Project10 Newspaper (March)

march 2010

IF YOU’rE NOT
PrEParED TO
FaIL, YOU’LL
NEVEr crEaTE
aNYThING
OrIGINaL
Sir Ken Robinson (5 Feb 2009). The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. London: Allen Lane.
Buy his amazing book on Amazon here: http://bit.ly/9Xidjj, or on iTunes (audiobook): http://bit.ly/7XAZsA

10 YEars / 10 PrOJEcTs / 10 PrOJEcTs

cONTrIBUTOrs, ThaNk-YOU:
Dear Reader, Project10 isn’t about working for free for charities it is
I recently decided that the time I was spending on writing, about much more. It’s about collaboration with like minded,
editing, re-writing, designing, laying-out, coding and sending enthusiastic, passionate, motivated, intelligent people who Simon White: @purplesime (page 8)
beautiful, HTML email press releases was, quite simply, haven’t just questioned their role in a social context, they Mr Bingo: mr-bingo.org.uk (back cover)
a waste. have actively gone out there to find answers. Alec Kennedy : alstrang.com (page 8)
Most recipients are bombarded with enough press This newspaper is a celebration of the people I’ve Shane RJ Walter: onedotzero.com (page 5 & 11)
releases to make anyone’s head hurt on top of their more been lucky enough to meet and start collaborating with. It Nik Roope: pokelondon.com (page 11)
pressing emails, copy deadlines, it is little wonder that most is a celebration of the design, digital and advertising industry Matthew Knight: webponce.com (page 9)
are resigned (automatically, or otherwise) to the junk/trash and the amazing opportunities and results that collaboration Simon Waterfall & Matthew Grey: socialsuicide.com (page 6)
box before it’s even opened! Well those days, for me, are over. can bring about. Daljit Singh: daljitsingh.posterous.com (page 4 & 11)
Welcome to the first Project10 Newspaper. It’s a paper, and Inside you’ll find thoughts and prose from the likes Simon Britcliffe/Prego: myspace.com/pregomusic (page 10)
inside is news. of Shane RJ Walter who reports with ‘Word on the Streets’, Dom “Badger” Baker: dombaker.co.uk (page 7)
Its’ original purpose was to talk about Project10, but Nik Roope answers my five questions. Simon Waterfall &
I quickly summised that this meant talking about myself/my Matthew Grey of Social Suicide (SS) report on their SS10
work for far too long, and who wants to fill in twelve pages of collection and give you an insight to the raison d’être
cONTrIBUTE/cONTacT:
Would you like to contribute to next months installment,
a newspaper about themselves? Not me. So I invited friends, behind SS.
or perhaps you want to discuss a project, or a feature
peers and those that I am working with on Project10 projects Simon White warns you about the risks of not
in your lovely magazine? Use any of the following:
to submit words, images, illustrations, etc. collaborating, with illustrations from Mr-Bingo and Alec
email: project10@plan-bstudio.com
The theme is Collaboration, both for this newspaper Kennedy. I interview Prego, a band whose second studio
twitter: @planbstudio
and for Project10. When I decided I would donate my time album is deserved of great things.
phone: +44 (0)7971 207 276 - Steve Price
to NGO/NFP’s (or fun) projects I assumed I’d be working Daljit Singh discusses his sleepwalking-artistic-
with charities (there are two that I am talking to) but most of alter-ego Dave. Matthew Knight talks of not one but 272
the projects I’ve been invited to join are fascinating, inspiring collaborations . Badger Says, You do. All of these people crEDITs:
and have rejuvinated my passion for design. kindly contributed for free: The Power of Collaboration. Design&Art direction: Steve Price (www.plan-bstudio.com)
Editing: Claire Selby

Memories
Garrwick Webster has invited me to create a piece for a beautiful book called
‘Memories’. The result will be a beautiful art book where powerful and touching
stories will be accompanied by visual responses from artists and designers alike.
Proceeds from the sales of Memories will go to the charity: Maggie’s Cancer
Caring Centres.

march UPDaTE (artwork shown is the emblem for the book, not my design)

The ones I can’t talk about Autism
There are three Project10 projects that I cannot talk about I created this originally to appear in a book called ‘Art for Autism’, by Ryan
for fear that their very revelation would cause your eyes to Killeen to help raise awareness to the symptoms and/or misconceptions about the
burn from their sockets, your ears to melt, and your tongue condition. The book unfortunately never made it to the cold light of day, which is
fall out. That, and the other people involved would be well a great shame. Generation Press have kindly offered to get involved with produced
upset. 100 limited edition screenprints. All proceeds will be donated (minus postage
The Badger+Bodger Club: This project involves a Badger. costs/etc) to the National Autistic Society. Available from: plan-bstudio.com
All I can say is that if the talk becomes the walk, it could
be amazing. We’ve made massive leaps in a short space of Hvitbryggen (White Wharf )
time thanks to Badger and the team we’re building to run This is a logo I have designed for a project myself and my girlfriend have on
the project. A preliminary launch might be as early as April a beautiful, small, remote island in the Arctic Circle, North of Norway: a
1st (TBC). 3,000sq ft fishing wharf building. Our plan is simple: Convert it in to two beautiful
Triangle: A collaboration with the highly intelligent, and apartments as creative spaces for rent. With a gallery/space on the ground floor as
inspirational minds of Matthew Knight, Hege Sæbjørnsen, well as a recording studio.
and Kate Andrews. We are also currently working to help organise this year’s Nyksund/Ti ‘Near and
Running: A possible project with a renowned digital ≠agency Far’; a music, arts, and culture festival.
in London. A brief for a major charity has been received and
The VanDoos
discussions are afoot.
Originally called ‘Notes’ this (now) three-piece band have returned to the table
Lewes: Lastly, but by no means least… Hamish Makgill
with new tracks including: Tenter Hooks, for which they have asked me to consider
has introduced me to some fine people down in Lewes –
doing the video. In light of this, I am collaborating with Naughty James. If you
discussions very much happening with regards a new web
don’t know him, he’s a fantastic stills photographer, who is very, very naughty.
site and communications strategy.
I have also been writing for, the D&AD University blog and (artwork (left) is by Giles Arbery for the forthcoming releases)
volunteering when I can with SheSays.
produced by: printed by:

www.plan-bstudio.com www.newspaperclub.co.uk

I makE
I sLEEP
mY cOLLaBOraTION wITh a cLOsE
FrIEND: ‘DaVE’ wOrDs + PhOTOGraPhY:
DaLJIT sINGh
Collaboration is something everyone talks about but it actually sub-genres of activity including regional comical accents are often found hanging on doors in the morning. Though
rarely happens. Us creative people can have quite big egos and we and character portrayals; brutalist kitchen sculptures; spatial the actual styling itself is questionable he is always thorough
generally like doing it on our own. Even when we have the skills fruit arrangements based on repetition and occasional street in ensuring all the elements are present from underwear
around us we only work together and don’t think together. walking with bespoke bags packed for each dreamt-up trip. to outerwear.
True collaboration is much harder, it needs more than just work it Dave is particularly drawn to animal behaviours and The very existence of Dave was threatened for a
requires understanding, respect, honesty and the ability to drink mimicry. Amongst a gamut of species from the animal period after a concerned call was made to The London
beer with one another. It doesn’t stop once we leave work it carries kingdom some of the classics he has performed include a School of Clinical Therapy who were confident they could
on even when we are without our team. grass snake - emulating the movement of the tongue and ‘mop up the patient in just a few sessions’. Happily, it was
Collaborations get better over time providing our collaborators long slender body; an eel - awaking with a long sock pulled concluded as long as the more edgy activities were tempered
share an attitude. My collaborations work best when there is a fight. up over both arms writhing on the floor; a monk fish gaping – those that saw him leaving the home and crossing certain
Innovative collaboration needs argument and different perspectives for oxygen and more complex - a flutter of moths around thresholds then Dave is just harmless and endearing fun.
to get a solution that solves more than just a problem but there a light. Dave would be missed by a lot of close friends and family if
must be respect. When it works and all the planets align we create Though Dave’s activity is often perceived as he were to be banished from the night.
remarkable work at which point, people you have never met before outlandish it is often logical in its own way: one very visual
You can see more from Daljit/Dave: daljitsingh.posterous.com
claim to have collaborated on your project! enactment was a troubled duck quacking away - starving
The pseudonym Dave has been given to Daljit Singh’s sleeping because ‘someone had put a doughnut on (his) bill.’
activity - portrayed through different forms and materials. The Alongside animals, one of Dave’s preoccupations is
favoured forms of expression manifest as clothing sculptures or the to create figurative or styled pieces. He draws on favourite
emulation of a whole host of animal species. There are however many props and tools from the wardrobe - especially high heels that

WORD ON THE STREET
cOLLaBOraTION as INTErVENTION
The streets are littered with original literature. If you At its best it provides short sharp bursts of wit and What interest me in this interventionism is also a
wOrDs + PhOTOGraPhY:
are not blinded or too jaded, look beyond the adman’s incisive comment – nuggets of wisdom even. Take any area spirit of collaboration that is in a sense accidental, open shaNE rJ waLTEr
commercial onslaught, media messages, visual overload of an inner city today and you will find a plethora of street for comment and for anyone with the application and time
and ‘official’ street paraphernalia - there is so much more musings. The Hoxton and Shoreditch triangle in London’s to respond to, remix, amend, build upon and carry on the
to see and read. The street is an art gallery – in the case East End, for example, is a mecca for urban culture but also dialogue. All are an invitation to collaborate.
of Banksy’s work, a pricey one where people are trying has a vibrant scene of street scrawlers with unique messages It’s the place to air personal grievances, political
to chip away at early stencils to take a chunk of his art who alert people to their thoughts and concerns. This is comments, angry rants, frustrated fears and calls to arms
home with them for free rather than pay the hundreds of today’s news in written snapshots more valid than the vacuous - always delivered with purpose and confidence. There is
thousands that he now commands. His work is the tip of water cooler moments of chitchat or cheap celebrity driven something quaint and almost medieval about the practice.
the Street Art iceberg, with a variety of artists vying for glossy mags. They may be the preoccupation of the few but I love the personal, almost inexplicable writings that at first
the attention of those that know where and how to look they often reflect the sentiment of the masses. leave you totally clueless to their meanings or motivations.
for it, from stencils to stickers, paste up to graffiti. These scribes are covert and underground by their But they stay with you, playing on and with your mind,
Take a dive deeper and you will find something more nature and don’t have access to the mass media of newspapers resonating much longer that you would have thought
humble, direct – the form of original graffiti that has real or TV – even the internet and blogosphere is not the domain possible. As one street writer puts it, “Gold in my head.”
urgency. These are the scrawled messages, slogans and ideas for them to share their sharp views. It is street culture from
Shane RJ Walter is the creative director of onedotzero
of the everyman. This literature of the street is a barometer of another more direct and human source, humble, local but with
(www.onedotzero.com) and onedotzero industries (www.onedotzero.tv)
the day. Its strength and allure perhaps is its very ephemeral a passion to say something. The tools are low tech, certainly organisations that commission, produce promote and distribute progressive
new ideas from surprising talent in moving image and beyond. To see more of
nature. It does not always last – pasted over, cleaned off, not digital but entirely functional and fit for purpose. The
his photos visit: www.flickr.com/photos/szen_volta
scrubbed out or decayed and faded away – leaving a fresh quills of choice are the spray can, stencil, chalk, pen or paint
page for the next scribbler. But it has impact and power none ready for easy and swift application for the delectation of
the less. And often it is the start of a collaboration between the passer-by.
unknown forces, spirits and actions.

DIaL 1-800 I met Dom “Badger” Baker in the summer of ‘09. He was dressed as a
gun-slinging cowboy, me, a second world war parachutist. We were at
the V&A Summer fete, or course.
We got to talking about a project, and in January we started making the
‘talk’ become a ‘walk’, which is already more of a ‘jog’.
Badger’s advice is spot-on. Our project (which for legal reasons
we can’t yet discuss) is as ambitious as it is daunting, but we
(and the small team we’ve enlisted) are prepared to give it our
all. With the combined energies of those volunteering to help.
Want to know more? project10@plan-bstudio.com

BEING a wIsE BaDGEr I caN saY ThaT ThE PErFEcT PrOJEcT Is aLwaYs a
cOLLaBOraTION OF DIVErsE TaLENTs. crEaTING sOmEThING OUT OF NOThING
Or VErY LITTLE wITh a cOmmON GOaL aND PrOBaBLY VErY LITTLE ThOUGhT
BEYOND ThaT. aNYThING BEYOND achIEVING YOUr OBJEcTIVEs Is a BONUs.
FINDING a GOOD TEam OF PEOPLE YOU waNT TO wOrk wITh aGaIN Is a
DOUBLE PLUs BONUs.
GOOD cOLLaBOraTIONs GrOw OUT OF GOOD PEOPLE, BaD cOLLaBOraTIONs
DIE VErY QUIckLY.
sO, whaT makEs a GOOD cOLLaBOraTION?
1. BE FLExIBLE – haVE a PLaN, aND BE PrEParED FOr IT TO chaNGE/
EVOLVE/FUck UP.
2. wOrk LIkE sTINk & TrUsT OThErs TO DO ThE samE
3. wOrk wITh ExPErTs Or ENThUsIasTs.
wOrDs: maTThEw GrEY / www.sOcIaLsUIcIDE.cO.Uk ss POrTraIT (aBOVE , LEFT):
JOhN DaY 4. LEarN FrOm YOUr FELLOw cOLLaBOraTOrs TaLENTs aND skILLs.
ss10 PhOTOGraPhY (LEFT, aND aBOVE):
JULIa kENNEDY / www.JULIakENNEDY.cOm
I have known Matthew Grey (above, right) and market? Well, we have always maintained that, far
5. BE PrEParED TO FIGhT FOr whaT YOU ThINk Is rIGhT & GIVE waY whEN
Simon Waterfall (above, left) for many years, from men not being interested in fashion, much NEcEssarY.
and followed their fashion label Social Suicide fashion is just not interesting to men.
with great interest. Not least because they were Building on this philosophy our Summer
already two of the busiest people I knew, who 2010 collection has a depth and type of thought
6. YOUr FELLOw cOLLaBOraTOrs arE YOUr TEmPOrarY FamILY, YOU caN caLL
‘Em waNkErs, BUT NO ONE OUTsIDE GETs awaY wITh IT.

BaDGEr saY,
then decided to throw caution (and a potential that is almost unique in the fashion world. It is
long-term friendship) to the wind to set up a also some of the finest work we have ever done.
fashion label, a tailoring one at that. The result Simon and I hope that you’ll find it
is a clothing label that has is indicative of their refreshing and inspiring enough to join with us in
7. sUsPEND ONE’s EGO TEmPOrarILY aND LIsTEN TO OThEr PEOPLE, ThIs
approach to everything in life; challenge it and our undertaking to create better fashion. IsN’T aBOUT YOU.

YOU DO:
create something unique and original. The Holidaze collection: built for vacations
The term “social suicide” is an English
colloquialism akin to the French
and inspired by deck chairs. Reminiscent of
“faux childhood Kodachrome holidays of never ending
8. TakE aND GIVE crITIcIsm FaIrLY (wIThOUT sULkING).
pas”, meaning to do the wrong thing in a summers, green grass, sandy beaches, lazy days,
social context. vanilla ice-cream and irrepressible irresponsibility. 9. BEING hONEsT wITh YOUr FELLOw cOLLaBOraTOrs, EsPEcIaLLY aBOUT
Ever since we started in 2004, we have done Lightweight, natural, breathable fibres; reds, blues,
“the wrong thing” with suits and sports jackets. creams, frays, stripes and pipes; ginghams, checks,
mONEY, TImE & FEELINGs - BUT ONLY rEGarDING ThE PrOJEcT, NO ONE
The suit, a traditional staple of menswear, so twills, dotts and detail, detail, detail. Jackets LIkEs a crY-BaBY.
tried and tested, so safe and stable, made exciting lined with chess, checker, word and number
with careful thought and imagination. We make games; packed with pockets and filled with
no compromise on quality either. Our block was function; pack-away stuffable, treat ruffable and
10. mOsT ImPOrTaNTLY haVE a DamN GOOD LaUGh aND ENJOY ThE rIDE.
developed on Savile Row, we use the finest purest utterly loveable...
fabrics and we hand make each piece. And our 11. wOrk wITh GOOD PEOPLE aND IF POssIBLE TrY aND wOrk wITh ThE BEsT,
“Too long have men stood as second aND LEarN FrOm EVErY PrOJEcT.
ﬁddle to the female fashion orchestra.
Playing the same monotone song, again
12. as PETEr cOOk ONcE saID, “I’VE LEarNT FrOm mY mIsTakEs aND I caN
rEPEaT EVErY sINGLE ONE OF ThEm PErFEcTLY”
and again, year after year. Dancing
to someone else’s tune, at a party we - BaDGEr (aka DOm BakEr)
weren’t invited to, in shoes that don’t ﬁt.”

sTaNDING wOrDs: sImON whITE / @PUrPLEsImE
I might have mentioned that Project10 is about collaboration? Non more
so than where Matthew Knight is concerned. Considering we met via
Twitter/email we’ve actually met, face-to-face, twice(!). We are already
talking about collaborating on two projects - both ambitious and one of
which has brought on board the immense talents of Kate Andrews and
Hege Saebjornsen.

ON ThE
He’s a Technical Creative Director. He co-founded digital creative agency
ILLUsTraTION: aLEc sTraNG / www.aLsTraNG.cOm de-construct in 2001. Since 2008, he has been working with a number
of agencies and clients in a freelance capacity, including Sidekick
Studios, a social innovation agency, Maek Digital, a design studio and
a number of other agencies mostly based in London. He is a D&AD
award winner, works with charities and non-profits for at least 20% of
his time, and created and curates a number of collaborative projects
such as the Disposable Memory Project (disposablememoryproject.
org) and MeatSpaces.com.
Matthew is one of those truly inspiring individuals whose passion and
articulation is only over-shadowed by his motivation.

shOULDErs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
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OF GIaNTs
120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146
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228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254

mIDGETs
255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 ExamPLEs OF cOLLaBOraTION
Back in April 2008 I was collecting some dry cleaning for my There is no way we could have achieved this without the free involvement wOrDs: maTThEw kNIGhT / wEBPONcE.cOm
wife in Balham. The dry cleaners were in Balham, rather than from anyone who was willing to purchase and release a camera. DIsPOsaBLEmEmOrYPrOJEcT.OrG/
my wife in Balham; implying I have a wife in every postcode We’ve managed to create a group of over 250 people who drop,
of South London! In the dry cleaners, amongst the brushes, find, pass on and return home these little plastic cameras, and are
clothes pegs and carpet cleaner, lay a pile of disposable collectively creating something magical. I have turned into little more
cameras for sale. How quaint and delightfully, ‘Analogue’, I than a curator, collecting together the stories which float around the
thought. With an idea bubbling away at the back of my head globe into a consumable package. I haven’t personally released a camera
I bought them. in about a year, and the project still grows.
Here’s something shocking: lots of people don’t like to websites that let you create almost anything without the When I got home, I registered a domain name (as so Individuals are bottlenecks. I knew that the only way for the
collaborate, to share the ‘business’ of making something with need for learning the technical stuff, the world is littered many of my projects start out), set up a blog, and made the project to carry on would be to put things into place that allowed the
someone else. No, really! Collaboration is not the same as with failures. first post, explaining the concept - why not leave disposable concept to continue whether I was involved or not. Now there are
paying people to create your vision – it’s still your vision; Okay, I admit, the world is littered with collaboration cameras around the city of London, with a little note saying hundreds of people who have invested in these little cameras journeys,
collaboration is about asking someone else – or a group of failures too. Often, it’s because they have a celebrity attached ‘if you find me, take a few photos, and then leave me for its not fair that I should be in a position which decides whether the
people – to help shape your vision. And that’s something (and we all know that it’s not about the collaboration but someone else’. I’d work out the logistics of the rest of the images get online or not - so I wanted to make the project sustainable
designers, writers and creative types are not always so about lifting a sleb’s profile, trying to resurrect a dying career project later, but the disposable memory project was born. without me as that bottleneck.
comfortable with. or flogging a new TV series, etc) or because the collaboration I dropped the first few cameras, and after emailing a few The first step was to let anyone release a camera, which was
Okay, maybe not all of them. In fact, I love was doomed to fail from the outset as there is no shared of my friends about the website it wasn’t long before I started allowed from the first few months. The second step was to allow anyone
collaboration and in advertising (the industry in which I belief: the two parties can’t agree on what the vision is. receiving a handful of emails from people asking if they could to comment on the cameras live on the site, rather than me being a
work) that’s generally frowned upon. Or it was. Because of But there’s something that has collaboration at its set up similar projects in their city. I wrote back responding gatekeeper to the content. The third step was to create a system which
this attitude – and because creative people are hired on the heart. It thrives on it: charity. that of course, they could set something up, I didn’t feel I allows the running of the project to be managed by a team of people,
strength of their portfolio – advertising agencies suffered as Charities rely on collaboration: members of the public owned the idea, and seeing as I had already programmed a those in the community who have stood up and said they want to
digital crept up on them. giving time and money, volunteers working to raise funds, to little google map, and database for each of my own cameras, be involved.
At the heart of digital is the need to collaborate. It staff shops, etc; advertising agencies and designers working why not send me details of the where your camera is left, This is my current challenge, to create that system, and
takes a lot of skills to put together even the smallest digital pro bono to produce campaigns. In fact, charity proves that and I’ll help you keep track of them. Within just a couple of relinquish curation to the community itself. Technically, it is a small
project – from coders, Flash developers, writers, designers, collaboration works, that there is something in it for everyone months, we had cameras in London, Germany, Scotland and challenge (although will take an amount of time). Emotionally, it is a
art directors, film directors, etc: all these people could be who participates. Take this newspaper you’re reading, for the US. ‘I’ had turned into ‘We’, without me ever thinking it massive challenge, but I know that without handing over the keys, the
involved. And it’s not about paying them; these people will example. Everything about it involves a collaboration of would be a project which extended beyond the reach of my project will never really become truly sustainable - and for me, that’s the
want to shape your vision – or will have to shape your vision some sort. carbon footprint. most important aspect of the project, for it to live beyond when I get
because what you’re asking just isn’t possible. So if you’re one of those people against collaboration, Two years on, and the project has released almost 300 disinterested in the day to day running of it.
And you’ll have to live with that. Or spend lots of time who prefers to be the giant riding a midget, you may find the cameras in 60 countries. They’ve travelled to the most remote
learning how to do it yourself and either a) failing miserably only place to keep your ideas your own is if you’re designing parts of the planet, including the North and South Poles and
or b) making a half-arsed job of it. Even with the advent of the next fucking Argos catalogue. Everest. Some have travelled over 30,000 miles, others have
stayed in the same pub for their entire lifetime. All of the 20
cameras which have returned home, have contained wonderful,
evocative, unusual, and most importantly genuine images.

chaNTELLE FIDDY shaNE rJ waLTEr NIk rOOPE DaLJIT sINGh
first ‘major’ (signed) album and then gone on to promote and part-
fund the tour and subsequent albums. What’s changed and why?
The process is still pretty much the same if you are talking about major
labels, it’s just of late this model only works for pop music. There is
very little artist development these days and whereas previously a label
would be prepared to lose some money on the first record to break the
band - the second and third albums making them the money, this seems
just too much of a risk right now. Majors will, it seems, only sign an act
guaranteed to make them money, understandable really!
Because there are very few development deals being offered by
major labels a lot of the early development of a band has to come from
1 Do you prefer to do it alone, or collaborate? 1 Do you prefer to do it alone, or collaborate? 1 Do you prefer to do it alone, or collaborate? 1 Do you prefer to do it alone, or collaborate?
the members themselves and any support they can get from around
I love doing it. Full. Bloody. Stop. But without I am a serial collaborator and love the idea of I love collaboration. I’m shit at most things but Both .
them, putting out early releases on small labels to get themselves heard
something or someone to bounce off I can get connecting with others on a base level but enjoy I’m a great conductor (orchestral not bus) and 2 When was the last time you collaborated and
and touring as and when they can.
stale, like a loaf of bread disregarded by a fat feeder the unpredictable adventure you can get with you healthy collaboration is the only way to get sweet who with?
What seems to be happening is that once a band starts down this
on the Atkins diet. And that’s just wrong. I’m a put ideas, people together – each components music out of all the egos and instruments that Last week with Dave at approx 3am.
route and becomes relatively successful they realise they don’t actually
strong believer that to conquer and achieve the route never stays the same and invariably is altered make up every orchestra. For many creative people 3 How do you like to collaborate - with new
need a big record company unless they want to do some massive
best results you need people to come together. And to a more interesting trajectory they must be the sole authors of their craft. For people, people you know, strangers in the night,
worldwide marketing campaign. The system has essentially been beaten
remember, together we stand, united we fall (over 2 When was the last time you collaborated and me I really don’t care, if I can be part of making or with students?
and the music is more cohesive and better off for it too.

PrEGO!
ourselves at how endless the possibilities are). who with? something happen and a useful tool in its delivery Anyone.
Your new album has been completely funded by the band with
2 When was the last time you collaborated and On a daily basis. The last formal collaborative then i’m very happy. 4 With the design industry constantly shifting
considerable investment, what was the thinking behind this and
who with? project was last week for the Red Bull Music 2 When was the last time you collaborated and and changing direction, do you see collaboration
why?
Nearly every day I find myself collaborating in some Academy who approached onedotzero industries who with? becoming more or less popular?
We had been playing the tunes for a while and done some cool shows
sense of the word. Just today I’ve been discussing, to visualise the travelling sound coming from About 10 minutes ago with a couple of Internet = more collaboration.
with some great bands, built a good following and had some major label
with a group of American entrepreneurs, putting Illustrious Company’s 3D sound-system in a the Poke peeps, an I.A. (Tracy) and a PM (Eze). 5 If you could collaborate with one person, who
interest. This interest fell flat when the industry realised there was no
on a concert in Amsterdam due to the fact so soundclash between artists from Warp Records They’ve been thinking about a customer support would it be?
money in the deals they had been signing acts up to, and refused to sign
many street artists can’t get a show in the UK and Ninja Tune. The event took place in the process for a client of ours and we just spent half Samantha Fox
anything that wouldn’t sell 300,000 records to recoup their costs.
without the police locking it off. But my proudest loading bay of the Royal Albert Hall. an hour riffing off their initial thoughts and put
We collectively thought ‘it’s now or never!’, Guy (Massey) Daljit Singh is the Creative Director of Digit (www.digitlondon.
collaboration so far in 2010 would be the Rave 4 We pulled together a team of creative’s forward a few thoughts and improvements. com) as well as founder of my new favourite sausage company:
kept saying he’d do the record if we could pay for studio time. The Mt Singh’s Bangras (www.brangras.com).
Haiti, put together by Ctrl.Alt.Shift, True Tiger & including Minivegas [Nexus], Quayola, Field and 3 How do you like to collaborate - with new
opportunity presented itself and we jumped at it.
SomeNight, back in January. We only had three Tommi Traum to build a system that responds to people, people you know, strangers in the night,
We started pre-production in April 2009 in Dan’s studio and
days to organise it and relied on the good will and the audio and MIDI values outputted by the sound- or with students?
spent all the spare time making sure we knew exactly what we were
efforts of countless DJs, MCs, artists, volunteers system. The result was an awesome blend of coding Anyone and everyone providing they’re not dim
doing for every track - making detailed notes on sound settings and
and media contacts to pull it off. We reached full and design that delivered over 50 different looks and lazy. There are brilliant, creative people from
tempos, recording the songs and sending them to Guy for feedback. By
capacity at 10.30pm and had to turn away well over throughout the night for 6 different recording all backgrounds and the best, most innovative ideas
the time we went into the studio it was like a well oiled machine and we
1,000 ravers but with around £10,000 collected artists, 2 record labels, 5 production companies, a often come when you bring different perspectives
saved ourselves loads of time and money!

INTErVIEw BY sTEVE PrIcE
I guess the outcome of this is that we are all immensely proud
easier to get your music out there and heard - ostensibly a good thing. of the record and feel very close to it as we invested so much care and
on the night, we did our bit for both Haiti and the great venue and an enlightened client. So a huge together.
homegrown music scene. collaborative effort! Client relationships are most productive when 5xquestions
PhOTOGraPh: JasON TEmPLE
At the same time it is devaluing the recorded music side of things and time in it.
making music more disposable than ever – the shear volume of recorded Prego has a healthy 7,000+ Myspace ‘friends’. But it seems that the
3 How do you like to collaborate - with new And of course a large recent collaborative there’s a real collaboration between us. Seems so
people, people you know, strangers in the night, project is the Decode Digital Design Sensations obvious but some take a lot of persuading because 4xpioneers
www.TEmPLEarTs.cO.Uk or with students? with the V&A Museum London that runs until they’re so used to a more adversarial relationship.
music available on a day to day basis is making it harder for anything to subsequent surge in popularity, and now ultimate saturation of
You need to think on your toes, know your ass April 11th 4 With the design industry constantly shifting
I first met Simon Britcliffe through work, he works have any real resonance with the general public unless it is spoon fed to Myspace with musicians can you see the wood for the trees being
from your elbow... If you tick those boxes, whether 3 How do you like to collaborate - with new and changing direction, do you see collaboration
for a client of mine; The Shop at Bluebird, as Music and saturation point with an expensive marketing campaign on there? What/where do you think the next step is for aspiring
I know your name or not, it’s likely we can work people, people you know, strangers in the night, becoming more or less popular?
Publications Buyer. We got chatting one day and he I think people have been buying music on a track by track basis artists?
something out. Twitter has proved most interesting or with students? For those of us buried neck deep in digital stuff
mentioned that he was in a band. Given Simon’s clear for the last few years. In the pop world it’s less about the album as a Hard to say. For the bands that have benefitted from such platforms,
for random collaborations. Afterall, that’s how we Other creatives I know well, some I don’t know then I would say collaboration will only become
knowledge of music and diverse taste in new bands I body of work and more about getting one or two great tracks out there Arctic Monkeys as one example, the hype around them was really just
met, over a shared love of something I can’t even at all, some I would love to. onedotzero is open more important, for the next few years at least.
was intrigued. He gave me a copy of their (unmastered) to promote the live side of things or get syncs for a soundtrack, film or as much about Myspace as it was the band. But the band had a huge
remember it’s that irrelevant. and collaborative by nature at every level – across We’re steadily relying on more and more on input
second album and before the end of the third track I was TV program, where there is more chance of making money now. amount of buzz surrounding them and a great fan base, they’d have
4 With the design industry constantly shifting education, curation, venues, partners and clients. from specialists in the field as the the landscape
bowled-over. Musicians will still continue to make great music for the been a big success regardless.
and changing direction, do you see collaboration 4 With the design industry constantly shifting further fragments and complexity soares. It’s very
Give us a bit of background on Prego, who you are, where compulsive love of doing what they do, but it’s about diversifying to The next evolution of the benefits and functions of Myspace for
becoming more or less popular? and changing direction, do you see collaboration old fashioned to pretend to know everything. It’s a
you all come from, how you got together? survive - viewing the band as a brand and having to try and make some the musician or independent label is the notion of using the data collected
I’m no psychic but in my world it’s becoming becoming more or less popular? real weakness in fact.
Prego has existed for the last 5 years or so. Edd (Simpson) income through folks buying into it as a label or representation of through any band site or fan site to pinpoint the right demographic in
increasingly hard to go it alone. The age of chaos I believe the idea of open source – essentially a 5 If you could collaborate with one person, who
originally started out writing with a very lo-fi “bedroom lifestyle as opposed to just owning the record for their collection. cyber space or indeed the real world. For example which blogs to write
we live in demands multi-tasking at all levels, quick collaborative process being a fundamental shift in would it be?
recording” approach until he heard a record called “A Story How do you manage the band, who makes the decisions and why? on and where to concentrate marketing and promotion – trying to get
solutions, fresh ideas at the drop of a hat... for that whom we practice now to be a positive force for Larry Page or Sergey Brin?
in White” by a Scottish band called Aereogramme. Prego has always been fiercely independent, probably through a strong the right product to the right fans as efficiently as possible.
you need collaboration. Also, with cultures and good. At its heart if is about essentially sharing to
After moving from Suffolk to London friends who sense of maintaining control over all aspects of what we do. We are being What is the future for Prego, and how will this be achieved? (if you Nik Roope is co-founder and Creative Director of Poke
music merging more than it’s ever done before, make thing better. Nice to be nice. (www.pokelondon.com), and previously creative director at
were all playing in other bands helped out to develop the looked after at the moment by a great guy called Iain Baker who is a DJ can tell us) various leading digital design agencies including Oven Digital.
such collision of creativity requires cooks from a 5 If you could collaborate with one person, who
sound from Edd’s initial songs. A collaborative ethos and on NME radio. All action though, is always taken through consultation Well it’s really about getting the album out there at the moment. We’re In 2004 he also founded the product design company Hulger
variety of kitchens. Get me? would it be? — two of its phone designs and its Plumen low energy light
atmosphere has undoubtedly made the Prego the band it with us all. looking at a few different options and the best way to make sure it bulb concept are now part of MoMA New York’s permanent
5 If you could collaborate with one person, who Hard to answer but it would probably be
is today. It has always been important to work closely with people who gets to the right ears. Response from friends, musicians and generally design collection.
would it be? connected to the global touring festival that kicks
The definitive line-up was reached last year. Three really love what we do in whatever capacity they are helping us, they are creative people who have heard it so far has been that it is an important
Nicki Minaj. She’s a rapper with Young Money off in London in November 2011, onedotzero
of us, Edd, Caspar (Williamson) and myself all hail from usually (or have become) great friends. Guy Massey, for example, who record and needs to be heard by the whole world, so we’ll see if we can
(Lil Wayne’s camp) if you’re not down with adventured in motion at the BFI Southbank.
Suffolk originally, Dan (Best) is from South London and recorded the album, or Grant Berry who filmed, directed and edited make that happen!
the kids. Like a Lil Kim for 2010. Having first (Nice plug Mr Walters!)
Alex (Walker) is from St. Albans. the videos we’ve made - both amazingly supportive and humble guys.
caught my attention thanks to her massive Barbie
In your opinion, how is the music industry changing and Within the band each member has their own trusted
Shane RJ Walter is the creative director of onedotzero [www.
necklace, with a shared love of plastic dolls, give us
what will the future be for bands, artists, etc? responsibility – Caspar does all the artwork and screen printing for onedotzero.com] and onedotzero industries [www.onedotzero.
a designer, Jeremy Scott perhaps, and I think Nicki tv] organisations that commission, produce promote and
The music industry is very unpredictable, it seems in a sleeves and t- shirts. Dan and I spend hours in Dan’s studio on pre- distribute progressive new ideas from surprising talent in moving
and I could revolutionise Barbie’s brand amongst
constant state of flux and it’s hard to gauge what’s going production and experimenting with sounds. Edd deals with the day-to- image and beyond.
generation Z.
to happen. day communications as well as being the principal songwriter. Alex edits
The advent of new technologies, although in many video content for the website and Myspace. It’s a combined effort. Chantelle Fiddy is editor of www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk and the bi-
annual magazine, an edgy current affairs publication aimed
ways is a liberating and positive thing has also caused a huge In days gone by A&R would have picked you up, given you a deal at using popular culture to turn 18-25 year olds on to social
amount of turmoil. Music is more accessible which makes it whereby you’d have all signed away a fortune to invest in making your PrEGO / www.mYsPacE.cOm/PrEGOmUsIc injustice and global development. She also writes a monthly
column for RWD Magazine and pens for Mixmag, SuperSuper,
The Guardian, Dazed & Confused, Sunday Times Style.

wOrDs + ILLUsTraTION: mr BINGO It’s from a book which I worked on with Rich Fulcher and Dave Brown (from The Mighty Boosh).
www.mr-BINGO.OrG.Uk We had some really good pub sessions where we just sat down over a few beers and came up with ideas for 50
illustrations to accompany Rich’s writing in the book.
Because I do ‘funny’ and they do ‘funny’, it was a great combination of silly brains and we came out with some
good stuff.

- Mr Bingo

Project10 Newspaper (March)

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