We recently sat down with Atlanta artist/musician and founder of Slug Global Bosco to talk about her art, her aesthetic and her upcoming experience studio Palette.xyz.
First off, Introduce yourself for those who may not be familiar with you!
Hi, my name is Bosco. I am a multidisciplinary artist and musician. I studied at Savannah College of Art and Design but decided to leave during my senior year to, instead, concentrate on my burgeoning career as an R&B artist.
My first EP, released after signing a deal with the label Fool’s Gold, BOY, came out in 2015 and followed it up soon after with Girls in the Yard, b. Project, and SDTAWMS. I also took the sum of my experience, and interest in creative exploration, to create Slug Global in 2016 and Palette.xyz in 2021.
How did you get started in the art space?
Art is something that has always been a part of my life. It's something that chose me in the very early stages in my life, which guides me in all phases of creativity.
My first experience with art from what I can remember was through music and fashion. In high school, I started recreating and sourcing vintage pieces by putting my own uniqueness to it. My first design was denim patchwork skirts. When I wore my designs to school people were drawn to them and I began to make pieces for other students.
Your affinity for retro-futurism and nostalgia is such a unique visual aesthetic, has this been a space you’ve always been interested creating in?
Yes, I've always been drawn to nostalgia but couldn't find a way/tools to properly express my infinity and/or obsession with the past. With experiential research by staying curious I've arrived at a very interesting intersection with innovation.
Tell us about Palette xyz.
Palette.xyz is an experience studio and innovation lab. Palette.xyz is a lasting guide into the world of objects and design. We explore the importance of innovation, craftsmanship, and functionality of the technology that shapes our lives.
We keep retro technology alive through present-time experiences. Here we explore theories and ideologies through archival audio hardware, ceramics, and functional objects.
What does palette.xyz do?
“Preserving nostalgia”
At the core, we are an artisanal studio that works with ceramics. With experiential research to support our concepts and thinking (our palette), we provide in-person-only experiences to our consumers by engaging them in our findings.
The Archive
Here we collect retro audio hardware such as headphones, cassette/cd players, vintage Mac cpu’s, books, and decade-centric furniture. As an
Experience Studio, we encourage people (creatives and artists) to time travel by investigating the past through the portals of technology.
How does music play into the story, the art and the aesthetic of Palette xyz?
The consumer experience seems to be a lost art as we are progressing into AI and other technology forms. How we consume audio is just as important as how we see it.
Imagine watching a new music video on a 1998 iMac G3 desktop computer or listening to your favorite contemporary album on a 2002 portable Sony CD Walkman -- These are ways in which we preserve elements of retro resolutions in a 4K era.
The intention of functionality in the digital and analog space serves as our compass in exploring the landscape of technology as an experience. Driven by curiosity, we interpret the anatomy of nostalgia in relation to tech through a modern palette. Palette.xyz is an open invitation to attend to our imagination and creativity.
How did you get involved with Koss and how is Koss playing a roll in Palette xyz?
I was re-introduced to Koss from my Creative Producer, Sheyla King, while working on a project with Slug Global but also noticed them on Stranger Things.
I have a deep appreciation for the audio and design integrity that Koss stands for but moreso, the design and aesthetic won me over. As I furthered my research into the world of Koss it felt like the perfect fit for what I was creating with Palette.xyz.
Koss has a nostalgic aesthetic that rings true to the core values of retro-futurism but also being progressive in it's design approach.
What do you hope people take away from this experience?
Palette is someone who is on the quest for innovation and discovery through different mediums and skill sets. A person(s) with nuanced taste who is curious about everything from world issues to flamingo estate and beyond.
Our aim is to inspire people to "preserve nostalgia" by reimagining what bringing the past forward means. Also, reframing what sustainability looks like by holding onto things that might hold value later.
How can people find out more about Palette xyz and other projects you’re working on?
Follow us on Instagram @palette.xyz for now. We're gonna start a newsletter along with our site within the next couple of months. We are growing with the brand instead of trying to make the brand what we think it should be.
AD/CD: @hellobosco
Producer: @iamkingsheyla
Photography @antsoulo
Production House @terminus_atl
Set assistant @jonny.clay
Stylist @emilymstyle
Hair @jerriansari
