Books 364 Items

Bill Direen is a legend of the New Zealand underground. He has given us poetry, novels and a catalog of important and challenging underground music. Weaned on a garage band youth in the late '60s, Direen started producing 7" records in the early '80s, all of them total stunners. These releases—Six Impossible Things, Die Bilder, Soloman's Ball and High Thirties Piano—were self-financed and distributed through Flying Nun. 100 Years Of Darkness, his latest book, is a homage to a century of films and film music. The front cover boxes represent film aspect ratios (1.17:1 up to 2.35:1) as used worldwide between 1888 and the present. The films are drawn from many countries, such as Japan, U.S.A., France, Germany, Russia/Ukraine, Vietnam, Sweden, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Lebanon. Since some of the films may not have been commercially distributed in all countries, the chosen films are carefully listed in a detailed index of sources at the close, which corresponds to the order of the poems as listed in the contents. This makes it easy for film and music lovers to find the films' directors and years of first appearance, and eventually see them for themselves. It is very limited in an edition of 200 and beautifully printed with textured jackets in the spirit of vintage Black Sparrow Press books.

With a text by Michelle Kuo.

An updated and expanded edition of the acclaimed in-depth monograph on one of the most influential artists of our time

Conceived in close collaboration with the artist, this updated survey tracks Eliasson's artistic practice from the 1990s to the present day, including recent exhibitions at Tate Modern, London (In real life, 2019) and the Beyeler Foundation, Basel (Life, 2021).

Through hundreds of illustrations bracketed by writings on and by Eliasson, this book provides an unparalleled overview of his remarkably accessible output, from such large-scale interactive experiences as The weather project at Tate Modern, London (2003) to smaller, more delicate works on paper or made of glass, and includes photography, painting, and film.

About the author: Olafur Eliasson is an Icelandic-Danish artist whose works have been exhibited globally in institutions such as MoMA, Tate, and the Venice Biennale. He works and lives in Copenhagen and Berlin.

Michelle Kuo is the Marlene Hess Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. She was the Editor in Chief of Artforum International from 2010 to 2017 and has lectured and published widely, on the work of artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Anicka Yi, and Le Corbusier.

Anna Engberg-Pedersen directs research and communications at Studio Olafur Eliasson.

Reviews: 'This weighty compendium of essays, interviews and mind-bending colour images spans three decades of innovation and experimentation.' – Aesthetica

'Succinctly brings the artist's myriad ideas, installations, architecture, performances, philosophies and philanthropies, (a catalogue of achievement difficult to express fully under one roof) together, under one, bright yellow cover.' – Wallpaper*

'An unparalleled overview of [Eliasson's] remarkable output.' – Aesthetica

"Olafur Eliasson's Reality Projector installation at the Marciano Art Foundation "is a smashing immersive environment guaranteed to elicit an immediate 'Oh, wow' from visitors"." – Los Angeles Times

Specifications: Format: Hardback Size: 305 × 238 mm (12 × 9 3/8 in) Pages: 488 pp Illustrations: 560 illustrations

With contributions by Danielle Demetriou.

'It’s not just a sumptuous survey of the country’s design - it’s also a love letter to the spaces we inhabit.' - T: The New York Times Style Magazine

An insider's look at the myriad styles of private homes of Japan, showing how Japanese interior design continues to evolve in a new era.

Exploring the art and craft of Japanese residential interiors, author Mihoko Iida provides an insider's look into the wide-ranging interior design of her country's private homes. Featuring twenty-eight exemplary residences around Japan – from urban apartments to mountain and seaside escapes – the book showcases aspirational minimalist homes alongside functional live/work spaces and traditional historic dwellings.

Throughout, Iida demonstrates the enduring philosophy of integrating the natural landscape into the home, and details the influences and continuing evolution of Japanese interior design. The book also showcases homes designed by some of Japan's top architects, such as Kengo Kuma, nendo, Koji Fujii, Arata Endo, and Takamitsu Azuma.

About the author: Mihoko Iida is the executive features editor of Vogue Japan.

Danielle Demetriou is a British writer and editor who has lived in Japan since 2007, and is often found traveling across the country, writing design, architecture and lifestyle stories for international magazines, newspapers and books.

Reviews: 'It's not just a sumptuous survey of the country's design - it's also a love letter to the spaces we inhabit.' – T: The New York Times Style Magazine

‘Show off your chic, minimalist taste with this book filled with the graceful interiors of Japanese homes and historical buildings.’ – Time

Specifications: Format: Hardback Size: 270 × 205 mm (10 5/8 × 8 1/8 in) Pages: 256 pp Illustrations: 180 illustrations

The OSTKREUZ agency was founded in the midst of the upheavals that took place in East Berlin in 1990. For Dream on - Berlin, the 90s, nine OSTKREUZ photographers worked together with curators Annette Hauschild (OSTKREUZ) and Boaz Levin (C/O Berlin Foundation) to cast a modern-day eye over their extensive archives as seen from today’s perspective. As documentarists operating at the apogee of photojournalism, they tracked the changes that the city underwent. They observed the shifts in society and the challenges facing a city that had previously been divided by a wall as it grew together, capturing all this in powerful, personal images. The essays reflect this on a variety of levels: Janos Frecot’s examination of the changes in the urban space; Jens Balzer’s description of Berlin’s potential as a centre of creativity and culture; and Anne Rabe’s very personal view, as a young East German writer, of today’s Berlin.

OSTKREUZ is an independent, Berlin-based agency that is run by twenty-four photographers.

348 pp.
250 b/w and color illustrations
thread-sewn hardcover

Leipzig September, 2024
ISBN: 9783959058520

Width: 20 cm
Length: 24 cm

Language(s): English

Editor
Boaz Levin, C/O Berlin Foundation, Annette Hauschild, Kathrin Kohle, OSTKREUZ

Designer
Marc Naroska

Text
Jens Balzer, Janos Frecot, Boaz Levin, Veronika Epple

Photographer
Sibylle Bergemann, Annette Hauschild, Harald Hauswald, Ute Mahler, Werner Mahler, Jordis Antonia Schlösser, Anne Schönharting, Maurice Weiss

Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW), or “German New Wave,” was made extraordinarily popular in the 1970s and 1980s by the likes of Nena's "99 Luftballons" and Trio's "Da Da Da"-and then left as quickly as it came. Conventional wisdom among artists dictates that it's better to burn out than fade away, but this doesn't tell the full story of NDW-the reason for its rapid rise and fall, the historical context that necessitated the genre, and where the energy of the NDW movement went after its end.

The genre has international influences but still demonstrates a uniquely German desire to build a new, sanitized identity in the aftermath of World War II. Originally quite subversive and underground, NDW became exponentially more mainstream until it could no longer sustain itself creatively. And rather than disappearing, it helped give rise to the post-Cold War rave craze and is still an important touchstone in music history.

Claudia Lonkin is a historian of popular music and culture based in the United States.
Her research focuses on global music trends in the 1970s and 1980s, examining congruences and points of contrast between scenes in Europe and the Americas. She has been published in the Journal of Popular Music Studies and Punk & Post-Punk.

168 pages
197 x 127 mm

Second edition of the long-out-of-print book which Bun B declared ".... defines Houston hip-hop." Includes 32 new pages of never before seen photos and text, Northside/Southside Houston maps, and a complete index of the timeline and oral history of the scene. Houston Rap is an immersion into the everyday life of the Houston hip hop community. The second edition, hardcover 304 page book features the photography of Peter Beste, who spent 9 years documenting the culture alongside writer Lance Scott Walker. Houston Rap profiles noted artists such as Bun B of UGK, Z-Ro, Big Mike, K-Rino, Willie D of the Geto Boys, Lil’ Troy, and Paul Wall, alongside reflections on the lives of departed legends such as DJ Screw, Pimp C, and Big Hawk. The book also features community leaders, rappers, producers, businessmen, and family members, all providing important insight into a great American cultural narrative, and the second edition features even more details into this astonishing and influential scene.

A documentation and reinterpretation of the liturgical incredible heritage of the mysterious Mount Athos.

Daft Punk’s Discovery is a record that looked into the future and liked what it saw; an album that predicted the electronic music explosion, YouTube and the end of privacy, while dragging soft rock back into vogue. Discovery was not only one of the best albums of the 2000s, it was one of the most prophetic, the kind of record that makes you wonder: how did they know?

You can draw lines from Discovery to Glass Swords, Kanye West, EDM, Autotune, iTunes, Beyoncé, Guilty Pleasures, social media and more. Discovery's footprints can be found all over the modern world but it also looked back to Daft Punk’s childhood, to Van Halen records, Japanese cartoons and even Johann Sebas-tian Bach.

Discovery was a record that confounded many fans when it was released in 2001, thanks to its blatant pop hooks and unlikely sonic bricolage. It was a record that was - and still is - widely misunderstood; Discov-ery’s impact has only become clear with the passing of time, as Daft Punk have been proved right time and time again.

This book is a homage to a fascinating, troubled beast of an album that casts a huge shadow over the 21st Century, as Discovery reaches its 20th anniversary.

You Out Tonight? is the first book from Tough Luck, the Instagram account with over 46k followers that spotlights up-and-coming youth culture photographers from around the world. It features the work of 15 photographers from different backgrounds and styles, all united by their passion for capturing contemporary club culture with over 300 photographs from around the world. The book is 17.5cm x 24cm, and the 160 pages are printed and bound on heavyweight 150gsm paper with a hardback cover.

Step into the vibrant and pulsating world of nightlife through the lens of Tough Luck, the Instagram account that has become the heartbeat of contemporary club and rave photography. Through the lenses of their talented photographers, they unfold the stories of the night, spotlighting clubs, festivals, and the diverse characters shaping nocturnal culture.

While many rave photography books reminisce about the past, You Out Tonight? offers a fresh, contemporary experience. As you flip through the pages, you’ll find yourself immersed in the kaleidoscope of lights, colours, and emotions that define the modern clubbing experience. The book features photos from:

Aaron Wyld
Alfred Golding
Alice Palm
Amelia Valentiner
Bruna Blumenberg
Daniel Fennessy
Distorted
Edward Pascall
Max McDonald
Peter Aallyn
Roffa Archive
Selina Paton
Tara Sammouri
Tia Payne

Whether you’re a seasoned partygoer or a curious observer, Tough Luck invites you to experience the magic, the chaos, and the indescribable beauty of the night. Prepare to be transported into a world where time stands still, and the only currency is the rhythm of the music.

Quotes:

“Anthropology for the masses… Tough Luck bottles what it feels like to be young and out now” Matthew Whitehouse, editor of The Face

“It’s always a joy when I experience a spontaneous night out, even if vicariously while scrolling. It’s often an image from a photographer I’ve never heard of and excited to discover. The posts always make me smile and wish I was young again. For others like me who want to feel something fresh, exciting and real, check out Tough Luck UK, it’s the one place on instagram where I’m more than happy to go down the wormhole.” Elaine Constantine, BAFTA nominated writer/director and photographer

Take a trip through alien worlds and bizarre scenarios in a psychedelic Hero’s Journey of thrilling and surreal art from the mind of celebrated artist and composer Jem Panufnik. The Legend of Kaptain Karnival is highly original lavishly illustrated book that also includes a CD soundtrack recorded under his Jem Stone moniker.

The book is 24.5cm square and the 96 pages are printed and bound on heavyweight 150gsm paper with a hardback cover.

Written by veteran journalist Shawn Reynaldo, First Floor is a weekly newsletter that focuses on electronic music, along with the culture and industry that surround it. Over the course of just a few years, it’s become one of electronic music’s most influential platforms, routinely putting many of the genre’s thorniest issues under the microscope while reckoning with changes in the culture during a time of profound transformation.

A collection of Reynaldo’s most thought-provoking essays, First Floor Volume 1 provides a nuanced, wide-ranging look at contemporary electronic music culture, with a particular focus on systemic issues that often go undiscussed.

Topics covered included the evolving nature of electronic music fandom and artistry, value shifts brought on by the current changing of the generational guard, the shortcomings of the modern music press and the growing gap between electronic music’s foundational rhetoric and the genre’s present-day norms.

Incorporating both pieces originally published in the newsletter (all of which have been updated) and exclusive new material from Reynaldo himself, the book also features a foreword by veteran artist and 3024 label founder Martyn.

Highly entertaining, wickedly insightful, account of arguably the most extreme party paradise that ever existed where existential electronic dancefloor music was the ultimate catalyser for the mystical anarchy of techno hedonism in Gonzo Goa. Written authoritatively from the perspective of someone that lived, danced and DJed through the thick of its histrionics, it chronicles the eccentric music of the scene from 1987, the germinal phase of a subculture up until 1996, by which time the once-eclectic sounds of a Goan dancefloor had been distilled into the conventional soundscape of psytrance.

»Here In, Absence« is the result of the dialogue between the Finnish photographer Mikael Siirilä and ambient artists The Humble Bee & Offthesky. Mikael Siirilä describes himself as a darkroom artist based in Helsinki, Finland. »My small individual photographs examine the themes of absence, presence and outsiderhood. My characters appear immersed in their inner worlds and moments of being: simultaneously absent and intensely present.«

400 page hardcover large format book - Includes CD with 10 Japanese Jazz tracks - Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden - Only 2000 copies printed - Largest picture book on Japanese Jazz ever printed - First and only picture book devoted to Japanese Jazz covers to be produced outside Japan - Extra sections on non-Japanese artists and Blue Note albums produced exclusively for the Japanese market - Includes intro by Terumasa Hino plus articles by Yusuke Ogawa, Mats Gustafsson, Tony Higgins and interview with Tohru Aizawa - DJ J Jazz Top Tens from around the world BBE Music is thrilled to present J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988, a remarkable large-format book covering some of the deepest, rarest, and most innovative jazz music released anywhere in the post-war era. Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden, co-curators of BBE Music's acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series, the book also features a foreword by Japanese jazz icon, Terumasa Hino.

This is the first time a book of this type has been published outside of Japan and the first anywhere of this size and scale. It is a unique collection of over 500 albums of free and modern jazz released in Japan during a period of radical transformation and constant reinvention. An era that saw Japan return from the ravages of World War Two to become a global economic power and emerge as both a technological leader and an international cultural force.

Through a unique gallery of albums, J Jazz charts the development of jazz in Japan from the first stirrings of the modern jazz scene in the mid to late 1950s and on through the hard bop and modal jazz of the 1960s. It steers the reader into the radical directions of the 1970s when free jazz, fusion, post-bop, and jazz-funk opened up a growing number of Japanese jazz artists to a new global audience before consolidating in the mid to late 1980s with a musical scene that laid the path for the contemporary jazz generation to follow.

Over 500 full-colour sleeves from many of the leading names in Japanese jazz sit alongside rare and private pressings that tell a story of constant change and musical exploration. J Jazz includes profiles of several leading record labels such as East Wind, Frasco, King Records, and Nippon Columbia as well as critical independents such as Three Blind Mice, ALM, and Aketa’s Disk. J Jazz includes interviews with celebrated jazz photographer Tadayuki Naito, and pianist Tohru Aizawa, bandleader on the totemic spiritual jazz album, Tachibana Vol 1, as well as free-jazz record collector and jazz musician Mats Gustafsson.

The book also features a chapter on albums by non-Japanese artists that only received a Japanese release, with collectible, rare, and obscure releases by figures such as Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, and Art Blakey. J Jazz includes Japanese jazz charts from some of the world's leading jazz DJs including Gilles Peterson, Toshio Matsuura, Paul Murphy, and Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino. Among the specialist content is a feature on obi strips by record dealer and Japanese jazz expert, Yusuke Ogawa, plus a special article on Japanese Blue Note albums.

Across its 300-plus pages, J Jazz includes a detailed introduction contextualising the music, tracing the story of Japan's fascination with jazz back before the war. It also features biographical information on many of the key artists involved in shaping the post- war Japanese jazz scene including Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masahiko Togashi, Terumasa Hino, Yosuke Yamashita, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki Takayanagi, Takeo Moriyama, Isao Suzuki, and many more.

Spaces of Worship

A Journey Through Spiritual Landscapes

Taking us on a journey through the history of sacred art and architecture, Sacred Sites explores the myriads of ways in which we imbue our environments with profound and enduring meaning. From our early designation of nature and the body as temple to our futuristic embrace of imaginary realms, we travel the vast and mystical landscapes of myth, religion, and imagination.

Through gathering, we ignite our spaces with spirit, we circle the bonfire, bow down at the forest altar, give praise at the temple to our chosen divinities. Through pilgrimage, we carve indelible pathways, making our meditative way across continents, generations of footsteps treading, again and again, upon sacred grounds. And through our creative offerings to spirit - we envision new worlds, wildly imaginative odes to what we deem as holy; golden temples hewn of rock, enormous spirals sculpted from sand and soil, silent sanctuaries hidden among wooded groves. We paint the ancient cave walls, carve petroglyphs to mark the way, place roses in veneration at the candlelit shrine.

Slowly, stone-by-stone, we build monuments to our gods, a cosmic geometry held within our sacred architecture of worship. These hidden patterns can be found in the mysterious, towering pyramids found across the globe and throughout an astounding diversity of cultures, in the marble sanctuaries built to house the Greek and Roman goddesses, and in the windblown mountain monasteries of ancient Asia and the indigenous cliff-dwellings of the American Southwest.

Nature, art, beauty, these are the common elements found both within the places made sacred by our ancestors and in the multitude of environments where we strive to connect to source, and to ourselves. Tracing a hallowed route from rugged stone temples to transcendent works of modern architecture, the fifth volume in The Library of Esoterica celebrates the collective history of spaces made sacrosanct through human worship.

A visual pilgrimage through holy mountains, great pyramids, and golden shrines, Sacred Sites celebrates the ways we transform the world around us through ritual, creativity, and worship. Essays, interviews and more than 400 images explore spaces ranging from ancient temples to modern works of spatial art.

“From Machu Picchu to the Louvre—the book journeys through sacred sites in art and ancient history.”
Artnet News

“Sacred Sites celebrates how we traverse and transform the world around us through ritual and art. Compiled by Jessica Hundley, [the book] surveys a remarkable array of places and artworks through more than 400 images centered around pilgrimage, performance, and devotion.”
This is Colossal

“A decadent feast for the eyes, laced with belladonna.”
The New York Times

The editor and author
Jessica Hundley is an author, filmmaker and journalist. She has written for the likes of Vogue, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times, and has authored books on artists including Dennis Hopper, David Lynch, and Gram Parsons. Hundley often explores the counterculture in her work, with a focus on metaphysics, psychedelia, and magic.

Sacred Sites. The Library of Esoterica
Hardcover, quarterbound, 17 x 24 cm, 1.77 kg, 520 pages
ISBN 978-3-8365-9060-0
Edition: English

Every Sneaker Story Worth Telling!

An anthology of cult magazine Sneaker Freaker

Back in 2002, Simon “Woody” Wood was dreaming up schemes to get free sneakers. Two weeks later, he was the proud owner of Sneaker Freaker and his life was never the same.

From its early roots as a punk-style fanzine to today’s super-slick print and online operations, the fiercely independent publication has documented every collab, custom, limited edition, retro reissue, Quickstrike, Hyperstrike, and Tier Zero sneaker released over the last 20 years.

Woody’s original premise that Sneaker Freaker would be “funny and serious, meaningful and pointless at the same time” has certainly been vindicated in The Ultimate Sneaker Book. With more than 500 pages jam-packed with insider knowledge and his own irreverent observations, the insane historical detail and otaku-level minutiae is beyond obsessive.

Traversing 100 years of history, each chapter paints a rollicking picture of the sneaker industry’s evolution. Air Max, Air Force, Adi Dassler, Converse, Dapper Dan, Dee Brown, and Michael Jordan—along with obscure treasures like Troop, Airwalk, and Vision Street Wear—are all exhaustively documented.

This is a definitive source of knowledge. This is… The Ultimate Sneaker Book!

Sneaker Freaker has been at the forefront of the global sneaker scene for over two decades. With over 500 redesigned pages, fresh photography, immense historical detail, and otaku-level minutiae, this anthology combines the magazine's finest and content created exclusively for this book into one big celebration of sneakers.

“The most definitive sneaker culture magazine on the planet!”
MTV

The editor and author
Simon “Woody” Wood established Sneaker Freaker in 2002 as the first and only international magazine dedicated to footwear. Today, Sneaker Freaker documents every colab, custom, limited-edition, and retro reissue in exacting detail across multiple digital channels and print projects. Based in Melbourne, Woody is recognized worldwide for his encyclopedic knowledge, inimitable writing style, and steadfast role as an authentic ambassador. His TASCHEN titles include the best-selling Ultimate Sneaker Book and The World's Greatest Sneaker Collectors.

Hardcover, 15.6 x 21.7 cm, 1.11 kg, 512 pages

Credited as one of the pioneers of ‘harsh noise wall’; influential artist Sam McKinlay (b. 1974, CA) has been operating under the alias The Rita for over 25 years. Having performed extensively and credited with over 200 releases, the project has grown into a laser focused multidisciplinary venture and is celebrated for pushing the boundaries of ‘harsh noise’.

Accompanying The Rita’s singular and often unpredictable sonic output is an inseparable and distinct visual language. By combining McKinlay’s fine arts education, research, experimentation, and collaboration; the project visually and texturally unites the artist’s interests in minimalist design, noise, ballet, sharks, choreography, and film.

‘Correlations’ presents some of the images and documents McKinlay finds most definitive in his practice The monograph is designed to provide a cohesive understanding of the artist’s creative trajectory, as well as illuminate The Rita’s uncanny process that visually, conceptually, and historically ‘connects’ seemingly unrelated subjects.

Published by Amaya Productions; the monograph includes essays by the author and Centre Pompidou art historian Nicolas Ballet (‘Shock Factory: The Visual Culture of Industrial Music’), associate Professor and harsh noise artist Lexi Turner (Cornell University), and author, writer, producer Kier-La Janisse (‘House of Psychotic Women’).

Mechanical Fantasy Box is Cowley’s homoerotic journal, or as he called it, “graphic accounts of one man’s sex life.” The journal begins in 1974 and ends in 1980 on his 30th birthday. It chronicles his slow rise to fame from lighting technician at The City Disco to crafting a ground-breaking 16-minute remix of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” to performing with Sylvester at the SF Opera House. Vivid descriptions are told of cruising in ‘70s SoMA sex venues to primal highs in Buena Vista Park and composing pornophonics in his Castro apartment. The entries are introspective and show a very out-front, alive person going through the throes of gay liberation post-Stonewall.

French-born artist and Berlin resident Gwenaël Rattke works in collage, silkscreen, photography and Xerox graphics. Rattke's collage works borrow from the visual codes of the 60s and 70s. Intricate, ornamental and excessive, they present "an imagined past fired with beauty and sexual freedom." For this book Rattke created 25 original illustrations inspired by selected entries, 3 street maps documenting locations mentioned herein and 4 collages of photos, ephemera and notes Patrick stuffed inside the journal. We’ve included Patrick’s doodles too, as well as introductory essays by Josh Cheon, Theresa McGinley and Jorge Socarrás.

At long last, we’re got the massive biography on THE Bangles and it is nothing short of a whopper. This monumental project, started by author and unofficial band historian Eric Shade back in the 1990s has had quite a journey from start to finish. This insane overview of the early days of the members’ obscure early groups, as well as an amazing snapshot of the sorely-undocumented Paisley Underground scene of early 80s LA, all the way up through the core band members’ current projects, is a feat we never though we’d see fulfilled. For a band as huge and omnipresent as The Bangles still in are 2023, the revelation of their earlier efforts, such as the mind-blowing story of Micki Steele in the first lineup of the fledgling Runaways, while the Peterson sisters were rocking out in bands such as THE Muze, Hollywood Girls, and THE Fans right around the same period is the legendary stuff mostly outside of public knowledge. The intertwining stories of Susanna Hoffs meeting David Roback (later of The Rain Parade) and getting inspired by The Last, with Vicki & DEBBI’s growing interest in garage bands like The Unclaimed around town, All Over The Place shows how many moving parts were swirling around, generating a indescribable electricity around Los Angeles as the hardcore scene raged on the other side of the coin. As the Paisley Underground scene evolved during its short window, bands such as Salvation Army/the Three O’clock, Long Ryders, and Dream Syndicate are given their long-overdue historical appreciation here. 438 page softcover book. First edition of 600 copies.

The extended play recording. Not quite an album. More than a single. And not only an artifact of the vinyl era—the EP has survived and even thrived at every turn of the music industry’s evolution, from vinyl to tape to CD to stream. This definitive book unearths the EP’s origins, history and cultural impact and enlists nearly 50 music-industry veterans (musicians, scribes, producers, executives, superfans) to create a list of the 200 Best EPs ever recorded and shapes these opinions into a book that seeks to trace the arc of the EP’s development and, in so doing, chart the history of the music industry writ large. From Dangerhouse to Touch & Go to Sub Pop to Flying Nun, and all roads in between, savvy labels have used the EP to great effect and its been the way to introduce bands in a less risky mid-sized format for decades. This super-interesting guide shows how the format developed and how it took on a life of its own, from early jazz & rock’n roll through the beat & psychedelic rock era, right on through punk, new wave, and post-punk, and into the alternative/indie rock era, right up to the modern age. This rousing guide through the mid-sized mindset features a huge swath of guest writers galore, each offering up their enthusiastic opinions on which EPs deserve your attention, divided by decade, along with all of their details on long-forgotten B-sides and extras that couldn’t fit on the 7” version, yet easily pad out a 12”. 202 pages, softcover. First edition of 600 copies.

The ultimate love letter to the world's most magical plant: Weed. Best-selling author, rapper, chef, and television star Action Bronson is a marijuana superhero, and Stoned Beyond Belief is his masterpiece.

This is an exploration of every corner of the pot galaxy, from highly scientific botanical analyses and the study of pot’s medicinal benefits to a guide to the wild world of weed paraphernalia. It's also a very personal tribute to a substance Bronson refers to as life changing, horizon-expanding, a conduit for happiness, a connector. Weed is to Action Bronson what the madeleine was to Proust: the door to true consciousness.

Organized loosely as 100 entries, including 35 recipes, and packed with illustrations and photos, Stoned Beyond Belief is a trippy and munchie-filled experience as well as an entertainingly valuable resource for weed enthusiasts and scholars. Stoned Beyond Belief will delight Action Bronson fans and pot aficionados all across the universe.

Dolly Parton, Songteller - My Life In Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend. As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with rare photos and memorabilia from Dolly Parton's personal and business archives. Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 175 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics. This special edition includes: -A denim-wrapped foil-stamped clamshell box with Songteller inside -A 45 record on pink vinyl featuring two neverbefore-released demo songs, "I Don't Care" and "The Fall," encased in a printed sleeve and inserted into a folder. Folder contains lyrics to the two songs printed on the back. -Lifting ribbon -Individually shrink-wrapped

Mudpuppy's Andy Warhol Coloring Book features the iconic pop artist's greatest hits ready to be colored in and customized by young artists. Introduce well-known classics like Andy's Campbell's Soup Cans to a new generation in a creative and interactive way with this 32-page coloring book. Each page is perforated to easily tear out and display as a new work of art. - 32 pages, 9. 5 x 12. 25

A down-and-dirty chronicle of the birth and evolution of the Seattle grunge scene—from amateur skate parks and underground hardcore clubs to worldwide phenomenon—as told by one of its founding fathers and lead guitarist of legendary alternative rock band, Mudhoney. In the late 80s and early 90s, Steve Turned and his friends—Seattle skate punks, hardcore kids, and assorted misfits—started forming bands in each other’s basements and accidentally created a unique sound that spread far beyond their once-sleepy city. Mud Ride offers an inside look at the tight-knit grunge scene, the musical influences and experiments that shaped the grunge sound, and the story of Turner's bands, Green River and Mudhoney, which went from underground flophouse shows to selling out stadiums with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Including stories about the key moments, musicians, and albums from grunge's beginnings to its come-down from the highs of global success and stardom, this is the first (...)

The first biography of rapper Mac Miller, the Pittsburgh cult favorite–turned–rap superstar who touched the lives of millions before tragically passing away at the age of 26—now in paperbackMalcolm James McCormick was born on January 19, 1992. He began making music at a young age and by 15 was already releasing mixtapes. One of the first true viral superstars, his early records earned him a rabid legion of die-hard fans—as well as a few noteworthy detractors. But despite his undeniable success, Miller was plagued by struggles with substance abuse and depression, both of which fueled his raw and genre-defying music, yet ultimately led to his demise. Through detailed reporting and interviews with dozens of Miller’s confidants, Paul Cantor brings you to leafy Pittsburgh, seductive Los Angeles, and frenzied New York, where you will meet Miller’s collaborators, producers, business partners, best friends, and even his roommates. Traveling deep into Miller’s inner circle, behind the curtain, the velvet ropes, and studio doors, Most Dope tells the story of a (...)

This is the definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC). Widely regarded as one of the most influential groups in modern music--hip hop or otherwise--WTC has released seven albums [including four gold and platinum studio albums, as well as the genre-defining Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)] and has launched the careers of famous rappers like RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and more. Beyond the musicians in the group itself, WTC has also collaborated with many of the biggest names in the game-from Busta Rhymes and Redman to Nas and Kanye West), and one is hard pressed to find a group who's had a bigger impact on the evolution of the hip hop genre.

Though there have been biographies written about the band, both from members (like RZA) and collaborators (like Cyrus Bozorgmehr), most of the material that's been published so far has either focused on a single member of the group's story, or a narrow timespan of their work. This book will not only feature interviews with all living WTC members and a comprehensive look at their discography, it also includes never-before-revealed insight into their childhoods and the neighborhoods that shaped them growing up. It's unique in its breadth, scope, and access--a must-have for fans of WTC and music bios more generally.

Hardback, 528 pages, 24cm x 16cm, 796g

This is the sequel to In The Pit, published in 2020 and sold in 3 editions and 1,300 copies so far. This time Alison focuses on Metal/Thrash and Crossover bands she captured in the 80s and early 90. You can find everyone here, from Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax, to bands like Motley Crue, Dio, Motorhead, or Kiss, to acts like Suicidal Tendencies, DRI, Corrosion Of Conformity, Die Kreuzen, The Accüsed,... to everything else between Kreator, Testament and Overkill on one side and Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Danzig on the other. There are so many bands to mention. Make sure not to miss this!

A career-to-date retrospective of a unique creative talent.

Hyperborea presents unforgettable visual tales of life in the Siberian Arctic that photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva knew when she was growing up in Tiksi, a town on the shore of the Laptev Sea in the Republic of Yakutia. Her work discloses both the fragility and beautiful desolation of the land and those who inhabit it, and her rigorously composed photographs glow with rich otherworldly colour, bristle with the raw vibrancy of the climate and exhibit the quiet intensity of lives borne out in seclusion and extremes.

This beautifully produced photobook contains a decade of work, with photographs selected from across the full range of Arbugaeva’s series and extensive travels across the Russian Arctic coast and to connect with people living in these remote and inhospitable places. The photographs that she brings back from her long-term visits convey a world where everything seems connected: humans and nature, the sky and the land. An elemental space of deep solitude and slower pace of life. Her images invite us to contemplate a territory that has been a place of longing and imagination for many, which is now under existential threat from a multitude of environmental changes.

With an introduction by Piers Vitebsky, four texts by Arbugaeva to supplement the images, and a specially commissioned map to provide a sense of where Arbugaeva’s work is located, Hyperborea is a future collectible for all photobook fans and an introduction to a global audience of a very special talent in the world of photography.

About the Author: Evgenia Arbugaeva is a Russia-born, London-based photographer, a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow, and a recipient of the ICP Infinity Award and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award. Her work has been exhibited internationally and appeared in such publications as National Geographic, Time and The New Yorker magazines among others.

Format:Hardback Size:21.5 x 28.6 cm Extent:112 pp Illustrations:45 Publication date:12 October 2023 ISBN:9780500026229

The world’s first practical coursebook on the art of graffiti.

If you want to learn how to write graffiti this is the book you need.

Find out how to: - design your own letter style - use effects to create a unique tag - create throw-ups - include fills and motifs - paint wildstyle, bubblestyle and blockbusters - build up large burners - handle a spray can - get your work up safely and legally

Teachers, this is the book you need if you want to teach graffiti.

It contains: - plans for lessons on graffiti - theory and practice - practical advice for staging safe, hands-on graffiti lessons - guidance on marking students' work - resources covering the origins and cultural history of graffiti - clear step-by-step explanations to suit students of all abilities - exercises and solutions

'The step-by-step demonstrations of techniques are surprisingly comprehensive, making this a perfect birthday or Christmas present for a teenage relative with a creative streak' Artists & Illustrators

About the Author: Chris Ganter is a former winner and judge of the Montana Style Combat competitions (Stuttgart and Munich). He also won the Stuttgart graffiti contest for public walls and Write4Gold (south Germany). His work has been exhibited in Germany and Australia, and he has contributed to many publications, including Street Fonts and Graffiti School.

Format:Paperback with flaps Size:29.7 x 21.0 cm Extent:176 pp Publication date:2 September 2013 ISBN:9780500290972

Featuring fresh insights from Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie, Unzipped digs deeper than ever before into the Stones’ archives to present a comprehensive collection of Stones artworks, instruments, stage outfits and notebooks alongside key work by some of the legends of rock photography.

For almost 60 years the Rolling Stones have helped shape popular culture around the globe. Unzipped captures the compelling character and dynamic spectacle of the band through distinctive photography and interviews with the Stones themselves, tracing their impact and influence on rock music, art, design, fashion, photography and filmmaking.

Evocative archive photos, artworks, outtakes and memorabilia, together with dazzling images of the band’s instruments and outfits, plunge you into the ever-changing world of the Stones. Many of the instruments and outfits are paired with pertinent archive photos, so you can examine the detail and see the objects in use. Peppered throughout with engrossing and insightful new commentary by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, the book also features a compelling introduction by Anthony DeCurtis, which chronicles their career, and perceptive articles by some of their most important creative collaborators, including Buddy Guy, Don Was, Anna Sui, John Varvatos, Martin Scorsese, Shepherd Fairey, Patrick Woodroffe and Willie Williams.

Bold, glamorous and captivating – and beautifully bound and finished – Unzipped is the perfect showcase for ‘the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world’.

'An evocative photo-led exploration of the band’s close-on 60-year career' Choice

'This handsome tome has much to offer the Stones fan who thought they knew everything' Record Collector

About the Author: The Rolling Stones - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood - have all been interviewed specially for the exhibition and accompanying book. Anthony DeCurtis is an author and music critic. He has written for the New York Times, Relix and Rolling Stone, for which he is a contributing editor.

Format:Hardback Size:31.7 x 24.1 cm Extent:288 pp Illustrations:400 Publication date:7 October 2021 ISBN:9780500023853

A raucous yet reflective look back at the evolution of the music press and the passionate rock and pop journalists who defined the music of the 20th century.

Totally Wired is the definitive story of the music press on both sides of the Atlantic, covering its evolution from the 1950s to the 2000s, through rock ’n’ roll, mod, the Summer of Love, glam, punk, pop, reggae, R&B and hip-hop. Paul Gorman chronicles the development of individual magazines from their Tin Pan Alley beginnings and the countercultural foundation of Rolling Stone, to the 1970s heyday of NME and Melody Maker and the rise of dedicated monthlies like The Face and Mojo.

Drawing on his own interviews with many of the key players, Gorman paints a complete picture of the scene, exploring the role played by such writers as Lester Bangs, Caroline Coon and Nick Kent in the careers of David Bowie, the Clash, Led Zeppelin and others. He also tackles the entrenched sexism and racism faced by women and people from marginalized backgrounds by shining a spotlight on those publications and individuals whose contributions have often been overlooked. What emerges is a compelling narrative containing stories of unbound talent, blind ambition and sometimes bitter rivalries, making Totally Wired a rollercoaster and riveting read.

'Paul Gorman has given us the book that the music press deserves: fun, factual, glamorous, gritty, packed with mad anecdotes as well as cold-eyed truth. Essential' Miranda Sawyer

'The music press as we knew it barely exists any more, which makes 'Totally Wired' the perfect eulogy - a broad, deep, fascinating exploration of its 100-year lifespan' Alexis Petridis

' I learned so much from this riveting sweep through the birth and evolution of the music press. The characters in it are almost as fascinating as the stars and scenes they wrote about' Barney Hoskyns, Rock's Backpages

'An illuminating treatise … Gorman expertly combines first-hand interviews with his own insight from inside the trenches to paint a vivid portrait … essential reading' Electronic Sounds

'Nobody is better qualified to write the history of the music press … there’s no doubt that he does a fine job of telling the whole story, from the launch of the Melody Maker as a monthly for dance band musicians in 1926 through to the closure of all the big titles in the 21st century' David Hepworth, The New Statesman

About the Author: Paul Gorman is the author of many books on music, fashion, design and pop culture, including The Story of the Face: The Magazine that Changed Culture, The Look: Adventures in Pop & Rock Fashion, The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren and The Wild World of Barney Bubbles.

Format:Paperback Size:19.8 x 12.9 cm Extent:384 pp Illustrations:54 Publication date:6 July 2023 ISBN:9780500297469

The ultimate escapist collection of self-sufficient cabins and retreats in the world’s most stunning and inaccessible locations.

Recent advances in technologies and home-generated renewable energy have made building away from urban and rural infrastructures more practical, affordable and desirable than ever. This survey of the world’s most innovative off-grid homes reveals the stunning spaces and constructions that enable us to escape to some of the most extraordinary natural environments on the planet.

All of the houses featured in Off the Grid are fully, or almost fully, self-sufficient in terms of energy, water and, in some cases, food. Architecture and interior design expert Dominic Bradbury reveals how each house makes everyday living in these wild and natural settings a rewarding and tempting reality. From snowbound cabins in the far Northern Hemisphere to coastal retreats that can only be accessed by boat, the diverse projects collected here show the ingenious ways in which architects and their clients are tackling extreme climates, remoteness and construction challenges for new lifestyles that are both liberating and sustainable.

The imperative to reduce our carbon footprints and refocus on renewable sources of energy has a profound impact on our domestic lives. Off the Grid proves that creative architecture, design and technology are redefining living a truly responsible and fulfilling lifestyle.

'Stunning … [an] inspirational overview' Actual Size

'The key here is a desire to be as close to nature as possible, while still enjoying some seriously stylish architecture and interiors … this is a book about escapism, which we can vicariously enjoy via the printed page' Elephant

'Cutting edge in both their architecture and their technology, almost every house featured is also self-sufficient in terms of energy and water' House & Garden

'This international selection - ranging from Thoreauvian writer’s cabins to two-storey barns with acres of glazing - offers bracing independence from utilities and the chance of a digital detox' World of Interiors

About the Author: Dominic Bradbury is a journalist and writer specializing in architecture and design. He is the author of many books on the subject, including Mountain Modern, New Brazilian House, Vertical Living, Mid Century Modern Complete, The Iconic Interior, Mediterranean Modern, New Natural Home and The Iconic House, all published by Thames & Hudson.

Format:PLC (no jacket) Size:29.0 x 23.0 cm Extent:272 pp Illustrations:310 Publication date:21 February 2019 ISBN:9780500021422

As Torch describes it:

In 2015, I decided to fly to NYC again. When I told Robert about it, he responded briefly: „I’m flying with you. I’ve never been to New York. Just book me the same flight as you.“ To my surprise, that’s exactly what happened. Our trip was from April 9th to the 21st, 2015, flying from Zurich to Newark. I had the contacts and knew my way around. He had the camera and captured everything. I was his guide on the ground, and he became my eyes.


Photography: Rob Hak
Texts: Frederik Hahn aka Torch
Authors: Robert Hak & Frederik Hahn


Written in 2024 / 1st Edition 2024
Editing: Adam Silverstein &
Bernd Kammerer / textonaut.de
Cover Design: Rob Hak / www.studiohak.de
Layout: studio hak, Rottweil
Printing: Otto Druck, Oberndorf a.N.
Bookbinding: Spinner, Ottersweier
Paper: Munken Print Cream

Drawing from Pop art traditions, Kaws’s work straddles the line between fi ne art and popular culture, crossing the mediums of painting and sculpture, along with fashion, merchandise, vinyl toys, and, most recently, augmented reality. This book, made in close collaboration with the artist, features his most well-known works alongside sketches, preparatory drawings, and neverbefore- seen images of Kaws at work, revealing the meticulous process behind his iconic artworks. Accompanying a major retrospective exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, it captures the artist’s unique ability to reshape the ways we think about contemporary art and culture today. - Daniel Birnbaum is a contributing editor to Artforum, art critic, curator, and director of Acute Art, an art and technology laboratory in London. Eugenie Tsai is John and Barbara Vogelstein Senior Curator, Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum.

‘His work is universal, and it transcends the traditional market. It bridges fi ne art and commercial art, and that taps into a global, deep audience.’ – David Galperin, Sotheby’s New York ‘Kaws has gotten approval from an artworld establishment that he felt would never take his guerrilla act as its own.’ – Interview ‘Neither a fi ne artist who does commercial work, nor a commercial artist who does fi ne art, Kaws is decidedly both at once and emphatically neither as he refuses to parse those distinctions of high versus low.’ – Paper ‘There hasn’t been an artist over the last 25 years who exists in his own stratosphere, his own singular universe, quite like the artist we know as simply, Kaws. ... From toys to graffi ti, fi ne art to fashion, art collecting and public art that bridges American pop culture to an international audience, Kaws has defi ned an era where the artist can be whatever he or she wants to be without compromise.’ – Juxtapoz

At a time when sales of vinyl records have hit a 25-year high, and analog technologies are providing the kind of extraordinary audio experiences that our increasingly digital world has started to remove, Hi-Fi is essential reading. This unique book explores just how, when, and why the world fell in love with the look, feel, and sound of top-of-the-line audio equipment. Hi-Fi traces this fascinating evolution from the 1950s to today (and tomorrow), taking readers right up to the current renaissance of all things analog and the emergence of cutting-edge designs for die-hard audiophiles.

Entropy is Tuft's fourth monograph capturing the sublime and awe-inspiring beauty of nature as it is radically transformed under the unrelenting pressures of climate change.

A photographic exploration detailing the poetry and fragility of nature amidst the tragedy of climate change

Since 1998, mixed-media artist Diane Tuft has traveled the world recording the environmental factors shaping Earth’s landscape. Entropy is Tuft’s fourth monograph capturing the sublime and awe-inspiring beauty of nature as it is radically transformed under the unrelenting pressures of climate change.

The exquisite collection of photographs provide a captivating glimpse into the rapidly changing landscapes of our world. Tuft focuses specifically on water as its subject, contrasting global sea-level rise with water depletion in Utah’s Great Salt Lake. Compelling essays by prominent figures in art and science contributed by Bonnie K. Baxter, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University and twentieth-century art historian Stacey Epstein, Ph.D. add depth and insight to Tuft’s work and its significance in the context of climate change.

Weaving passages of haiku with her beguiling photographs, Tuft's newest monograph is packaged in a luxe-cloth-wrapped case screenprinted with her artwork Journey’s End featuring the Great Salt Lake. An extraordinary book, Entropy is a dramatic call to arms inspiring collective action for the critical preservation of nature.

About the author

Diane Tuft exhibits and lectures at institutions across the globe. Her work is included in such esteemed collections as the Whitney Museum of American Art; Nevada Museum of Art; International Center of Photography; and Parrish Art Museum, as well as many private collections. Tuft’s previous publications include UNSEEN: Beyond the Visible Spectrum (2009); Gondwana: Images of an Ancient Land (2014) and The Arctic Melt: Images of a Disappearing Landscape (2017). Tuft is also an award-winning producer of multiple short films, including Coastal Requiem (2019). She lives and works in New York City.

Bonnie K. Baxter, Ph.D. is Professor of Biology at Westminster College, and is founder and director of Great Salt Lake Institute, which serves to connect people to Great Salt Lake through research and education.

Stacey Epstein, Ph.D. is a specialist in twentieth-century American art and founder of Stacey Epstein Fine Art, where she advises auction houses, museums, corporate collections, artist foundations, and estates.

Reviews

‘A fascinating book.’ – Frames

‘This book offers a glimpse of the beauty we may be losing.’ – Blind Magazine

‘One of the most captivating books on the market linking fine art with climate change. The viewer can easily just enjoy it for its fantastic photography; it is literally one of the few books in the category where every image is a ten out of ten. For those interested in a more nuanced understanding of the work, the accompanying text manages to provide actual scientific analysis in an enjoyable, accessible format.’ – New York Journal of Books

Specifications:
Format: Hardback
Size: 350 × 260 mm (13 3/4 × 10 1/4 in)
Pages: 136 pp
Illustrations: 70 illustrations
ISBN: 9781580936705

S,M,L,XL presents a selection of the remarkable visionary design work produced by the Dutch firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture (O.M.A.) and its acclaimed founder, Rem Koolhaas, in its first twenty years, along with a variety of insightful, often poetic writings. The inventive collaboration between Koolhaas and designer Bruce Mau is a graphic overture that weaves together architectural projects, photos and sketches, diary excerpts, personal travelogues, fairy tales, and fables, as well as critical essays on contemporary architecture and society. The book's title is also its framework: projects and essays are arranged according to scale. While Small and Medium address issues ranging from the domestic to the public, Large focuses on what Koolhaas calls "the architecture of Bigness." Extra-Large features projects at the urban scale, along with the important essay "What Ever Happened to Urbanism?" and other studies of the contemporary city. Running throughout the book is a "dictionary" of an adventurous new Koolhaasian language -- definitions, commentaries, and quotes from hundreds of literary, cultural, artistic, and architectural sources.

Specifications: Format: Hardcover Size: 71.89 × 183 mm (2.83 × 7.200 in) Pages: 1,376 pp Illustrations: illustrations