HybridLab Who?
Are you a musician/artist/designer? interested in widening your fan base? or hankering after your own career in media?
HybridLab is a unique social enterprise set up by charity IEA (Innovative Enteprise Action). We profile unsigned artists for free. Check out www.hybridlab.org/featuredartist/
aboutus.php for more info, and get in touch! HybridLab is about promoting you and the work that you do. We are different from other organisations as we focus on the individuals behind their work, giving a more personal approach to promotion. We also have a featured artist every fortnight check out www.hybridlab.org/featuredartist |
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Edgy
&
idiosyncratic
Glitter & Twisted
I met accessories designer Mandi Martin at her new home near Brick Lane in London’s East End. Having just moved in she was surrounded by boxes and yet had created a small work bench and was fast at work finishing new necklaces and broaches. Much more than a designer, Mandi began her career as a 16 year old girl making her own jewellery. A local designer noticed her wearing the work and soon she was taken onboard as an assistant. From there she worked for unforgettable 80’s label Pink Soda and was eventually head hunted by high-end designer - Wendy Dagworthy - who supplied clients such as Liberty of London. Graduating to design director Mandi then left Wendy Dagworthy and returned to her original employer for 4 years acting again as design director. Unlike most creatives Mandi then took the unusual step of becoming involved with the sciences and completed a four-year medical degree. Brings new meaning to the phrase career change! In the end it wasn’t a career change and just an exploration: throughout the course Mandi continued to provide consultancy on a freelance basis for high street stores such as Pilot, NewLook and Stussy. Today Mandi successfully runs her own label, Glitter & Twisted, here each item is drawn by hand and transferred to Illustrator before being sent for production. Her flat perspex pieces are edgy and idiosyncratic and with small production numbers it’s unlikely you’ll have to share the limelight when you wear one out.
www.myspace.com/glitter_and_twisted
www.glitter-and-twisted.com
by Claire Quinn
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London's most famous venue
Marquee Club review
Mention the Marquee club to any music lover and they can tell you about its unequalled reputation as London’s most famous live music venue. Over the past fifty years it has inhabited six locations and played host to many music legends; including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Joy Division and U2. The club’s glittering history traverses every musical genre ranging from jazz, rhythm & blues, rock, heavy metal, punk and now new wave.
Its latest home can be found at 14 Upper St Martin’s Lane, Leicester Square. The venue is big and airy with lounge style squashy sofas and wooden furniture on the ground floor with a giant TV to one side of a long, well lit bar. Unusually for a music venue there is an extensive wine menu to accompany the more familiar beers and spirits. Black and white framed photographs of music legends adorn the walls alongside other memorabilia from the club’s rich history. A spiral staircase leads to the basement band room where a replica stage has been created to emulate the feel of the Wardour street venue, the original white and red marquee logo hangs as a back drop to this. The wooden dance floor accommodates around 150 and is served by a small corner bar. This is a well-designed venue for live music with undoubtedly good vibes.
www.themarqueeclub.co .uk
By Claudia Bronda
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Mark Mathews
Indie popster Mark Mathews is through to the regional semis of the Live & Unsigned Music Awards. This National music competition attracted over 10,000 registrations in 2007 and is the biggest music talent search in Britain after certain TV programmes! With categories of Best Individual Female, Male and Best Live & Unsigned band, Mark will perform live at the regionals in Southampton on 23rd February. The overall adult winner(s) of the competition receive a recording and management contract with Future Music and an investment of up to £20,000 towards the release of their single. In addition the winner will receive media coverage through television, radio and press and will be invited on the UK Live and Unsigned Tour. The Tour itself involves as many as 100 gigs across the UK including the chance to perform live at some well known festivals.
www.myspace.com/markmathews
by Claire Quinn
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Nathalie Miranda
The perfect band
After looking for a band, Nathalie Miranda has finally found the perfect funk/soul outfit. Funk Factor is a six-piece band that includes guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, sax and vocals and it can be enlarged with the addition of trumpet, brass, percussion and backing vocals. With rehearsals underway Nathalie is looking forward to gigging with them. So are we!
www.myspace.com/nathaliemiranda2
by Eliza Pasvati
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Surianne
New single
‘Where the Dolphins Dance’ is the name of Surianne’s new song. Now available to hear on both her website and myspace. As ever, she has saturated the track with her own unique take on Latin rhythms. Originally from southern Europe her choice of passionate guitar accompaniment and melodious vocals easily inspire feelings of warm summer nights and Mediterranean moods.
www.myspace.com/surianne
by Eliza Pasvati
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Tensheds
New EP available at Fopp
Since winning the PRS Foundation Unsigned Award for New Music 2007/2008 Matt Millership - aka Tensheds -has been a busy happy boy. The award gave Matt access to 4 days in a professional recording studio where he cut his second EP. Now completed the EP- Save the Album – is available nationwide in Fopp stores. An EP launch in Dingwalls kicked the week off: Matt is now due to play with 80’s pop lothario Paul Young on 8th and a further instore performance at Fopp in Manchester on 14th. You can see Tensheds’ acoustic-folk at a string of gigs running until the end of March or catch Matt in residency at the Living Room in Oxford.
www.myspace.com/tensheds
by Claire Quinn |
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