INTERVIEW: DJ & Producer Tom Parris talks to Vainzine

Tom Parris began his DJ career on pirate radio in London in 1989 and now has a DJ and production career spanning over 20 years. Head honcho of Silent Disco France, he currently lives in Paris, which is where we caught up with him.

VZ: You are a British expat. How long have you been DJing in France?

TP: I first came over to DJ in France back in 1991.

VZ: You moved from the South of France to Paris. Where has the best best club scene and where do you prefer living & DJing?

TP: The South of France is amazing during the Summer. Basically everyone from Paris goes down there. The winter however is pretty quiet and Paris becomes the place to be. I've DJ'ed at incredible events at both places so it's difficult to say which is the best.

VZ: You also do Production. How long you been doing it and what is your favourite?

TP: For about 14 years. I released my first track in 1992. I think my favourite releases are Mutant Funk (Oblong Records), On The Top (End Recordings) and Nonsuch (Suerto Records).

VZ: Where is your favourite place to DJ in the World and the best party you played at?

TP: Impossible to say. There have been so many great times with so many special friends. I guess the events that stay close to my heart are probably the key first parties I went to back in the late 80's. Acid house and Raves back then were basically life changing experiences, at least they were for me.

VZ: We heard you were getting a records released in Brazil. Hows that going and any plans to DJ over there?

TP: I have just finished a remix and a new 2 track EP for Echo Deluxe Recordings who are based in Brazil. I'm hoping to go over there at some point and help promote the records.



VZ: Whats your favourite Album of all time?

TP: I've got three. 'Off The Wall' by Michael Jackson, 'Vital Idol' by Billy Idol and 'I Feel For You' by Chaka Khan.



VZ: What are your top 5 favourite tunes of all time?

TP: 'Love Will Find A Way' by Victor Romeo, 'Day In The Life' by Todd Terry, 'Ouchi Kochi' by Baby Ford, 'Let The Music Use You' by the Nightwriters and 'Planet Rock' by Africa Bambaata



VZ: Favourite track of 2012?

TP: 'Non Such' by ME!



VZ: Give us the low down on your new business Silent Disco France. What's happening and where can we catch one in Paris?

TP: My new company silentdisco.fr has taken off really well even though the concept is quite new in France. We have people calling every day asking for info and the system and we have events every week. Check out the website http://www.silentdisco.fr/ for party information.

INTERVIEW: Sophia Banoori talks to Vainzine

Fashion Journalist, consultant and designer Sophia Banoori (@SophiaBanoori) took some time out to talk to Vainzine about music, fashion and Paris. Sophia is a contributor at Vogue.fr & Haute Muse magazine.

VZ: Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do how you came to be interested in Fashion and work in Paris?

SB: I'm a young fashion journalist working with online publications such as Vogue.fr, Fashionwiredaily.com and Haute Muse magazine. I've always been a very creative person, when I was younger I spent all my time drawing and painted. Then in my early teens developed a certain fascination with fashion magazines, & the editorial work, the inspiration, all the far-fetched ideas and how it was always so incredibly put together by such gifted people. I grew up to have a very fond appreciation of Haute Couture, and applied to the prestigious Instituto Marangoni school in Paris, where I obtained my Fashion Design degree, and was selected to participate in the Graduate Fashion Week in Paris. You can view my fashion show and creations here:



Since I have been working as a fashion journalist, and keep designing on the side.

VZ: Are you Parisian or did you move here from another part of France or abroad?

SB: I am French/ American, and have been living in Paris for almost 4 years now. I previously lived in Kuwait for a long time.

VZ: What do you think of the Paris Music scene right now?

SB: I really appreciate the Parisian Music scene, there's always a lot happening, always new artists to discover. I really enjoy going to concerts, with a preference for indie/rock bands like Foster The People who I have seen several times in the last year. I love going to see smaller bands like Neon Indian and Owl City play, Arcade Fire, the XX.... and am always extremely interested to find discover the opening act, and usually look up their music as soon as I get home. I am going to see The Gossip tonight, and I've just purchased my tickets for the Jay-Z and Kanye Watch The Throne concert on the 1st of June. I'm very excited!

VZ: What, if any are your favourite venues to hear new music in Paris?

SB: My favorite places to check out new music would be The Bataclan, La Cigale & le Zebre de Belleville. I also discover new artists at a lot of the parties, fashion shows, and events during Paris Fashion Week, such as British sensation Azealia Banks, at the Chanel dinner last March, and she also performed at the Kanye West after-party. She's a great performer, and I have been listening to her music since.

VZ: What are your top 5 favourite albums of 2012 so far?

SB: They would have to be "Strangeland" by Keane, "Born to die" by Lana Del Rey, "Picture show" by Neon Trees, "California 37" by Train, "Stars & Stories" by The Fray. And I simply cannot wait for John Mayer's "Born and Raised" album!



VZ: What are you favourite singles or favourite song of 2012?

SB: "Somebody that I used to know" by Gotye feat Kimbra, "Paradise" by Coldplay, "Take Care" by Drake feat Rihanna.



VZ: What is your favourite song and/ or album of all time?

SB: Song would probably be "Wet Sand" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and favorite albums would have to be "The Dark side of the moon" by Pink Floyd, " "My beautiful dark twisted fantasy" by Kanye West, "Californication" and "Stadium Arcadium" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, "Heavier Things" by John Mayer.

LISTEN: Danny Rampling Interview w/ Ben Brophy February 2012

This is a must listen to interview, whether you are working in the music industry or not there are some inspiring words, and indeed heartfelt words of wisdom and inspiration as we head into a very cold February.

If you are wondering what the hell you are doing right now and need a bit of guidance then Danny Ramplings interview with Ben Brophy could be just what you need to hear to kick-start your 2012. It certainly has done that for me. I grew up listening to Danny Rampling on Radio 1's Love Groove Dance Party show on a Saturday night. It's good to hear some of his plans for 2012. I won't spoil them though. He talks on a number of topics including music projects, Alfredo's book, a special party this summer and more! Have a listen.

FEATURE: Star One Big Up Lady Sovereign! - Interview

Hailing from Kent, Star One are a new production duo who have been creating a name for themselves with their unique blend of Garage, Funky and Grime productions. The duo are brothers and have racked up quite a following in the blogsphere with hundreds of thousands of YouTube views on their remixes. Their first EP was released on 26th September featuring collaborations with Toddla T, Faro and Sarah Lillie. Impressively, the pair have done official remixes for Island Records, Ministry of Sound, and Polydor Records, and have been compared to similar production duos such as Nero and Chase and Status, so they are really very good. They even managed to win over the likes of my pseudo indie rock tastes, a feat in itself, as I can happily admit their track 'Bagz featuring Sarah Lillie' has been on repeat ever since I met them.

Star One tend to hold gigs at crazy times in the heart of London as well as being a fixture on DejaVuFM every Friday afternoon. Very busy lads indeed. But are they 2011's urban answer to Karen and Richard Carpenter?

What made you decide to enter the music industry?

It's just something we've both done since we can remember really, I think there's recordings of Joe spitting bars at 5 years old! Our Dad is a musician as well which is probably where it stems from.

When I was like 12, Joe had decks which he told me I wasn't allowed to touch. Obviously this made me want to play on them more! I had to sneak into his room while he was out to use them and remember what vinyls to put back on so he didn't know I'd been on them. I had to save up for like 2 years to get my own pair!

Being brothers do you find you agree or disagree on the creative direction of your music?

We have similar musical influences so there is a general consensus in terms of genres we both like namely hip hip, garage and grime. At the moment our productions are pretty Garage based which has kind of happened by accident but is something we're both happy with. But obviously we're not one brain so I may like something that Joe hates but we just work on things until we both feel happy with the final product.

We're also lucky as we have other projects we work on where we can go down different avenues and express different musical angles.

(Blacksta makes up half of hip hop duo 'Redz and Blackz' whilst Phaze One is a member of super DJ collective Murkage Cartel).

You fuse a lot of musical styles, what specific artists inspired you within those styles?

Far too many to mention but here's what comes to mind.
Hip hop wise - Timbaland, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Ryan Leslie and Kanye West.
Garage - Legends like MJ Cole, Zed Bias and Sunship alongside newer people like Swindle, Chimpo and Royal T.
Grime - DaVinche, Wiley, Agent X, Rapid and Maniac.
House - Newer producers like hard House Banton, DJ Naughty, Apple, Dennis Ferrer and Roska.

How did you find doing a festival ( The Last Day Of Summer Festival MCR 2011) different to your more intimate gigs?

It was mad, such a great experience and can't wait to do more. You get a different crowd to what you normally get in clubs so you have to cater to that. We were very happy with the way that our material went down, everyone seemed to be really feeling it so looking forward to next years festival season!

How was it being involved with big names such as Ministry of Sound, Polydor and Universal?

It's great and very surreal. It's also not as glamorous as it seems, we're not signed or anything so have never been to the offices or even met anyone from the labels! We just get sent the stems to the tracks to remix, do our thing, send it back and hope they like it which thankfully at the moment they are!

Though there was that small blip known as Lady Sovereign, do you believe there is room for female artists within your genre of music?

Haha... Big up Lady Sovereign, she did her thing, don't forget she got signed by Def Jam which was a huge look,its a shame she flopped!!

I think there are plenty of females, especially vocalists, in the UK Funky and House scenes which is good. Also in the Grime scene where previously there was a lack of females there is now a new wave breaking through with the likes of Mz Bratt, Lady Leshurr, Roxanne, Nolay and Shystie all making good moves.

I do think there is a general lack of female producers in the UK though. Dubstep, garage and house scenes are dominated by male producers so think there is definitely room for some females!

Since the early 2000's Grime, in particular, has seen a resurgence in popularity. What gives you the edge over current mainstream artists?

To be honest although a lot of Grime artists have been successful, I still don't hear much music which I would classify as Grime in the charts. Instead what I think is great is the way that the underground sounds of Grime, Dubstep, UK Funky and House are all beginning to emerge into one to the point where it becomes really hard to classify.

To be honest we don't classify ourselves as either mainstream or Grime so not sure what gives us the edge and don't really see ourselves as competing like that. But when we see respected producers like Nero, Chase and Status and DJ Fresh chart topping then it gives us inspiration to stick with our sound, keep making good music and see what happens.

Now that your EP has been released what is the next step for Star One?

We're just trying to establish our fan base now and keep pushing the EP to the masses. We're also working on new material which we're really excited about to be honest. I think we'll either have a single or new EP out at the start of 2012. We've also got a few remixes coming out - One of a new artist called Russo which we're particularly looking forward to. Also got a few more DJ dates coming in which is good cos we love DJ'ing out.

Eriin Dhesi

The Star One EP is available to buy now on iTunes. Preview it below.

INTERVIEW: Florrie talks to Swide on camera

Nouvelle Pop Princess Florrie talks to Swide Magazine in this exclusive video interview. Check it out below if you missed it.

ART: Check out Daniel Hyun Lim's interview on Juxtaposed!

Daniel did some musical inspirations pieces for us way back and his artwork is outstanding. Check out some of his new work and interview over at juxtaposed.com now.

INTERVIEW: Exclusive Vainzine Beat Assailant Interview!

Originally posted 4 December 2008:

The Bitch over at ConsumerBitch does not generally do nice things for people, but when they make offers she can't refuse.

She ends up at the Jazz Cafe, London at 11pm on a Friday night, with dangerously low alcohol levels, in a teeny-tiny changing room with Beat Assailant (and camera) for her good friends over at Vainzine. Before you start sending your complaints/requests in, we're not about to branch out into porn, The Bitch simply turned Journo Bitch for the night.

The Bitch: So...Mr Assailant, you are here promoting your new album Imperial Pressure
BA: Yeah, the new album Imperial Pressure came out in October here in the UK, so we yeah, godda liddle date lined up to rock for the people here in London.

The Bitch: And I hear that you were locked in a studio for a whole week to try and simulate the live sound
BA: Yeah, yeah, even longer really the recording lasted a week, we had a week straight lock out in the middle of the tour last summer, where we just took time off from the tour and you know just went in the studio and tried to mash it out...But even before then, we were in the studio, and we recorded the album already one time, without all the musicians, you know, more like track by track, more like a conventional hip-hop album, and then after the tour, and a couple of months of being on the road, we found some new things in the music playing together, so we decided to try re-create the vibe in the studio.

The Bitch: So were you properly stuck in the studio for a week? Or were you allowed to leave and stuff?
BA: Properly stuck, properly stuck - we couldn't leave so much, nononono!!!!!

The Bitch: What did you do for hygiene?!
BA: It got complicated, it got complicated - we had a little squat going!

Actually what we did was we had the studio and our hotel was across the street, so you could leave technically, but you couldn't go too far...so you could leave to eat and wash up a little, but then it was back to the studio!

The Bitch: I hear you started rhyming at like 13 - what sort of things did you rap about then? what sort of things were you doing and what was your inspiration?

Wow! Really funny and dumb stuff, just like you know kid stuff, middle school stuff at that time. To me now its funny to think back to my first raps, but at that time i really just looked up to the kids that were a couple years older than me, they were the ones who really brought hip hop around, doing their demos, so in the beginning i learnt everything from them, tried to copy their styles, just hanging around being in the cyphers just sticking my head in, just learning stuff step by step.

The Bitch: And what are you inspirations now? Everyday life?
BA: Yeah, everyday life, i mean it grows all the time, i think that as an artist I just try to talk about my life and about things that touch me, and things that influence me.

Some rappers get to be really good story tellers, me I just try to tell real stories...I think that when you try to keep it real the vibe comes across you can really touch people with your music, you can talk about the things that maybe don't go so well, as well as the things that go good in your life, I try to keep the stories human and just rock on the everyday life vibe.

The Bitch: Whilst you are here in London are you going to try and learn any cockney rhyming slang? Do you know any at all?
BA: Not really, not really...

The Bitch: Dog and Bone - phone?
BA: I'm learning step by step, i just learnt what is it - nack-id?

The Bitch: Knackered?
BA: Knackered! So I'm kinda knackered i just came back from Shanghai! So maybe I can incorporate that into a rhyme somewhere!

The Bitch: Gloria Gaynors Trainers?
BA: Gloria Gaynors Trainers! Hey that's not bad! I need to get me a good handful of phrases before I leave, so next time I'll have more to throw out!

The Bitch: How was China? What's the hip-hop crowd like out there?
BA: It was crazy! Every-time I travel and move to a new country, I'm just blown away at the global impact of hip-hop, to see that there are so many hip-hop heads all over the globe, people that are really thirsty to not only hear new hip-hop but also to practice all the different facets of the art-form. So it was really fun to go to a place like Forbidden City, like a big symphony hall, and bring a rap concert/hip-hop concert there and have people get out of their seats and start dancing - for me, in a communist country it was just crazy to see everybody just let it go and and let it all hang out, it was definitely a crazy feeling and one of our best shows!

The Bitch: So where's your favourite place to play in the whole entire world? Your favourite country to go to?
BA: Wow! There are so many I mean wow! There are so many, that we just try to rock every place we go, I mean Budapest was really crazy, we played there...But, Paris...Paris, I mean, that's were I live now, that's were I rap now, so Paris is always crazy for sure.

The Bitch: What about the French hip hop scene are you still enjoying that?
BA: Yeah yeah its cool, for me its really hard to get into, cus I don' t understand I'm starting to understand more and more the slang.

I'm just starting to get to the point where I can understand all the slang and nuances, and the rhyme, I'm starting to get more into it, but from a musical stand point, there's a lot of interesting things going on, like groups that are playing with musicians - like us, groups that are doing things with djs and multiple djs, there's a lot of crazy things going on...

The Bitch: Right, so we'll just wrap this up now, cus I am sure you are really busy, but before I go I have some silly questions for you...

The Bitch:What's your dirty music secret? What's the music that you listen to and don't tell anyone that you listen to? Like mine's Dolly Parton...
BA: Oh man! Er...I have to think...What would be a dirty secret?! I mean there's so much stuff that I like, but I like it, it's not even like a dirty secret to me. So i don't know.

The Bitch: Is it the Spice Girls?!
BA: Not so much the Spice Girls!

The Bitch: Come on everyone's got a terrible track!
BA: I can listen to Phil Collins sometimes..I don't know if that's a dirty secret or not...haha!

The Bitch: Do you say zucchini or courgette?
BA: Zucchini...Zucchini

The Bitch:What would your porn star name be?
BA: Ohhh ohhh!!! Ohhh!! Ohhh! If I was a porno star, I would be Young Slick hahahaha!

The Bitch: Well we've taken up enough of your time Mr. Assailant, it was very nice to meet you.
BA: Hope you guys enjoy the show!

The Bitch: We will do - hope you have a good gig, hope you enjoy it, do you think there'll be any French people here?
BA: Don't know, I mean, I hope so, if there are so French people here Bienvenue!

The Bitch: What kind of crowd you expecting?
BA: Hopefully there'll be some BA fans here, and hopefully there will be some people who will just be discovering what we do tonight.

To me either way its a pleasure, I like to share my music with people, so if people can come tonight and discover what we do that's great and if we can play for our real hardcore fans, that's even better so you know everybody's welcome tonight!

If you want to see what The Bitch thought of the show click here.

MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS NO.9: Hana Hattori's Wacky Japanese Obsession!

Up and coming fashion designer Hana Hattori divulges her darkest musical secrets. She's at the front wearing the bunny ears and one of her own creations in the picture.
If you want to find out more about her clothes and where you can buy them then have a look at her website, but for now sit back and get ready for a whole new world of music that is about to open up right before your very eyes. Over to you Hana:

I work in my studio everyday either making new designs, patterns, samples or constructing a garment, which gives me all day to listen to music.

I love to sing along when I listen and work. Out of all the music I listen to everyday, the group that's been played heavily on my ipod would be Linda Yamamoto, Pink Lady, (pictured below, check out the music video at the end of the article too!) and Rebecca.

I tend to listen to lots of Japanese group and bands from 60's, 70's and 80's. Most people would find these music "wacky", even my mom and friends think it's weird that I love listening to those music! But the "wacky" definition goes with my personality and, the fun part of wackiness goes into my designs, and what those songs give to the listeners are somewhat like what I hope the wearers of my designs would feel in my clothes.

They are very fun to listen and sing along to. And the 60's, and 70's I feel, has so much hope and joy in the unreal world that listeners create in their heads. I love the era, and the clothes they wore - what we'd call today "vintage".

Listening to this music while working on dresses always put me in a good mood, and makes me very happy, which, again is the way I want people to feel in my creations!


SEE: Pink Lady 'UFO':

Musical Inspirations NO.8: Shugmonkey likes Acid, a lot!

Originally posted on 11 September 2008:

The enigmatic Shugmonkey managed to stand still for more than 2 seconds to talk to Vainzine. He is a wonderful artist / designer and musician and has rather a lot to say for himself.

On first meeting Shug you would be forgiven in thinking you just stepped inside a Dickens novel. The cocky, mischievous street urchin comes shining through and in a pub, club or house party you need only look for a group of bodies huddled around an energetic little character. Reeling off tales of near scrapes, insane adventures and good times had. The yarns told with a cheeky wit backed by animated hand movements and exaggerated impressions of the characters he's known over the years. His audience always left in stitches and with an image of a fiery little individual ingrained in the mind. Shug is always full of surprises and once you get past the naughty wideboy persona you enter a whole new level of character.
His interests are vast. Lord Bryon, Byzantium, The 18th Century Underworld, World War One, the paranormal, 1920-30's gangsters and silent film stars to name just a few. His house is stacked with books, CDs and records. Obsessive collections of so many genres and to top that his music studio is crammed with all varieties of keyboards, drum machines and noise making equipment. Sketchbooks and paper are all around filled with ideas and doodles. You start to get an idea of what Shug is actually about.

In 1999 Shug graduated from art school with a B.A. (Hons) degree in Graphic Design/Illustration. While at art school he learnt about making electronic music from other students. Seeing the use of the computer as a serious tool in the future of art and music, Shug set off creating under the name of shugmonkey (taken from an East Anglian legend, the Shug Monkey.) Shug is known for his illustration. Blending old and new, East and West, he is at times hard to pin down for artwork. Working on his emotions and feelings rather than a production line approach, Shug often turns down commissions due to the fact that he ain't into to at the moment.

His music is also a varied pallet. World fusion, hip hop, techno, acid house and anything else he feels in the mood for. Adding his own distinctive take on all he does it's clear he belongs to no scene and is seriously underground. "If someone suggested we do a track that consisted of a Romany brass band, Berber singers, Gamelan orchestra and a Mongolian throat artist doing the bass, I'd be up for that ha! You have to play around you know, it's creatively healthy but so many people worry about fitting in, they don't try other stuff out of fear of being rejected or some crap." Shug's list of admirers spread from the local Joe on the street to DJ's, fellow producers, bands, singers, dancers and actresses. His street, no messing about attitude has kept him down to earth and respected. Like the artwork, he has turned down opportunities in the music world he simply wasn't into. When he says it's not about the money, you truly believe the little big man.

Shug is constantly busy creating. He hooked up with world fusion giants Transglobal Underground last year to add a few vocals to a track from their latest album. From that, and with TGU member Hamid Mantu, the pair went on to produce a track for a Tribal bellydance compilation compiled by DJ Phil Meadley. The duo are currently working on a new track for another compilation. Shug is also making more acid and rave themed music which he grew up with as a teenager. His style gives a nod more to the oldskool while adding his own take on things. "Some producers are doing some wicked stuff with Acid at the moment. Yeah ok with IDM comes a few rich blokes at times trying to be geezers but I'm old skool and am happy with that. Baby Ford, Bizarre Inc, 808 State and Altern 8, you now what I mean? To me that type of music was about having a good time out and forgetting the daily grind. That's what I like to think of when I make it but as far as the IDM vibe goes, big ups to the people mashing up the original format."

Although Shug's life seems to be taken up in a creative tidal wave more often than not, there is one thing that always remains. If you meet him and you get on and it's pretty hard not to get on with him, he will always take the time to stop and talk. He likes nothing more than a good laugh. He doesn't play the artist, he was born it and if anything he does play, then it's the fool, but makes sure we all have a good time in dong so. It's true in saying never judge a book by its cover.

Previous Musical Inspirations can be found by clicking the links below:

Musical Inspirations: Arabella Proffer and The Church's 'Priest = Aura'

Originally posted 17 Sept 2007:

If you have had the misfortune not to have heard of Arabella Proffer, or feast your rather privileged eyes on her work then your suffering has finally finished and you can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
The Fourth in the Musical Inspirations series sees Arabella enlighten us on the inspirations behind the two paintings featured as well as her wider aims and ambitions in her art projects.
"The portrait series I've been working on as of late brings together my interests in fashion, decadence, rich paintings, and older cultures. Of course I like to make them my own, and always wondered what it would be like if goths and punks left proper portraits as part of some legacy. Most counter-culture fashions and movements are so widely accepted now, I thought about what it would be like if aristocrats and royalty adopted the fashion as well."
Arabella told Vainzine the music that inspired her to create the two Portraits featured.

"In the beginning stages I always like to listen to something eerie or dark; for years and years I have had The Church 'Priest=Aura on loop for everything, as it has been aptly described as grand, goth and atmospheric. I found it very appropriate when tackling these two portraits at first."
The course of true love, or in this case great art does not run smooth as Arabella professed experiencing during the Creation of the two pieces.

"But then, I had to change gears halfway through. I wasn't used to doing larger portraits and it was taking a toll on me physically and just draining me all around. So what better way to get through it and stay awake than with some glam riffs? Particularly the Velvet Tinmine (Pictured left) compilation. I also found it appropriate that while working on the tartan clothing, a band on the CD called Tartan Horde, does a funny little song called "Bay City Rollers We Love You". So, while I may have started out with The Church, I ended up with songs by Iron Virgin and Ricky Wilde. A strange turn, but hey, it got the job done didn't it?"
So It is with great admiration and thanks that we bid a fond farewell, but not goodbye to Arabella who will be exhibiting in October for those of you lucky enough to live in the States. For more details visit her website, it will surely be an event not to be missed.

Musical Inspirations: Daniel Hyun Lim and the Shins 'Caring is Creepy'

Originally posted 15 July 2007:

The first of Daniel's Musical inspirations came from The Shins 'Caring is Creepy'. Vainzine asked him about the inspirations behind the drawing;

'I listened to The Shin's "Caring is Creepy" 47 times! After a while, I was going crazy. This piece was done with a theme in mind. Its for a book called Raise Up Vol 3. but I do have to say that the Shins really influenced me with this one. Especially the title "Caring is Creepy". What a great title!

For more information on Daniel and his art visit his website or Andrew Micheal Ford Gallery.

FEATURE: Hot Young Things: Billie Porter on Modelling, Journalism, Music & Vice

Originally Posted on 21 January 2009:

Hot Young Things continues this month with the rather special darling known as Billie Porter. Now the whole point of this feature is for you to find out about up coming and emerging new talent across arts, music and media from around the world and boy does Billie have talent in abundance.

She's a bit of a jack-of-all-trades having worked in music promotion, blogging, modelling and journalism but we wont spoil this wonderful interview you'll just have to read it yourself you lazy blighters. Vainzine's CTZN V41N posed the questions...

You said you are very young, it's not unusual for people in the music industry to start out young, I was DJing in nightclubs when I was 17. Just how old are you and how did you get into booking bands at 14?

I went to an underage new years eve party in an abandoned office block. I paid a stupid amount to get in, then the host shut the thing down an hour or so before the turn, and chucked hundreds of kids on the street. It meant I spent new years in a strangers house on a space hopper, so I sent a scathing email to the guy who ran it asking for my money back. When he refused I threatened to report him to health and safety. I was being a huge brat, basically. But it got his attention... I started seeing him at shows and stuff and he apologised and we sort of forgot about the new years saga.. then once when I was broke I did some flyering for him. Pretty ironic I guess.
My involvement just increased really gradually, by the end of it I was doing sell-out shows for 700 kids or something, it was a really good experience.

I've just left school... so I'm sixteen. Or am I? I lie to everyone I meet about how old I am.

Yes I noticed you told Eleanor Morgan the same thing for the piece in Dazed & Confused on Platform. Are you really the Fashion Editor? Hows everything going with that? I mean it's aimed at teenagers but I actually found some of the articles interesting. Am I allowed to read it being 26 or is that too old?

Yeah, I am the Fashion Editor, but I guess the term is used pretty loosely when in relation to a youth website. I'm adamant that all the fashion features should be interesting to people who aren't necessarily concerned with style or what's in or out. For example, the Girls in their Ex's Clothes piece. Its more of a story than a fashion editorial, even though it was styled. It was received really well, buy people of all backgrounds, but that might just be because I chose loads of hot girls.

Fashion writing doesn't have to be as black and white as it has been in the past, I think readers want to be moved by an article as well as impressed by the aesthetics of the relating photos/items. I'm about to start working on a really unique fashion project with Vice, which should be cool.

Platform is aimed at young people, and we have a really young editorial team, but I think that the reality is that the audience is pretty broad. Some of the content is about issues directly relating to kids but a music piece is a music piece; you can enjoy music at any age, you can enjoy music journalism at any age. Just don't start grooming any of our members.

Ha Ha, we wont, promise! The Ex's Clothes piece is cool, it is rather Vicey - do you think that's why they asked you to work with them? How did that come about? What about you, will we see you modelling in the future? You have a unique look, how would you describe it?

We share an office with Vice, and I contributed to the blog with an article about how I crippled my boss. It was received pretty well so I've been invited to work on a new project.

I'd like to model, yeah. I'm too short to be signed to an agency, but I've had fun doing bits and pieces for people. Hopefully that will continue. Modelling certainly isn't a career aspiration for me, but it would be a great hobby.

Its difficult to describe my style; I'm constantly going through phases. I go through periods of basically living in a certain item, then I'll completely change my mind. I dress according to my mood - I go to work in my pyjamas if I feel like crap.

I often go to work in my boxers and dressing gown, I guess I'm lucky that I work at home or I might get arrested. So you are working in the music industry right now, do you see yourself staying with that? You must have your ear to the ground, got any tips for up and coming new acts that our readers should be checking out?

Yeah, I would imagine so. Want to keep my options open though. La Roux, The Invisible, Leif, I Blame Coco, Heartbreak.

I just checked your Justice Video out - That was laugh out loud funny - the puberty question is gold. Was he being for real at the end when he said no one cared about your questions?

He was drunk as hell, just taking the piss. He'd been trying relentlessly to make me sing for ages. I'm sure he was semi-erect by the end of my performance.

INTERVIEW: Hayden Black on life, music and the LA club scene

Originally posted on 31 January 2009:

The man behind web TV sensations Goodnight Burbank and Abigails X-Rated Teen Diary took time out from his hectic schedule in LA to talk to Vainzine's CTZN V41N...

Hi Hayden, Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us, what I think most of our readers really want to know is why does Abigail like F'in K-Fed so much?

Abigail doesn't get much love from her friends these days (well YOU grow a beard when you're a 13 year old girl and see how many besties you have around), so she finds a lot of adoration on the net. She loves it when people add her to their Facebook and MySpace pages and she REALLY loves it when her heroes add her too. That's what she means when she says "f'in", by the way - she means "Friendin'". Get your mind out of the f'in gutter.

Ha ha, I guess it must be tough at that age to have a clue about what music to like. What's floating your boat musically speaking right now Hayden?

My boat is currently being kept aloft by (in no particular order): Mary Onettes Little Boots Hot Chip Divine Comedy Jim Noir The Bird & The Bee Ladyhawke Friendly Fires Calvin Harris Last Shadow Puppets Robert Plant & Alison Kraus

i could go on but you get the idea. perennial faves include Saint Etienne, Crowded House, Tears For Fears and the Pet Shop Boys.

That's quite a diverse range. How important is music to you, and have you always been into a lot of different stuff?

Music has always been very important to me and had the wind been blowing in a different direction when I was a teen I may have wound up in a band and not writing/acting. Everything comes full circle though, so I'm actually going to be mining that particular vein in a brand new series that I'm shooting a pilot for later this month. It's a sci-fi musical comedy - sort of like Hitchhikers Guide meets the Mighty Boosh - called the Cabonauts. It takes place in a spacecab and we're doing the whole thing on green screen and CGI. Each episode will have a unique song (that I've written) sung by professional singers like Monique Young and Norm Thoeming (I will most likely sing-speak my lines). We're also bringing in the uber-talented Ramie Becker who'll be choreographing each track along with her amazing dance troupe R.A.I.D. They perform at clubs here in LA, most notably BootieLA and are just amazing.

In terms of what I like musically, if it's got a melody I'm there. Great lyrics and a good production are icing on the cake. A track I can't get off my iPod at the moment is Ida Corr & Feddy Le Grande's "Let Me Think About It". Ramie turned me on to it and I can't play it enough (the video is amazing too - Check it here).

The Cabonauts sounds amazing - very excited to hear more about that when the pilot has been done. Speaking of clubs in LA. What's the club scene like over there? A lot of our readers, myself included - have yet to get over there so some insiders tip would be great!?

The club scene is alive and well. Bootie LA - which specializes in mashups, Dragstrip (which, i suppose, specializes in gender mashups), etc etc. So many places, so many scenes, so much music. There seems to be a circus theme invading at the moment; big, fuck-off, steampunk circuses that is. There's a mad Edwardian-themed bash coming up at the end of Jan that I'm looking forward to.

In general, there's an eye on the law at the moment because since the Rave Act was passed, police are coming down on hard on parties that don't have alcohol licenses. They can hit the hosts of the party (or whomever owns the place it's being held in) with fines in the tens of thousands so there's definitely a paranoia to get things done "properly".

Yeah the whole 'properly' thing blows! The music scene seems to just be getting bigger and bigger right now, it's hard to keep up! Going back to you and your career, how did you get into doing Goodnight Burbank and Abigails and do you have some serious financial backing?

To be honest, the whole Goodnight Burbank/Abigail/everything that's followed thing happened randomly. I'd always been a writer - I had been toiling away at the networks (ABC, WB, NBC, etc) producing their on-air promos but I never cared for it. In Jan 2006 I took an improv class when someone in the room said they had access to a green screen studio so we could shoot something for the internet if we wanted. And it all went from there. I'd never acted in my life, I didn't think I was creating a business, etc, etc - I just thought "ooh, fun".

Within weeks, I'd formed my own production company - Evil Global Corp - and then spent the next 3 years going into debt. I'm happy to say that 2009 looks like it's going to be a great year financially. We're about to produce 20 brand new episodes of Goodnight Burbank for a video-based website (until ink is dry, I can't say who), the aforementioned Cabonauts pilot for a different video-based website (again, when ink is dry, announcements will be made), and we've got tons of other stuff in development - so I can start paying my debt off! You can keep an eye via the main hub, which will link to new shows as they launch.

So I guess it's true what they say about hard work being the key to success, and you have it in abundance! Hayden thanks for your time and honesty. I've got an idea for a show based around a police dog and his cop who got injured on the job and both lost an eye which are then replaced by webcams so we can see their escapades from a POV shot. It's a bit like a modern day Turner and Hooch - any thoughts?

Love it! If you make the cop an outrageous queen you can call it "Web-camp".

FEATURE: Hot Young Things - Zanita the Model

Originally posted 3 December 2008:

Say hello to Zanita. She is the first in our new series of Hot Young Things designed to showcase up coming and emerging talent across the creative industries. She took some time out from her modelling career to talk talk to Citizen Vain...

How long have you been Modelling?

About 3 years

Have you always wanted to be a Model?

Yeah partly, I always read as many fashion magazines as I could when I was younger and loved the idea of being a model, but growing up in rural Western Australia I just always thought it was a pretty unrealistic ambition. When finished school I moved to Perth to study commerce and found an agency while I was walking in the city and just walked in. I couldn't believe it when they told me they'd be willing to sign me. I felt like I’d won the lottery!

What are the best and worst things about your job?

The best thing is certainly the fashion and working with new people in new places all the time, there’s always something new to do and the travel is amazing. The worst thing about modelling is definitely the unreliability of the work, sometimes you'll have a bumper season and then other times the work can really dry up.

Out of everything you have done Model-wise what's your favourite pose / photo?

I carry around a heavy portfolio every single day with professional pictures of myself and I get so tired of seeing them all over and over again! I guess one of my favourites at the moment is this shot for Instyle Australia (see pic right) because it’s fairly recent. I was freezing cold and had to do my best to look like I was sitting in hot weather.

How would describe your look?

Farmyard chic!

What inspires your look?

I'd say I take my inspiration comes from things all around me, the fashion media, people on the street, designers, musicians. I really just go with whatever catches my eye.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Who knows! With my choice of career path it’s really tough to make plans. I haven’t really thought much about what I’d like to do after modelling because I’m enjoying how things are right now... I'd like to continue working in fashion.

What inspired you to start your blog?

My friend Susie introduced me to fashion blogs about six weeks ago when I previously hadn’t heard anything about them. Reading blogs like fashiontoast, luluandyourmom and karlascloset I became completely addicted. Susie encouraged me and helped me get my blog started up. I love the creative outlet; fashion blogging is a lot of fun. Even if I wasn’t blogging I still have to get dressed up everyday for castings and work. It’s like two birds, one stone.

When I was younger I used to keep a diary. Do you think that blogging is essentially a contemporary form of diary keeping, in that it is essentially something one does for oneself?

You could definitely compare some blogging to keeping a diary - I feel my blog is more of a catalogue of my own style, taking inspirations from current trends and translating them into everyday life. Most blogging is far more diverse than keeping a diary because of the wide audiences they reach and the variation of the themes, a lot of successful blogs are just catering to what their readers would want.

Apart from your own blog what websites and blogs could you not live without?

Vainzine of course! I also love myspace for finding new music and style.com is my go to for the show seasons. At the moment I love chictopia.com, lookbook.nu and streetstyl.es for scouting original styling and I mustn't forget Igor and Andre, a brilliant blog by an artist friend that continues to inspire me daily.

You are too kind! Going back to Fashion, apart from Zanita, who / what should we be looking out for in 2009?

At the moment I’m into sheer fabrics and nude coloured garments, soft tailoring is a trend this season that looks great on everyone. I also can’t wait to see how amazing collections of Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, YSL and Givenchy translate onto the street.

A big thanks to Zanita for the interview and her insights into the world of fashion and medelling. You can catch her blog by clicking on the images in this feature or click here. If you want to be featured in the next Hot Young Things just get in touch with us.

INTERVIEW: Hype Machine's Zoya Feldman talks to Vainzine

This interview was with Hype Machines Zoya Feldman and was originally posted 19 May 2009:

Hype Machine's Zoya Feldman took a few minutes of of her busy schedule to talk to Vainzine's CTZN V41N. Here's what she had to say for herself...

CV: You do design work for Hypem if I'm not mistaken? Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do...
ZF: I've designed graphics for the Hype Machine since 2005, mostly at night, and I design for a CD manufacturer during business hours. So I'm chin-deep in music all day long, and it definitely enters my personal work, too.
CV: Which Piece of your own work are you most pleased with and why?

ZF: I became obsessed with a Big Black song last year, and as it played on repeat and I listened to the words over and over, I started to write them out. I made dozens of little posters of the lyrics, and now my friends have them hanging in their living room — and they don't even listen to Big Black.

CV: Does music influence your work outside of Hypem?

ZF: The Bazooka Joe project was a cool experiment in lettering, and very helpful in getting that song out of my head. My favourite piece, though, is our first t-shirt, because I think it really illustrates what the Hype Machine does — aggregates and amplifies the reach of music on the web. We only made about 100 of these, and I shipped each one myself. That's also why we only made 100.

CV: I'm not surprised, otherwise I'm guessing you would still be shipping them out! So with the decline of CD manufacturing and growth in MP3 where do you see yourself and the music design industry as a whole going in the next few years?

ZF: Well, now that people need more incentive than just music to buy a CD, music packaging has actually become incredibly elaborate. Rhymesayers is always coming up with really innovative ways to showcase their product, and it's pretty cool to see just how many ways you can put a disc in a box. Vinyl is also seeing a huge resurgence, especially with digital download cards, so I think people will continue to pay for a physical copy of an album if it looks as good as it sounds.

CV: What are you own personal aspirations?

ZF: If that doesn't work out, I can always focus on realizing my dream of opening a bookstore/flower shop/craft store/cafe/bar. It'd be a one-stop shop, really, and we'd just play the Hype Machine front page all day, because that's so eclectic too.

CV: Your up & coming tracks of 2009?

ZF: I'm loving the Burial/Four Tet split right now, but the best band I've discovered this year (on our front page, of course) was Beast, Please Be Still, a phenomenal instrumental/post-rock group. When I ordered their CD, they sent it to me with a hand-drawn note — can't get that in a torrent ;)

A massive thank you to Zoya for taking some time out for us. If you want to see more of Zoya's work visit her personal website Exxaggerrated.com.