Month: August 2015

Mix Tape Monday: (It’s) Electric Mix

Posted on by Get Set Go

 

From the new Amazon Echo to Google Glasses it’s a digital world out there! In celebration of the inner cyborg in us all this week’s mix tape will bring you some electronic beats from across the globe. So plug yourself in to the closest outlet, USB port, or headphone jack and enjoy.

Idiotape – 0805. Need to get pumped? Whether it be for your next run or the commute to work power up with this Korean electric band. Listen to Melodie and Toad Song for more.

C2C – The Cell. I love French group C2C’s use of diverse sounds. The Cell uses flute and choral elements while their song Arcades brings in some baroque harpsichord action. That’s right, I said  harpsichord.

Satoshi Tomiie – Thursday, 2am. Not all electronic is about an adrenaline rush listen to this atmospheric track from Japanese DJ’s latest album for the smoother side of a turntable.

Crystal Castles – Lovers Who Uncover. This Canadian duo delivers ethereal electric pop (official terminology here, guys) that’s hard to say no to. Listen to Crimewave.

Benny Benassi – No Matter What You Do. For all you horror film fans out there here’s a track by Italian DJ Ben Benassi to help you cultivate a healthy paranoia concerning your computer and psychological studies. For a less menace play Cinema.

 

Listen to all in a playlist here! And let me know about other artists in the comments below.

Film: Sunny

Posted on by Get Set Go

 

Sunny (써니) 2011. Written and directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol

Watch if you like:

  • the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and other 80s flavored nostalgia
  • Sex and the City + drop kicking ajummas
  • the multiple applications of designer bags (especially to cause bodily harm)
  • endearing and poignant high school high jinks
  • the unexpected benefits of cursing grandmas

The Korean movie Sunny is a celebration of high school friendship and reminder that just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you have to have it all together (and its never too late to turn things around). It navigates the joys and hardships of a core group of friends as they reunite for the first time since high school. The film explores how easy it is to lose touch not only with friends as we “grow up” but also how we lose touch with ourselves.

Slapstick comedy melds with a touching sincerity as the girls journey on their quest to reunite. Get ready for curse battles, police car rides, unrequited loves, at home dance practices, and some big hair. Its the perfect mix of bitter and sweet that will have you laughing and crying and laughing again.

The storyline might sound like it delves into the realms of tired clichés but even if the plot points have been used before Sunny reinvents them in a way that feels authentic and refreshing. Have tissues on hands because this story will hit you straight in the feels. And it might just make you call up those old friends of yours from high school.

Mix Tape Monday: Spitfire Rap

Posted on by Get Set Go

Hi all! Is it Tuesday already? Yikes! Here’s my second mixtape featuring rappers and poets from all over the world (for the first one click here.) Better late than never right?

Flávio Renegado – Minha Tribo é o Mundo. This rap has an addictive, groove worthy sound that conjures up good feelings. Watch him rap with a slight smile on his face and start planning your next trip to Brazil.

Diams – Ma France à Moi. Infamous French rapper challenges stereotypical images of France. The video is haunting and powerful but to get a better sense of the continuous flow of the track listen here. Also check our her Confessions Nocturnes for some throw back girl power.

Beenzino – Dali, Van, Picasso. Need some sophistication in your life? How about some Korean chill hop with jazz piano? Because Beenzino’s track comparing to rap to art is just what the the doctor ordered. Continue the haute culture chill session with Aquaman.

Stromae – Dodo. Wait, this isn’t a rap? Is it? Belgian rap/pop artist takes the familiar tune of a lullaby and transforms it into a song about a child growing up in a family with domestic abuse. Yeah…its heart breakingly incredible. Watch Formidable and Le Rap C’est Simple.

What else? Add to my list  and share your favorite international rappers below. Or listen to the mix tape playlist here.

 

 

Film: Molière

Posted on by Get Set Go

Watch if you love:

  • sass…oh so much sass
  • Shakespeare, but you’ve read everything like 12 times already cause you’re an over achiever
  • disguises
  • beautiful costumes or you just generally have a flair for fabrics
  • drama (in every sense of the word)
  • 16th century France
  • meditations on the power of comedy
  • beleaguered artists who are too smart for their own good

Odds are that you have heard of Shakespeare, but unless you have a penchant for French literature (or come from a French speaking country) you probably haven’t heard of Molière. Which is a damn shame because the French playwright Molière easily rivals Shakespeare in comedic genius.

Curious? Ok I’ll tell you more.

The premise of this 2007 film adaption Molière is similar to that of Shakespeare in Love where the plots of several plays written by Molière, along with historic facts, are used to to construct a hypothetical window into the great playwright’s life. But where Shakespeare in Love leans into the realms of idealism and dare I say it…fluff  (Nothing against fluff. I enjoy it quite regularly) Molière  retains all the spirit of the plays and yet maintains both a lightness and a gravitas that is characteristic of the author himself. Not to mention a keen eye for the absurd and a sharp wit.

Get ready for disguises, death, seduction (both successful and unsuccessful), and some of the most memorable characters you will ever see. True to its namesake Molière manages to exhibit the ridiculous in every situation in ways that evoke both laughter and reflection. Don’t worry about a saccharine ending its just the right mix of bitter and sweet.

Put down A Midsummer Night’s Dream, stop dwelling on Downton, and watch this ASAP.

Mix Tape Monday: Best Served Cold

Posted on by Get Set Go

 

My roommates are constantly amazed (or afraid) of my imperviousness to the summer heat. Yep, I’m one of those crazy people that wears long pants and drinks hot tea on a midsummer day. But just to prove I’m not actually a vampire…..here’s my secret list of chill and slow jams (of all genres) for your listening pleasure. Trust me these artists are way too cool to ever break a sweat. For maximum effect keep chilled and serve over ice.

Zion.T – Eat. Everything about Zion.T pretty much defines cool. The lyrics, the instrumentation, the music video all ooze a clever craftsmanship and class. Figure out why his glasses are cracked you’ll know what I mean. Can’t get enough? I can’t blame you. Listen to Two Melodies, Babay, and Zero Gravity.

Pompeya – 90. Stop standing in front of the open freezer and let the cool dreamy sounds of this song (by Russian indie band Pompeya) wash over you instead. Continue the arctic chill with Slow and Power.

Boy – We Were Here. This Swiss and German duo create some icy ethereal harmonies (complete with poetic lyrics and some sly use of cards) that will transport you to Alpine state of mind. I also adore their track Little Numbers.

MC Solaar – Caroline. Heartbreak should always be served cold and this Senegalese giant rapper delivers with this ill fated love story. “Life is a game of cards, Paris a casino, I play reds…hearts, Caro.” Nouveau Western and his humorous Victime de la Mode are both studies in prowess.

Thornapple – Don’t be deceived by the psychedelic rock intro, this song soon settles into gentle yet haunting lullaby but be ready for more twists and turns! My love for this Korean band knows no bounds try 남극 and …시퍼런 봄.

 

Any other songs you know that are the definition of cool? Post them below!

Be sure to check out the Mixtape Monday playlist to listen to all the tracks I’ve posted.