WE'RE SUPPORTING

James Rajotte’s photo series on Rochester’s East High School is a revealing insight into the parameters of ’spatial relationships and the connotations of objects’. Of the work, he says: ‘My interest in photographing East came about as I was volunteering in a mentoring program in which students made short video productions with an anti-violent message. When I decided to photograph, I wrote a formal letter to the Superintendent and the Principal. After a bit of humming and hawing they made me East High School’s “official” photographer. They gave me a make-shift laminated pass and I became friendly with the security guards’. For an extended interview with James Rajotte, check out the Feature Shoot photo blog.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

This remarkable construction is located in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi and is built entirely from scratch every year. It features 10,000 tonnes of ice from the nearby Torne River, and 30,000 tonnes of snow, covering more than 30,000 square feet in total. Oh, it even has its own ice chapel. But be sure to bring your winter woollens. It could get a little, errr, chilly at night. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Boxfresh is a British streetwear company notable for its emphasis on DIY fashion. Their Boxfresh vs Series, a collection of collaborations ranging from straight fashion into the bicycle arena, has just launched their latest battle — between Boxfresh and Pete Fowler, of Super Furry Animals artwork fame. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

The website of Jason Allsebrook is saturated with bright and colourful illustrations. It’s a childlike haven for dreams and restless spirits as his characters drift through clouds and bounce off the elongated limbs of wide eyed monsters.

WE'RE READING

DM Stith recently signed to Asthmatic Kitty, the same label as Sufjan Stevens, and has a new EP out this week titled Curtain Speech, featuring contributions from Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), Rafter, Sebastian Krueger and the string quartet Osso. Think Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear meets Arthur Russell. We got the rundown from him on his eight favourite songs right now and he kicked off with The Shangri-Las’ Out In The Streets [listen below]: ‘1:22 – 1:43 is a miracle. I’ve never been so obsessed with twenty seconds of high-hat and high school girl shrieks: it’s a raging teenage fantasy that all the composition notebooks in all the lockers of 1965 couldn’t write better. That the singers have managed to preserve their naivety perfectly in this three minute song may be the reason I feel recording pop music is worthwhile’. Read the rest of DM Stith’s Secret Playlist.

Run Wrake is an illustrator and animator based in London whose recent short animation Rabbit has turned him into an underground hero. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

TheStar69 track So What Is The News is the very personification of great pop. In fact, it takes bits and pieces of the best music the The Cult, Hall & Oates and The Steve Miller Band ever recorded and messes it up with a well-honed, Scottish sense of mischief. We like.