Search "The Closest Thing to Silence" 70 Items

The definitive biography of MF DOOM, charting the reclusive and revered hip-hop artist’s life, career, and eventual immortality.

“Fernando provides a comprehensive look at DOOM’s life and career, meticulously researched through interviews with the rapper’s many collaborators and those closest to the man behind the mask. His track-by-track breakdowns of DOOM’s albums will have sample spotters diving into their record collections. A perfect pairing with Dan Charnas’s Dilla Time (2022), this is an essential exploration into the world of ‘your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.'”
—Carlos Orellana, Booklist (starred review)

On December 31, 2020, the world was shocked to learn about the death of hip-hop legend MF DOOM. Born in London and raised in the suburban enclave of Long Beach, New York, Daniel Dumile Jr.’s love of cartoons and comic books would soon turn him into one of hip-hop’s most enigmatic, prolific, and influential figures.

Sweeping and definitive, The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast recounts the rise, fall, redemption, and untimely demise of MF DOOM. Broken down into five sections: The Man, The Myth, The Mask, The Music, and The Legend, journalist S. H. Fernando, or SKIZ, chronicles the life of Daniel Dumile Jr., beginning in the house he grew up in in Long Beach, NY, into the hip-hop group KMD, onto the stage of his first masked show, through the countless collabs, and across the many different cities Daniel called home. Centering the music, SKIZ deftly lays out the history of east-coast rap against DOOM’s life story and dissects the personas, projects, tracks, and lyrics that led to his immortality.

Including exclusive interviews with those who worked closely with DOOM and providing an unknown, intimate, behind the scenes look into DOOM’s life, The Chronicles of DOOM is the definitive biography of MF DOOM, a supervillain on stage and hero to those who paid attention.

“Fernando provides a comprehensive look at DOOM’s life and career, meticulously researched through interviews with the rapper’s many collaborators and those closest to the man behind the mask. His track-by-track breakdowns of DOOM’s albums will have sample spotters diving into their record collections. A perfect pairing with Dan Charnas’s Dilla Time (2022), this is an essential exploration into the world of ‘your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.'”
—Carlos Orellana, Booklist (starred review)

“The Chronicles of DOOM is superbly written, and incredibly well researched, but also full of heart and the pure love and appreciation of any true DOOM fan. Here you get everything you would want to know about the man, the myth, the mask. It is written as compellingly as the origin stories of the greatest superheroes and supervillains. If you love DOOM, I could not more highly recommend this book.”
—Tommy Orange, New York Times–bestselling author of Wandering Stars and Pulitzer Prize finalist for There, There

“This authoritative guide to one of hip hop’s most enigmatic figures peeks behind the mask to reveal Daniel Dumile’s rebellious spirit and creative genius.”
—Rob Kenner, author of The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle

“The Chronicles of DOOM is a thoroughly researched and at times poetically written tome about the life and work of MF DOOM. . . . [It] has something for the old school hip hop heads, the comic reading and cartoon watching nerds, the DIY indie kids, the esoteric stoners, and everyone in between just like DOOM’s music.”
—Logan Dalton

About S.H. Fernando Jr.
S.H. Fernando Jr., aka SKIZ, is a writer/journalist whose byline has appeared in national publications from the New York Times and Rolling Stone to The Source.

Product Details
352 Pages | 6 x 9 | ISBN 9781662602177

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.

In July 2019, eleven years after Jay-Z became the first hip-hop artist to headline Glastonbury, Stormzy became the first English rapper to follow suit. Wearing a customised stab-proof vest designed by Banksy, the South London rapper delivered an explosive performance and finished by thanking the “legends for paving the way,” name-checking Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, and Giggs. Despite how unlikely it seemed for decades, UK rap was now firmly a part of pop music and the greater hip-hop canon.

Rich, nuanced, and often misunderstood, the history of UK rap is a story of music that refused to stand still. Factoring in socioeconomics, gender, identity, music industry disruption, and innovation, What Do You Call It? charts the artform’s first four decades, beginning when rap landed on our island in the early 1980s. Shaped by sound system culture, inspired by punk, and accelerated by rave, it has evolved from Britcore, UK hip-hop, and trip-hop of the late twentieth century to garage, grime, and drill.

Through cultural theory, historical research, and original interviews with key figures and collaborators in the UK rap scene, from pioneers like Malcolm McLaren, Soul II Soul, Tricky, Roots Manuva, and Roll Deep to modern artists like Dave, CASISDEAD, Little Simz, Loyle Carner, and Skengdo x AM, adds a rich human dimension to the UK rap story — one that helped change British music and culture forever.

Cover design by Trevor Jackson.

“A long overdue exploration of rap music in the UK and its longstanding – albeit overlooked – legacy and influence. In an era when UK rappers dominate the charts, star in major movies and TV shows and front huge advertising campaigns for multi-national corporations, Kane traces back the arduous journey from maligned sub-culture to celebrated mascot of neoliberal capitalism.” Jehst

“David Kane writes with a deft touch and possesses a disarming and deeply insightful interview style. Sparking life, humour, and sorrow across every page of more than three decades of UK rap history.” Charlie Dark MBE

“Kane builds bridges in a rich musical universe full of heroes and villains—and plot twists. With an inimitable style, he merges culture high and low to bring new meaning to the music. What Do You Call It? is a landmark tome for UK rap music.” Brian DiGenti, Wax Poetics

“A mind rich in ideas” Stanley Ledbetter, The New Yorker

Weight: 0.4 kg
Dimensions: 23 × 3 × 17 cm

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.

Very limited edition document to accompany the Various Artists - Noho EP: Turning THE Crank EP. 68 page, A5 size 'Zine' Printed with Risograph in grey scale.

Northampton, Massachusetts. The Five Colleges. Hampshire College. Forward-thinking education. Electronic Music studies. A vast student population created and sustained a vibrant cultural scene. This is but a snapshot of a fraction, but a fertile and significant one that impacted the lives of many who came in contact with it. The book follows a tight group of people who got together, made music, promoted and released it, created the conditions for others to record and release music, booked bands and then scattered throughout the Midwest and East Coast.

First person memories and memorabilia from Christopher Vine, Craig O'Donnell, Elliott Sharp, James Whittemore, Nicholas Brown, Sean Elias and others, patch up a story of joyous action, firm and enthusiastic DIY endeavours to make things happen as they would like them to happen. It is about a local scene and some key protagonists and it communicates values and methods that are still current — and probably will always be in some form or another among young people with a serious drive to act upon their artistic inclinations. This is also a depiction of what was in fact a model of a music scene. A complete ecosystem was in place during this period. Northampton, sure, but extended across the whole of Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. Bars, music and record stores, live music, College radio, electronic music studios, written press and a lot of energy going into creative work. The immediate "punk effect" motivated the appearance of numerous bands, many short lived, others evolving into New Wave / Power Pop territory, eventually crossing into Post-Punk experimentation.

Turning The Crank is also a companion to an EP of the same title, including music played, produced and recorded in Northampton between decades (1970s going into the 1980s) by different combinations of individuals resulting in The Higher Primates, The Scientific Americans and Human Error. Music in turns mechanical and austere, gorgeously loose, in love with Dub.

The Shadow Ring (1992-2002) presents a comprehensive overview of the work produced by British musiciansGraham Lambkin, Darren Harris, and later Tim Goss over the course of a decade. Throughout theirlegendary ten-year run, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of teenagers in the port townFolkestone, were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. The group have leftbehind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7-inches, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zineappearances on both sides of the Atlantic. In aggregate, this significant collection not only plums the depths of theband and its attendant lore, but reveals a vivid minor history of mail-order networks, bedroom recordingsessions, cross-USA couch-surfing, and encounters with fellow travelers such The Dead C, Harry Pussy,Charalambides, Richard Youngs and the No-Neck Blues Band. Where is the connecting thread between RalfWehowsky and Squirrel Nut Zippers? Inquire within.The roughly 200 songs in this set trace the band from its earliest days recording in Lambkin's parents' house(SHP Studios), through its brooding mid-period, garnering word-of-mouth notoriety that peaked with the trioturning down an invitation to tour with Pavement, to a string of increasingly uncompromising experimentswith electronics, voice, and tape. Although the band's sound morphs considerably during this time period,from spartan beginnings using pots and pans as a drum set to their ultra-deconstructed latter-day approach,certain core sensibilities are apparent throughout: brash youthful rawness, wry and m...

A landmark publication celebrating the life and work of American musician and composer Arthur Russell, the man the Guardian called 'One of the 20th century's true musical visionaries'

The music of Arthur Russell defies classification. From his pioneering compositions as part of New York's vibrant avant-garde scene (alongside artists including Philip Glass, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg) to his genre-expanding disco productions, from his new wave and art pop to his posthumously released folk songs, Russell crafted timeless and foundationally influential work until his premature death in 1992 from AIDS-related illnesses.

Now, in a landmark publication assembled by critically-acclaimed writer Richard King, Travels Over Feeling collects the extensive ephemera found in Russell’s New York Public Library archive, along with pieces from the personal collections of those who were closest to him. Combining unseen visual material—handwritten scores, lyrics, photos, letters, and drawings—with new texts by King and extensive original interviews with Arthur’s collaborators, contemporaries, family, and friends, Travels Over Feeling paints a portrait of Arthur Russell unlike any which has come before, revealing a true picture of one of the most distinctive artists of the last fifty years.

Charles Arthur Russell Jr., better known as Arthur Russell (May 21, 1951—April 4, 1992) was an American cellist, composer, producer, singer, and musician from Iowa whose work spanned a disparate range of styles. After studying contemporary composition and Indian classical music in California, Russell relocated to New York City in the mid-1970s, where he became involved with both Lower Manhattan's avant-garde community and the city's burgeoning disco scene. His eclectic music was often marked by adventurous production choices and his distinctive voice. He died from AIDS-related illnesses in 1992.

Richard King was born in South Wales and for the last twenty years has lived in the rural county of Powys, in mid-Wales. He is author of Original Rockers (2015), which was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, and How Soon Is Now? (2012), which was Sunday Times Music Book of the Year. The Lark Ascending was published in 2019, and was a Rough Trade, Mojo, and Evening Standard Book of the Year. His latest book, Brittle with Relics, was published in February 2022.

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’).

The history of India’s first electronic music studio founded in 1969 at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad by David Tudor.

A book companion to the compilation album The NID Tapes: Electronic Music in India 1969-1972 released by State51.

Subcontinental Synthesis explores the history of India’s first electronic music studio, founded in 1969 at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad with the support of the composer David Tudor. The essays and writings unravel the narrative and context surrounding the studio as well as the work of the Indian composers who created groundbreaking recordings during its four years of activity.

The texts reflect on the role of electronic music within a post-independence India, considering its interconnections with experimental design, radical pedagogies, and the international avant-garde, as well as the encircling conditions of Western ideological soft power within the global expansion of Modernism.

»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.«

HoZac Books is proud to present The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know, written and compiled by Sal Maida and Mitchell Cohen, who have recruited for their “society” a gang of esteemed music obsessives: musicians, label executives, and journalists who chose favorite albums from the 1960s and 1970s to rave about and expound upon. The only criterion was that the albums never made the top 100 on Billboard’s LP Top 200 (although in a few cases, they did quite well on the R&B or country chart). The selection ranges from east coast vocal-group harmony to punk and metal, from superstars like The Who and the Beach Boys to virtual unknowns. As Sal and Mitchell write in the book’s introduction, “These are the albums you might not read about, except here. No one needs to tell you why Pet Sounds, Revolver or Blonde On Blonde are essential parts of any decent record collection, or guide you towards classics – or even somewhat lesser efforts – by the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Or which Pink Floyd album is indispensable (hint: the debut; you can stop right there). Although we have strong opinions about pantheon artists like Led Zeppelin and Marvin Gaye, and are happy to share those views with anyone in earshot, that isn’t what this book is about. We aren’t here to challenge or endorse rock orthodoxy. Neither is the mission to, once again, assert the brilliance of Skip Spence’s Oar, of such artists as Nick Drake, Big Star, and the Velvet Underground, whose influence, despite the lack of any commercial success in their time, has been thoroughly – one might even say exhaustively – documented elsewhere.” To tell help this story, Sal and Mitchell called on an impressive team of guest essayists: Lenny Kaye, Russ Titelman, Amy Rigby, Brian Koppelman, Dennis Diken, Bebe Buell, Jim Farber, Susan Whitall, Steve Shelley, Phil King, Ira Robbins, Billy Altman, Marshall Crenshaw, Peter Holsapple, Wreckless Eric, Peter Keepnews, Miriam Linna, Joe McEwen, and a cast of dozens.

Join the author as he journeys back to those mutant rockin’, venue wreckin’, snakebite sodden days of the Psychobilly/neo-Rockabilly scene of the 80’s. His fanzine ‘The Crazed’ was right there, reporting on the scene as it grew and writing about bands such as The Meteors, GuanaBatz, Demented Are Go, King Kurt, Long Tall Texans and Restless.

Travel back through those articles and interviews and revisit the experience. Enjoy noisy nights at The Klub Foot, mecca of all things Psychobilly, where many of these interviews were conducted after sweaty gigs. Read the bands own words, full of enthusiasm, excitement and optimism about what the future might hold, and discover what it was like to produce and edit a fanzine back then.

The scene meant so much to so many and ‘The Crazed’ was there to document it. This book recaptures how it felt at the time. After lying dormant for over 30 years ‘The Crazed’ has now been resurrected.

Foreword by Craig ‘Bracko’ Brackenridge of Vintage Rock magazine. Klub Foot cover art by Paskal Millet.

A zippy and compact introduction to Street Craft, from guerrilla gardening to urban crochet.

Surprising, controversial and often simply beautiful, street craft is the next chapter in the story of street art - an explosion of creativity that is reclaiming and transforming urban space around the world.

Featuring: • Tasha Lewis’s blue butterfly swarms bring beauty to derelict corners of New York. • Spidertag intertwines sturdy rope and nails to construct abstract graffiti in Madrid. • Mademoiselle Maurice’s origami and lace graffiti bring a light touch to the streets of Paris and Hong Kong and many more.

'Frequently thought-provoking, often funny, and at all times non-threatening' GQ

'Political, pretty, provocative' Simple Things

About the Author: Riikka Kuittinen is a freelance curator and writer. A contributing writer to the online journal Photomonitor, she curated the V&A show ‘Street Art: Contemporary Prints’ (2010–12), which toured the UK, with a version shown in Libya. She is the author of Street Art: Contemporary Prints, and contributed to Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design, Modernism 1914–1939: Designing a New World and 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die.

Format:PLC (no jacket) Size:22.0 x 17.5 cm Extent:224 pp Illustrations:250 Publication date:2 February 2015 ISBN:9780500517840

The definitive exploration of John Lennon’s first major solo album after the break-up of the Beatles.

Described by Lennon as ‘the best thing I’ve ever done’, and widely regarded by critics as his best solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was released alongside the remarkable Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band on 11 December 1970. With first-hand commentary by John & Yoko, members of the Plastic Ono Band and other key figures in their lives, and packed with evocative and revealing letters, artworks and photographs, this incisive volume offers new insights into the raw emotions and open mindset of Lennon after marriage to Ono and the break-up of the Beatles.

Following their wedding in March 1969, Lennon and Ono decided that their future musical endeavours should be credited to a conceptual vehicle, the Plastic Ono Band. The band featured an ever-changing line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Ringo Starr, Alan White, George Harrison, Billy Preston and Jim Keltner, all of whom played live with Lennon and Ono, and contributed to their recordings. The fearless honesty that John & Yoko inspired in one another in their search for truth, meaning and peace had a huge impact on Lennon’s song writing, resulting in the creation of tracks that are intensely personal and unlike anything previously heard in popular music, including ‘Mother’, ‘Working Class Hero’ and ‘God’. This book takes those lyrics as a starting point and explores Lennon’s life, relationships and world view during this transformative period.

'A comprehensive, fascinating, well-produced, and finely printed publication that captures a moment of contemporary culture with breadth and depth. It brings then into now – and shows how similar and different life is today' Will Gompertz

'A handsome tome… never less than fascinating… The album was a high point in an astonishing career and the book does it justice' The Sun

'A hardback compendium of first-hand accounts about the band drawn from interviews over the years… It contains photos, lyrics, drawings and letters, and will be as interesting to Lennon completists as The Beatles Anthology was to general fans 20 years ago' Daily Telegraph

'A fine tribute to this intensely creative time in the couple’s joined-at-the-hip lives… A sumptuous and lovingly created example of the bookmakers’ art, an encyclopaedic extravaganza of reminiscences and memorabilia' The Budapest Times

About the Author: John Lennon (1940–1980) was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. Yoko Ono is a globally renowned multimedia artist, singer, songwriter and activist. She married John Lennon in 1969 and became his creative partner and muse. She continues to work to preserve his legacy, funding, among other projects, Strawberry Fields in Manhattan’s Central Park, the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland and the ‘Imagine There’s No Hunger’ campaign.

Format:PLC Size:30.8 x 24.0 cm Extent:288 pp Publication date:29 October 2020 ISBN:9780500023433

A unique visual reinterpretation of Stuart Murdoch’s favourite Belle and Sebastian songs.

Belle and Sebastian frontman and lyricist Stuart Murdoch invites Black Isle artist Pamela Tait to reinterpret twenty songs visually. Tait’s gentle and dreamlike characters evolve from the worlds of Murdoch’s songwriting, coming to life on the page in a creative exchange between two curious minds.

Track Listing If You’re Feeling Sinister The Boy Done Wrong Again The Rollercoaster Ride Simple Things Slow Graffiti You Made Me Forget My Dreams Beautiful Piazza, New York Catcher I’m a Cuckoo Another Sunny Day The Ghost Of Rockschool God Help the Girl Nobody’s Empire The Cat with the Cream Ever Had a Little Faith? Today (This Army’s for Peace) I’ll Be Your Pilot There Is an Everlasting Song This Letter Do It for Your Country

About the Author: Stuart Murdoch is a Scottish musician, writer and filmmaker. He is the founding member, lead singer and songwriter for Belle and Sebastian. Pamela Tait is a Scottish artist who lives on the Black Isle. She expresses her own folklore through illustration, seeing patterns and faces in her surroundings.

Format:PLC Size:22.0 x 15.0 cm Extent:128 pp Publication date:25 August 2022 ISBN:9780500296851

The definitive history of the iconic ‘90s videogame TV show, written by host Dominik Diamond.

GamesMaster: The Oral History charts the highs and lows of Channel 4’s iconic and anarchic UK videogames entertainment show. First broadcast in 1992 amid a brash youth television takeover, the ambitious and sometimes chaotic production of GamesMaster is as much a story of the 1990s, set against a backdrop of videogame console wars, Britpop and a curious new thing called the World Wide Web. This definitive retrospective is guided by show host Dominik Diamond and features over 40 contributors, including production crew, celebrity guests and the games-playing members of the public who became either playground heroes or defeated outcasts vying for the iconic Golden Joystick prize.

'Any fan of GamesMaster should come away from this book having learned something new, but it would be an interesting read even for those who never saw the show. In any case, we can’t imagine any way to have done it better' Retro Gamer

'Superb' Time Extension

About the Author: Dominik Diamond is a Scottish television and radio presenter and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the original presenter of Channel 4’s video gaming programme GamesMaster, as host of The Dominik Diamond Breakfast Show on XFM Scotland and as a columnist for the Daily Star.

Format:PLC Size:23.0 x 16.0 cm Extent:320 pp Illustrations:100 Publication date:6 October 2022 ISBN:9780500025918

The official photobook commemorating the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side Of The Moon.

March 2023 marks fifty years since the release of Pink Floyd's classic album The Dark Side Of The Moon. Designed by Pentagram to high specifications, this celebratory publication brims with rare and unseen photographs and reveals the visual conception of the original iconic album artwork. It will be a covetable package for the legions of Floyd fans out there – new and old.

• Presents rare and unseen backstage and onstage photography of the band during the album tours of 1972 to 1975. • 129 candid photographs by Storm Thorgerson, Jill Furmanovsky, Aubrey Powell and Peter Christopherson document the soundchecks, the shows and the after shows. • A review of the October 1972 Wembley gig, originally published in Melody Maker, provides insight into one of the Floyd’s most celebrated performances. • Reveals the visual conception of the iconic album artwork. • Includes a complete listing of the tour dates.

'Lavish... Amazing photos...in crystal-clear, black-and-white...show the band rehearsing, performing around the globe, playing squash, and enjoying life on the road... Pink Floyd fans will enjoy this handsome collection' Library Journal

'Combines striking layouts with rare and unseen images' Creative Boom

'Beautifully presented … the images are deeply revealing' Buzz

'In typical Floyd style, they let the images do the talking … a stately addition to the Pink Floyd bookshelf, that allows its audience free rein to interpret its content, just like the album itself did 50 years ago' Prog Magazine

'A beguiling glimpse of the group and supporting cast on tour' Record Collector

'Every image has obviously been carefully selected and each one is immaculately presented on the highest quality art paper to make this coffee table book a real thing of beauty' The Afterword

'This really is a treasure trove of Pink Floyd images, most of which won’t be found elsewhere. It proves a very diverting trip down memory lane, to simpler times, and a real insight into a world that very few people would have had access to. Couple that with the exemplary presentation, and you have a wonderful publication fitting for the occasion' Brain Damage

About the Author: Jill Furmanovsky has photographed some of the greatest musicians in the world, including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Oasis. She made her name as the official photographer of the band during the recording of The Dark Side Of The Moon and during the UK album tour. Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell co-founded the design agency Hipgnosis with Storm Thorgerson in 1968, creating over the next 15 years some of the most iconic record covers for artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney and Genesis. Powell is currently art director for Pink Floyd, responsible for designing and curating the record-breaking exhibition ‘Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains’, which premiered for five months in 2017 at the V&A in London.

Format:Hardback Size:30.5 x 30.5 cm Extent:160 pp Illustrations:143 Publication date:24 March 2023 ISBN:9780500025987

A darkly evocative compendium of images exploring natural, constructed, imaginary and subconscious underworlds, curated by renowned image collector and social media figure Stephen Ellcock.

From the burrows and secret bunkers beneath our feet to imagined hellscapes and surrealist dreamscapes, the disquieting, alarming and wonderful visuals span natural and constructed subterranea and imagined and subconscious worlds. A personal introduction by Stephen Ellcock together with contextual chapter introductions establish the key themes, while supplementary texts elucidate essential concepts, historical events and figures. Thought-provoking literary, philosophical and spiritual quotations punctuate the intriguing images.

Together, the images and authoritative text highlight the interplay between the real and the imagined, revealing how the real has fed our fears and hopes and informed our imagination – and conversely, how our imagination has depicted the esoteric, the abject and the unknown.

'A creative compendium of underworldly delights … From Peter Paul Rubens, via 20th-century surrealists such as René Magritte, to contemporary painters including Kara Walker, Ellcock gathers together the painters, poets, divers and archaeologists daring us to look beyond the surface at what lies beneath' Financial Times

About the Author Stephen Ellcock is a collector and renowned curator whose online ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ – an ever-expanding, virtual museum of art that is open to all via social media – has so far attracted more than 600,000 Instagram and Facebook followers from around the world. He is also the author of The Cosmic Dance, All Good Things, The Book of Change, England On Fire, with text by Mat Osman, and Jeux de Mains, a collaboration with Cécile Poimboeuf-Koizumi.

Format:Hardback Size:23.0 x 16.5 cm Extent:256 pp Illustrations:246 Publication date:28 September 2023 ISBN:9780500026311

Edited by Mark Holborn and Dimitri Levas, with a new poem by Patti Smith and a new introduction by Andrew Sullivan.

A revised and updated edition of the most comprehensive survey published of Mapplethorpe's photography

Robert Mapplethorpe was one of the twentieth century's most important and influential artists, known for his groundbreaking and provocative work. He studied painting, drawing, and sculpture in Brooklyn in the 1960s and started taking photographs when he acquired a Polaroid camera in 1970. This comprehensive monograph is an overview of the artist's black-and-white photography of floral still lifes, nudes, selfportraits, and portraits, among other subjects—and also includes a selection of his color images.

About the author: Arthur C. Danto was a revered critic, philosopher, and author.

Mark Holborn is a writer, editor, and book designer. He collaborated with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation on the original volumes of Mapplethorpe's work.

Dimitri Levas is an art director who worked closely with Mapplethorpe for years, and with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation on numerous publications.

Patti Smith is a writer, performer, and visual artist.

Andrew Sullivan is an author, editor, and political commentator.

Reviews: 'A wide survey of the boundary-pushing artist's work, including his erotica, infamous floral images and portraits of his lifelong companion Patti Smith – who has written a poem for the book.' – Sunday Times Style

'He was a rebel, an artist, a provocateur and a genius whose work transcends time.' – Royal Photographic Society (rps)

'If you are a fan of classic photography and want the ultimate collection this is a fantastic book ... it's a beautiful thing.' – Amateur Photographer

'Arthur C. Danto explores Mapplethorpe’s unique vision in [a] brilliantly insightful essay.' – Hedge Magazine

Specifications: Format: Hardback Size: 308 × 292 mm (12 1/8 × 11 1/2 in) Pages: 384 pp Illustrations: 250 illustrations

Egostrip Book 1 is a beautifully designed collection of Dan Lish’s stunning character illustrations from the world of hip hop and beyond. There are 138 illustrations of pioneering artists from hip hop’s golden era, such as De La Soul, Madlib, DJ Premier, Mobb Deep, Nas, Cypress Hill, J.Period, J Dilla, Kool Keith, MF DOOM, The Roots, Biggie Smalls, A Tribe Called Quest, Biz Markie and The Beastie Boys.

The book is 27.2cm x 29.4cm, and the 160 pages are printed and bound on heavyweight 130gsm paper with a hardback cover.

Welcome to Egostrip Book 1, an illustrated escapade through the visions of Dan Lish.

The Egostrip Book project began on Dan’s daily commute to work, where he chose to draw his favourite musicians in little black books. Created in black fibre tip ink pen, straight to paper, while the train rocked back and forth, commuters knocking his elbow (or vice versa). Back in the studio, the illustrations were brought into the computer and digitally coloured, adding texture and details.

There are also black and white sketches and photos with Dan’s anecdotes, process thoughts and tips and histories of the interconnected characters; their alter-egos and worlds created in glorious analogue and digital techniques, plus an introduction to Dan’s life as a DJ, B-Boy and graffiti artist in the UK and New York.

Within the handcrafted lines are layered micro-narratives and ink pen explorations, celebrating Black music and the journey of human creativity.

“Fast slash, cross hatch, slash, cross patch / every word of mine will be verbally sewn tight to match / data that’ll hit you harder than Caterpillar trucks. In the lab, when we collaborate, all matter will erupt.” Pharoahe Monch – Front Line

As an M.C. I was always trying to implement what I learned in the High School Of Art & Design into my music career. In this specific case, it was the specific style of cross-hatching in which we used for shading in my commercial arts class. It only stands to reason that when I first encountered the amazing artwork of Dan Lish that my mind exploded. How ironic that an artist who obviously had a love for the culture would also implement the things I’d come to know in love. Cross-hatching and hip hop. Upon seeing his work, Dan immediately skyrocketed to the top of my all-time favourite artists. From his LP covers to his broad appreciation for the music, Dan Lish is the gold standard. Pharoahe Monch

To Live is to Die — The Life And Death Of Metallica’s Cliff Burton This is the revised and updated new edition. Metallica, the seventh-biggest recording act in American history, are consummate musicians—but it wasn’t always that way. A significant proportion of their playing expertise was acquired from a pivotal three-year period in their history—1983 to 1986—during which their music, a potent variant of thrash metal, evolved from garage level to sophisticated, progressive heights thanks to the teachings of their bass player, Cliff Burton.

An A to Z of video games – 300 entries showcasing the most influential and celebrated games, consoles, publishers, and more

A visual history of all things video games, this book will provide the reader with an overview of the gaming industry, from the very first game created around the mid-twentieth century, right through to the present day. Particular focus is given to advances within the industry during this time, such as new technologies, innovative gameplay, never-before-seen graphics, and design. An introduction by Simon Parkin provides an overview of gaming history, and exploring how iconic games have pushed the boundaries of the medium and 300 entries, hand picked by a panel of industry experts, showcase the most influential and celebrated games, consoles, publishers, and more. Each entry is accompanied by text informing the reader about the game and its history, its place in wider popular culture, and including useful information and facts, with exciting and sometimes unexpected pairings provided by the A to Z organisation. A glossary of key words and select biographies of influential creators and developers provides more context and a system of icons and infographics allows readers to see the connections between the book’s 300 entries. Wider gaming culture, and how it has grown from a niche hobby to a worldwide phenomenon, influencing popular culture, is also explored, making this the widest ranging survey of games and gaming available today.

About the author:
Phaidon Editors

Simon Parkin is an award-winning British author and journalist and an authority on video games. He is a contributing writer for the New Yorker, a regular contributor to the Guardian, and is a critic for the Observer newspaper. His work has been featured in ‘The Best American Nonrequired Reading’. He is the author of several books, including An Illustrated History of 151 Video Games (2019).

India Block is Deputy editor of Disegno, the international quarterly design journal, and a writer with a focus on architecture and design.

Specifications:
Format: Hardback Size: 290 × 250 mm (11 3/8 × 9 7/8 in)
Pages: 352 pp
Illustrations: 500 illustrations

Recital presents a book and CD homage to the New Zealand-born American composer Annea Lockwood (b. 1939). The unique concept for this album was conceived by artists Noel Meek (New Zealand) and Mattin (Basque Country), who each share a deep admiration for Lockwood. A longform Skype conversation between the three artists was arranged at the end of 2020. They discussed politics, aesthetics, and Annea’s compositional practice among other things. Noel Meek & Mattin had from the beginning decided that the conversation itself would be used as a score for this album, Homage to Annea Lockwood.

“My work is my way of exploring the world” says Lockwood. Each piece on the album reflects her prismatic compositional practice: sound maps, scores that unfold temporally or environmentally, synchronous with nature, and pianos transplanted to exotic locations (often engulfed in flames). Meek & Mattin maintain a playfulness and curiosity of Annea’s sound world; from electronic verbal fizz, a recording of lighting a laptop on fire, hydrophonic diaries from underneath an old oak tree in New Zealand, to a polyphonic choral piece which concludes the album.

Homage to Annea Lockwood is housed in a hand-numbered paperback book, which carries a full transcription of the conversation, in this case… the score, along with lush photographic documentation, and ending with a lovely afterword written by Annea Lockwood. Recital is especially happy to be working with Annea again years later, after publishing her 2014 album Ground of Being (R7, CD). What a joy it is to celebrate Annea, and how appropriate it be done through the ritual of music.

In this joyful new book Monocle unpacks what makes a great city, whether you’re looking for a new place to call home or need help fixing your own.

How do we make better cities – places that work for people of all ages and backgrounds? How do we make cities that provide the obvious essentials – great transport, good places to work – as well as the softer elements that truly deliver quality of life, from urban swimming pools to rooftop clubs? Since its launch in 2007, Monocle has been passionate about making better places to live. Every year it publishes a Quality of Life Survey, which names the top 25 cities to call home. In addition, across the issues, it has interviewed the best mayors, looked at the metropolises putting pedestrians first and met the people creating the best parks, both pocket and grand.

Discover how you too can have a High Line, create the most covetable housing or turn a dirty river into a summer asset.

Packed with great images and intriguing reports, this is a book that takes the urbanism debate away from city hall and explains what’s needed in ways that will inspire us all.

Format: 20 × 26.5 cm Features: Full color, linen hardcover, stitch bound, 322 pages Isbn: 978-3-89955-503-5

Monocle was launched by Tyler Brûlé in 2007 as a monthly magazine briefing on global affairs, business, culture, design, and much more. Today, Monocle is a complete, media brand with a suite of travel guides under its belt, a 24-hour radio station, a film-rich website, retail ventures around the globe, and cafés in Tokyo and London. Besides their London HQ they have seven international bureaux in New York, Toronto, Istanbul, Singapore, Tokyo, Zurich, and Hong Kong. At their core is the simple belief that there will always be a place for a print brand that is committed to telling fresh stories and sending photographers on assignments.

Homoerotic poetry and art appear throughout the world’s civilizations for millennia. The Archeology of Eros, the first published collection of poems from cult music figure Jorge Socarras, taps into that continuum together with the collaboration of acclaimed artist Mel Odom. Each body of work representing a lifetime reflecting on and celebrating homoerotic desire and romantic sensibility, Socarras’ intimate love poems and Odom’s evocative drawings are beautifully juxtaposed in this elegantly designed book. Straddling the sensual and the archetypal, the contemporary and the classical, poetry and art join forces in exploring the mystery and wonder of Eros, affirming that same-sex desire has lived before even as it flourishes now. Jorge Socarras is known for his 1970s collaboration with pioneering synthesizer musician Patrick Cowley as the duo Catholic, as singer-frontman of the 1980s avant-rock group Indoor Life, and as half of the ongoing musical duo Fanatico. He was also cofounder of the Silence=Death Collective, the Aids activist group that in 1987 created the eponymous poster design and slogan. Mel Odom’s award-winning art has graced numerous book covers and magazines since the 1970s, has been the subject of two books, and has been exhibited in galleries and art institutions, including in collaboration with gay literary icon Edmund White. The Archeology of Eros is the first creative collaboration between longtime friends Socarras and Odom. A portion of sales proceeds will go to the Visual Aids organization.

Looking for a fun and unique way to experience the world of street food? Look no further than the Street Food Coloring Book! From the classic fish and chips in London, döner kebap in Berlin and New York City pizza slices to hotteok in Seoul and tunnbrödsrulle in Stockholm. Street Food Coloring Book is packed with all your favorite street food dishes – and much more! Over 50 pages of intricate designs featuring everything from tacos and hot dogs to noodles and falafel, Street Food Coloring Book will transport you to the bustling streets of some of the world's most vibrant and delicious food destinations. Dream away to distant cities and new taste experiences. Plan your next food trip or the next home-cooked dinner while you relax and color the world's delicious street food. Whether you are a well-traveled foodie or have a newly awakened interest in the delicious world of street food, you will discover new things and be inspired by the Street Food Coloring Book. And make sure to treat yourself and have a snack on hand while coloring! Street Food Coloring Book is printed on marker and grease friendly paper, so your felt-tip pens won't bleed through and don’t worry about spilling some hot sauce on the pages. Street Food Coloring Book is illustrated by Alexander Rosso an acclaimed graphic designer and street food fanatic whose resume includes everything from restaurant designs to running a street food establishment himself. Street Food Coloring Book is perfect for anyone who loves food, travel, or art. It makes a great gift for friends, family, or anyone who needs a little bit of creative inspiration in their life. So why wait? Grab your coloring markers and get ready to embark on a colorful journey through the world of street food.

Music from the punk era transformed the world of music. If you could play three chords, you could make records. You didn’t even need a record label. You could start your own. The same thing happened in graphic design. All you needed were a few sheets of Letraset and access to a photocopier, and you could make your own record covers. And lots of people did just that. Action Time Vision: Punk & Post-Punk 7” Record Sleeves is a celebration of DIY graphics from the punk and post-punk eras. You might call it outsider graphic design. With a few exceptions, trained designers rarely did 7” singles covers for this notoriously shouty and aggressive music. Apart from a few covers done by Barney Bubbles and Peter Saville, most punk and post-punk covers were designed by band members, label owners or friends. Few of the sleeves showcased here are beautiful in the normal sense of the word. But they all have an urgency and an exhilarating disregard for design conventions that makes them exceptional. They are all clarion calls for independence and freedom from pop industry norms. The work in this book is culled from the record collections of designer (and Unit Editions co-founder) Tony Brook, and leading punk scholar Russ Bestley. As one of the world’s leading authorities on punk and post-punk music, Russ has contributed an insightful essay to the book. The book also features interviews with designer Malcolm Garrett, Mute founder Daniel Miller and Sniffin’ Glue editor and musician Mark Perry.

Super Sharp Shooter is a carefully curated selection of over 700 images from event photographer Sarah Ginn’s extensive archives, many never before seen. Spanning drum & bass, dubstep, house and techno, the book showcases festivals, clubs, press shots and record covers, providing an unsurpassed document of electronic music in a colourful and dazzling celebration of beats and bass.

It’s a deluxe coffee table book: 480 pages in full colour on heavyweight 150 gsm paper.

After picking up a camera in 2006 to shoot events at London superclub Fabric, Sarah Ginn started her journey of documenting the dance music scene. With exclusive, behind-the-scenes access at the likes of Fabric, Ultra Festival, Boomtown, Glastonbury, Outlook, Printworks, Creamfields and Hospitality, Sarah captured the sights of UK rave and dance culture in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

Super Sharp Shooter is a carefully curated selection of over 800 photographs from Sarah’s extensive archives, many never before seen. Spanning drum & bass, dubstep, house and techno, the book showcases festivals, clubs, press shots and record covers, providing an unsurpassed document of electronic music in a colourful celebration of beats and bass.

This deluxe book features artists like Andy C, Skream, Chase & Status, Shy FX, Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Goldie, Chemical Brothers, Jon Hopkins, Sub Focus, DJ Zinc, Ben UFO, Craig Richards, Erol Alkan, Miss Kitten, Dusky and many more. Also contained is Sarah’s essay,

The Feedback Loop Theory. A demonstration of how music affects time and energy and makes it a magic entity. Set in colour order to reflect the visible light spectrum, this gorgeous book is a must-have for all music and photography enthusiasts. It has 480 pages in full colour on heavyweight 150 gsm paper. It's available as a book only and as a bundle with an exclusive A2 poster.

“‘I’m looking forward to publishing this book because these actually are my only memories!Research shows that when you take photos it actually affects the way you remember things. So on that note, I hope you all enjoy my crazy spectral journey into sound, the many sights of the rave and everything in between.” - Sarah Ginn

Recent winners of Royal Photographic Society Award for Photographic Publishing. All books 36 pages, printed in England, staple bound, 14cm x 20cm. Pretentious posthumous reaction to punk briefly created this foppish mini-trend, leaving in its wake pop acts like Culture Club, Visage, Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. The few clubs themselves were a melting pot of electronic music and some experimentation, a taste of things to come...

This official tie-in book to Marilyn Agrelo’s (Mad Hot Ballroom) documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street supplements the film’s exploration of the origins and legacy of Sesame Street with exclusive interviews and unseen photographs from first two seasons of this globally beloved series. Author Trevor Crafts, who was given unprecedented access to archival footage and photography, presents 150 of photographer David Attie’s behind-the-scenes images of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Matt Robinson, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, and dozens of other pioneering puppeteers, animators, actors, and Muppets. Crafts uses Attie’s photos to expand upon the film’s story of how show creator Joan Ganz Cooney, along with Sesame Workshop cofounder Lloyd Morrisett and director Jon Stone, took the values and goals of the civil rights movement and revolutionized children’s television. The Unseen Photos of Street Gang is a tribute to the enduring achievements of a rebellious group of artists, educators, and freethinkers who believed that the values of equality, education, and inclusion should not just be championed but also made available to all—a dream that Sesame Street has carried forward for more than fifty years. Contributors include: Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney, head writer Norman Stiles, lyricist and composer Christopher Cerf, cast members Roscoe Orman (Gordon), Sonia Manzano (Maria), Emilio Delgado (Luis), Bob McGrath (Bob), Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar), Brian Henson, and Sesame Street's first female puppeteer Fran Brill

The definitive book on the creations, career, and legacy of one of the world’s greatest sneaker designers.

Often called the father of modern running and basketball sneakers, Jacques Chassaing has shaped and influenced sports and street fashion like few designers ever will. For the first time, Chassaing reveals the story behind the forty-year career of a pioneering designer who has continually pushed boundaries and led the creation of many of the world’s most beloved sneakers. Chassaing thrills and provokes readers with his life experiences, taking them on a journey of continual evolution and revolution. We learn about those who have inspired him and meet those he has inspired. We discover what drove his design philosophy and the process behind some of the greatest sneakers and sports technology ever created: the Forum, Rivalry, Lendl, Edberg, ZX series, Predator, EQT line, Torsion, and his Porsche Design collabs, to name but a few. And we see how Chassaing’s designs have impacted modern culture and won a place on the feet and in the hearts of millions of people. This book features stories about and contributions from athletes, celebrities, and designers who have worked with and been influenced by Chassaing and his work, including Michael Jordan, Stefan Edberg, Patrick Ewing, Run DMC, Gary Aspden, Paul Gaudio, and many more. Art directed by Peter Moore, designer of the Nike Air Jordan 1 and creator of the adidas Originals line, From Soul to Sole is a story, a statement, an experience, and a celebration of a life and career that is still impacting how we think about sneakers and street fashion design today.

Shoe design is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in both the real and virtual worlds through state-of-the-art technologies, ground-breaking materials, and new and innovative ways of thinking about what a shoe can be.

New modes of making and innovations in materials are inspiring shoe designers to challenge what shoes can look and feel like. This book explores today’s most futuristic footwear designs, from the use of new technologies such as 3-D printing and smart technology to the invention of sustainable materials, including “leather” made from mushrooms and soles made from reclaimed ocean plastics. It also examines footwear design in the virtual world where adherence to things like comfort and gravity are no longer part of the equation. The importance of sneakers in games such as Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite are explored as is the new enthusiasm for collectable non-fungible token (nft) sneakers that are being acquired for tens of thousands of dollars for a single pair. In-depth interviews with of-the-moment designers, including Iris van Herpen, the team at Rtfkt, Steven Smith, Eric Avar, Alexander Taylor, and more, all conducted by the author, dive deep into the creative process, influences, and the future of shoe design. The introduction offers an overview of great footwear innovations from the past that have kept us a step ahead.

For fans, Boxer is a profound personal meditation. Life decisions have been based on it. Relationships have been created and dissolved by it. For the band that recorded it, Boxer symbolizes a do-or-die moment; a final, give-it-everything-you've-got effort to make it work.

Released in May 2007, The National's fourth full-length is the album that saved them. It's where the Ohio-via-Brooklyn five-piece found the sound, success, and spiritual growth to become one of the most critically acclaimed bands of their time. Obsessively researched and featuring intimate interviews with the fighters who were there in the ring, Ryan Pinkard captures a transformative chapter in The National's story, revealing how their breakthrough album is deeply intertwined with their personal lives, the New York indie rock renaissance of the early aughts, and a generational experience in America.

In Border/Between: A Symphony in Essays, Carol D. Marsh writes about death, addictions, and war while also exploring how written form and expression have a counterpart in music. Structured upon the 4-movement symphony and incorporating other forms such as the rock song and the Requiem, Border/Between seeks and finds its place in what lies between the sharp and unforgiving edges of ideology and judgment. In refusing to allow borders to govern her, Marsh is able to bring compassion and hope to what seems irredeemable.

The Secret DJ’s first two books lifted the lid on what really happens behind the decks in the sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing world of the superstar DJ. Now they’ve reached out to dozens of DJs from around the world – and from every scene and genre – for their own true stories of the DJ life.

Tales From the Booth raises the BPM, rounding up an all-star cast of Secret DJs to tell their anonymous stories of what it’s really like to rock dancefloors for a living. From strange encounters on tour to side-splitting debauchery and afterparty excess to the seamy and even dangerous side of the industry, this is your access-all-areas backstage pass. You’ll never look at a DJ quite the same again.

Strange Things Behind Belgian Windows is exactly whatits title describes: a series of photos of the strange andintriguing objects people display behind their windows, for passers-by to look at. These tableaus will make you smile, or maybe even stop and reflect. A stuffed fox, a portrait of Christ, a dusty Egyptian bust, a globe with gaudy colours...They are exhibited like treasures behind a glass screen, inviting you to wonder about the stories behind them, or about the daily lives going on behind the facade. Photographer Jean-Luc Feixa roamed the streets and avenues of Brussels for months, with his camera in hand, curious about the hidden spots and the unique colors of his new hometown.

About: ‘where i am allowed to sit for one more day, and this is an endless wonder’... is something more logical in its unfurling of desire (if the weight of words hold more ‘meaning’), a transversal thing from object to image. The book inlcudes poetry, prose, drawings and contributions from Angelina Nonaj, Hanne Boulanger, Emily Yuting Chen, Sam Horman, Harriet Jones, Sami Domenico, Laila Sakini, & Sam M plus an interview with ‘J’ by Lauryn Groševs on the topics of “my seat and weep”, the book, care, desire and interpreting connection.

Excerpt: I can find it difficult to articulate things into words, it's as if I can't find the (right) words. Sometimes it's a gesture, a look or a glance, or a simple movement that seems to communicate, or embody, what I want to say or what I "mean". The next question, for me, is what changes, or rather who. The absurdity of closeness, of putting things together, building meaning.

If you're interested in the Microphones box set but maybe you don't actually enjoy music (or maybe you have the records, or maybe it's sold out), here you can buy just the book.

It's pretty fancy on its own. 12.5" x 12.5", 107 pages, perfect bound with huge french flaps, packed with beautiful photos and artwork, notebook spreads, studio track sheets, show posters, etc. These were made at the sustainability-award-winning Hemlock Printers in Burnaby, B.C., a splurge.

It works as either a semi-abstract aesthetic art thing or as an abundantly packed collection of background materials that should satisfy even the most curious Microphones music listener.

Monocle is one of the most successful magazines to be developed in the past decade. Armed with an unmistakable sense of aesthetics and journalistic tenacity, its team—led by editor in chief Tyler Brûlé—has created an intelligent publication that continually inspires a global readership who are interested in everything from diplomacy to design. For its first-ever book, the editorial team looks at one of their core themes: how to live well.

The result is The Monocle Guide to Better Living, an original, informative, and entertaining collection of writing, reports, and recommendations. This is not a book about glitz but rather an upbeat survey of products and ideas meant to be treasured and last.

Bringing together the opinions, attitudes, and achievements of contemporary culture’s most influential icons, How to Be a Tastemaker offers a glance into not only the work, but also the inner lives of individuals paving the way in their fields. Our hyper-connected society mocks conventional notions of taste, which is why Claudia Schiffer’s modelling advice or discovering Laila Gohar’s life-defining motto can have sizable cultural impacts. What is good taste, after all, but having the honesty to announce your ways of thinking and feeling? Through in-depth profiles, How to Be a Tastemaker opens up the world of industry-leaders to learn how they’ve made it to where they are—from major life-changing moments and big ideas, down to the books, playlists, and holiday destinations that have enriched their lives.

In a bar called The Bucket of Blood, a man shoots the bartender four times in the head. In the small town of Millhaven, a teenage girl secretly and gleefully murders her neighbors. A serial killer travels from home to home, quoting John Milton in his victims' blood.

Murder Ballads, the ninth studio album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, is a gruesome, blood-splattered reimagining of English ballads, American folk and blues music, and classic literature. Most of the stories told on Murder Ballads have been interpreted many times, but never before had they been so graphic or profane. Though earning the band their first Parental Advisory warning label, Murder Ballads, released in 1996, brought Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds their biggest critical and commercial success, thanks in part to the award-winning single, “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” an unlikely duet with Australian pop singer, Kylie Minogue.

Closely examining each of the ten songs on the album, Santi Elijah Holley investigates the stories behind the songs, and the numerous ways these ballads have been interpreted through the years. Murder Ballads is a tour through the evolution of folk music, and a journey into the dark secrets of American history.

Anywhere, California is another close look by Rudy VanderLans into the cultural landscape of his favorite subject, the Golden State. Whether it’s the garage where Apple started in Los Altos, or the former location where the Manson Family lived in Chatsworth, or an anonymous abandoned storefront in Calexico, VanderLans finds beauty in the unlikeliest of locations. Yet he rarely divulges the why or what of his photographs. Instead he stresses that things aren’t always what they appear to be, leaving much to the imagination of the reader.

Stylistically diverse, and meticulously composed, his pictures are as sundry in nature as California itself. Presented in unencumbered page layouts, with well-considered sequencing, this publication is another testament to VanderLans’ dual mastery of design and photography. It continues his preference for the book format as his primary vehicle to show his photography, making this limited first edition another instant collectible.

Soled Out is an epic compilation of nearly 900 vintage print advertisements sourced from the golden age of sneakers. Featuring sporting and cultural icons such as Andre Agassi, Paula Abdul, Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, MC Hammer, and Shaquille O’Neal, every page is packed with unforgettable imagery, bold graphics, and outrageous trash talk devised by the footwear industry’s biggest players. Sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery ahead as Soled Out powers through a 720-page marathon celebration of the rubber, leather, and mesh we wear on our feet! - Sneaker Freaker was established in 2002 by Simon ‘Woody’ Wood as the first and only international footwear magazine. With a monthly audience reach of 10 million, it documents every collab, custom design, limited edition, and retro reissue in exacting detail. Based in Melbourne, Woody is recognized worldwide for his encyclopedic knowledge, inimitable writing style, and steadfast role as an authentic ambassador for all things sneakers.

From New York pioneers who helped create the art form in the 70s, to freight train kings in Florida and hall of fame spray can wizards in California. In the American Graffiti Coloring Book, more than 45 of America’s most prominent graffiti writers have provided the initial outlines – now it is up to you to give them color! With full pages devoted to the artwork, each spread becomes its own unique full color piece of art as you go along filling out the pages, and there is plenty of room for the small details. American Graffiti Coloring Book is printed on marker friendly paper. Use your markers and color-in on both sides of the page with no risk of the ink bleeding through. The content is carefully curated by the influential artist and Museum of Graffiti co-founder Alan KET, and the striking cover and

Brand NEW & Expanded Edition! Packed with dozens of additional horror titles and containing limited edition enhanced packaging (foil cover elements + guilded foil page edges).

The expanded second printing of Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl profiles several additional soundtrack titles, reflecting the consistently strong trend of horror soundtracks being committed to vinyl. The full-color, 272-page book spotlights the intricate (and often rare) artwork on the LP sleeves, as well as album reviews, release details, and backstories. New titles include mainstream entries such as Child's Play, The Silence of the Lambs, Children of the Corn, Silver Bullet, and Cujo, alongside cult hits such as Troll / Troll 2, Bad Taste, Spookies, Ghoulies, and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things.

Co-author Aaron Lupton: ''I'll never stop being proud of Blood on Black Wax, a passion project conceived by Jeff and I and brought to life by 1984 Publishing about my life's obsession: horror soundtracks on vinyl. I'm so proud to see the book get this deluxe second printing with even more cool records to add to your shelf.''

Co-author Jeff Szpirglas: ''It was a thrill to go back and revisit Blood on Black Wax with Aaron, and not just as an excuse to re-listen to the Maniac Cop soundtrack. With the new edition, we redoubled our efforts to speak directly to a bunch of composers such as Jay Chattaway, Joe Renzetti, and Jonathan Elias about their work on classic horror film scores. Plus, I love it when I have to watch films like The Kindred for 'work-related purposes.'''

Are you obsessed with John Carpenter's iconic music for the Halloween series? Do you thrill to the unforgettable stabs of the Psycho score, or the pounding synth of Goblin's soundtrack to Suspiria? Do you find yourself being pulled into the hair-raising modern scores for the likes of Get Out, Hereditary, and The Witch?

You're not alone.

Blood on Black Wax is a defining horror soundtrack volume that spotlights iconic franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Jaws, The Exorcist , and George A. Romero's Dead films, highlighting both the music and the amazing - often rare - artwork that graces the record sleeves. It also tells the stories behind the soundtrack, from the mouths of the musicians who made them, including John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi, Christopher Young, Harry Manfredini, Charles Bernstein, Pino Donaggio, John Harrison, and more.

Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas, both of Rue Morgue magazine, have curated Blood on Black Wax to reflect their own passion for the darkest slabs of soundtrack music. Their journey into the fascinating history of horror movie scores contains reviews, release details, and wild stories about both renown and unusual releases - everything from the orchestral sounds of Hammer and Universal horror, to the truly experimental albums for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eraserhead, to the outlandish punk and metal songs of '80s soundtrack albums like The Return of the Living Dead and Shocker.

Go back to your favorite horror films one more time, through the jaw-dropping, spine-tingling music that helped solidify their place in cinematic history!

''Blood On Black Wax takes a deep dive into the history of horror movie soundtracks and the cool AF artwork that cloaks them.'' - Alternative Press

Mick Garris (director / The Stand, Sleepwalkers; writer / Hocus Pocus) wrote a foreword for Blood on Black Wax, while composer Christopher Young (Hellraiser, Pet Sematary) penned the afterword.

Blood on Black Wax will contain limited edition enhanced packaging (foil cover elements + guilded foil page edges).

Dimensions : 8.5 x 1.5 x 11 inches

Now completely revised and updated, with full-color photographs and family-friendly recipes throughout.

The deeply personal story of a father learning to share his love of nature with his children, not through the indoor lens of words or pictures, but directly, palpably, by exploring the natural world as they forage, cook and eat from the woods and sea.

This compelling, masterfully written tale follows Dylan Tomine and his family through four seasons as they hunt chanterelles, fish for salmon, dig clams and gather at the kitchen table, mouths watering, to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Closer to the Ground captures the beauty and surprise of the natural world — and the ways it teaches us how to live — with humor, gratitude and a nose for adventure as keen as a child’s. It is a book filled with weather, natural history and many delicious meals.

"As government legislation, standardised music and bad drugs forced the euphoria of the rave phenomenon into the darkness, a new underground movement emerged – the jungle and drum & bass nexus.

It was the sound of the beating heart of Britain’s multi-cultural urban rave, produced by the children of the Windrush and their closest friends, and distilled via the journey from a Tivoli Gardens soundclash, to the UK’s inner city blues parties and onto jazz-funk all-dayers and soul weekenders.

It was a space that was forged in the hidden edges of urban warehouses and the darkened recesses of clubland’s backrooms; schooled in the swagger of dancehall, the thunder of hardcore, the fury of bebop and the depth charge of dub.

Jungle and drum & bass was like nothing else the world had experienced before – simultaneously black and white, urban and suburban, old skool attitude and new school innovation. A socio-cultural melting pot of early-90s broken Britain seizing the wheel and taking control of the machine.

Originally published in 1997, State of Bass explores the scene’s roots through its social, cultural and musical antecedents and on to its emergence via the debate that surrounded the apparent split between jungle and drum & bass. Drawing on interviews with some of the key figures in the early years State of Bass explores the sonic shifts and splinters of new variants, styles and subgenres as it charts the journey from the early days as the deliberately hidden underground, ignored by the media in favour of the post-rave progressive house scene, to its position as a global phenomenon.

State of Bass: The Origins of Jungle and Drum & Bass extends the original text to include the award of the Mercury Prize to Roni Size & Reprazent for the groundbreaking New Forms album and brings new perspectives to the story of the UK’s most important subterranean urban energy.



Quotes

“Cogent, well researched and hardly oblivious to the nutty charisma of jungle’s lexicon and nomenclature. The first serious attempt to document the drum & bass realm is a total success.”
Select

“Exceedingly well researched, endlessly authoritative and undeniably ace…”
Melody Maker

“(State of Bass) deserves a special mention. A thorough account of the story of jungle.”
Ben Osborne, author of The A-Z of Club Culture

“The best book so far on the evolution of drum & bass”
Sheryl Garratt, author of Adventures in Wonderland: a decade of club culture

“Martin James comes up trumps with an in-depth examination of Jungle’s roots, history and even a recommended listening guide.”
Muzik

“Essential reading for anyone who is interested not only in the jungle scene… but in dance in general, in the music industry as a whole or even British society and its infrastructures.”
DJ

“An acutely perceptive and thought-provoking account of the circumstances and celebrities surrounding the development of a modern music that we can finally call our own.”
The Scotsman

“Well worth rattling through if you can track it down.”
FACT

Related products
Bedroom Beats & B-sides book cover
BEDROOM BEATS & B-SIDES
Laurent Fintoni
£9.99 – £12.99
Join The Future book
JOIN THE FUTURE
Matt Anniss
£9.99 – £12.99
Kmag book
KMAG 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
£20.00
Secret DJ book two cover
THE SECRET DJ BOOK TWO
The Secret DJ
£9.99 – £19.99
Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

Website by Edge Web Design
"

"The Secret DJ returns with the follow-up to their acclaimed debut book. Less a sequel and more a panoramic wide-angle painting of the biggest youth movement in human history, The Secret DJ: Book Two charts the rise of dance music over the last 30 years and its connection to western capitalism and culture.

While never claiming to be instrumental, The Secret DJ was around for every stage of the journey and is a continually wry observer of this unstoppable growth. The Secret DJ’s signature humour and wit are ever-present in this ascent, charting personal ups and downs as well as the buying and selling of the acid house revolution.

Covering topics as wide as drugs, music production, anthropology, the gentrification of the scene, technology, travel, fame, devaluation, inflation, relationships, technique, festivals, rejection, social media, situationism and hypernormalisation; almost no aspect of the last four decades go unmentioned in terms of what we know today as Electronic Dance Music.

“No one in publishing would have the balls to touch this book with a bargepole,” says the Secret DJ. “It takes courage to speak up. There’s not much in the way of reward for telling it like it is, not any more. If you expose an industry, that industry hates you for life with the intensity of the sun. I have nothing but admiration for Velocity Press, they’ve taken a big risk working with me. I appreciate it greatly. It’s good to know there are still people out there willing to stand up.”

“I loved The Secret DJ – some all-too-familiar characters mixed with the highs and lows of what this industry can throw at you. Excited and intrigued to read the second instalment… how much more extreme can it get?!” – Denney

“I never read books about electronic music, why would I? But I guess The Secret DJ is more an anarchist handbook for shattered dreamers than a manual on how to make it big on the scene. Can’t wait for his new adventures.” – Ivan Smagghe

“We all have war stories, us jobbing night-lifers. From having sets ended by soldiers with automatic weapons in Juarez to coming-round in Glasgow city centre suddenly best pals with a gangster who’s most affectionate nickname was ‘Wolf’. I’ve bagged a couple over the years. And yours are undoubtedly more vivid, funnier or more ludicrous than mine. The Secret DJ’s are better still.” – Ewan Pearson

“I loved book one, waiting to live the DJ life vicariously again thru book two!” – Arthur Baker

“The Secret DJ’s first book managed to do something very different to the existing dance music memoirs (and I should know as I have read them all). It functioned not only as a hilarious jaunt through the insanity of the glory years of dance music – i.e. when there was still money in music – but as a harrowing portrayal of the emotionally, physically and mentally taxing straits an international DJ will find themselves in. Anyone with even a passing curiosity about ‘the industry’ should read it and await its follow up, especially if they have any frankly dangerous notions of joining up professionally, which I cannot in all good conscience recommend.” – Manu Ekanayake (music and culture journalist)

“It’s rare for a writer to capture the excitement and absurdity of dance music culture at the same time, but the Secret DJ did that to great effect in the first book. This latest chapter in the story promises to be every bit as exhilarating, providing an important critical voice at a time when ‘the society of the spectacle’ threatens to suck the life out of those clinging to the acid house dream.” – Justin Robertson

“The first book is a raw, effective and bizarrely emotional tale of ‘the life’. Superbly true and direct. I can hardly wait to hear the tale of the music movement being told by The Secret DJ in Book Two!” – Miguel Campbell

“The Secret DJ returns to once again pull back the curtain on the world of dance music and the sometimes harsh, but always hilarious, realities of what lurks behind it. Get ready for a second descent into the far(cical) side.” – Neville Watson

“Really enjoyed the first book, both hilarious debauchery and insightful commentary on a world usually kept behind the curtain. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, hoping for a lot more righteous anger within.” – Posthuman

“Every participant in the music industry will wince at the thought of falling under the glance of the Secret DJ’s withering pen, but still find themselves avidly leafing through his pages for the merest mention.” – Carl Puttnam (Cud)"

This unique history of rock tells the musical story in a new way: through infographics that illustrate the evolution, influences, and connections between different genres&;such as blues, pop, punk, progressive, and heavy metal. For each artist, including The Beatles, Dylan, Janis Joplin, Springsteen, Bowie, the Ramones, Amy Winehouse, and Nirvana, the powerful visual representation gives at-a-glance information on how many records sold, how much money was made, how long a record stayed on the charts, how many days was required to record a disc, how many followers on Twitter, and so much more&;plus a timeline of the artist&;s career. Full-page photographs and introductory text round out this fascinating volume.

There has recently been a sharp increase in cases where corporations have been sued by street and graffiti artists because their artworks had been used and exploited without the artists’ authorisation, for example in advertising campaigns, as backdrops in promotional videos, or as decorating elements of products. This trend shows and confirms that these forms of art are vulnerable. They are actually more exposed to unauthorised exploitation (and destruction as well) than works of fine art, because they are placed in the public eye. Protecting Art in the Street explains, with words and images, how copyright laws apply to street art and graffiti, and how they can be of help to creators within these artistic communities. Knowledge about these issues does matter. There has recently been a spike in legal actions or complaints against corporations and individuals that have tried to exploit commercially street artworks without the artists’ consent; and more importantly without sharing with them any profit. Also, legal actions have been brought by street artists to fight destruction of their pieces. By adopting a simple language, Protecting Art in the Street constitutes an easy-tounderstand guide aimed at navigating street artists and graffiti writers through otherwise difficult and intricate legal issues concerning the protection of their artistic outputs.

The Belgian illustrator Tom De Geeter brings a fresh new look to the top ten list with Tens: he asked hundreds of artists, TV makers, musicians, famous and less well-known people to put together their so-called tens, and set them neither themes nor limitations. It is a unique and out-of-the-box insight into the interests and hobbys of various people, brought with great attention to craftsmanship and detail. No perishable or predictable lists, but a quirky, surprising, and extremely varied collection, illustrated by Tom De Geeter with contrast-rich yet delicate line drawings.

Who had the greatest dunk of all time? Which version of Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan? What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball? Basketball and Other Things takes readers through the most pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes in basketball history, providing arguments and answers to basketball’s greatest questions, explained with the wit and wisdom that is unique to Shea Serrano. Serrano breaks down debates that all NBA fans have considered, from the classics (Which years was Kobe at his best?) to the fantastical (If you could assign different values to different shots throughout basketball history, what would they be and why?). With incredible art from Arturo Torres, this book is a must-have for anyone who has ever stayed up late into the night debating basketball’s greatest moments, what-ifs, stories, and legends.

Illustrated by Arturo Torres, foreword by Reggie Miller.

Shea Serrano is an award-winning writer, author, and illustrator. His most recent book, The Rap Year Book, reached the bestseller lists of the New York Times and Washington Post, topped the Arts and Entertainment iBooks bestseller list, and was chosen for the Pitchfork book club. Currently, Serrano is a staff writer for The Ringer. He lives in Houston, Texas.

"If there’s a cultural artefact capable of withstanding the vagaries and fickleness of the digital age as well as the printed book, it’s the vinyl record . . .

In Listening to the Wind, Ian Preece (editor, and co-author of In The Heyday of The Football Annual) sets out on an international road trip to capture the essence of life for independent record labels operating in the twenty-first century. Despite it all – from algorithms and streaming to the death of the high street and the gutting of the music press – releasing a record to serve its ‘own beautiful purpose’, as 4AD’s Ivo Watts Russell once said, is a flame that still burns through these pages. With countless labels, albums and artists to be discovered, this book is for those who share that inextinguishable love for music.

Features extensive, original interviews with the likes of Analog Africa, Light in the Attic, Thrill Jockey, International Anthem, Dust-to-Digital, Pressure Sounds, Heavenly, Touch, Mississippi, Sublime Frequencies and more! [like Japan Blues for instance] "

"you can't help warming to his anti-populist folly, and soon acquire a shopping list as long as your arm" **** Mojo

"A garrulous, engaging and deeply informed travelogue" The Wire

Vier Männer müssen eine Band gründen. Deshalb begeben sie sich aufs Land in Meeresnahe. Sie wollen dort in mehrtägigen Sessions gemeinsam Songs erarbeiten. Durch Umwelteinflusse (Wetter, Unterkunft, Küche, Wald und Tiere) entsteht etwas: Es ist unvorhergesehene Musik. Jeder der vier schreibt währenddessen heimlich eine Art Tagebuch, um die unerträglichen Spannungen im Bandgefüge abzuleiten. Das Buch versammelt diese illustrierten Aufzeichnungen. Eine absurde Welt, beherrscht von größenwahnsinnigen wie liebevollen Figuren. Es passiert viel, sogar unerklärliches. Doch lasst sich die Erde das alles gefallen?

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.

In 1991, a loose-knit collective released a record called Blue Lines under the name Massive Attack, splicing together American hip-hop and soul with the sounds of the British underground. With its marauding bass lines, angular guitars, and psychedelic effects, Blue Lines built on the Caribbean soundsystems and nascent rave scene of the 1980s while also looking ahead to the group's signature blend of epic cinematics and lush downtempo. In the process, Blue Lines invented an entirely new genre called trip hop and launched the career of a rapper named Tricky.

Ultimately, Blue Lines created the sonic playbook for an emerging future: hybrid, digital, cosmopolitan, and rooted in the black and immigrant communities who animated the urban wreckage of the postindustrial city. Massive Attack envisioned an alternate future in sharp counterpoint to the glossy triumphalism of Brit Pop. And while the group would go on to bigger things, this record was both a warning shot and a definitive statement that sounds as otherworldy today as on the day of its release. As Blue Lines's iconic flame logo spun on turntables the world over, Massive Attack and their spaced-out urban blues reimagined music for the 1990s and beyond.

As immediately believable as they were cartoonish, as much an inner city cipher as a suburban boys gang, the foursome that made up the Pharcyde were the most relatable MCs to ever pass the mic. On their debut and magnum opus Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, they created a record almost overstuffed with possibility, the sound of four restless man-children fresh out of their teens, finding a perfect outlet in a form of music that was just as young and fertile.

And like the product of any adolescent, Bizarre Ride wears its contrarianism and contradictions on its sleeve. It's a party album about shyness and unrequited love. A swirl of jubilant L.A. psychedelia recorded in the midst of the Rodney King trial. A blast of black consciousness that still makes room to poke fun at Public Enemy and reference the Pixies. A dense, sophisticated sonic stew punctuated by yo mama jokes and prank calls. While hip-hop was already calcifying its tropes of steely machismo and aspirational fantasy, Bizarre Ride was a pure distillation of the average hip-hop listener's actual lifestyle-the joys and sorrows of four guys who were young, broke, sexually frustrated, and way too clever for their own good. A touchstone for Kanye West, Drake, Lil B and a whole generation of off-center MCs, Bizarre Ride sketched out a whole strata of emotions that other rappers hadn't yet dared to tackle, and to a certain extent, still haven't.

Colour the world’s most prominent graffiti styles on marker friendly paper!
Young and old all over the world love the coloring books published by Dokument Press. This new title: Graffiti
Style Coloring Book features improved paper and format. Use your markers and paint on both sides of the page
without bleeding.
The Graffiti Style Coloring Book covers a range of styles from naïve, playful lettering to razor-sharp wild styles.
Cover artist is the legendary Copenhagen graffiti writer Cave. All illustrations are original artworks made by
experienced graffiti kings worldwide.
The Graffiti Style Coloring Book is the real thing – it’s not copying a graffiti “style”, it’s real graffiti.
This coloring book is an excellent way to start out in graffiti. Explore the medium, be creative, make an impact
and immerse yourself in the world of graffiti. The Graffiti Style Coloring Book offers a relaxing approach to
coloring at the same time as it is an informative art collection.

Who had the greatest dunk of all time? Which version of Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan? What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball? Basketball and Other Things takes readers through the most pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes in basketball history, providing arguments and answers to basketball’s greatest questions, explained with the wit and wisdom that is unique to Shea Serrano. Serrano breaks down debates that all NBA fans have considered, from the classics (Which years was Kobe at his best?) to the fantastical (If you could assign different values to different shots throughout basketball history, what would they be and why?). With incredible art from Arturo Torres, this book is a must-have for anyone who has ever stayed up late into the night debating basketball’s greatest moments, what-ifs, stories, and legends.

Illustrated by Arturo Torres, foreword by Reggie Miller.

Shea Serrano is an award-winning writer, author, and illustrator. His most recent book, The Rap Year Book, reached the bestseller lists of the New York Times and Washington Post, topped the Arts and Entertainment iBooks bestseller list, and was chosen for the Pitchfork book club. Currently, Serrano is a staff writer for The Ringer. He lives in Houston, Texas.

22,9 x 19,1 cm, 240 pages, paperback

Published by Patagonia, Closer to the Ground is the deeply personal story of a father learning to share his love of nature with his children, not through the indoor lens of words or pictures, but directly, palpably, by exploring the natural world as they forage, cook and eat from the woods and sea. Closer to the Ground captures the beauty and surprise of the world – and the ways it teaches us how to live – with humor, gratitude and a nose for adventure as keen as a child’s. It is a book filled with weather, natural history, and many delicious meals. Dylan Tomine, formerly a fly-fishing guide, is now a writer, conservation advocate, blueberry farmer and father, not necessarily in that order. His work has appeared in The Flyfish Journal, the Drake, Golfweek, the New York Times and numerous other publications. He lives with his family on an island in Puget Sound.

Patagonie Closer to the Ground (Hardcover) - features:

• 264 pages, including original black-and-white illustrations by Nikki McClure
• dimensions: 6 x 9 inch (15 x 23 cm)
• published by Patagonia
• printed on FSC all-recycled paper
• hardcover book
• English
• 482 g (17 oz)
• printed in USA

Although rap music is famous for its ingenuity, double entendres and clever turns of phrase, until now no one has attempted to collect rap lyrics into an organised compendium. Enter UNDERSTAND RAP, a very funny pop-cultural reference book based on the website of the same name, which precisely explains all the confusing terms and lyrics used in rap songs in a language even the most un-hip person can understand. The result is a book with breakout potential that's both entertaining and highly informative. The juxtaposition of dry, academic manner with Hip Hop terminology in UNDERSTAND RAP frequently lends itself to ironic comedy gold. For example: Lyric: "been servin' since you was doin' the runnin' man" Explanation: My experience selling drugs began long ago, while you were still concerning yourself with immature things like doing goofy dances where you look like you're running in place. (From Song: Rubberband Man on Album: Trap Muzik by Artist: T.I.) Understand Rap features hip hop artists of all names, colours, and creeds and organise their lyrics into the following categories: Cars, Money, Drugs/Alcohol, People, Places, Fashion, Crime/Weapons, Insults, Skills/Pride and Sex/Relationships.

From a Los Angeles hospital bed, equipped with little more than a laptop and a stack of records, James “J Dilla” Yancey crafted a set of tracks that would forever change the way beatmakers viewed their artform. The songs on Donuts are not hip hop music as “hip hop music” is typically defined; they careen and crash into each other, in one moment noisy and abrasive, gorgeous and heartbreaking the next. The samples and melodies tell the story of a man coming to terms with his declining health, a final love letter to the family and friends he was leaving behind. As a prolific producer with a voracious appetite for the history and mechanics of the music he loved, J Dilla knew the records that went into constructing Donuts inside and out. He could have taken them all and made a much different, more accessible album. If the widely accepted view is that his final work is a record about dying, the question becomes why did he make this record about dying?

Drawing from philosophy, critical theory and musicology, as well as Dilla’s own musical catalogue, Jordan Ferguson shows that the contradictory, irascible and confrontational music found on Donuts is as much a result of an artist’s declining health as it is an example of what scholars call “late style,” placing the album in a musical tradition that stretches back centuries.

152 pages.