We want to congratulate our dear friend and PLSTK confidant Barry Lai, the gifted visual therapist behind Design Rehab, on a successful relaunch recently.  We encourage you to go visit designrehab.com to understand the strategy behind his branding techniques and see a collection of his latest digital and tangible work.

We have been completely inspired watching Barry battle and overcome several trials and tribulations, from dealing with his own personal demons to the demons that sign his paycheck (in case anyone from his current 9 to 5 human resources department is reading this, that last line was rhetorical).  The man has reemerged motivated, focused,  and much much wiser.

It been over half a decade since Barry joined forces with the PLSTK team to help bring into reality our vision for men’s wear and garment development.  Typical of any start up, the project has run into its fair share of struggles.  Despite the incredible highs and the harrowing lows, Barry continues to sacrifice his time and talent to a vision that seemingly feels like an endless road to product launch… and for that Barry the PLSTK team will always ride or die for you.

Word is bond.

I know I can speak confidently, that on behalf of the PLSTK family, we would not be where we are now if it wasn’t for the guidance and the healing properties of this man’s insight.  His seniority in both enterprise and start ups, paired with this innate understanding of design, trends, and everything dope… makes him one valuable asset to any project.

The First Article is a project that revolves around men’s garment development.  The First Article vision is a combine effort from everyone on the team, but the aesthetics and branding is completely crafted from a direct collaboration between Barry and our resident design strategist Mark, the two powerful chess pieces that head up product design and development.

I can’t stress enough how much the PLSTK family values team synergy, friendship, and loyalty as this is ranked at the top of the PLSTK manifesto. This can’t be more evident than the team’s relationship with Barry.  He is the hard to find secret ingredient that makes a proven great recipe, fucking amazing.

He has been blessed with an amazing wife that supports his hustle 100% and dog that still loves him regardless of the fact that he’d rather spend money on a pair of Visvim boots before taking care of his bad dental hygiene. He is sadistic but undoubtedly one  lucky dude - I kid I kid.

Real talk though, congrats on the rebrand and the relaunch Mr. Barry Lai.  Good things are headed your (our) way.  As our other brethren, Dan Diggity, would say it… slow and sexy wins the race.

Let’s get it.

Once again the creative minds of PLSTK bring you the fifth installment of our mix series that showcases the finest producers and music selectors from around the way. This volume has been curated by DJ Nerstylist, who is no stranger to the dancefloor. He is heralded for his eclectic take on dance music, from the depths of bass music to the soulful spirituals of House and Funk. In his latest mix “Grey Areas 2″ Nerstylist is continuing his take on what UK Bass means to him by digging into the deepest tunes from the unknown and making them present in the people.

What intrigued you about music/vinyl culture when you were first exposed to it?

Nerstylist: To be honest, when I first started deejaying in ’98 I was completely fascinated by what DJ Q-Bert and the Skratch Piklz were doing so I made it a priority to learn the ways of the battle DJ. During those early years, digging and selecting took a backseat while most of my energy was spent on learning how to scratch and party-rock. I remember frequenting my local Rasputin’s religiously and keeping up with all the Turntable TV’s, DMC battles, and ITF videos when the battle scene was at its peak. Musically, I’d collect all the Lethal Weapons, Crazy Toons, and whatever tracks were moving the clubs. The Backpacker hip-hop scene (if that’s what you call it) was also largely influential to me during those early days. I remember some of the earliest records I copped were doubles of Rasco’s “The Unassisted” and East Flatbush Project’s “Tried by 12″ and I’d practice trick-mixing with them.

It wasn’t until after college (roughly ’04) that I really took the digging/musical aspect of deejaying seriously. Like everyone else at that time, I began looking for hip-hop samples and learned the ins and outs of digging. I also fell in love with neo-soul, jazzy hip-hop; basically all things soulful. During that time, I was obsessed with indie soul artists like Adriana Evans, Amel Larrieux, or Eric Roberson. On the hip-hop side, I was totally floored by the records that cats like the Sound Providers or Jazz Liberatorz were putting out. As a result of all the producers & artists I discovered, I was inspired enough to put out my first mixtape entitled “Quiet Time”.

I think it was in ’05 that I first started listening to Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Show. For the longest time, I thought I had this music thing figured out, but listening to GP forever changed my perception. Prior to discovering him, I had always believed that tuning into college radio, attending live shows, and word of mouth were my only sources of discovering the latest and greatest. But as I started listening to more of Gilles’ shows, I realized that there was this entire universe of underground music culture that went way beyond any local scene I’d experienced. My previous way of thinking was that the underground could have its own separate “scene” each with their respective followers, but Worldwide taught me that all of these “scenes” can actually connect to each other (or as Gilles says “joining the dots”). Thanks to him, my love for music increased exponentially and its been my lifelong obsession to continuously explore and seek out the best of what music has to offer regardless of what genre or medium it is.

The current musical lines have been blended and blurred at an alarming rate. Does it even matter to try and categorize every new genre/sub-genre?

Nerstylist: I absolutely love the direction that music is going. With the emergence of the internet with regards to music culture, we can now freely choose where we’d like to start our musical journeys and no longer have to depend on mainstream media to choose them for us. We can easily share our creations with each other, influence each other, and ultimately inspire each other without having to worry about any outside forces interfering. There is no format, template, or status quo that we’re forced to follow and because of this I feel like a lot of what’s come out the past few years has sounded very original. There’s a new generation of young producers/artists that are taking music into entirely new directions, and I’m excited to see what they’ll bring to the table.

At this point, I think having general categories is fine but trying to narrow them down into sub-categories could prove to be quite difficult. The concept I had for my “Grey Areas” mix was that some music is “genreless” and nearly impossible to categorize. Sure, some forms of music have their defining characteristics like four on the floor house or the boom-bap of hip-hop, but having to break those genres down even further, especially with today’s music, might not be worth the trouble.

What countries are you currently focusing on when it comes to finding new tunes? Who are some of your influences when it comes to being a selector?

Nerstylist: I’ve always felt that the UK has been at the forefront of what’s cutting edge. Whether it’s jungle, broken beat, dubstep, funky, garage, or bass, I’ve always had the impression that the UK was always forward-thinking. Don’t get me wrong though, I have an insane appreciation of music from all over the world. It’s just these past few years that my attention has shifted towards the UK.

My influences have always changed depending on who I’m listening to at the time. Gilles Peterson pushed me to dig deeper, while Benji B helped me to discover how to get out of my comfort zone. Both have played a substantial role in shaping and developing my sound as it is today. As far as current influences go, they would include Mosca, Julio Bashmore, George Fitzgerald, and Jacques Greene just to name a few.

DJNERSTYLIST.COM

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For our next installment of the PLSTK Mix Series we invited Dubstantial representing the Hella Proper crew to break down his view when it comes to music and selection. We are really proud of what he had to say as well as the mix he submitted to us. Enjoy the interview as well as the mix.

Your style of mixing is heavily influenced by a lot of UK Bass and regional underground genres developed in America. Why do you focus on these types of sounds rather than the typical top-40 fare?

Dubstantial: Well, I’m simply just not interested in top 40 music to begin with as far as listening goes. So with that said, I don’t believe that I should be spinning something that I have no interest in. There’s also something about spinning bass music and how people react to it, compared to top 40 music. Once that beat drops, even though, people haven’t even heard the song, people lose their shit. I live for that reaction.

In your mix for PLSTK you focused more on the Chicago genre of Juke. Juke music has thus gone global but is still a “new” sound to most listeners. Do you feel you had a responsibility to spread it’s influence to the people?

Dubstantial: Yes, I definitely do. To my knowledge, I don’t know that many places that would play juke. San Francisco is probably the only city that I personally know of, that have venues that would play juke. And since I’ve stumbled upon Juke, as a sound, it has gone a long way from its “Ghetto House” and footwork battle music roots. Because of this, it’s helped the genre grow and reach a wider audience. Not only do I feel the need to influence people on the genre as a dj, but also as a producer. Eventually the goal is to be recognized for pushing the sound (whether it’d be juke or a juke influenced sound or style).

Despite the abundance of music available people still consume much of it through commercial channels. What are your suggestions to people who wish to explore music (new & old) and educated themselves on their origins?

Dubstantial: Something as simple as a google search is a start I guess. At least it was for me. From there you are directed to blogs, wikipedia (not necessarily a reliable source but it can be at times), youtube, online music stores, etc. After finding out about certain artist, you can dig further into each artist and find more about their history and who they’ve worked with. I also like looking for documentaries because they tend to break it down in many aspects. Checking out recommended videos on youtube, recommended artist on Pandora is also a way to find new artist and stumble upon new genres. With music, or even from what your friends and fam listen to, the possibilities are almost endless. Just need a place to start to get the ball rolling and from there you tend to find out more than you had initially anticipated.

Download Mix (140MB)

As we continue with our projects always within the forefront of our hearts and minds is the need for constant improvement. To continually progress over time the direction, quality, and intentions of our work here at PLSTK. So with the PLSTK Mix Series Vol.3 we went the extra length with DJ Sig-O (The SIgnificant Other) for his contribution to our company.

Over the course of several weeks we were able to build with JP Victoria (Sig-O) not only creatively, but also on a personal level. And instead of just releasing his mix online we decided we can better market his art and himself personally by throwing an event on the release of the physical CD we helped design and produce for him. In all aspects of the project we found it to be a great success.

The importance of building client relationships is not just to gain business partners alone, but more importantly to understand the nature of why they do business and what they represent to the larger community. From the mix, to the physical CDs, and the party not only brought us closer to understanding Sig-O, but it also helped us gain a new friend with a wealth of knowledge in his fields of work.

Below are some questions Sig-O was kind enough to answer for us and as well as the digital copy of the mix. Please enjoy and spread it freely and widely. – PLSTK Crew

PLSTK: When did you start DJing and what motivates you to continuing doing so today?

Sig-O: I started DJing in Junior High, before I had a job, before I could drive, and felt very fortunate to be around DJs at a young age.  I still remember train-wrecking my first record at my first gig.  What motivates me today is the same feeling I had right before spinning that first record…anticipation, excitement, and nervousness.  Most importantly, what motivates me is the ability to share my musical taste with everyone and contribute to our unique scene.

PLSTK: Concerning music, what are some of the key points you look for when considering a new song to be “spin worthy” in your sets?

Sig-O: Any new track that I discover for a set, it must be able to create a good emotion.  It should be mastered well and have warmth.  I love tracks that have a timeless element to it, where you can not tell what year the track was made.  Or, it can just be a dope song, and go against all the rules.

PLSTK: How has music and DJing shaped your appreciation for life in the world you live? What should a DJ be able to impart upon the people after he’s done with his/her set?

Sig-O: I can’t draw, dance, or sing, so DJing is my art.  DJing has given me the ability to discover, appreciate, and play good music.  DJing has allowed to me form great friendships, and meet new people along the way.  It is a never-ending journey. After a DJ is done with their set, it should inspire people to go out and dig for good quality tunes, new and old.  It should remind them that there is more than what is on the radio.  A good set should be able to convey a DJ’s musical influences and knowledge, have surprises, and be fun.

 

Download Mix (123MB)

1.  Bondax – Wet Summer
2.  The Groovers – The Spirit
3.  Yam Who – Stone Love
4.  Andy Ash – Freak
5.  Small Pyramids – I Want Blood
6.  Jazzanova – I Can See (Midnight Marauders Dub)
7.  Justin Martin – Don’t Go
8.  Infinity Ink – Games
9.  Maya Jane Coles – The High Life
10.  Trikk – Jointly
11.  Sinden – Keep It 1000 (Duke Dumont Remix)
12.  Treasure Fingers – Rooftop Revival (Kastle Remix)
13.  Jumping Back Slash – Ubusuku
14.  Gang Colours – Fireworks In Pocket
15.  Jacques Greene – Arrow
16.  Sweatson Klank – In Between

We had the pleasure of working with Fashion Incubator San Francisco. FISF is a non-profit organization that selects six budding fashion designers and guides them through a year-long training in business development. The designers took residence in a premiere space atop Macy’s Main Offices in the heart of Downtown San Francisco. The aim of the program is to help incubate young talent. An endeavor that (if successful) can potentially kickstart the apparel business in San Francisco; the city’s second largest industry just 20 years ago.

The creators provided a solid platform along with an amazing creative workspace, key elements in ensuring they’re set up for a successful career in fashion. It is a once in a life time experience for those lucky enough to earn a desk. We had the pleasure of working on the project thanks to our new friend Ivon, who helped coordinate the event on behalf of Fleishman. Thank you Ivon. BTW you are Kristina’s new best friend and we owe you a round of drinks.

We’d like to also extend a special thank you to the Board Members of FISF for the hospitality. The team at PLSTK wishes this year’s resident designers a successful launch. Enjoy the photo journal.

What’s up everyone?! We present to you one of our favorite selectors, Shea Butter’s “Butter on Butter” mix for our PLSTK Mix Series. Shea’s a good friend who graced the decks at our blog launch party so we asked if he can share some of his favorite tunes and put it together for us. What you have is a smoothed out and euphoric blend ready for those crisp spring days. So download, hit play, and let it ride.

Download Mix

Tracklisting:
Dert – Yellow Body Langauge- Falling Out (J.Prez Remix)
Rimer London – Love Dagger
Jamie Lloyd – What We Have
Kraak and Smaak – Hold Back Love (Neighbour and Elan B Remix)
Mr. Scruff – Bounce Exit- Lookin’ At Blue
Ben Westbeech – Justice
Zimmer – Bay Bridge
Electric Mind – Summing Up (Massimo Re-Touch)
Munk feat. Peaches – You Can’t Run From My Love
OhYEAH – Oh My God It’s Boogie Music
The Latest – Starting Over
Onra – Change of Heart
Patrice Rushen – Never Gonna Give You Up
Jon Cutler – You Groove Me (Pickstar your Eyes Rework)
Junior Senior- Mover Your Feet (Theroy’s Late Summer Edit)
Mark Ronson feat. D’angelo – Glass Mountain Trust (Teeko & B.Bravo ReFunk)

Shea is part of the BevMo crew and is also a resident at Treatment. More info on how to cyber stalk this guy below.
Shea’s Twitter / Soundcloud / Tumblr

We held off on getting an office as long as we could. We had a make shift office at Mark and Kristina’s old spot, but at the end of the day, our meetings were still interfering with their personal space. But we were adamant about avoiding unnecessary expenses to ensure the company had a chance to get off the ground. Having cash on hand while running in start up mode is essential.

I’m happy, but also nervous, to say we are at a point where an office is required for evolving PLSTK to the next stage. So we locked down a new home in Japan Town. Working out of living rooms and coffee shops will work for a period of time, but I can’t emphasize enough the benefits of having a dedicated space for working and collaborating. Having a dedicated space forces you to shift your mindset to do or die mode, rather than working halfheartedly. The expenses are starting to add up, so the onus is now on the group to make sure that money is working for us… or else we would just be a bunch of wishful thinkers with an office.

I never anticipated the amount of work that would go into turning on a few office lights. What I presumed would be a straight forward handoff quickly turned into a quandary. I found myself chasing down permits for a few simple procedures, then jumping through hoops with the city to get simple construction approved for any tenant improvements. The entire process feels broken. Even the city project managers that I have been corresponding with agree the process is not optimized. Needless to say, we finally got the first phase of the work started in the new studio. We have a few more weeks before we are moved in. Right now the biggest challenge is getting power into the unit so that weez can gets on da internets. We’re all excited for the new home. More to come as we finish our build out, wish us luck!

My foreman....err forewoman

Over time the stress induced by the daily grind overshadows the things that truly matter in life. Before you know it, life passes you by, and all you are left with are memories riddled with regrets. I was lucky enough to have come across a few people in my past that serendipitously became life coaches. Their guidance helped me forge new paths. The projects I am fortunate to be part of attest to these lessons as evidence that it is never too late to make changes in your own life. I came across an article that encompasses many of the great advices that I have collected over the years. In my line of work, I found that working with a team that shares these same beliefs can be extremely beneficial. That is why I am sharing this article. I am also a big believer in surrounding yourself with the right people. I think Benny Lewis does a remarkable job of providing simple and honest insights into his personal experiences and lessons which can prove to be very valuable. Lessons that some learn when it is already too late. He does an amazing job articulating several beliefs that I believe in personally. Now I am looking forward to sharing these lessons with you. Visit the actual site to get the full story, it is worth the read.

- Jaymer

29 Life Lessons I Learned While Traveling the World for 8 Years Straight by Benny Lewis

1. Everyone everywhere basically wants the same thing

Vastly different as the world’s cultures are, if you speak to Italian millionaires, homeless Brazilians, Dutch fishermen and Filipino computer programmers, in their own languages, you start to see that we are all incredibly alike where it matters. Everyone just wants validation, love, security, enjoyment and hopes for a better future. The way they verbalise this and work towards it is where things branch off, but we all have the same basic desires. You can relate to everyone in the world if you look past the superficial things that separate you.

2. Deferring your happiness to the future is a terrible idea

Too many people presume that when they have that one thing they can work towards for years then “everything will be alright”. This is delusional. When you get it, there’ll be something else missing in your life. I fundamentally believe that long-term pure happiness from one particular situation or achievement is a pipe-dream, but we can learn to be content with what we have, live in the now, all while enjoying the progress and changes we are making. If your whole life is working up towards one really big major goal that you hold on to for years, then you will have a major anticlimax after the dust settles. Work towards it, but stop deferring your happiness. Enjoy the show, and don’t wait for the finale.

3. “Someday my ship will come in” is bullshit. You will NEVER win the lottery. Be practical.

People seem to have a strange concept of how luck works and how the universe/some deity/karma/their lucky shoe or how “they deserve it” will mean that things will eventuallyfall into place for them. You are “due” to win the lottery or will get swept away by prince charming any day now. “You deserve it” (as if others don’t). This is a misunderstanding of how the world actually works. Perhaps I’m wrong and praying or hoping that it will all work out, or generally being a nice person is what really “does the trick”, but why not actually get off your ass and do something tangible too while you’re at it. I personally don’t believe in magic or fairies or astrology or sky wizards or large-scale invisible inexplicable forces at work on petty daily activities of humans. I’m scepticalabout such things, and believe they are all impossible/ridiculous, and knowledge of this has enriched my life. As a practical person, I see the world as a very logical place with physical and social rules and understanding this has helped me live well in it. The universe owes you nothing, you owe it to yourself to be the master of where your life ends up.

4. There’s no such thing as destiny. This is excellent news!

Destiny is used as a cop-out and standard excuse by most people for why they don’t do something with their lives. The thing is, it doesn’t exist. Your limitations are not set by who you know, where you were born, what genes you have, how much money you have, how old you are right now, what you did before or other things that you can claim are your stamp of failure for life. If you are determined enough there is a shitload of opportunities in life that are totally achievable with minimal cash, regardless of who you are.

5. Seek out people with different beliefs and views of the world to yours and get to know their side of the story

As you can probably guess from #3, I have some beliefs about the world that don’t jive with a lot of people’s. However, a lot of people get their meaning in life from believing in things I don’t. If everyone thought like me, the world would be a very boring place. So when I meet someone with a very different belief system to mine, it’s better to get along than to try to “convert” them. This is as true for how the world works as it is forlanguage learning methods, fashion, movie tastes etc. When someone is sure about something and has believed it for many many years, then you cannot convince them with a few cleverly picked words. Everyone is closed minded about something, including me. They have to discover it themselves over time or just continue believing what they do. Don’t take responsibility for convincing the world you are right. It’s important to acknowledge that maybe you are actually the wrong one. The world is much more fun with people of varying interests and beliefs. Despite my scepticism, in my travels I have hung out with astrologists, palm readers, very religious folk, conservatives, and people who hate technology. And my life and experiences are enriched so much because of it. Spending time exclusively with people who agree with you on everything would never challenge you and allow you to learn so much more.

6. Living a good life is the best way possible to convince people

Enough words and enough arguing. Just live by example and soon you’ll have people on your side when they see your results and how passionate you are. No need to “convince” them. Just show them that you are there, tell them how you got there, and they will start to realise that maybe you aren’t that crazy after all.

7. Nobody has it all figured out

Almost everyone has problems and puts on a brave face – don’t presume they have it easy. You see of each person what they let you see. You have no idea what they are going through or what they had to put up with to be in a situation that you can consider “easy”. This is universal – millionaires, students, the cool kid, the party animal, the introvert and everyone in between has more to their story than the superficial restricted one you see. Never dismiss them as having it easy if you don’t know the entire story.

8. There’s no shame in saying “I don’t know”

There is a stigma in some cultures to admit ignorance about a particular topic. Don’t dance around the issue – just say I don’t know. Honesty is way smarter.

9. More money will NEVER solve your problems

As long as you are not living in the street or going hungry, then you do not “need” more money. When you spend enough time with people who are actually living on next to nothing, but having a full life, then you will truly understand this. Everything that is wonderful about life doesn’t cost a penny, and the rest is way cheaper than you think it is.

10. Possessions own you

Look at the real reason you want to buy more expensive crap and realise that it all comes down to validation from others in one way or another. You don’t really need any of it unless it’s directly related to essentials in how you work or survive. The need to buy new crap dictates your life – it fixes you in one location with that house and furniture, and it governs how much money you need to earn. And it almost never actually enriches your life in any way. The less you own the better.

11. TV is the greatest black hole of time available to mankind

I wasted so much of my life before age 21 spending 3-4 hours a day watching TV. Following shows that I “had” to see, in order to “relax”. I regret almost every second of it. The whole world was passing me by outside. TV was an important part of the 20st century, bringing communication and news to the masses, but now it’s wasteful. People get biased news through it, when much better alternatives are available, watch terrible TV shows through it that teach them nothing, and it sucks so many hours of their lives away that they seem to forget about when they delude themselves into thinking that they don’t have time to pursue real passions in life. TVs encourage people to be antisocial. The only TVs you should be watching are someone else’s – go to your friend’s house to share a series you like if you must, or go to the bar with your mates to watch sports. Your life will not be enriched by sitting at home watching a screen with zero interactivity to it.

12. The Internet is the greatest tool ever available to us, but daily use must be capped

Unlike TVs, the Internet is interactive and allows you to take part and become virtuallysocial. It connects communities all over the world and without it, the last 8 years simply would have been much more difficult for me for many reasons. Having said that, it has the same potential as TV to become a black hole of time. Use it to enrich your life, but put a cap on how much you use it so you can get out and live that life. Replacing one screen with another (even when you use it to chat to people) is just escaping the real world, which is much more beautiful.

13. Get outside and do something with other people

My favourite website in the world is Couchsurfing.org, precisely because I spend so little time on it. It has simplified my travel life tremendously by allowing me to host people to maintain my languages, and to search it for interesting people to meet up with. The world that is worth experiencing is not in books or on TV or computer screens. It’s with other human beings. Stop being shy and get out and meet them!

14. Speaking only English is incredibly limiting to non-tourist travellers

If you are visiting a country for a weekend, then you can check into your hotel and order food in an expensive restaurant and get a guided tour in English. You can even make local university educated friends, and successfully create a bubble to protect you from the local language for as long as you like, and delude yourself into thinking that this is the way things are. But you will never truly experience the local culture if you limit yourself to being able to interact on a deep level just the well educated part of it. English-speaking travellers miss out on so much – not speaking English has defined most of my travels and the amazing experiences I have had would have been impossible if I didn’t try to learn the local languages. ANYONE can learn a language. When I was 21 I thought I couldn’t do it, but one day I put all the bullshit excuses to one side and just spoke it. Speaking a language from day oneis the ‘secret’ to being able to learn it quicker and at any age.

15. Modern foreign culture does not have to satisfy your stereotypes

Every country in the world is modernising but this does not mean that they are westernising or Americanising. What makes them unique does not have to satisfy your “quaint” tourist-brochure view of them. Leave ignorant stereotypes aside and have an open mind about how modern life is like in that culture. Not all Irish people drink, not all Brazilians samba and play football, and Germans, Dutch,Filipinos and everyone else will surprise you if you leave your presumptions about them at the airport. Respect the differences, try to adapt to them yourself and realise that to them you might seem backwards in many ways.

16. Take your time

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in countries that are more “easy going” it’s that they are way wiser than the rest of us in their pace of life. People and countries that do everything quicker also do it worse. Take it easy and go slowly. Enjoy every bite of food, walk at a slow pace and take in your surroundings, let the other person finish their side of the conversation while you listen attentively, and stop in the middle of your day, close your eyes or look at nature and become aware of your breathing

17. You can’t please everyone “I don’t know the secret to success, but the secret to failure is trying to please everyone” – Bill Cosby. State your opinion and stick to your guns. If you are confident enough and share your idea with enough people, you will piss off someone no matter what you talk about. That’s their problem, not yours.

18. Trying to be cool or following trends is for mindless sheep

Peer pressure is for people who are afraid of their individuality. Stand up for yourself, and go against the flow if that’s what you feel is best. What’s cool now will be frozen over in a few years.

19. Make mistakes – and LOTS of them!

Mistakes are how we learn. Failures are the stepping stones to success.

20. Wear sunscreen

Seriously. Protect your skin.

21. Stop thinking so much and act

People think their way out of doing everything that’s worth doing in life. The reason I feel I’m getting so much done in the last years is precisely because of how much time I give to over-analysing whether I should do something important or not: None.

22. Dance and sing whenever possible

Dancing and singing are great releases and forms of expression. It’s hard not to feel good after a session of either!

23. Making new friends is easy and so is appreciating your current ones

My entire eight years travel has been alone. I arrive in a new nation without a single friend waiting for me in many cases. I have no connections, but I make them anyway. I find a party online and go straight to it and say hi to everyone. Soon, if I try enthusiastically enough, I’ll find people I can socialise with on a regular basis. If you are friendly, genuine and charming, making friends with people from every culture and background is possible. When people who are surrounded by family, networks, work and school colleagues, other friends, clubs and communities they are a part of… tell me that it’s hard to meet new people I feel like slapping them in the face to wake them up to the opportunities around them, which I haven’t had consistently for almost a decade. Look around you!

24. You don’t know what you’ve got ’till its gone

Don’t take anything for granted. I couldn’t afford to pay for accommodation one night and had to sleep outside on a rock because of it. Ever since then I appreciate having a bed, couch or hammock, no matter how small or where it may be, because I know what it’s like to not have one. One night was enough to burn it into me – I sigh a breath of relief every time I go to bed now. I went partially deaf due to an ear infection for two weeks and appreciate my hearing and all the beautiful sounds around me all the more because I got it back. I also gained an appreciation for signed communication that I’d take advantage of several years later. I’ve never lost anyone close to me, but I hug my family members and tell them I love them every chance I get, and clear any bad air with friends and don’t hold back on sharing my emotions with them. Life is too short – if I lost anything important to me then I want to make sure that I never wasted the time I did have with it or with him or her.

25. Swallow your pride and apologize

Never hold a grudge and never try to win every argument. Sometimes it’s best to let your pride slide for the sake of clearing the air with someone. Be the first to say you’re sorry.Never wait for the other person to make the first move.

26. Doing anything specifically to impress people is stupid

People will never give you the validation you seek if you try to be a dancing monkey for them. Saying how many languages you speak, how rich you are, who you know, where you studied or what you do for a living, or trying to show-off in any other way to get someone to like you, or working for these things just for the bragging rights will leave you really disappointed. People are impressed by those who aren’t trying to impress them and are comfortable in themselves and social and interesting. Sometimes to be “interesting” all you have to do is be a good listener.

27. People are not alone in being alone

One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a long-term solo traveller is if I feel lonely. The short answer is no. The long answer would require an entire post in itself. But the fact of the matter is that loneliness is much more common around the world than I previously thought it was. I was actually much more lonely in my university (fixed) life than I am now. And I meet many people who have vast networks of social groups who feel desperately lonely because they feel nobody gets them. Then others who simply changed their lifestyle in some way (not necessarily by travel, but perhaps marriage or starting a demanding job) and have lost contact with all their childhood friends because of it, also feel lonely. I’ve talked to many people who are convinced they are the only ones who feel this way. Each time I hear a similar story I can hear the Police in my head “seems I’m not alone in being alone…” Believe it or not I find this very comforting when I am genuinely separated by thousands of kilometres from anyone who even knows what my name is. Even though nobody is in exactly the same situation, the amount of people in the world I’ve met tells me that I’m very likely not the only one in such a situation, even at that very second. No matter how lonely you might feel, there is always someone who can relate to you. Perhaps you can’t talk to them right now, but they are out there.

28. Love isn’t “all” you need, but if you don’t have it in some form, your life will be very empty

We don’t need love to survive, but without it there will be a huge hole inside you. Make sure that every day you have someone (family, friends, lover) to remind you that you are special. If you postpone this part of your life until later, after you get or do that thing you want to do, you will continue in that lonely path indefinitely.

29. The most important lessons in life can never be expressed in black and white, but must be experienced

I thought I knew it all back in university – and that everything of importance can be found in books. But the truth is that the most important things in life are very hard to put in black and white, including what I’ve said in this post. When most of the world’s information is at our fingertips, a mouseclick away, it makes it feel like we don’t need to experience any more. Movies, books, or “living vicariously through someone else” means we can apparently get the general gist of anything. This is false. Experience is the greatest teacher of all. Stop reading about or watching the world passively and start living it.

The 2012 EP is an album of haunting beauty. If Sonnymoon‘s Golden Age LP represents the coming dawn, then this EP is an evening song. The layers of subtle electronic drums and hypnotic vocals from Anna Wise build bright lights in the listeners mind.

The opening track “Near Me” is a longing love song for future lovers. Its gospel is grounded in the tenderness of the lyrics and progressiveness of the beat. The rhythmic pulse of “Goddess” washes over like an ocean enveloping the night sky horizon. And just like feeling the sun on your skin the instrumental track “Morning Person” breaks over your ears in soft, lush droplets until the end as it transforms into a rush of color. “Machinery” finds Anna breaking her words like a clockwork angel as Dane’s production takes you deeper into the core of our relationships with electronics. The last track “Magician” is not so much a swan song to the EP as it is more a “see you next time”. They’re not giving it all away.

With the inclusion of the mndsgn bossa nova remix “Magicans” this EP is a solid offering from this duo on their new label Plug Research. We cannot wait to see what is in store for our friends Sonnymoon, but we know whatever it is, it will be quality.

- Danny

Originally published on Blind I For The Kids

There’s something about a culmination of a years accomplishments that brings out seldom seen character traits in humans. We make resolutions to live better, eat better, strive for everything closer to what we deem as perfection. The first of January marks a mental milestone for many folks around the world with good intentions. If you choose to live your life the way you did the previous day – more power to you. For the folks who strive for a change, best of luck in maintaining the resolution but lets not let one day of the year strive for us to grow. 2011 was amazing but 2012 has much to teach.

With that out of the way, here’s a 16 track compilation for you to get fitted for an epic evening with family and friends, for you to throw up and swear for change the next morning, for you to reflect and rebirth. Just a little taste of 2011 and what’s in my iTunes. Get it here.

TRACK LISTING:
Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212
Body Language – Social Studies (Plastic Plates Remix)
Breakbot – Shades Of Black
Daft Punk – Something About Us (Cherokee Remix)
Jamie Lidel – Another Day
Javelin – Tryouts (Brenton Duvall Remix)
Kaskade feat. Quadron – Waste Love (ICE Mix)
M∆DE IN HEIGHTS – Wildflowers (Exhale Efreet)
M83 - Midnight City
Mayer Hawthorne – The Walk
Neon Indian – Polish Girl
OhYeah – Oh My God It’s Boogie Music
Onra – L.I.A.B
SBTRKT feat. Yukimi of Little Dragon – Wildfire RMX (feat. Drake)
Sweaters feat. Sunni Colòn & Lisa Dank – What You Need
Touch Sensitive - Body Stop

• barry

Our friends at UnionMade has grown tremendously over the past two years. Expansion is inevitable when careful and meticulous eyes for curation is at the helm. Todd and Carl have been inspirations to the SF community and myself bringing local and American goods to light. As a tribute to their upcoming two year anniversary, I would like to re-surface a video we shot around their one year anniversary. Take note of the flag in the background of the old shop on 18th and Sanchez – a prized possession that was given to Todd by his grandmother. Cheers.

-b

• barry

We threw an intimate backyard BBQ celebration to commemorate our blog launch with our close friends and family.  It was the perfect mix of good beats, gourmet burgers, bottomless sweet tea vodka, sunshine, and easy going vibes.  It was perfect timing given the significance of Labor Day.

We want to extend our warm thanks to the friends and family that helped make it happen.  A special thanks to our very good friends, Helena Hong of Nice Owl Design Studio for providing the perfect backdrop, Shea Butter and R-Cade for providing the soundtrack, and of course Shirley and Michelle of Pleased to Sweet You for the HIGHLY addictive cake pops.  We are thankful to everyone who came, and for the family members that were not able to be there to celebrate, we’ll make it up to you we promise.

Here are a few snapshots from the BBQ.  Enjoy.

Mark

The PLSTK team is proud to finally introduce the First Article.  The result of a collective effort that focuses on men’s Footwear and Accessories.  This project has been 6 years in the making.  When I first started this project 2 years ago, I really had no clue what I was about to get myself into.  Other than my love for shoes and clothes, I had no context around fashion design or manufacturing apparel.

Mark, one of the original founders of PLSTK, approached me with an offer to help run PLSTK.  I saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity and partnered with Mark in 2009 as head of Business Development, Manufacturing, and Sales while Mark led the Creative and Marketing Group.  We quickly started the work on reconstructing the PLSTK Team.  We started with recruiting the design talents of Barry Lai, founder of Design Rehab.  Without skipping a beat the three of us began reviving PLSTK’s original footwear project, mapping out a plan for leveraging the 4 years of manufacturing expertise acquired by the original team.  A quick brain dump and post-mortem provided the baseline for what has become the product lifecycle for the First Article line.

I’ll go over the story on how we came about the name in my next installment, but for now let me add a little bit of context behind the meaning of the term.  First Article, by definition, is a widely used manufacturing term used to describe the testing and approval process for goods or prototypes that eventually lead into production.  They become the benchmark for quality and the conformance for the remaining goods that come into production.  So how does this translate to PLSTK?  This line represents 6 years of  planning and hard work from everyone who was ever involved in the creation process.  The time, money, and energy we’ve all invested to get us to this milestone is culminated in the very first shoe that rolls off that line… that’s the first article.

We had no idea how shoes were made, in all honestly we had no idea how anything was manufactured when PLSTK first kicked off this venture.  We started with no knowledge of how any thing worked, but over time with hard work and motivation provided by a small group of knowledgable individuals, armed with nothing more than sheer determination – we went from wondering to delivering.  It represents our principal tenet, that we share with anyone willing to listen, that we are all capable of doing what seemingly appears to be difficult things as long as you work as one collective putting your best foot forward.  Everything we’ve done up to this point… is for the First Article.

In these next installments, I look forward to sharing with you my story, my experience, the adversities, my insights, and most importantly the principles and the people behind the First Article brand.  Thanks for the support, it is truly appreciated.  Much love.

- Jaymer

Under the font house moniker, Commercial Type, Berton Hasebe and Christian Schwartz collaborated on the design of Stag Stencil in 2008. Formula One magazine in Europe enjoyed Stag so much, they commissioned a stencil version. This was a relatively late edition to the already well established Stag font family in 2005. Though trailing its ancestors by three years, the addition was natural to the family. Stag Stencil takes the masculinity of the original slab serif and juxtaposes its characters by giving it a clean yet guerrilla marketing stencil-ready approach.

Now that we have a bit of the history covered: the very font discussed above was used to create the First Article logo and insignia. The ligatures in the family are stellar and yielded exceptional results. The joy of this versatile font made it legible at any scale – paragraph reading as a serif and large scale reading as a slab stencil. Stag Stencil is a beautiful stand-alone font and the only augmentation needed for the typography logo was to remove the ascenders in the “t” and “i” to establish body relationship through a clean x-height. The tracking and kerning was visually natural, and something about lower case logos makes the brand earnest and humble.

The First Article insignia came as an instinctual thought as the “f” with its long stem, and an “a” with its open counter, made a memorable and playful pairing. The f’s shoulder is completed by the a’s bowl as its stem naturally progresses south. The work these two letters put in, creates an everlasting but more importantly, a natural effect to the viewer. For those who know, let “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”.

• barry