XFEL - BOUND TO CULTURE
The XFEL dream was born in 2017 between friends that wanted, at the very core, to catch up and work with their talented network of friends.
From that initial concept, they’ve taken on the form of a publishing house that collaborates with creatives across the spectrum to tell their stories, to tell their own stories, and everything else in between. From zines to tees, the team over at XFEL see these visual mediums as a pathway for everyone in the room to have a say in things, in their own way.
Holding a physical copy of something in your hands is still an experience that the digital world is furiously scrambling to catch up with and replicate. The characteristics of having satin or gloss weighted paper between your fingers as you flip between pages within a zine - this type of intimate connection is only possible when a creator is as invested in every part of the process, as the person picking the zine up. Content within a zine can be focused in a way that can truly give the reader a detailed, concentrated injection of passionate context that other similar mediums can’t keep up with.
Mike
Josh
Lowering the barrier to entry for establishing a voice or narrative around subject matter not typically seen in a traditional publishing sense - zines represent a bastion of untouched, fiercely independent expression on any topic you can think of. If you’ve ever picked up a zine of any sort, you’ll understand how critically important these slices of underrepresented perspective are to the matter they’re dedicated to.
Our good friends at XFEL are acutely aware of this, and are unwavering in their commitment to putting a megaphone and full blown soundstage in front of those that have something to say. Mega-publishers are much more risk averse than they’d like to admit. Too often, the voices of those with the most powerful narratives and smallest platforms, don’t get told.
To delve even deeper, and to learn more about how XFEL aims to amplify the voices of creative individuals and their communities, we join Mike Ford and Josh Jenkinson:
Can you please introduce XFEL to the Sabukaru network?
Mike - We are a small independent publisher based in South London, focused on print and other forms of communication. We published our first zine in November 2017 and have been working on various projects since then.
Mike
Where are you both from and what are your backgrounds?
Mike - It’s funny as we were both actually born in the same town in the UK, and we were good friends until Josh moved away at age 11. We stayed in touch loosely but didn’t really see each other for close to a decade maybe, until I moved to London.
Growing up I was lucky enough to experience a lot of live music from a very young age. Most of my younger days were spent within music scenes, especially Punk/Hardcore – I started going to those gigs around 12/13 years old. It was an amazing time, with growing up in a place that didn’t have too much to offer in terms of what I found interesting – the world of punk and hardcore was captivating and was my first really exposure to DIY zines.
Accessing the internet [at a good speed] was quite tough, so I still relied on most of my information coming from printed material – especially skate mags, CD & vinyl notes etc.
Josh - Some of my first memories are being at Sandra’s [our child minder] with Mike before and after school, essentially just running around in her garden. When my family moved from Lincolnshire to Yorkshire, we didn’t see each other for over 10 years.
My teenage years were dominated by football, skating, bikes and indie music coming out of Sheffield and Leeds. We lived in a tiny village about 30 minutes from Sheffield, there was a group of about 10 of us all a similar age all into the same things. So, what could have been quite an isolating place turned out to be an amazing place to grow up! I remember we were obsessed with Sheffield – everything about the place. It was a really interesting time for the city in the mid 00’s, so many bands, so many good skaters and so many good spots.
Similarly, browsing the internet on dial up was not an option, so we relied heavily on magazines like ‘document’ and ‘sidewalk’ for most of our information.
What are your day jobs and what was the journey that ultimately led you up to this day?
Mike - Most of my jobs have been in the world of clothes & sneakers, working in retail from when was 16 until I ended up in Amsterdam in my early 20’s where I landed with a big footwear brand. And I’m still there now.
Josh - My day job is with a flexible office space company in East London, I work with great people and really love going to work. Though until recently I have not really been dead set on a specific career path, I decided to travel a lot in my early 20’s, came back to London at 25/26 and kind of just picked up jobs to pay the bills. Side hustles and [since 2017] XFEL have kind of been my main focus.
What types of zines can we find at XFEL and who are the artists and creatives you feature?
Mike - I wouldn’t say we have a specific type of zine, some are mainly photography based, some graphic design-led, or some cut and paste style – each artist we publish or collaborate with brings in their own unique touch, which leads to something new.
As for the people we feature, we are very open and hopefully inclusive. For the likes of Employee of the Month – which has become a bit of a series – it’s an open call that anyone can submit to. We get people who are sharing something publicly for the very first time, through to people who get paid to do it professionally.
A lot of the zines we publish for other individuals are by people we’ve met through events, or mutual friendships, then it goes from there.
We’re also being proactive about how we can ensure we have a diverse range of individuals we’re working with, especially more female representation across XFEL going forward!!
What brought you together to set up a publishing house and to give people a creative platform and community?
Mike - The original idea was born out of trying to bring together our creative friends, many of them were living in London, but we would hardly ever see them in person. We thought if we all worked on a project together, then we would see more of each other! Ha. It proved quite tough to get started though on a singular idea – somehow during these conversations myself, Josh and our good friend and OG XFEL member Paul came together to create our first zine ‘Riding Shotgun’.
From here things continued in the same vein, we wanted to get together and create a platform to share our friends’ work, but this has evolved into us meeting a lot of new people along the way - people we can now call friends/XFEL family. What we’ve also seen is other creatives meeting through the XFEL platform and going off to work together on projects together - which is actually what we’re most excited about.
Josh - When we started having conversations in 2017 about bringing creative friends together and putting something out. My initial aim was to be involved in something with new people.
After reconnecting with Mike, meeting Paul and a bunch of other people, I felt we had something tangible that I didn’t want to let slide. With ‘Riding Shotgun’ we formed a working method that was good for the three of us. The obvious question was “what’s next?”. This has kind of snowballed into XFEL as you see it now. We now have a small platform that connects creative people in a really fun way and the XFEL family can use each other's expertise to get the projects they are working on out.
We live in the year 2020 and everything and everybody tries to leave a digital footprint in the form of words, visuals and generally mirroring their art on digital channels. How do you position or explain the still ongoing love for zines out there? What makes a zine so special compared to putting it all into the digital world?
Mike - I think it’s still the idea of it being physical and tangible which really connects with people. If you think about it, books and print have been around for many thousands of years, so I think we still connect with printed formats on another level compared to digital -which is still in its infancy. [I wonder if in a few thousand years someone might look back at this and laugh, as digital will seem old! Haha.]
The other thing I would say is that a physical zine really makes whatever content is in it feel like it’s all meant to be together, whereas viewing something as a PDF, all the content still feels separate. That why I love it when we get the first test copy, as that’s the first time you can really view what you have made.
Josh - For me it is completely about holding something, the texture, the smell and being able to turn a page. When you are clicking through or swiping your senses are not affected in the same way. I think there is definitely a place for putting projects out in the digital world but for me and I think for a lot of zinemakers and zine fans it doesn’t compare to a physical zine.
What makes a good Zine and what are your favourite ones?
Mike - I love handmade one offs or small runs – anything that has a personal touch to it from the maker speaks to me. On the other end of the spectrum zines where the construction is unique. I have a couple of small publications from Comme Des Garcon and the way they are made is another level.
Josh - I love zines that tell me about a specific thing or a specific place. Zines from people like @sprawlers a skate zine from Newcastle, AUS, @skatedaysfanzine a skate zine from Barcelona, the Hokkaido series we put out by ponytailjones. I also really love zines in formats you do not always see. Whether that’s a folding zine or bound in an interesting way, [glue and string is a favourite].
What are both of your inspirations, who inspires you, from the legends right through to the newcomers?
Mike - Wow – where to begin. In general, I would just say new experiences and discovery, whether that’s through meeting people, travel or figuring out how something has been made. As for inspiration for me it’s everywhere – it can come from boredom or the other end of the spectrum.
If we are talking about print – some of the zines I grew up with in my local hardcore scene which was Rum Lad by Steve, Gadgie by Marv.
From the XFEL side I would say anybody who submitted work to Employee of the Month Volume 1 & for Volume 2 – we continue to find out about more and more talented people. Few other shout outs go to Justin Jenkins in NYC who is always on point, Millie Lagares whose food zines are great and my bro Niall William-Gordon who keeps it real.
On an inspirational level for myself I would say Catalog Designs set the bench high every time, and I was recently put onto Cassandra Press who are putting out interesting and meaningful material.
Josh - For me, travel - whether that’s new places close to home or further afield. Creatively, I studied photography, so photography & photographers have always inspired me to make work.
Richard Billingham’s ‘Ray’s A Laugh’ was massive for me – I had never seen anything that personal before. Ricky Adam - a photographer from Northern Ireland, who has shot incredible work from the Belfast Punk Scene to bottles of piss found along the M1 motorway.
More recently EOTM Vol1 has put me on to so many great people and V2 so many more. Seeing Paul [@Pabloxfel] work close up really inspired me on design level – the things that guy can do blow me away every time I am with him.
Alongside XFEL you also run a store called yalla, can you please tell us more about it?
Mike - We have a lot of side hustles going on but this one is Josh’s! So, I’ll let him speak to that.
Josh - I have always bought and sold things, to begin with as a young teenager it was a way to make money for whatever I needed/wanted at any specific time but buying and selling has never really left me.
I have traded under the name ‘yalla’ for 4 years or so now, selling European sportswear, football memorabilia and a weird collection of things I like. The store had an online presence for a couple of years, I spent last summer selling on Brick Lane Market in East London and now I am taking some time to think about what form ‘yalla’ will take next.
We have really enjoyed coming up with ideas and trying to create our own products, the ‘yalla’ can cooler is something we are looking to put out again this summer!
Essentially the store gives me an excuse to go hunting in Naples twice a year and car boot sales every weekend.
What are your thoughts on archive products and preserving these cultural artefacts?
Mike - For me its super important – most of current culture is based on something that already exists but is reworked or sampled. I seem to collect/hold on to a lot of things especially books, print, tees, or shoes to name a few – for me it’s not enough to see them digitally for reference, I also want to be able to touch/feel them in hand for a deeper context.
Josh - I completely agree. Seeing an image of an item isn’t always enough. Only when you pick something up, feel its weight, its texture, the small details, do you get a real understanding of what it means.
I feel like we both have a kind of hoarding mentality, but a big part of that is because we appreciate the journey it takes to hold that thing. It’s then difficult to let go, haha!
A lot of your zines document different areas and themes in Japan, why is this and what are some of the notable moments you’ve had when visiting the land of the rising sun?
Mike - Somehow Japan has influenced a lot of my interests from an early age – I was very into Japanese’s animated cartoons [especially transformers] as a kid, when Pokémon cards was a craze, I had imported ones from Japan, when a lot of kids were into wrestling, I was watching Japanese wrestling, and when I got into sneakers, I wanted the Japan exclusives. There is something in the notion of these parallel cultures, the one that I grew up in and what was happening there being so aligned but at the same time so different.
As for notable moments, I was there end of 2018 with my girlfriend whilst she was pregnant with our daughter. We managed to travel around the country and that was my first time seeing the Japanese’s countryside - that was a special trip for that reason.
The flea market next to the Horse Racetrack in Tokyo is always a pilgrimage while I’m there, but I would say just walking around with no agenda is what I love the most and stumbling upon new places.
Can you show us one of the pieces from what you’ve published that makes you proud, something that has a story behind, a lasting moment that will forever have an impact on you?
Mike - Regardless of when I’m asked this question, I would most likely say it would be the very last zine we just published, as we learn so much every time. Yalla was one that stood out for me as it was one of first solo XFEL events and for a great cause, but right now I would have to say Employee of the Month Volume 1.
Putting out an open call was pretty scary as we weren’t sure if anybody would be interested or want to be involved – but we ended up with over 40 individuals submitting work from all across the world. The event to showcase the submissions was also the largest exhibition we have done to date, so again we learnt a lot and had an amazing turn out. It was so nice to see the support in real life and make a whole bunch of new friends.
Josh - For me, putting out the ‘Yalla’ zine was a big moment. All proceeds went to @SkatePal a charity who support young people in Palestine through skateboarding. Skateboarding is the most inclusive sport in the world, no one gives a shit about your race, your sex, your age or your class. To spend time skating with Palestinians will be something I will never forget and if you skate and have the time, I would urge you to reach out to SkatePal and volunteer!
That project obviously holds special memories for me personally and I am super proud that we as XFEL put it out.
Employee of the Month for all the reasons Mike has mentioned and because the whole thing was such a collaborative effort, from all the submissions, to the exhibition, so many friends and relationships were built over the course of that issue and I am excited for that to continue on to V2.
Before the world went into lockdown you released your products at events and created pop-ups that celebrated the creative community, how are you pivoting in the new world that we found ourselves in?
Mike - The digital space is one we are figuring out – we still want to be focused on physical output, but as we continue to connect with individuals across the world the digital space is becoming more important – we have been looking at building a webpage and a digital gallery for future work.
With Employee of The Month, you left the cover as a blank canvas encouraging customers to create their own cover, let’s highlight some of the examples you’ve received!
Mike - It’s been great to see how people have approached this. This is a concept that we want to continue with EOTM going forward – especially the idea that it is open submission, so this allows the owner to have the final contribution.
Josh - For EOTM there was no set theme and we wanted the cover to reflect that – It has been wicked to see people’s covers!
Can you talk to us about the Stussy project and feature some highlights?
Mike - Our work with the Stussy London Chapter has been born out of a relationship with the individuals in that store and the respect we have for the brand. The last project we worked on was the ‘London Stussy Posse’ where we shot the people/groups that came through their archive sale – we then put this together into an A4 zine to highlight the community around the brand, and those that are supporting it. The zine was then given out at the London Chapter store at the preview night for their Spring 20 collection. It was great to see lots of the faces featured in the zine turn up on the night.
I also think in the future it will be a great snapshot of London style in 2019.
What inspires you both outside the publishing world?
Mike -
My girlfriend, daughter, & friends.
Not knowing what’s coming next
Good food.
Josh -
My girlfriend & friends
Planning trips
eBay
What do you have in the pipeline, who can we see join the XFEL roster?
Mike - A lot!! Ha. We have a new tee coming out which is a collaboration with almost.free.services, which is fire. We are are working on getting Employee of the Month Volume 2 ready. There is a partnership with the London Stussy Chapter which is a zine to raise money for local Charities, a zine from a new name on XFEL, Jack Ashley, the story behind it is next level [you need to wait for that] plus a few of our own self-published titles.
Josh - The tee with @almost.free.services is so good. Super excited to get that out. We are in the process of putting together EOTM V2, which has had double the amount of submissions we saw in V1. There is potentially something coming with @aqua.variety and yeah just wait until you hear the story Jack has got!!
What would your advice be for someone that wants to get on with their own zine but has no idea where to start or how to take that leap?
Mike - I would say pick a topic that you care about, it doesn’t matter how niche it is – if you are truly interested in it then it should be fun for you. Then I would say make it for yourself to enjoy and try not to think about what someone else might like.
The beauty of zines is that there is no set format or rules, so you can make it up. I feel some of the best zines people make are when they start out just experimenting, and not necessarily following any guidelines or rules!
Josh - I agree with Mike on choosing something you’re passionate about – when you start out making zines and printed content it has to be fun for you!
Another key thing is don’t be afraid to ask, generally people who make zines are super passionate and want to learn and share techniques. If there is something you don’t know or need help on – find someone doing something you’re into and ask the questions. You will find most of the time you get the help you need and often make friends in the process!
Outside of the community that you’ve created with XFEL, what are some of the other zine related communities that you’d suggest other fanatics check out?
Mike - There are tons! Some of the bigger ones like Catalog Design who put out some amazing work, and Heavy Time which was collab between Ed Davis from Brain Dead and Todd Jordan [although their site seems to no longer be on the net?]
I would say closer to home names: Bankrupt Store is dope and supports a lot of new zines; Kiosk Books has always put out good content. Books Peckham is a great place to visit for all varieties of printed matter.
Josh - So many Catalog Design put out great work. I love seeing new stuff from Paperwork NYC, OZO and Season Zine.
Kiosk Books consistently delivering great stuff, Seth and the guys at 502badgateway. Skatedaysfanzine, CCC and the photo book cafe in East London is a great place to check out.
There's nothing like holding a physical item but do you think we’ll ever see a world where a zine can be a digital product? we've had downloadable pdfs since the invention of the internet, there was also a craze around high budget interactive magazines for the ipad for a while but all of that sorted of died off, if you can see a zine transformed into digital and become a thing in the future, how do you envision it?
Mike - I would be interested in the digital space if it could offer more to the senses, so when you read the zine you maybe hear noises or smells or something else that could trigger the senses to add to the overall feeling.
At the moment a digital zine is still not accessible for everybody to create, but as more and more digital software becomes affordable/free and easy to use, then we may see an increase in the digital space.
Josh - I am interested in the idea of video zines that as Mike mentions might do more to kind of attack the senses, with sound and visuals.
It is really difficult to recreate that feeling of holding something physical, but we have been exploring the idea of creating online zine that takes you on an interactive journey. I think there is definitely a space for VR zines or interactive digital projects that whilst not doing the same things a physical zine does definitely keep you interested.
Can you guys imagine doing a zine together with the Sabukaru team?
You know we are here for that! Haha.
Thank you a lot for your time!
Credits
Interview by Adrian Bianco & Stephen J. Donald
Text by Joseph Wang
About the author:
Joseph Wang is a Washington D.C. based storyteller focused on the history and influence that brands have on people, and vice versa. Connecting these stories to his roots, and immersing them with context and close relationships are what he strives for.
