3x1 LAUNCH FEAT. ELECTRIC YOUTH
A Real Hero —
College at 3x1, SoHo
Featuring Electric Youth · First US Performance · Mercer Street, New York
Yes — that song. The one from Drive. College featuring Electric Youth's first ever US performance, in a denim atelier on Mercer Street, lit by a pink neon glow visible from blocks away.
Last night I went to celebrate the official opening of 3x1 — Scott Morrison's denim atelier in SoHo — and walked into what turned out to be one of those evenings you don't forget. I noticed the pink neon lighting blocks away and was really excited to find out that my friend David Abir had done the lighting production for the event. It set the mood perfectly for what was coming.
The headline was College, the French electronic composer from Nantes, performing alongside Electric Youth for their first ever US performance. If you've seen Drive — and you have — you know the song.
"A Real Hero." Ryan Gosling driving through neon Los Angeles. That song, live, on Mercer Street. It was exactly as good as it sounds.
A 4,000 sq.ft. retail and gallery space, an entire manufacturing facility, and a 3,200 sq.ft. design studio. Every pair made on site. Founded by denim guru Scott Morrison.
College is the project of French electronic composer David Grellier, born in Nantes in 1979. At the end of the 90s he purchased his first computer and began making demos influenced by Jeff Mills, Aphex Twin and labels including Soma Records, Peacefrog and Warp.
In April 2007 he met Anoraak and created a blog to share their productions — the Valerie project was born, bringing together The Outrunners, Maethelvin, Russ Chimes and a musical movement evoking 80s nostalgia that quickly drew international attention.
His debut album Secret Diary was released in 2009, the same year he toured with Anoraak across Europe, the United States and Australia. The collaboration with Canadian duo Electric Youth produced the EP A Real Hero, released on Belgian label Flexx Records — later featured in Nicolas Winding Refn's film Drive, alongside Ryan Gosling.
His new record Northern Council will be the first release on Valerie's new Composer Series subdivision — a collection of limited-edition instrumental works, available on laser disc and digitally.
The trio played a handful of tracks, closing on "A Real Hero" — synthesizers, the two voices of Electric Youth, the pink light flooding Mercer Street. The crowd knew every word. I didn't make it to the after-party at Westway but I didn't need to. The evening was already complete.
If you haven't been to 3x1 yet, go. Walk past the neon and into something that takes the making of jeans as seriously as College takes the making of music.
"You don't take a photograph, you make it. The same is true of a pair of jeans. The same is true of a song."
Explore the full Antakly Projects archive →Antakly Projects — originally Ninu Nina — has been documenting creative culture across music, art, fashion and photography since 2003. This is one of those early evenings from the archive.
Photography by Neil Rasmus / BFAnyc.com · Explore the full archive →
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The pink neon, visible from blocks away. ✦
3x1 launch with College featuring Electric Youth Photos by Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com