We recently caught up with artist/graphic designer/all round nice guy Mark Drew to chat with him about his new clothing label Chronic outh which drops in a few select Australian boutique stores this week. We asked Mark to tell us a bit of the back story and to choose three tracks that helped inspire and shape the label. This is what he had to say! -
I’ve been based in Tokyo for 3 years now. After doing China Heights in Sydney for so long, I wanted to step back and focus on my own work. I’m still involved in the gallery and regularly participate in group exhibitions here and back home, and over time realised that there wasn’t much difference in the artwork I was making for those shows, and tshirt graphics. If I’m not working on a job, or hanging out, I am thinking about what personal project to do next, so this was going to happen sooner or later. Same story as everyone who does an independent tshirt label, just felt like I wanted to make the kind of things that me and my friends would wear, and if other people liked it too, then that’s great, and will allow the label to grow. Half of my income is from graphic design (the other half from artwork), and with client jobs there is always a bit of back and forth, so doing this on my own means I can make things exactly how I want. Almost everything I have produced in the last six or seven years (paintings, zines, screenprints, graphics for other companies etc) has had music based references, which is where the name CHRONIC OUTH comes from - and that’s basically the concept of the brand. Referencing the music and associated culture that I love. This first drop is just for Australia, having arrived in stores THIS WEEK! Australian stockists are Spares in Melbourne, Halfsleeve in Sydney, and 1Up in Perth. The official webstore and Japanese retail are planned for 2013.
As for the music, I still listen to probably 70% of the same stuff from when I was in high school, when the albums were dropping for the first time. Those crates are pretty deep, so let me choose 3 quick gems for you!
Nas ft. AZ - Lifes A Bitch (Arsenal Remix)
I love Illmatic as an album, and it gets regular play. For a long time I had forgotten about this version, and lately it came up at a club night I was at here in Tokyo. Not just the new pace of the remix, but having AZ’s verse come in pretty much the second it starts gives it such a “get to work” feel. Motivational stuff!
The Pharcyde- Soul Flower (Remix)
Can’t pass this one by… I saw Fatlip, Slim Kid Tre and J-Sw!ft perform the entire “Bizarre Ride” album live last weekend (twice!). I don’t think a month has gone by in 20 years that I haven’t listened to it. Maybe during my psy-trance stage in ‘97? Anyway, you can’t have a bad day when you listen to Soul Flower.
Tha Dogg Pound - “ Puffin On Blunts And Drankin’ Tanqueray”
No matter how much I remember myself as an East Coast guy, its actually a pretty even split. And that’s the theme of one of the CTYO prints - EAST and WEST. This West Coast gem was hidden for a long time and bumps hard. It may have a repetitive feel to some people, but personally, I have it ON repeat.
Shouts to CHINA HEIGHTS, THE SERPS, and FOR THE HOMIES. One what? One love!
-Mark Drew
