042: PRMTVO
EXPLORING THE
OUTER REACHES
OF THE UNIVERSE
ONE SHIRT AT A TIME
LOS ANGELES BRAND
PRMTVO
INJECTS A
SKATEINSPIRED
DIYDESIGN
ETHOS
WITH TRIPPY
PSYCHEDELIC
INFLUENCES
AND AN
EXPERIMENTAL
ATTITUDE.
I remember seeing PRMTVO’s graphics for the first time at Bodega in Boston and being blown away by their graphics. I’ve been rocking their gear ever since. Needless to say, I was stoked when they agreed to jump in our series to do some inter-dimensional cooking for us. This trippy, cosmic style mix is a nice entry point into the world of PRMTVO… So wade into O&O 042: LOVE STEW and eat up…
C&O also provided a nice graphic for the mix, which immediately inspired my daughter to draw, THX FOR THE INSPO, GUYS! Be sure to check out the PRMTVO website and buy some gear if you’re so inclined…. It’s a vibe…
I could say a whole lot more about one of our favorite brands, but I won’t. I had a whole slew of questions the PRMTVO team was kind enough to answer. So let’s let the creators do the talking…
Interview below…
BAD LIEUTENANT INTERVIEW W/ PRMTVO
Thank you both for taking the time to drop a mix and answer my long and sometimes obtuse questions… Mix is killer and we’re thrilled to have you on.
First, tell us your names and involvement in PRMTVO!
C: Hello! My name is Christian Escalante I am a primate, designer, & co-founder of PRMTVO.
O: Greetings 🖖🏼👽 I’m O-S-C-A-R the other half of PRMTVO
How did you get into this world? Have you both always been involved in design? How did you two meet?
C: I drifted into the design world many moons ago... But everything changed upon meeting my brother Oscar. I was more involved in the boring commercial aspect of design and he was way more experimental (I call this my Awakening!). From there on out, we aligned our frequencies and I have been trying to develop my Third Eye for Design. Thnx big O!
O: I was a production artist for a newspaper company, after this mindless job I started experimenting with art/graphics. But after seeing Perks and Mini psychic tarot drop that changed my perception on how a simple tee became a form of communication and how kids who wore it spoke their own language (if you know, you know). A couple years later while traveling earth in an ice cream truck I met my brethren Christian and been vibing ever since.
How and when did the PRMTVO journey start? How does your partnership work?
C: Our ancestral story begins around 2013 A.D. After approximately 10 yrs of having already worked together in a studio setting, owning our own shop and already doing graphix for many streetwear brands, we decided to throw caution to the wind and cast our own brand into the vastness. After about a year of no replies, we got an email from WoodWood that set PRMTVO on its path.
O: The formation of PRMTVO (2013) was a bumpy ride, until we saw the light at the end of the tunnel (WOODWOOD) that lit the way for us. Our connection/partnership is pretty amazing, christian and myself can be talking about anything or showing each other random images and we get inspired by a word or an image. Magic just happens!!!
PRMTVO seems to draw influence from a number of subcultures - skateboarding, LSD movement, graffiti/ streetstyle and much more- How does the LA scene, the cultural and physical landscape of the surrounding area, the history of the city and its people, influence PRMTVO? Where does your brand fit in the cultural milieu of the city?
O: Everything you mentioned and more play a crucial part in my influences, we’re surrounded with so much imagery that we constantly absorbing (cultures, art, food etc) brain overload of inspiration on the daily!
C: All those subcultures shaped me!!!
How has the city changed from when you were growing up?
O: L.A. is a weird and mind blowing city, growing up I caught all the feelings (graffiti, music, rave, skate, hippie, droogs) The same vibe / feeling is still there it’s just more matured and aged now.
One of the reasons I enjoy your brand is the richness and complexity of its imagery and messaging. Your designs cover a lot of ground - from indigenous tribal imagery to primitve psychedelic voguing… with a nice dose of social commentary mixed in- concept driven , a cut above a good deal of streetwear, in my estimation…
Can you explain some of the deeper concepts behind the brand that drive you graphic design, or perhaps some individual designs and their messages? How do you find inspiration for your art and design?
C: Much LOVE Matt! Not sure how we get begin a collection really haha we’re constantly designing stuff for fun, and shoot ideas over to each other on a daily basis. Then concepts just start taking shape and the pieces just fall into place. But the messaging is always there! ”The Search for Who, What, Where we are…” has been the constant narrative albeit it’s always evolving. And of course we L-O-V-E playing with the idea of ‘elevated consciousness’ or ‘expanding your mind’ because we’ve found that being in an ‘altered state’ transports us to our purest forms. There’s obviously other ways to achieve this state, like meditation & exercise, but who R we kidding that’s not as fun!!!
O: Really don’t have a method to our madness, collections come from something we saw on a record cover to something we saw on YouTube. We really don’t try to force design out, it just comes out natural if it doesn’t work we move on.
The name PRMTVO is shorthand for Primitivo, or “primitive” in Spanish, yes? How do your Latin roots play into the brand’s identity?
C: Our latin roots run pretty deep, but we don’t really like being defined by it. We’re both spanish speakers from immigrant homes and have had the good fortune of being engulfed in the richness of our latin cultures! But, I’ve never really felt the need to speak to it or use it as a selling point for PRMTVO. I’m a strong believer in abolishing all borders so we can identify as human beings first. We’re all just floating in space on a giant rock, we need less reasons that divide us and more reasons to love each other & come together!
O: Correct. We never really use it to define PRMTVO, didnt want to be put in a box and be defined as a “latin” brand. If you looks close enough into our collections you can see our roots without having to say it.
You have an NTS radio show. How did that come to be? What’s your musical approach to the show? How does music inform or inspire PRMTVO? When is the show and how do we listen?
C: Yes, [GONG SOUNDS] !!! We’d talked to the NTS crew back when they were only in the UK, so when they expanded to the LA studios they reached out with an opportunity for a 1hr show on their second channel. It’s been a great way to connect with friends, as well as new dj/artists we’ve looked up to for many years by having them curate sounds for the show. The best part is you get a mixed bag o’ funk!
O: The name was taken while watching the Bloodsport movie at a bar (in closed captioning before a fight it said [GONG SOUNDS] so we fell in love with the name. I think our musical approach to the show is like a free jazz session with friends and peers coming with an array of worldly sounds. You can listen to our show on NTS.LIVE every 1st Monday of the month 7pm-8pm !!!
What is your musical background? What are your greatest musical influences? How is DJ’ing similar or different from creating designs?
C: No musical bg here. I love all genres!
I’d say the process is the same for both. It’s always based on a feeling. And most importantly you must let goooooo…….
O: Same thang, just dig anything with a good beat!
Tell us about THIS mix. Are these tracks recent favorites or is it something different? Were you trying to convey a story or ideas consistent with PRMTVO?
C: For most mixes, I take on aliases based on how I’m feeling while I put it together…Sometimes its funky, so I’ll be Dj Ineeda Freek. Other times a bit weird & eclectic, so Dj R.U. Sirius is in the house! And if I’m in a cosmic/ambient mood, maybe Dj Om Megga…You R gonna have to take a listen and make your own conclusions!
Finally, what’s next for PRMTVO? What should we look out for?
O: More creativity, fams, travel and music.
C: Keep EVOLVING.
Much love Matt! Thnx for having us :)
Thank you Christian and Oscar!!!
