Powder necklace by Stephanie Simek

WE'RE SUPPORTING

The Indie Breakfast Club, a blog for socially responsible entrepreneurs, has launched a new initiative through Flickr where they’re inviting photographic submissions that capture responsible brands in action. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

There are two kinds of metalheads: those that are drawn by the hyper masculine, angry, aggressive aspect of metal, and those that are drawn by its Wagnerian drama, themes of pagan nature worship, and disdain towards modern civilization. The line between the latter and hippies is quite thin. I am one of these sorts of metal fans, which is why I also really love bands like The Lickets, an empyrean, luminously beautiful, experimental folk collective. They make music that makes you feel like a tiny speck floating in the vast oceans of existence, perfect for a night of star gazing, just like Burzum’s fourth album, Filosifem.

WE'RE THINKING

California-based artist Andrew Brandou draws from the children’s books, as well as the tripped-out, cult obsessed, disillusioned zeitgeist of the 70s when his early consciousness took shape. The storybook-ish quality of his works creates a sort of narrative of the tectonic shifts that have taken place in the psyche of an entire generation — anthropomorphic animals frolic in subtly Japanese-lacquer-inspired landscapes as gas-mask-wearing cops creep, grinning skulls loom, elevated freeways overwhelm the rising sun, and bloody murder scenes remain hidden just beyond the view of the paintings’ innocent subjects. Read more

WE'RE READING

The uber-hip French producer M83 has compiled a Secret Playlist for us in which he props Brian Eno, Julee Cruise, and Tears For Fears’ Head Over Heels: ‘This song was the biggest influence for my new album. Our track, Kim and Jesse, takes a lot of inspiration from 80s bands like Tears for Fears. This is one of my favourites’. Read the rest of M83’s Secret Playlist.

Australian group Pivot have recently signed with the mighty Warp label and — even better (well, for us anyway) — have written a fun Secret Playlist for us. You can see where the many disparate influences have seeped into their latest recording, the beautiful and colourful, O Soundtrack My Heart.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Architect Jean Nouvel is on a roll. His projects are popping up everywhere, but this may be the grandest. In choosing Nouvel’s design, the competition judges stressed that this ‘is the most important act of architecture since the Eiffel Tower’. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

The mining and refining that provides the world with precious metals is also extremely damaging to the environment – each ounce of gold mined generates 30 tons of waste, much of which is toxic. Philadelphia-based Rust Belt make unique, finely crafted earrings, necklaces, and bracelets entirely from re-purposed and recycled materials. The processes they use to make their pieces are also environmentally sound, and they are shipped in beautiful, re-purposed glass bottles.