issue 41 - on recording your life through a lens
a long awaited third album from Madeon, mushroom-filled RPGs and musings about turning the camera back onto yourself
it’s been quite a while, i’ve really missed sitting down to write something to you here! life has been moving so fast that i haven’t made time to document all my little revolving interests, but i think it’s time to come back and make a quick list of things i’ve been enjoying lately.
FRESH: music
Victory - Madeon: it’s not every day that an album from your favorite artist slides into your inbox. actually, make that seven years between Good Faith, and now, Victory. i really want to learn to love this album, and by default i inherently already do, but something about this new era hasn’t really clicked for me yet. perhaps it’s because i haven’t had the chance to go make memories with this LP yet - to blast these tracks driving down the highway singing all the lyrics with my best friends, the way i did with Good Faith. regardless, i can’t deny that Dancing On Your Grave is continuing to give me that “I LOVE MUSIC SO MUCH!!” kind of high that i’ve come to associate with Hugo’s discography. in retrospect i’m so glad this track wasn’t released as a single, it would’ve destroyed the magic of waiting for it for me. i’m going to need more time to absorb and integrate album 3 into the fabric of my life, but for now i’m just happy that this exists and is finally out in the world.
Tweaker Poem - Frost Children: the brother-sister duo taking over hyperpop EDM are back with another EP fresh off their debut album SISTER last year. as terrifying as the origin story of this EP is, props to them for turning a traumatic experience into meta bangers about the state of modern parasocial relationships. safe to say this is EP is going on repeat on my summer playlists.
FRESH: gaming
Secrets of Grindea: i downloaded this little RPG two days ago after doing a little dive on the Steam store, and i’ve already grinded (pun intended) in over 26 hours of gameplay. this is perfectly scratching the itch i’ve had for something Stardew cross Pokemon cross Monster Sanctuary. did i mention the pixel graphics are so vibrant and an absolute joy to look at?!
Memory Room: i squealed with joy when this came across my feed - Memory Room is an upcoming cozy simulator game where you play as infamously masked electronic producer Slow Magic himself, helping him to beat art block and make music in his room. way too relatable content, the game is currently in Beta testing but i’ll be diving straight into this the moment it’s released.
FRESH: visuals
obsessed with the editing on this this pieced-together-footage style mini music video that DJ Koze posted for his new remix of Elevau.
anything from the Anatomy of a [insert animal here] series that Aussie Oli Main has been filming - exquisitely shot and edited a la Wes Anderson style, with David Attenborourgh style commentary.
FRESH: beauty
when i get my hands on this Little Ondine x Tamagotchi makeup collaboration, please try and restrain me as i will have no self control. those flip phone powders have no business looking that cute and functional.
FRESH: self
i’m six years post-pandemic late to the party, but i finally learned how to stream on Twitch, i’ll be streaming a lot of Grindea, maybe a little Megaman and Stardew. please give me suggestions of what you think i would enjoy streaming!
On Recording Your Life Through A Lens
if you’ve been with me on the interwebs for a while, you’ll remember the old-school Youtube vlogs - i had years of footage piled up that i never edited, and i eventually gave up trying to clear my backlog. with that i also stopped documenting my life through long form video, something that i’ve been reminiscing on lately. my perspective on recording yourself has also morphed a lot over the years - at one point i was highly anti-vlog and would scowl at people walking down the street talking to their phone camera.
recently, i’ve felt this urge to pick up my camera and turn it towards me again. part of it i think is because i’ve learned how to use it consciously in moderation, now, i’m always recording with a purpose in mind - whether it’s to preserve a candid moment i know will become a core memory of mine, or intentionally film new footage that i already have a video idea for. not every single moment nor part of my life needs to be on tape, and i think i have a more inherent understanding of that now.
another part of it is i’ve stopped judging others who do record their life, and by association, myself as well. it takes balls to film yourself, especially alone, in public - and anyone who has the balls to show up as themselves like that on camera has my respect. it’s something i still find quite daunting and want to practice myself through exposure therapy.
all that said, i’ve been having a fun time recently on Instagram posting little vlog-like moments - it’s much more manageable for my current busy schedule than trying to perfectly edit a whole 20 minute Youtube vlog (though i would love to post a few again someday). these candid clips tap into a level of authenticity and self-exposure that has been missing from how i’ve been showing up online, and something i’ve been craving to embody again.
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love,
wing
alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:
what’s your take on filming yourself and your life through your own lens?
head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!