Recipe for a Jaded Youth

1 part naive
1 part pretentious
1 part fragile
1 part selfish
2 parts wise
+ a large pinch of conceit (masking loneliness)

Bhārata

Again, I have been neglecting my Ego(tist). However, in emphasizing quality over quantity, I am excited to share an artist named Ami Dang, who I recently met while travelling in India. I particularly enjoyed track 4, A Strange Community, which fuses tribal sounds, drum beats, vocals and synth. Listen below.

Hukam by Ami Dang

As for a quick update on my first month of six in India:

- I have learned that dental floss, coffee, sex (masterbation may satisfice), a nap or aspirin can cure just about anything

- one of the great things about India is that your shit doesn't smell like shit, because everything already smells like shit (or cardamon, or sewage, or tar, or burning garbage) 

- I will be heading to Sadhana Forest in Auroville by the first week of February, and staying there for at least one month (this is cultivating some tremendous excitement for me!) 

This country is dynamic and gorgeous, and I cannot wait to encounter more adventures here. 

B3RLIN

I haven't updated this since I left Canada for Germany, and there is a good reason for that...I'm just enjoying myself too much to stop and reflect on how much I am enjoying myself. It's similar to when you are at a monumental live show and the people in front of you are watching it through the cracked screen of their shitty 5.2 megapixel Canon "coolpix" camera; they are better off actually soaking in the experience itself.

Berlin has been all that I wanted (don't ask me the criterion for this), and more. I won't bother with the details, but the bottom line is that two months in Berlin has taught me how to party more than all of the Burning Man experiences I have had and all the pre/post fiascos that have gone along with them over the last 3 years. Here are some artists I should be seeing soon here:

New Weird Latin America

My mind is currently being blown by these tribal, bassy house tracks by Mama Testa feat. Paul Marmota and Zut Zut. They both can be found on the Mulata/Haina EP released earlier this month. South America has been impressing me lately; Nicholas Jaar is based out of Chile, and Adrián Méndez (who is Mama Testa) is Franco-Mexican. Dig!

Mulata (ft. Paul Marmota) - NWLA R003 - Mulata/Haina by Mama Testa

Haina ft. Zutzut - NWLA R003 - Mulata/Haina by Mama Testa

Cloud Boat

Sounds like Burial but less dark and with live instruments- these guys are touring with James Blake right now.

Hippy-Hipster-Raver-Cowgirl...(Gangstaaaa??)

Sorry for the lack of updates, albeit, I swear I have a completely benign excuse! I have been travelling a bit to New York City, Portland, The Redwood Forest, Big Sur, San Francisco, L.A. and then to the almighty BLACK ROCK CITY. To finish things off I had an odd 24 hour decompression in Las Vegas before returning safe and sound to Toronto.

The Playa treated me like a bar of gold this year. Saturn, our reliable vessel, transported some absolutely wonderful companions (some old, some new) and myself on a fabulous journey full of discovery, adventure, challenge and constant soul searching. Special thanks to Alla, Jaca, Treymor, Wolf, Air, Rocky, Lamb Cunt and Rye Toast.

We were here. We were there. We will be again.

  

Introduction by the Author

Fran Lebowitz

Wander / Wonder

Balam Acab will be releasing his first full-length album August 29 on Tri-Angle. Here is a taste of what's to come:

BALAM ACAB - Apart by TriAngleRecords

Alec Koone, you're the coolest fuckin' 20 year old around.

Waiting to get lost here

(Matthias Heiderich)

This, and nothing else

I have no tattoos, or intention of getting any, but this back piece, with no other tattoos on your body might just be the most appealing I've seen.