Object of Desire: KNOTTED LOVE

This is what I want. Right now. Sorry to be so demanding but with that much rope there's bound to be some cross words.

Cheshire Street's Comfort Station is the bearer of such gifts, with the geographical co-ordinates of villages called 'love' and 'hope' etched into the gold plated fastner tube. Love in the Bahamas, Hope in Devon dontchaknow?

Curtain pulls a go-go, I'd like one on my wrist. Forget tying back your curtains, take a tip from the kids on the street and hang it round your neck, the chunkier and more regal the better.

CUSTOM NIKES

I am always on the lookout for new trainers. Both my Nike Airs and Reebok Classic high tops are beyond salvaging. But my problem is that I'm too fussy. They have to be perfect and I can never find anything I like. So when I came across HappyCash Fashion you can imagine how thrilled I was.

Run by Anthony, he refashions Nike Dunks with a variety of designs and even takes custom orders. He says "First I have to prep the areas of the shoe I want to paint on, this takes away the factory finish that protects the leather. By doing this I can get right down to the leather and use special acrylic paint that binds with the shoe. For any outline detail on the design I first pencil it lightly then go over in sharpie to get a nice bold outline. I then paint inside the detail areas with extreme care. Once the prepping/painting process is complete I go over the whole shoe with a either a matt finisher or I just leave it for a gloss look. Voila! Lace up, box up, ship to the customer."









There's nothing quite as self-affirming as owning a sick pair of custom trainers. Check out Anthony's Tumblr for more of his designs.

Eyjafjallajokull Style... Yes Really

A volcano errupts and nigh-on chaos ensues. Well yeah, ash is a-spouting, planes are grounded and there's a strange and seemingly unwritten competition on the news for who can have the most adventurous journey home. A cab fare from Moscow to the deep depths of Poland for £1500? Status Quo my friends, I think you've been diddled.

What it does throw up however is some pretty visually arresting shots of the ongoing eruptions at Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull. With possibly the best, slash, most unpronounceable name known to man, these images hosted on Flickr capture the twisted beauty of the 'act of God' causing so much chaos back on Blighty. 

                                        

                                                  

Intergalactic styling with apocalyptic undertones. Oh my didn't the late Alexander McQueen have an uncannily familiar vision not long ago?

                       

Even the high street was in on this flash fowarding malarkey, with River Island getting all galactic first.

So fashion can predict current affairs and natural disasters now? Fascinating.

Excuse me while I get my palm read and donate some money to the shrine of Topshop; it may just pay off.

Example - Kickstarts

I really really really love Example, have done since I heard What We Made back in 2007. I'd say it's Fulham's answer to The Marshall Mathers LP. And you know how most people hate it when acts they love suddenly become mainstream? Well in this case, I don't. The thing I love most about Example's new stuff is that he draws influence from a variety of genres, it has a wide appeal without "selling out", for want of a better term.
So when I heard that his new single Kickstarts produced by Sub Focus was Zane Lowe's Hottest Record In The World I was HYPED. Then when I heard it I was quite disappointed: it's a bit blase and nothing stands out. Maybe it's a grower?
Luckily though, the Bar9 remix is sick.



Wideboys, Afrojack & Fenech Soler have also dome remixes. Fingers crossed for a DJ Wire remix because that would be a banger.
Definitely check out Example's blog though, he posts a lot of cool shit.

THE POWER OF HAPPY

So I had a bit of a shit weekend. No scratch that, an eventful one; a hospital visit combined with iPhone loss and lack of sleep does not maketh for a happy woman, I can assure. But after a significant loss of appetitie and a Sunday of sofa mourning, Monday morning did not seem a welcome addition to the woe. Until I listened to this:



Australian hippy trippy Pnau with Ed Banger's Breakbot on the remix, yes please.

Buraka Som Sistema Essential Mix

Buraka Som Sistema are a Portuguese electronic group specialising in the kudero genre, meaning "hard ass". Sums up their sound perfectly! Sick mixture of the style's Angolan roots with dance, breakbeat, electro & a smidge of dubstep.

01. Barros de Landana — Tambi La Rosa [CDR]
02. Wildlife — Jumbe [Phree Music]
03. King of Africa — Douster [Mental Groove]
04. DJ Gregory & Sidney Samson — Salon (feat Dama S) [Defected]
05. Kid Kaio feat Buiza — Broadway [CDR]
06. L.B.G. — Dont Stop the Music (Bart B More Remix) [CDR]
07. DJ Malvado — Puto Mekie [CDR]
08. DJ Cucanas — El Canto [CDR]
09. Mosca — Square One [Night Slugs]
10. SBTRKT & Sampha — Break Off [CDR]
11. Sam Tiba — Barbie Weed [Top Billin’]
12. Rye Rye — Bang (Buraka Remix) [NEET Recordings]
13. Max Morrel — Back Yard Riddim [Cheaper Thrills]
14. Major Lazer Major Lazer — Pon de Floor (Drop the lime Remix) [Mad Decent]
15. Oliver Twizt feat Maluca — Loca [Mad decent]
16. Girl Unit — I.R.L (French Fries Remix) [Night Slugs]
17. J Wow — O Dedo [Mad Decent]
18. Nouveau Yorican — Boriqua (Douster Remix) [Sound Pellegrino]
19. Nic Sarno — Mana Wasa [Enchufada CDR]
20. Roulet — Kitamanda (J-WOW Remix) [Enchufada]
21. Bok Bok — Dance Report [Enchufada]
22. Beyoncé Beyoncé — Diva (Buraka Bootleg) [CDR]
23. Buraka Som Sistema — Kurum (Roulet remix) [Enchufada/Fabric]
24. Benga Benga — Night (Buraka remix) [CDR]
25. DJ Znobia — Dança da mãe Ju (Buraka Edit) [Enchufada]
26. Rusko Rusko — Cockney Thug (Buraka Remix) [Dub Police]
27. Elephant Man Elephant Man — Ova da wall (MRK1 remix) [CDR]
28. Riton & Primary 1 — Radiates (Joker remix) [Warner Music UK]
29. Amanda Blank Amanda Blank — Make it take it (Buraka remix) [Downtown]
30. Buraka Som Sistema — Luanda/Lisboa (Dj Riot remix) [CDR]
31. Buraka Som Sistema — Coozi o mambo [Enchufada]
32. MastikSoul — Macarron (Buraka remix) [4kenzo]
33. Skream Skream — Filth [Tempa]
34. Stenchman — Puking Over [Bovinyl Moosik]
35. Buraka Som Sistema — Sound of Kuduro (Lil John remix) [Enchufada/Fabric]
36. Buraka Som Sistema — Aqui pra voçês (Riot's Buratronic mix) [Enchufada/Fabric]
37. Daft Punk Daft Punk — Burning [Virgin]
38. L-Vis 1990 — Compass [Sound Pellegrino]
39. Project Bassline — Twelfth Step (Melé Remix) [CDR]
40. Ku Bo — Kaggua (Batida Remix) [Man Recordings]
41. Congorock — Babylon (feat. Mr Lexx) [Fools Gold]
42. L-Vis 1990 — United groove (Buraka Remix) [Mad Decent]
43. DJ Zinc vs BSS — Blunt Kalemba [CDR]
44. Photomachine — Burn Up [CDR]
45. Os Korimbas — Jemba Braguez [CDR]

Download: one, two, three, four.

Perfect mix for the beginning of summer.

COUNTDOWN TO THE WEEKEND

The Exquisite Clock invites you to snap pictures of numbers popping up in everyday life, to be included in the communal clock as the seconds roll past. Sort the images by clothes, vegetables or money but we love the Dali-esque skin clippings.







With a iPhone app to capture numbers on the go, the simple but quirky idea is a great take on how mobile technology can influence participation art and even social networking. Get out there and notice those numbers. CAPICHE