🎵 Illustrated Tapes ✕ Shaketember 2020
✏️ Shake Bristol Artists
🗓 31.08.20
✏️ Shake Bristol Artists
🗓 31.08.20
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Shake is an illustration community, art fair and publication based based in Bristol, UK. We caught up with illustrator and all-round good dude Max K, who steers the ship.
Hi again Max! It’s been just over a year-and-a-half since we last collaborated on a Shake mixtape - how the heck have you been?
Hey Sam, great to hear from you! I’ve been living a weird anxious paranoid existence for most of this year, but am getting by alright, it’s definitely a weird old rollercoaster though isn’t it haha!
Hi again Max! It’s been just over a year-and-a-half since we last collaborated on a Shake mixtape - how the heck have you been?
Hey Sam, great to hear from you! I’ve been living a weird anxious paranoid existence for most of this year, but am getting by alright, it’s definitely a weird old rollercoaster though isn’t it haha!
What Shakey goings-on have you been up to whilst you’ve been locked down?
I luckily had moved the last event forward which happened to be just before the world kinda stopped, so am greatly relieved to have been able to do one event this year at least. Once I’d levelled out a bit at the start of the whole Covid thing I tried to start the Shake Drawing Club, did a few prompts but wasn’t feeling ok enough myself to be able to give my best energy so put it aside for a while. But once I felt good to go, I kicked it off and started it as a weekly drawing prompt to share art with the community and keep something positive going. It’s been really fun, and seeing all of the great subs is always inspiring.
I luckily had moved the last event forward which happened to be just before the world kinda stopped, so am greatly relieved to have been able to do one event this year at least. Once I’d levelled out a bit at the start of the whole Covid thing I tried to start the Shake Drawing Club, did a few prompts but wasn’t feeling ok enough myself to be able to give my best energy so put it aside for a while. But once I felt good to go, I kicked it off and started it as a weekly drawing prompt to share art with the community and keep something positive going. It’s been really fun, and seeing all of the great subs is always inspiring.
Congrats on living next door to my personal cultural highlight of the year: Ed Colston going for a swim in the harbour. How’s the Bristolverse been treating you since we last caught up?
Haha oh yes, screw that guy, good riddance to all of the old white guy statues we have lost during this weird time. Last year was great for events and bits going on, but this year I’ve just done one shake and gone to one gig, and then mostly stayed inside my house haha.
I’m starting to see socially distanced exhibitions and stuff start to pop up here and there, which is a good sign and something to look forward to! I’ll study how these wizards work, and try to learn their ways for future Shake stuff.
Last time we asked you to collect a song from each Shake staller at your 2019 end-of-year fair. This time each track is coming from a Shaketember prompt illustrator – how did you find putting it all together?
It’s been really fun, everyone’s been hyped on throwing a song into the ring, and it means we all get to listen to new music which we might not usually give a go, or get a chance to try.
It’s been a bit of a last minute mission, so I’ve been sneakily getting on my phone in any quiet moment at my day job to back and forth with everyone involved, gather songs, get it in the right order, and iron out a plan with you. Stoked we’ve pulled it off, air high fives all round!
Haha oh yes, screw that guy, good riddance to all of the old white guy statues we have lost during this weird time. Last year was great for events and bits going on, but this year I’ve just done one shake and gone to one gig, and then mostly stayed inside my house haha.
I’m starting to see socially distanced exhibitions and stuff start to pop up here and there, which is a good sign and something to look forward to! I’ll study how these wizards work, and try to learn their ways for future Shake stuff.
Last time we asked you to collect a song from each Shake staller at your 2019 end-of-year fair. This time each track is coming from a Shaketember prompt illustrator – how did you find putting it all together?
It’s been really fun, everyone’s been hyped on throwing a song into the ring, and it means we all get to listen to new music which we might not usually give a go, or get a chance to try.
It’s been a bit of a last minute mission, so I’ve been sneakily getting on my phone in any quiet moment at my day job to back and forth with everyone involved, gather songs, get it in the right order, and iron out a plan with you. Stoked we’ve pulled it off, air high fives all round!
Any fave tracks from the submissions?
New songs I’ve found and love:
“Too Old To Dream” – Nick Shoulders
“Self Love” – Dreamville, Ari Lennox, Bas, Baby Rose.
“Sayonara” – Kate NV
How’d you go about the cover art this time around?
Last year I used pen and paper, scanned and edited. This year I’m more clued up and comfortable with my iPad Pro so sketched out a rough idea, and once happy, inked a top layer.
With my poster work I tend to plan out what words I need. So I started with the text, as that’s the only bit that 100% needs structure – pride of place. The rest just falls out of the brain y’know. Smashed a little face onto the teapot too, made it more approachable too.
It must be super tricky even thinking about doing events at the moment, so it’s really nice to have Shaketember back. What do you think might be next for Shake?
Thank you, it’s a really nice way to reach to the community and communicate with each other without really having to think too much ahead. Hopefully this year’s goes down well, and we all get to make some new friends and find some great artists. I’m not sure if any in-person Shake events will be happening this year yet as I wouldn’t want to act irresponsible and reckless.
If somehow stuff levels out a bit maybe I’ll look into something around Christmas time, but if not then maybe il try to do a few more fairs next year to make up for lost time. Need to get back on the social event side too, if I can find the right venues/spaces. Considering gathering up some helpers for future events too, as I work a full time job and a balance can be super tricky! It’s nice that a passion project like Shake is appreciated by people though, so always worth it!
Any fave album covers from 2020 so far?
To be honest, this year I’ve heavily relied on Spotify release radar to deliver the goods, with a few recommendations from friends here and there. And weirdly I’ve not seen many record covers that have stuck with me, maybe I’ve not been looking hard enough though!
But Denzel Curry’s Unlocked I really liked, and found the cover artist, check out: @chrism.wilson on Insta.
Thank you, it’s a really nice way to reach to the community and communicate with each other without really having to think too much ahead. Hopefully this year’s goes down well, and we all get to make some new friends and find some great artists. I’m not sure if any in-person Shake events will be happening this year yet as I wouldn’t want to act irresponsible and reckless.
If somehow stuff levels out a bit maybe I’ll look into something around Christmas time, but if not then maybe il try to do a few more fairs next year to make up for lost time. Need to get back on the social event side too, if I can find the right venues/spaces. Considering gathering up some helpers for future events too, as I work a full time job and a balance can be super tricky! It’s nice that a passion project like Shake is appreciated by people though, so always worth it!
Any fave album covers from 2020 so far?
To be honest, this year I’ve heavily relied on Spotify release radar to deliver the goods, with a few recommendations from friends here and there. And weirdly I’ve not seen many record covers that have stuck with me, maybe I’ve not been looking hard enough though!
But Denzel Curry’s Unlocked I really liked, and found the cover artist, check out: @chrism.wilson on Insta.
Unlocked – Denzel Curry2020, PH Recordings
Cover: Chris M. Wilson
“Frontline” – Pa Salieu
“Chef Dreds” – Griselda
“Hes Got The Whole World In His Hands” – Dion
“Warn Me” – Tigers Jaw
“Spiral” – Pinegrove
“We Carry The Feeling” – Nana Grizol
“Turn Off The Guitar” – Angel Du$t
“Bambi” – Jidenna
“Some Mutts Can’t Be Muzzled” – Amyl and The Sniffers
“Police In Helicopter” – John Holt
“Koffee” – Rapture
Super lovely to catch up with you Max! Stay safe and hopefully see you in the flesh sometime soon :-)
︎ shakebristol.co.uk
︎ @shakebristol
︎ @shakebristol
TRACKLIST
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - PONPONPON / Ancient Shapes - Public Hymns / Shonen Knife - Parrott Polynesia / Thundercat - Oh Sheit it's X / X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage Up Yours! / Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Pina Colada Song) / Superchunk - Slack Motherfucker / Dorian Electra - Career Boy / Nick Shoulders - Too Old to Dream / A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime / ESG - Everything Goes / Slint - Breadcrumb Trail / Matt Muse - Myself [Philautia II] / Kelsey Lu - Morning Dew / Yves Tumor - Gospel For A New Century / Chupa Cabra - Russian Models / Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night / Shakey Graves - Roll The Bones (Audiotree Live Version) / Dreamville - Self Love (with Ari Lennox & Bas feat. Baby Rose) / Alvvays - Dreams Tonite / Ariel Pink - Another Weekend / A Tribe Called Quest - Buggin' Out / Oneohtrix Point Never - The Station / MUNA - It's Gonna Be Okay, Baby / Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day / Hayley Williams - Over Yet / Kate NV - Sayonara (Full Moon Version) / Screaming Females - Ripe / Chancha Via Circuito - Sueno en Paraguay / Sleaford Mods - Jobseeker / Sultans Of Ping F.C. - Where's Me Jumper? ︎