Ice Cream May 10, 2011

The weather here in KL has reached 36°C and all I can think about is ice cream. Feeling inspired after having a scoop of salted caramel ice cream in Hokkaido Ice Cream in The Garden Mall, I went in search of recipes.  I was very pleased that this splendid flavour was now available in KL. I’ve only ever had salted caramel in Paris (the best is from Berthillon). I found a recipe I am keen to try. Upon finding this recipe, I  was keen to explore other flavours and thought that a pandan coconut flavour would be very nice indeed. I looked it up and found this.

The perfect song for making ice cream is perhaps Battles’ new track featuring Matias Aguayo on vocals called Ice Cream. If the video reminds you of El Guincho’s Bombay, it is because the video is directed by the same folks.

Find salted caramel ice cream (sold as shio caramel) in:

Hokkaido Ichiba
Lot T-201, 3rd Floor,
The Garden Mall,
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 KL

I drifted Off April 11, 2011

“In a place far away from anyone or anywhere, I drifted off for a moment.” Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

 

Have only  recently discovered Nicolas Jaar and been drifting away to his music and also his collaborations with Nikita Quasim and Soul Keita under his label Clown And Sunset. This is their compilation, Inés. I have also been losing myself in the wonderful world of Haruki Murakami. After seeing the beautifully shot Norwegian Wood, I wanted to immerse myself in some wonderful fiction and I have found the perfect book in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

 

I see a beautiful melody March 31, 2011

I was away for about 10 days in São Paulo for work, where I managed to snatch a few hours to myself every day. It gave me some time and space to breathe after quite a few hectic months of intense working. It also made me long for a certain type of music. Perhaps spurred and inspired by catching a chorinho band in the fair at Benedito Calixto on the Saturday, I found myself craving quieter melodies. So I found myself listening to the echoey sounds of Arthur Russell. I found myself listening to The Cure’s Disintegration. And soon, I was also craving piano music. I was treated to some Maxence Cyrin and longed for more piano music. So I looked for some Debussy to listen to because I remembered how much I loved Debussy and found a series of beautiful animation made using the Music Animation Machine software. And it made me feel calm for I could see beautiful music and I could hear the colours too.

Listening with feeling. Feeling without touching. March 26, 2010

Glass Candy’s first official video has just been released. The bigger news here for me is that they have a new single released. Feeling Without Touching can be previewed on Resident Advisor, here. The best thing for me is being able to watch Ida No dance,  which always inspires me to dance in exactly the same way.

On this single is the epic  ”Covered In Bugs” which makes me want to close my eyes and soak it all up.

I am sorry to find out that I’ll be back home in Malaysia when Glass Candy play in my local, Plan B. I usually have to go across London to go out and finally one of my favourite bands on my favourite label plays locally and I’m away on the other side of the world. Why? Gutted.

Horse Meat Disco July 24, 2009

I can’t get enough of disco. This morning I walked into work listening to Danny Wang’s Bodytonic Live and thought that it was time to see who were the latest to mix or feature in Bodytonic‘s Live or Mix.

Horse Meat Disco‘s mix is full of sweet tunes and even features Share The Night which was one of the best tracks on Metro Area’s Fabric 43. Get it here and get ready for le weekend.

Nigerian Disco June 24, 2009

Happiness is a sunny day and having this stream through into my ears and soul is helping me through the working day.

Today I found this mix. It’s Nigerian Disco and if you live in NY you should go to Frank of Voodoo Funk’s  Lagos Disco Inferno night.

Unfortunately I live in London and can’t go but I will be listening to this sweet mix and dancing along to it.

In Watermelon Sugar May 25, 2009

It’s been very hot in KL this few weeks and when the weather leaves you all sweaty, nothing is as nice as some ice-cold juicy watermelon.  When walking around Little Korea in Ampang on Friday, my friend Kio and I were excited to find a watermelon ice lolly. Fashioned like a watermelon slice, this ice lolly was made so realistic it even had seeds scattered all over.

This popsicle looked so good, it reminded me of a jumper I’ve had my eye on and keep meaning to buy. The handknitted jumped is from Dudua based in funtime Barcelona!

A quick research also led me to quite a few fruitwear (footwear) watermelon-inspired designs. These include socks from artist/designer Baron von Fancy , and at least 3 models of trainers/sneakers that Mike Perry had customised in watermelon including Nikes and Vans. Funnily enough Vans also released the watermelon themed collection for Spring/Summer 2009, giving Van fans quite a few different cuts of the fruit to wear.

Keep is also offering watermelon fans  plimsolls that will hopefully keep feet fresh all day.   I like the use of colour in their offering. Slightly more subtle than the crazy Vans version although I must admit I love the green soles.

The watermelon is a striking fruit. So round and so green with such vermillion flesh, dotted with black seeds. It’s no surprise that designers find it an inspirational fruit. This morning I had some watermelon with salt for breakfast and when I am back home, I will probably be digging out my copy of Richard Brautigan’s In Watermelon Sugar to read again.

Update: Fans of Joakim can get his mp3 Watermelon Bubblicious here.

Ears Open Wide to Colors Of The Sun May 20, 2009

The best thing about compilations like Milky Disco is the discovery of new music. Really, nothing quite like finding some sweet, sweet tunes that you want to listen to over and over again. Thanks to Sarah and Resident Advisor, I now have Milky Disco 2 (which also has Glass Candy track The Chameleon remixed by Johan Agebjorn) and Hatchback in my life.

What’s better than falling in love with new music is discovering that the artist has also collaborated with another artist you like, creating even more new music to love and listen to. So yes to artistic collaborations between friends! I am excited that Hatchback and Sorcerer make up Windsurf and I am feeling  gluttonous about grabbing as much new music as I can.

Colors of The Sun plays like a smooth road trip on a quiet highway. It’s sunbaked music, and it’s you, the vast landscape and a lot of tarmac ahead of you and the sun in your eye.

Wiff Waff, I love Ping Pong May 13, 2009

I love the Chinese characters or Kanji for Ping Pong for self-loving reasons and also the quirkiness of it. My surname Khew is the same character without the stroke at the bottom. The word Ping is only different because of the direction of the stroke. Ping to the left and Pong to the right. Without those strokes, you get the surname Khew.

The last time I was home I took away with me a cute little sauce plate that is Chinese in origin. It had a little boy holding a ping pong paddle. This time round, I spotted my mum using a little bowl from the same set as the sauce plate. The bowl is decorated with four kids (two girls and two boys) playing a game of ping pong.  It immediately reminded me of these cute little earrings I spotted in Tatty Devine recently.

I was interested in looking at what other items were out there that were inspired by this very simple game. I found the following two items which I liked. This ping pong lamp is a nice environmentally-friendly creation and is made from used ping pong balls and is available from Studio Kleefstra.

This ping pong table is a great design remix that doubles up as a work station. Inspired by the design on a pair of Paul Smith shoes designed by Hunn Wai . I especially love the lace that’s been used as a net on the table below.

He has since designed another ping pong table that goes back to its roots and doubles up as a dining table. I looked up the history of ping pong to discovered that ping pong has its origins as an after-dinner amusement in Victorian England, mimicking the game of tennis. Every day objects like books, champagne corks, balls of string and cigar box lids were used to play ping pong (once known as wiff waff).

I can’t really play ping pong but have always found this fairly amusing to watch. If you fancied watching a film about Ping Pong, seek this. Music lovers I recommend Michelle Plays Ping Pong by Daisy Daisy.

Fallen in love with Desire April 23, 2009

I love having a rummage for new earfood. Through recent conversations about Chromatics and Glass Candy, I discovered Johnny Jewel’s new project via Gudren Wolf, Desire.

On my playlist on a loop, possibly all day today is Desire. I have fallen in love with Desire and invite you to do the same. Tracks are available here.