happy imminent Valentine’s Day, dear FRESHers! we hope you’re planning some quality time with your loved ones - whether that’s with your significant other, your friends, your family, or with yourself. we ourselves are often the ones who get sidelined, especially on such a day like this that prioritizes and glorifies romantic love above all other kinds of love.

FRESH: self

The Day of Romance…?

my stance on Valentine’s Day has changed greatly over the years; from dreading the arrival of Single’s Awareness Day as the resident nerd in middle school, outright rejecting its existence after a string of unrequited crushes, all the way over to apathy, then reverence and worship of The Day of Romance in a valiant quest to redeem my seeming fate. these days, i think i’ve settled into a comfortable middle between all of that - one where i have an acceptance of my inherent, ever-present desire for romantic love; yet also the knowing that can still choose to live a fulfilling life with or without, and the faith that it will show up again at the best possible moment. what was once an “or” in my definition of love, is now an “and” - there is a time and place for both romantic and platonic love, you can want to be loved deep down and end up doing things that look like the exact opposite, you can be rejected and still be incredibly loved.

even after the flip-flopping of my perspective and the memory of deep-cutting past hurts, i remain a chivalrous romantic at heart. i appreciate the courage, thought and effort that goes into any gesture of affection; be it a kiss on your cheek, a personalized playlist or washing up the dishes for you. i still do believe there’s merit in setting aside a day each year as a reminder to give ourselves permission to love and be loved, to allow love and all wonderful things the chance to reveal themselves in our own stories.

we love a good Valentine’s Day meme here at FRESH HQ, and thought it was time we had some of our own! feel free to fill in the blanks on this card, and send it to the one you’re thinking of this year. (if you’ve never encountered a Vday meme before on the interwebs, here are some iconic ones for context: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

hint: bonus points for addressing this one to yourself!

we’ll be keeping the rest of the issue infused with love-related things, to keep the festivities going - let’s continue:

the FRESH five

short lists of five things to savor

5 standout tracks from 5 new albums/EPs to listen to:

1. Rhinestone 1.7.2 [2018 Export Wav] - a vocal gem from Flume’s album of collated demos and unreleased tracks, Things Don’t Always Go The Way You Plan.

2. Fragments - an upbeat yet pensive cut from Marsh’s third studio album on label Anjunadeep, Endless.

3. North Garden (NEIL FRANCES Remix) - a glitch-electro take on ODESZA’s original track, collated in the remix package The Last Goodbye Remixes N°.2.

4. Dancing With You - progressive downtempo goodness from Amtrac’s third album Extra Time.

5. Intro - the delicious synthwave opening track to Yotto’s sophomore album Growth, released on his own label Odd One Out.

FRESH: new music

Blush - Glimji, Elphi

keep your radar on London producer Glimji, and his distinct garage-hyperpop sound! Blush marks his first release of the year, a sickly-sweet and flirtatious reverie about the thrill of fleeting passion. it pairs (and rhymes!) well, thematically and sonically, with Glimji’s previous single Rush, which we covered back in issue 11. (Flume’s Rhinestone 1.7.2 also covers more blushing territory.) Elphi’s vocals wax poetic sweet nothings about a lover, of “sipping on your loving” and “feeling like I’m lost in space”. it’s tasting sweeter than those boxes of Valentine’s chocolates!

• Montreal’s very own CRi returns with his first remix of the year - of Bob Moses’ Hanging On! a wonderful rendition of the soulful original, with CRi’s signature bouncy, danceable beats.

• remember the unstoppable earworm of 2014 that was Vance Joy’s Riptide? here’s a gorgeous stripped-down, acoustic cover by duo Pop Goes Ambient - comprised of Brisbane singer-songwriters Vancouver Sleep Clinic and Amelia Magdalena!

FRESH: live sets

Braxe + Falcon Lot Radio Mix

we love a little Braxe + Falcon at FRESH HQ, and this mix the French duo cooked up for Lot Radio back in November encapsulates their sound and wide range of influences quite perfectly. from fellow French artist Étienne de Crécy’s Smile and Night (Cut the Crap), to Afrobeat, Braxe’s own Most Wanted, to Bag Raiders’ Shooting Stars - this set truly has it all. i never thought i would hear Rockwell’s 80s classic Somebody’s Watching Me mixed straight into Empire of the Sun’s Walking On A Dream, yet Braxe + Falcon have proved that it is indeed possible.

FRESH: events and happenings

• we decided to switch things up a little this year, and go for a whole rose bush instead of just your regular rose bouquet. this one caught my eye as it had both red and pink rosebuds, can’t say no to two for the price of one! she’s been drinking lots of water and thriving very well - all five rosebuds you see below only started blooming in the last few days.

• following in the footsteps of Spain’s youth culture voucher, the new Berlin campaign Jugendkulturkarte is offering all Berlin youth ages 18-23 a €50 credit to basically: go out, be young and have fun. this pocket money can be spent at an array of cultural institutions; including nightclubs, museums, galleries and cinemas. great examples in action of providing accessibility to culture regardless of socioeconomic status, especially in an unpredictable post-pandemic landscape. Berghain on Valentine’s, anyone?

FRESH: bling

the FANTABULOUS FLOWERS necklace

if fresh bouquets aren’t your cup of tea, why not go for some wearable flowers instead? this choker-length piece features iridescent pom poms, and was inspired by our signature matching FANTABULOUS FLOWERS earrings.

blingbywing

A post shared by ✨bling by wing✨ (@blingbywing)

adopt her here!

other shop updates:

• the IRIDESCENT WATERFALL earrings have been restocked

• the VEGAS NIGHTS necklace is back in a new ULTRAVIOLET colorway

• new product drop for disco lovers: the DISCOTHEQUE earrings

• a new gemstone-only option for BLING BEAD SOUP

i enjoy the process of each and every issue, but this one was particularly a breeze and joy to write! get out there (or stay inside) and feel some lovin’ in your world this week.

love and all wonderful things,

wing

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

• what’s your current take on Valentine’s Day?

• send us your best (or worst) Valentine’s pickup line.

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!