London-based pop artist twst is back with a new single called ‘Most Viewed’. Released via their label hikikomori baby, the track interpolates ‘Pure Imagination’, with an accompanying video set to arrive on Monday, April 18. Listen to it below.
Discussing the song, twst said in a statement: “Lyrically speaking, ‘Most Viewed’ is based around the desire to be someone’s everything, putting a spin on a classic song subject with contemporary references to social media ‘views’ and online obsession – to be interpreted either as a romantic relationship or a darker interpretation of a modern parasocial relationship.”
Back in 2021, twist dropped ‘Sugared Up’, a hyperpop take on ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’. Her debut EP, TWST0001, arrived in 2020.
Water From Your Eyes have shared the second single from their upcoming album and Matador debut, Everyone’s Crushed. Following the previously released track ‘Barley’, ‘True Life’ comes paired with an animated video, which you can check out below.
“‘True life’ is our Neil Young-inspired quasi-nu metal stomp,” the band explained in a statement. “It is also intended to be our ‘Short Skirt / Long Jacket.’ The bridge was initially meant to contain lyrics from ‘Cinnamon Girl,’ but Neil Young’s lawyers wouldn’t let us use them. Now they are about how Neil Young wouldn’t let us use his words. The rest of the song deals with life and assorted complications of the material world.”
Dawn Richard has released a new single, ‘Bubblegum’, alongside an accompanying self-directed video. Check it out below.
“Leaning back into the Electro Revival era, I wanted to remind people that King Creole is just getting started,” Richard explained in a statement. “The preface to the second installment of the Electro Revival, ‘Bubblegum’ is a cocky candy-coated conundrum. Full of sass that only a New Orleans King can have, this yummy multi-genre single is just a taste of what’s to come.”
Last October, Richard released Pigments, a collaborative album with multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Spencer Zahn. Her last solo album was 2021’s Second Line.
The Tallest Man on Earth has unveiled ‘Looking for Love’, the latest single from his new album Henry St., ahead of its release this Friday. It arrives alongside an accompanying visual that completes a trilogy of videos directed by Jeroen Dankers, following ‘Every Little Heart’ and the title track. Check it out below.
Henry St. was produced by Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso. Speaking about ‘Looking for Love’, Kristian Matsson said in a statement: “The first day in the studio, Nick created this hissing noise while I was feedbacking electric guitar. We had so much fun jamming like that. Then Nick put down some piano to overdub my guitar, and we knew we had the song.”
He continued, “Nick is so emotionally intelligent, and we share an almost childlike joy in things that can happen with music. He makes the songs come truly alive by keeping the performances and the humanity in – the kind of stuff that just happens during the session.”
Of the video, Dankers added: “With this part I wanted to show an awakening, going out, discovering, becoming a new version of yourself but not always knowing where you go.”
Bleach Lab have announced their debut album, Lost in a Rush of Emptiness, which arrives September 22 via Nettwerk. Following their November 2022 EP If You Only Feel It Once, the LP was produced by Catherine Marks and includes the previous single ‘Indigo’ as well as a new one, ‘Counting Empties’. Check it out and find the album cover and tracklist below.
According to the band, ‘Counting Empties’ reflects on “how having a difficult relationship with alcohol can hinder romantic and personal relationships. A battle with your own mind to do better and a vulnerability of asking someone patience and forgiveness, although you may not feel you deserve it.”
“We had a very clear vision of what we wanted this album to feel like, and Catherine really jumped on board with that from the start,” drummer Kieran Weston shared in a press release. “She set a great tone in the studio to achieve that. I think we knew what we wanted the album to be visually and sonically before the songs were actually fully written in some cases, and Catherine really helped bring some of the songs to life in that regard. She helped us explore some of our older soundscapes whilst bringing something new to our sound. I think we’ve always enjoyed a certain level of freedom in the studio to completely rewrite parts. Catherine was great at allowing that creative freedom and played a huge part in it when needed.”
Lost in a Rush of Emptiness Cover Artwork:
Lost in a Rush of Emptiness Tracklist:
1. All Night
2. Indigo
3. Counting Empties
4. Saving All Your Kindness
5. Everything At Once
6. Nothing Left To Lose
7. Never Coming Back
8. Smile For Me
9. Leave The Light On
10. Life Gets Better
11. (coda)
Swatch watches are associated with fun, affordability, and quirkiness. With widely available low-budget options, Swatches are certainly favoured by those looking for something more unique to a traditional watch.
In this article, I’ll make my case for why I think a Swatch watch is an excellent addition to your watch collection.
Budget-Friendly
Suppose you’re an avid watch collector dapping into premium brands such as AP, Rolex, or even Patek Philippe. In that case, you’ll know that buying a few pieces from any of the three brands can be costly, especially if you are looking for something one-off style-wise.
Alternatively, choosing Swatch, Casio, or even Seiko can be a great alternative to build up your collection, especially if you are looking for a few additional choices that expand your colour and style range.
Style & Design
While being affordable, a typical Swatch doesn’t lack style. With unique dials and often collaborations, the brand pushes a distinctive and cheerful feel to its brand. In addition, the Swatch brand is playful, making their watches great accessories for more spirited outfits.
Easy to Mantain
The quartz movement watches by Swatch are relatively easy to maintain and fix. Thus you won’t require a service like you would with a high-end watch brand that may cost you a visit to a dealer or an unforeseen visit to a reputable grey market watch shop.
Eco-friendly
Most avid watch collectors know that Swatch are known for their BIOCERAMIC range which uses ceramic and biosourced material. This game-changing selection of watches come in various styles, such as the C-Black, a skeleton-like dial with a black and grey appearance. While they also have lovely minimal pieces such as the Caricia Rosa, which transcends calmness through its pastel pink appearance.
Limited Editions
Owning a unique watch is one of the most rewarding experiences when collecting watches. Limited edition watches are always more desirable and, if bought correctly, can have excellent investment value. This also includes Swatch watches.
The xx’s Romy has released a new single, ‘Enjoy Your Life’. The Beverly Glenn-Copeland-sampling track arrives with an accompanying video directed by her wife, filmmaker and photographer Vic Lentaigne. “It’s a very personal video, I hope it reflects some of the emotion and the euphoria that I wanted to convey with the song,” Romy wrote on Instagram. Watch and listen below.
Fred Again.., Stuart Price, and Jamie xx produced ‘Enjoy Your Life’, which follows last year’s ‘Strong’. Talking about the song, Romy said:
When I heard the line, “My mother says to me enjoy your life” by Beverly Glenn-Copeland, I was speechless. Those few words felt like the most simple and disarming sentence. Ever since I was 11, I’ve been aware of and drawn to the phrase, life is short. I’ve felt inspired by people who I’ve seen react to this by trying to see the positives in life, even when things are going wrong and times are hard. As much as I’d love to naturally be one of those people, I’m not always able to do this myself and often get in my own head and my own way, so sometimes a reminder goes a long way. Glenn’s lyrics were a direct connection to what had been a very quiet private thought. It resonated especially deeply as it is because of my mum passing away when I was 11, that this perspective on living life was even a part of me. I hope this song celebrates and shares the words that Glenn said so beautifully and my reaction to it and hopefully uplifts a dance floor along the way. I hope you know I would never want to tell anyone how to feel or to pretend to feel good when they don’t, I know how that feels. I want to thank Glenn with all of my heart for allowing me to sample this song. Please go and listen to the original song ‘La Vita’ from his album Primal Prayer. The song also contains a sample from Oby Onyioha’s incredible song “Enjoy your life”, which Jamie brought into the mix. All my love and thanks to an amazing team Fred, Jamie and Stuart Price for all of your brilliant ideas and for sticking with me on the journey of this song.
Many jewelry lovers are fast going for lab-grown opals. There seems to be a distinct feature about the gem that holds them spellbound. What are lab-grown opals and how are they made? What is the difference between natural and lab-created opals? It would be the best if you kept reading this article to find out.
What are Lab-Grown Opals?
Lab-grown opals are sometimes referred to as synthetic opals. They are manufactured opals with the same chemical composition and internal structure as the natural opals. These synthetic opals’ physical properties and appearance are identical to the mined counterparts.
However, it is essential to note that synthetic opals are not the same as imitation opals. Unlike synthetic opals, imitation opals are simply a look-alike of natural opals. Imitation opals do not strive to achieve the chemical composition and structure of the natural opal. Instead, they are only similar in physical appearance to the natural opal.
How Are Lab-Grown Opals Made?
Lab-grown opals are made by replicating the conditions under which nature produces the natural opal. However, in this case, the opal is created in a laboratory under close monitoring by human beings. As such, the manufacturer can alter the conditions to give the opal superior quality to the natural opal.
There are several methods through which lab-grown opal can be created and the most preferred one is Gilson process created by French scientist Pierre Gilson Sr. in 1974, which takes about 14 to 18 months for the opals to grow. The opals produced by the Gilson method perfectly mimic natural opals’ chemical and physical properties. The Gibson process is regarded as the chemical process closest to how natural opals are made.
Are the Lab Grown Opals More Durable than Natural Opals?
The reason for this is not far-fetched. Lab-grown opals created via the Gilson process contain all the components of natural opal except water. As a result of the absence of water in the opal, these lab-grown opals have a reduced tendency to break. Hence making them stronger than the natural opals.
Advantages of Choosing Lab-Grown Opals
It is easy to stick to the idea that once it is not natural, it is not real. However, a thorough examination of the characteristics of the lab-grown opal will change your mind. It might be necessary to state that laboratory procedures allow scientists to improve on nature’s flaws. As a result, they often come out with better and improved versions of the gems we often see in nature.
They are Flawless
Extra unneeded elements often interfere with the process when opals are made in nature so scientists usually discover inclusions and unwanted features in the opals. On the other hand, lab-made opals are created in monitored, well-controlled environments. Therefore, this process would produce a flawless and aesthetically appealing opal.
Lab Grown Opals are More Durable
The laboratory process allows scientists to improve on the opals found in nature. One of the improvements in the lab-grown opal is its strength. Lab-grown opals are stronger than opals that are derived from nature.
This means that when you purchase a lab-grown opal, you are assured of its longevity because of its strength. Additionally, the strength of the lab-grown opal would not allow it get chipped easily.
They are More Pocket Friendly
Like other lab-grown gems, lab opal’s price is more affordable than natural opal. This gives you a chance to save some money for yourself without losing the pleasure of owning an opal. Because most people wouldn’t know the difference unless you tell them, this is certainly a fair deal.
Conclusion
Lab-grown gems are often underappreciated because we do not take the time to research them. When we do, we would realize that owning them has several advantages. Often, these lab-grown gems are more durable and stronger than the naturally occurring ones. When next you are out to get an opal, you should definitely get a lab-grown one.
You can find heists in almost every film genre, even in the wackiest fantasy and sci-fi settings. It’s a great way to structure a story since there’s so much tension baked into the premise, with so many ways to pull it off. Everybody does it differently.
Naturally, most are American, bombastic, pulse-setting thrillers with lots and lots of guns. A heist movie made by Brits, planned by Brits and pulled off by Brits is a different affair. Today we’re looking at three great British heist movies, all from different eras of film.
The Italian Job, 1969
It’s hard to think of a more impactful heist movie than The Italian Job, which is still lists as one of Britain’s top 100 films.
Daring heists have always captured our imagination and inspired so much media, from movies like these and to video or slot games like Action Bank. The idea of cracking a locked vault open is a smart fit for the formula of a slot title. When faced with a vault, there are so many possible answers to the question – what’s inside?
In The Italian Job, there are bars of solid gold on the inside. Inside what? A moving security van. That’s where the iconic Mini Coopers come in. Michael Deeley directs a younger Michael Caine as he leads his merry band of Brits to steal from the city of Turin, spiting the Mafia themselves. It has a 1960s vibe with a dose of that classic British understatement, famous on account of its iconic chase sequence, its music and for putting the word cliff into cliffhanger.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, 1998
Almost 30 years after The Italian Job, we got Guy Ritchie’s first full-length film with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It’s a much different film than the ‘60s international heist caper, following small-timers in a squatted flat who need their hands on £500,000, fast. They resort to robbing their nastier criminal neighbours and grimy ‘90s chaos ensues.
As a film, it’s more authentic just because it’s set in Britain. Just getting their hands on the antique shotguns that the film is named after becomes a whole ordeal. It helps that almost every character speaks in a Cockney slang that you don’t hear much nowadays.
It established Ritchie’s fast-paced, infinitely quotable, multiple POV story formula that he’d double down with for Snatch two years later. It’s also where Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones got their acting debuts.
King of Thieves, 2018
The Hatton Garden safety deposit burglary was a real British heist that made headlines in 2015. Not long after, a spate of films followed and King of Thieves won out, once more led by a much older Michael Caine. Since the real heist was carried out by old men, Caine leads other British old guards like Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone and Michael Gambon.
It also means the film is sanitised, light on action, as they slowly steal £14 million in diamonds and cash over a weekend. That’s realistic since that was literally how it happened, but it didn’t wow moviegoers as much Deeley’s or Ritchie’s films. For the right audience, this true-to-life story could make it more interesting than a fiction flick.
Together, all three movies represent different stages of British culture and film-making at large. The Italian Job was a Hollywood Renaissance gift to a larger-than-life Britain, becoming more of an icon culturally than commercially. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was the low-budget underdog that out-earned the other movies on this list, injecting a London gangster edge into the genre that American mob movies got earlier in the decade. As for King of Thieves, it is a cleaner, more grounded story based on a headline-grabbing event, for an age where every blockbuster is an expensive gamble.
New York City experimental artist Natalie Rose LeBrecht has announced a new LP, Holy Prana Open Game, which will be released on June 9 via American Dreams. To accompany the announcement, LeBrecht has unveiled the new single ‘Prana’, which you can hear below.
“‘Prana’ feels like it came through from another realm,” LeBrecht shared in a statement. “I simply helped materialize it so that others could hear it too. This piece is an invitation to an exalted, feminine state of mind, which is playful and exists outside of time and space as we ordinarily perceive it.”
Holy Prana Open Game Cover Artwork:
Holy Prana Open Game Tracklist:
1. Home
2. Prana
3. Holy
4. Amok
5. Open
6. Game Over
