Hikerdelic Journal

Guest Radio: Eastern Bloc Records

A mix of new tunes from the people who know tunes best over at Eastern Bloc Records

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Eastern Bloc Records

What do you love most about the Eastern Bloc community?    A true love of music, it's nice to be able to geek out and really connect over something we all hold so dear. Also, now that we are running events the crowd is always super accepting and honest, a real safe space where all walks of life can come to enjoy good music.   Three decades in, is there anything EB hasn't done that you want to be doing?   There's always ideas flying about, with the recent addition of some new staff members let's see what comes out of it.   What in-store events should we be looking out for in the coming months?   August is looking stacked in terms of the events, if I had to pull a couple of highlights I'd say Hyper Violet crew on the 11th of August for a high-energy night of House music via Kwassa files co-founder Roeg and resident Luke Daniels with Sam The Bastard completing the line up, taking you to the weird and wonderful areas of dance music. Secondly on the 25th of August  Break even, a local deep techno collective, will be providing deep & hypnotic grooves via resident Yockley and support coming from a b2b of local collectives 01366 & Mycelium with DJ's twelveseven and Onkel  What's one album everyone should listen to irrespective of what tastes they have?   This would probably change on a day-to-day basis but here's the current buzz   Ben : Barker - Utility  Jim : 4hero - Two Pages Silas : Super cat - Don Dada

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Ajoto

What does a good morning look like in Ajoto hq? It might be a bit cliche but when the suns out over Manchester there are few better places to be. We can take Chippy, the studio dog, for a long walk and spend a morning packing orders and chatting about the trips we want to take the places we're looking forward to visiting next. Throw in a good cup of tea or coffee and we are all set.  Like us you're tucked away in an old mill in Ancoats, what does the area you work in mean to you? Ancoats is an fascinating area, there is this deep industrial history juxtaposed with a constant feeling change and movement. I remember the area as kid coming into Manchester in the 90’s and it was a forgotten no-mans land with the remnants of the the cardroom estate and crumbling warehouses and mills that had seen better days. It's only when I moved the AJOTO studio here 2014 that I witnessed the speed of change and the whole area transform.  Growing up in the North West and now working in Ancoats, the industrial heritage, diversity of people and the changing landscape all end up filtering into our work. The everyday tools we make such as the Pen are primarily functional pieces of industrial craft, where advanced manufacturing meets traditional knowledge. Then there are the stories behind how we make our products, as we openly celebrate the people, places and processes involved. It's the balance of aknowledging and valuing elements of the past, but then embracing new and better ways of making and working.   What inspired the discovery collection of pens and how did you develop the design? As far back as I can remember I’ve been fascinated with space exploration and technology. There is a unique aesthetic quality that I really connect that comes from having to craft one-off or small batch technology products but using super high tech machinery and materials.  As or the discovery collection, I used to follow a blog called ISO50 created by a graphic designer come musician called Scott Hansen aka Tycho. He posted lots of nostalgic sci-fi, NASA and space imagery alongside music links, one of the articles he posted was about satellites and some of the NASA programs. One evening this inadvertently started a chain reaction that ended up with me reading about the NASA Discovery Program into the early hours of the morning. One of the programs, called Startdust, was the first to bring back samples of a comet to earth and included microscopic interstellar dust particles dating from the very origins of the solar system. The last engine burn of the Startdust was in March 2011 around the time we started AJOTO and I wanted to to create a range of Pens that paid homage to this. To do this worked on a way to coat the Pens with this special kiln harden ceramic that created these droplet effects, to represent the idea of space dust particles being collect on the Pen. The names of each piece reference the names of the spacecraft and the comets.  What new products are you working on? We saw lots of colourful paracord!  Yes, we’ve been working on a range of notebooks and notebook covers for a while now. We are in the process of launching them very soon. The paracords are part of the closure system we created for the notebook covers. They are interchangeable as we really like the idea of people customising them to make them their own. The boxes or cord are from some of our research into the options availbile, which currently seem endless. It’s a fun task though. The notebooks are all printed and bound in the UK and will be produced in editions that each celebrate a unique paper from some of the best paper mills. It’s been a long time coming.  We recently launched our Sterling Silver Pens that aren all precision machined from solid bars of silver. Making this edition had a few tense moments but they are really special and feel incredible to use and hold. We are really proud of how they turned out.  We have also been working on a small range of ceramic pieces with a pottery in Arita, Japan that we hope to launch soon but the production is taking longer than expected.  What's the most interesting bespoke request you've had? Thats a hard one to answer as we’ve made a wide range of bespoke and custom pieces since we began making Pens and worked on projects with large international companies down to individuals. Ironically, it wasn’t something on our radar when we began AJOTO but it has become important aspect of our work. The most interesting bespoke pieces are usually when we get approached to collaborate with like minded individuals and brands. The focus is generally more artistic than simply adding a brand mark and we have fun creating exclusive small editions. The simplicity of the Pen design makes it the perfect canvas to explore materials, processes and also engraving.    Chris wears the original logo in navy (here) and Marta wears the Material Worth tee in off white (here)

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Darren Nisbet

Hailing from Glasgow but now a Stockport native, Darren draws - whether it's a five second phone doodle or a full-scale chaotic and colourful painting he makes marks to represent the snippets of life that inspire him and talked with us about being responsive as an artist as well as Stockports beautiful juxtapositions. What's a good start to the day for you? A good start of the day for me consists of a good selection of music to set me up for the day. Then a strong coffee that fuels me to creatively play around in the studio, whether that be carefree doodling in my space, messing around with ideas or catching up with fellow studio members. Tell us about your phone drawings and how they help in your overall creative process?My phone drawings are a natural evolution of my sketchbook and an important part of my creative process. It lets me instantly record a creative response whether that be a self-reflective one or one that is inspired by my surroundings. I would consider the drawings as an important creative output that captures an instant moment in time. Creating a piece of artwork that I consider more than just a sketch.Are you working on anything new?At this moment in time, I am working on a new series of phone drawings for a large-scale installation that I have titled ‘A Passive Place’. I am also working on a series of paintings that have evolved from my phone drawings, with the intention to explore and create a more chaotic colourful visual language. I have been working with pencil for a while now and as a painter it is really rewarding to return to a medium that brings an element of resistance and chance to my practice. What is it about the architecture in Stockport / Manchester that draws you in?Stockport for its retention and pride in its architectural history and glorious redbrick. I also love the many layers to the town structurally and how people navigate and spend time in each space. Manchester for its bizarre juxtaposition of old and new and how this clashing of structure creates a constant flux of energy when wandering its streets. What do you love most about the community around you?What I love most about the community around me is that it never fails to inspire me. Stockport is an amazing place full of great characters and brilliant conversations. It’s never mundane weather chat, people have a laugh and aren’t afraid to talk about big subjects and most importantly don’t take themselves too seriously. It’s a place where people make things happen and feed back into the community. Darren wears the Core logo in black, shop here

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Elle Brotherhood

  Elle is a photographer and facilitator who works documenting creatives and independent companies. We chatted to her about community and always learning - she also gets involved with set design and art direction and runs workshops from her studio in Stockport. What does creative flow look like to you?My personal work is usually based around conversations I’ve had. Then there’s the chats with studio buds which always helps support, inspire and makes me laugh. Being surrounded by people who love being creative and chatting about random things also helps massively. I may take a walk around Stockport and put some tunes on and take photos with my film camera. If I’m feeling stuck I’ll wander down to Rare Mags and get some magazines. This often sparkssomething. When I’m getting down to personal work in the studio I’ll put some incense on, some tunes or a podcast and get to gathering new images, print things out and get painting. Tell us about a recent / upcoming workshop you're hosting.I’ve started Photo Walks around Stockport that happen once monthly. In these walks we can talk about where each person is at with their photography. We chat about settings on the camera but my main objective is for people to think about their own style. What do they like to take photos of? What inspires them? Then we’ll wander around Stockport, with all of it’s facets and take alook around. What’s the most memorable campaign you've worked on / why?I’m really thankful that I’ve worked on the Beaumont Organic seasonal shoots for the past few years. We’ll often go to a beautiful location that they’ve sourced and spend a few days photographing their latest collection of clothing. It’s always been a dream of mine to shoot on location abroad and last year we went to Portugal and shot for 2 days. To photograph in the sunshine is something else and makes a change from the climate we get in Manchester! Saying that I feel like all of the campaigns I’ve worked on are memorable.It’s all about the team and I learn something from each of them. What do you love most about the community around you?Our studio is based in Stockport, we set up our business here 5 years ago and ever since then I’ve fallen for the buildings and the people of Stockport. There are so many characters and I often take a walk through the town to gather inspiration. There will always be some random conversation with someone that I don’t feel you get in other areas. The community is so creative and a lot of us started our businesses with little funds and that’s why when you come to Stockport you’ll get people working on something they really believe in. We all want to grow the community in a creative way and are always looking to connect withpeople and share any knowledge we may have. I’ll take a walk around the Old Town and pop into all of the shops and can have a good chat with the people in there and everyone is always so welcoming and funny. That’s what we need in the place we live right? What’s next in your personal work?I recently did a sale online of reasonably priced original painted prints, it was the first time I’d sold a bunch in one go! I’m going to continue with the idea of masking parts of the image with paint. It’s quite graphic and also focuses on the form of the objects. I enjoy looking at the design and craftsmanship of an object so I’ll be focusing on accessories, plant life, furniture and will throw some body parts in there. I think making personal work also helps develop my commercialwork. I’m always looking to learn and progress. You can view more of Elle's work here https://www.onthebrink.studio/about-elle, she's wearing the Peak to precinct tee in Grey

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Gareth Batowski

Gareth can build you anything out of wood and is also one of the founding members of On The Brink Studio in Stockport (we chatted to a few more members too so there's more to come on that). He chatted with us about how he jump-starts his day and how Ash wood keeps him up at night. How do you set up for a good day/ good work environment? The first thing I do in the morning is put the coffee on. I’m an early starter. If I can be in the workshop at 7am, its a good day. The roads are quite and the air is cool – especially on hot days! In the winter it’s different - no one should work in the winter. Peh. But summer time – work like a bee! And after the pot of coffee is finished around 9am, I’m effing flying. The floor has been swept, the previous clutter left from the day before; hung out to dry and the cogs are as oiled as a well oiled machine. In winter its different – no one should work in the winter. So to answer your question: between April-October an early start and a good gulp of fresh air. Between November and March I hibernate like everybody else, with plates of cheese and shepherd’s pie.  What are you working on at the moment? There are always plates spinning. Currently on small wobbly sticks rotating in the breeze are a number of exciting projects. In the workshop is a huge wardrobe 8ft tall by 5ft wide, modelled on an old steamer trunk. You know the ones? There is stuff in the doors as you open it. There are a set of 5 drawers in the doors on one side and the other space for shoes which open up for handing space and more drawers. I could have made a simple box with two flat doors and coat rail inside - but that’s not my style! It’s very technical and very cool. Each door will weight 150kg and is made from beautifully fragrant English felled cedar and poplar. Alongside this I am working on a taproom in Manchester for Balance Brewing And Blending – this is way exciting and I’m putting into place design ideas and textures which have been in my head for years. There will be a wooden screen, akin to stain glass windows found in old pubs, made from a variety of different English timbers. There will be high gloss red, textured walls stained with Yew colourant and buffed, reminiscence of tobacco ceilings or Japanese lacquerware - all framed in raw, sawn English oak. It will be a Blend of a nostalgic feeling with a very real, very modern bar AND there wont be a drop of birch ply or OSB anywhere! Oh and there is a supersonic ground floor project happening along side all this too! A handmade English timber kitchen and room divider for a top chef in Manchester – designing her kitchen of dreams! What drew you to working with wood & what are you looking to for inspiration at the moment? Ever since I can remember I have always worked with wood – my dad was a big inspiration there. We would make model boats, aeroplanes, castles, cars, go-carts, crocodiles, canoes from the stuff and thankfully after eighteen years of the grind - I am still doing it today. I’ve taken an organic route to where I am today – mostly self taught – meaning I have strong roots and resilience with the ability to adapt. The ideas that keep me awake at night currently are looking at and exploring Ash as a timber, using its structural property with its ability to flex massively without snapping. I like this. I dream of different scenarios I could use it in – I am entering a chair into a competition in July 2023 which has a sprung backrest made of 2mm ash strips. So cool! So comfy! Do you have any more workshops lined up / what did you take-away from the last ones you hosted? I have just completed a set of workshops, making stools – this was so much fun. I love meeting people and encouraging them to make something, something they can take home and use and will be with them for years to come. Allowing them to use big tools and machines which can seem daunting because they’re so noisy and dangerous but always in a safe and controlled way. I know they’re safe and controlled but I like people to feel a little uncertain, it wakens the spirit no? The plan is to always host workshops for useable items that people can take home. Next up will be a breadbox – originally it was a three day affair but I have streamlined the experience for a long Sunday with lunch provided. I’m looking forward to this for sure – The finest English quarter sawn oak breadbox. Crumbs! Supersonic! What do you want to create next?  Something special. You can check out more of Gareths amazing work here https://www.onthebrink.studio/workwork and he's wearing the Material Worth tee in Off White

Radio Hikerdelic #8

Tune in for a heady mix of background foot-tappers, sanguine indie relics and outright shoulder shakers.  

Hikerdelic Inner Circle: Stockport Fungi

Stockport Fungi are an urban mushroom farm nestled in the basement of an old coffee warehouse beneath the seasonal and sensational restaurant Where The Light Gets In. In essence, they're where the light doesn't get in. Not only do they kit out their neighbouring restaurants with fine fungi but they are also putting on workshops and have some exciting new projects launching soon too. Anyway we wont spore you any longer, read on for our chat with Alex the founder. What does a good day look like for you? "Everyday with mushrooms is completely different, a good day is opeing the door to the grow room with loads of mushrooms ready to harvest, also a sunny day doing deliveries followed by a workshop which is always fun. actually, any day without contamination in our grain is a good day." Are you working on any new stuff at the moment? "we are developing loads of new stuff, we’ve been experimenting with mycelium as a building and art material which is exciting. We are also launching some new grow kits using lionsmane and pink oysters very soon!" What's the most memorable collaboration or project you've worked on? "Our first workshop at Track brewery. So scary but really fun and led to many more." What's the best thing about your community? "Since we founded Stockport fungi we’ve been working with so many cool and creative people, we’ve built a really friendly network where everyone is excited about mushrooms, its great!" Finally, what's next for Stockport Fungi? "We're developing an educational programme and a range of workshops including at home mushroom cultivation and art workshops. We will also be launching a monthly mushroom subscription." Alex wears the Peak meets Precint tee in WhiteNathan wears the Sporeswear tee in Yellow

Radio Hikerdelic #7

It's been a while but we're back with another one.   

Radio Hikerdelic #6

Radio Hikerdelic #05

We're back with a fresh instalment of our playlist series, this time it's something a little different. A heady mixture of club sounds, past and present. Happy listening.  

The Dark Peak

When you set out to create a brand that plays on the word psychedelic, the colour black isn't at the forefront of your mind. That said, not everyone is into bright colours and it was always a matter of time before we embraced our dark side. We headed to the appropriate location of the Dark Peak in Derbyshire to put our black-themed capsule collection to the test. Comprising of a stealthy Conway Smock, Hiking Pants to match, plus warmth provided by optional Black Puffer and Gilet, we've got you covered for those times when you want to go unnoticed. Shop the collection here.