DAM-FUNK (STONES THROW RECORDS, FUNKMOSPHERE)
ABOUT 101 APPAREL
101 Apparel was created by designer Eric Crandell in 2005 as a way to seamlessly bridge the gap between art, music, and fashion. As Ubiquity Records Art Director for many years he applied his skills in designing album covers, silk screens and was the chief creative force for Ubiquity’s lucrative apparel line. Now, 101 Apparel is the next paradigm shift in aesthetic innovation, authenticity and imagination in fashion design. When 101 Apparel began in 2005 the response was overwhelming and continues unabated to this day; select premium retailers from all over the globe from New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Madrid stock 101 Apparel designs. 101 Apparel’s success is due to the unparalleled work ethic, taste making intuition, and ear to the ground methods that have become the hallmark of the 101 Apparel brand. 101 Apparel takes inspiration from all the musical styles across the globe; from afro beat to disco, Brazilian samba, bossa nova, and Tropicalia, to the vast encyclopedia of electronic music, hip-hop, funk, soul, reggae and jazz, and everything else that falls in between. If fashion could be music 101 Apparel is that music. A quick view of the 101 Apparel portfolio confirms for veterans and novices alike that the knowledge displayed when it comes to music, culture, and design is both vast and deep. Never afraid to take calculated risks to keep the apparel line moving forward, we never rest on our achievements. 101 Apparel takes inspiration from various genres and cultures, showing influences from classic designers such as the work of Alexander Girard, Milton Glaser, Reid Miles and Ray Eames. Music and design has a long history of cross referencing conceptual ideas into artistic forms and 101 Apparel applies that design history every step of the way. 101 Apparel is where sound and vision converge into one seamless package. After years of absorbing the music and design aesthetic in anything from an old dusty latin funk 45, to a European soundtrack, to an early 12’ inch dance classic, all these influences create something, vital, unique and enduring. Now, 101 Apparel has been working with the cream of the crop DJ’s, artists and producers to fuse the music and the designs into a unique artistic document. We are currently undertaking doing a limited edition “101 Apparel Artists Series” where we collaborate with our favorite artists and ask them to do a mix CD of exclusive material for 101 Apparel. These are one of a kind mixes that come with a specially designed shirt that expresses the artists’ style while keeping the 101 legacy intact. Currently the collaborations include an exclusive mix by producer-artist-DJ, Nightmares on Wax (funk, soul, hip hop breaks). An collaboration with Wax Poetics that brought us world renowned DJ and collectors Kon and Amir ( this mix focuses on rare disco and Latin). 2009 we were excited to collaborate with one of our favorite artists/producers Will Holland aka Quantic, this t-shirt entitled “Streams Of New Music, Flow From Old Sources” includes a mix cd which is the work of networking and digging on the front lines of Cali Colombia. Now in 2010 we bring a special collaboration with Dam Funk entitled “Funk’s Revenge” which will include a mix cd by Dam Funk himself and t-shirt design inspired by one of Dam Funk’s favorite album covers. Stay tuned for more exciting news and collaborations!
ARTIST COLLABORATION SERIES - RICH MEDINA MIX CD & TONY ALLEN T-SHIRT
TONY ALLEN T-shirt wITH Mix CD by DJ Rich Medina FEATURING TONY ALLEN unreleased remixes, b-sides and classics
TONY ALLEN
DESIGN: TONY ALLEN - AFRO BEAT SINCE 1969
RICH MEDINA
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW DESIGN
Tony Allen has long been acknowledged as Africa’s finest kit drummer and one of the continent’s most influential musicians. His playing draws on four different styles – highlife, soul/funk, jazz and traditional Nigerian drumming. A unique and mighty sound. Together with Fela Kuti (with whom he played for 15 years) Allen co-created Afrobeat - the hard driving, horns rich, funk-infused, politically insurrectionary style which became such a dominant force in African music and such an influence worldwide. BROWN
NEW DESIGN
CREAM
ARTIST COLLABORATION SERIES - DAM-FUNK MIX CD & T-SHIRT
DAM-FunK (STONES THROW RECORDS, FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: DAM-FUNK - FUNKS REVENGE Coming straight from Los Angeles, Dam Funk is known as the “Boogie Funk Ambassador”, an artist who has been working since the mid 80’s as a mult-instrumentalist, DJ, record collector, producer and vocalist; this guy is a renaissance man of all things funk. In the last couple years he has been getting an avalanche of press over his modern funk productions with a sound that brims with vintage synthesizers, stuttering handclaps, and low slung grooves that conjures late night drives through the Los Angeles metropolis. This t-shirt is inspired by one of Dam Funk’s favorite album covers (ZAPP) and includes a limited edition mix CD by Dam Funk himself.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
BLACK
CRANBERRY
ARTIST COLLABORATION SERIES - QUANTIC MIX CD & T-SHIRT
QUANTIC (TRU THOUGHTS RECORDS)
DESIGN: QUANTIC - STREAMS OF NEW MUSIC Will Holland aka Quantic is one the most prolific and innovative working producers today. In 2007 Quantic moved to Cali, Columbia where he has been digging for lost unknown treasures of cumbia, salsa and latin funk. This t-shirt collaboration with Quantic entitled “Streams of New Music from Old Sources” includes a mix cd which is the result of networking and digging on the front lines of Cali Colombia and what came together is nothing short of breathtaking. It is a mind melting amalgam of cumbia funk, African inspired salsa, and Colombian vocal tracks that put you front in center of Latin American musical history.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
CREAM
BROWN
ARTIST COLLABORATION SERIES - KON & AMIR MIX CD & T-SHIRT
KON & AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: KON & AMIR - MUSIC IS THE MESSAGE
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
We here at 101 Apparel have been following Kon and Amir’s record collecting skills since the legendary “On Track” mix cd’s that set a new bar in the crate digging community for what a mix cd could be. Now, 101 Apparel is honored to present “Music is the Message; a design collaboration inspired by the music and djing prowess of Kon and Amir. Each tshirt will come with an exclusive mix cd by Kon and Amir filled with modern soul, disco and other dance goodies.
WHITE
SILVER
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: MOVE ON UP Curtis Mayfield was one smooth soul cat; multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and political and social commentator, his legacy in music is enormous. His self titled debut album is an undisputed classic that mixed his soul and funk sensibilities with bits of psychedelia and combined this with a larger and more encompassing social message. “Move On Up” is a song that features rolling latin percussion, surging string arrangements and Curtis’ voice as a call to arms for positivity and equality in a world that was going through the Vietnam War and the civil rights unrest. We here are massive fans of Curtis’ music and this shirt is dedicated to his influence and inspiration.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
KELLY
NAVY
BILLY GOODS (FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: MUSICA DE SUD-AMERICA We are very excited to present “Musica de Sudamerica” a shirt dedicated to the panoply of music that has come from South America. From Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires, from Lima to Bogota, the wide diversity of South American music is something to behold. Whether it’s funky Amazonian cumbia, the driving batucadas of Rio, or psychedelic chicha from Peru, there is something for everyone on this vast continent. This design takes a unique angle by using the map of South America and lining it by geographic area with all the different styles of music that have been birthed there. This is an essential document that combines musicology, ethnography and fashion design all into one.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
CREAM
ARMY
RANDY WATSON (FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT Afrika Bambaata was a musical force of nature. His influence on DJ’s and hip hop culture in general cannot be overstated; in many ways he created the template for what modern DJ’s are today. He coined the term “hip-hop”, invented electro boogie, turntablism, break beat sets, and helped spread a message of positivity within hip-hop culture. When he chose the famous sample by Kraftwerk to invent the track “Planet Rock”, a record that went gold, he single handedly put break dancing and sampling on the international map. “Looking for the Perfect Beat” is an electro-boogie classic that has been sampled countless times and influenced a bevy of artists and DJ’s.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
LIME
ROYAL
BILLY GOODS (FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: LET THE MUSIC PLAY “Let The Music Play” is a dance classic released in 1983 by Shannon, a female vocalist from Washington DC who ushered in the popularity of the “freestyle” genre, a style of music that combined Latin American rhythms and a heavy disco influence with infectious pop hooks. Its the sound of the clubs in the mid 80’s, your friend’s weddings and BBQ’s, and the sub-woofers blaring out of a G-ride posted at the local burger spot. The significance of this track is not only that it birthed “freestyle”, but also because it transcended the genre which it was a part of and was a massive hit on the hip-hop, dance music, and pop radio stations; a true multi-cultural phenomenon of its time.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
NAVY
turquoise
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: FUTURE FUNK
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
This design conjures that spacy forward thinking funk sound that starts off with Sun Ra and Parliament Funkadelic and travels on through to Zapp, Model 500 and into the future with Dam Funk. Funk music that evokes progressive futurism, a musical ride to the stars and beyond. Future funk; vintage synthesizer sounds that undulate in abstract waves, robotic grooves that make you move and clipped vocals with loads of echo and delay applied to the structure. This design is for the boogie heads, space funk enthusiasts, electro lovers and futurists. BLACK
WHITE
RANDY WATSON (FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: ELECTRO BOOGIE
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
What is electro- boogie ? Boogie is the sound of disco, funk, 70’s fusion, Afro-futurism, Kraftwerk and George Clinton all rolled into a thick bed of infectious grooves. In the early 80’s African-American post-disco artists were experimenting with new synthesizers and technologies while simultaneously growing out of the disco scene which allowed for new forms to take hold. Artists like D-Train, Slave, and Zapp were presenting a more futuristic take on funk while still implementing disco aesthetics and soulful vocals to the electronic experimentation of new-wave artists. BLACK
ARMY
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: WISDOM THROUGH MUSIC
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
Pharaoh Sanders was a tenor saxophone player best known for his work with John Coltrane in the 60’s where the ensembles they played in eschewed conventional song structures for music that was filled with raw unbridled creativity and lyricism. After the death of Trane, Pharaoh began to focus on his solo work with music that was more introspective and conceptual, yet still channeling the experimentation and fire that he brought to those records in the 60’s. “Wisdom Through Music” is a monumental jazz record that brings together many influences from disparate parts of the globe. BROWN
CHARCOAL
BILLY GOODS (FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: 45 RPM The 45 is a ubiquitous piece of vinyl that first came to prominence during the era of the single in the early to mid 60’s. At the time labels figured pressing 7 inches was not only cheaper than having to press full albums but it was a small investment with the possibility of large returns. The 12’ 45 is an essential artifact of dance history that spans from italo, new wave, disco, balearic, to early house and techno. This design boasts the outline of a 12’ 45 with diagonal lines that give it a sleek modern look that looks like a cross between a Factory records aesthetic and a vintage italo record. Perfect for DJ’s, producers, and dance music connoisseurs.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
SILVER
BLACK
BILLY GOODS (FUNKMOSPHERE)
DESIGN: COLOMBIA In keeping with our love of all things Latin, we bring you a shirt dedicated to Colombia, the birthplace of cumbia music. Bogota has a thriving music culture that is in evidence today with many producers turning their interests and finding inspiration in all things South American. Our good friend Will Holland (aka Quantic) graced us with a mix of cumbia and salsa for the FALL 09 line, music that was culled from his travels in Colombia where he now resides. Archivists such as Quantic and Miles Cleret have been mining the hills of Colombia for music that spans not just cumbia, but salsa, vallenato, choro and other Andean styles.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
WHITE
ROYAL
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: WHO’S GONNA TAKE THE WEIGHT
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
“Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” is a powerful message that has been common parlance in African-American culture since the early 60’s. It has appeared in everything from political to social commentary and addresses the question of who takes responsibility for the issues that face our time. The first group to use this message in their music was Kool and the Gang on “Live at the Sex Machine”, an epic funk album that calls out the corruption and social unrest of the time. Scroll over to 1991 and Gangstarr’s DJ Premier sampled the original version while producing one of the more memorable hip-hop songs to date. CHARCOAL
CRANBERRY
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: KEEP YOUR SOUL TOGETHER
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
Keep Your Soul Together is a fat nasty jazz funk album recorded by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard in 1973. Obviously, a play on the words “ Keep your sh@% together”, this album was a landmark recording on CTI that has some of the thickest bass lines that have been sampled by everyone from Del to Mr. Dibbs. Keeping in line with Mr. Hubbard himself, this shirt has a trumpet neatly placed in between the text and as always the font is a take on the music that birthed the design.
CHARCOAL
WHITE
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: WHEELS OF STEEL Well, here at 101 Apparel, turntables, records and music is what got is into this thing in the first place. Therefore, it’s no surprise that we decided to come out with a shirt paying homage to the “Wheels of Steel”. It doesn’t matter what you dig; jazz, brazilian, funk, African, soul, disco, psych, house, hip-hop, post-punk, there is some DJ out there who is throwing it down. We are talking about over 40 years of evolution in the art form of DJ’ing and this shirt is a testament to that. So anyone who respects the art form, is a DJ himself, has ever gotten down to a DJ or ever “had one save his life” then this shirt is perfectly made for you.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
SILVER
BROWN
DIJON (101 APPAREL)
DESIGN: FUNKY LAGOS
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
This shirt is about Afro-Beat, the music that was pioneered by Fela Kuti; a sound that combined political oppression, ancient African polyrhythms and American funk. Lagos, the capital of Nigeria became ground zero for this sound as many were fed up with the oppressive practices of their totalitarian government and decided to start bands and play music as a form of rebellion. The music from Lagos at that time was funky, filled with a sense of deep longing for better times that translated to some of the freshest sounds to grace 101 Apparel’s ears. KELLY
CAMEL
KON (on track productions bbe)
DESIGN: JAZZ SOUL FUNK DISCO It’s no secret that we here at 101 Apparel love music in all of its forms.. Jazz with its syncopated African rhythms, a heavy emphasis on the “solo” and strange uses of unorthodox instruments can be heard in everything from early techno to hip-hop. Soul, with its infectious back beat, celebratory and anguished vocals, and with an attention on atmosphere can be heard in early house music. Funk, with its monster backbeats and chicken scratch guitars. Disco with its infectious dance beat, soaring strings, vocals, and intensive percussion seemed to take all of the elements of Jazz, Funk, and Soul into its DNA. This shirt pays homage to that continuum.
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
WHITE
NAVY
DIJON (101 APPAREL)
DESIGN: MICROPHONE MATHEMATICS
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
This one is direct to the hip hop heads out there, “Microphone Mathematics” is a famous phrase attributed to De La Soul, and a phrase which Madlib later took for his Quasimoto record. Microphone Mathematics is all about taking lyrical content, composition and delivery to the next level. This applies to everyone from Rakim and Big Daddy Kane, to the modern verbal acrobats. This design is for the MC’s, poets, and verbal impresarios who know its not easy putting together the right words for a fly rhyme. The shirt has an image of a microphone whose wire is embedded into the text “Microphone Mathematics”. WHITE
BLACK
DIJON (101 APPAREL)
DESIGN: DISCO EDITS
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
“Disco Edits” were first created by legendary producer and DJ Tom Moulton when he decided to extend the “break” on certain tracks to keep dancers on a disco fueled frenzy. This design pays respect to all the originators who paved the way for the basic elements in dance culture; the “edit and the remix”. This shirt comes in a hip 70’s flavor, with a 12” record at the center and the text “Disco Edits” as the backdrop. A design that accentuates bright and funky colors just like the music that inspired it; this one is for the dance freaks, heads in the know, the dj-producer and the remixer. ROYAL
BLACK
DIJON (101 APPAREL)
DESIGN: SOUND SYSTEM ROCKERS
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
Sound System Rockers is a unique shirt that is inspired by the massive Sound System parties that used to rock the ghettoes of Jamaica. There’s nothing like massive stacks of speakers, bass amps, and tweeters meticulously arranged to get the party going just right. Jamaicans have been perfecting this art for decades and they know just how to concoct the perfect stacks to make the bass rumble deep, the highs sound nice and crisp, and the mids flesh out the musical textures. This shirt will be sure to be a hit with DJ’s, dancers, sound headz and music lovers. WHITE
SAND
DIJON (101 APPAREL)
DESIGN: ROOTS
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
A tribute to arguably the most influential genre to come out of Jamaica; roots married the genius vocal inflections of everyone from Bob Marley to Peter Tosh with the production wizardry of Lee “Scratch” Perry and Coxsone Dodd to become something of a “golden age” of Jamaican music. 101 Apparel gives us a visually striking design that uses the silhouette of the Jamaican country and hangs microphones of varying sizes and style branching downward to give this tee a decidedly unique look.
RED
BROWN
KON (on track productions bbe)
DESIGN: SOUL POWER 74 Soul Power 74 is a timeless tune that was adapted from the Godfather of Soul himself, Mr. James Brown. After the original was recorded, his main man Mace-o did an instrumental version that amounted to a re-edit with additional dubbed out horns amongst other studio trickery. Soul Power 74 to this day is an official soul banger that is played in every club from Detroit to Tokyo. Using the outstretched hand as a symbol of the people’s fight for liberation from tyranny and oppression, we decided to keep the vibe intact with a large thick font and nice sharp colors that will single you out on the dancefloor. Soul Power!
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA NEW COLOR
WHITE
BLACK
AMIR (on track productions/bbe/ wax poetics)
DESIGN: SOUND TRAVELER
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
A design for that true musical traveler that rises above categories and seeks the best in every musical genre and cares about its history. This tee is for the true sound sophisticate; with a world map diagram that “connects the dots” across the world displaying genres and their country of origin (afrobeat, disco, jazz, salsa, hip hop, r&b, dance hall…and more) . This one is a major keeper and is sure to inspire imitators.
BROWN
NAVY
KON (on track productions bbe)
DESIGN: SAO PAULO
MENS & WOMENS - 100% fine jersey cotton, made in USA
Sao Paulo is a city that often gets overlooked in relation to Rio De Janeiro but make no mistake this city has a culture and musical history just as fresh as the capital. Decidedly mellower in tone, this design recreates the sun bleached beaches of Brazil with seagulls flying over a setting sun over 3-D lettering that really makes this design stand out!
ROYAL
MUSTARD
PULLOVER HOODED FLEECE - 100% COTTON, MADE AND PRINTED IN USA
TONY ALLEN - AFRO BEAT w/cd: BROWN
MOVE ON UP: NAVY
JAZZ FUNK SOUL DISCO: NAVY
DAM-FUNK w/cd : BLACK
KON & AMIR w/cd: GREY
RAGLAN CREW FLEECE - 100% COTTON, MADE AND PRINTED IN USA
LET THE MUSIC PLAY: NAVY
ELECTRO BOOGIE: BLACK
WHOS GONNA TAKE... : GREY
FUTURE FUNK: BLACK
QUANTIC: BROWN
MICROPHONE MATH: BLACK