issue 12 - so you know how to make sushi?

satisfying an appetite, audiovisual delights, high-energy live sets, that one cat game and more

Jul 31, 2022

buckle in for another long issue - lots to cover in this one, some newly digested, some that have been collecting dust in the drafts for a while. let’s go!

FRESH: cuisine + self

So You Know How To Make Sushi?

long story short, a couple weeks ago i was fed up with the tasteless, bland sushi that my local sushi store sells, and decided to take matters into my own hands. sushi seaweed was bought, rice and vinegar thrown into the rice cooker, carrots and celery chopped - and viola, one very satisfied appetite!

i think my personal takeaway from this was how intuitive i found the process to be. in the past, i would scare myself away from trying to make sushi myself because it “looked so hard” and “ i would probably not be able to roll them together” - which was entirely not the case! this seems to be a theme for me and my growth recently, which also came up last issue - of psyching myself out of trying new things, out of fear of failure and shame. still working on resolving my relationship with that critical inner voice of mine, but for the meantime, the motto of all this is: do something that terrifies you, it isn’t as scary as it seems!

FRESH: new electronic

Anjunabeats Volume 16 - Above & Beyond, Anjunabeats

once again, it’s the time of year for a new Anjunabeats compilation! Volume 16 consists of two discs worth of both new and yet unreleased tracks from the label, and in regular fashion is mixed by label heads Above & Beyond, with a snazzy electrified rendition of the Anjuna logo for cover art. some personal highlights are French Touch legend Fred Falke’s spin on Mat Zo’s Colors, the return of P.O.S (Paavo from A&B’s deep alias) on Thunder & Sunshine, Kasablanca’s heartwarming Dream About You and Gabriel & Dresden’s fresh take on acid techno on Bias.

in other related Anjuna news - the lineup for ABGT500 in Los Angeles later this fall was recently revealed, and it is a doozy! that Saturday lineup is as close to perfect as it could be - super exciting to see Arty (as his ALPHA 9 trance alias) and Mat Zo reunited at a milestone show, may-perhaps we’ll see Rebound get played on the night?

The Last Goodbye - ODESZA

ODESZA are back with their fourth studio album, chock full of quality musical collaborations across the tracklist. it’s a joy to see The Knocks, Ólafur Arnalds and Låpsley featured among other fantastic artists, but unexpectedly, i’m finding the non-single instrumental tracks most compelling currently. North Garden, All My Life and Healing Grid emanate Summer’s Gone era energy, and i could not be happier hearing ODESZA make a return to their indie, glitch-electro sonic roots.

FRESH: audiovisual

Golden Features - ‘Touch (feat. Rromarin)’ (Official Music Video)

we featured Touch back in issue 10, and had to give another special mention to its newly released music video! it’s a short and sweet snapshot of getting swept up by a stranger on the dancefloor on a night out - perfectly encapsulates the song itself. also, a female Asian main character? we love to see it!!

Compact Objects (Animated Short) - Swardy

Compact Objects is a 9-minute companion animated short to Swardy’s EP of the same name, and was animated by Swardy himself as well - quite amazing! the short follows the adventures of a brown, fluffy Gruffalo-esque character with antlers, and gets quite abstract and absurdist with no particularly clear linear storyline - but that’s the beauty of it. it’s a wonderful audiovisual world to immerse yourself into, and i had a newfound appreciation of the EP after watching this short.

FRESH: live sets

Fred again.. | Boiler Room: London

yes, this set is indeed worth the hype it’s been getting across the interwebs! 2022 is truly shaping up to be Fred again..’s year, with a Coachella in the books and sold out European and US tours to come. Fred takes us on an hour-long musical journey of emotional catharsis, straight-up bangers and plenty of juicy ID’s from the likes of SHM, Skrillex and Four Tet - the energy in the room is also so palpable even just from the recorded video, it must’ve been electrifying to experience in person.

also highly recommend Salute’s Boiler Room: Vienna set - non-stop energy from start to finish, fantastic tracklist and flawless mixing from Salute himself.

Jerro - Canopy Club DJ Set - Denver, CO

Jerro’s Canopy Club series has been a hidden gem in the vast range of recorded live sets available across the internet post-pandemic! each is a chilled rooftop set at golden hour, this time in Denver, Colorado. lots of unexpected Anjunadeep tracks in here, and i’m obsessed with Cassian and Durante’s rework of Eyes by Rüfüs Du Sol after this set - not sure how that passed me by back in 2019!

for optimum sundown SoCal vibes, tune into the Venice, CA edition of Canopy Club!

FRESH: gaming

Stray

*oh, to be a lone cat exploring the depths of the cyberpunk city streets.*

nowadays i am not much of a regular gamer, and it takes something truly unique game-wise to pique my attention - Stray happens to be one of those rare games! as a single-player point-and-click RPG, you play as a stray cat (more affectionately named by characters in game as ‘Little One’) navigating the streets of unfamiliar cities, uncovering a mysterious quest along the way to reach “the Outside”, a place of freedom outside the city walls alluded to in local tales and legends.

besides the game’s stunning production design, world-building and captivating narrative that will tug on your heartstrings, it manages to touch upon some very poignant themes that resonate just as loudly in our real world. the narrative centres around perhaps the most unlikely protagonist and underdog (or should we say, undercat), overcoming trials and tribulations in pursuit of liberation from oppressive institutions of power - an apt allegory for just about any oppressed minority group. the cities in-game are also constructed on different physical levels, to separate the waste-filled Slums from the more well-off Midtown - a very on-the-nose, yet powerful depiction of economic inequality, and how a wealth gap can be maintained by those with wealth and power.

i wouldn’t have been as invested in this game if not for the wonderful Mark streaming the game on Twitch - thanks Mark!!

hope your inspiration sponges got a good soak from all these things - stay tuned for a special edition of Sleepover Sundays soon!

love and all wonderful things,

wing

alright, over to you now! hit up the comments section with your thoughts, or if you enjoy a little prompting:

what was the last fear you challenged, and what was the outcome like? what did you learn from the experience?
do you find yourself resonating with abstract art? why/why not?
what allegorical media have you seen recently that struck a chord with you?