The new One Small Seed is out, and it is looking SO HOT! New larger format, new design, awesome content,, congratulations to the team!
Check out on pg. 18 a really nice article about Rattex and his upcoming album ‘Bread and Butter’, in the shops October 15th. Apartment Studios was commissioned to shoot Rattex for this article. Here is the results of our night time meanders..
Get your copy now!
Enjoy :)
www.onesmallseed.com
www.pioneerunit.com
www.apartmentstudios.net
Ben Sharpa’s album cover by Apartment (Art direction, photography & design)
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It’s time to B. Sharpa!!
Once in a while an artist comes along with the vision and ability to turn a genre on its head whilst taking it back to its roots. Ben Sharpa has achieved this with his debut solo offering, B. Sharpa, an iconic album that pays homage to the best socially conscious lyrical traditions of hip hop whilst innovating a completely fresh sound that Sharpa himself calls ‘robot army music’…
Read more
Download the B Sharpa Press Kit (510k)
Tracklisting here
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Hegemony video
5ive Fingers video
Hegemony live in Cape Town
Off the Rails live in Cape Town
B to the E live in Cape Town
Ben Sharpa on Myspace
Ben Sharpa on Facebook
Join the Pioneer Unit Facebook group
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Note to media: For more information, artist biogs, press photos, audio samples and other press opportunities, please contact Damian at Pioneer Unit.
E-mail: pioneerunit [at] gmail [dot] com
Call: +27 (83) 658 8921.
For distribution enquiries, please contact Soul Candi:
E-mail: leyton [at] soulcandidistribution [dot] co [dot] za.
Call: +27 (0)11 880 5662.
Rattex’s album cover by Apartment (Art direction, photography & design). Additional post-prod by Stéphane Giner
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It’s time for the son of the ghetto to light up the nation!!
Rattex fulfills the promise so much South African hip hop has failed to deliver by serving up one of the tightest, most complete and relevant albums of its genre ever released on the continent. Rattex, or Rah to his friends and fans, brings his own unique variety of deadly lyrical poison to the South African hip hop game with his debut solo album, Bread and Butter.
Read more
Download the Bread and Butter Press Kit (433k)
Track listing
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Bread and Butter video
Rattex on Myspace
Rattex on Facebook
Join the Pioneer Unit Facebook group
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Note to media: For more information, artist biogs, press photos, audio samples and other press opportunities, please contact Damian at Pioneer Unit.
E-mail: pioneerunit [at] gmail [dot] com
Call: +27 (83) 658 8921.
For distribution enquiries, please contact Soul Candi:
E-mail: leyton [at] soulcandidistribution [dot] co [dot] za.
Call: +27 (0)11 880 5662.
Fashion photographers Petrovsky & Ramone come to La.
xoxo
LOVE P&R
Shot by Apartment at The Realist’s rehearsal session in preparation for their upcoming performance at Earth Dance this Saturday 13 September.
Alainite from Enmity
Kid Clever and Sinister Dexter
TOB
Click to enlarge
Love Ferklint‘s photographic work :)
Fuente
Escuadron 201
Chapuletpec
Lenguas Romances
(Click to enlarge)
Rattex / Press shot
(Click to enlarge)
There’s a nice feature on The Realist in the latest issue of One Small Seed.
“The Realist deals in bruising combustible beats, caustic rhymes and moments of jarring beauty.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Go and buy One Small Seed, it’s definitely one of SA’s best publications.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Photos by Apartment :)
Zwarte Lola was the first black woman who was a prostitute in the Amsterdam Red Light District years ago…right now she lives in Suriname. Her “office” was Stoofsteeg nº 6.
Friday the 18th of July we threw her a house-shaking party! Lola loves you all!
Hosted by the coolest of the cool Petrovsky & Ramone
Check out all the photos (and credits) from the party here!!!
(Not safe for work environment…)
Lola’s Pola’s by Mr. Mr. Olso Hilton
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We’re currently visiting our Amsterdam offices (in the Red Light District!) and enjoying a bit of a break.
Check out the photos of our trip on Flickr
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Kid Klever
Sinister Dexter
TOB / The Realist / Dplanet backstage
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We’re proud to show off our amended design for Rattex‘s 7784 mixtape cover!
At the first release we thought that having a front cover for a mixtape would be enough but we decided we’d like to share more of Rattex’s goodness. So we’ve made the cover double sided, and we’re rather pleased with the results!
Thanks to Digital Bureau for an awesome printing job and quick turnaround!
(click to enlarge)
• Order your copy now!
• Become a fan of Rattex on Facebook
• Rattex on myspace
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New Rattex photo by Apartment, for the back cover of his new mixtape 7784.
Order yours now!
(click to enlarge)
PS: Don’t forget to check out Pioneer Unit for Rattex’s new remixes, free to download!
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Super nice photography by yosigo!!! on flickr:
yum yum,,
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Whilst shooting the cover for Rattex’s Mixtape cover, we had a bit of fun and tried some extra shots and poses. Here is my absolute favourite photo of Rattex, from the mixtape shoot. Enjoy! :)
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Click to enlarge
Pioneer Unit commissioned Apartment to shoot and design Rattex’s much-anticipated 10-track mixtape, 7784,
It is ready to hit the streets and it’s pure kasi FIRE!!
Only R30 (+ postage)
so order your copy today!!
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Well, to round off a week of photography at Apartment we’re happy to present the press photos for The Realist. Read on for their bio and download free their new track Decay in Daisies.
The photos were shot outside the military base in Tamboerskloof. Sinister and Kid had been there before and we all loved the wall and the grimey but beautiful and cinematic feel of the place, perfect for The Realist.
On one of the shot we were joined by Ben Sharpa who features on 5 and half steps, another master production by The Realist.
Don’t forget to click on the photos to enlarge.
Click to enlarge
The Realist is here to tell it like it is. They are the political party that doesn’t want your vote. They are the religion that doesn’t want you kneeling at their altar. They are the uncomfortable truth that you don’t want to hear.
Taking no prisoners in their war of attrition against the superficiality and moral hypocrisy of polite society and popular culture, The Realist stay true to their name.
Part hip-hop crew, part rock group, The Realist is producer, The Triplet of Bellville (TO, and rappers Kid Clever and Sinister Dexter.
Wearing their anger and disgust like a badge of honour, The Realist defy genres with their bone-crushing fusion of glitch-hop and electronica. With the power of an apocalyptic opera, their sound is characterised by heavy electronic bass lines underpinning orchestral soundscapes layered with powerful lyrics and tortured death metal vocals.
Click to enlarge
TOB (Triplet of Bellville)
With influences ranging from Chopin, Grieg and Rachmaninov to Richard Devine, Amon Tobin and Autechre, TOB is the musical force behind The Realist. Always striving to push boundaries, TOB gives life, depth and emotion to his music by incorporating live instrumentation and vocalists.
TOB always seeks to evoke extreme emotions with his music. His background as a sound engineer ensures that The Realist’s sound is as technically pure as it is emotionally charged.
Sinister Dexter
Sinister Dexter‘s name is derived from the Latin words meaning ‘left’ and ‘right’ respectively. The classical roots of these words also imply ‘evil’ and ‘good’.
The theologian of the crew, Sinister Dexter seeks to explore the religious morality and blinkered conformity he experienced growing up in the Cape hinterland.
Labeled the dirty white rap machine gun, Sinister Dexter is the byproduct of modern society, a reflection of what the world has become. Unafraid to tackle taboos or speak his mind, you may wish to bury your head in the sand or look the other way, but Sinister Dexter will always be right there to remind you that life isn’t all blues skies and pretty flowers.
Kid Clever
Originally hailing from Kimberley, *Kid Clever, the self-proclaimed, ‘short sht with the biggest mouth in the business’, is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Always willing to put his life on the line to make a point, Kid Clever applies his razor-sharp street smarts to social ills of all kinds.
The vicious attack dog of the crew, Kid will battle anything that moves. With his ‘never say die’ attitude, even if you could outwit this Clever Kid, you’d never manage to silence him.
Click to enlarge
Download The Realist goodie pack now!
The Realist on myspace
The Realist on Facebook
Ben Sharpa, emcee
Dplanet, producer and Pioneer Unit CEO
Photo by Apartment
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Happy Friday to me :)
I just downloaded the latest track by The Realist,, big epic beat, feels like a dark movie soundtrack, loving it!
Because they’re really nice caring lovely people, they’ve also included some photos and lyrics to the download,, nice collector item.
Download The Realist goodie pack now!
The Realist on myspace
The Realist on Facebook
PS: Finishing touching up some press photo for The Realist, it’s look lush and tight, can’t wait to post them :)
Rattex in action, recording in the Pioneer Unit studios. Photo by Damian Stephens, click to enlarge
We’ve got another Spaza banger for you to download for FREE!
Rattex is on fire at right now,,, everything he touches turns to gold. Check out Love Hip Hop, a track dedicated to the one he loves - Hip Hop!
Love Hip Hop - Rattex - MP3 - (4.1Mb)
Love Hip Hop - Rattex - ZIP - (4.1Mb)
That’s how we rrrrrrrroll!!
(Click to view full size)
Apartment shot a new press photo for Ben Sharpa, to be added to his Sharpaganda campaign.
Catch him this summer in Europe, performing with Milanese:
• 6 June, Rotterdam
• 19 July, Extrema Festival
More info on www.myspace.com/milanese1
To be continued….
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Spaza shop / (Click to enlarge)
This photo was taken when Fred did a shoot in Khayelitsha for Spaza artist Middle Finga‘s EP cover - more photos here.
Pioneer Unit is working with another Spaza artist, Rattex:
“Rattex is now at the forefront of the new school of proudly South African rappers who understand that Hip Hop, more than any other musical art form, is about addressing important issues and representing where you’re from. It is therefore not suprising that Rattex is one of the pioneers of the ‘Spaza’ movement, where lyrics are performed in a combination of isiXhosa, English and Cape Flats slang.
(Click to enlarge)
Rattex has always been a true Cape Flats soldier, representing Khultcha (Khayelitsha) wherever he performs.”
Like at Mzoli’s a couple of weeks ago for the launch of Battle of Gugulethu Volume 2,,, check out the photos here,, the crowd went mad listening to his new tracks!!
(Click to enlarge)
Can’t wait to go back.
This time I’ll try chicken feet and maybe a smiley (if I’m a bit tipsy!!)
More about Spaza
Wikipedia: Spaza shop is an informal business in South Africa usually run from home. They serve as convenience shops and sell everyday small household items. These shops grew as a result of sprawling townships that made travel to formal shopping places more difficult or expensive. They have also served the purpose of supplementing household incomes of the owners.
Next week we’ll be shooting The Realist for their press kit,, Should be as epic as their sound,,
Check them out on:
- Pioneer Unit / The Realist
- The Realist myspace page, where they have a couple of HOT tracks available.
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and it was damn cool and funny!
When I first met Nikola Tosic, he was quite chunky and wearing bright loud designer shirts. Two years ago, he came back to Cape Town with no body fat whatsoever,, obviously we asked about what brought on the change and he replied: “Triathlon!”
Since then he’s been addicted, running blogs for the discipline, training programmes and taking part in competitions.
So he asked us to take a few shots for a new magazine called Endorphinum.
For full article and full size photos, check out Endorphinum - the article starting page 140.
Photos by Anne-Sophie, layout, concept and copy by Nikola.
If you have a mo, check out his others sites:
Nekada
Educational Sticker
Personality Stereotypes
Newslose
Meet in a nice restaurant
and more…
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So simple, so sleek, I heart Sleeveface!
one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion
Sleeveface on Flickr | Sleeveface on Facebook
Sleeveface rocks!
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After a busy week of recording with Ben Sharpa, we just about had time to shoot the cover for his forthcoming EP which will be released in Europe to promote his tour in June.
The concept of the EP cover is that Ben is under surveillance by secretive forces for his anti-establishment views. We created a fictitious journey for him that started in the centre of Cape Town and ended up at the airport, shooting him covertly from various hiding places.
Anne-Sophie directed the shoot and took the photos. She got some great shots so expect another amazing cover!
Here are some snaps from behind the scenes…
The car park shot (click for larger image).
Anne-Sophie shoots Ben (click for larger image).
Watching Ben in the car park (click for larger image).
Posing in the car park (click for larger image).
Watching (click for larger image).
Watching Ben at the airport (click for larger image).
Chilling during the shoot (click for larger image).
WoOooo,, just got our beautifully printed promo posters for Pioneer Unit tees.
The posters will be up in SHELFLIFE, SA’s premier graffiti supply, streetwear and sneaker store who will be stocking our hot Pioneer Unit tees during the festive season.
PS: Thanks to Digital Bureau for such great prints at low price and quick turnaround, Mitch, you are a star!
Our glam photographic friends in Amsterdam, Petrovsky & Ramone, were recently interviewed on rtl.net about their outstanding photographic work.
Check out the interview here by clicking on Petrovsky & Ramone.
Ben Sharpa in Cosmo magazine? Yeah, you read it right - the one and only Ben Sharpa aka Oh Kaptin My Kaptin is elevating South African Hip Hop to new heights (and his solo album ain’t even out yet!).
Support local Hip Hop and go and buy yourself a copy of the December 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. Our very own Ben Sharpa is featured in a piece called SA Stars Going Global. It’s on page 49 of the Cosmo Rocks section. There’s a nice photo of Rhianna on the cover, you can’t miss it
Rhianna on the cover (click for larger image).
SA Stars Going Global (click for larger image).
Sound Ambassadors (click for larger image). Photo by Apartment Studios.
Article text (click for larger image).
Going global. That’s how we rrrrrrrrrroll!!
Join the Pioneer Unit Facebook group for all the latest news!
New Dirty Skirts site by Hello Computer.
Hot band from Cape Town. Good combo of “electro” and usual rock sounds,, makes you feel like a glamorous model when you listen to it! ;) Can’t wait to get the CD and go on a road trip!
Join the Dirty Skirts Facebook group here
New video!
The Dirty Skirts | Homewrecker | Directed by Christoff Vermeulen from Tokyo.
Music photography by Jarrad Nelson
Petrovsky&Ramone, represented by Eric Elenbaasare producing incredible photograhic work and are travelling the world doing it! Their approach to fashion shoots is quirky, fresh, off the wall and very representative of this duo’s way of life.
From the Pioneer Unit site:
"A couple of weeks ago Anne-Sophie from Apartment Applied Visual Arts took to the streets of Cape Town to shoot <a href="http://www.archetypesmusic.com">Archetypes</a> for the <a href="http://www.pioneerunit.com">Pioneer Unit</a> Street Life campaign. The campaign will promote the new range of <a href="http://www.pioneerunit.com">Pioneer Unit</a> t-shirts and will be used online and in the form of postcards.
We’re really happy with the results. Check it out…"
![Pioneer Unit T-Shirt Promo [Wall]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2026/1733932624_ab9fa2389d.jpg)
[Wall]
![Pioneer Unit T-Shirt Promo [Sky]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2057/1733930870_f8aca5360e.jpg)
[Sky]
![Pioneer Unit T-Shirt Promo [Robots]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2212/1733929532_680bc12e80.jpg)
[Robots]
![Pioneer Unit T-Shirt Promo [Massage]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/1733924440_96e67339b2.jpg)
[Massage]
![Pioneer Unit T-Shirt Promo [Cadiz]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/1733069349_91f47a8b68.jpg)
[Cadiz]
![Pioneer Unit T-Shirt Promo [Archetypes]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2192/1733065475_2a725b1d7e.jpg)
[Archetypes]
[Pioneer Unit merchandise]
Order now online at the Pioneer Unit shop.
Check out Pioneer Unit for your local stockists.
We’ll also in Gugs this Sunday the 28th of October for the Hype Live Sessions,,
We’ll have T-Shirts and CDs in the boot, so holla at us! :)
PS: If you’d like a girl T-Shirt, please leave a comment to pre-order now!
(Don’t forget to include your name, contact, size and design, thanks!).
Big thanks to Archetypes!
Pioneer Unit’s artist Ben Sharpa completely killed it at the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2007.
He performed a 30 minutes set at the legendary festival where Bjork, Iggy Pop and Baby Shambles amongst many many others were performing.
Watch his set and check out his photos on the [BBC site]
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/glastonbury/2007/artists/bensharpa/ “Sharpa at Glastonbury 2007”)
Click on the camera icon to watch the set and get goosebumps!
Sharpa’s photo made it also on the Glastonbury on the BBC Flickr site. Check him and the rest of the mindblowing line up here!
Exciting stuff!
PS: Thanks Maryanne from BBC Radio 1! :)