Published in the Daily Echo, Friday 16th July.

There are some people who think that Motown is just a style of music rather than the famous record label that came out of Detroit.

Whether the seeds of similar success are being sown in Southampton by Sotown Records has yet to be seen but the cause is a worthy one.

Sotown is based at Oasis Academy Lordshill as part of their personalised learning department.

They run courses about the music business with students gaining qualifications based on composing, performing and marketing their music.

It’s run like a proper label with the music uploaded and sold on iTunes.

They recently released an album called “The View From Here” ranging from Grime to Folk via Hip-Hop and Indie and featuring tracks by Tee MC, Lil Mike, Charlotte Jones, Daisy Wheeller, The Noobs and Youth Culture.

Sotown is aimed students who are in need of an alternative curriculum, Bernard Andrews told me: “The course keeps young people in education by providing a logical reason to stay engaged with society.”

The theory is that by learning to enjoy what they do they find a place in the business at a level they are comfortable with be it management, a technician or a musician.

“It’s up to them to justify their role,” Bernard continued, “you don’t want to fill people with X-Factor fantasies.”

It’s early days for this label but at the grass roots already the sound of learning sounds great. Bernard thinks they’ll be bearing fruit come January.

While shooting an avant-garde rock video, a south-coast production company that mixes art with business has unearthed an ironic difference between Southampton and Portsmouth.

Southampton based Still Moving has recently started employing painters and artists to create images and navigation for company web sites.

“It is very important for us to be ethical in our approach to business and using an illustrator not only gives websites a unique look and feel but also helps support an artist,” explained Still Moving’s co-founder Martin Davis. “Following the reaction of our clients we’re convinced the paintbrush is mightier than the mouse.”

Nova & Isabel Amber Ewen

Their latest collaboration is an entry to a competition to make the video for ‘Fires’ the next single by Southampton rock group Band of Skulls: the most recent south-coast act to gain major recognition in Europe and America.

vist and vote at: http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/

“This challenge is an ideal way of introducing art into the ‘Moving’ aspect of our plan,” confirmed the other half of Still Moving, Isabel Amber Ewen,  “and although there are many great street artists in Southampton, once we saw Nova’s skull designs we knew who we wanted.”

Southampton street artist Nova uses stencils to spray multi-layered images on walls. Recently he was invited by the Portsmouth art collective P.A.M to add his creations to the alley-ways around Fratton Park.

“They have a much freer attitude towards street art in Portsmouth and they’ve opened up many walls,” he said “but the artists have to responsible and professional or this opportunity will disappear.”

Stencils and wall

The designs around the stadium have become so respected that Portsmouth football club is planning to invite P.A.M to create murals inside the ground.

With every creative aspect of this production based in and around Southampton the irony of shooting in Portsmouth is not lost on the video’s co-director Xan Phillips. “Although Southampton is famous for it’s walls, the city’s street artists have no where so public to express themselves.

Everyone who walked past Nova told him how good the art he and P.A.M have created. It definitely inspires rather than repels.”

Although the ‘Band of Skulls’ video competition has a £3000 cash prize and global exposure Isabel, who shot and edited the whole promo, is ambivalent about winning: “Every element of the project slotted into place so well that we’re already delighted with our achievement. The win would be very helpful but this video is already a great demonstration of how local art can work as a promotional device.”

NOTES

The video can be seen here http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/

Closing date for public voting on the video – 11.59pm GMT, July 21

Winner announced: July 26, 2010

Example of a web site with local artist illustration: www.magpie-shop.co.uk

Nova can be found here: http://www.novaindustries.co.uk/

Still Moving: http://www.still-moving.co.uk/

Showcase UK: http://www.showcaseuk.tv/

P.A.M – the meaning of the acronym has not been released.

Band of Skulls www.bandofskulls.com

The single Fires will be released September 13th 2010 see http://www.nme.com/news/band-of-skulls/51147

First published in the Southern Daily Echo, Friday 9th July 2010

There was a little bit of chaos in Southampton’s Bargate shopping centre last Monday morning.

Well, to be more precise, it was CHAOS the first meeting of the Creative, Heritage and Arts Organisations of Southampton.

It was hosted by SoCo the not-for-profit community music project.

They’ve turned an empty shop unit into a ‘Creative Hub’ that will allow budding musicians and artists a place to meet and perfrom.

This inaugural meeting of CHAOS drew representatives from various youth organisations and arts bodies.

From community radio station Unity 101 to the printers from Red Hot Press; from Sotown Records of Lordshill to Romsey Beggars Fair (Sat 10^th July).

Over coffee and muffins we discussed how SoCo’s new venture will help people discover their creative side but also advise artistic bodies how to ride the turbulent waves of the financial cutbacks.

And with no sense of irony it was noted how art funding is the first to be cut even though it’s an inexpensive way of making people happy and connected to the community.

Over the coming months there will be art seminars and meetings in the Bargate along side gigs and displays from new bands and artists.

But most of all get yours hands on a musical instrument.

Soon SoCo will be starting a scheme where the musically curious can sample a wide array of equipment from electronic drum kits to synths.

As co-founder Matt Salvage put it: “We’ll be coaxing people to put a guitar in their hands and have a go!”

This weekend the Isle of Wight festival is on our doorstep and no doubt Sunday’s headliner Paul McCartney will be giving many jovial thumbs-up to any mention of ‘ticket to Ryde’.

But if you don’t do tents even the Island can seem miles away.

So to taste that excellent festival vibe, but have a short journey home, keep Saturday 4th September free!

Sunnyfields Farm, just to the South of Totton, will be hosting the Pulse festival: a great day of music, food and entertainment for the children.

All in aid of the Children’s Heart Unit at Southampton General Hospital with profits going to it’s supporters Wessex Heartbeat and Friends of PICU,

Saturday Sept 4th

Pulse is being organised by ‘Subgiant’s‘ Olly Maw and Mark Ward from ‘Heathward’

Both have children who’ve needed treatment at the unit, which is known as Ocean Ward, so they are putting every effort into a brilliant day out for Southampton.

This week they announced that Vula (Basement Jax) will be headlining the second stage.

Subgiant and Heathward are deservedly on the bill along with other local stars like: Science of Eight Limbs, Pronghorn, Lousia Osborn, and Woven Bird.

They’ll be spread across two live stages alongside a classic Sunnyfield farmer’s market with fine food and beer.

Naturally the children (who get in free) will also be well catered for with bouncy castles, face painting, tractor rides and a few surprises thrown in.

More big names will be revealed soon and at £12 per ticket demand will be high! www.pulsefestival.org.uk

This article was printed in the Daily Echo on Friday 11th June 2010