2FACED1.com shows one persons two different faces in photos;
Persona 1: WHAT YOU WANT TO BE CONSIDERED AS
Persona 2: WHAT YOU FEAR TO BE CONSIDERED AS
This leads to a discussion about stereotypes and inner fears of getting misunderstood by the surroundings. Thoughts that every thinking modern day person does reflect upon. We're asking every day people from an innercity context where old categories as ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality and class are reassessed, why they choose to look like they do. We’re diggin' deep, peeling off garments, codes and attributes. We’re searching for transnational identities - is the conclusion that we choose whoever we want to be today?!
A 2FACED1 STATE OF MIND
A 2FACED1 is highly aware of existing stereotypes related to your own ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality and class. You’re trying to avoid them but sometimes also play with them to make people think twice about who you are. Two faced doesn’t mean anything negative here, it explains the double folded view you have on identity if you’re not the existing norm. It means you have the feet in different worlds, can move between them but feel rather at home in that space in between. You've stepped out of your comfort zone and have become one of the new identities where ol' categories are mashed up and rootlessness and non-given identity just means major possibilities.
2FACED1 is a state of mind, 2FACED1.com is a display-window for this mindset and the network of 2FACED1 includes all of you progressive non-stereotypes with a double perspective on identity.
2FACED1.com:
Decida - Editor, Founder, Creative Director Oscar Stenberg - Web, Photography Linn Marcusson - Writer, Style Assistant (Gypsie's Mega Trip) Spoek Mathambo - (the Zombo Blog) Alex Dabo - ( the Do The Dabo Blog)
Like it always is, I've had a secret muzak crush on Mr Devonté Hynes (formerly in Test Icicles), and the Blood Orange project for a while. And kept it for myself as the asshole I sometimes am. But then just to see his new video feat. people I know, and know of...! One of last years best mash up film/music was, yes, Blood Orange's Champagne Coast vs. Vanilla Ice's movie "Cool as Ice" - the act of genius in putting them two together makes it hard to look at the new official video in an honest light, and I really like it too! The thing is that Vanilla Ice's love affair feat. MB's, horses, hot gear, drama, sunset and fields is ALL you ever wanted to remember your first love like.
The new one directed by Haley Wollens. Oh yes, and Mr Hynes got his share of love for the long coats too!
F I N A L L Y! Our beloved fellow 2FACED1; ZHALA releases her debut singel!!! Best of the best! The voice, the stage persona, the Artist, the woman behind it is just beyond!!! Expect more to come! All friends were at Zhala's releaseparty yesterday, such a good vibe, so many amazing people, I smile when I think about it!
I've actually written her pressrelase below. It's music for you #2FACED1's.(Ps. Zhala is prounanced like the s uSual ah U get it)
Zhala “Slippin Around”
The sound of Zhala, pronounced [ʒɑ:lɑ:], recollect the shimmery times when Pop Music was bloody serious and there were no barriers between fine arts and pop culture.
Her first single “Slippin Around” is a bitter sweet hymn of atmospheric sound weaves, theatrical choirs, broken Electronica, rugged Lo-Fi drums and above all, the stunningly clear pop tone of Zhala’s voice.
With Stockholm as the physical base, but with the mindset of a modern day Transnational, Zhala’s music is futuristic, Cosmic Pop mixed up with Witchcraft Indie - for the ones who grew up with a little bit of everything, whether it was Rave, Bollywood or RnB.
-----
The video is done by the most talked about man on the Net right now; Makode Linde.
If all DJ's looked like David Günther I would've been more of a typical European Techno/House geezer - standing staring at the DJ with a hand in the air - instead of dancing. Luckily they don't look like David or his talented twin brother Robin, who've done this video together with another skilled young man; Maceo Frost.
Robin is also the dude who helped us out organizing the new 2FACED1 site (but we know he think we fucked his design up a bit, but that's us fucking up things...2F1 style). David on the other hand you do recognize from the 2FACED1/WeSC campaign.
We did this video more than 1,5 year ago, me on styling, you've seen some stills before but here is the final video to David's song "Only Love". Also notice all the Philip Van De Roq jewelry! Download the song here.
Director - Robin Günther / Photography - Maceo Frost / Styling - Decida / Makeup - Michel Franco / Styling assistant - Linn Marcusson
The Japanese Art Director / Costume Designer / Graphic Designer past away yesterday at an age of 73. Huge inspiration, wish I've gotten to meet her. Read more about her here.
The year was 1995 and "Brown Sugar" did hit us like a bomb, here came this dude bringing back the organic sound of music back before the computer came into the game, still mixing it with the existing hip hop attitude and spot on modernity. He could play all instruments, he wrote and arranged all material and he had done his Prince homework, he had done his Stevie Wonder homework, done the Marvin Gaye homework but still he embodied the year of 1995. In a body that looked hella good doing it.
The album was rock solid, each song was amazing and "Brown Sugar" became a blueprint for what later on came to be called "Neo Soul".
We waited for five years, a groovier but oh so good "Voodoo" was released in 2000, and with it the classic video of "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" featuring a naked D'Angelo. In July same year, the Circus concert here in Stockholm, and this certain concert was something extra ordinary. (det finns en bootleg på denna fantastiska konsert också). I was there and most of my friends too, and we keep the memories from it in a special part of our music hearts.
The years after some few guest appearances.
Then the wait started.
We heard he had alcohol problems, heard he had drug problems, heard he didn't feel well, saw a mug shoot where he looked more like Ol' Dirt Bastard than himself. (Spin - D'Angelo What the Hell Happened 2008)
And we waited for so many years we forgot we were waiting.
And then the news came. D'Angelo will start his new world tour in Stockholm, Sweden, 2012.
Really?! Sounded way to fecking amazing to be anywhere near true. But I went all in and got my tickets on the first row in the center in front of the stage.
January came. What would he sound like, what would he be like, what would he look like?
Not until he actually got up on stage yesterday I was sure that it would happen.
And there he was.
Came on in a studded long black leather jacket, soft trouser suit (no it was not jersey's!), a black bandana and hat. Kind of D'Angelo so to say, but still with a little newer update. Started of pretty cautiously with a guitarr, but the voice was intact and when he removed the guitar and took of the jacket revealing pipes thicker than we remembered them, I think the whole audience felt a relief that he wasn't in such a bad shape. - This could actually become a pretty ok concert, we thought. Well he was a bit thicker also over the stomach area, and then it was this hair-do that would have made a crack head look good(unnecessary evil might one say, but then again this is the hottest guy during the 90s - he's gotta give us normal-looking people that...). But what was making him shine was his little patent smile.
Yes the night was a bit over-filled with funk (and that is coming from a person that got a company name like Funkorama who got funk in all her bones) in the way a lot of American artist from a certain era tends to do it - because they know it's considered "real music", it's something they know, have the skills for and feel safe to lean back against. And I think D'Angelo needed that after a 10 year long concert hiatus. Therefor it sometime became a little bit too much of James Brown inspiration, add the always present in D'Angelo's world; Prince. Everything wasn't super tight (remember I compare him with himself 12 years ago not to some random artist), but for being the first concert in so many years this was a really nice surprise! It became a great concert, with "Shit Damn MotherFucker" as a high light among others! And the new song "Charade" (?) was pretty amazing, not predictable at all! Really promising. I'd love to see him in a couple of months with 25 shows under his belt and then we're talking!!! With that a certain self confidence comes, a self confidence that hopefully also helps D'Angelo to define what his own artistry really, really is about again. Being so close on the first row, I got to see all the small nuances of the body language you not necessarily sense at a concert. This is me Dr Philling it up, but I think I saw the little cute boy in him, the playful, charming but yet very careful little boy who just wanted to make music his own way, not really caring about good looks or sexual symbols. And I'm just happy he found his smile again.
And I ran out of batteries (amateur!) but Mr D got more pics that I wil put up later. Below is some videos I found and yes 4.37 you see moi in my striped shirt and hat hehe. Btw, learn this if you are on the front row it's not ok to sit down, you have a responsibility to give energy to artist in front of you if you're front row. A live performance is a dialouge.
New song Charade
New Tune: Another Life (it's me again in the left corner hehe)
New song: Sugar Daddy
Also notice he had legendary Pino Palladino (born in Cardiff, so I can guarantee he's a 2FACED1!) who was playing the bass guitar on the Voodoo album with him. Cool geezer! (To the left next to drummer above)
OLD SCHOOL and NEW SCHOOL at the same time - in Stockholm! Tomorrow see you at Berns Inner City (no Kevin Saunderson though) then Marie Leveau with ballroom DJ MikeQ!!!
Rapper Henok Achido released his new nice-looking video for "The King & The Killa" some weeks ago, see it below. For the video (Dir. Andreas Lönngren Widell + Senai Berhe) Henok claimed help from the "King of Style", as he had the courtesy to call me hehe!!! The video was made in October, and did not, of course, focus on style - we just needed to pick a bang on silouette that fitted Henok's character and the concept of the video. He wears Lee bib-and-braces (love em!), Burgundy DrMartens, white crispy tee, a hoodie and a vintage Burberry coat, worked out perfect!
PS. In the next video I expect Henok to sit in a park smelling flowers!
