Friday, 3 December 2010
Living the Dream....Are We ?
Thursday, 25 November 2010
A bit of big thinking
I had a lovely day today, it wasnt directly because of work as I promised myself I would never talk about that on here. It was during a work like experience that I had a real revelation about my life. I didnt actually go into work today. I got to go to a cool event by the APG which is a group of all the thinky people from advertising (known as planners) talking about things that interest them. Guess what it was called... the battle of big thinking.
Sometimes it can be quite an egoboo and naval gazing event. The great thing was that it actually brought up some very interesting topics for everyone not just advertising people. Im not going to get into what the day was about, you can read my 'work' blog for that. But during a little bit of an energizer after lunch. They had this wonderful musician play (see above). During this I had my little revelation. I love living in London because it gives me the freedom to think big.
It made me realise that all the supposed big thinking Id done elsewhere was nothing. As I had no one to truly share it with or people that pushed me further to think harder and bigger. The 'positive friction' I have had with many different types of people has lead to even more interesting thoughts. It is probably also a somewhat sense of maturity but also a better knowledge that being mature doesnt mean you should lose the curiosity and naivety of being a kid as we saw today with a younger presenter who was brilliant.
I was given a pretty good education and got pretty good marks but only because I figured out how to play the system. Not because I truly saw the relevance or value of an education that in hindsight I feel somewhat bad about. But anyone my path I felt was that I would much prefer to experience life and learn as I go in the real world and not be forced into reading something about it. Its funny how things changed. But the value of education as a whole has started to really resonate with me as Ive realised it means much more than I was supposedly taught. I can experience things, I can read things, I can share things I can discuss things. I hated all the discussion when I first arrived in the UK. But I have started to gain an understanding of its value. So I have been able to start to mix it up. Read this, share this, experience this, share this. Then start to reach out to different people but also take the time to listen to different people. I can often be brash and harsh. But I need to remind myself to bring back that childhood curiosity and realise you can truly learn something from everyone not just the ones that are obvious.
All in all the more reading, talking and experiencing you do the more you understand what you are apart of and what you want to take from that... but also what you want to give back. Because at the end of the day we are all just looking for some fulfillment and Im realising this is a great way to get it. (for me anyway)
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Friday, 19 November 2010
A few new tracks to share....
An old favourite chromeo are back with a new video and collaboration with La Roux. Lots of nice synth.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
If you ever wanted to know how the advertising system works... this is it
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
A little taste of whats to come on TRON...
We all know I cant wait for TRON to come out.... but thanks to Mahogany Blog who passed on this awesome video. It looks like its only going to get better.
A different type of Italian
I have been a bit crap about talking about my food expeditions namely because I havent really been going out enough. The whole point of this blog was to push me to do things more. So I better go out more.
Anyway... moving right a long to a great Italian place I went to a few weeks back for a friends birthday. I often avoid Italian when I go out, as I often feel that it is not a 'dining experience' type meal. How wrong I was. Polpo in Soho tags itself as 'a baraco in Soho'. A baraco is actually a venetian style restaurant with the small plates like tapas. But oh my god was the food great.
So many different types of mixes. I wish I remember more. I am going to go and check out the little sister polpetto... I promise to remember more.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Everyone loves the hipstas...
So we all love a good hipsta. Great video above on the east london tribe. But I had the chance to go and hang out in Williamsburg in NYC. I am forever amused by the concept of 'same same but different'. It felt very similar to Hackney the hipsta hangout in London in so many ways. Style, bars everything. Met a cool guy who took us up to his cool loft which I took a few photos of. Just a great space of artists similar to when I went to the Hackney Wicked Festival and walked through people's lofts there.
Check it out if you can. It was awesome. I will have to head back there again and have a few nights out.
A little bit of design...
I havent been writing for a while which is stupid as I have been up to quite a bit. Checked out a couple of things at the London Design Festival last month. I spent saturday hanging around redchurch street in Shoreditch. I love this street as the more and more I go back to it the more gentrified it seems.
I took some photos above at an 'antidesign' even which was pretty cool. Walking into some studios to see peoples work and some interesting stuff. One of the exhibitions was people answering questions posted on the wall. ' what cant you live without' everyone put material goods... I said 'friends' ... cause they probably have all the material goods so I can borrow them. Chick working there loved it. Nice people
I do feel bad as I always get excited about design festival and only go to a couple of things. The V&A still has an illustration exhibition on. So maybe I will go and check that out.
Monday, 18 October 2010
Its confusing to be a man
Friday, 1 October 2010
Fantastic Poem....
The light... a great poem by Rainer Maria Rilke in 1904... who has a elequence with words that I never will but speaks how I feel.
Only someone who is ready for everything, who doesn’t exclude any experience, even the most incomprehensible, will himself sound the depths of his own being. For if we imagine this being of the individual as a larger or smaller room, it is obvious that most people come to know only one corner of their room, one spot near the window, one narrow strip on which they keep walking back and forth. In this way they have a certain security.
And yet how much more human is the dangerous insecurity that drives those prisoners in Poe’s stories to feel out the shapes of their horrible dungeons and not be strangers to the unspeakable terror of their cells. We, however, are not prisoners. No traps or snares have been set around us, and there is nothing that should frighten or upset us. We have been put into life as into the element we most accord with, and we have, moreover, through thousands of years of adaptation, come to resemble this life so greatly that when we hold still, through a fortunate mimicry we can hardly be differentiated from everything around us. We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against us. If it has terrors, they are our terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us; if there are dangers, we must try to love them. And if only we arrange our life in accordance with the principle which tells us that we must always trust in the difficult, then what now appears to us as the most alien will become our most intimate and trusted experience.
How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence something helpless that needs our love.
~
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Actually this might be a little easier to use
I think this is more to my liking ... I just want a huge touchscreen like that in my room
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Music distribution these days is awesome
Latest tracks by future classic
But its also cool to see some old faithful brands using the service as well. A great lineup of tracks and mixes from timeoutnewyork
Latest tracks by TimeOutNewYork
enjoy my people... enjoy
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Why go through all the pain ??
Many a friend has asked me why I go through all the pain to live in London. Its very hard to explain but when a good friend's birthday came up who also enjoys the spoils of this great city. I thought I would curate a little day across the capital highlighting why we love it as we do all on the fantastic transport of our bikes.
In the lead up I tempted him for a week or so with images, quotes and statements about a question that would be the concept of the day... but he didnt know what it was.... . "why do you love London ?"
I took him to a number of places that personified areas of the capital I love.
Great coffee in a great cafe.....
I took him to one of my favourite cafes in the capital, Lantana. Which is unfortunately an Australian style cafe. But the fact that you can go to an Australian, Portuguese, African or anything else you want in this city continues to blow me away. Any type of food or experience you want from around the world you can probably find it somewhere. Some great photos are above.
Lomography Store... inspire your creative side
One of the great things I find about London is that it inspires your creative side. Just because creativity and creative things are so accessible. Everybody has one. Some people just try and pretend they dont. This city has pushed me into photography including in case you havent noticed the world of analogue. Which I love for its messiness and not quite right colour saturation. I love a more mixed up world.... than perfection. My friend also recently started spending way too much money on it all. So we went there and I bought him some film to use for the day which we later realised was completely the wrong film for our cameras.. idiots. Lucky we brought our own, as well as cameras of the digital kind.
Bike rides throughout the city for some interesting shots along the way
Design Museum ..... Creativity
One of the things I found when I first moved here was the easy access for museums and galleries. I was never interested in them before. But I love walking around in east london and an artist is having a few drinks out the front of his/her studio/home and says want to come in and have a look. But also the interesting exhibitions that are free at a number of the big galleries. London has brought me a fascination with design. So I took him to the Designs of the year exhibition which has some awesome examples. Including a great exhibition on photographs of all the major cities in Africa. Which was a perfect coincidence as my friend is originally from South Africa. It really gave me a much broader perspective of Africa in general.
Borough Market... Food
Its expected I know. But as a friend at my work once said 'Borough markets mike, your spiritual homeland'. Everytime I go there I find something new. Combined foodies together we covered a bit. Some posh bangers and probably the best oysters I have had in Europe.
Vinopolis Wine Wharf ..... wine
My friend is a huge wine buff so much so that I thought this could go either way as he wouldnt think it was good enough. But the wine list was big enough to take us for a couple of great glasses of riesling and an Alsace style that has become a bit of a favourite. I am going to have to get the names to include here.
After a little bit more walking around Borough... unfortunately we were both too tied to make it up to Camden to Proud Galleries to see a photography exhibition of images from different rock gods. This was supposed to address free and just the cool venues available like Proud. The final was supposed to be sitting up on Hampstead Heath for the great spaces that are available in London. But I did take him to one final place for the day part...
Wenlock Arms .... for a good English ale.
Along with his fedish for wine... he also loves a good English ale and has opened my eyes to the lovely brew as well. This place is not very far from my house but no one knows about. As soon as you walk in you have a mix of locals and people who are there for a proper beer. It was a proper English boozer so a great way to finish the day. We even saw some tourists in there with 'Beer Traveller's Guide' books so sells its credentials well.
A great day you would think. But it didnt end there. There is definitely something great about London that I have missed......
Notting Hill Arts Club ..... live music and music venues
Ive always wanted to go to this venue and they just happened to have Hackney Globe Trotter playing which was perfect. My friend and I both like different styles of music and he addressed a number of them. A mix of African, electro, hip hop the lot. Some friends came along as well which gave a bit of energy to us two very exhausted people. Then as a close to the night. Went to Indo in Whitechapel as a great little bar to finish the night off with some great Eastern European friends and great conversation. Another great thing about London... meeting people from different backgrounds that give you a completely different perspective ... and lead you onto funny places at funny hours.
All in all an awesome day. I hope to make a book of all of both of our photos which I will post soon.
Friday, 13 August 2010
I have no talent but plenty of others do
One example of a very talented person is Michelle Owen (DJ Luna) who has done an awesome mix for the summer.
"Summer Dream" DJ Mix (By Michelle Owen) by Michelle Owen
Track list
- Gorge - Mooi – 8Bit
- Leif – Priority Feat. Donna Lea – Fear Of Flying
- Chez Damier – Soul Minimal – Mojuba
- Moodymanc – Bitz – Kolour Recordings Digital
- Andre Crom, Martin Dawson – Gonna Be Alright – Off
- Chez Damier – Teach Me, Keep Me – Mojuba
- Delano Smith – A Message For The Dj Feat. Diamondancer (Jimpster’s Red Light Mix)
- The Mountain People – Mountain 010.3 – Mountain People
- Wbeeza – He So Crazy – Third Ear Recordings
- Mark Seven – Swept Away – Endless Flight
- Michelle Owen – Perchance To Dream
- Steffi – Kill Me (Instrumental Dub) – Ostgut Ton
- KZA – Routine – Endless Flight
- James Yorkston – Woozy With Cider (John Hopkins Remix) – Domino
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
I have no idea but I want some....
Lenny Kravitz (Justice Remix) - Let Love Rule
Uploaded by elnino. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.
Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (feat. Irfane)
Uploaded by edbangerrecords. - Explore more music videos.
These guys I missed in Calvi and I will never stop hitting myself for it
JAMAICA - I Think I Like U2
Uploaded by Cooperative-Music. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Some more love for you all..... FREE ALBUM
Well we have started off well here. I have already started sending you to the free tracks for some great aussie talent. But to be honest you had probably already heard of Cut Copy. So now its time for some music you may not have heard of.... but its still all free baby.
Fear of Tigers.... first of all awesome name. Secondly album is a blend of beauty throwing in synth, disco and a good old vocal or two to keep you guessing.
Im a huge fan of the first track 'I can make the pain disappear'... yes you can. Its one of the only tracks that restricts mefrom taking a gun to a crowded office... but more on that later.
Play whole album here
Cossus Snufsigalonica by Solar - Fear of Tigers
Head to their facebook to get the download
They are also lining up a huge amount of great remixes for
The Valerie Crew
Kylie
All The Lovers (Fear Of Tigers Remix) by cobraestilo5
New swedish pop star Rosanna
Rosanna - Waterfall (Fear Of Tigers Remix) by DISCODUST
and one for the ladies. Ben used to be a Dolphin Trainer....aaaaahhhhhh
ENJOY
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Cut Copy's new track free to download
I was lucky about 6 or so years ago when a mate decided to go on a CD shopping spree like he always did. (I know only 6 years ago CDs were still bought). Half the time he would only buy albums for quite ridiculous reasons. He was a designer and bought Cut Copy's first album 'Bright Like Neon Love' in 2004 purely because he thought that the album cover was cool.
Truth is he didnt like it much and I saw it on his desk at work and asked to have a listen. I loved it straight away and it wasnt long before it got around all our friends (like a month... I know a month to share a track. vs seconds ).
I went to quite a big event at Sydney's Luna Park... where they were playing where 80% of quite a big room walked out as they walked in to play. I loved seeing them live for the first time. It seems only about 30 others also did. But it didnt take time for them to catapult themselves into the mainstream.
Their follow up album In Ghost Colours was also fantastic. It was a bit more of a mature sound which I really liked as unfortunately I was also getting older as well. Living in London now its always great to go out and see them play live when they are in town. They played at the awesome London venue Koko a few years back and it was an awesome night.
So I m super excited to hear what the next one is going to be like.
Enjoy the free track
Eclectic Method building their own Legacy with TRON
Eclectic Method - Daft Tron from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.
I have always been a huge fan Ive eclectic method. For a number of reasons including their views on cultureclash and also just their wicked mix up of videos / images / music. They have outdone themselves here with a brilliant mix up of the old video and images of the original TRON. The current movie trailer and some TRON inspired video / image and music from the Daft Punk boys. I only wish it was longer......
Which child do you love the most ?
But they have asked an interesting question... who is better
Chromeo : Candian electro funk duo
or Breakbot French DJ / Producer
Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (feat. Irfane)
Uploaded by edbangerrecords. - Watch more music videos, in HD!
As you can see from the link from a 'French' website Breakbot leads the way. But its not very objective is it... everyone will always look after their own.
In my eyes its like asking which child you love the most. Each one brings a little miracle to your life from a slightly different angle. The quiet shyness of Breakbot vs the outlandish quite comical Chromeo. A mix of DJ/Producer or DJ/Producer/Live act. Surely you shouldnt force us to pick one.
But it seems you will. So like every parent Im going to do what is the easiest. Love the oldest one. I have been listening to and seeing Chromeo live for a lot longer. I originally saw them live on 2006 at a small venue in London called the Bush that was lucky to have 80 people there. Then a year later I turned up to a very packed Scala in London which took hundreds. SEE bad video below.
Here is a photo of him we took near one of the beach stages as he made a break for it at one of the Calvi Beaches.
So now I feel bad about picking my favourite child. I feel the need to make it up to the younger more shy one by booking a trip to France to see him live and apologise by dancing like nobody is watching. Like I did when I saw him play at Calvi on the Rocks which was one of the best moments of the event. (about 12 hours after the photo above was taken)
please do the same
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Im so hip its wrong
I spent an entire day in East London being so HIP it almost made me spew. I went off to my favourite cafe Counter Cafe down in Hackney Wick to have brunch with some lovely friends before we would then go onto Field Day. But then we ran into the heart of the Hackney Wicked creative festival which was on in the area. Which is where they open up all the galleries and also people's studios for everyone to come in and have a look.
I loved it. It was interesting seeing how many of these buildings are full of great artists. We also went in and checked out H Forman and Sons which is a salmon smoking company that was moved out of the London Olympic site and has built a new building in Hackney Wick. They have built a great new building with a cool terrace overlooking the canal and the Olympic site. They had an interesting little gallery in there that had an awesome piece by Greta Alfaro entitled Vultures. Watch it here. We got to see it on a big screen but it is captivating to watch and hear.
Then it was onto Field Day. Which after waiting for an hour even to get through on the guestlist it was onto the VIP to get some cocktails into us and warm up. There was only a couple of acts I wanted to see. So I was pretty relaxed about getting around. I saw Carte Blanche but after a recent trip to France.... the track choice seemed a bit old and I was hoping to hear from different stuff. My expectations were a little higher than they delivered for I think.
Fakeblood was on next. I think he is a better producer than DJ. He played all the right tracks but didnt really build the crowd up and take them on a bit of a ride.
One that truly stood out for the day for me was Pantha Du Prince which a mate made me go and see in one of the smaller tents. Brilliant music producer, but also knew how to work the crowd and somewhat his time slot.
Phoenix topped the day off well with the last slot on the main stage. I love Phoenix but I dont know if the main stage as the last act of the night. I was warmed up and I wanted to keep going
Then it was onto a house party up in Dalston where I got to see this guy perform. He was awesome he pretty much recorded his own voice in a bunch of different ways and then played them back on loop while he sang over the top. It was unbelievable... I even had front row seats.
So all in all a very fun and interesting day.. only bad point was that I lost my sunglasses... somewhere between the festival and the kebab shop.
and we all know ... Im very far from ever being hip.....
Same Same but different...
I recently had a weekend trip to the lovely Lisbon where I stayed in a friend's, girlfriends old house who is Portugese. She had a lovely old property with a number of houses on it where a number of her family lived. The land had been in the family since the 19th century and the land / houses were all still owned by the family. Even though over the years the area had been over developed with apartments and even Benifca's football stadium.
What I found really interesting was the open door policey of the household. We sat there and a family were staying from Azores where the family is originally from. People would continually walk in go for a swim in the pool or stop for lunch which was made by Franklin who has been in the house for 50 years making dinner and controlling the whole household. This cousin, that cousin, this uncle, that auntie.
I'd love to have a big house in a beautiful city like that where people just pop in whenever. It also makes you feel like you always have a home. Which being a bit of a nomad probably wouldnt hurt me to lay my roots somewhere... eventually.
Wonder if Branson is up for selling Necker Island... cause I hear he does the same there
The amusing story I was first told was when y friend came to lunch for the first time and said he was a vegetarian. She was not impressed
Thursday, 29 July 2010
One of my many obessions
If anyone reading this actually knows me. They would know that I am a self proclaimed coffee snob. Someone who only drinks the finest cups from the finest of establishments. When you hear such a statement you probably visualise a wanker sitting at Soho House, Selfridges or Fortnum and Mason... oh how wrong you are.
My feeling is that Antipodeans have a weird love and strength in making a great coffee... but dont have the money to build an over the top coffee establishment. Which is fine by me... They have with limited money learnt to make great spaces that people want to spend time in... no matter how little or awkard they may seem. I love the spaces that a lot of coffee shops in London now fill. Its about an open environment ... where everybody knows your name and your coffee style. aaah sounds like the american TV show cheers... but not..
So here is one of my favorites. Tina We Salute You... oh yes we do Tina whoever you are (she doesnt work there and I still believe its a figment of their imagination)
View Larger Map
In case you get lost finding them
This is their loyalty card system... I got about 15 to go before Im on the golden wall
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Friday, 23 July 2010
Fusion of French Awesomeness
and the fake one
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Great track from The Swiss
I wrote about The Swiss previously after seeing them live in London. Here is there track that is being mixed by everyone at the moment. Great track....
Thursday, 15 July 2010
He's Back....
.... So I guess if your girlfriend goes to Ibiza for a week it seems to get the creative juices flowing. (Take of that what you will.) Tour De Force is back with another mix... bit more chilled this time... lovin it. I might have to start paying for her holidays so we can continue to great some great mixes.
1. Ratatat - Wildcat
2. Kavinsky - Night Call (Broke One Remix)
3. Cassian - Fuck Song
4. Crazy P - Never Gonna Reach Me (Hot Toddy Remix)
5. Holy Ghost! - Static On The Wire
6. Miami Horror - Sometimes (Universe Remix)
7. Flight Facilities - Crave You (Cassian Remix)
8. The Juan MacLean - Happy House
9. The Swiss - Bubble Bath (Knightlife Remix)
10. Knightlife - Discotirso (Original Mix)
11. Swick - Grow Up (Cassian Remix)
12. Uffie Ft Pharrell Williams - Add Suv (Armand Van Helden Remix)
13. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Bang Bang Bang feat. Q-Tip and MNDR (Russ Chimes Remix)
14. Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Great Aussie Tunes getting across Europe
I have been lazy and not put anything up on this. But a month or so back I made my way across to a relatively new club, Cable London in the arches of the railway near London Bridge. Great venue... it was weird to get my face scanned and checked as the wonderful world of 1984 seems to be coming alive in front of our eyes in the UK. Anyway for another day.
I got to see The Swiss a great act from Adelaide live which was cool. Its amusing as Adelaide is often the butt of my Australian's jokes... but their set was no laughing matter on the night. Electro lovin goodness
Monday, 12 July 2010
Great day out in London 110710
So I had a great day on Sunday in wonderful London town. Spent some time walking around Southbank with a friend both playing with our cameras. Found a random little gallery that was full of old Album Cover art as well as some other interesting things on the wall. Then we went and saw the Exposed Show at the Tate Modern which was an interesting take on the changing world of privacy.
Which supposedly started in the 1870's with the invention of smaller amateur cameras which supposedly lead to more of ' a celebrity culture and a culture of limitless dissemination'.... sounds interesting to whats happening now with the internet and digital cameras.
Here are some photos I took with my hipstamatic on my iPhone.
Great idea for a pub crawl
What a brilliant idea and what a day for it
Its ok... Ill never miss a night out again
Friday, 9 July 2010
time for some brilliant music
Unfortunately I missed these guys... but awesome none the less
Mustang On Calvi Beach Mix by Mustang Mixtapes & Tracks
Breakbot who had me ripping it up in a little club one morning
Breakbot Valentine Mixtape by 12inches
A nice slideshow from my fisheye lense
after trying to ...
so I am back.... this will be a personal blog that I use to cultural things that I enjoy
It will also help to push me to do some cool stuff
enjoy