Not to sound like an Old-Skool grandad, but Hip-Hop in its prime is an art form of humour, genuine emotion and boundless creativity. When it achieves those heady heights, it looks a lot like El-P’s Stepfather Factory from 2001.

A product for society becomes a product of society in this thought provoking (but ultimately slept on) addition to the nature vs nurture debate.

The video may not have made it to MTV and the like, but when it comes to a creative concept that’s both brilliantly thought out and impactful, work like this should pop up on your radar.

Art work from the Sequences Real-Time Art Festival from back in 2008, proves that not only is milk good for your bones, but it’s good for font design too. Providing you’re willing to make an awful lot of mess.

The 2010 version of the festival runs from October 30 to November 7 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Madlib is a man of many musical styles and even more pseudonyms.

He recognises though, that the power of his music is nothing without the brand to go with it. Being a savvy type of fellow he also knows you’ll be cold if you don’t have something nice to wear, hence why the man with many styles has many super fresh t-shirts.

From the ashes of Rise comes the UpRise Anti-Racism Festival on October 3 in Finsbury Park London.

The previous incarnation went down in a blaze of contention and glory. Brazen Bunch, Zap! Bang! and twenty%extra™ have bowed to the will of the people to bring back an event that never should have left in the first place.

We’ve achieved an awful lot in a very short period of time, but there’s still much to do and funds to raise. So if you – like us – want to put our money where our mouth is so to speak, then please lend your support by joining the ever growing £1 Crew [larger donations ARE welcome], joining the FB page or just spreading the word.

This Is Collate does exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a stylistic collation of some of the best examples of design showcased using a simple yet dynamic navigation tool called Dynamix.

Click < & > to view the work, click ∧ for info on the work, click ∨ for info on the site itself. Simples.

Art direction, illustration, typography & design by Non-Format for the new Magnetic Man 12″.

Look at how the light version of the typeface in the second image takes its form from the bold ‘M’ of the very bold and striking Magneto Man logo.

If you use your noddle like these guys, custom typeface design needn’t be so hard, but it sure will look hot.

The blueprint for the Church / Synagogue / Mosque of the future perhaps?

The three most practised religions all in place; depending on which way the sun shines.

Mayer Hawthorne on vocals – singing a Tony Bennett classic with beautifully art-directed video and merchandise to match – can only mean another collabo pack from the niche marketing hit-masters over at Stones Throw.

It’s hard not to disappear into the carefully crafted slowmos, but if that wasn’t enough, the track comes loaded on a heart-shaped USB flash drive, thus ensuring that as my heart leaves for sunnier climbs, my wallet also leaves my pocket.

I’m a child of the 70’s and 80’s, which makes me fan of the A-Team, which makes me a fan of Mr.T’s van, which has meant a lasting romance with all vans of the same ilk, which in turn makes me an undoubted fan of Vans and the Places Where They Were.

Google Earth is more than a tool for checking out your neighbours geraniums. In the hands of Dutch designer Thomas de Bruin it’s a tool for developing a full font set – including capitals, lower case, numbers and punctuation – from locations all over the Netherlands.

Our Junior Art Director Jade reckoned it took him ‘like, for ever’ to find the whole font set. Apparently though it took him ‘about a week’, which makes it even more of an achievement. Type-nerds tip your caps please.

Once upon a time, Chuck Anderson was an illustrator who did work for esoteric fashion brands and artists like Lupe Fiasco and Lodown Magazine.

Nowadays the brands get no bigger than Google and Microsoft, because when it comes to the type of slick signature styling that Chuck Anderson can bring, everyone wants a buy-in.

Digging in the back catalogue of must-blogs we find legendary Detroit producer and king of Techno Carl Craig’s 2009 collaborative concert with pianist Francesco Tristano and Paris’s Les Siècles Orchestra.

Musical Director and Conductor François Xavier Roth, when describing the project is quoted as saying “There is no hierarchy in music, only a quest for high standards.”

I can’t put it any better so I won’t say any more, apart from to say give it a try; you just might like it.

If you work with type or have any interest in typography, you’ll understand how challenging laying out type well can be. The thing about good typography is that when you do it well only other type-nerds notice. Do it poorly and it can stand out a country mile.

Antonio Carusone’s 8 Simple Ways to Improve Typography In Your Design is a great article that covers the various problems designers face when setting type and how to best approach them. leading and no more hanging quotes for you.

Not everyone will notice but the sense of satisfaction will be worth it, and those in-the-know will know.

An image of the past combined with the sound of the future courtesy of the music /marketing guru’s at Stones Throw and Bruce Haack, who was not only widely considered as one of electronic music’s true pioneers, but was also a man in possession of the most unassuming of faces.

This is a video of simple teenage abandon with not an alcopop in sight – just coke cans on the table.

Simply put, this is one of the strongest, most poignant music videos you’ll ever watch.

In fact to call it just a music video does it a disservice, but if you want something to do with 9mins 40seconds of your time, you could do no better than watching this.

Carpe diem.

The average coming-of-age film is generally thwart with drama at every turn and a look-at-me-look-at-me element that rarely deserve any attention at all.

So if you come across a largely slept on 2002 film full of character, subtlety and previously untapped performing talent, then you’ll have no doubt discovered what it was like Raising Victor Vargas.

Impressive showreel from Kristofer Ström; the maker of Benga’s Baltimore Clap.

He uses a simple hand-made style full of charm and plenty of character, or should I say characters. Enjoy.

One of Dubstep’s finer exponents – Benga – goes all Art-house Plus courtesy of video direction by Kristofer Ström.

BIG.

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via INX blogspot

Traffic Wardens: We can’t stand them. The Insomniax: If you don’t know them, by the time we’re finished you will do.

Crystle Clear Cinema presents A Bad Day For Benny trailor for the impending short film, featuring Insomniax band member and fully paid up theatre performer Mark Anderson. Benny’s the Warden who can never catch a break, though we can probably agree that he doesn’t deserve one.

With soundtrack by The Insomniax and a cameo by INX’s very own Doctor Sydney Velvet (that’s right), what this video hints at is a) the versatility required by the modern performer and b) the analytical / creative spontaneity of American Director Crystle Clear who discovered a phenomenon we despise and turned it into a short film we can warm to.

Sometimes if you want to create extra footfall for your brand, you’ve got to take it to the streets. Literally.

Brand Mystro has certainly figured that out, so follow him and his tape-deck roadshow, as he travels the tube from markets to the Millennium Bridge getting more than a smile or two along the way.

Genuine human to human interactivity begets viral / trailer, begets complementary blog piece. See how this marketing thing works? I know what it’s like around my way, turns out Mystro’s way is pretty similar.

I’m an F1 addict. if you know me then you already know this. Symptoms include an ability to slide the topic into any conversation, severe hypertension before the red lights go out and mild nausea in between races.

I fill these days with the amount of re-runs I can watch, sites I can read and articles I can write for my F1 blog. The McLaren brand team has obviously been inside my mind. With their site intro and screensaver, they’ve managed to capture that obsession with a countdown to next race measured in seconds, drivers’ blinks and car updates (of which their better be plenty) amongst some other unusual measuring tools.

As well as stepping the performance on their car, McLaren have upped the anti on user interaction and engagement with their fan-base this season with a website that goes some way in reflecting their commitment to beautiful yet functional aesthetics. Openness and transparency has been the Formula 1 promise over the last year-or-so. McLaren have also added a tone of voice, which manages to keep junkies like me in check until race time.

Strong campaign work for The Guardian by WK from back in 2008.

You could call them brand values or life values: take your pick. Either way the messages just make sense.

Picture the swanky but slightly chaotic scene. It’s the screenwriters strike of 2007. There’s no new product and no scriptwriters to make it. What to do? Dip into the archives of course, for a brand that was crying out for a remake.

So what next when you need the hard cash of major investors in order to bring the project to life? Well if you’ve got the iconic visual references of the original Tron to drawn on, you for-go the script and cut straight to the trailer.

Post production juggernauts Digital Domain did the honours, which in turn brought on the necessary brands and distributors to make things happen. Most tellingly from a marketing perspective was the simultaneous development of a Tron Legacy computer game, which if modern marketing trends count for anything, will probably outstrip the ridiculous revenue already promised by the film itself.

Not every brand will be able to try this at home, but it won’t be the last time we see this potential means of production.

New cover illustration work from Cristina Guiian for the Association of Illustrators Directory, or AOI for short.

The AOI provide a great resource for Illustrators. Amongst many things, they represent the licensing interests of artists old and new, which could one day include you.

Haw-lin.com is a purely visual look at the world of culture couture and consumerism.

You might normally hate endless scrolling, but you won’t with this site.

Nice use of typography in ads for the Citeoën 2CV; a car whose visual appeal might have seemed a little less obvious.

A bit harsh perhaps, but the ads are proof that the mid 70’s were great years for design and the arts at least.

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via ISO50

We should have posted this weeks ago, but we spent too much time laughing and not enough blogging.

The success of the Shadrack series caught the attention of the Boxfresh crew, and this new video spot from the Man Dem highlights Boxfresh’s commitment to the cultural tie-in.

‘We Are You’ is Boxfresh’s tag-line. Directed by Steve Glashier, Shadrack has brought 300,000 odd ‘you’s’ to their ‘we’, so excuse the language and get with the clever, nuanced humour.

Mars Blackmon was a Spike Lee alter-ego who starred in his seminal She’s Gotta Have It ‘86 movie.

The character gained cult status as iconic front man for Nike’s Air Jordan commercials in the late 80’s early 90’s, and they’ve given life to Mars once more through designer / art director Markus Eriksonn’s website and iPhone app work for Nike.

Go to the site (or customary iPhone app), choose your best body double, upload your pic and you an excellent way of bringing two iconic brands to you, the new ‘Mega-drive Generation’.

Do y’know? Do y’know? Do y’know? Well you do now.

I pick anything with one of Martin Wollerstam’s illustrations on it. His work is often featured on flyers for uber-sexy club night Fabric, but you lucky buggers get to see some choice cuts here.

It’s no mean feat to draw with the imaginative abandonment of a 6-year-old and the skill of, well, a very very good (and ridiculously prolific) illustrator.

Envision programmes help young people to design their own local community projects tackling issues ranging from street crime to climate change. The programmes seek to provide individuals with a powerful and rewarding experience of making a positive difference. Thereby inspired by their experience, these people will be both willing and able to continue acting as effective role models for their communities wherever they are building powerful legacies of their own.

Envision is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to become Team Mentors and Skills Mentors and help inspire young people to make a difference.

Every year Envision supports over 3000 young people to speak out about the issues they know are important, to take action and lead change in their communities.

Volunteer as a Team Mentor or a Skills Mentor and be part of their experience:
www.envision.org.uk/volunteers

I think I may have to don a school uniform and start wearing my hair in ponytails again. Not a Britney homage, but to see if I can blag a few of ‘A Night Less Ordinary’ tickets.

For those luckily enough to be under 26 (I’m just over the age limit, mind) the Arts Council have promised FREE theatre event tickets.

All you have to do is check out  www.anightlessordinary.org.uk enter your location and all participating theatres in the area will pop up, book your tickets and Bob’s your uncle, you’ve been in the receipt of freeness!

So if you feel like getting your culture vulture on, you know what to do.

Insight / inspiration for some bespoke Adidas store furniture by the guys at creative production studio SRK.

Did he really say his feet are ’shell toe shaped’? Inspiration or insanity; call it what you want.

Three rolling street-side billboard ads with three tenuous uses of the Saint Georges flag can only mean one thing; it’s World Cup silly season.

All the things you need to prepare you for a summer of sporting activity, you know – chocolate bars, beer, fizzy drinks – have provided us with all the ad nauseum we need for the coming summer months.

And there’s the new spot from Nike. In truth you don’t need them either, but as usual they claim a credible position with an irrefutable life message.

The ads not bad either.

If you’ve been watching the news recently or have even a passing interest in volcanoes, then you’ll have at least heard about Mount Eyjafjallajökull.

No we can’t pronounce it, yes it’s kept Suzy from seeing her beloved little Paul for three whole days.

In truth this eruption has caused no end of disruption to the world of aviation, but if we step back from our travel itineraries for a moment, Mount Eyjafjallajökull becomes a stark reminder of the planets relative infancy as well as its amazing beauty.

Sean Stiegemeier certainly saw it, and he spent four days capturing it. He used a Canon 5d mkII camera, which I want, and music from Jónsi, which I like.

I dropped Matt a line to let him know we featured him on the blog. He was happy to hear that, and sent this wonderful illustration in his email.

You shouldn’t give to receive, but when you do [receive that is] it really is quite nice.

It was only a matter of time: the return of the tape cassette. I’ve been waffling on about its return for some time now though I’m not one to blow my own trend-setting trumpet.

The tape release of Goldfrapp’s latest album Head First could well see the floodgates open in the near future, as other tastemaker artists / labels are do whatever it takes to create commercial viability / visibility for their physical products.

The albums is of course available in the traditional formats, but I’m sure though that Goldfrapp’s longstanding relationship with Big Active will have no doubt forced the creative issue.

Too young to vote? No probs. Old enough to vote? Then I hope you did, as last weeks elections affect all of us whether we get involved with the political process or not.

And if you were in any doubt what a hung parliament might look like, The Guardian website has put together a very impressive graphic interface that makes quite a convoluted picture just a little clearer.

The UK election results map is clean, informative and very easy to interact with – sadly nothing like the politicians we’ve just voted for.

This project is for 13-24 year olds and is being held at the Geffrye Museum, Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA. www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

Introductory Event: Saturday 8th May: 11am-3.30pm

This one-day event is to introduce the programme, experiment with architectural designs and test out materials and concepts. Come and meet the artists and build a prototype structure. Lunch will be provided.

Short Course: Tuesday evenings 5-7pm:

11th, 18th, 25th May, 8th and 15th June followed by a one day exhibition launch event on 19th June.

Work with professional artists, ecologists and architects to design and build a temporary architectural structure. This course will look at structures in the natural world to inspire proposals for communal living environments. You will have the chance to experiment, in a supported environment, with a range of materials and drawing and construction processes, to build a temporary structure for exhibition.

Your work will be exhibited to the public at the Geffrye Museum, launched through a day event on 19th June.  A certificate of attendance will be provided at the end of the course for use in your CV. No previous experience necessary, just an enthusiasm to be part of the project!

This project is FREE but places are limited, to book a place or for more information please contact Gemma at the Geffrye Museum:

e: ggottelier@geffrye-museum.org.uk

t: 020 7749 6002/ 07957 161 497

Type: It’s all around you. It’s in the air that you breathe.

Ok I go too far, but it is all around you. That we can agree on.

From hand drawn and charismatic to the clean and clinical, The Daily Type series showcases how type is used in so many innovative ways in so many places, all around the world.

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via Grafik Magazine

I had this idea years ago, and the Missin Letters Blogspot is a fine example of what what happens when you sit around twiddling your thumbs.

Let me put down the sour grapes for long enough to say that the blog is a wonderful collection of mispelling’s and typo’s found on shop fronts, cinema fronts and anywhere a missing letter is, well, missing.

The results are often humorous and always interesting. Goes to show what fun can be found in a typo. Typo – that was to be the name of my blog. There I go again with those sour grapes…

A sense of humour is something you just can’t buy. Add a touch of self deprecation and you’ve got the individualistic work of illustrator Matthew Green.

We worked together on Volkswagen’s Incredible But True campaign a few years back, and Mr. Green’s new work proves he’s lost none of his touch.

Time Out magazine and ads for The Economist (bottom image) are other places you may have seen his distinctive wood cut style, but really Matt, with such a rich list of clients, I have to say icantbelieveitsnotbetter.

When I clicked on the link, to look at this ad.

I had no idea that it would be so bad.

When they came up with the concept, they all must have known.

That all they’d end up with, was a really bad poem.

THE END.

What to do in an age of ever-decreasing record sales and the impending death of analogue?

Well if you’re Stones Throw, whose founding father Peanut Butter Wolf has a more than vested interest in vinyl culture, you teamed up with Serato and J Dilla Estate for the ultimate analogue digital combo.

For the uninitiated, Serato Scratch Live is a DJ software that allows DJs to use their ever growing MP3 collection while utilising the ancient art of Turntabalism ( or good old fashioned record spinning). J Dilla was a prolific Hip-Hop producer who passed away 2 years ago from Lupus, leaving a legacy of music longer than all our arms put together.

He was also a Momma’s Boy, and this set of 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks (2 sides with Serato Control Tone) and 2 donut slipmats in a package designed by Studio No.1. will be released May 10th, the day after Mother’s day.

If simplicity is the key then Noma Bar has got the door well and truly open. With an illustrative style as clean as it is clever, Noma has worked with clients such as Esquire and The Guardian Guide.

Never one to pass up the chance to creatively use some Negative Space, his work always comes complete with an interesting double narrative and in the case of his new exhibition Bitter Sweet, an interesting range of materials.

Bitter Sweet began yesterday and runs until April 31.

I was lamenting the lack of quality April Fools jokes today when an article about Unicorns on the telebox came along, and had our MD Steph done up a kipper.

Another quality contribution comes by way of NIke’s film, which documents how they get that special air into their NIke Air trainers.

Check out how Apple manage a nice bit of product placement 0:26 in. These big boys never seem to miss a trick.

Check out the vid here

Self deprecating humour doesn’t normally come high on the young alpha males’ CV, but that could be about to change. Let me introduce you to Shadrack and the Mandem, courtesy of Clickreplay.tv

It’s high time that ‘urban’ male posturing got a full satirical send-up and Shadrack’s series of video treats send the whole culture up through the roof. Coupled with a twitter campaign that takes the concept onto new 140 letter highs and what you’ve got is comedy for a new age with a level of wisdom and insight that is ageless.

In their own words, Clickreplay.tv want to ’simply be the back bone of, online home grown UK comedy entertainment.’ And anything is possible, as this is what I call true cultural ownership of the good, the bad, the ugly & the absolutely hilarious.

Apparently it took the J-man 3 days to resurrect himself, but fair play and an almighty ‘hallelujah!’ to Dave Smith, who’s managed to do it in 5.

Not a bad effort, considering it was only the end of last week we were mourning the demise of one of the design worlds most creative blogs.

But we shouldn’t have even batted an eyelid, as Dave has popped up on the Grafik magazine blog where he’ll be contributing every Friday with a round up of new work from that week. The new blog is called The Cache – genius.

Can he turn water into wine? Who knows, but if he can continue to seek out all that is gold, then that’s more than enough for us.

It was with much sadness that one the best blogs you’ve never heard of – Grafikcache, came to a close on the weekend.

Why the long face? Well this blogging game is no easy business, and Dave Smith’s blog was one of the best resources for all things visual – from design to architecture, from books to exhibitions and all things in between.

On the upside though, you can still check the archived images on his Flickr account, not to mention The Directory, where all the agencies / artists featured on the blog can still be found.

When I put it like that it’s not so bad, so no more tears, just promise me you’ll make good use of Dan’s invaluable resource.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Chris Ofili retrospective at Tate Britain as yet, head down this Sunday. Not only will you get to see the show for a fiver (bargain!) but you’ll also get to take part in a range of creative workshops and musical shenanigans.

I really can’t recommend this show enough (without sounding like I’m on the Tate payroll) but <em>really</em>, his work will blow your socks off. You’ll be immersed in glorious colours, intricate patterns and provocative narratives. But don’t take my word for it, be part of it.

My friend Jason pointed me in the direction of this masterful video by director and visual effects guru Sam O’Hare.

The way Sam plays with the sense of scale and movement is truly a joy to behold, as it makes for one utterly enchanting piece of work.

Now why didn’t my train-set ever look like that?