Heroin in Tahiti

Surf-drone? Kraut-surf? Whatever, Heroin in Tahiti are two guys from Rome and they make heavy, whacked-out, heavenly kitsch.

Maison Martin Margiela Couture AW 12

Bejewelled face masks, creepy and beautiful. Much more spangle than would normally expect of MMM but love the nicely mixed up textures. Is that a deconstructed inflatable life-vest? And the floor length silk bomber style coat is actually divine. 

Torn Hawk - Tarifa

Torn Hawk is a Brooklyn-based producer whose new release is out soon on NY’s fine new(ish) house label L.I.E.S. Torn Hawk is also an alias of video artist Luke Wyatt, he of the PPU Party DVD series (think betamax, jheri curls, synths and spandex - see below). 

Anyway, Tarifa. The track combines cold metallic undertones with seductively dreamy Balearic guitar licks and warm, wistful synths. It’s an unusual combination but it really works, and the same compelling incongruity is found in the video, where VHS static and digital FX surround the romantic hand-holding, sunset-laden imagery. 

Both track and vid are heavy with analogue poignance and beautiful hyper-modern wistfulness; a strong contribution to the new wave of analogue, left-of-centre house-not-house coming from L.I.E.S (and Brooklyn in general) of late. 

4th Measure Men - Given MK Dub

Peckham Fabric Shopping

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Louise Gray - Prints Blitz

So prints and patterns are, officially, a big deal.  Well prints may be standard practice but there's nothing ubiquitous about the brilliantly bold, graphicy pixelly pattern clashes in Louise Gray's Autumn Winter 2012 collection, seen at London Fashion Week back in February.

Louise Gray launched her eponymous label in 2010 and can you spot her brightly hued, boldly textured designs a mile off. They're fun, playful and beautifully made, with amazing movement and surprising details. The impact of the pattern on pattern mix in this collection is really stunning.

I was raised by snakes, I lie all the time

The future is bright, the future is synthetic etc.

Anyway, two more good synthy bits are Raised by Snakes by Belgian synthpoppers Telex and the slightly cheesy but very earnest/infectious You by Axodry. Both were given remixes by the anonymous DJ collective Razormaid. I haven't been able to find the Razormaid remix of Telex on vinyl at all, and even the original version seems to be only available on pricey bootlegs. The Axodry track was originally released on XYZ Records, and is on sale for about £40 on discogs. Thank God for Youtube eh. 

I've also posted a rather lovely video of Telex (they of 'Moskow Disko') from 1980, when they entered the Eurovision song contest. With matching white scarves over pastel coloured Tshirts, they sang an instantly forgettable song about the song contest. The fact they in came last is utterly criminal (nul points).