Andrew Rens Salendu: Interview with a Blur artist

This month's featured article will be all about part-time Blur artist Andrew Rens Salendu from Indonesia who published a series of wonderfully stylish Blur posters online in Deviantart. The styles of his Blur artwork, custom Blur album sleeves and covers ranges from dark britpop grunge, pure vintage to brilliantly colorful and psychedelic. 

Describe yourself - who are you ?

I’m a forensic pathologist who listens to a lot of music and draws a lot. I have a lovely wife and a handsome baby boy.

What inspired you to make the Blur posters?

Blur are very visually stimulating. They seem to put great care in their packaging. That inspired me to try to imitate the thought process in designing posters.

We've Got a File On You-
A riff on countless pop art stuff

Poster Design- A Blur/Batman
animated series mash-up

How did you get into Blur in the first place ?

For Tomorrow was a minor radio hit, and I remember thinking it was a very catchy tune. But like most others, the Blur bug bit me when Parklife was released. The variety of music is breathtaking, the quality of the songs even more so.

Name your favourite song - why ?

I can’t decide between Blue Jeans and Sweet Song.

What other music do you have in your collection ?

Like all the people who were in high school in 1994-1996, I have a soft spot for Britpop, even the second-division bands like Menswear, Dodgy, Octopus, Subcircus and Bennett. My favorite bands, other than Blur, are The Beatles, R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, The Smiths, Ryan Adams and Fountains of Wayne.

A Spell for Money- A fictional record sleeve

Elton John's Cock -
Design for a CD Single 

What do you consider when designing anything ?

My approach can be divided into just two: do the opposite and do the appropriate. Blur has a distinct but varied visual identity, from the early days by Stylorouge and to the later days when they use Banksy and Graham’s artwork. Mixing and matching visual styles are always fun.

Who's your favorite member of Blur ?

For his cavalier attitude and extracurricular activities alone, it has to be Alex.

What's your favourite photo of the band ? Please link

This one - Just the sight of seeing them back together again!

Least favourite Blur song and why

It’s a three-way-tie between Mr Robinson’s Quango, Top Man and Crazy Beat. I don’t know why, but I find them incredibly annoying. The former even more so, because it interrupted the flow of two of my favorite Blur songs – The Universal and He Thought of Cars.

Any last words ?

Thank you so much for the opportunity! Love your site! 

Vintage styled Blur poster design

Blur poster with retro pixels 

Japanese-styled replica poster design

To see more of Andrew's Blur graphic designs, browse his gallery at andy2519.deviantart.com

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Damon Albarn's Solo Album to feature Natasha Khan

At a recent August press interview, musician Natasha Khan who is known for her stage name Bat for Lashes said that she recorded a new song for Damon Albarn's solo LP.

In the article Khan describes how she recently recorded a track with Damon Albarn: “If I could go back and tell the 15-year-old me that I’d just sang with Damon for his new record, she’d probably wet her pants with excitement,” she said. “I had such a massive crush on him when I was younger.”

Bat For Lashes is the pseudonym of British songwriter and singer artist Natasha Khan. Half English and half Pakistani, Khan's music style is bold, colorful and loud. Her songs often feature thunderous marching band drums, desert guitar, ballet school piano, harpsichord, sub-bass snarls, hand-claps and naive beats, with the women fluidly switching and swapping their instruments between songs.

It's not a wonder why Damon picked Bat for Lashes as one of his collaborators. Her track on Damon Albarn's new solo album is bound to be interesting and dynamic, and will likely reflect her usual varied style of instrument choice and beat.

Damon himself is also fond of using myriad instruments and sound devices to create his music, often with experimental elements embedded in the songs.

There have been no further news on when Damon's new album will be released. For now, the Blur frontman is busy with band tours all across the world.

For those interested in more about Bat for Lashes, check out her official website here.

Blur rocks out in Hungary - Revisiting the Szeiget Festival 2013

Blur headlined the Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary three weeks ago on August 9th, playing a memorable greatest hits show where audience saw Damon Albarn performing an entire song standing inside the crowds. It was a memorable show where fans saw a very cheesy sign, a soaked Damon Albarn, Blur performing "Happy Birthday To You" for a special someone, Alex smoking a cigarette and Damon's underpants.

Blur fans are creative- a Cheesus Christ sign at the Hungary show

The show began at 9:30pm, when Damon Albarn emerged donned in his signiature denim jacket and jeans, pumping the air with his fist and saying "First time" referring to the fact that the band had not played in Hungary before.

The Britpop legends then launched straight into 'Girls & Boys'. Wearing shorts and a red neckerchief, Bassist Alex James, performed his baseline with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. "It's been a very hot day," exclaimed a sweaty Albarn whilst spraying water over the audience in the front rows.

Afterwards the band played 'There's No Other Way' and 'Beetlebum', the latter which Damon performed with an acoustic guitar as he pounded his feet on the drum podium.

Damon still seemed fixated on the day's hot temperature as winds whipped up around the festival site. "They say there's a storm coming," he shouted. "Cool air! Rain! Yeah!". A rendition of 'Out Of Time' followed his short speech, before the fan favourite 'Trimm Trabb' was sung, which Albarn sang through a megaphone.

Guitarist Graham Coxon took lead vocals for the hit 'Coffee And TV', during which Albarn wandered around the stage with his acoustic guitar before joining the band's backing singers for a dance. "You're really making this a pleasure for us," he said afterwards.

Blur then played 'Tender' and 'To The End', which was performed with a brass section. They then picked up the pace with 'Country House'. Stalking around in the pit and shaking hands as he sang, he leapt over the barrier into the crowd, who sprayed him with water.

The band played a fast-paced version of 'Parklife' and 'End Of A Century', which was followed by a solo rendition of 'Happy Birthday' to a member of the band's road crew when Damon returned to the stage after the break. The rest of the group then joined him to play 2012 single 'Under The Westway'.

'For Tomorrow' came next, after which Albarn scanned the array of flags in the crowd and said: "There's a lot of people from a lot of different countries out there. That's a very positive thing." He then spotted a sign asking him to take his pants off, and exposed some underpants in response.

Blur then finished their encore with 'The Universal' and 'Song 2'.

Photo Gallery - Highlights at the Blur Szeiget Festival 2013

Credits to virrb, chromecoveredclone, agatics.zvjezdana, chainstore, cncrd

View the Full Gallery (36 photos) by visiting our Facebook page. 

Setlist - Blur in Hungary 2013

   (Theme From Retro)
   Girls & Boys
   There's No Other Way
   Beetlebum
   Out Of Time
   Trimm Trabb
   Caramel
   Coffee & TV
   Tender
   To The End
   Country House
   Parklife
   End Of A Century
   This Is A Low

   Encore:
   Happy Birthday
   Under The Westway
   For Tomorrow (Visit To Primrose Hill
      Extended)
   The Universal
   Song 2

A new interview featuring Alex James and Graham Coxon was also made available after the show, where the pair talked about the Blur and Oasis rivalry, new music and their gigs so far. You can read it by clicking here.

Watch the Entire Show - Blur live in Hungary 2013

Finally, some good news for those of you who want to view the show - the entire set was recorded by a fan in very high quality video which you can watch by clicking here. 

Wacky Blur GIFs

A small collection of the funniest, wackiest Blur related gif animations. 

Blur fans are a creative bunch indeed. Know any more animations we can feature next time? Feel free to leave a comment and link below.