issue 05 - becoming a resident cow lady
following cows on their exploration spree, a new vlog, music about transitionary spaces, the return of Coachella streamathon, allowing yourself to cry, the FRESH debut of readers corner and more!
once again, for those of you reading in email, this issue goes over email length limit: please click the “…” breaks or “view entire message” to read the full issue!
FRESH: events and happenings
Becoming A Resident Cow Lady
in our neighbourhood, there is a flat patch of grassland that is supposedly set aside for future residential development, yet there's been no sign of construction work starting there for quite some time. prime real estate is hard to come by here, so it wasn’t surprising we soon got some new local residents - though the kind of resident was one we hadn’t had here before!
it all started when a pair of cows, a friendlier brown one and a tougher-looking black one, showed up one day on the grassland and decidedly set up camp there, taking afternoon naps on the grass and feasting on the bushes. passer-bys would do a double take, before whipping out their phones to capture pictures of the new visitors. most days, when it got late at night and the cows were still lounging happily there, several ladies would come and ‘escort’ them (sometimes unsuccessfully) back home to their original neighbourhoods. they were so adamant about staying that eventually, the cow ladies would let them stay some nights - a win for them!
sometimes, they would venture away from the field and make their way along the bike path, all the way past the mall, and i would start to follow them, to make sure they didn’t get hit by passing cars when crossing the roads. people would make comments about me being a cow volunteer or cow lady - i suppose i honorarily have become one at this point!
one time, they made it all the way to the (currently temporarily closed) golf course at the very end of the street, and started running with joy when they saw the open field! it was a sight to behold, and my first time seeing cows running.
they have been nowhere to be found this past week or so - hope they’re still doing alright, and that they come back to visit soon!
FRESH: vlogs
we’re back with a new vlog! this one concludes my recorded moments from 2020 from the latter half of the year. i remember pandemic restrictions and stress easing up slightly during this time, which was a big relief from the shock of the first half of 2020. this year was the first in maybe seven? years that i hadn’t traveled internationally because there was no way to - it felt strange to stay in the same place for such an extended period of time again, but the silver lining was it was incredibly grounding, and afforded me time to recenter myself, even though my mind and heart were still turbulent.
enjoy, and we’ll be onto 2021 moments next!
FRESH: new music
live from The Forum - LANY
LANY served up a double whammy last week, announcing the departure of their guitarist Les from the band after 8 years, as well as dropping this double track EP of live recorded versions of songs from their last two albums: ex i never had from gg bb xx and you! from mama’s boy.
these two live renditions remind me of the heartwarming memories i have of the times i’ve seen them live - especially the most recent one when they headlined Radio City Music Hall last October, seeing them play at such an iconic venue was really special. their concerts are a must-see experience if you listen to their music!
there are some tracks that on first listen, i already know are going to be joining my favorite songs of all time list. these two have made the cut! out of the two, i already had a soft spot for the live version of you! - it’s the perfect amount of different to the original album version and makes the track sound so angelic as a live experience.
LIFTED - Hayden James
i’m definitely feeling upLIFTED by Hayden James’ new album! this marks the Australian songwriter’s sophomore album release, and whilst it is a relatively short 9-track album, it does not skimp on quality at all! i pay a lot of attention to musical cover art, and this one caught my attention - the soft blend of bright colors is right up my alley, and immediately reminded me of Tycho’s clean cut, graphic cover art, specifically the one for his 2014 album Awake.
LIFTED thematically explores the transitionary spaces in a relationship - the ongoing predicament of feeling disconnected from a partner, yet still feeling the unexplainable draw towards them, and wanting to make the relationship work. there is a strong sense of catharsis as the album progresses, as different thoughts and emotions are aired out through each song. i’ve spent significant time in such transitionary spaces, and listening to this album gave me comfort about complicated, and conflicting, emotions that i feel unable to fully describe.
some track highlights on initial listening:
Lifted - exactly the kind of minimal vocals, progressive track that i love! this sounds notably different from Hayden James’ usual groovier, more playful style of production, but i am all about his experimenting with alternate electronic styles. it’s reminiscent of Spencer Brown’s LA ID, with its warm synth pads and nostalgic, heart-hitting quality. Down on Me also has a similar warm, flowing and angelic feel.
I Won’t Let You Down - this beautiful, flowing track sounds as if Breathe by CamelPhat and Cristoph was released as part of Anjunadeep 13. Jem Cooke happens to provide smooth vocals for both tracks - maybe everything she touches turns into musical gold! it also helps that she has been collaborating with other excellent producers in the electronic realm, such as Cedric Gervais, Gorgon City, Ferreck Dawn, Tom Starr, Mark Knight, Hot Since 82… the list goes on.
the three singles off the album, Hold Tight, On Your Own and Waiting For Nothing, hold their own in midst of the other album tracks. all three are instantly earworm-y and danceable to - the perfect picks for singles from the album’s selection. often i find that an album’s singles don’t end up being some of my favorite overall tracks from an album, sometimes they sound too pop-y or mainstream for my very particular taste - but i’m still very much enjoying these three singles!
Disparate Journey - Entheolume (cloud castle)
if you enjoy vocal-free, purely electronic tracks that take you on an auditory journey from start to finish, this track is for you! my dear friend Peter is the mastermind behind the Entheopon and cloud castle projects, full of wonderful kinds of experimental sounds. peep the very cute, very fuzzy caterpillar cover art. 🐛
FRESH: live sets
Good Faith Forever at Coachella 2022
a last minute addition to this issue!! Coachella is finally happening this weekend after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, and as per tradition, they are streaming sets live from the California desert on their Youtube channel.
Madeon’s Good Faith Forever show made its long-awaited debut at Coachella on Friday night, and it was truly well worth the wait and delays! this marks Madeon’s first time playing solo at Coachella in seven years, since his Adventure Live show back in 2015. i have to give it up for the cinematographers and editors for the livestream on this set - i was blown away by the visual experience, it felt even more immersive than watching the show in person, and that is already a very high bar to top. directorial-wise, the fast cuts, closeups and dramatic zoom-ins made the whole show feel like an extended version of the Hypermania (LIVE) music video, which we explored last issue. if there was a definitive recorded version of this show, a Good Faith Forever: The Movie if you will, it might just be this very Coachella set.
unfortunately there isn’t an official video of the stream yet, but you can listen to the audio from the set right here!
which Coachella sets have you already seen, and which are you still excited for? i really enjoyed catching a little bit of NIKI and Harry Styles’ sets (honorary mentions for their outfits, i would wear either in a heartbeat), and a little of The Avalanches too - they weren’t even listed on the stream lineup! (edit: that 2NE1 comeback at the 88rising set?? i had so much fun with the throwbacks in Disclosure’s and Flume’s sets too! Stromae’s animated self, robotic dog and acapella version of Mon amour were memorable highlights, and i surprisingly enjoyed Billie Eilish’s set.) and to come, i’m eyeing that Swedish House Mafia/the Weeknd set on Sunday night (tonight!!) for sure! (stay tuned for more coverage here on SHM’s newly released album also!)
CRi Live at Anjunadeep x Printworks London 2021
Anjunadeep have slowly been releasing full recorded sets from their Printworks takeover event back in December 2021, and most recently it’s been CRi’s turn! CRi has been one of the “new” artists on Anjunadeep i’ve been enjoying most over the past few years, and to see him play one of the most atmospheric venues in the UK is a sheer delight.
what sets this apart from your standard DJ set is CRi’s live mixing of his songs - each backing beat, chord and vocal part is mixed in separately, a performance setup that allows for maximum improvisation and riffing whilst played live. Whilst the concept of live mixing in electronic music has been around for quite some time (see: Daft Punk’s Alive 2007, arguably the concept’s pioneer performance), CRi adapts it perfectly for his own mellow yet emotionally evocative sound.
the set itself features a very balanced selection of both newer and older songs from CRi’s discography, including original tracks and remixes of other artists’ songs, as well as VIP remixes of his own tracks. hidden in there 16 minutes in is also a sneaky unreleased ID… i’m placing my bets on this being a collaboration between CRi himself and fellow Anjunadeep artist Ben Bohmer, let’s see what it turns out to be!
if you enjoyed this, i also cannot recommend enough: CRi’s live set from Igloofest Montréal last February. the production, stage setup and cinematography in this is simply stunning.
while we’re on topic, i’m still losing my mind over Air2Earth (Porter Robinson’s house/progressive/disco side project) dropping DJ Boring’s remix of CRi’s Stranger, as well as the Icarus remix of CRi’s From Me, which you can watch a video of here.
FRESH: cuisine
Pink Guava Juice
one day, when searching the juice section of the fridge at 7-Eleven, i found they were out of my favorite juice, their Mixed Berries Juice. i pouted for a good while - i was really craving juice at that moment, but eventually decided to settle on another juice to try and satisfy my appetite. on instinct, i picked the prettiest colored juice i saw, one that was light baby pink. it ended up being Pink Guava Juice - one of the most refreshing juices i have ever tried! guava juice isn’t very common here, which is perhaps why i hadn’t discovered the wonders of it until now. it might just have replaced Mixed Berries as my current favorite juice! t’was, all in all, a small lesson in daring to discover new things that you might also end up loving.
FRESH: self
Fear Is Not Real
i’ve been following this Instagram account, Coffee with Ma, for a little while now. usually i’m very selective about any type of ‘quotes’ account that i follow on social media, as i subconsciously become very easily influenced by them (sometimes to my detriment). that said, Coffee with Ma does pass my screening test - what i love about their posts is how stream-of-consciousness they read as, it feels like a long message that a close friend would send to you.
a particular line from this post deeply resonated with me:
“Fear is not real, anxiety can be resolved, and the voices of others belong with them.”
for context, the gist of the whole post is about making your inner world a safe and comfortable place for you to exist in and spend time in, including sorting through what thoughts do and don’t belong there. that’s something i’ve been focusing dedicated effort to doing for some time now, yet still encounter challenges with.
when a feeling of fear rises up inside me, it feels very much real; when i’m feeling anxious it feels like i can’t find a way to ever resolve it, and when i hear the voices of others repeating in my head, they end up sounding like my own voice. having written affirmation from an external source that these situations can be turned on their head and seen in a different light was extremely comforting. i have this quote written on a pink post-it on my wall now, a reminder that i can regain sovereignty over my headspace if i wish to.
FRESH: podcasts
Wholeheartedly, (by Clahrah)
my dear friend Clara recently debuted a podcast! this first episode (envelope) focuses on a topic that could still be considered taboo in this day and age - crying. through sharing anecdotal musings, Wholeheartedly, invites you, the listener, to also give yourself room to reflect on your own thoughts about what it means to allow yourself to cry - particularly as an adult, when it can be seemingly frowned upon or can feel shameful to. like FRESH, Wholeheartedly, releases new episodes every Sunday - you can listen to the first one right above!
FRESH: readers corner
here’s a new section we’re debuting this issue! at the very end of each issue we have been inviting you to share it with your friends, pets and plants - thank you so much for doing exactly that! we’d like to start featuring some of our lovely human and non-human readers here.
our first guest is pothos baby, i think they’re excited for some new FRESH!
next up, we also have Jinx the cat! wonder which section of FRESH she was thinking about?
please do send us more photos of your friends, pets and plants - either on @freshbywing or @wingograph on Instagram, we love seeing them! selfies of yourself reading FRESH are also entirely welcome 💞
a big theme that emerged in this issue was navigating changing events and transitionary spaces, especially ones that might feel difficult or uncomfortable to experience. however, with great risk (of the new and unknown) comes great reward, and the experience you gain from such transformative experiences is often priceless. somewhere in you is the courage to jump headfirst into everything you’re scared of - go forth with an open mind and an open heart, and you’ll find yourself where you need to be.
wishing you a happy Passover, Ramadan and Easter!
for the lovers,
💖 wing
head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!