Tag: Titus

Dennis Ludwig is a busy man and this video can be seen as a diary of a certain time in his life behind the camera and therefore behind the scenes.

Watch Jelle Maatman, Jeremy Reinhard, Jost Arens, Domi Maul, Dani Lébron, Markus Blessing, Yannick Schall, Reece Knobloch, Alex Elfving, Patrick Rogalski, Vladik Scholz & Gustavo Dos Anjos in Titus Skateboards latest video called “GUESS WHAT!?”.

For me personally, Jeremy Reinhard got into my life when his adidas “Diagonal” part came on the screen. I immediately liked him. The intro by Torsten Frank is classic Frank, who is at his best when he is there not only to show the skating but most of all to tell a story. “The worst thing is that it has to be good, it can’t be sketchy” is a quote that stood out to me, I didn’t understand German yet but I knew what that felt like. In life, we often can get away with sketchy, “what did you score on your test?” – “I just passed by a 0,5 margin” – is common for us all but as a sponsored skater filming a video part you know that you judge and will get judged if things aren’t done right. In this interview, we mostly talk about music but the same comparison still stands, you can’t be half a count off on the timing, the whole thing will not sound right. One last thing, Jeremy’s song in Diagonal talks about someone that is always on the road, never at home. Obviously referring to the busy travel schedule of a sponsored skater but, that song still holds true because as a DJ’s he still frequents the road quite often (in non-pandemic times). Anyway listen to the music, watch the video and read the interview. You might learn a thing or two! If you are interested in buying the new EP you can do that here or on Soundcloud.

Intro & Interview by Roland Hoogwater.
Music by Jeremy Reinhard.
Photos by Niels Freidel.

Hello Jeremy, how are you?

I am well, on my terrace in Cologne in the sun right now. How are you, have we ever met in person?

I am fine. Actually we haven’t met before.

Daniel (Pannemann) told me you are into music, do you listen to House music?

I do, I listen to Omar S, Moodymann etc.

Great, those are some of my idols, that Chicago, Detroit style of House music.

So tell me a bit about this release?

I produced a lot of music together with a friend of mine Niels Freidel and we both felt like, instead of contacting a bunch of labels, let us do this ourselves. It just felt right, not asking anyone, doing it for ourselves and at the start of 2018, we dropped our first Lekker EP. We had some help from other musicians people like David Schreiber & Moglis, locals from Cologne, they helped a lot.

What about when Covid-19 hit?

I went out and bought myself some really nice speakers. That was really important for me, to have a good sound system at home. Because you school your ears through your sound system. I made a little home studio.

Like most people, I had a lot more free time and I used that time collecting samples, jamming, just making things. But my goal was clear: To make my own EP, where I made every track, alone. I think it is important as an artist to try and do that so you know when you get feedback, that it is feedback for you and you personally.

I understand, the project is not out just yet but how has the feedback been from the people who have heard it?

Not many people have heard it yet, you are one of the first. Actually, the first EP I did was also connected to PLACE, I happened when was thirty then and it dropped on Vinyl. This new EP hasn’t fully dropped yet, so we will see what the feedback will be.

Listen to the EP here and give Jeremy his feedback!

We appreciate that, it is nice to drop a song instead of a video part for once.

True and it is cool to see that electronic music now has become a bigger part of skating. Back in the day, Techno, Rave or House parties had a bad name. “Those people take a lot of drugs!” or you heard that some of your favorite skaters stopped skating just to Rave.

Nowadays, when I come to Berlin to spin at a party, I don’t even need to call anyone anymore, they just know. Julius Krappe will call me out of the blue and tell me he, Denny Pham and a whole gang of people are coming to my show! I guess Raving is more a part of the culture in Berlin, people come out, even if it is a small rave at Hasenheide park.

Do you think you get more support like that in Berlin versus Cologne?

For sure! Cologne has a strong Rave scene but in Berlin it is different. People start on Fridays and Rest on Monday. For some Berliners a work week is from Tuesday until Thursday, whereas in Cologne it is pretty hardcore if a party starts on Saturday night and lasts until 10 in the morning on a Sunday.

Let’s take a step back, when did music enter your life?

It was always a dream of mine, at 19-20 when I moved to Cologne I went to a lot of parties, back then it was more Drum n Bass & Hip Hop. I loved it and knew a lot of the promoters and DJs. At some point, my friends, people like Benni Markstein started talking about Kompakt (record label) and their parties where they had people like Michael Mayer, Tobias Thomas, etc.

At that time “Total Confusion” was THE party in Cologne, people came with buses from Paris, Brussels, etc. and that fascinated me. So, after a while of just going to parties, I arrived at a point that I wanted to throw my own party. At that time people at my work were also very into music and they would feed me Kerri Chandler, Omar S and he told me about Smallville Records (Hamburg), which only stoked the fire!

So at 25 I started my first series of parties called: Vogelfrei. I got lucky and got a big Techno DJ and people where shocked that I managed to book him. The party itself was a bit thrown together but it was probably one of the first Techno parties the skate scene went to!

It was funny because he drew people from the Techno scene in and I had the whole skate scene there dancing.

I think Jeremy always felt the sound of Cologne, his music reflected that, and that is why people believed in him and his work. During the weekend people flocked to the (Kompakt) parties in Bogen 2, where you could connect with each other both in the dark and in the light.

Benjamin (Benni) Markstein, 2021

Did they vibe well?

The vibe was cool right away! That was also the start of me as a party promoter/booker and also the start of me DJ-ing. Things went on like that from when I was about 25 to about 30 years of age. It was cool and it was not as serious as it is now, things went to the next level at 30 when we put out our first EP on the Terre des Pommes Record Label. That was crazy, it was on vinyl, so Daniel Nentwig from The Whitest Boy Alive had the A-side of the record and I had the B-side. And that was like getting my knighthood, the record went well and sold out relatively quick. Paco Hettich and Albert Gabriel helped me together with my father by playing certain instruments and pieces for me to use.

That was at 30, what has changed this time around?

I developed a lot as a musician and this time I could do it by myself and didn’t need my father or friends to play certain parts on the Rhoades. I did get a cool remix by Tilman from Mainz on the new EP.

Funnily in 2020 I got signed to a booking agency called Wilde but that happened right as the pandemic hit, so no real bookings yet (laughs). To be honest, I do notice a difference financially because of the pandemic.

I now do a radio show called “Lekker Radio” where I talk and introduce DJ’s I like.

I can imagine you can’t wait to perform your new music before a crowd right?

100%, I did some live streams, but DJ-ing is really by you for a crowd, you need to get that feedback, that energy, and without that you are staring at a screen. At the start it was a good idea but vibing with the crowd is so important!

We heard about your start in House music but what about music growing up? Your dad is a Jazz Pianist?

Well, I was a very hyperactive kid so when I was 6 years old my parents put a drum kit in our basement and that really gripped me. I was pretty good but at some point I needed something else, so I changed to piano. The thing is I could play but I could not read notes. Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley’s version of “Tutti Fruity” really struck a cord with me and my father taught me. I even sang, and we recorded a tape for my mother’s birthday, it was fun. I could play, but I could not keep the tempo. I always went faster and faster but it was sweet, i guess. I played for like 2-years, coming home hyped to play and then skating hit me.

After that only skating counted, I wish I continued playing piano but, after school, I would eat, go skate, maybe come back to have a drink, and go back out. Burned bright red, my mother was worried, I would go out every day even when it was 35-degree weather. That started at 10 and lasted all the way until now when music came back into my life.

Jeremy’s part in adidas’ Diagonal.

Seems like the skate bug really bit you!

It did, I mean I would listen to music but skating was really what consumed me. My dad stayed with music and co-founded the Jazz & Rock school in Freiburg. He is still anchored in the Jazz scene and before corona, he told me he had about 10 projects going on. He plays multiple genres, he play in a country band, in a blues band and jams with jazz musicians. He is very active man!

During corona I got new speakers and he got himself a crazy Nord Piano. My dad listens to the music I make, I will send him my best tracks and he will write me his feedback. Or he will play over some of the loops, I hope we can do more in the future. The goal for the next 10 years is to do more father & son projects. He is so good, he will play the melody with one hand and the bass with the other. So it is pretty handy to have access to someone like that.

Unfortunately, due to the high covid number we haven’t seen each other since last June. I even skipped Christmas, we need to protect the elderly. I have been in a prison called Cologne for a year now. But let’s change the topic.

Still, it sounds like music connects and binds your family.

It does, he even listens to the radio show. The first show I did, he came back to me and told me to lower my voice. I was midway through an alcohol brake and i was super nervous, he picks up on all that stuff.

Is skateboarding and music connected, or do you see it as separate things?

It is connected for sure! And I like how skating and House music fit together. Palace kinda brought that back, raw edits with fast cutting music. In a way it is retro but it is also current.

Did anyone ever ask to skate to your music?

Not yet, but maybe now is the time!

Last question, how excited/nervous are you to play your music during a set?

Very excited! The timing isn’t the best right now, with the lockdown. But I hope people will get to know the songs through social media and when the time comes that I am standing in front of a crowd I can drop “Tu Tambien” and let the people dance to it!

That was it, thank you for the interview!

Thank you guys, that went by fast.

Click here for more from Jeremy.

Titus went all out again and hosted the third DIY Riot at Skaters Palace in Münster together with support from Vans and GUDE. Apart from beer (which GUDE supplied), there was a barbecue, free stuff, cash for tricks and our contest favorite the ring of fire. Of course the people from the Vainstream festival came over and watched the skaters and the festival probably even drew some extra unexpecting skaters to the contest. In the end, it was a great time and it will be hard to better next year.

If you’ve been following Vladik Scholz recently, you know that the Titus and Red Bull team rider travels quite a lot. China, Estonia, Los Angeles… it’s all a blur of new places and progressive skateboarding for the resident of Cologne, Germany. Catching up with some of this global player’s latest moves.

Where have you been…

…one second ago?
I’m at the Düsseldorf airport right now and waiting for my flight to Zurich. My parents are living not far from there and I want to visit them.

…one minute ago?
I was still waiting.

…one hour ago?
I was on the train from Cologne to Düsseldorf airport. 

…one day ago?
I was chilling in my bed watching the Hannibal series on Netflix. It was rainy and grey outside, so I thought it was the best thing I could do at the moment.

…one week ago?
At this time of day, I had an appointment with my dentist. I had to pick up a small kind of plastic guard for the bottom row of my teeth. I’m apparently crunching with my teeth at night and they get used a bit too fast. So it is a preventative measure.

…one month ago?
I was on the way from my parents’ to Cologne on a train. I stayed home for a day and went to Berlin for almost two weeks to visit the Bright trade show. I stayed at my girlfriend‘s house and filmed for my Titus part.

…one year ago?
Last year was really varied for me. I never travelled so much before. During this time I was in Cologne with a cast on my left arm. I broke it during the filming for the RedBull “Coastal Business“ project in New York and had to fly back for surgery. That was a bummer.

Vladik_Scholz_Crooks

…five years ago?
In 2010 I was already living in Cologne. I moved there from Bielefeld and since then it has been my favorite city in Germany and my home town. 2010 was a crazy year for me and my friend Louis Taubert. We moved to Cologne at the same time. We were young and abused our bodies partying most of the week. It was a crazy, but necessary and fun time in my life.

…ten years ago?
I lived in Bielefeld with my mom. Two years had already passed after we moved from Belarus to Germany. I had summer holidays during school time and couldn’t imagine to do something else than skateboarding and learning new words so I would be able to talk to the Germans. 

…15 years ago?
I lived with my mother and grandmother in Novopolotsk, Belarus and had summer holidays till the 1st of September. For the majority of the day I was outside playing around and having some adventures. We went to some lakes and forests in the area and were just having a good summer time with my friends.

…20 years ago?
I was 6 years old and was waiting to be able to go to school, but I had to wait one more year. So I went to preschool and had an everyday life of the regular young boy in Belarus with a lovely mom and grandma.

…25 years ago?
At this time I was almost two years old. I had a good childhood. So probably I was doing well at that moment and playing with my toys.

Vladik_Nollie_Heel_sec

by Benni Markstein
Photos: Dennis Scholz

Today sees the release of the Suicidal Tendencies x Titus Collabo, which consists of a cruiser board, hoodies, T-shirts, a snapback cap and some patches – everything in classic black and white style. Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir once stated: “Music and Skateboarding together is a very powerful thing” – we definetely agree:

STxTitus_Press Pic

Head over to our Facebook page to win this special package – good luck!

Vladik Scholz posted the teaser for his Titus full part on instagram some days ago and wrote the following:

“It is always a good feeling to see the footage, you got during the last years, puzzled together in this one thing. Everybody knows… It is never enough and never good enough. So I hope you will watch and like it the way I could do it before the deadline.”

No worries Vladik, we love what you put together – pretty stoked!

A dark grey sky is looming overhead, and a mixture between rain and snow has been pouring down all day. Surprisingly, Patrick arrives on his cruiser board despite this total mess; what’s more, he’s smiling and seems to be in a very good mood. But then again, that’s just how he is, smiling and laughing all the time. Plus, what probably helps him stay positive even on a horrid day like this is the fact that he just returned from Bangkok, from a four-week trip that saw him skating with friends like Farid, Joscha, and Burny every single day.

Still in high spirits after this month-long Asian adventure, Patrick is something I’d like to call a “the sun made me do it” kind of guy. Prior to meeting him I even thought he was a hippie child, but he’s actually not. He grew up in a small town called Goslar, where he was able to choose between two indoor skateparks. That’s also where he learned everything about backside noseblunt slides.

rogge_portrait

I’m a little bit surprised to find out that you’re actually not a hippie child, attending Waldorf school and growing up with laughing adults dancing around a campfire, singing songs and being just happy.
I grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of immigrants, and everyone had a different cultural background. I liked it because most of the time the people were open-minded and they didn’t judge you. Everybody had to find some way to make things work, to find an arrangement. I have always been on my own track and sometimes I got a “What’s this for a German kid?” thrown after me. Though actually I’m half Polish, but I was born in Germany. A lot of them didn’t really like my style but we used to hang out together anyway. They were more the Nike Shox and leather jacket types, and I was wearing baggy pants and skate shoes. It was okay.

How much would another company have to pay for you to join their team?
To me, it’s not about a price, it’s about that you get along with everybody in a good way, that you’re able to do lots of tours and that you can be in touch at any time. This is very important to me when it comes to riding for a company. At Titus, we’re all super down, that’s great. If another company made an offer, it’s not about the money. It’s rather the whole thing, the whole picture, you know?

There’s a football player named Patrick Rogalski and his current market value is 25.000 Euros. Would you change teams for 25K?
Ha-ha… no idea! But, for example, Louis Taubert got an offer by (German TV station) Pro 7 for a long-term documentary on him. He said that he’d never sell his soul for such crap, although they were willing to pay him a lot of money. That really impressed me and this is way more real than doing stupid shit for a few bucks.

rogge_swflip
SW Kickflip

You changed your profile picture on Facebook four days ago and got 230 likes since then. How does that feel?
Feels fucking awesome, ha-ha… seems like 230 people like my photo. It’s just a confirmation that I did it right, don’t you think?

So it’s more about the right photo – and not because of your looks?
Dwag shot a good photo I guess! It’s just for the homies.

20.000 views on your last video part on YouTube. Are you satisfied?
Could always be better. But it’s better than having less that 20.000, isn’t it?

Someone in the comments section asked why you always seem to be so out of it. Are you?
How can anyone judge based on a video part?

What has changed since you turned pro for Titus?
Not much, just more hustle. I don’t work at the Titus Zoopreme store anymore so I have to make my money from skating. Or else I’d have to find another job.

So how much is it worth to be a pro then?
Personally it means a lot to me, it’s like a dream come true! When I was a kid I could never understand why all the pros where skating so good, so I always wanted to have my own board one day. I thought it would be cool. Ten years later it happened, I got my own board and I’m really happy about it! But of course it’s a known fact that you can’t buy a Ferrari when you turn pro so I am not kidding myself. I turned pro but I have to do something else on top to make it work. Like studying, which my mum has been forcing me to do a lot lately.

What are you interested in?
I think when you study it’s not about your interests. I finished economic high school so I know what I don’t want to do. I think I’m more drawn to something in the social sector, but let’s see. I don’t have a bigger goal, at the moment I’m simply working on short-term schedules.

rogge_backnoseblunt
BS Nosebluntslide

Did you know before traveling to Thailand that you were going to do the backnoseblunt?
I guess so. We went straight to the hubba the first day we arrived. I shot a photo of the spot and looked at it for days. The spot is very crowded with pedestrians so it’s definitely not easy to skate. I saved one board for the last day.

To be honest, I wasn’t surprised that you did it.
Because it’s my signature move?

Yes, you kind of destroyed this trick already before. I have seen you doing it so many times; I know how comfortable you feel with this trick. Of course, it’s a big spot but I guess it was only a question of guts and the day’s form, wasn’t it?
It’s definitely a serious hubba, and to be honest I almost shat my pants. But I had to do it. It was the day before I was going to fly home, and I needed the best possible ender. So I could enjoy a nice Gin & Tonic on the plane and be very happy after a successful trip.

You buried this trick forever.
Ha-ha, everybody should do whatever they want!

Do you think the backnoseblunt is the king of the tricks?
For me, personally and emotionally, I would say yes. It took me a long time to learn it and now every time I do it, it just feels amazing. To do it in a proper way you really need to put everything you have into it. But okay, if it’s dead now, I will stop doing that trick, ha-ha. I don’t know where to do it anymore anyway.

by Benni Markstein
Photos: Burny

Anfang des Jahres machten sich Tom Kleinschmidt, Richard Naumertat, Erik Gross, Thomas Meinel, David Raderecht, Christian Döbrich und Octavio Trindade zusammen mit Team-Titus-Pro Vladik Scholz und Julius Dittmann auf nach Bali, um dort das neue Videoprojekt von Sebastian Linda zu produzieren.

„The Journey of the Beasts” heißt der dort produzierte Film, für den die Jungs insgesamt drei Wochen alles gegeben haben und mit pazifischer Hitze, Schlafmangel und roughen Spots zu kämpfen hatten. Die Arbeit, der Schweiß und die Schürfwunden scheinen sich definitiv gelohnt zu haben, wenn man sich diesen Trailer anschaut. Im August kommt dann das Full Lenght Video – wir freuen uns drauf!

Nächstes Wochenende ist ganz schön was los in Münster – wer noch keine anderen Pläne hat: Ab nach Westfalen. Am Samstag findet die offizielle Einweihung des neuen DIY-Bowls auf dem Parkplatz des Skaters-Palace statt und am Sonntag geht es nahtlos mit dem.legendären Vans Shop Riot im Palace weiter, der mit neuen Obstacles schick gemacht wird!

Samstag geht es schon vormittags mit einer Practise Session im Bowl los und ab 16.00 können die Skater bei der „Vans und Titus DIY Opening Session“ Cash for Tricks abstauben. Am Sonntag gibt es dann für das Gewinnerteam 2000 Euro zu gewinnen. Wie jedes Jahr zeigt der Vans Shop Riot, wo es lang geht, und trumpft mit der Herausforderung schlechthin auf: Mach deinen lokalen Store zum Champion – und sorg’ dafür, dass die Welt von langweiligen Contests und einfallslosen Skateboarding verschont bleibt. Hier bekommen lokale Teams die Gelegenheit, ihre Künste unter Beweis zu stellen und sich in krassen Battles den Weg zum Finale freizukämpfen – dieses Jahr mit sage und schreibe 16 Stopps bevor es einen Sieger geben wird.

Für dieses Contestformat stellen die besten Skate Shops Europas ihre Teams selbst zusammen. Erst treten diese dann gegen ebenfalls lokale Nachbar-Gegner an, die Gewinner kommen in die Finals, die dann in diesem Oktober im belgischen Flesh & Bones Skatepark stattfinden.

Samstag: Open Practice DIY-Bowl ab Mittag
16 h open Session Start DIY-RIOT
Später BBQ und Beers

Sonntag: Frühstück & Einschreibung im Palace ab 9 Uhr
Practise ab 10 Uhr
Contest Start 12 Uhr

Location: Skaters Palace, Scheibenstrasse 121, 48153 Münster

Alle Infos findet ihr unter www.vansshopriot.com

Jeremy Reinhard bringt an seinem 30. Geburtstag seinen brandneuen “Tightass” Part für Titus heraus. In diesem beweist der dienstälteste Profi im Kader des Team Titus, dass er noch lange nicht zum alten Eisen gehört, sondern voller Energie steckt und seine schnittigen Tricks noch locker aus der Hüfte kommen. Zudem feiert Jerry zenhjähriges Jubiläum als Teamfahrer für die Traditionscompany aus Münster. Es darf also gefeiert werden!

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Am 12. März feiert Jeremy Reinhard seinen 30. Geburtstag und es ist ein Tag, an den sich der Pro des Team Titus sicherlich lange erinnern wird. Titus veröffentlicht nämlich seinen Tight Ass Part und wir sind uns sicher, eine Menge schnellfüßiger Lines zu Gesicht zu bekommen und verbleiben in gespannter Vorfreude mit dem Trailer.

Der Filmemacher Sebastian Linda meldet sich mit einem Großprojekt zurück. Nachdem Dresden bereits abgegrast und filmisch in die verschiedensten Bilder verpackt wurde, geht es nun auf eine große Reise. Mit tatkfäftiger Unterstützung von Titus wird sich die Crew, bestehend aus u.a. Tom Kleinschmidt, Erik Groß und Octavio Trindade, in ein fernöstliches Land aufmachen. Auch aus dem Team Titus soll bereits ein Fahrer die Koffer gepackt haben.

Selbstbewusst kündigt Sebastian eine bildgewaltige, mehrteilige Skateboarddokumentation an, die man per Crowdfunding unterstützen darf. Und man bekommt auch noch etwas für den Support, z.B. Originalabzüge von Erik, Skateworkshops oder ein Journey of the Beast Skateboard. Man darf also gespannt sein.