What do you write?
SILLE
Tell us a little about yourself… How long you’ve been painting and who you’re down with etc.
I did my first piece in 1985. It said FREAK THE FUNK, I had no tag, and I didn’t really understand graff back then – it was all new to me since 83 I got into HIP HOP like numerous others did at that point. I’ve been writing SILLE since 1993 after gettin’ bagged. I’m down with DET, (Dope Every Time). I’ve long been a crew member of UTS too – friends for over 20 years!
^Sille – ‘My Influences Pt.1′ (Poem) Tamworth, England 2009.
So what brands of UK paint did you use most frequently in the early years?
Ahhhhhhhh, good old CARPLAN, the male caps with metal lids. SMOOTHRITE, DUPLI COLOR, HALFORD’S, and a little later on KRYLON the English version! HUMBROL model paint, HOMESTYLE, JAPLAC and CYCLE STYLE. Also gotta mention HOLTS, U-PAINT, SPECTRA, RUST NOTS, STONECHIP, ahhhh… and the great RUBBER DUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What specifics do you remember about some of these early brands? ie. coverage, color range, availability.
Coverage and color range was limited, and overall very weak paint. For the chromes, SPECTRA and SMOOTHRITE – always a winner ’til the very early 90s when the formula was changed, then moved on to STONECHIP, WAXOIL, or RUBBER DUCK for your outline. CARPLAN didn’t cover too well. You always had to put a white undercoat on first, but some colors were good! Lapari Blue, Olympic Blue, Highland Green, Pageant Blue, Hurricane Grey… all not to bad for coverage, also all the old brands were great for fades.
Availability wasn’t really a problem. Everything was racked! Every day was a rackin’ mission in Colchester, (where I’m from), we had quite a few plots, all got rinsed!
^Sille – ‘Deep Throat’ Ladbroke Grove (The Pit) London, England. Rumour was the pit was goin, so AIM2 and myself got our shit together, then went and dropped a wall there. Great day, legendary spot! The AIM2 piece appeared on TV, used in an advert for some new show…
Thoughts on Japlac?
The red, for an outline on a gold fill – lovely! Shit took months to dry!! Ha haa. In Colchester there’s a ‘CORS FOR WARS’ chrome still rockin’ from 1993 that has a JAPLAC outline and do dads, and it’s still visible! I remember in Sheffield they had dummy cans – made for good ashtrays!
What do you remember most about the Plasti-Kote Homestyle line?
Willow Green… not a great, thick paint, but a great color! Always had to rack that. Chestnut Brown, Royal Blue, Dust Pink, and the Gold was dope.
Ever use Cycle Style cans?
Oh yeah, when that shit was available it changed the game. Pink and Purple, no more mixin’ cans for pinks anymore!
The Cerise pink was dope! I even outlined with that, the Go Green and Cool Lavender. Big thanks to Halford’s! Ha haaa…….
^Silee – ‘Giving Up Food 4 Funk’ Maples Street Radford, Nottingham, England 2011. Painted with DAPS and ALERT
Sille – ‘Sihlea’ Pig Shed aka The Barn, Stanway Colchester, Essex, England 1993. Fill: Stonechip, Black. Fill Designs: Stonechip, Grey Primer. Background: Plasti-Kote, ‘Homestyle’ Royal Blue. Outline: Stonechip, White. Handstyles: Buntlack, Rose Pink and Cycle Style Cerise Pink.
I remember gettin’ props from THRUST on my letter proportion and execution… man I was buzzin’ after that! Should’ve put a drop shadow on it, but oh well, still like it, this spot has long gone now…..
Did you ever use the UK Krylon?
Yes! Evans on North Hill or Kent and Blaxell but that’s another story. The True Blue was a great color. I first used it in 1989 for an outline on a VOE chrome I did trackside with my partner in crime at the time. I think that’s when we was rockin’ SUFER and DOSE.
The Smoke Gray was my fav’ color, that covered like a dream. Also the Cherry Red and Clover Green! Not Emerald Green that was wack.
Best paint on metal?
Spectra, Smoothrite, Buntlack, Cycle Style, Rust Not Beige, and UK Krylon.
Any favorite old independent paint stores?
Evan’s, Motor Mania, FADS at Chelmsford, Payless at Fiveway’s, Kent and Blaxells… oh and Payless in Mansfield!
^Sille freestyle – ‘You Sold Your Soul To The Devil To Be Like Me’ Russells HOF. Nottingham, England 2004
Any good racking stories you can share?
Fads at Chelmsford was so easy. Myself, CRAVE and ALE went in with HEAD holdalls and rucksacks, and filled the lot, when this voice from the floor above said; “You gonna put that lot back or am I gonna have to call the police”. Well we made it look like we were puttin’ ’em back then jetted out the store, we got round the corner and couldn’t run no more as we were crackin’ with laughter. We checked the tins we had, and found on nearly every tin a clear round sticker with a triangle on it. We was like; “What the fuck are these”? We thought they were silent alarms or something, still, never found out exactly what they was for.
Next time I’m in Chelmsford I’m with some bird and I’m like I gotta go to Fads. Walked in, and all the paint was behind the counter…… DAMMMMMMMMMMMMN! We rinsed that plot, til they had enough. Ha haaaa. Then it was where next? Halford’s? Alway’s somewhere else……
Do you still have any old cans saved?
Yes! I have Smoothrite. My last can of Buntlack! (Rose Pink), plus a few others.
Best discontinued UK paint, and why?
The original formula Smoothrite. I bet nuf heads would say the same. It was just a winner. The paint was like treacle – covered well, went on everything well, if you had Smoothy in ya bag, you had no worries…….
Ever found some racked caps work good with certain paints? eg. Deodorant, fixative caps, etc.
Mr Muscle – great fatcap!!
Did you ever mix much of your own colors?
A few times, mainly for pinks, got a nice mauve from Dupli Color once. I still have my mixing caps from back in the day.
^Sille – ‘Wildstyle’ Shirebrook Nottinghamshire, England, 2008.
^DAFT – ‘Talk Like Sex’ Ladybrook, Mansfield Nottinghamshire, England 2006. Painted with BLES. The character came from the Yellow Pages. One of a number of DAFT pieces. (word play on Sille)
Worst paint you ever used?
Gotta say Dupli Color, and when they changed the valve system in the early 90s, that was a god send, but still wack-ass paint.
When did you first discover brands like Sparvar, Belton, etc?
Sparvar – I remember, ERZ-essex rockerz, usin’ it in like 90/91, but never got my hands on some til about 94. Smelt like sweets! Great paint too.
Belton came mid-to-late 90s for me, although it has been a round for years. Also Flexa, with the air freshener look, nice paint, Trendy too.
What are some of your best painting experiences to date?
DAMMMMMMMN, that’s a hard question. Catchin’ up with old friends and paintin’ is probably the best for me.
Although, just paintin’ with my good friends always involves jokes and day to remember!
How do recent painting experiences compare with those from way back? Equal highs?
My wish is that I did more piecing back in the day. Colchester was bombed, and bombed hard, so I came up with the bombin mentality. I loved bombin, bombin, bombin. So the highs are different, plus back then we was care free and free to do what the fuck we wanted. Now I’m older… responsibilities… the usual. I do get a great buzz when I’m part of a production and the shit comes out fresh, na mean?!
^Sille – ‘Home Sweet Home’ Colchester Gasworks Essex, England, 2009. Quick rock on home turf in time for my sister’s wedding. Met up with my boy DJ PUREFIRE who took over 50 action shots of my stinkin’ ass doin this piece! Great weekend……
If you could choose a few old cans to have on your shelf, what would they be?
For UK brands: U Paint, with a metal lid 150ml. Carplan, Lapari Blue & Beige 300ml. Rust Not, Rubber Duck, Holts, Dupli Color 400ml. Cycle Style, Maroon & Cerise. Oh, and a Humbrol model paint French Blue 150ml. I’d love some Rusto’, Red Devil, Krylon, Epoxy, Wet Look and American Accents.
Any current/future projects?
Nah, just to keep on keepin’ on, still doin my thing.
What do you think of CMC documenting paint history?
It’s history, and like I wrote on a piece once; “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know your future”. The younger generation need to be schooled, so it’s a positive thing, positive indeed!
Any other comments/shouts?
Big up MEAL, it’s been a long time brother.
I wanna give a shout out to; AIM2, TAKS, TAMOL, WRES, NAWT, THRUST, CEL2, TEK, DONDI, SHINE and QUEST, COR, FUGI, KILO, ALERT, DAPS, DILK, CRASE, PULSE, ERZ, NSA (non stop), AWE, NLZ, AKS, DASH, DAK, KEHOE, MEZ, TAKE2, POSER, AMP, my old partner in crime ALE, TUNE, DJ PUREFIRE, RALER, SIRE, BOASTER, TCA, JAER, MIST1, SUCH-DES, anybody I forgot I’m sorry,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
FREE SIME… REVOK…
^Sylee – When It’s Time To Rock A Funky Joint, I’m On Point’ Russells HOF, Nottingham, England 1994.
Fill: Carplan, Olymic Blue, Electric Blue. Outline: Smoothrite Blue. Background: Carplan, Peppermint Green. Background designs: Carplan, Highland Green. Highlites: Japlac, White. Handstyles: Sparvar.
This piece lasted for almost a year, which is amazin’ as ILC was in full effect back then and were killin’ it. Still feelin’ this piece.
^Sille – ‘So What Ya Want Huh, Dope Or Dog Food’ Russells HOF Nottingham, England 2009. Nuf heads painted on this day… Notts was in full effect!!!