Although the website has been dormant for a while Aspecks has been busy over the Summer. Check the video below for a look behind the scenes at some of the things what we have been up to.

Smooth on the outside, crunchy on the inside and guaranteed to make you cry! Meet Onion ….. an up and coming three piece rock band whose sound fuses together an eclectic mix of funk, rock, metal and surf. Heavily inspired by guitar based rock Onion are in their own words “all about riffage” and have been busy over the past 9 months making a name for themselves across the Berkshire area. Onion have also recently recorded their first professional quality EP ‘Pull the Strings’ at Bossman Studios, Swindon, with producer Joe Lawrence (who has worked with engineers such as Jim Warren (Radiohead, Peter Gabriel, Nine Inch Nails) and Adam Whittaker (Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson).  The EP was released in early August this year with fantastic artwork created especially for the band by master craftsman Tom Shepherd (see www.inkyhollow.co.uk). In the interview below the band discusses what they have been up to recently, their influences and their plans for the future. Check after the jump for exclusive Onion performances and if you like what you see and hear then the EP is available from their MySpace Page or their website – which is also doing a nice deal on Onion t-shirts!!

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Ye Fre Mi Richy Pitch is the name of the album that showcases the latest creative endeavours from our friend, DJ, producer and author Richy Pitch. Reflecting two years spent in Ghana, Richy has collaborated with many local musicians, adding his own unique vibe to distinctly West African instrumentation. Check out exclusive footage of songs from the album being performed live, as well as an intimate discussion with Richy, who is accompanied by the international artist M.anifest. Together they discuss their musical collaborations including the album and the making of the song and video for the original track “Blackstar”.

Check out the Blackstar video and live performances from the Ye Fre Mi Richy Pitchy album after the jump…
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Aspecks would like to introduce our affiliation with I AM LDN Magazine, an enterprise focused on celebrating the vibrant arts, music, lifestyle, fashion, poetry and comedy that makes up London culture. The synergies with our own ethos here at Aspecks are obvious so keep an eye out for future collaborative events. I AM LDN is a trendsetter, an independent arts magazine, a philosophy, a fashion guru and a lifestyle, The magazine encourages a lifestyle based on knowledge, passion, humour and one that is deeply rooted in London’s style. I AM LDN documents observations of London Life and sometimes brings other cultures, arts and ideas to it’s readers attention. A magazine for urbanites; I AM LDN seeks to offer a fresh voice amongst all the corporate pillaging and celebrity madness. Consequently they offer creative people the opportunity to interact with an arts focused media publication that is not focused on the money. I AM LDN does it for the fun and for the love of it.

Look them up and check their website where you can find digital copies of their current issue and back-catalogue for your reading pleasure. Oh and as you can see above if you check out page 26 you will be able to see a nice feature on the Aspecks Global Citizen Campaign Competition.

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Ctrl.Alt.Shift is a UK youth initiative set up to engage the next generation in the fight against social and global injustice. Naturally there are many affiliations and synergies between such an organisation and Aspecks and after a meeting with the editor of the Ctrl.Alt.Shift magazine it became clear that through the exchange of knowledge and skills we could achieve a lot more by working together. As a movement they tackle issues such as global poverty, climate change, tax and corruption and HIV stigma though running events and campaigns nationwide, a UK-wide street team of reporters and a bi-annual magazine which can all be read about on their website: www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk. They have even been kind enough to plug the Aspecks Global Citizen Campaign Competition on their blog! Ctrl.Alt.Shift run a wide variety of events and promotions across the UK; from art exhibitions to raves and five a side football games. They even had time to choreograph a protest against the misguided philosophy of the BNP.  Check out the video below too see what we are talking about and do not forget to check their website for more info, or contact editor@ctrlaltshift.co.uk to get involved!

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Big thanks to Aspecks’ newest affiliate Kaizen Star for the photographs and text for this article. Oh and Kaizen Star is also responsible for the fresh beat you can hear playing in the video – is there no end to Kaizen’s talents?!!!

Secret Wars, by definition is an artistic battle, where creative wits on either side of a wall do battle with black markers on white boards. Teams of three seasoned graffiti warriors, collide to a soundscape of house and funk, while spectators and revellers watch in awe and anticipation. Secret Wars takes place in secret locations and  luckily enough the Aspecks team were both hip and nosy enough to scrall down the details and get down to Shoreditch for the 2010 Euro League when it arrived in London.  As we arrived at the “hush hush” venue, which was jam-packed with other nosy people, London’s graffiti’s warriors were just assembling battle plans on one side of the room, whilst three Welshmen, and a sheep some 151 miles away from home were representing Cardiff on the other side.  Shifting between the two rooms, at first one could see no real difference between the two designs, but after a while as the fog began to clear, it seemed that although London was holding the fort at home, Cardiff were keeping their poker face on. Perhaps, it seemed they might have an ace or two under their sleeves. London’s team took a wild stab at Tom Jones “It’s not unusual to be loved by No One”, and Cardiff seemed to be taking a dig at the Royal Family. However as time went on and a few more black markers were disposed of, it was clear that Cardiff really did have an ace, and their depiction of “Maggie’s Farm” was undeniably inventive.

More text and pictures and an exclusive video of UK Beatbox Champion Reeps One after the break…

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Big thanks and props to Aspecks’ Affiliate Ben from Something Else Photography for all these exclusive photos as well as this insightful post…

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