Issue No. 64 | 4 Jan 2021 | 'Entangled Life'
Relax. We're back.
Onto the next.
Happy New Year and all that jazz. While 2021 begins for us back in lockdown in separate cities for the third time, we’ve gathered some physical and digital treats to you (and us) to keep us entertained during this (hopefully) final slog of this pandemic.
If you missed our 2020 round-up, you can check out our choices here. Freya and Alex
Alex’s 2021 resolutions: Expand podcast horizons, buy more Japanese vinyl and pray for the return of music festivals.
Freya’s 2021 resolutions: Finish the season of cold-water swimming at Clevedon Lake, make the most of life despite its relentless sodding lockdowns and survive the year with mind/body intact.
AN ALBUM…
Four Tet – Parallel
In a surprise Christmas Day album drop, electronic artist Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet has gifted us with a plethora of frosty – but oh-so-pleasant – ambient textures, as well as his usual signature style of chopped up beats and ethereal instrumentation.
Coming in at 26 minutes (it’ll breeze by, don’t worry), the first track is the real standout, with icy droplets of synthesized sound splashing onto the soundstage for a tranquil listening experience. This track is best enjoyed on a wintery walk, while the others are perfect for a mini-rave in your armchair. Alex
A PODCAST…
The Adam Buxton Podcast with Benjamin Zephaniah
Recommending the Adam Buxton podcast is a little bit like recommending the Graham Norton Show, but I feel like over the Christmas period lots of podcast episodes fly under the radar and might get missed. This interview with the ever-brilliant poet and musician Benjamin Zephaniah must not be one such episode.
Although the first section of the chat is quite harrowing, with Zephaniah detailing his family’s experience with COVID, it soon segues into slightly more interesting – and less emotionally raw – territory. He talks about his time in prison and the gang culture that led him to be there, and explores the intersection between black and punk culture in London at the time. Freya
A BOOK…
The Glossy Years: Magazines, Museums and Selective Memoirs by Nicholas Coleridge
I somehow always seem to end up starting each year reading an absolute sobfest. In 2019, it was Thomas Hardy’s endless torturing of poor Tess of the D’Urbervilles. In 2020, it was Livia Franchini’s gorgeous but desperate Shelf Life, which told the story of an unravelling relationship. This year, I put the cherry on the cake with Hanya Yanigahara’s A Little Life, which is the reason I am typing through hiccuping sobs.
So you don’t make the same mistake, I’ve decided to recommend one of the most glamorous, escapist memoirs for the start of 2021. Beginning his career at Tatler, Coleridge jumped up the ranks at Condé Nast (the iconic publisher of titles such as Vogue and GQ), later becoming editor of Harper’s & Queen (now known as Harper’s Bazaar) and then president of Condé Nast itself. Since leaving the publishing world, he has been chairman of the V&A Museum. As you can imagine, his memoir is chockerblock full of some of the glitziest, most salacious stories from the world of fashion, celebrity and magazine publishing. Freya
AN ARTICLE…
Blind Date: Andrea and Emily in the Guardian
Today’s not the day for hard-hitting investigative journalism. Instead, I’ve chosen to shine a light on one of the UK’s greatest exports: the Guardian Blind Date column.
It’s actually been dragging its heels a little during lockdown, as the stories of people’s dates become tamer and less messy and outlandish as social distancing comes into effect. This week’s column between 24-year-old student Andrea and 24-year-old photographer and brewer Emily is the gold standard in terms of what this column offers us on a Saturday. We are truly blessed. Freya
BOARD GAMES…
Seeing as there’s literally nothing to physically experience at the moment in the UK (and let’s face it, we’re sick of livestreamed events), why not physically experience some banging board games instead?
These are some that we’ve been enjoying over the last few months… Alex and Freya
Survive: Escape from Atlantis! (2-4 players)
Freya is actually quite a hater when it comes to board games, but this is one she gets excited about. Simple concept: an island breaks up and you have to escape, while avoiding the sharks, sea serpents and whales hell bent on wreaking havoc.
If you like the idea of Catan but can’t be arsed with all the tactics and overcomplicated instructions, this is an absolute bobbydazzler.
Dobble (2-8 players)
We love a simple concept done well. In Dobble, players must find the symbols in common between two sets of cards. It’s fun, addictive, and the more people the better.
Warning: things will get chaotic fast, and you’ll come away thinking there’s probably something wrong with your eyesight.
Codenames (4-8 players)
Think you know your friends and family? Think again, as you try and work out your team mates’ thought processes in linking random words together to beat the opposing team. Scrabble fans, you’ll enjoy this.
Sushi Go! (2-5 players)
Who needs restaurants to be open when this game transports you to an imaginary Sushi bar? Earn points against other players as you pick the best combination of sushi dishes in this savvy and fast-paced game.
Disclaimer: if you start playing after dinner, you’ll end up wanting a second serving.
If you’ve ever lusted after the Beast’s hefty pile of real estate in the iconic Disney film, this might be the next best thing. Dat library tho.
The interior design here is, to be quite frank, dire. The clear plastic stools in the kitchen undermine the gorgeous exposed beams, the marble floor makes the otherwise pleasant dining room look like an ice rink, and don’t even get me started on all the crushed velvet. BUT. The contemporary pool house. The grounds. Darling, the grounds.
You know in Incredibles 2, where the Parr family live in that stunning contemporary glass-fronted masterpiece of a home? Well, we think we’ve found its real-life equivalent. Is it liveable? No. Is it cosy? Absolutely not. Is it bitchin’? Most definitely.
GREAT SALE ALERT. On an alpaca pompom beanie, no less. Freya’s just treated herself. Join her.
It was time to get a new watch. Alex opted for a Casio with a twist.
153 Diana looks. Scroll with us.
This excellent Pepsi ad leaves Coca Cola with their pants down.
One of Alex’s favourite musical discoveries of 2020.