perfection-ary confectionery

as its amsterdam international fashion week and i am nowhere near -but have increasingly become obsessed with benelux/northern european emergences...

the confectionery pleasures of elsien gringhuis displayed after this first day of amsterdam catwalks ss10 have truly tempted me. not only has gringhuis kept her flow of separates at a level of diversity and wearability that reaches to the public with all sorts of personal style aesthetics, but she has kept the collection recognizable. the silhouettes stay constant to the themes that she has shown in the past, but with a softer and sweeter facade. gringhuis, who won the hema (a belgian retail organisation) sustainable design competition in the fashion category for 2008 and the createurope best avantgarde design for 2008 (their first year of competition), is a still relatively recent graduate of arnhem academy of art and design in the netherlands. a dutch school that generally produces interesting, solid graduate collections.

i really adore the collection's avoidance of true, bright colors as the pieces lend themselves well to molding and creating defined silhouettes stylistically speaking. sorry for the alliteration! but honestly, the slightly "ladies who lunch" feel of the collection with the to-the-elbow debutante gloves (which i could absolutely argue are the best everyday choice of gloves. ever.) and the color palette is so accessible and pliable for all types of buyers and consumers. a delightfully simple but fun collection all in all.

photos courtesy of team peter stigter

perhaps i will find myself requestion mum to let me dust off those very debutante gloves and getting to square shapes of cropped jackets and shift dresses for this coming spring/summer (which where i am isn't too far off now...)

in other news, posting will again pick up, as i have found a new place on which to ground myself...hints on where in the world that may be to follow....

the long goodbye.

to borrow from the altman film noir classic in title only -don't be fooled, this post has nothing to do with tijuana or private detectives.

it goes more like this:::

leaving has been a long process for me thus far.

clocking in at just over three weeks in south carolina i have lately been trying to develop lists of things i'd like to do before leaving again. the list is something that i can remember since i was

smaller. i have always felt that making a list is a great security for all occasions::: to get tasks done that need doing before something else occurs, to reassure against possible memory failings, to make desires and ideas known...

therefore, i have been compiling a list of truly stereotypical "americanisms" to do before i leave the south. in asking the boy what i thought were some tried and true american things to him (being of another nationality), he replied with that of course hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and pizza were. naturally, these were some of the first things i wrote down on my list. realism was really my goal for the fulfillment and creation of this list. until now, i had only been capable of crossing off "apple pie," "watch college baseball game on a tv in a bar that serves bud light on tap and in bottles" and "pizza."

however, today mum strolled into the house while i was in the throes of viewing la dolce vita -yes the powerful, beautiful, and profound fellini masterpiece (ahhhhhh the costumes! sigh for the embellished flower-petal-like collared capes at the aristocrats in the countryside party and nico, period) only to plop down these on the table in front of me...

like a blast from that self-same childhood past where my obsession with lists is rooted, rush's fast food made its way back into my memory. i'm not here to suggest that you should know what rush's is or that i'm overly sentimental about a fast-food restaurant. the chain is a local to my city in south carolina restaurant and the only things i can really have anymore due to the vegetarian diet are the perfectly salted and crispy french fries and the delightfully (still) handmade chocolate milkshakes. behold. but, it used to be a favorite indulgent after-school snack on an occasional friday in mum's old van.

so, i snapped a picture of the midafternoon lunch/snack because in all honesty, how awesome are those graphics? unlike so many other brands, restaurants, and stores rush's has stuck to the same graphics they've used since probably the 1960's and personally, i'm a fan. besides who doesn't love a motto like "fabulous food...fast." essentially i'm honored that mum surprised me with rush's as a way to help me check off two more things "chocolate milkshake" and "french fries" on my most recent of lists.

enjoy!

to check out a beautiful advertisement from the '90s, direct yourself to rush's homepage here.

faking it.

i know i know. corny title.

but, border community artist, nathan fake's newest album hard islands has left me quite speechless.

as border community is a label that really generally does not disappoint -fake's newest release kept with the label's trend of interesting and distinct sounds. not only a departure from the comfortable and fun listener@home type of album, this album begs for listeners with an ear -and a will- for a night out. that is, it begs if you can sit down for a touch longer than half an hour (around 33 minutes to be more exact) to hear some delightfully dark beats/tunes/whistles from fake's second "mini" lp. fake has clearly changed gears a bit since his last release drowning in a sea of love, which was much prettier, lighter and playful. drowning gets played from my tunes when i need something in the category of 'play for a good time with a small-ish group of folks' -electronic lovers or otherwise.

however, hard islands is more unique, less non-electronic music lover friendly and a fantastic experiment in blips, drums, and loops (or to borrow from a friend: bleeps, bloops, and thuds). the inclusion of a little flitting (keyword) break-up in the form of 1:17 minute long "the curlew" is an interesting move due to the intense buildup formation of the following track "narrier." essentially, i'm in love with the structure, sound, and synthesis of this album from fake. i wish it was longer only for selfishly personal listening desires...the album is compact and well done as is.

personally, half an hour of fresh sounds played whilst running errands, unpacking lives, or just internet researching-out makes each of my most recent day-to-day tasks more akin to those delightful listening nights out that i'm currently missing here at home. i've been pumping hard islands at all hours for a jostle of energy, a reminisce of bygone nights, and everything else it could possibly inspire...

to check out a quick interview with nathan fake on beatportal, direct yourself here.

to listen to hard islands on juno download, direct yourself here.

still coming. #iran elections.

just a little more information in video form. let me warn you though, it is a bit sad and slightly graphic.

news flash: #iran elections. lucky us.

(photo courtesy of the bbc)

with khomeini's speech to the iranian people over, one only has to wonder -as the article from the bbc where this photo appears does- whether the protests and rallies **edit::: the largest protests since the 1979 revolution** will be strong enough and ongoing for the authorities to respond in the appropriate and reasonable way. if not, human rights issues would be wholly multiplied by this once power-flex of the ruling iranian government.

as i was performing chauffeur duties for my mum today, the waiting in the car consisted of sudoku and npr listening. one of my favorite programs, the takeaway, was on and brought up an important example of the issues involving human rights injustices which are currently being thrust and reinforced on the iranian voters. if you'd like to listen to the segment direct yourself here.

basically, it seems unimaginable that i can be sitting here blogging away, whilst simultaneously chatting with friends in other places via gmail, and watching the season five premiere of weeds and there have been sanctions on basic internet viewing in that modern country. sanctions on internet via servers and proxy disabling (like the "iran elections" twitter blockage from within the country), internet outages, cell phone network outages, the list can go on. what a way to show how much you care about your people than to not let them have a voice when the entire world is watching. the npr program seemed to suggest that these internet shutdowns are in part due to the overwhelming amount of live coverage that has been happening from the people who are involved. youtube, twitter, facebook, online news sources. everywhere is talking about it.

all this in fact has finally spurred me to join twitter after months of holding out for a good reason to present itself. i joined in order to be able to find and follow these live, primary sources. finally, a good reason for a program that i couldn't justify for "up-to-the-minute" social networking until now. one of the people i have found that is a student who is, dangerously i might add, updating about the iranian state tv programs that are being broadcast, the khomeini speech, student protests, etc can be found by pointing your dial here.

finally, if you are, as i am, a more visually stimulated person the huffington post has a startling slideshow and interesting updates on the state of the tehran.

my eyes will be glued. hopefully, good things will come from all these efforts and the votes will be found and counted. fairly.

things really are different.

growing up in a small-ish southern city and opting to move to a bigger more northern city for university learning and beyond has truly tricked me.

i guess i never really noticed how different two places can be when living in both has become like home for me.
yes, i think the south will always really be my home, but can we have more than one home? and i am not referring to those lucky enought to OWN more than one home/house/condo/apartment/villa....

yes, i am also acutely aware of the glaringly real differences in geography, climate, and urban density of my two "homes." but i think having those comfortable feelings has really skewed my

perceptions of these locales.

and only now that i have found this comfort am i noticing the difference between my homes.

you guessed it, miley cyrus is the difference...essentially. what i have noticed is that there is stress put on such various things in everyday life, in the "buzz" people talk about, and even local news.

since 3rd june [one of my first days back here in sc,] when the story was originally reported that miley cyrus was to perform here, i have heard of, been made aware of, or noticed whilst perusing the local paper atleast one mention of the performer per DAY. its like its some medium/huge news story that just keeps getting updated. without fail.

take one of my favorite headlines from this weekend::: "Tickets go on sale for Miley Cyrus." is it me or is that a necessary piece of news? perhaps this performer is getting so much press here as compared with my northerly digs because her concert will take place on one of THE biggest events of the fall down in this neck of the woods, the usc-clemson football game (for those of you who aren't from sc, thats the university of south carolina, not southern california...it came first, honestly). perhaps, it is because there just isn't as much news in south carolina where the city is smaller and less culturally "urbanized." nevertheless, thanks to miley cyrus, i've really started noticing the less than subtle differences between my homes again. geographically and otherwise.

oh, and i don't even want to get started on the fact that a sixteen year old teen-pop-disney-sensation has enough life stories and wisdom to be able to sell autobiographies.

have a lovely week.

rainy season.

home is a fun place. home is a bittersweet place. home is always still home.

as i haven't had an overwhelming amount of personal time here, i have been trying to think up ways to amuse and challenge myself whence that time works its way in to my agenda.

all of this thinking and not so much action on it makes restlessness even more apparent. when meeting with a friend to work out ideas, we make exciting plans for doing. however, if south carolina hasn't taught me once, it hasn't taught me my entire life. this place is notorious for amazingly ever-present rainstorms during the summertime. not only summertime rainstorms, but also thunder and lightning and everything nice. these downpours are the perfect remedy for the humidity and 32+ degrees C (still working on the conversions, so: 90+ F) heat that wafts through the very thick air.

yes perhaps its just rain, but pouring aside, electricity becomes shoddy and then it becomes too late for bike rides, or people scouting, or combing the city to reach goals.

therefore, plans aren't really anything realistic until the weather can actually cooperate. but, hopefully i'll have something to report on the creative front when my plans can actually be carried out.

its a wrap.

the uk's graduate fashion week 2009 ended wednesday with a gold prize and all.

personally, i wouldn't mind wrapping myself and the boy in a few of these garments for all sorts of fun occasions. from chilly winter day hangout gear to afternoon tea or a night out swaying to the beats...i would love to procure some elements of these exhibitions and here are my final loves and impressions from them.

i mention the boy because it seems from this post, and much of the photos that i found (all of these come from fashion156) that menswear was a fantastic focus for quite a few of these grads. huzzah for interesting clothes for the boys.


april schmitz from uca epsom made quite a collection of futuristic streetwear ensembles and armor for the casual lady. one of the outfits has fantastic koala bear ears shoulders that could certainly pose pretty on many a shoulder of outfits. the circular cutouts and sexy silhouettes reminded me of barbarella, a favorite on my cult status movie list. the opening scene is a must-see if you don't catch my reference.

like some of the most beautiful combination thriftery i have ever seen, lucie vincie from uca epsom has constructed a fantastic multitude of menswear desires. though the boy has great taste, these silhouettes are something i would love to turn him on to. for those who know me, they know how much i hold true to solid colors -finding patterns personally difficult to please. however these ecletically satisfying patterns would be a welcome addition to my cloth rotation. vincie clearly was influenced by the current s/s 09 trend of "native" patterns and materials (perhaps the sketches were dreamed up whilst wrapped up in a navajo blanket...)

this delightfully playful mens sportswear collection from susanna mensah at uca rochester was the first to be sent for opinions across the pond to the boy in oz. an a-ok response came back. honestly, i want these pants. since we can wear the same pants, i want to share these pants. now. though i'm not thrilled with the shutter shade styling, i understand the need to appeal to a wider audience with this casual sportswear. otherwise, the cut and fit might be too much for a mainstream, shutter-shade donning public. the offer still stands though, we wear size 28 together, fyi.

on the mens side of futuristic shoulder-wear rachel lucy wakefield from the
university of salford created some gorgeous armor for the mens. yes the menfolk get some garments too with sculpted, angular he-man cartoon-like body shields. very cool. the zip-front jackets with inserts and steel colored ties make the collection appealing for everyday use.

this final set of breezy pastel beauties comes from francesca samm of nottingham trent university. this collection is the epitome of easy daywear for me. the silhouettes are simple. the styling is pared down. and the fabrics are the kind of knitwear that i would find myself grabbing off the hanger day in and night out because of the uniqueness these shifts posess for everyday and nightwear (glow in the dark details would certainly match my watch and be perfect for techno darkness). i'll take them all for layering, singular, and multi-purpose use.

wrap me up. i am interested to see where these ideas and grads go.

good luck to them.

a week's worth.

exciting and fun times london must be having right now.

as graduate fashion week 2009 is officially underway -day one having zoomed by already. as i

am about to kick off a beach week this week. i thought i would leave some of the only quality images that my tired little searching mind could find online this evening. however, these graduates have some serious exciting garments to peruse. there are definitely some garments and ideas that would be awesome to see built upon in future collections and explorations.

as these are only from a few good sources, i apologize for the lack of breadth:::

this first set that struck me is by iwona pilch from middlesex university in london. i liked this

because it resonates very soundly with my own interests. anthropologically speaking, iwona cites the "second skin" of ritual body modification, most notably scarring, cutting, and tattooing as the force behind her delightful structural and fun pieces. these garments are something i would really love to own/borrow/explore/all of the above.

this black on black leather theme is roxanne pitteway from northampton university's doing. leather seemingly always has an s+m naughty connotation involved, yet pitteway forms the material into hoods and structures in the rear -not a sought after place. these pictures make exoskeletons very desirable in the way that she has executed them here. an exoskeleton hood?the possibilites of mixing and matching with such a nice exciting piece as this is making my mind run away with itself.

this delightful, stark set of three from anna rose underdown couldn't possibly go under my radar. i just wish that there were more and better detailed photos of this set. underdown notes the importance of "women's underwear, youthfulness, sportswear, and luxury" in casting her designs. but, i really love how the structure of a breastplate along with long underwear makes for very appeasing bodywear. yes! vpl on a whole new level. more please.

as for these four photos from katie hildebrand's (kingston university) runway exhibition...there is not much to explain. the styling is amazing. the knits are fantastic -does anyone else want a knit helmet as much as i do? the prints are stunning, interesting, and appealing even to a person who notmally finds it hard to want them in the personal wardrobe. but, truly i love every look for different reasons. from the dress, to the helmets, to the jumpsuit, to the coat, and the leggings everything is spot on in fit, color, and look.

that's all for now before i head off to the grand strand for some much needed sunshine and fresh air. will be reporting from a hammock with a daiquiri in hand next time you read a post.

cheers.

thank you for all you have left undone.

if you haven't guessed it. yes, i am referring to tetris. the above picture, created two years ago for the release of tetris evolution, shows colored crates depicting a typical tetris set-up.

as the game is turning 25 today -older than i- i thought i would show it a little love. one of those ridiculous things that i must admit from time to time is that tetris has captivated me for so many hours of life. it was my regular nintendo gameboy game of choice. easy, logical, fun. plus, the fast levels get so fast! once i got to college and found lots of down time, i rediscovered my love for tetris and would play various online versions for a quick fix away from studying and social-izing.

satisfying? quite.

now that my beloved friend and fellow procrastinator is turning 25, i can only hope to rekindle our friendship via my new and improved nintendo ds. behold!

on to more hours of waste and brain strain? perhaps. perhaps indeed.

purgatorio to paradiso.

it is currently 27.2 degrees celsius. down from a balmy 34.4 earlier today.

for those of us/you in my part of the world (being one of the only that doesn't employ celsius that's 81 and 94 respectively...). do excuse me, i'm just trying to become accustomed and teach myself to use the system.

ah yes. the arrival in south carolina has been, done, and happened. after a daunting/challenging/tiresome 18 hour drive from cambridge, massachusetts to columbia, south carolina. unpacking vehicles has been completed and bruises counted.

here for a mere 30 (or is almost 29!?) jours with un/packing and cleaning and mending and recharging and party planning and catching up to do -i hope those 30 go flying.

vacations are a lovely thing. though i won't be working for those 30, there will be much to do and see before the end of it all. therefore, purgatorio. and then... perhaps paradiso will come along as well.

any reading suggestions?

***disclaimer*** no more fun and frolicsome techno adventures for atleast a month. bear with me.

puppy love.

its always astounding to me how much animals change things.

last night i got to hang out with -count it- three! my three favorite kitty cats in boston. one of which shed on me to no end and the other two of which bat at my hand whilst simultaneously vying for attention as only cats can.

more importantly though

my parents are driving up to boston and will arrive today. and they have decided to bring the pup!

as a person who has never had an animal of any sorts in this city, i am very excited to take her for a few walks around my blocks.

i always see people walking around with their cute dogs and playing with them in parks.

its my turn now!! welcome to my city little stella.

embodying excitement.

how very exciting to be able to open up the computer and check out the sleek dresses that are to be expected at this year's MET Costume Insitute Gala, chaired by Marc Jacobs himself [who is underwriting the exhibition] and co-chaired by Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour:::

if this picture resonates with you at all it should prove how exciting, exquisite, and one-of-a-kind this event is for the fashion world every year.  Wintour, in the photo above is wearing a specially made embroidered dress by Karl Lagerfeld for the 2008 gala's Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy theme that transforms her into a stunning, powerful wind and clouds and weather type hero.

the 2009 gala theme is the Model as a Muse: Embodying Fashion.  though not as outwardly exciting as a fun and fantastic "superheroes" theme, this year gives a nod to the "the reciprocal relationship between high fashion and evolving ideals of beauty, focusing on iconic fashion models in the latter half of the 20th century and their roles in projecting, and sometimes inspiring, the fashion of their respective eras" as pronounced by the Costume Institute.  

the gala, along with the accompanying exhibition, gives informative and interesting perspectives on the garments that the A-listers attending the Gala wear, but also how the garments come about and why.

i went to the poiret exhibition [2007 gala theme= Poiret: King of Fashion] a few years ago and spent about 3 hours wandering around drooling at the stunning pieces, Lepape illustrations, and some of the first lamé pieces that would make american apparel afficionados feel unworthy.

needless to say

i can't wait to see this year's fresh bunch of red carpet photos and then go to the exhibit itself.

embodying fashion?  we shall see.

splashing about.

though annoying and sometimes pointless trying to get downtown proper in boston for a night out, the allure of seeing the ocean and being at the harbor somehow always wins out in my decision making process. sometimes, i feel good about my decisions to make the trek (and deal with the transportation failures of boston); at other times, i wish that i could erase two hours from my life and move on with my night.

last night, a few friends and i decided to go to the volvo ocean race area which has been set up at fan pier. the allure was there, along with the promise of some good tunes for listening, and a very unique space. i made my way to puma city last night to check out what i've heard many people talking about.

not to be overshadowed by the nomadic pop-up puma shop... the volvo ocean race, the main event, is a strenuous nine month long extravaganza hitting major port and sailing cities around the world as their stopovers including one of my least favorite port-towns (qingdao) and some of the most interesting places in the world like cochin, the capital of the communist-elected state of kerala in southwestern india. having been on the high seas for a few months myself, this race is an extreme and explorative type of competition.

the puma city space is an interesting bit of mobile architecture which consists of two dozen extremely modified, 3-tier stacked shipping containers which form the shopping, nightlife, and lounge space adhering to all international building codes and completely moveable. this pop-up space is both interesting conceptually and in actual execution.

but, last night...something was missing. the space was great, the lounge-y couches are pushed back from the center of the bar area against the sides of the space so that they almost seem like hidden compartments and the center can have a dance floor seemingly free of seated onlookers. the night was billed as "<3throb vs. thunderdome djs" it sounded like a pretty good reason to make my way downtown (grr) all dressed up.

wrong.

the puma city bar was TINY which caused wait times of up to 20 minutes for a simple gin and tonic sloshed into a plastic cup by bartenders who didn't really look like they had ever made a tasty alcoholic beverage in their lives.

the music was nowhere NEAR loud enough for a pleasant musical experience -except the corner of couches where we decided to plop ourselves after finally having acquired drinks at the dull bar. *sorry boston globe guy who had to shout over the speaker in his ear to interview us*

further on the music, the djs did a really poor job of mixing the music that i'm sure they were trying to play so that the very diverse type of crowd would all be happy and dance. the loops went too long at times, they didn't know how to drop anything well, and really? blur?

essentially, i'm glad i went. it was a fun night and since puma city is making its sole stop in north america right here in boston, it will be an architectural experience that few will get to party in.

as a final note, as a few friends and i had finally let ourselves be free of puma city, i was stopped on the walkway by a very cute, bubbly and stylish girl who asked to take my picture for her boston style blog. after a few quick snaps of mine and then also my boy's outfits, i come to find that i have finally met martine of beyond boston chic. she was probably the first boston blog that i ever linked to and i'm so excited to have finally met this fashionable lady!

here's to a new week.

its fresh and hot, fresh and hot.

it seems that music is really i've been into blogging about consistently [or inconsistently considering how long its been...sorry] lately.

perhaps that's because i've been trying to save money and one way of doing that for yours truly is not to shop or browse online for clothing or shoes whatsoever. however, that fact should not take away from the musings and good fun that music has been providing lately.

with an upcoming trip to NYC scheduled,
i think its high time that i shared some thoughts on one of my favorite new listens
that
just so happens to be coming out of New York.

fortunately, i can say that this dj actually happens to be one of my closest friends. in good ol' college days, i really got to know this fellow and have luckily been able to watch and hear him develop and produce music that really projects his interesting and well-educated tastes. as i feel he has great talent but has even more time to grow creatively the praise will end there.

a few weeks ago
he sent me a mix he had been working on and asked me my thoughts. since that time it has been the most played thirty minutes of music (ahead of the new gui boratto album...ahhh) on my hard drive by not only me, but the boy, and other various friend visits.

given that i am clearly really feeling this mix of tunes, i have decided to share the thoughts i expressed to dear friend as well as the mix itself.

one main defining factor to me with dj mixes is that they either tend to consist of brilliantly "curated" but succinct bits of songs and samples that are well mixed and seem a sort of showcase of the dj's overall skills. on the other hand, there are the other types of mixes that lend themselves more towards the live style of djing that -let's be honest- compels attendees/listeners to dance [does that not seem to be my favorite word?] as would be done in the live setting.

with alex's mix i got that entire "showcase"/meant to listen at home vibe because of the amount of different sounds he seemed to shuffle breathlessly through in thirty minutes. trying not to think of dear friend, on my initial listen the thumping "four on the floor" dance-causing beats are what this particular dj is quite good at incorporating. this one sure knows how to mix it up.

as i mean, this mix is all over the board spanning multiple old, beloved and interesting, less listened to tracks. with a bit of gui boratto and kevin saunderson alongside young swede wunderkind petter i enjoyed the span that is contained. it stays on a somewhat safe side as far as song choices goes without getting stale -and is indeed very fun to listen to in any number of nighttime scenarios in which one could possibly be found.

right, signing out now because i've talked your ears off enough. just give yourself a listen here:::

enjoy. this weekend will consist of me attending a gui boratto/ellen allien/thomas mayer show amongst other birthday celebrations...more show blogging, yes.

tune in here:::

http://www.mogulus.com/alexhamadey

fun-for-all.

just before the recent -interesting but over my inexperienced head- Resident Advisor article "machine love: john tejada" was released, i squealed and immediately pressed the purchase button at the good life website.

john tejada coming to boston on the heels of a set at london's legendary fabric club to celebrate the latest release on fabric records, his Fabric 44 mix?

yes, please. how very fortunate.

tejada is an impressive dj and musician whose melodies and beats are complex and simple and seemingly constructed with thought, effort, and personal choice. most of his tunes seem crafted rather than simply pumped out to cause people to "move for them".....



Move For Me - Kaskade & deadmau5

saturday night was a perfect night for a good set and enjoyment out of all attending. having no sunday shift at work, i knew i could dance as hard as possible and get sleep enough to make up for it the next day. so, the hope was that the set + crowd would not disappoint either. *a warning to anyone who has yet to attend an electronic music event in boston:::

the crowds are not so overly interested in the enjoyment of the dj and the having fun while hearing great music and sometimes talk throughout a set, don't dance, and even block the speakers.

luckily, last saturday was not an example of this type of experience and the hopes of the night were perfectly granted. randy deshaies and sergio santos, the latter being an integral part of the midweek techno night [a fun time in its own right], really warmed up the decks for tejada who calmly and collectedly took the set from blasting to stellar in a few short loops and flicks of the wrist.

the set proceeded to get awkward for a moment when tejada was prolonging a trebly, very simple beat with little beat and the crowd seemed ready for something heavy to drop. other than that the one difference between dancing crowd and performer...the night was a pleasant success for all. the only complaint being the one that stands for interesting fun times had while going out in boston::: the ever-present 2am curfew.

furthermore, the venue -to which i have never ventured- was marvelous. the good life was an interestingly constructed space. its downstairs lounge [where the beats happen] is a small space with a bar running the length of the room down one wall and cavernous booth spaces along the other wall. with no coat check, i was a bit unnerved at first, but after finding a stash spot for our outerwear, my companions and i felt fine about where we had left our exoskeletons against the cold.

and for the two best things about the lounge: there were fans at the front of the room for sweaty dancing masses [to which subset of attendees at shows i absolutely always belong, no excuses] and NO LINES in the bathrooms. really, john tejada, whether you picked the good life or they sought you for saturday night...it was a wonderful decision. that show is easily one of the best in enjoyment and most importantly musically, that i have attended since perhaps booka shade this summer.

heavy sigh and high hopes for the midweek techno on february 25th::: tiefschwarz the legendary electro pop/house fraternal duo from berlin.

til then.

V&R collab update with Samsonite.

BBB Winter 09 | Viktor & Rolf for Samsonite Black Label

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i have found you.

amidst much searching and scouring of the pages on this nice inter-space i finally found a perfect bag:::

the samsonite black label waifer tote.


after receiving a new computer in august -because the old faithful of four years finally went kaputt [a cup of tea might have been involved]- i have been very patient in delving to find the "perfect" laptop bag. in my life to this point, i have not really been a handbag/bag sort of person. i can understand the appeal of them, but it is a rarity to find a bag that is simple and quirky enough to be considered for hanging use on my arms. when there isn't a "too much hardware" problem, its a shape issue and when it isn't either of those, the bags i find seem to be just too simple and boring for my style.

alas, through my scouring of yoox -so positively sure i was going to find the perfect bag for the perfect price- it suddenly came to me! i remembered a press release from late 2007/early 2008 announcing a new collaboration for samsonite black label: viktor & rolf. being very visually pleased with the skeletal and exo-skeletal creations of the alexander mcqueen/samsonite black label collab i thought i would mosey on over to the sbl website for a closer look at the lines. though the v&r line hasn't been released yet ([ from the pictures i've seen it doesn't look as though they'll be including and tote/laptop bags in the line], i was somewhat impressed with the bags. who knew that such a "tough" suitcase and briefcase company which gained popularity in the '70's could have such interesting taste in their black label which targets:::

"unit[ing] luxury materials, superior workmanship and unique designs to appeal to the dynamic lifestyle needs of the most sophisticated consumers around the world" [from samsonite corporate brand portfolio]

it is a shame that now that i've finally found the bag it happens to be out of stock at the moment...ah fate!

however, after a bit of calling to samsonite i have found that it will come back in stock. bad news: i have to stalk the bag online until it becomes available because the person i spoke with could not tell me when the restock would occur.

glee! i've finally found a bag for toting my computer around that i really find classic and interesting.

not so gleeful! i have to stalk the samsonite black label website in hopes that it is restocked soon.

ah well, if it were easy the search would not be so fruitful...

right?

whirly.

in an attempt to calm down
from this past rapid weekend in new york city
the bus ride home was spent winding down to the soundtrack of Orchestra of Bubbles by Ellen Allien and Apparat.

driving from the herald square/madison square garden area [thanks to boltbus...a new love of mine] uptown by morningside park [a beautiful past haunt of my brother's in his bygone Columbia days] and cathedral parkway and emerging out of Harlem, then seemingly out of the city. the music prodded me along with the journey rather than dwelling of thoughts on the long weekend just spent.

it always seems unfortunate to leave new york, especially now when i would be there over living here in boston if the choice was offered. however, this option has not yet presented itself and to ease my mind from the lovely, exciting, vanishing scenery of the city listtening to a favorite travelling album of mine was really the only way to go.

the album is really a perfect listen for travel in all forms:::
train
bus
car
subway
plane...

perhaps only hang gliding would not mesh with a listen.
the music itself is light enough to allow for multiple thoughts and introspection processes...if that's what you want. OR just a good listen. Allien's voice is entrancing in a way that keeps the listener focused introvertedly on the music. however, the industrial pumping sounds fueled by allien's aesthetic paired with what can only be described as pretty embellishments so characteristic of apparat maintain this thought process, which generally happens when travelling.

my personal thoughts when travelling are ever only focused on where i've just been and where my compass is currently pointed.

in this case, New York...was a success in part due to being avle to just be comfortable around some old/good friends that have been sorely missed in the past few months, like my very talented friend alex [who has been making some excellent music that i will be blogging about in the very near future] and new friends, like the guys and gal that are "the slowest runner in all the world." Listening to the cello, violin, and keys of a song they were recording in the brooklyn apartment/studio where i was staying was a rare treat. so nice and relaxing it all was.

did i mention modeselektor?

to continue from my last post:::

YES.

the show on 24 january at the bowery ballroom was one of the most exciting [and excited] shows I have ever enjoyed. the venue was cool and classy though the sound system clearly was not intended for techno shows but rock shows instead. the lack of good volume and thumping bass was actually noticeably a drawback to the bowery for a show like this.

example::: i could hear myself talking throughout the night...

yet, the berliners of modeselektor knew how to make up for that fact in intensity and -in a word- showmanship? let me say i've seen some crazy stage additions to Dj's like fairies on stilts and spiky headed gas mask monsters on stilts. but, at some point during the crazy dancing and hard beats, the audence was treated to dancers of a different sort. two guys dressed up, one as a butcher and the other in a proper silly chicken costume began to shake it on stage. about that time a...real pig's head, no joke, was beginning to be passed around among the crowd at the front of the stage: 44% more meaningful?, in this case, yes. All of a suddent, modeselektor are announcing their love and desire for champagne which was then opened and sprayed on the crowd, supplemented by bags of tiny white feathers.

vielen dank for that, germany. really.

needless to say my shoes and shirt from that night happen to still be covered in white feathery remnants.

on that note, its time for some delicious/free food from the boy at his job and then a bit of a workout conducted to Hello Mom!

good day and good luck.

delight-full.

oh why is it so tempting to drop everything and move here?

the show last night was in a word...

YES.

nyc today...modeselektor tomorrow...

yes, it was again time for a little weekend trek down to the city courtesy of my very special coworker sara.

its a nice night in brooklyn tonight...however,

i am very much looking forward to the modeselektor show tomorrow night at the bowery ballroom.
as a good and trustworthy tasteminded friend has told me it was his "#1 of #1s" in the live show category. so, nevertheless it will be a good experience.

modeselektor is a fantastic berlin duo of the glitchy good natured sort and also a part of one of my favorite labels in germany, bpitchcontrol. the label founder, ellen allien, has longtime been a hero of mine ever since my first listen to berlinette i have fallen in love with her interesting music. but also, i really find her philosophy about two of my loves: fashion and music, very uplifting.

here's to a very interesting night!

a very minimal fix.

though not so much minimal but techno...the make it new @ middlesex lounge this past thursday 9 january was a spectacular treat.

showing up around 10:30 might have been a mistake...

as a friend, the boy, and i walked in to the small but satisfying space, the music was pumping. and the pumping was good. in the mood for dance, local dj, volvox, definitely played to those needs better than your average run of the mill freshwater alga [excuse the silly reference]. i've definitely been around to hear while she's in the booth but this thursday was something special. she really put together a fantastic set for thursday night that made my little group forget about the cold and

dancedancedancedancedancedance

she did a bang up job and has definitely improved to my liking from the past nights i've seen her. the friendies agreed.

however it was berlin dj, marcel dettmann [MDR, Ostgut Ton] that really drew us in [and got us there on a cold night in the first place].

it is a really hard thing to live in boston and have a musical taste that centers on electronic music. there is a very very small scene here whose appetite is rarely fulfilled by touring djs...really ever. however, when we do receive special guest appearances they are interesting and wonderful and all that they need to be. in november, paco osuna and ewan pearson both played at little old phoenix landing for midweek techno nights which were fantastic. this marcel dettmann set was so wonderfully wonderfully wonderful.

techno is really fun to listen to alone or on the train or cleaning your room or hanging out
but
it is even better blaring out of nicer than home speakers
[unless of course you happen to be my friend alex who has delightful monitors for his own musical makings]
^that is the way techno is best heard:::
loud, entrancing, and hard to resist
because. it. makes. you. dance.

at the beginning of his set i was wondering how he was going to follow up the energetic volvox set, but dettmann, resident at the infamous berghain club in berlin, took that energy from the previous set and went with it. the set started off with one attention catching, pumping beat that melded so well in to the next that it was hard to tell if he was even spinning at all. at times he would drop a few easily recognizable samples, but the set was more berlin sounds and feeling than this town has danced to in a while.

thanks. so. much.

ps...if you want a nice hour long taste of marcel dettmann's sound...download the resident advisor podcast from 29 december that he mixed.

new year, follow-up, and too little time....until now.

firstly:::

happy new year [though it is now ten days in].
still quite new and there is so much more to feel and figure out.

this holiday season has been a whirlwind and it is nice to get back up here [still bitterly cold] to my little hovel/nest with the boy and just put up my feet.

this new year brings with it a new challenge:

figure out where to go next.
-i have now finished my final class at boston university and so i guess its onwards from here!

i must apologize for not having written any posts since mid-november...it is so very slack and not in my personality to put anything aside. however, this will soon change as schoolwork is no longer a part of my daily life, nor is having two jobs as one ended with my academic career. therefore, i will be focusing SO very much more on this blog, sewing, music research, making plans for the coming months, and perhaps even trying to organize a showing of a film...

hope all has been fantastic for everyone.

take care cool kids.