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Design is a odd balancing act, over reaching design statements may lead to an un-appreciated product, while staying with conventional design themes can be seen as unimaginative and boring. I prefer to break new ground by building on what has been, a historical perspective with the knowledge of how to make it contemporary. The fashion industry, it’s designers and retailers, are often at odds with one another. The retailers know what sold well last season and generally speaking they prefer , while designers want to create something new. I suppose this is why so many private label collections are put together by non-designers who design by credit card (buying bags to knock off and modify). The industry is alive with knock off artists, because the best predictor of what will sell is the recent sell through data. For me, I have come to terms with the sweep of history in Bag Design by understanding what the trends are doing, knowing what shapes are selling, and knowing bag construction well enough to add my own twist. I despise the knock off artist, but have accepted them as reality. As a mature designer, I am comfortable creating well constructed bags that are elegant in their own way. You can fake a design, but you can not fake design experience. We hope our friends and followers are drawn to the spare design statements with the combination of function and small touches of color that make our bags unique.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

Cosmo Baker's 45 Caliber Funk mixtape, the perfect sound track for the weekend run around. 

-THE BAG MESSENGER 

I recorded this for The Remedy’s infamous “Pimp’s & Hoes Masquerade Ball” in 2001. This is 60 minutes of dusty funk 45s mixed and ready for the party. Rare and not so rare alike, but all heavy pieces.

-COSMO

Maceo & All The Kings Men “Got to Get’cha” (House Of The Fox)

The South Side Movement “I’ve Been Watching You” (Wand)

The Parliaments “Good Old Music” (Revilot)
Gene Faith “Family Man” (Virtue)
Four Mints “In A Rut” (Capsoul)
Lee Fields “I’m The Man” (Soul Fire)
Ann Robinson “You Did It” (All Brothers)
Rhetta Hughes “Light My Fire” (Tetragrammatron)
Johnny Talbot “Pickin Cotton” (Jasman)
The Vibrations “Ain’t No Greens In Harlem” (Mandala)
Thomas East & The Fabulous Playboys “I Get A Groove” (Toddlin’ Town)
Afro SoulReview “Soft Soul” (Tupelo Sound)
Juggy “Oily” (Sue)
Louis Chachere “The Hen” Pt. 1 (Paula)
Steve Colt “Dynamite” (Big Beat)
JD& The Evil’s Dynamite Band “Just More Haaa-sheesh” (Soul Fire)
The Soul Searchers “Think” (Sussex)
Wilbur Bascome & The Zodiac “Just A Groove In ‘G’” (Carnival)
Joe Quarterman & Free Soul “(I’ve Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind Pt. 1” (GFS)
Tina Britt “Sookie Sookie” (Veep)
Tousaint McCall “Shimmy” (Ronn)
Dyke & The Blazers “Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be A Man” (Original Sound)
Syl Johnson “Come On Sock It To Me” (Twilight)
The Soul President “Get It Right” (Big Mack)
Spanky Wilson “Sunshine Of Your Love” (Mother Records LP)
Betty Harris “12 Red Roses” (Sansu)
Nina Simone “Save Me” (Jazzman)
Diplomats “I’ve Got The Kind Of Love” (Dynamo)

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries site has a beautiful collection of Czech Book covers from the 20’s and 30’s. Many of the books feature hand-drawn type and those books which utilize set type retain a human quality about them.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

Marsellus Wallace has the records to make your head swoon. Shelf Arrangements is fully stocked with dusty treasures. Get this mix or forever live in a world less funky.

-THEBAGMESSENGER

This is my 2nd official mixtape. It’s basically a mix of library, rock, and various breaks. It took me about 8 months to polish out. The big issue with this one was that I could not export the d&#n thing!!! Desperate measures had to be taken to actually save the whole project. That is when I called in my good friend and talented artistXact One(he did the art work as well). Without him, this project would still be trapped in my computer. We worked day and night for 2 straight weeks battling this thing. So with that said, I proudly present “Shelf Arrangements”.

Download it directly from soundcloud or stream it below..

The Vagaries of the fashion industry and the value of hindsight

I have been a participant and student of the bag industry for over twenty-five years. When I started in the industry my heros in the industry were Judisth Lieber, Bottega Vennetta and Myers. Myers has gone out of business, Judith Lieber’s company isn’t the same since she died and Botegga Vennetta remains strong.  Back then product was mainly made in the US and Europe. The designers (like Judith Lieber) designed product from the experience of being sample makers and were people that knew the history of bags.  In the in 80’s better bag price points started at $120 and topped out at $1,500 (with exceptions for exotics). Now remember, the majority of made those bags were made in high labor countries. If you were to go into any department store today those prices are in the main still viable; though the top end has continued to climb. The majority of manufacturers are now importers; mainly from China. You may ask what is lost in this bargain, the consumer gets a good value and importers are able to get able to get their products in a timely manner, plus make money. The losers in this picture are the economies and people of the countries like ours. Young design/entrepreneurs are less informed about the possibilities of new designs and it takes a lot more money to start a new bag company as an importer. There is a value in supporting companies like ours. You are not only making it possible for our family to make a living but you are supporting all the good people that we work with to pay their bills.

- David Bloom

Some people pick up a hobby and barely scratch the surface. Others dive in head first and sink into the murky waters below. This degree of dedication varies depending on the complexity of the culture. When it comes to collecting records, one thing is certain. The pond is deep. If you do decide to jump in, and start really fishing around, eventually you will see DJ Marsellus Wallace in full deep sea snorkel gear, unearthing seldom seen treasures.

- THE BAG MESSENGER 

MARSELLUS WALLACE: I got into collecting records about 6 years ago, pretty much when I started Djing. I just loved the deep sound that vinyl had to offer. Man, I slept for so long. I started out collecting 1st run pressing hip hop LP’s. That was the juice for me man. That and scratch records. I still collect all of that, but my tastes have changed quite a bit. 

THE BAG MESSENGER: What kinds of things are you looking for these days?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: These days I am into sound library records. Whether its labels such as Peer, Themes, Music De Wolfe, Telemusic, Chappell…I don’t care. I gotta have it all!  I am a huge fan of Italian and French soundtracks as well. Pretty much anything funky with an open drum break makes me happy though. 

THE BAG MESSENGER: How did you discover your love for original sound track recordings?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: When I first heard Dj Shadow’s recordings…WOW! I was mind blown! I was so impressed with how he interpreted himself through rare grooves and filthy drum breaks. It wasn’t until way later that I started understanding his message between the lines. Then…I heard the Dusty Finger compilations. I must say that Danny Dan the Beat Man is 100% solely responsible for my addiction to European funk and 70’s television themes. 

THE BAG MESSENGER: Any interesting digging stories?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: My closest loved ones tried to have an intervention with me about my vinyl addiction. Its serious I suppose  

THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite finds?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: Manzel – Midnight Theme (Test Pressing). 

THE BAG MESSENGER: How deep in the crates are you?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: I don’t know, the deeper I go I realize that I still have got a lot to go. As spoken by the true master, I am a student of this. It’s quality…not quantity right? At the rate things are going, I’ll be out of the house in no time lol. 

THE BAG MESSENGER: Whats the story with these soundtrack recordings?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: A lot about the history of library recordings is unknown. Composers/musicians used different aliases. Even in the early 70’s there was this sort of “big brother” group that used to enforce the rights of the artists. The artists could care less about the $$$, they just enjoyed doing sessions. Obviously somebody was getting paid off of the so-called “equal rights” of the musicians. So many were forced to use different names and aliases. They would even record secret underground sessions.  How dope is that? Too have such a passion for music and family, that you are willing to break the law for your love of the funk. Other than that, the larger percent were designed for television or movie scores. Instrumentation that interprets a certain feeling or intended theme.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Favorite crates to dig in? 

MARSELLUS WALLACE: I love going to the dirty dirty man. TN has some great spots. In San Diego I mostly go through thrift stores, weekend swap meets, and Access Hip Hop. I also do a lot of business with local and private sellers. Maybe this sounds crazy, but I don’t want to put my local spots on blast. They got enough traffic as it is ha! 

THE BAG MESSENGER: Has Serato changed the way you get down? 

MARSELLUS WALLACE: I don’t use Serato. But it would be nice to have doubles of everything. I think it’s a great tool. But it’s just not on my want list of things for I need for DJ’ing. 

THE BAG MESSENGER: Every DJ has a horror story or two….what is the worst thing to happen at a gig?

MARSELLUS WALLACE: Ha ha!!! One time I was rocking a party in Ocean Beach at a complex on Saratoga. There was a balcony above me with some drunk chick that got the woosey’s and yacked all over me, my decks, mixer, and all up in my crates. She had pasta that night. (editors note. gross) 

THE BAG MESSENGER: What are you working on now? Whats up with this new mix tape?

MARSELLUS WALLACE:  Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a mixtape called “Shelf Arrangements”. It is basically a mix of library, rock, and breaks. I am also working on a project with 2 emcee’s. They are called Kaus and Craze. This will be my 1st album with all production and beats my myself. With the help of many others to come, I am looking forward to the journey.

Keeping in vein with last weeks post. Round Two of the DJ Nuts Disco E Cultura Saga! Collect them all! 

-THE BAG MESSENGER 

Click here to download the mix! 

The first time I saw a diagram of a ship with dazzle camouflage, I thought that the diagram was a recent, purely conceptual illustration. However, I just learned that these camouflage patterns were actually used in both World Wars. The purpose of dazzle camouflage is not to conceal, but to disorient. The patterns make it difficult for onlookers to determine which direction the ship is heading. The Rhode Island School of Design has an online exhibit dedicated to these incredible camouflage patterns.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

We just got back the final edit of a commercial we shot for the Simple Messenger bag. It was shot over the summer, but you can never rule out a surprise water ballooning (how horrible would it be in the winter??). Anyway we hope you like it. Special thanks to teacher Ed Blammo for being such a good sport and to the kids for doing such a good job holding their water balloons until just the right moment.  

-The Bag Messenger

Letman (Job Wouters) has some great illustrative and hand-lettered work in his portfolio. It’s refreshing to see that many of his projects do not contain any digitally-rendered typefaces. I also really like the video project, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, in which Wouters has a lettering session with his nephew. It’s really interesting to see how children interpret the letters that they see.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

DJ Nuts is a Brazilian DJ with seriously hefty crates. These Disco E Cultura mixes are a great company on a nice fall walk. Enjoy

-THE BAG MESSENGER 

Click the cover for a free download. Thanks DJ Nuts! 

DJ Spinna is back at it again with the latest installment of “Strange Games and Things”. Volume 5 has yet to drop, but you can enjoy the stream in the mean time. Check BBE for the release!

-THE BAG MESSENGER

The Strange Games… series which began in the summer of 1997, represents
the blueprint for modern R&B and rap music. It joins the dots between 70s soul, 80s rare groove and 90s mass market hip hop. This compilation contains a wide variety of styles of tracks, from classic dance-floor fillers as well as lesser known delights. A more accessible diggers delight if you wish with an emphasis on quality track and not just songs worth having for a 2 second sample.
Featuring a much more worldly selection than its predecessors – tracks by the
multi platinum selling War to Sylvia ( Founder of Sugarhill Records) sit side by
side with world music underground icons like C.K. Mann and Francisco Aguabella.
This volume is the 5th in a series of compilations that appears to have the widest appeal of all BBEs compilations and proves to be even better by the fact that there is a bonus mixed CD by the one and only Dj Spinna!
 

Tracklisting:

• 01. Ned Doheny – Get It Up for Love 
• 02. Sylvia – Sweet Stuff 
• 03. The Ambassadors – I Ain’t Got The Love (Of One Girl On My Mind) 
• 04. Richard Evans feat. Linda Williams – Capricorn Rising 
• 05. Starvue – Body Fusion 
• 06. Sylvia St James – Motherland 
• 07. The Soul Searchers – Ashley’s Roachclip 
• 08. Willie Hale – Groove On 
• 09. Eddy Senay – Cameo 
• 10. SSO – Faded Lady 
• 11. Cal Tjader – Morning 
• 12. Francisco Aguabella – Ramon’s Desire 
• 13. The Philly Armada Orchestra – For The Love Of Money 
• 14. Family Tree feat. Sharon Brown – Family Tree 
• 15. The Perfect Circle – The Hands Of Time 
• 16. WAR – War Is Coming, War Is Coming 
• 17. Hiroshi Fukumura – Hunt Up Wind 
• 18. Wood Brass And Steel – Always There 
• 19. C.K. Mann & His Carousel 7 – Asafo Beesuon / Obaa Yaa Aye Me Bone (Medley) Edit 
• 2! 0. Merry Clayton – Gimme Shelter 
• 21. Bill Summers – Bra! zilian S kies