Impenetrable lyrics and dancefloor grooves conducting the masses with the noise of a synth have always been the characteristic traits of HotChip, and they don’t disappoint with the new record.  Lyrical recurring themes of ‘love’ and its transforming power, and the oh so recognizable 80s house and disco sounds comprise a huge new album from them. ‘One Life Stand’ launches today [Feb 1st] and we managed to get them for a phone interview even amidst their busy rehearsing schedule.

Please introduce yourself and your preferred instrumentation.

My names Owen, I play whatever I want when we are recording!  I play a Roland SH101, Moog little phatty and I play bass and guitar.

Where did you guys meet, how did Hot Chip come about?

I’ve known Alexis and Joe for eighteen years; I met them in secondary school in Elliot, a school in Putney, South London. The rest of the guys we met in various ways, I joined the band in officially in 2002 having left Art school, which I went to for four years. I did a painting course, did a year in London and three in the West Country.

Likes and dislikes of art school?

Likes…the freedom of the art school.

The dislikes…I suppose freedom!  I had too much of it, I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I definitely need a little bit of structure in my life.

You’ve got a new album (One Life Stand) which releases today [February 1st], how has it been making the record?

We enjoy it quite a lot; we took a year off from touring which gave us the luxury of time in order to record. We’ve never really had that before, we have always done things quite off the cuff and quite quickly.  This was our first pay monthly album, everything else has been pay as you go before, and so this was quite a commitment for us which I think is reflected in the music.  We had time to explore things, and make those phone calls we never made before.

Was it a natural progression going back to the studio?

Yes I think so, you know in a way it was a bit of a reaction to our life experience.  Exploring the use of different instruments that we don’t usually have on tour like pianos, violins, and to do it in a way that wasn’t too grandiose.  Including it with the sound that we already have and to be able to incorporate the live stuff as well.  We had time to thrash things out, not like on a rock album that has strings just shoved on it, we wanted to make sure things fit together.  I think the instruments we chose went well with synthesized sounds too. We used some steal pans which go well with arpeggiated keyboard parts, and soft pad sounds go well with strings and things, they went together quite harmoniously we thought.  We also worked with other people like Peter Gabriel before; we were more open to working with other people, so we had Charles Heyward play some drums and our friend Tim Bravado who Alexis had been doing some recording with come in and put down some steel pans for us.  We also asked our live drummer, Leo Taylor, to come in and play with us to kind of liven things up.  It was a good experience.

Sounds like there is a much larger range of instrumentation used on the record, would you say there are any other specific influences on the record?

Well it’s a wider range of instruments on the record but in a way they kind of gelled more cohesively.  On the last record we kind of explored both ends of our spectrum, we had quite slow ballad songs and then very up front fast numbers.  This is by no means a slower record, it’s still similar sort of tempos but it has different layers which have an ability to grow, so that’s a nice feature I think.

Would you say, for people who have already heard the other albums, that its a change from that or rather next progression?

Well its easier to say it is a progression, but it isn’t like that, people want bands to make some sort of huge leap and then are often disappointed if the band makes changes.  They get to know and like a band for a certain ‘thing’ and if they were to literally add strings to their bow and change direction there’d be uproar; “They’ve gone keyboards, they’ve gone rock, or this way or the other”.  

I was struck having spent a year on the record, and hearing our very first record played in the local pub where we filmed our first video for a single called Playboy. It was like its quite similar to the first album in a way, because it is quite personal.  Our first album was very bare and quite clunky, and this new one feels quite…I hate to use the word mature because it makes it sound like we are getting old, or that we are full of ourselves, but it does feel sort of grown, it feels like its evolved.  So it’s a change, and I think it will surprise some people who are only familiar with our singles, but they are nice surprises, not shocks.

After finishing the album, I’ve heard you’ve been in the studio preparing for tour, how’s it been going?

That’s been going pretty good!  It’s quite hard for us because we do things the wrong way round, usually you’d have to learn your own songs, everyone test drives them, then spend time in the studio, then lay it down.  Whereas we construct things together then they become their own beasts, and we have to tame them afterwards, then unleash them.  Sometimes that’s a positive thing!  Maybe its like some kind of safari or something, capture the animal then raise the cubs and set them free!

Do you guys spend most of your time in London?

We are all in London now.  We were all born in London, myself, Joe and Alexis are from South London and Felix lives bang in the middle of town, in Central London.  Al was brought up in Leeds but he’s been living down in the east end for 6 or 7 years now.  Sometimes I have to ask Al for directions when I’m in town, he knows it better than I do now, but that’s just the way it is being a Londoner sometimes!

To London as a whole… Thumbs up or Thumbs down?

Well I suppose thumbs up…increasingly thumbs up.  I think having been lucky enough to go around and see other cities, you gain a sense of home for one, but also you see your home afresh.  I never really went into town when I was a kid, I sort of hung around parts of South London, so it still feels like an exotic city to me. It’s still quite exciting.

What is planned for 2010, any other interesting projects on the horizon?

We have a few things, we are helping a friend, well two friends with a film they are doing.  A few of us are doing the soundtrack for that.  Alexis and Joe both had solo albums out just before the release of this album, so they are a bit burned out…well… done.  We are all focussed on doing Hot Chip stuff for now, and touring and then getting back into festivals.

And finally…if you were to have one ‘go too’ clothing brand of choice, who would it be?

Well, we were in New York recently doing some promo stuff for the album and although we had very little time off, Joe and Alexis went to the Supreme shop there. Generally when we are in London, we like to sort of go to charity shops and things like that, but we try to put things together ourselves. We aren’t good at sewing or anything, but we prefer the individual style.

Click Here to Pre-Order the Album One Life Stand.

Chris Liu and Tibor Matyas are the guys behind one of the most forward thinking and progressive accessory labels around.  “The concept and inspiration of the label comes from London with its exciting mix of history, style and the futuristic modernity of the adjoining City.”  Their use of premium materials, and seemingly never-ending search for perfection in the field of luggage and bags makes their product second to none.  Already getting huge press coverage from the likes of I.D, Selectism, and many more.  We got to sit down with the guys behind the oh so special gym bags and pick their brains!

Introduce yourself to the RISE readers!

We are Chris Liu and Tibor Matyas, designer duo behind the fashion accessory label Chris&Tibor. We live and work currently in East London.

What caused you to start Chris&Tibor?

The label evolved from Chris’ seemingly simple quest for the perfect gym bag. It was in 2006.

What does Chris&Tibor mean to its consumers, how would you describe the typical characteristics of the brand?

The Chris&Tibor bag is a statement piece. It is challenging, exclusive, fashion forward and creative. Not for everybody!

Following on from that, what are the essentials of a piece of luggage / bag for you?

A bag is a practical piece of fashion and for that reason it has to be well structured and strong. When we design we like to use and mixing some unusual and trendy materials with leather, giving a distinctive look to the bag.

Where do you do all your production, and where do you source all the materials you use in your collections?

We have been doing production exclusively in London at the beginning. It was helpful as we could oversee everything closely. We have outgrow that small London factory, quantity is multiplied and with all the collaborations we cannot rely on just 1 factory anymore, we are working with different factories in different locations. Sourcing interesting and quality materials are also important, there are some big fashion tradeshows in Paris and Bologna, every seasons we are travelling to these events.

What has been your highlight so far with the current lifespan of Chris&Tibor?

It must be the UK Fashion Export Award which we won in the new exporter category in 2008. Our collaboration project also a cornerstone for the brand, we have been working together with some fantastic designers like Walter Van Beirendonck, Juun.J, Veronique Branquinho and Romain Kremer.

What do you have going on at the moment, and what do you have in store for 2010?

The most important current project is our online shop. We have been doing wholesales in the past 7 seasons and we realised that there is no future in fashion without mono brand store. We see the e-shop as a first step towards to our own retail. Visit our website (www.christibor.com) and blog (blog.christibor.com) for the latest news and updates. We launching our women bag collection and there are also lots of new collaborations coming up in 2010.

What’s your new years resolution, an official record which we’ll hold you to later in the year…?

Resolution because of New Year? Nothing really. But there is a phrase we always say between ourselves: Just do it!

Chris&Tibor have just started a facebook fanpage so for all of you socially networked individuals, head over to HERE and show them some love!

It’s not a lie. I love Denim. Exclusively, jeans.
I have dreams about them, not actually dreams, but more future goals as to one day my involvement with something to do with jeans. Who knows? Maybe bring out my own brand or something! However, keeping on the purpose of this lil’ feature, I promised myself that I’d delve into my very narrow perspective in the world of jeans and dig out my top 10 selection that either transcend time, or are generally beautiful ‘garms’ for this new era of 2010 I am privileged to enter into.

Fits I generally go for are slim straight/ or a slim tapered fit and I’m a huge fan of the raw denim scene but i made the effort to slip in some others ranging in the low to mid end price range. I could have included the classics in there…but WHY? Just let this expand your knowledge base a lil so you keep your eyes open for those ‘wonder’ finds like I have and remember, jeans have gotta fit YOU! If they don’t fit well or mold to your shape then you can forget it, they wont work.

In order for masses of people not to bombard our inbox with hate mail towards me on my choices know this.

It’s an opinion, based on fact.

….and I’m bias.

Don’t worry, it’s not a countdown.

(1) Edwin SEN Raw Selvage 10oz Slim Fit Denim Jeans (Bought from ASOS at £38 rrp. £109.99)

One of the most lightweight and beautifully crafted pairs of Raw Selvage jeans I own. Featuring a straight slim fitting leg and high rise, zip fly with contrast orange flash and stitching, cinch back and then the cherry is really the selvage detailing on the coin and rear pockets. mmmmm. Typically there’s the leather patch on the side also with enough showing that if you slapped on a belt, you’d still see the tab…for all those who are truly vain. The denim really does feel lush.

(2) Blue premium raw selvage ‘TOKYO’ slim straight fit jeans by St.George by DUFFER (Bought at Debenhams at £18 rrp. £60)

NOW, these were a FIND! Seriously Debenhams selling Japanese Selvage Denim for £18?! The fit was totally what i was looking for to do some experimenting. Being straight, the leg opening was slightly wide for my liking, so a few adjustments (taking 2″ off the leg opening width and a slight taper from the knee) and they fit and feel like a high quality Raw pair of 501’s! They’ve even been mistaken for a pair. Button fly, rear white duffer leather patch, Selvage detailing on the coin pocket, 5 pockets, purple tartan hemming and pocket linen and I’m laughing! 4 months in and the wear is showing nicely! The photo above is slightly deceiving as the rise is comfortably high and not hugging as it does suggest.

(3) Meltin Pot REDUX Organic Limited Ed. Jeans (Bought from TK MAXX at £8 rrp.120+)

Meltin Pot had a new 15 piece organic collection hitting the shops called Redux in 2009. Each pair of the extremely limited edition jeans are dyed and washed with natural products such as wood, coal, jam, earth and yoghurt. The style of the jeans is inspired by the workwear of the 1930s and also apparently the Bauhaus artistic movement. There’s the ‘gumf’. Another pair of rare beauty. The finish even feels organic due to the most random ingredients used to do so. The thing I love is the super high rise making the crotch sit low (screams ‘ghetto’) AND has original bracer rivets as illustrated above…however i never wear bracers, so they just look cool. The fit is slim with a large taper to the leg so it hugs any hi-top footwear. In fact i doubled the turn ups on them to reveal a nice ’selvage-esque’ light blue edge on the seams. All in all a top 10 favourite find, and I havn’t seen another pair yet.

(4) LEVI’s DNA Seasonal Slim Tapered Hot Road Red Tab Jeans (Bought from End Clothing at £89 rrp. £115.00)

When these first were unveiled I knew I ‘needed’ a pair. Through some strange circumstances I actually got to try on a test pair and loved the feel in them and the pre-worn (GASPS) look worked perfectly. A year passed and I didn’t see them anywhere. Then I moved to the North East and something happened. I don’t know what happened exactly but I found them and I couldn’t let the moment pass without leaving with a pair. There is a few alternatives in the DNA range but the Seasonal Hot Road slim and the straight leg alternative are personal favourites. Denim history is apparently what you’re investing in. Levi’s went the full way to remake the classic Levis Red models with exaggerated features on stitching, oversized pockets and detailing, tags and buttons.

The wash is dark and also slightly fades to your natural contours after extensive wear as the bluevine was highlights fading areas like the knees. Again, definitely a pair to invest in if you admire the unique look and don’t want to be caught wearing the same pair as someone else.

Leg openings on the Seasonal’s are the widest in my top 10 collection, sitting nicely over a pair of all stars (covering the top 2 eyelets on a pair of 9’s) and hug nicely on the calf and side of the thighs when the weight is on the hips and not the waist. If you ever see them definitely have a try.

(5) Humor Santiago Jeans (Bought at £45…can’t remember where.. rrp.£95)

DEFINITELY, a favourite when it comes to the (currently ‘in’) carrot shaped jeans. No one does it better!

I first noticed Humor on a trip to Holland years ago and then Denmark almost 2 years ago when I saw a trend of brightly coloured tees with the classic headphone symbol slammed on the shoulder. Scene kids with the Santiago’s and Hummel Stadil Kicks and I thought, “this is so gonna catch in the UK”

Oh and it has! Humor have a mega exciting range coming to shops like Ark (Leeds),Yakuza (Sunderland) and UNION (Newcastle) and I salute them for embracing the Danish influx of influence upon the UK fashion scene.
Raw washed denim jeans from Humor with a rounded carrot leg shape. These cool new jeans feature a contrasting seam throughout with a button fly and panel crotch. I love how the button fly is half covered showing part of the contrasting white buttons and the glorious top button logo. The front of the jeans feature two pockets with one hidden coin pocket whilst the back of the jeans feature two large u shaped pockets. The classic Humor logo is embroidered on the rear waistline in the form of a patch. It is also embossed onto the buttons of the fly, eyelets at the back and a logo tag is attached to the rear right pocket. White eyelets also feature at the jean pockets. They’re intended to gather slightly at the top of a pair of hi-tops and for the crotch to sit real low. Nice.

If you’re interested they’re currently on sale at XILE

(6) Nudie Thin Finn Dry Organic Ecru Embo jeans (Bought at £42.50 rrp. £110)

The thing with Nudie jeans however is they really employ the ‘each to his/her own’ philosophy and so my opinion on this matter really is mine…based on fact. For the fit, I prefer these than the silver detailed Nudie Jeans Co Lab Bengt 16 Dry Indigo (avg. £140) or the Nudie 14oz Masa ‘made in Japan’ jeans (avg. £140) as a Nudie style (both currently sold at Oi Polloi). 10.75 oz denim from Turkey is a light but acceptable weight, especially when summer comes round, heavy weights can become a chore rather than a ‘wearing in’ pleasurable experiment. I had some major disappointment in acquiring these from Coggles, but i found it in my heart to forgive them (seeing as how there store is beautiful and their Marketing Director Rob is a quality guy) and got my hand on a pair. Worth it? Always.

Info?
Mid rise anti-fit five pocket organic cotton jeans in dark dry stretch denim (so 2% lycra is in there). Low yoke with skinny leg cut. Contrast stitching and white embroidery at back patch pockets instead of the classic contrast stitching. Signature logo leather patch at back. Zip fly.

(7) DR.DENIM Raw Selvage ‘Terrance’ 14oz Jeans (Bought at JOY Leeds at £18 rrp. £90)

Ok so if you don’t know, nor have ever heard of Dr.Denim firstly go over and check out Darryl de Necker’s Blog.

That should tell you all there is to know about the European gang.

These are most likely to be my most underrated jeans that i own. Premium Selvage denim that molds beautifully to the wearer and keeps some weight behind it. The ‘Terrance’ is my favourite fit, simple in design, ergonomically sound, weighty and bearing a deep indigo shade that many of my others are not close to. And for only £18 at joy, again, sever lol’ing was had as they feel more expensive, look more expensive, boy even taste more expensive than most.

Simple in design, and again not a common pair of jeans. you should also check out their website, it’s pretty boss.

(8) Trousers London ‘Trousers 6′ (rrp. £169)

I like our friends over at Trousers London. I like their vibe. I like their ethos. The important thing however is I like their denim.

One of my favourite and consistent brands has (of course for me) hit the nail on the head again with Trousers 6.

‘A sleek and streamlined skinny jean in organic denim with jaunty check lining’ and jaunty of the highest degree it is indeed.

100% Raw Organic Denim, Silver coloured metal-ware bearing the Trousers London motif, slim fitting, limited edition (so limited, each pair carries a unique ID number) jeans that are REAL high quality, so high, I’m not sure I want to wear them but simply frame them. I mean just look at those front pockets son! Maaaaaan. So much indigo I can smell it through the jpg. Nice taper, Nice slim, contour hugging fit, nice contrast stitching, nice seam curvature…just plain nice.

For funsies, the jeans are presented with their own Trousers London cotton carrier bag.

(9) A.P.C New Standards (donated! rrp.£110)

….They win every time…in context of wear that is, not denim comparison.
APC New Standard, a slim, regular-fitting jean. Standard to low rise, narrow hugging leg, very slightly tapered from the knee, giving a fairly narrow hem.

The Facts: Button-fly, 5 pocket style in dry red selvage denim. First button is engraved A.P.C. Paris pres du Luxembourg.

The common knowledge about these bad boys, is that they stretch….significantly. More in width then length. I mean I’m a size 32″-33″ waist standard, yet I slid into a size 30″ and could move. I prefer these over the other models such as New Cure (just didn’t feel right!) and Petite Standards (suffocated my calf’s). They’re a slightly wider cut yet still slim and fitted on me but again, it depends really on how much you size down.

Most of the Raw enthusiasts boast owning a pair….I can see why. However, still broaden your horizons my children.

(10) The Hundreds ‘Curson Denim’ (donated! r.r.p $138.00)

I guess if you really want  a pair you wont see anywhere else go state side. The Hundreds are one of my favourite collaboration brands, yet this pair of their exclusive jeans is a beauty. Ever seen gold and silver selvage lining? Well you have now! A slim fitting cut with silver hardware and gold trimming, a black jags patch on the left waistband (Americans….) and gold and silver signature jags embroidery over the left back pocket. Really I havn’t seen anywhere else boast the same trimmings…unless you want to go really extreme and shell out on a pair of Red Monkey Jeans. I like simplicity and ‘crispness’. These do just that. The size above is slightly big on the model, i prefer to size one down so they hug a little on the leg yet leave breathing space.

Like you care.

So, who’s happy?

BELIEVE.

Teresa Skrgatic is the co-owner of Jaguar Shoes which operates a small fashion boutique, No-One, as well as a Bar and exhibition space, and The Old Shoreditch Station cafe-bar. No-One is based in the Shoreditch area of London, and has been stocking international leaders in fashion, such as Via Snella. The store also sources from local based talent, and is the stomping ground for style-savvy individuals within the Shoreditch area.

Whats your name, where are you from and what do you do?

Teresa Skrgatic, from Essex (yeah yeah I know!) I am co-owner of JAGUAR SHOES which includes no-one shop, dreambagsjaguarshoes bar and exhibition space and The Old shoreditch Station cafe-bar.

How did the beginnings of the store come about, what was the drive to make it work?

When we opened dreambagsjaguarshoes at 32 Kinglsand Road, London, E2 A we wanted it to be a bar, exhibition space and retail outlet but as it became more successful as a bar, we found the retail aspect impossible. So, we decided to open the shop and cafe within the Old Shoreditch Station building at 1 Kingsland Rd, E2 8AA. It offered the same buzzy, social atmosphere but it allowed the shop to operate independently. We stocked clothes, artwork, toys that we liked and clothes that our friends made.

Within the area, how well was it received at first?  Did you find it hard to build up that faithful customer base?

We were really well received in the first place.It was great in the beginning, really raw and buzzing. It was all built on a serious shoe-string budget but people could see we were creative and young and trying to do something different. That was about 8 years ago. From then on, we had to learn the industry and made alot of mistakes along the way. We have a loyal cutomer base now because we have been here a long time, we really support new talent and we keep things genuine and fresh. We really really try to stay true to our roots.

What is it that you love about your area, do you have a big sense of pride in the locality?

I am really really proud of the locality. Shoreditch is/ was amazing. The people are the best, particularly in our bit of Kingsland Road which is a bit more down to earth. We live and work in a little bubble I think! When I occasionally find myself in a chain-filled shopping centre somewhere, it reminds me how lucky we are to live/ work in such a creative, inspiring community. The web is so great for that too. If you are living out of London and feeling uninspired, you can go online and get a taste of what is out there- like Farfetch.com (we are a part of this brilliant website that unites some of the worlds best independent boutiques).

What have you got going on at the moment, any interesting projects for 2010?

We will be pushing forward with our retail website www.no-one.co.uk and farfetch.com. We will be evolving our collaborative JaguarShoes merchandise which includes illustrated t-shirts, limited edition prints, and illustrated plates and mugs. Plus we will be promoting and enjoying the amazing traditional Sardinian pizza and pastas that we now serve at dreambagsjaguarshoes all day. You can get lunch for £5 and it is delicous!

There will also be some amazing parties, events and exhibitions. Keep updated at www.jaguarshoes.com

For people interested in starting up an independent retail venue, what would you tell them that you wish you’d known back when you opened?

Dont try to do everything at once, it will all come together but it takes much much longer than you think.

What have been the absolute high points of the store?

The opening was a buzz! It’s also the best feeling to get nice feedback from customers. It makes what you are doing worthwhile.Celebrities shopping in the store and good press has been great too.

With us being just a little way into the new year, looking ahead, what do you want to have accomplished by the end of this year?

Hmmm, I am still working on my new year plan of action! Watch this space…

Head over to No-One and show them some love!

MY OH MY OH MY

After a day filled with THE most random set of events, meeting the UK distributor of Hummel and sharing in admiration of their up-coming collection for Autumn/Winter 2010 with the guys over at UNION….I came out with this pair of beautifully crafted footwear…

The Hummel Stadil High Top Canvas. Arn’t they delicious?

You know by now that slim fitting, comfy, contrast High Tops are placed in pole position when it comes to my personal selection in footwear, and these are simply perfect. Really. If you’re even in Newcastle, make sure you stop by Newcastle and just slip them onto your feet for a tester…the comfort is incredible!

Ok so enough with the drool over the soft foam interior and onto Hummel itself.

The concept of Character has been instrumental in defining the direction for Hummel since the concept was developed in 2005. The importance of having character saturates the way in which all their products are made. Each product is meant to express its own story and unique character and the same goes for every team and individual player they sponsor around the world. These teams and players are meticulously chosen – not only due to size and worldwide fame but according to uniqueness, character and will to win. As Einstein put it: “Weakness of attitude is weakness of character”. Anyone who’s ever heard of Christian Stadil will know he’s all about the ‘Karma’ and maybe it does rub off on the company as a whole. The stores say they’re one of the nicest and most pleasant brands to deal with, which is a big statement concerning the industry these days.

I know these definitely wont be the only pair in my set.

BELIEVE.

Its been an exciting period the last 3 months, and it seems to have got busier and busier as the weeks have progressed. From early financial decisions, sampling stages, pre shipping, design discussion, artwork alterations, screen shooting to today. Today the first batch of product landed on my doorstep. 300 white cut and sew tees, ready to be sent off to get screen printed by MissionPrint.

Its a big day, with only bigger and better to come!