issue 24 - still here (with the ones that we came with)

double servings of new Skrillex, the local mind-reading flower shop, environmental consequences of systemic injustices, disco bling for your ears and more

we have lots of ground to cover this issue - we’ll get through as much as we can!

FRESH: new music

Quest For Fire - Skrillex

the man of the hour Skrillex is making 2023 his year, by dropping not one, but two albums in the same weekend! Quest For Fire was set for a regular Friday release, but Don’t Get Too Close was a surprise Sunday drop, during Skrillex’s special show at NYC’s iconic Madison Square Garden (just a handful of hours ago) with his “Pangbourne House Mafia” squad - Fred Again.. and Four Tet.

Quest For Fire has been several years in the making. Butterflies was released all the way back in May 2021 - seems like a lifetime ago now, yet it still remains one of my favorites, with some wonderful memories attached to the track from the last two years. we covered Leave Me Like This back in issue 20 - and it’s still one of the standouts on the album, along with RATATA featuring legends Missy Elliott and Mr. Oizo, and Still Here (with the ones that I came with), Skrillex’s first official collaboration with long-time friend Porter Robinson. Tears and Inhale Exhale also bring a great energy to the album.

we’re still here with the ones that we came with, and that’s cause to be grateful for, hands on our hearts. we’re still here with you, lovely FRESHers, and we hope to be with you for a good while longer!

here’s even more Skrillex for your eyes and ears: his basement set recorded right before the album drop earlier this week, the trio’s Valentine’s Day set at Good Room Brooklyn and their Times Square pop-up set, from a bus!

• the first part of M83’s new album era Fantasy, titled Chapter 1, is now out! Amnesia is our pick off the collection so far, a wonderfully euphoric indie-dreampop ode to bittersweet love.

• a very exciting new team-up from DROELOE and IMANU has resulted in their first collaboration, CATALYST - released on the acclaimed British bass label UKF.

• Bodysync (the duo project of Ryan Hemsworth and Giraffage) is back with a relaxing summer groove called Rhythm - perfect timing as we start shedding those winter layers.

• i thought no remix could ever top the perfection of Scotsman Sam Gellaitry’s Assumptions - i have been proven wrong by Jengi’s high energy take on the original! it’s giving big Salute energy.

listen to all these new releases and more on our dedicated FRESH 2023 playlist!

FRESH: events and happenings

Green Thumbs, Red Berries

once again, taking your name suggestions.

a new flower shop opened up at our local mall last month, and i do think they have been secretly reading my mind. first, it was them stocking potted rose bushes right in time for Valentine’s Day, this time it was a shelf full of strawberry bushes! i’ve been wanting to grow one for years now, quite serendipitous of them to show up right on my doorstep.

i’m checking every day to see which berries ripen red, it’s fascinating to watch the process happen in real time. i also had no idea that the strawberry part grew from the middle of the bush’s white flowers, which bloom first before the strawberry!

Unions vs. Big Corporate

shityoushouldcareabout

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here’s a deeper dive into the socioeconomic context of how the East Palestine train derailment and consequent environmental disaster came to pass, and how it could have been prevented. it comes down to (yet another) systemic injustice of those holding wealth and power taking advantage of those with less, of legal loopholes, of the environment and of public health and safety. this incident was no surprise accident - it was the ramification of years and years of unethical decisions for sake of profit, and turning a blind eye.

if you have leads on resources or links to help the situation in East Palestine, please do comment them below or reply to this email.

FRESH: bling

The DISCOTHEQUE Earrings

blingbywing

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these dazzling and shimmering beauties are perfect for any night out, or for extra sparkle on sunny days. mini disco balls are suspended on a length of chain to give them extra flexibility to flow with your movements, and for extra fun when shaking your head!

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once again, i’m churning out this issue a few hours before posting - some sections and topics have been moved to next issue so i have more time to give them their due in coverage! happy incoming Pisces season, and enjoy the last part of this astrological year.

love and fishies,

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 preference: smaller, more intimate shows, or the grandeur of massive, stadium-sized shows?

• what house or garden plants do you want to try growing?

• how do you react to big news events, like the Turkish and Syrian earthquake, and the East Palestine environmental disaster? do you feel desensitized, or impassioned to make a change?

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