Trick or Treat

While I should have been working last week I downed tools to help my son become our favourite Star Wars Droid.
The things one can do with a salad bowl , gaffer tape, stickybacked plastic & a bike light.....

Capstan Servo

This is one of those cases of realising you have more money than you used to. Back in the 80's when I was a teenager I lusted after a Walkman Professional - it was always out of my price range and I couldn't talk my parents into squandering such large amounts of money on their son. I had to make do with a succession of cheaper models that always broke ( headphone jacks usually ). The other day while passing my neighbourhood high end hi-fi boutique this caught my eye in the window. 250 Euros later it's mine and I'm busy checking out my old mix tapes. These days with iPods getting smaller & lighter it nice to have a huge clunking brick of a music player in your (large)pocket. Thanks Knokki

Every Record Label Sucks D***

Swayzak's latest 12" , Smile and Receive , is out now with a cover by yours truely . Trouble is I have 'received' nothing in the way of copies from their record label and I'm not 'smiling' . I still haven't been sent a copy of the CD which was out last month.
Is it not enough to pay me a pittance ? Rub salt in my wounds why don't you K7 Records.
My advice don't buy anything from them.
The Crustified Dibbs had it right : "they suck dick"

I'm down with the down

The weather isn't getting any warmer round these parts so it's time to keep warm.
Check out my Dazzle inspired print for the GriffinXBerghaus collaboration or 'colab' as the youth say.
Why not go and buy one ? GRIFFIN

Buy It Now

Swayzak's fifth long player 'Some Or Other Country' is out today bitches ! Go and buy it - not the download though as you don't get the full Popla1000 artwork. I think they sell it HERE

Ibiza Rave On

Sorry for lack of any posts - been a busy summer , not in terms of work as I've done none , but travelling around Europe.
Just back from Ibiza , Spain , where I hooked up with Mr Griffin and drank to his health.
Now The kids are back at school it's time to get back to it.....

Swayz 12"

The Swayzak CD is due out soon tax dodgers , but while you wait here's a 12" reject - I'm getting into cubes these days watch out. The single will be Smile and Receive with vocals by Cassy.
For more info click target="_blank"here

Oh me of little faith

After doubting Griffin would go for my pro countryside stance on their T-shirts ,they have proved me wrong.
I think this is a winner . Ohh arrrghhh !

Swine

Here's my latest addiction : Jamon Iberico.
This is worse than crack , possibly more expensive - this stuff costs €29.95 for 100 grams( about 8 small slices).
It's a legal high - as long as you're not vegetarian , Jewish , Islamic or all three , in which case you should leave it well alone.
Get down to your local posh deli and score yourself some.
Heaven in a vacuum pack.

Links 2

how about this ?
here

Links

As I had a few minutes I thought I'd check out how you put a link on these pages so here goes: Click Here If that does work - check out Chuzzlewit's Choice on the music player.
If it doesn't work ........someone please tell me how I do it .

Rejects

Here's some rejects from recent work - Swayzak's forthcoming LP Some Other Country : Just too Popla for them ? Anyway the actual cover is a Bobby Dazzler so have no fear.The LP is out soon and is sounding very good. Top job boys.

Now we have a Griffin reject - well he hasn't even seen it yet, but I can tell he'll reject it - He should be proud of his country roots - so should you if you are a bumpkin too. I am an avid Archers fan , so practically live in the countryside myself.

Happy Birthday Mum

Just got back from the UK to celebrate my mum's 70th Birthday - Happy Birthday Mum!
Spent the first few days in London - Big Up Saul, Jason & Orson , Dan , Broon , Mark .
Gatecrashed a private view at Lazerides Gallery for a Mark Jenkins Exhibition & was told by Steve the Banksy painting my wife bought off him for me 8 years ago is worth a rather large sum now.
Visited Dover Street Market - Gotta love that place ! I'm still waiting for Rei to get with the Popla programme .....
The weekend was spent at my Mum's party at Goddards - an Landmark Trust property near Dorking , which was a top weekend for sure - a great time was had by all.
I do like Britain , but glad I don't live there.

Amazing !

Just checked out The Glade www.the-glade.com and see in their write up I am called "the amazing visual engineer" Well Thank you Griffin & Glade - nice of you to say so ! I must admit I stole the Visual Engineer tag from Boom Cortina. Personally I think 'Amazing' is going a bit far - just some blurb to flog stuff.
So now another T-shirt you have to buy.......

Show Business

It's funny , you do a design for someone ( for nothing ) and they muck around with it - Now I know I shouldn't mind and I try not to. But if you are a designer you will know what I mean.
Anyway it's spreading the (diluted) world of Popla that bit further , so check out www.swayzak.com and buy one !

Berlijn

So last weekend was spent in Berlin.
I took the 06.58 train out of Amsterdam and arrived at 13.16 - just like the ticket said - this is hard for an englishman to comprehend. I met with Broon from Swayzak not long after and had a late breaskfast.
This was followed by some shopping at Berlin's more interesteing stores. Highlights were Apartment who have a staggering view on space usage - the whole ground floor is empty save for one plant - you then go down to the basement where the actual store is . I purchased a T-shirt emblazoned with 'LES BOS' on the front by some crazy Austrian label called Fabrics ( ) Got it home to discover the print was not not very well placed - this could be intentional though ?
The other highlight was Firmament , which felt more like a showroom than shop. Jorg ( the owner ) was closed for a re-organisation but let us have a shufty . Ended up buying a copy of Arkitip some other book , an Original Fake T and some jeans which were so fresh out the box there wasn't a price for them . Broon bought a rather nice P.A.M jacket.

Swayzaks gig was not until 4.00am on Sunday , which was far too late , so we grabbed a selection of carryouts and went over to Paul & Astrid's and drank them. Then on to a Austrian restaurant called Jolesch where we met Partick Darkfarmer who I had not seen quite a while.
So we get to Watergate , the club , at 1.00am for a sound check then do all the free drink tokens.
Swayzak gave a great performance - though I must admit it was too high on the BPM scale for my liking and was feeling very tired by 5.00.
After the show we had some breakfast and then hit the local flea market where I bought a toy E.T. and a German 'gone camping' sign. Felt it was a tad overpriced and dissapointed not to see any izan memorabilia on offer.
After a bit of shut eye , there was some more breakfast with Broons pal Geeza then I had to hop back on the train to Amsterdam.

Thanks to everyone for a top weekend !

One Month Later.....

Well Popla1000 is still unpacking. Our container arrived in one piece and the job now is to find somewhere to put everything - My studio is about a tenth the size of the last one.

I've just been putting the finishing touches to a print with Griffin for one of those "Co-labs" that were all the rage at one time. Will reveal all when the Griffin lawyers give the all clear.
Here's a reject:



Also Popla1000 travels to Berlin this weekend to ink the deal for the next Swayzak LP artwork with K7 records - Looking forward to hearing what they have in store this time. Better think of something to wow them.
They are playing at Watergate on Saturday night (10thMarch)- come down and I'll buy you a beer.

I must say I am struggling being back in Europe - The Land of the Free has it's faults for sure but I miss it loads - The dutch need to work on their service !! And they need to stop smoking in restaurants ! Coffee shops : Go ahead smoke yerself silly ! But when I want to enjoy a meal out get your Marlboro's out of my face.
Plus the honden kak ! If you must own a dog do the right thing and don't leave it's crap outside my front door.

Amsterdam

Popla is now in Amsterdam - still minus our studio which is a container somewhere.
Will be posting up when we are back in full E F F E C T.