Who Is DBO?....an updated interview with the artist behind Spindecks latest creative endeavor

At last Spindeck Skins - our amazing new deck graphics - have launched thanks to an awesomely talented young artist called DBO. We first brought you an interview with DBO when the project was in its infancy but now that we have finally got Spindeck Skins available we thought we better catch up on all the latest happenings in DBO World. So grab yourself a cold cup of tea and read on....

So in one sentence who is DBO and what do we need to know about him?

DBO is a nickname I managed to get stuck with at Uni, when I first started doing my art I used this name, I guess it was more about branding myself than anything else.

How would you describe your art and does it have a label?

I think when you try to define anything, it becomes constrained. The fundamental thing for me behind creativity is freedom, my art is driven by a desire to be free from the constraints of modern society and just do what I want. I get lumped into a sort of ‘Street Art’ category, which in reality is far removed from what my art is, well at least to me.

When did you first realize that you were an artist?

Only recently, which when I look back is ridiculous! I have always created stuff and designed stuff. But ‘DBO’ as an artist is only a recent incarnation, it was when I truly realised that art can be whatever you want it to be, and in turn you can be free during its creation that I uncovered something which seemed to fit, and not much had fitted before that point. I studied art at college but I wouldn’t say I felt like and artist then, I just went through the motions because it was something I was good at, I used it as an ends to a means. But then that all sounds like Bollox, everyone’s an artist, somewhere inside. Most people are too scared to speak their mind, let alone pour it out onto a piece ofpaper so everyone can judge it.

Which people and what experiences in your life have influenced you and how?

Everything I guess, what’s mostly influenced my art lately is agreeing to do stuff be it events or exhibitions, running out of time, and then having to churn out sh!t I’m not happy with for the sake of fulfilling the brief or some other commitment. For that reason I’ve taken a step back from getting involved in the more public side of art, and keep it for myself without the corruption of external factors and commercialization.

What other interests do you have besides your art?

I do a lot of open water swimming in my spare time, last year I swam the channel as part of a 6 man relay team, and this year I’m going to attempt to swim the 16.8KM that make up Lake Windermere. Other than that I enjoy cycling and reading.

Which pieces of your work are you most proud of and why?

Don’t know at the moment, it’s been a long time since I did something that’s gone public that I was happy with. I did some drawings around Christmas time last year. I sat down and drew for 3 weeks, got totally lost in it and it was a joy, but then I came back from it and haven’t done anything since.

When I look at your art I am mesmerized by the detail and complexity of the various elements. What inspires your work and where do you get all your new ideas?
My work is about looking for new shapes and forms. It’s not an abstraction of something real. What most inspires my work is the work itself, the spark of something new that leads you on a journey.

Do you mull over new ideas for a long time before putting pen to paper or do you just go with the spur of the moment?

The idea’s I keep in my head never get put down on paper, all my new stuff comes from itself. I’d like to be able to put my idea’s down on paper but I’m always underwhelmed by what I achieve. The idea’s that live and die during the course of a piece are the ones that make it to paper.

How long did it take you to solidify your style and how did it evolve?

I find questions like this tricky, for me my style isn’t solidified, its in its infancy its growing and developing. I can pin point a point in time around 2 years ago that I sat down and thought I’m going to start drawing, what you see of my work now is a point in a journey. I think the problem with the idea of a ‘Style’ sometimes is that artists spend more time running away from other people’s than trying to find their own. I find that time spent away from actually creating art is perhaps more valuable to its progression than the hours spent actually executing it.

What media do you work in?

My work always starts out as a pencil sketch, which I then ink in. This leaves me with a nice flowing uncorrupted black and white drawing, which I can either scan in to colour or do by hand with acrylic. Often I miss the black and white image after I’m done.

For my day job I do a lot of 3D visualization using a computer, I’m thinking about trying to apply this to my artwork, so we’ll see what happens with that one. But still for me its always important to start with a pencil sketch, something that comes from me and my body.

A lot of graffiti inspired artists are driven by the desire to get their art on something and get a political message out – is that a big drive for you or do you have another motive?

There are a lot of clichés out there with the political art scene and I will always try to avoid them. Society’s a mess, everyone knows it, were all too confused I think, like we started chasing an ideal way back when and now we just carry on in the same direction without questioning where the f*ck we are going.

There are ideas that are forming in my head for pieces relating to politics and the subjects that surround it, but they're in their infancy, the questions I subtly pose in my work have more of a psychological or philosophical foundation. Basically I either focus on myself, or on something beyond the grasp of human comprehension, it’s the in-between that I struggle with, but that will change as me and my work mature.

What attracted you to the Spindeck Skins project?

Well when you said to me, ‘you can do whatever you want’ that was a definite selling point. But I guess what was important for me was that when I spoke to you guys I felt like I wanted to do something really good for you. Companies like ‘Spindeck’ are what Business should be about, people doing something related to something they love, utilizing their relevant skills and enjoying it!

Were there any challenges in getting your style onto a skate deck?

The ‘Spindeck’ project was the first time I have taken the opportunity to digitally illustrate my work. Although I love the results I felt a certain detachment from the piece, it was more of a mechanical process than I’m used to with my artwork.That was a challenge for me, to feel so detached from a piece. But I really enjoyed working in this format, its quite a dynamic shape, and I think my work lends itself to this kind of thing.

Where would you like to see a piece of your work sitting one day?

Sitting in front of me on a wall , in the house that I built amongst the trees for me and my family(non of which exist yet), I’d like to look at it and go, yeah I’m happy with that.

I guess this question has certain commercial connotations really, Like do I want to be famous for my work and sell it for loads of money etc. Although the commercial side of art I feel corrupts its intent, I would rather sell my art for a living that slave away for ‘The man’ nine to five, and that’s my ultimate goal, the financial value that other people attribute to my work will always be secondary to the value I gain from it!

In the future I would like to get more of my stuff out there, both in the form of paintings and commissions from people like yourself. I'm having a great time withit all at the moment, I’ve met some cool people and had some great experiences, so hopefully it will carry on in the same vein.

Which other artists on the scene do you respect at the moment?

Artist like ‘Will Barris’, ‘Mr Jago’ and ‘Steff Platz’ stand out for me, they have all achieved a level of skill which amazes me. There strong individuals who’s work manages to stay unique amid a scene where there’s a lot of similar stuff being produced.

On a personal level artists who I’ve met and formed strong relationships with are guys like ‘Kev Munday’ who runs ’Under the Hat clothing’ and a night called ‘Visual Tourettes’ as well as the guys from ‘Two Pence.’ They are all doing their own thing and trying to make their own way through life. I have a lot of time for people who actually get out there and do stuff rather than leaving it to other people.

Where next for DBO? What projects are you working on and what can we look forward to in the future?

I’m designing a paper dog thingy for http://www.lazerian.co.uk/ which will be shown in an exhibition later this year.

Other than that I’m not committing to anything, hopefully towards the end of the year I’ll have some time to draw again, beyond that I’m not fussed.

David Beckham and some achilles tendon injury recovery tips

David Beckham is probably right now sitting with his foot up, a beer in hand while Posh cooks dinner and is turning his thoughts to the purchase of a balance board or a wobble board or whatever the AC Milan physio calls it. Why you ask? well because he ruptured his achilles tendon injury earlier this week. As your author knows from personal experience this is a tough injury to get over once the cast comes off.

One of the fastest routes back to fitness is the use of a wobble or balance board to gradually encourage ankle mobility. Some gentle circular movements to start with moving up over time to full weight bearing balance exercises on two feet then one foot.

Spindeck balance boards are perhaps unique in that they can be used from the cast off date whilst sitting in a chair before weight bearing is possible. Perhaps whilst watching your England team mates beat off third rate football nations in the South Africa World Cup this summer?!. Spindeck is a long thin board so it can be used up close to a sofa or lengthwise under a 4 legged chair and is a good way to get the ankle joint moving again early on in your recuperation.

Beckham would not be the first premiership footballer to use a Spindeck. The Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United team have both equipped their training grounds with Spindeck balance boards. So, cheer up Becks - put a Spindeck on your shopping list and you might just make the World Cup final if we qualify....

Shaun White Wins Olympic Gold with the 'Tomahawk'

Shaun White sealed his second Olympic Halfpipe Gold last weekend taking the title in dominant fashion. The Flying Tomotoes first run score was never beaten, only the Finn Peetu Piiroinen and US compatriot Scotty Lago got close to take 2nd and 3rd.

So with all the second runs complete bar his own Shaun White stood at the top of the pipe knowing that Gold was in the bag. A furious discussion with his coaches ensued as if to add to the drama. The crowd wild and screaming wanted the new trick - the double mctwist 1260 - and he didn't disappoint.

Ever the showman the tension was palapable but despite a loss of amplitude on the run in the Tomahawk as it has become known was delivered in some style and the crowd erupted. As Ed Leigh on BBC described it - this was indeed a landmark event in Snowboard Halfpipe.

Congrats also should go to aussie Torah Bright who put down a stellar run to take gold in the Womens final after a season beset with injury.

Shaun White's Tomahawk - Double McTwist 1260 - video courtesy of Burton Snowboards and Transworld Snowboarding

SPINDECK is back in stock ! Hurrah!

Spindeck is now back in stock thats the great news from SLAMtechnologies. Our credit crunch induced loss of a key supplier has been resolved and a new player has joined the team. Thanks to everyone involved for all their help in getting us back up and running. Spindeck is once again the great product our customers love built to the highest standards. Merry Christmas one and all !

OUT OF STOCK. Huge apologies but we are currently out of stock on all Spindeck Products :-(

Huge apologies to all customers but we are currently out of stock on all Spindeck Products. We will not have any new stock for at least 4-6 weeks. We had one of our suppliers go out of business recently and have had to find alternative manufacturing capability. We'll chalk that one down to the credit crunch I guess. Anyway we are hoping to be back up to speed in time for your pre-Christmas shopping. Please mail sales@slamtechnologies.com if you would like an email as soon as we are back in stock. Sorry dudes.

Dreweatts Urban Art Sale - bag yourself a Banksy

So you've got your converted loft apartment in Shoreditch and you've got the number one must have accessory right there in the corner of the lounge. Yeah you got it, the Spindeck Baseline Plus, that beauty is there for all to see. But one thing you might have overlooked in this urban ultra chic abode is getting your verticals pimped to match. I'm talking about some fresh urban street art hanging up there opposite the 50inch wall mounted Sony Bravia.

Street art gurus and good friends of Spindeck the For Boarders By Boarders crew let us know about the Dreweatts Urban Art Sale being held at the Village Underground, London on 17th June. FBBB crew members DBO and Kev Munday have pieces for sale alongside more well know street scribblers Banksy and D*FACE. Grab yourself a piece of art by one of these up and coming stars and you could be looking at a sound investment aswell as a tasty wall hanging.

More details on the sale itself are available at: http://www.dnfa.com/auctions.asp?view=saledetails&aucno=12977&avail=0

Check out the sale catalogue at: http://www.dnfa.com/catalogues/12977.pdf

Or here is a sneak preview on 3 of the pieces up for sale:



Banksy - Morons



D*FACE - In Dog We Trust



DBO - Out Of The City

What's playing? - down in the SPINDECK workshop

The SPINDECK workshop is like a rubik's cube: it has many different sides, lots of colour and often appears to be an unfathomable mess. So how do we keep things on the straight and narrow?...music my friends, beautiful music. The last month has been a busy one and a particularly good one for tunes, so good in fact that it made it all the way into a blog post.

Here's what's been playing through the dusty speakers this week:

1) Daft Punk - Alive 2007. A live recording of a DJ set from a few years ago. You can't help but get swept up in the atmosphere and big beats, you'll forget what you're doing and be transported to a field surrounded by ten thousand other party revellers in no time.

2) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend. We like this one in the mornings, it brightens the mood and lets the sunshine in, the lead singer has a great voice and I'm tipping this little beauty to be the sound of the summer.


3) Mum - Finally We Are No One. This one's a bit trippy but we love it, I've personally earmarked 'Green Green Grass of Tunnel' as the sound track to my epic backcountry segment in the next RobotFood film, just waiting for that call...


4) The Postal Service - Give Up. An old timer, but it's always got to be in there, always. Super mellow, one to keep the crew working through to the small hours.



5) The Enemy - We Live And Die In These Towns. Those cheeky little scamps might not know how to shave yet but they can't half play. A firm favourite when the workers are getting tetchy and need to let off a bit of steam.


6) The Wombats - A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation. This one has been played and played and played but we're still not tired of it.




7) Does It Offend You Yeah? - You Have No Idea What Youre Getting Yourself Into. Sublime Electro Punk from a band more easily referred to as DIOYY. Hooky tunes are important on any workshop album and here every track has something a little bit different.

8) Yellowcard - Lights And Sounds. It's the end of the week, you can't wait to bust out of work, hook up with your mates and let loose, enough said.



So that's a look at the choons, a bit of a mix, everything in moderation as they say. Next week we've got Robbie Williams Wednesday to look forward to, so I guess that'll end it for the music update for a while. No, really.

Official: Surfing improves your sex life!

Winter can be tough, its dark outside, cold, wet and your next riding fix might be weeks away. Hang in there champ! Thanks to www.nollie.tv here's five reasons why riding boards like a Snowboards, Surfboards, Skateboards and Spindecks is good for you:

1. Ban boredom. When you've got a board of some description to get on, I can guarantee you'll never utter the dreaded b word again.

2. Travel. Be it surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding or mountain biking, you'll get to go places you might never have discovered otherwise.

3. Body benefits. Get on a snowboard or surfboard and your thighs won't know what's hit 'em. Most extreme activities are also a fast track way to burn calories, and it's fun!

4. Adrenaline. This stuff is the best drug around, and it's as good as free. You'll soon be addicted to getting your fix.

5. Pain. Yes, this is a strange one, but the pain - be it from wiping out or knackered muscles - just makes the good times even more worth it. Plus it puts your every day whining right into perspective.

As if that wasn't enough Nike have just published a survey of 10 000 young European women confirming what we've always known: playing sport improves your self-esteem, perception of success, pride, sex drive and self image.

On average, half the women quizzed were involved in sport, with Germany boasting the most active young women, with 67% of the participants involved in sport, while Turkey had the least at just 41%.

But it's not just the obvious physical benefits that have girls stoked on sport - the survey also found sport makes women stronger emotionally. Of those involved in sport, 41% said they could 'conquer the world', 77% have more confidence in themselves, 77% feel successful, 85% feel self pride, while 62% have raised self esteem. Plus, 68 per cent of those ladies involved in sport, said that sport had an even bigger positive impact on their lives - in their career, education, social lives and relationships.

Conducted by independent consumer research group TNS, the online survey was carried out in The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Turkey and Russia, to gauge what drives young women to take part in sport. For more info go to www.nikewomen.com.

Shaun White Lands 1260 in XGames Snowboard Superpipe Final

Shaun ‘the Flying Tomato’ White wrote a new chapter in the snowboard trick history books at the XGames 12 Mens Superpipe Final in Aspen, Colorado on Jan 27th landing the Games’ first 1260 spin.

Despite less than ideal conditions and a shaky run up to the final the worlds coolest ginger landed what many of us have been thinking was only possible on Xbox. Dropping in for the final run, tunes pumping Shaun kicked things off with a monstrous Lien Air and an inch perfect McTwist. Checking off the last of the fundamentals with back to back 900s Shaun readies himself for the big one. 3 full rotations and an inch perfect landing.

The 1260 in snowboarding is a feat akin to Tony Hawks infamous skateboard vert 900 that firmly cemented Tony with God like status. Whether the same can be said of Shaun White remains to be seen as the young lad still seems to have a fair few years left in him yet. Maybe he’ll try a little harder next time and add a cheeky grab to that 1260.

Welcome to our brand new blog!

We will be keeping this page updated with the latest spindeck information, reviews and product updates, as well as snowboard, skateboard and surfing news.