Interview: ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM'S H-PRIZM

H-Prizm aka High Priest is the smokey voiced uber-cool high rap scientist of the polymathematically dope group that is Anti-Pop Consortium. For those that don't know; make sure you check out the digi-bounce, unorthodox accompanied flows, supremely brought forward on neck snapping singles such as Volcano and Apparently from their latest album Fluorescent Black (Big Dada).

Perry Dominoes caught up with HP for a swift-blade interview in run-up to their forthcoming shows in the UK.

What is your concept of the divine/God and what role does this have in your life? Our appreciation of the small things in life help us grasp a vast concept like the divine.

Who are your favourite superheroes and supervillains? Dr Manhattan, Batman, Daredevil, Stick, Black Goliath, Doom, The Vision, Adam Warlock, Thanos, Spiderman, Black Panther, etc.

What inspires and motivates you to make music now vs. around the time of your first record release? The same thing - having a sound that is individual, impactful and dynamic.

With strange-noize and electro sounds making comfortable ways in mainstream hip-hop and music these days, how are APC approaching the next project in regards to sonically being ‘anti-pop’ – is this imperative/do you care? We have to evolve, show growth and stay committed to innovating.

What is your ideal dinner? A great meal with my family.

If you could score any film, which would it be? The John Coltrane story or A (new) Akira live action Movie.

If you could have any other rapper/singer’s voice, who would it be? Marvin Gaye.

Your house burns down but one record is safe… which is it? My harddrive.

What books have you recommended to anyone else recently? Malcolm X. Manning.

When can we expect the next record? FYaaaahHHHH (Fizzy Womack [of M.O.P. voice)

(Can I somehow find a copy of Shopping Trolleys Crashing?!?!) Come through the show. We got it for cheap.

If you could learn any new skill what would it be? Objective Coding [Objective coding is creating an index of objective summary data from a document, and (if discoverable), would include such information as dates, author, recipient and title – Wikipeda]

What are the best and worst things about this digi-age? Connectivity

Finish this sentence. If you don’t listen to the latest APC record you will-- Miss the mothership.

Go see APC live!

London: A Bird on the Wire presentation
Monday 25th July @ PLAN B, Brixton, 418 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AY
Support by HLI (Sensei C & Elai Immortal), Slugabed, Raffertie.
DISCOUNT TICKETS
https://birdonthewire.ticketabc.com/events/anti-pop-consortium/
Code is BOTW. Enjoy!
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Birmingham: A Fantastic Damage presentation
Tuesday 25th July @ HARE AND HOUNDS, Kings Heath, 106 High St | Kings Heath | B14 7JZ
Grab tickets here
Support by HLI, Felix the Spacecat, Sigmund Freud and others

The Boom Bap! Featuring DJs Excalibah, Eric Lau & T-Sparks

"The Boom Bap! is an alternative hip-hop night in East London that blurs the boundaries between audience and DJ. How? By letting the audience become the DJ. They can pre-submit tracks to play, listen to emerging producers and beat makers, participate in open decks (think open mics but for DJs) and trade their unwanted vinyl! The night is also about instigating the intimate relationship between audience and DJ; by returning back to the age where the DJ did not conform to the status quo, playing commercial tracks to prove their popularity, but spun tunes that actually enlightened their listeners!

It is a collaborative effort between J9 and DJ Excalibah. Both of whom are avid hip-hop enthusiasts attempting to provide a decent alternative to the milieu of retro nineties hip-hop nights currently plaguing Shoreditch. This night is for the discerning hip-hopper who will be entertained by the sounds of Camp Lo to Sa-Ra right back to George Clinton. So, expect a night playing homage to jazz, breaks, rare groove, funk and soul which has all influenced the hip-hop aesthetic as wells as anything else we feel like playing."

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Cinema Review: Solaris at BFI, Southbank

Directed by Andrey Tarkovskiy
Reviewed by Inshra Russell


Based on the book by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem, Solaris is a Russian science fiction epic told through the eyes of Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis), a psychologist who is sent to investigate the mysterious behaviour of the scientists on the space station based above the ocean planet Solaris, believed to posses intelligence. After spending some time on the station, widower Kelvin discovers that the Solaris Ocean does indeed have the ability to materialize memories into pseudo-reality, when his wife Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk) who had committed suicide ten years ago comes into being, arising questions in Kelvin of whether this mysterious intelligence is a curse or a blessing. This creature, in the body of his beloved wife begins to mean more to Kelvin then his true wife and as time passed Hari turns more human, only to realise that she is not. It is a very human-like love for Kelvin that ultimately drives her to destroy herself for the sake of his wellbeing.

The theme of love is what champions in this film over the loneliness that ensues from space science. Solaris is a comment on the importance of mankind needing each other rather than being an advocate of investigating extra terrestrial life.
Scenes of water and liquid are also evidently playing a role to articulate the life that it provides on earth as opposed to the insanity that the scientists were being driven to stationed on an ocean of liquid intelligence that plays into their subconscious memories of love.


Over 2 and half hours long, Solaris is slow to get into the action and once there, lingers a little too long on most everything. A film that writer Lem wanted to disown the rights to and director Tarkovskiy expressed as his least favourite, Solaris, which is part of the BFI’s collection of Soviet Space Odysseys had the audience, a full house, sitting dead still throughout and not making a peep even when the credits finally rolled in the end. Banionis’s expressions remained somewhat exactly the same throughout and Bodarchuk’s desperate and suicidal love for Kelvin fails to provide any strength as the one of two female speaking roles in the film. The only time anyone made a sound was when a dwarf (who we never see again) attempted to escape Dr. Sartorius’s (Anatoli Solonitsyn) chamber as Kelvin questioned him of the plausibility of Solaris. It was a chuckle from a few members of the audience and the only attempt at laughter for what felt like mistaken comic relief. Overall, Tarkovskiy’s Solaris is a gripping and entertaining story told at a crawling pace, its deeper meaning of human truthfulness emphasised in the mise-en-scène, if you’re lucky enough to be awake to notice it.

Secure a viewing at BFI, Southbank. Details here

Anti-Pop Consortium live in London (Bird on the Wire) and Birmingham (Fantastic Damage)

"Antipop Consortium are an American alternative hip hop group. The group formed in 1997, when, High Priest, M. Sayyid and producer Earl Blaize met at a poetry slam in New York City.[1] They are notable for their stream-of-consciousness lyrics and musical references to contemporary composition methods.
They released several tape singles and two albums primarily on Dan the Automator's experimental hip-hop label 75 Ark before being signed by Warp Records in 2000. Their releases were met with mixed reviews from the mainstream music and underground hip-hop press alike, although they are noted for their inventiveness and the experimental electronic productions contributed by all members. They were frequently compared to other rappers with unorthodox lyrics, such as Kool Keith, MF Doom and Aesop Rock. In 2001, they opened for Radiohead during the European leg of their Amnesiac tour and subsequently toured with DJ Shadow."

London: A Bird on the Wire presentation
Monday 25th July @ PLAN B, Brixton, 418 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AY
Grab tickets from here
Support by HLI (Sensei C & Elai Immortal), Slugabed, Raffertie.

DISCOUNT TICKETS
https://birdonthewire.ticketabc.com/events/anti-pop-consortium/
Code is BOTW. Enjoy!
-------------------------------------------------------------


Birmingham: A Fantastic Damage presentation
Tuesday 25th July @ HARE AND HOUNDS, Kings Heath, 106 High St | Kings Heath | B14 7JZ
Grab tickets here
Support by HLI, Felix the Spacecat, Sigmund Freud and others

Tee Junkie show us love for Wonder Woman T-shirt

Tee Junkie - a connoisseur site for all things T-Shirty have shown us much appreciated love for one of our Wonder Woman tees.

Posted by Kay who can also apparently twirl a lasso:

"In a time when the whole world seems to be going superhero mad, in a really macho way, it’s nice to be reminded that everything in life is not all testosterone.


Wonder Woman – remember her? She had the best hair, and the worst dialog, ever. Also a lasso, as I recall. Anyway, Green Lantern, Captain America, all those guys … they had nothing on Wonder Woman, who, when still a little girl, blew out the birthday candles on her cake with such force that the cake entered orbit. I never really got that one: if she was an Amazonian princess, how come she had a birthday cake with candles on? Also she had bullet-proof bracelets, which I wanted as a kid."

Read the whole piece on the tee junkie website

Direct link to this Wonder Woman t-shirt >

Urban Species

Cinema Review - LAST YEAR IN MARIENBAD

Last year in Marienbad (au L'année dernière à Marienbad is a surrealist piece from 1961, lauded as a cinematic masterpiece; it's obscure and non-linear narrative inspires much debate in regards to any extractable plot.

Last Year In Mariendbad's praise has won it a Golden Lion at the Venice film festival and an Academy award for original screenplay, as well as commendations as essential cinema schooling. Having said that, there's the fracas to its enigma of being rated as one of The Fifty Worst Films in a book by The Medveds (originators of the Hollywood 'Walk of Shame' and Golden Turkey awards)

The plot, through repetition ciphers of dialogue, and sweeping long shots with no chronological imperative establishes a first man attempting to convince a woman he meets at a grand Château social gathering that not only did they meet the year before; but they very well fell in love and that she has been waiting for him. A second man (probably the woman's husband) assumes his dominance by 'never losing' supremely orchestrated Nim matches to the first man.

The combination of sweeping shots; never-ending corridors and spiral staircases; repeated dialogue; flashbacks; flash-forwards and detached performances from all the leads exude a dream-like, transcendental quality. The score is usually simple crescendos or organs, with the overall effect a somewhat jarring timelessness loop. The viewer is abandoned from any plot resolution as how is it possible to make concrete judgement with no means to discern reality from imagination or dream? And that's the point.



This is french Dada-ist. Check the movement. Sure, it makes for fascinating and at times witty viewing. But the 'perfection' of the environment; the depletion of humanistic traits; the ornamental garden (where trees cast no shadows mind you) and once again I utter; the oft-repeated dialogue draws bee-lines to the theatre of the absurd..

Reclined in my BFI seat at Southbank, I couldn't help but feel like I was in on Alain Resnais and Alain Robbe-Grillet's joke... the sterile and polished exterior; the decay of decadence; renders all meaning defunct, leaving one protagonist on a mission (Persuasive? Unreasonable? Mesmerising? Abusive?)to connect some links between hearts.

Do go watch it. For what it's worth, view it as a meta-film, or an epic poem with visual stimulus. Feel free to love it or hate it. Next year you may not even know.

By Perry Dominoes

What's on at BFI Southbank

Skriblah - Belly of the East (video by Global Faction)

Bet you want some revelatory shades like in this video right?



"'The Little White Dot' is the long awaited debut solo album written and produced by UK Hip-hop virtuoso Skriblah DanGogh and it's coming quicker than you think! To get your appetite going we've hit you with this brand new music video directed by Global Faction. The track entitled 'Belly Of The East' is produced by Grime & UK Rap producer Smasher who has also produced for the likes of Devlin, Durrty Goodz, Ghetto, J2K, Klashnekoff, Roll Deep and more. This video is just a kind reminder us of why Skriblah and Terra Firma are so well respected in the scene.

Skriblah DanGogh a.k.a Crown Prince of Terra Firma is the renowned lyricist who arrived on the scene as part of the infamous hiphop crew and blazed trails through the industry with heavy hitters like 2006 smash 'The Foundation.' Skriblah is equally well known for his solo guest features with some the brightest urban talent including Emmanuel Jal, Klashnekoff, Twin Cities, K-Nite 13, Phoenix the Icefire, Global Faction and Louis Slipperz. Advocating intelligent hip-hop, DanGogh has always been lauded for his verbal ingenuity, and his new album is no different. He couples esoteric lyrics and metaphors with bold, authentic hip-hop beats - a winning combination which inevitably draws the listener into his world. A world which explores his unique perception, addressing issues that range from very honest and intimate accounts of personal development, to frank more deeper concepts such global issues.

Whatever it is that Skriblah says it's said with integrity and realness, the key to any great Hip-Hop artist. His album 'The Little White Dot' features production from Smasher, Beatbutcha, Sleeping Giants, DJ Slademan to name a few and gives the fans what they've been longing for: a deeper understanding of the "solid earth philosophy" from the skribe who designed it. This album is the end of the beginning, and with a second full-length album in process it serves as a prequel to Skriblah DanGogh's personal legacy."

Gullyver Returns

Get your two step (and more) on for a killer night for party vibes. And it's FREE so all you broke-asses have no excuse!

Tom Hardy as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises

These photos have been floating about for a hot minute or two but we thought we'd share how scary Tom Hardy (Bronson, Inception) looks as BANE. The infamous man who 'Broke the Bat'.

Check the Knightfall trilogy. Also recommended is Bane of the Demon. Enjoy...



Check out our DC and Batman range on

our website

DARK KNIGHT RISES teaser poster revealed

Thought we'd share this...

Nolan's Batman trilogy finale The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Josh Pence, Nestor Carbonell, Michael Cain a year from now. We cannot wait!

Marvellous DC comics, An exhibition of Awesome!

"This coming tuesday, the Marvellous DC comics begins a months reign at the infamous Lion Gallery in Stoke Newington.

The generous fellows at Urban Species on Cheshire st, off the World Famous Brick Lane have given us these incredible artworks of Classic Marvellous DC comic book heroes.

Relive your childhood revelries, as you gaze upon the Awesome Might of the Classic Comic Gods. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman to name but a few...

Come and Join us with Free Wine and Kick Ass music, for a night Super Hero Awesomeness!"

Curated by Chu Maclean

Venue: The Lion, 132 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0JX London, United Kingdom ·

Batman: Year One - animation trailer

Written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli - BATMAN: YEAR ONE is a plunge into the Dark Knight's origins; much of which inspired the Nolan classic Batman Begins.

See below for the first trailer for the animation DC Comics are releasing...

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Click here to see our Batman range of merchandise.

BFI Urban Species Shout Out

A mighty thanks to the amazing BFI (southbank), with whom we also enjoyed the premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, did us the grace of shouting out our forthcoming Transformers vs Technics range in their newsletter

Toddla T with Roots Manuva - "Watch Me Dance" video

Last week we dropped knowledge on the forthcoming Roots Manuva album/ free download/ etc - a version of this song wth Toddla T will feature on the '4everrevolution' album. In the meantime get your dancing shoes on to this video

Spin Doctor's Birthday BBQ and Hip Hop Pub Quiz

Spin Doctor, DJ Vadim, Mr Thing,
Jehst (DJ Set), Kidkanevil, Eric Lau, The Last Skeptik, Excalibah, Bruce Wayne, Chris Read,
Chris P Cuts, Kyri R2, DJ Lok, Pings
& live graffiti by Dan Kitchener
FREE all day!

Hip-Hop pub quiz (1pm start / £2 per player / teams max of 6 people)
BBQ & Full Menu Served all day. Kids of all ages welcome until 7pm.

For the last two years Spin Doctor’s FREE Birthday bash has been the party of the summer. Once again the hardest working man in Hip-Hop has called in favours from some of his musical mates to mark his big day with an incredible line up of DJs each spinning 1⁄2 hour each in the summer sun.

As ever there will be a BBQ to enjoy as you bump to a summer soundtrack of Hip-Hop, Soul, Reggae and beyond. For those looking to exercise their grey matter Spin will be hosting the latest edition of his ever-popular Hip-Hop Pub Quiz (kicking off at 1pm) with prizes galore provided by the generous people at Dephect clothing (www.dephect.com) and Rap & Soul Mailorder (www.rapandsoulmailorder.com).

As if all this was not already enough to temp you out for a full days fun we also have the phenomenal Dan Kitchener (http://www.dephect.com/users/dan-kitchener) painting one of Cargo’s walls that have previously been blessed by the likes of Banksy.

DOCTOR'S ORDERS SITE

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Cinema Review - TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

26th June 2011 we were the Lucky ones, blessed with tickets to the Imax premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon...

Beer at the cinema, free treats and water with the coupe de grace, my personal favourite little finishing touch the most 80's retro 3D shades imaginable. This was not simply going to the movies, it was a perfect red carpeted celebrity filled Sunday evening.

Now in this day and age, when you say Transformers to me, before last weekend I would have shuddered. But alas I am an eletist of the old school... Transformers? Kids today, wouldnt know a Transformer if it bit it in the ass. Regardless there is never an occassion where walking in to a new experience with a closed mind is an option, not in this world.

Oh how I was due to swallow my words, its not the same dealio, not by any means. But it was graphic entertainment at its best. This is not something to be watched in the comfort of your living room, lone wolf or posse, get yourself to a big screen and melt into the seat.

Leonard Nimoy is back for any and all incredibly geeked out chicks such as my self who have been crushing on him since back in the teleportation days his presence alone is enough to make your insides sky rocket a little further than any other mere mortal could.



Shia LeBeouf is as entertaining as ever in his clearly natural geek state, Rosie HW has a placid background charm that suits the film far better than her predecessor, and in true Michael Bay style the out dated casting of a token black guy is optimized by throwing Tyrese in the mix.

Dont mean to be getting agro with that comment, but aren’t we a little bit past that? Like ooh look we included one of you people, and of course his body puts the rest of them to shame. Us ethnic minorities we just have the natural edge in that realm, come on America catch up.

But alas the humans are the downfall... its all about the bots. In many respects on an underlying level Mr Bay pays tribute to the 80's animated film. Anyone who has seen that as many times as I have could spot the detailing a mile off, that element alone turns this film from a regular cinema experience into something a fair bit more intellectually worthy.

It runs on about 20mins longer than it should, but the action and those graphics really are something incredibly special, if nothing else will win you over that will. To conclude for you cool kids it gets the Urban Species stamp of approval. This one's worth a watch.

Peace out,

Miss Phoenix. x

Urban Species at London Film and Comic Con

Urban Species is proud to anounce our presence at this years London Film and Comic Con.

We hereby cordially invite you all to join us for a fun filled weekend of cross convergent multi media based madness. That's right, I said madness; so crazy I'm not even wearing my glasses as I type. There will be hot chicks in tight clothing even hotter men greasing themselves up, and lets not forget the most important element the latest funkiest freshest garms going. Including our ranges of officially licensed DC Transformers & Technics products.

Miss Phoenix and Miss Lowy Clark will be your personal shopping assistants for the exceptionally fun filled weekend of the 8th-10th of July. With the occassional flying visit from the Most beautiful Mama Supreme to make sure neither of us isn't getting away with something a little bit too naughty. Our boys get to take it easy for the weekend, but they will surely be drifting about and contact details for all the team will be at hand at all times.

This is due to be a fantastic event Located in the heart of London town. With a huge variation in companies exhibiting every kind of relevant product imaginable. Be there, there's no two ways about it. We will most definately make it worth your while.

Peace out Cool kids. Miss Phoenix

www.urbanspecies.co.uk

London Film and Comic Con

The Transformers are here... Rock your Transformers t-shirts as Dark of the Moon graces the big screen

We've watched Transformers: Dark of the Moon and we loved it [review coming soon]

In conjunction with the film release; do check out the flashy range of Transformers t-shirts we at Urban Species are presenting for your tastes...

Check out all the designs here... tell us what you think

Statik Selektah, Spin Doctor, DJ Excalibah & The Last
Skeptik
Only 100 tickets left!
Discount tickets & Free CD for all!

The Doctor’s Orders “The Kings of the capital’s Hip-Hop scene” (Time Out) are celebrating another incredible year with thier first ever boat party on the Thames. As the temperatures have been cranking up this is the perfect way to party and now you lucky people not only get discounted £10 tickets but also a free double disk mix CD for everyone on board!

To grab you discount ticket simply go to the Ticketweb link and enter the promo code "boat" and follow the steps from there!

As always he is joined by a dream team of London's best DJs in the shape of Spin Doctor, The Last Skeptik & DJ Excalibah so tell a friend to tell a friend and grab your tickets now! Joining them is none other than Statik Selektah. Having learnt his way round a studio under the tutorage of none other than the legendary DJ Premier creating his own take on the classic Boom-Bap sound of Golden Era Hip-Hop he has gone on to produce tracks for Nas, KRS One, Mobb Deep, Foxy Brown & MOP among a host of others. Now heading his own Show Off Records Stat makes this rareLondon appearance rocking the boat in true NYC style!

http://www.thedoctorsorders.com/