I've recently felt like I have abandoned this blogging malark.

 

I often wonder who's really interested in what I do, who really cares. But coming into a new year and reaching the half way mark of a "6 month challenge" I have with a friend of mine, I need to start being proud of what I do. And even if I share something I'm not 100% fond of, I can learn from it. Why should I care if people don't like something I've done? There's always going to be somebody who will.

 

Positive thinking from now on. A new year, a new start.

 

Here are some things that will made public soon:

 

BLACKWATER REVUE photoshoot

AFTER THE ENCLAVE photoshoot

35mm scans from live gigs

Behind the scenes photos assisting Leoni Blue

NOCTIS Magazine features

and much more...

 

xo 

 

 

      After The Enclave

The WhitePepper

Since their launch in September of 2011 as a boutique on ASOS Marketplace, The White Pepper have since opened their own stand alone web-shop, which you can find here.

It brings us pleasure to tell you that they are an online boutique based on our turf in East London, and are inspired by two of our loves. Fashion and street style. Their collections are a mix of unique vintage pieces, indie originals and in house designs. 

Vice, ASOS Magazine and Time Out have already hooked them up, and now THE WHITEPEPPER talk to NOCTIS and show us their latest lookbook, entitled "Wrap Up"

So, the question of everybodies lips, how did THE WHITEPEPPER come about?

THE WHITEPEPPER is the brainchild of two girls living in London, Yeon the creative director and Jade the managing director. The name 'THE WHITEPEPPER' came from an everyday English word (pepper) taken out of context, the meaning of WHITEPEPPER is adding some spice to fashion!

Where do you get your inspiration from, other than from lovely spices?

The brand is based around an East London street style aesthetic, and we also draw inspiration from unique Vintage pieces. 

How do you source items for your shop? Particularly if you have an eye for those vintage pieces.

Our store is a mix of in-house designed pieces, unique Vintage finds, and indie designer originals. The Vintage pieces we source from all around the world.

Do the items you source reflect the handmade pieces you create?

We design clothes that we, and THE WHITEPEPPER customer would like to wear, but we also draw inspiration from the items we source, and our in-house designs are sometimes our up-to-date take on unique vintage pieces. 

Having started on the ASOS Marketplace, how has this helped you in terms of gaining support and interest?

ASOS Marketplace was hugely important for us in the beginning, it really helped establish us as a brand and gave us a great platform to launch our own website, THEWHITEPEPPER.COM which we created earlier this year :)

Do you have any plans for the New Year then?

We are currently working on our Spring collection, alongside putting together a fashion film, and paper magazine! These are new ventures for us and we're really excited about them! 

Lastly, how would you describe THE WHITEPEPPER in five words?

Fun. Friendly. Unique. Street-Style. London! 

YOU CAN FIND THE WHITEPEPPER VIA THEIR WEBSITE,FACEBOOK, TWITTER, TUMBLR AND PINTEREST. AREN'T YOU LUCKY?

WE LOVE

see this post on the NOCTIS blog here

The Little Black Dress gets vamped

The coveted little black dress gets a vampy makeover with The Pretty Junk; you can now celebrate the coming of Christmas with a vintage style LBD. Oh and how gorgeous they are!

With individual customising, such as the growing trend of studding and exposed zips, these dresses are perfect for minimal effort but maximum impact this party season.

The studding to the shoulders on the black jersey stretch dress [left] left us lusting over the goth glam trend that many of you seem to be adopting, and the exposed zip fastening adds a sense of shabbiness that we adore; And the cutesy LBD with lace detail to the cleavage? We are in love, a self indulgent treat once in a while won't hurt the bank account too much.  

We won't tell, if you wont.

Everything The Pretty Junk does screams chic, and we love the effortlessly cool vibe that many of their pieces hold. Team with your favourite purse and a wardrobe must pair of Chelsea boots and you're ready to go

WWW.THEPRETTYJUNK.CO.UK

courtesy of CARROTTOP PR

see this post on the NOCTIS blog here

Grizzly Bear

GRIZZLY BEAR are set to return with an appearance on Letterman this Wednesday (12th December), this is of course alongside playing a Hurricane Sandy benefit and a feature in the end of year polls for the likes of NME, Q, Guardian and The Fly

Capping the Bears' incredible year with a performance of "Yet Again" from their new album "Shields" (out via Warp Records), the Letterman stage will be graced with the album that currently features in the Best of 2012 countdown lists from Uncut, MOJO, and Clash; with MOJO calling it,

"the group's boldest work yet"

Some of the UK's leading independent stores - Piccadilly, Resident and Drift to name but a few - placed this record in their top 20, and named it #1 record of the year. We couldn't help but notice that outside of the UK, "Shields"  features  in the end of year polls of SPIN and Gorilla vs Bear, side-stepping a slew of other European titles. 

Earlier this year, "Shields" earned the band a career-best #7 debut on the United States Billboard 200, as well as a top 20 album in the United Kingdom. A 34 date world tour of their biggest venues yet has seen a sold out show at Brixton Academy, and performances on Later with Jools and Jay Leno.

Pitchfork have given them a Best New Music nod with a rating of 9.1

"Grizzly Bear end the year performing at ‘4 Artists 1 Cause: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Relief Efforts’, alongside Sleigh Bells, The Antlers and Cults. The concert takes place at New York’s Terminal 5 on December 14th, with proceeds benefiting the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City"

AND IF YOU THINK WE'VE FORGOTTEN, WE HAVEN'T. YOU CAN FIND GRIZZLY BEAR ON THE WEB VIA THEIR

WEBSITE, TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND/OR THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

see this post on the NOCTIS blog here

Reading and Leeds Festival

Alt-J, Deftones, Sub Focus and Boy Better Know are the first to be confirmed for next years Reading and Leeds Fest, alongside an announcement of an expanded 3 day dance area and a new Hip Hop & Grime stage.

Reading and Leeds Festival returns on Friday 23rd August - Sunday 25th August 2013 at Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Leeds.

The biggest dual-site festivals in Britain are set to be bigger and better than ever, with additional stages, an updated new look, and of course the all-important line-up. The festivals will remain the best choice for music lovers and in 2013 will boast more genres of music than ever before. Festival boss Melvin Benn has been planning these exciting changes and additions to the festivals over the past year, refining and expanding their proposition for the fans:

 “This is a dynamic time for the festivals. Not only do we have a fresh look for next year, but we are also adding to the fans’ experience of the festival with the introduction of more stages and genres of music, which also inevitably means an increase in the number of artists playing across the weekend.

The Reading & Leeds festival goers listen to a diverse range of music and with the likes of BBC Radio 1 offering specialist shows focused on rock and dance and BBC Radio 1Xtra - now a station in its own right - this broad spectrum of musical genres reflects what the fans are into and what Reading & Leeds represents. I’m really thrilled about the additions we have planned and I’m committed to ensuring Reading & Leeds remain the highlight of the festival season for many years to come.”

There are some exciting changes to be made to the festival, plus ticket details and a limited period for a £50 deposit scheme. For now, you can whet your appetite with some of the first acts announced.

The iconic alternative rock band, Deftones. As legendary figures in west-coast rock 'n' roll, they have sold over four million records worldwide. Today, they are cited as an inspiration by the likes of Museand Biffy Clyro. The way their sound has evolved from 90’s metal to expansive noise rock has put them in a league of their own, but expect to hear plenty from their seven-album career including material from their critically acclaimed new record ‘Koi No Yokan’.

Deftones commented:

"We are thrilled to be returning to reading and Leeds. In previous years it’s always been a highlight for us and we are honoured to have been invited back."

An NME favourite, Alt-J, will take to the top of the bill on the NME/Radio 1 Stage. 2012 has seen Alt-J go from virtual unknowns to the hottest new band in Britain. Alt-J’s astonishing year was topped off when their debut album ‘An Awesome Wave’ won the coveted 2012 Mercury Prize and reached gold status. 

                                                   Alt-J

The gig is especially exciting for Alt-J lead singer Joe, whose first festival was Leeds in 2002:

“It was great, although I wasn’t prepared at all. Took some Pot Noodles and about a tenner and that was it. I was struggling. The festival was amazing, though: Incubus, Hundred Reasons, The Hives, Foo Fighters, the Prodigy. I was having the time of my life.”

With the expansion of the Dance Stage into a standalone three-day tent keeping festival fans on their feet, Reading & Leeds are excited to announce Sub Focus as the first name for the all-new BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage. His ground breaking live show is a true spectacle, incorporating some of the most developed technology used today, including epic visuals displayed on a bespoke circular LED video installation and hypnotic lighting sequences. 

With the first wave of artists revealed across the festival, Reading & Leeds Festival 2013 is already shaping up to be one amazing weekend, with much more still to come. The festivals have always been synonymous with incredible headliners, with The Cure, Kasabian and The Foo Fighters topping the bill at Reading this year, but also the way in which they play an important role for emerging artists, a trait common with all festivals on the circuit.

"This festival has played host to a number of now legendary performances including Nirvana’s appearance in 1992 and Them Crooked Vultures’ surprise set in 2009. Even as far back as 1972, The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood played a show with The Faces at Reading, his first ever festival appearance of any note.  Proof, if needed, that the festivals really are the stuff of music legend".

The festivals have also always supported a wide range of upcoming and established urban music across rap, hip-hop and grime, having welcomed cutting-edge artists such as Azealia Banks, Odd Future and pioneers of grime Dizzee Rascal and Wiley over the past few years. During the last decade grime has crossed over from the backstreets of South and East London to huge stadium shows, with artists taking their music to a wider audience and playing to festival crowds at Reading & Leeds.

Melvin Benn explains the importance of this new stage:

“The addition of this stage is as exciting as anything we’ve ever done at Reading & Leeds. It is something that’s been developing in my head for some time and, after discussion, it has now become a reality as the BBC Radio 1Xtra Stage. This stage will absolutely hit you straight between the eyes with the best of UK hip-hop and grime, with some US acts in the line-up too. I’m delighted to be working with BBC Radio 1Xtra on it and also with promoter We-Represent”.

The dance offering at Reading & Leeds has always been popular too, with fans taking time away from all the rock ‘n’ roll and indie and really letting go. Over the years Reading & Leeds’ Dance Stage has witnessed performances from the likes of Katy B, Deadmau5 and Chase & Status, who have all had the tent packed to the rafters. 

With a rich history spanning over four decades, Reading Festival and its younger sister event Leeds Festival remain as one of the pinnacles on the festival calendar. 

Feeling Festive? Grab your tickets in December at 2012 prices for a chance to win big

For a full list of authorised ticket outlets please visit the official festival websites.

For the December presale only, 2013 tickets are frozen at 2012 prices, plus applicable booking fees:

Weekend tickets: £197.50

Early Entry permits: £15

Campervan permits: £60

Lockers: £15

Don’t have all the money right now? Secure your ticket for just £50.

For full ticket terms and conditions please visit the official festival websites, and the latest line-up announcements visit

WWW.READINGFESTIVAL.COM

 OR

WWW.LEEDSFESTIVAL.COM

COURTESY OF THE ZEITGEIST AGENCY

see this post on the NOCTIS blog here

Introducing: Knox

This morning we would like to introduce you to Knox, a new brother/sister duo who's EP entitled "Here" is out this week on Last Night on Earth. 

We have also been lavished with a really cool live video of "HERE", which we think you should watch. Fans of Knox include Spin, The 405, Rob da Bank, Mixmag and most recently, us, the team at NOCTIS. 

Underneath drones of melodic modernity and deep baselines, this EP from is a rich blend of intricate nuances and ethereal vocals. Electronica at its best.

LISTEN TO KNOX ON SOUNDCLOUD

KNOX album artwork

The "Here" EP on Sasha's imprint Last Night on Earth, features 3 original tracks, including two remixes from John Tejada and Kuxxan-Suum. "Here" will no doubt appeal to the masses, though the foundation is firmly set in electronica, there are dashes of dubstep, completing the subtle yet powerful noise that is KNOX.

The John Tejada remix is purely for the dance-floor and is a "sonically luscious housetrack". Whereas"Fault" is more of a stripped back, rocktronic number which would sit perfectly amongst the likes of The XX, Portishead and Massive Attack.

"An epic soundscape with delicate vocals from Nic & Eliza"  

Lastly, "Mornings" is as hypnotic as a lullaby. It's a sweet song, where the delicate vocals of Eliza continue. Stunning. To round off the EP, the brother/sister have enlisted the "galactic" Kuxxan SUUM to remix "Here",  it gives the EP a wicked array of scratchy beats and bleeps.

COURTESY OF KISH COMMUNICATIONS 

see this post on the NOCTIS blog here