Rusko Essential Mix

the subject of the first ever post on 84/85, Rusko is back with his BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, KILLING it with the heavy wobbly isht and off-kilter tempos. this sound looks to be one of the big things to come in 09 as producers move past 4/4 bangers into more inventive sounds, many of which are showcased on this mix. pick this one up and thump it hard. 

tracklist and download here. 

Vinchen

Vinchen is an artist based out of Columbus, OH. the always-excellent Wooster Collective recently did an interview with him that featured some great answers to some poignant questions (ex: Q. 'what do you fear the most?' A. 'indifference. one man's indifference is another's executioner'). in this time of economic insecurity and fearfulness I really appreciate his straight-up take on America and the cultural myths that encompass it. learn more about Vinchen here.  

Engineered Garments duffle

This Engineered Garments duffle bag is my new favorite thing. I absolutely love this piece - from the color to the styling, it is amazing. The bag was featured on ACL along with a few other great pieces from the Japanese store MAPS. It is out of my reach and also budget right now, but until then I will keep dreaming about this perfect bag.

Rachel..

is 40! and gittdamn, she looks good.. these shots are from next month's GQ, which appeared today on men.style.com. even though I get sick of seeing her face in the supermarket line tabloids, I gotta hand it to Jennifer Aniston.. she certainly knows how to market herself. 

Cut Copy + the Golden Filter

it's been a HUGE year for Cut Copy.. not to sound snobbish, but the little band I've loved since 'Bright Like Neon Love' has absolutely blown up. and it is well, well deserved.. these guys are true pioneers, leading the inventive Australian charge. their '08 album 'In Ghost Colours' is definitely one of my favorites of the year, and their concert I attended in Toronto was one of my year's best as well ('Hearts on Fire' live = the tops). Modular recently released 'Far Away' as their next digital single, including remixes from Hercules and Love Affair, Damn Arms, and the Golden Filter. You may remember TGF from their early '08 disco smash 'Solid Gold,' which was heard on floors all summer. here they work that same arrpegiated magic on the Cutters, and the result is dreamy mid-tempo pop bliss

Cut Copy - Far Away (the Golden Filter remix) 

buy the whole ep on itunes or beatport!

Bastien Lattanzio's 'Perspective Line'

John Prolly recently posted a link to the short film on his blog.. and since there's no way to embed this film, I think I'll do the same. a more artistic take on filming track bikes, the film also features a soundtrack by Philip Glass (a surefire way to hold my interest). 

check out Perspective Line here

A-Z Collection's A/W 2008 Accessories

Here is a look at A-Z Collection's A/W 2009 accessories line. The company is based out of New York bringing a fresh approach to their designs. The collection ranges from square, circle and pentagon shaped wallets, geometric shaped pendants, and 3 different sizes of a weekender bag featuring a steel frame and laptop caring case inside. The line is available at Johnathan + Olivia and IE in Vancouver, and Nomad in Toronto.

Corpus

one of my favorite favorite lines is Corpus, based out of LA. this time of year a lot of lines are showing their full spring/summer 09 collections, and Corpus is yet to even give us a peak! these are some of my favorite looks from their f/w 08 line.. and here is a good interview with the designers. look for their s/s 09 collection to continue in the en-masse trend towards americana-inspired materials and tailoring, as many designers move away from super-skinny fits and flashier prints. 

80 Blocks From Tiffany's: a documentary on early New York street gangs

80 Blocks from Tiffany's is a documentary about New York street gangs in the South Bronx from 1979. The film depicts life as it was in the late 70's and early 80's in that neighborhood and the hard times and deprivation in this poverty stricken area. It was these types of hard time and the accompanying lifestyles that birthed the culture of early hip-hop music. These types of gangs and groups were formed out of necessity in order to get together and survive in these harsh conditions, and the music and culture was a way for people to escape these realities. It is an eight part video but it is well worth the full watch.

Damien Hirst Art Directs The Hours New Video

The Hours new music video for their single, 'See the Light' is art directed by Damien Hirst, and made by 'American History X' director Toney Kaye. The video features Sienna Miller as the crazed, suicidal main character of the video, running through a series of interesting scenarios. The Hours first album also featured artwork from Hirst as well as their next album titled 'See the Light'. Not a bad person to have on your team, Hirst is arguably one of the greatest artists of our time.