains.

How would you describe the Moscow graffiti scene? Who are other graffiti artists and crew you’ve been feeling lately?
Our scene is young, but it grows fast. More and more Russian writers get featured in world's leading graffiti magazines, go on Euro tours, demonstrate outstanding styles. I believe it's just the beginning, and Russian graffiti still has a lot to say to the world.

How big is the hardcore/punk community within the world of Moscow graffiti?
I don't think it's really big, but there is enough kids who write and also go to the hardcore gigs.
I don't think I'll make a mistake if I say that the majority of kids just follow the latest trends – in music, style and fashion. But there are some big name writers here who came straight from the DIY hardcore culture.

Do the Moscow artist work together? Is there a competition between different crews and individuals?
It depends. Some kids usually paint together, but there is also enough beef between certain people and crews. Someone crossed the other one, some crew painted in the other crew's yard, you know. Sometimes it ends up real ugly with knifes and lead pipes. But usually it's just stupid kids with nothing to do, who like to run their mouth and then always back off.

How do you think most people in Moscow feel about graffiti? Do you think they like it?
Most of them totally hates it. The main danger for a writer in Russia is not police but some redneck idiots, who can stab you in the back while you're tagging. A few years ago one of the notorious Moscow writers got seriously cut by some jerk, just for writing on the wall. The guy had serious problems with health, but as far as I know, he's all right now and still kicking.

I noticed that people always try to call the police or even attack you when they see you painting, but they almost never react when someone's getting robbed on the street.
People got so upset by tags and throwies on the government property while the same government uses the very same people and then throws them away, It is nothing but a logic of a slave.

The old graffiti rule still works in Russia: “If you can write, you can fight”. That's it.


Have you ever had a graffiti-related problems with the law. Is Moscow police giving you a lot of stress? Do you have any good chase stories you’d like to share with us?
Here in Russia we don't have such a serious anti-graffiti laws and structures as in USA and in some European countries. But I think it's just a matter of time, because everything started here much and much later than in the other world. But we already have train drivers and security guards shooting at kids in train yards and attacking them with railroad hammers and lead pipes, the most modern cameras and sensors in the tunnels and yards and also cops who can beat and torture people and get away with it.

Not long ago we did a back jump on a commuter train in St. Petersburg area, it was crowded and the angry passengers were running out of the car, trying to attack us, so we had to chase them back into the train a few times, until we finished.
That was fun.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I hope more and more work, travel, countless new pieces, panels and a few cover designs for some hardcore bands.


Any last shout outs?
Thanx a lot for your support and interesting questions! More power to OLD SCHOOL HATE!
Best greets to all your readers!
If you'd like to check some punk/hardcore from Russia I may recommend you these bands: Proverochnaya Lineika, What We Feel, Razor Bois, Ted Kaczynsky, Villainz United, Old School Values, By-Street, Mister X, Moscow Death Brigade.

What We Feel will be on tour in your country real soon, so don't miss them!

Yo: BLS 1315, RST, HGK, TRC, DSK!

Check my stuff on the Internet:
www.locofoxarmy.com
http://www.myspace.com/feartheripper
Loco Fox above the world!

Still Proud Clothing

Still Proud Clothing is an upcoming brand which should appeal to both hardcore and hip hop kids. So far, the designs are amazing! The guys who run it have been around for some time so you know that when buying their stuff you're supporting the scene not some new jacks trying to cash in on hardcore.

So first of all, what inspired you to start your brand?
I was motivated to start Still Proud Clothing after some years of involvement in the hardcore scene. I’ve been in bands, booked shows and also ran a music section for my college newspaper when I was in school. Clothing seemed like the next logical move as I like the fact that it has the power to convey such a powerful message and I also felt that I could bring something different to the table with SP.

How do you think your designs stand out amongst the plethora of other hardcore brands?
While there are many clothing companies out right now, I don’t think that many of them have as wide approach as Still Proud. Most are geared towards certain niches ( straightedge, posi, etc.) whereas with SP, I’m aiming for the hardcore and hip-hop scene as a whole. Our designs are merely observations of the different walks of life within our scene.

Who creates the designs for the shirts?
I (Gavin) come up with the concepts and have a graphic designer with Mammoth Graphics translate them into the designs you see on the shirts.

Is there a theme to Still Proud Clothing, such as SxE or hardcore, or you’re open to various ideas?
Still Proud will always be a brand rooted in the Hardcore and Independent Hip-Hop community but that does not mean it’s exclusively for those individuals. I decided to go with the name Still Proud because pride is very much a strong attribute in these genres and regardless of your cause (god-free, posi, christian, straightedge etc.), it is something that everyone can relate to. I put out clothing for individuals who are strong willed and passionate about their beliefs no matter where those fall. With the first release, I was looking to make a bold statement and based upon the responses so far, I think I’ve made a mark. There will always be people who disagree and I’m not expecting everyone to catch on but those that support us get what we are aiming for and for that I’m very grateful.

Can you give us the meaning behind Keep Metal Out tee?
First off, I will say that it’s all a matter of personal preference that we can argue all day long and thus you will either love it or hate it. When I first got into hardcore, metal was starting to really saturate the music and take it away from its punk foundation and I know that there are many people tired of this, which is why we put this design out. Obviously, metal has made its mark and is not going anywhere, but for those that want to make a statement for the latter, have now got an outlet to do so. That’s not to say there are no bands out there past or present that merge the two well, but overall I’m sure we can find some common understanding that hardcore has changed which metal (among other things) appears to have more than a hand in.

What is your personal favorite tshirt design (done by you) and why?
My personal favorite design would be the FCK Fighting shirt. Fighting at shows is always a problem and having been a promoter and lost many venues to it, I wanted to create something to convey my feelings on the matter. It also has a broader appeal and can be wore in just about any setting which is why I wanted to release it and based upon that observation, has shown to be one of our best sellers.

What are some of the bands you are working with and what was the reason to choose them?
We currently have three sponsored artists: Outerspace (PA), Knock Em Dead (FL) and Thick As Blood (FL). I decided to sponsor these three because besides being fans of their music, I know that they are hardworking individuals that mesh well with what we are trying to do. I’ve personally known Knock Em Dead and Thick As Blood over the years and have watched them grow to the level that they are currently at and Outerspace drew me in because of their awesome sound and appeal. The artists I sponsor don’t need to be exclusively hardcore but as long as they embody that sentiment , have a hard work ethic and are pushing the envelope , I’m likely to work with them.

What has been the hardest part of this business? The best?
The hardest part about running a clothing company is the amount of time it takes to market the designs. I literally spend hours online through the various social media applications (Myspace, Facebook, Twitter) spreading the word about SP, but being unemployed at the moment has allowed me to get it off the ground. The best part is certainly running your own business and interacting with like minded individuals on a day to day basis. This music has been an integral part of my life for some years and being able to give something back and see people’s positive reactions, in itself is rewarding. So far, the companies started off on the right foot with various orders coming in from around the world (including a recent purchase of 18 shirts to Japan) and of course support from the U.S has been solid and is gaining ground regardless of the grim economy we’re all facing.

Are you sticking with shirts only or will you expand?
I have a lot of plans to expand the line to other articles of clothing such as hats, sweatshirts, b-ball shorts in addition to better quality fabrics but first and foremost I need the help of our community to get there.

What else can we expect from Still Proud Clothing in the future?
You can expect to see SP everywhere as we are just getting started. I’m planning to work with bands across the globe and even have some design ideas in the works with certain organizations that I think many in this scene will appreciate. In the meantime, please visit our store and pick up some t’s: http://stillproudclothing.bigcartel.com/. Every order comes with a custom SP hangtag sticker and I’ve also partnered up with some awesome record labels (Thinkfast, Rhyme Sayers, Significant, Caboose (Japan) and Deathwish) which have given me some rad extras for my orders. Also note that we ship WORLDWIDE!

You can also stay up to date with us on the following sites:
http://www.stillproudclothing.com/
http://www.myspace.com/stillproudclothing
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Still-Proud-Clothing/118810700672
http://twitter.com/StillProud