Wonderland faves Skinny Girl Diet record a fully-charged set for Boiler Room.
You all remember Skinny Girl Diet from a few Wonderlands ago right? Well, if you need some reminding, they are three girls (all related) making heavily distorted grunge that is politically charged and drenched in Riot grrrl-inspired feminist fury. Remember now? Thought so. Everything from their name, a self-evidently ironic stab at the body-shaming, “Slim Fast” culture in which we’ve found ourselves, to their eclectic-bricolage style (Mickey Mouse ear hoodies and a collaboration with MATCHES Fashion) is about cultivating a fiercely Punk image and sound that nonetheless refuses to trade in the stock clichés of the genre. Even their video for ‘Nadine Hurley’ sidesteps MTV conventionality by taking the term Lynchian to new heights: think a red telephone box that transports the band to the Twin Peak’s Red Room complete with backwards-voice-distortion effects and you are most of the way there.
We are understandably overjoyed, then, to be able to premiere footage of Skinny Girl Diet’s recent Boiler Room set in all its speaker-trashing, screamathon, VHS-quality glory. It all looks like it was shot twenty years ago in some Seattle dive-bar – even the kids watching look the part – and generally is everything Hedi Slimane has spent his career idolising and commercialising. The set is part of Boiler Room’s RAW Sessions which is a collab with G-Star that is a series of global events and short films that seek to unite musical and directorial talent.
Skinny Girl Diet by brtvofficial
The RAW Sessions is typical of Boiler Room’s underground attitude and determination to seek out fresh talent across all genres: it’s not all about Jon Hopkins’ sets and instantly-flat cans of Red Stripe you know. To promote the season, BR have worked with new British talent Mollie Mills – awarded ‘Best Young Videographer’ by Spike Lee – who has produced a short film also starring London based Hip-Hop collective Neverland Clan. It’s an exploration of London’s urban environment as well as the two groundbreaking groups, so check out the trailer below.
WORDS: Benji Walters