Lifestyle – Page 9

5th July 2015 — No Comments

Things To Do In London 1

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[column]You're never short on places to visit in London, whether it's Camden Lock where you're surrounded by the buzz of the crowds or Kensington Gardens that serve as a perfect backdrop for a mindless wander.

But how much do you actually pay attention to the places and shops that make up each area? Hidden in plain sight is a good way to describe many of East London's little boutiques so armed with my trusty Hype App a few friends and I went exploring. [/column][column] shoreditch london explore blogger hype app [/column][/columns_row][separator type="thin"]

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

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As Shoreditch comes full circle with it's rejuvenation it's not surprising to see numerous bike shops pop up to ensure you get to work in style even if it means parting with a few months rent to do so.

tokyobike just off Tabernacle Street was my particular favouite. Founded in 2002 in a quiet Tokyo suburb of Yanaka, tokyobike has grown in reputation over the last decade as a maker of delicate yet comfortable bikes that are perfectly suited for city riding.

In addition to the bikes the shop is littered with trinkets and accessories for your home, all neatly organised in minimal fashion that truly live up to the company's Japanese heritage.

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STUCK IN A BUBBLE

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Perfect for a hot summers day, the Taiwanese bubble tea was a welcome surprise during our trip through the Shoreditch Boxpark. In it's native country of Taiwan bubble tea is the drink of choice, coming in a range of flavours such as coconut, taro milk, passionfruit, lychee and jasmine it would be rude not to give it a try.

Although the initial taste is somewhat slimey the tapioca bubbles are all natural and include elements of cassava, sweet potato and yam that give the tea it's healthy properties. If you're in the area make sure to give The Milk Tea & Pearl studio a visit.

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ARTISAN SHOPPING

Past closing hours we were invited to see behind the scenes of Fiorentini + Baker's flagship Shoreditch store. This Anglo-Italian footwear brand has decided to situate itself in the busy East End which speaks volumes of their meteoric success since it's foundation in 2001.

Fiorentini + Baker's no nonsense approach to design ensures the highest quality of artisan products with shoes and bags made in small artisan factories in the south east of Italy. The shop itself shows nods to it's Italian heritage with it's old comfy leather sofas, mismatched vintage lamps and an open stock room that in itself is reminiscent of classic Victorian boutiques.

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STYLEGRAM

I hope you enjoyed taking this little trip with me. Make sure to check out Exploring Camden - PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNAL 06 for my latest street style post and follow Style Division to keep up to date.

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Published by antondee in Events, Lifestyle

6th June 2015 — No Comments

Exploring Camden // Photography Journal 9

I've lived in Camden for over 9 months and it's sad to say that our happy relationship has come to an end. The busy and hectic London life catches up with you and so it's time (yet again) to start flat hunting and organising my life into tiny little boxes.

I thought I'd put together a little post about this under-appreciated area of London and possibly inspire a few of you to come over for a visit.

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CAMDEN LOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

Camden is perhaps the most colourful and offbeat part of Greater London and it's no surprise that it has become synonymous with the the capitals alternative music scene and vibrant night life.

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Although Camden is located close to greater London and pretty much walking distance from Kings Cross you'll likely see few suits and ties while strolling down the streets. During the day, innumerable vendors and independent retailers populate the area, making the borough one of the most popular places to shop in London. At night the neighborhood comes alive with throbbing tunes blasting from some of the best live music venues in Europe.

It's been like this for a long time, too. Camden was founded in 1790, and ever since then it has been a thriving marketplace where commerce and the arts meet. This blending is reflected in the list of artists, past and present, who have lived there. Charles Dickens, one of the English language's finest authors, called Camden Town home for a very long time, as well as playwright Alan Bennett and novelist Beryl Bainbridge.

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As for musicians, the famous ska band Madness originated in Camden, and party animal Amy Winehouse lived on Camden Square until her death in 2011. Currently, actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband Chris Martin, the lead vocalist for Coldplay, live in the neighborhood.

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Camden Town is a real breeding ground for new musical talent. Its many bars and theaters have hosted quite a few British bands before they became famous and after as well. The most famous is the Roundhouse Theater, which in days gone by serviced locomotives before becoming what it is today.

Other big names on the scene include Koko, Underworld and the Electric Ballroom; and intrepid explorers will have little trouble finding dozens more tucked away on both the high street as well as its alleys.

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If you're not much of a night owl and prefer to stroll about and browse some unique wares, then Camden Town's street markets are for you. Camden Stables is arguably the most famous and a must-see, as well as the fruit and vegetable market on Inverness Street.

If you’d rather keep your money in your wallet, you may simply wander around soaking up the atmosphere. The neighborhood's eclectic mix of cultures has given it a unique ambiance that cannot be found anywhere else.

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Camden Town should definitely be a place of interest you consider if you ever come to the capital. If you’re an outgoing traveler looking to experience diverse cultures, vibrant nightlife, or lively marketplaces, then make sure to visit Camden Town—a place I was proud to call home.

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Make sure to check out Exploring Camden - Street Style Journal 03 for some street style shots from Camden and follow Style Division to keep up to date:

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Published by antondee in Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

9th May 2015 — No Comments

Exploring Leeds // Photography Journal 8

Last month I had a chance to see off an old mate who was off an whirlwind adventure in Asia and it gave me a chance to return to the city that started it all - Leeds. It hasn't even been a year since I moved from Leeds but coming back knowing that it would only be for one debaucherous night felt a little strange.

The day started off at 8am with a searing toothache and a Bloody Mary at The Booking Office. Of all the days to choose my wisdom teeth decided to pop through and forced me to question my sanity. Dulling the pain with an insane amount of alcohol and the adventure has begun.

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Leeds is one of the oldest and largest cities in the UK and many people overlook that fact. Leeds developed as a market town in the Middle Ages and the booming economy has helped build some of it's historic landmarks such as the Corn Exchange, Leeds Markets and the Town Hall.

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leeds 2015 street style fashion photography architecture-4 Modern influence is felt throughout the city with street art dispersed between the historic buildings and clear glass shopping malls. The main shopping streets in Leeds were teaming with people and I got to see the stunning domed roof of Leeds Corn Exchange (cover photo above).

I also used to work at Louis Vuitton in the upmarket shopping area called the Victoria Quarter so a trip down memory lane was in order. The place hadn't changed all that much but it did put a lot of things in perspective that I had no chance of knowing only a few years prior. Sometimes living in the past can have it's benefits.

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LEEDS - THE ARCHITECTURE

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LEEDS - STREET STYLE

Leeds has always been a stylish city, an influx of young students every year certainly helps, the annual Leeds Festival adds to the cool factor but historically it's always had a great vibe about it.

Living in Leeds you're never too far from a random house party or a random adventure in Headingley so doing some street style shots has never been easier. Here are some of my favourites from the afternoon:

leeds street style fashion photography

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OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY

Leeds is not short on gorgeous places to explore so my only regret was not being able to stay longer. Enveloped by it's charm and history and looking at the city from a new perspective I can definitely see what made me fall in love with it in the first place.

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LEEDS STYLEGRAM

www.instagram.com/styledivision

Hope you enjoyed following my trip back to my home away from home. To receive regular updates from Style Division make sure to follow me on Twitter and Snapchat ('styledivision').

Published by antondee in Architecture, Lifestyle, Photography, Street Style, Travel

29th April 2015 — No Comments

Why Visit Florence When You Have Ferrara // Photography Journal 7

I want to start this post off with a confession. I've never been much of a traveller although the feeling of missing out was ever present. Over the last few years this has started to change as my work and studies have taken me all over Europe and now I'm slowly accumulating priceless experiences.

After Dubai, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin in 2014 I thought a relaxing change of scenery was in order. My friend Michael lives in Emilia-Romagna, a region of Italy that's host to a number of awesome cities such as Ferrara, Padua and Bologna so after hours of planning (literally) I was on my way.

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First stop was Ferrara. The city that was once home to the House of Este, Ferrara is renowned for its rich history and vibrant architecture. As the capital of the Province of Ferrara, it boasts a long-held intellectual traditional and humanist culture dating back to its days as one of the most lavish Renaissance courts in the world.

Located in the southern plain of Emilia-Romagna, Ferrara is positioned on the Po di Volano riverbank. It gained prominence in 1391 with the establishment of the local university, which subsequently led to the House of Este golden age. This princely dynasty consisted of an incredibly powerful family that propelled the Este Court into the most prominent European circles. It was during this golden era that the city of Ferrara gained prestige by leaving its medieval roots behind and becoming the Renaissance masterpiece it was meant to be.

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All urban plans that have been underway for the city, even in modern times, have strived to maintain the city's Renaissance charm. In fact, Ferrara's old town center, consisting of green spaces, cloisters, historic buildings and monuments, is considered one of the world's best-preserved examples of medieval city architecture. Estense Castle is another prime example.

This historic fortress was built in 1385 at the request of Niccolo Il d'Este. It was a square-shaped castle surrounded by a moat and featuring four defensive towers, although it became home to the Este Court rather than being utilized as a fortress. Within the castle, www.fertileheart.com/buy-prednisone-online/ visitors can view portraits and frescos of the Este family, as well as tour the prison area, kitchens and flats.

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Ferrara's modern Town Hall, Palazzo Municipale, housed the Dukes of Este prior to Estense Castle's erection. This historic site was built in 1245 but was consistently added to well into the 15th century. During the 1900s, a Neo-Gothic façade was added as an attempt at restoration.

Palazzo Municipale has never fully separated from Estense Castle, as even today a walkway connects the two. Visitors to this area can enjoy the lovely courtyard and statues.

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Around other parts of the city, there are plenty of historical sites to explore. The Mill on the Po is an impressive reconstruction of the 20th-century watermill that once ran at Ro Ferrarese.

Comacchio features a series of bridges and canals that give it the nickname "Little Venice." The House of Ludovico Ariosto is here, preserving the residence of the famous author who passed away in 1533.

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While many travelers flock to Florence due to its popularity, those that find themselves in Ferrara will find unexpected history and deeply rooted culture at every turn.

During my time in Ferrara I really got to sample the intricacies of Italian life and although some stereotypes exist for a reason I could totally see myself becoming a leisurely old man, surviving on a diet of cheese and wine.

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STYLE DIVISION LOOKBOOK - FERRARA

style division all saints leather coat

style division all saints leather coat

Since it was my first day of travelling I opted for a light leather jacket from All Saints, a baseball tee and some Native Youth chinos. Nothing too extravagant but sufficient to say that the effortless sense of style most Italians seem to be born with did change my looks as the days went by.

Jacket - All Saints Leather Pea Coat, Top - Helmut Lang Techtelle Pocket Baseball T-Shirt, Chinos - Native Youth, Watch - Daniel Wellington Bristol Watch

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FERRARA TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

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discover ferrara old theatre history castle moat sunset

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Visit Style Division next week when I show off Part 2 of my Italian adventure. Next stop, Bologna! To keep upto date make sure you follow Style Division on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Published by antondee in Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

7th March 2015 — No Comments

Audio Inspiration Collection 03 (March 2015 Playlist)

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[column] It’s been a whole season since my last playlist and ignoring my 2014 Top 10 Tracks roundup I really have been slacking with my musical recommendations. I’m still undecided as to which service to use for my playlists as Spotify / Soundcloud platforms have very limited libraries due to licensing issues.

My playlists include a fair amount of remixes, ambient electronic tracks and underrated hip-hop recordings which can be found on YouTube but I find the video they embed to be relatively heavy especially since I know you guys love getting these playlists on your mobiles.

There’s quite a diverse selection in this months playlist ranging from the mellow downtempo track ‘Frei’ by the Berlin based Jonas Mantey, an exceptional piece of production from Parra for Curva in ‘Kopernikus’ and if you stick with this post till the end there’s a mashup with Men at Work & M83 that works so well it’s almost wrong. Enjoy![/column]
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March 2015 Soundcloud Playlist

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John Wick

I love my films and there's nothing better than having a movie being perfectly complemented by it's soundtrack. Blade Runner, Danny Boyle's Sunshine and The Social Network all have fantastic OSTs specifically composed for the film but this year John Wick was one that caught me by surprise.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this action fest has been on repeat at least once a week for the past month. The soundtrack composed by Joel J. Richard and Tyler Bates sets an awesome tone but it's the in-between songs by electro hero Le Castle Vania, Kalida and M86 that shine through. All of these tracks are played during the now undoubtedly iconic nightclub scene so if you haven't seen the film already (do it, do it now) you can start to imagine the carnage Keanu Reeves unleashes onto the screen for a solid 1.5 hours.

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M83 vs. Men at Work - City Down Under (Mashup)

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Let me know if you've discovered a new favourite by leaving a comment below or tweeting @StyleDivision. And here are some links if you wanna keep up to date:

Last.fm // Soundcloud

Published by antondee in Entertainment, Lifestyle

15th February 2015 — No Comments

A Weekend In London // Photography Journal 6

It's taken me a while to put another photography post together simply because I've collected such a wealth of material over the past few months I simply did not know where to start. A few weeks ago armed with our trusty XE-1's, LD and I explored the famous Camden markets before moving on swiftly to central London and brunching at The Shard.

All the shots were taken really quickly as the weather in the capital at the moment is freezing, plus the possibility of overlooking London in a couple of hours was too much to bear for both of us. The Camden markets boast their own short yet proud history and although in recent years they may have gained attention for the huge fires the Camden Lock and Stables markets have solidified themselves as permanent features of the already historic Camden Town.

I moved to Camden Town around 5 months ago and it finally feels like home to me. The whole area is undergoing a modern regeneration similar to Shoreditch / Hoxton with prominent bands and street artists all showcasing their work here in 2015. Amy Winehouse is still an icon around these parts and it can be fun spotting stencils of her face in really obscure places.

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Embankment and London Bridge are two of my favourite areas of London as they have given me numerous memories that simply cannot be described in a single paragraph. Whatever your mood Embankment is the perfect place to visit for a little introspection. You never know who you're going to meet, what you're going to see or overhear but above all it's one of the best walks in all of London.

Within an hour you can see the river Thames, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Tate Modern, St Pauls Cathedral and many other great sights 'hidden' in plain view among a myriad of listed buildings and historic bridges. Then of course we have The Shard which in my opinion is the most gorgeous building in the world.

A few years ago when it first opened I had the chance to visit the top floor and overlook London just as the sun was setting. It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life and I simply had to return in the hope of capturing that moment again. We decided on a restaurant / bar called Aqua which was located on the 31st floor and after a lightspeed elevator ride we had arrived (in more ways than one).

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Although it was in the middle of the day, wine was out in full flow and undeterred by the prices it was only right that we treat ourselves. To be fair, the price of admission was enough for the view itself and there is something almost primal about overlooking a huge city, seeing these complex cultural threads from above and almost oversimpliyfing them. The word "Sonder" instantly comes to mind.

Sonder - n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

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Stylegram

If you want to see the previous two mini photography posts make sure you check out Photography Journal 01 and Photography Journal 02.

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Aqua Shard Details

British Restaurant and Bar

Address: Level 31, The Shard, 31 Saint Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY
Phone:020 3011 1256
Hours: Open - 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, 6:00–10:45 pm

www.aquashard.co.uk

Published by antondee in Events, Lifestyle, Photography

28th December 2014 — No Comments

Top 10 Music Tracks of 2014

I love a good list. I truly believe men love reading and writing lists even if it's about topics they have very little interest in. Lists present us with information that's informative and easy to digest (just look at the popularity of Buzzfeed) and also people generally like to rank things against each other as if it gives them any added importance. In the list below I have tried to summarise some of the top music tracks from 2014 that kept me pressing repeat and in general have had something special about them.

For those who follow my Last.FM profile you'll know that my tastes are quite diverse, I usually skip between house, electronic, trance, hip-hop, rock/indie music and I've also got a soft spot for movie/game soundtracks so the choices below may seem a little all over the place but if you want to experience some new genres and styles for 2015 then I urge you to give some of these artists a listen.

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10 - Kid Cudi - Balmain Jeans

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Since the early days of Kid Cudi I always knew there was something special about this dude. His early mixtapes showcased songs such as 'Man On The Moon (The Anthem)' and 'That Girl' which were way ahead of their time and are hidden treasures I hope every Cudi fan appreciates.

Although Cudi's latest album 'Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon' does not push the boundaries of the genre like original 'Man on the Moon' but it still contains a number of solid tracks such as 'Balmain Jeans' featuring Raphael Saadiq.

With an absence of an album from The Weeknd this year I think Cudi took it upon himself to create a 'sexy' hip hop song and although I hope he goes back to his original style for 'Man on the Moon III' this tune is still a solid entry to his already growing collection of hits.

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9 - Above & Beyond - On My Way To Mariana Heaven

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I would consider Above & Beyond to be my favourite band and their album 'Tri-State' has never left my iPod since it's release in 2006. Above & Beyond are also behind the Anjunabeats/Anjunadeep label that has been home to trance legends such as Super8 & Tab, Mat Zo and Arty for a number of years. Although I've lost touch with some of the recent Anjunabeats releases the annual Volumes (1-11) have really served as an example of perfect melodic trance compilations and I actually get a little bit nostalgic when I remember all the original Anjunabeats vinyls I used to own when disposable income and being a teenager went hand in hand.

Above & Beyond have often collaborated with a vocalist by the name of Richard Bedford who has a unique voice and puts real force and emotion behind his recordings. 'On My Way To Mariana Heaven' is actually a mashup of two A&B tracks (one featuring Richard) and when they dropped this at the ABGT050 party at Ally Pally I have never seen a place go from 0 to crazy that quickly.

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8 - Trust - Lost Souls/Eelings

Trust (or TR/ST) have been a guilty pleasure of mine for some time purely because I could not place this band into a genre and the gothic 90's influenced synth tones did nothing to help me in that regard. Imagine Grimes had a love child with Crystal Castles and you're sort of on the right lines. I found Trust to be a very polarising band as people usually turned off them on first listen or fell in love instantly wanting to devour every bit of material they put out.

This year I was lucky enough to see them at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and Robert Alfons' haunting, almost baritone vocals is something you have to experience for yourself. They're performing at the Fire Club in London on the 14th of February 2015 and at La Maroquinerie in Paris the day after on the 15th of February 2015 so if you're going to either show let me know and we could meet up (anton@thestyledivision.com)

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7 - Ryan Hemsworth – Snow In Newark

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I have written about Ryan Hemsworth in the past where I covered the release of this very single and his new album (LINK) 'Alone for the First Time' which I'm yet to catchup on. The video below was shot in Nepal over the course of a week and follows Ryan's quest to leave the club and 'clubbing' music behind. The production on this is very minimal, focusing mostly on the vocals from Dawn Golden and a hook that will stick in your head for many days to come.

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6 - Context - 1.4 at 12 (Great Skies Remix)

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For me Context has been a breath of fresh air for the UK hip hop scene and the first person since Mike Skinner in his 'Original Pirate Material' days to really capture the essence and almost tangible feel of current life in the UK. '1.4 at 12' is simply a track about driving through Norwich in a 1.4 litre Fiesta at midnight but the intricate attention to detail in the lyrics and additional production elements such as the faded vocals in the remix from Great Skies really push it into my top 10 tracks I heard this year.

Context has recently brought out a new free EP 'Hindsight is the Purest Form of Romance' and it's essential listening to any twenty-something who's currently feeling a little lost (LINK).

Great Skies has also brought out an EP this year titled 'Coconut Dreams' featuring the Burial-esque 'Don't Want U' and a collaboration with another favourite of mine CoMa on a track called 'Running' (LINK).

But what do we know about Maybach Music?
This is lads in Ford Fiestas, "where's the K at?" music

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5 - Drake feat. James Blake – The Catchup

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It seems that at the moment it's almost cool to be hating on Drake but the pure fact of the matter is this guy makes some really really solid songs. Even tracks that only have him as a guest vocalist such as the official remix of 'Deuces' or 'Aston Marin Music' end up on all sorts of end of the year roundups.

Drake first got my attention back in 2009 with his 'So Far Gone' mixtape that featured a track that I literally had on repeat for an entire day. 'Lust for Life' produced by Noah "40" Shebib will forever remain one of my favourite tracks of all time for the beat alone. But this isn't a fluke, as tracks such as 'Pound Cake' and 'The Catchup' which sample Wu-Tang and James Blake respectively are exactly the kind of songs that resonate with me. The lyrics might not hold a light to Nas, Lupe Fiasco or Akala but as pieces of music these songs and their production are verging on perfection.

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4 - Lany – ILYSB (Ferdinand Weber Remix)

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Sometimes you just need to unwind and this track from Lany was the perfect end to a hectic summer. I heard it during the Notting Hill festival a few months ago and did a mad scramble to Shazam it before my phone battery ran out. Majestic Casual have been pretty on point with their YouTube videos this year so it's no surprise to see it hovering in the top played charts for 2014.

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3 - Kele Okereke - Coasting

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If you've heard of Bloc Party then the name Kele should not seem that strange to you. Even though the band is currently on a musical hiatus it didn't stop Kele from creating some of his own gems in the meantime. Kele has been pretty hit and miss with his solo hits in the past, the only notable track that comes to mind is the energetic 'Tenderoni' from 2010 which was massively overplayed by every radio network to the point where my love for it began to wane.

'Coasting' on the other hand is a cocktail of relaxing beats and vocal samples which sounds like it could have been produced by Massive Attack. The smooth vibe of this song hooked me on the first listen and although the new album 'Trick' doesn't reach the heights of the original Bloc Party albums it's a noteworthy accomplishment.

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2 - Jamie XX – Girl

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"You're the most beautiful girl in Hackney you know...". 'Girl' from Jamie XX opens up with a line from a classic UK show 'Top Boy' and what a beautiful song 'Girl' truly is. I have always thought of Jamie XX as the mastermind behind The XX and their famous songs such as 'Angels' and 'Intro' almost reek of his unique style. It's also unsurprising that he has released several house tunes such as 'Far Nearer' and 'Beat For' to mass critical appeal.

'Girl / Sleep Sound EP' may be the the best 12 minutes of new music I was subjected to this year until I heard his 'All Under One Roof Raving' ode to UK garage and it's truly a song that needs to be experienced with a decent pair of headphones. All 3 songs have amazing qualities but I had to pick 'Girl' simply because of that insane baseline and because I'm a sucker for faded vocals as you may have noticed by my choices above.

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1 - Childish Gambino – Telegraph Ave ("Oakland by Lloyd")

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Well, this was a tough choice but Donald Glover keeps proving to me what an insane amount of talent he has. What can't this guy do? Act in Community? Done. Do amazing stand-up? Done. Remix dance songs under an alias? Done.

Childish Gambino who (and this is a true story) got his rap name by using an online Wu-Tang name generator, came full circle with his 'Because the Internet' album in which he raps about our internet-addled age and things like 3D printing guns and robots. It's definitely an interesting concept and there are songs on the album that are truly unique, but 'Telegraph Ave ("Oakland by Lloyd")' really took me by surprise. It's only 3:30 long and contains a song within a song by Lloyd Polite but the seamless merger between the two is really special. If you're only gonna click on one link in this list make sure it's this.

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So here we are, the best musical tracks from 2014 and boy was this hard to put together. While writing this list I came across numerous songs from 2013 I wanted to share with you so I'm really tempted just to write another post showcasing some hidden gems from the past few years.

Let me know what you think by tweeting me @StyleDivision and I leave you once more with the genius of Donald Glover. Here he is doing the most ridiculous freestyle over Drake's 'Pound Cake' on Sway in the Morning:

Published by antondee in Entertainment, Lifestyle

22nd December 2014 — No Comments

Wealth and Excess in Dubai’s Shopping Mall // Photography Journal 3

Following on from my previous post that showed my travel essentials and places to visit at night in Dubai, I wanted to tell you about the ultimate destination you probably did not even think about –the mall! The Dubai Mall is the perfect place for shopping and entertainment in the Middle East. The mall is home to just about every major fashion brand in the world, the 1,200 shops it contains make it the biggest shopping mall in the world but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The mall is host to a number of events every month and will play a big part of the Dubai Shopping Festival which will be celebrating its 20 year anniversary later on this year. The shopping festival itself lasts a whole month, attracts around 3 million people and gives one lucky person a chance to win a Bugatti Veyron. Now that’s what I call an early Christmas present!

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But seriously, the mall is grand and excessive on an epic scale, everything about it is designed to be bigger and better than anything that already exists elsewhere. The Dubai Mall Fountain (similar to the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas) for example is the world’s largest dancing fountain, it shoots water jets as high as 500 ft (150 metres) into the air and it’s truly a sight to behold. Fountain shows go on every 30 minutes and it was awesome to have a relaxing meal with my team outside the mall with the fountain dancing in the background.

Although I only spent a few hours at the mall I felt as if I had barely scratched the surface, it’s difficult to describe its gigantic size and complex corridors. To give you an example one corner of the mall contained a real life dinosaur exhibit which contained all the original bones found at the excavation site. No comparable exhibit, with nearly all bones completing the skeleton, exists elsewhere else and the inner child inside me actually let out an excited whimper when I saw this 80 ft (24.4 metres) long and 25 ft (7.6 metre) high monster.

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In a sense of the word, the Dubai mall is awesome and it would take you a good part of a week to explore it’s nooks and crannies. If you’ve got a sweet tooth there’s a Hersheys Chocolate World or Candylicious which contains every candy flavour ever made, there’s an indoor ice rink and even a 10 million litre aquarium tank with sharks and manta rays.

When you step outside apart from the aforementioned fountain, towering dominantly is the Burj Khalifa. For any Mission Impossible fans out there this is the building Tom Cruise was swinging on in the latest MI installment, something that was pointed out to me by every single taxi driver, as if that was the most impressive thing about this architectural marvel. The streets are also paved with exotic and unique vehicles, not that red Ferraris’ are looked down upon it’s just if you wish to stand out, arriving in a pink Rolls Royce or a bright green Chevrolet Camaro limousine is more likely to turn heads.

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dubai shopping mall travel

In conclusion the Dubai Mall is a sight to behold and encapsulates the wealth and material excess of Dubai in one richly interesting building. The choice of shops, restaurants and venues beggars belief and just as well as a lot of the places do not display their prices, the thinking behind this is ‘if you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it’. Its size is an aspect that’s difficult to put into words and I haven’t even mentioned things like the indoor zoo, cinemas and waterfalls. If you find yourself in the Middle East make sure to dedicate a few hours to the Dubai Mall, it really is an experience in itself.

Dubai Mall - Burj Khalifa Lake

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dubai mall city

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Published by antondee in Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

25th November 2014 — No Comments

Style Division in Dubai // Photography Journal 2

So a few weeks ago I was lucky to get the opportunity to travel to Dubai through my work and let me tell you that place is an experience. The first thing that hits you is the heat because even though it was November the temperatures were reaching 30C+ and I'm told people from UAE actually go on holiday in the summer months because of the unbearable heat in their home country. Apart from that it's the little differences that really stood out for me, for example everything in Dubai is done in taxis/personal cars, don't think you can simply take a walk whenever the mood takes you. Money and status is a big part of their culture and it's not uncommon for people to ask what you do for a living before they've asked you your name.

We managed to visit a few interesting places such as the Dubai Mall (separate post on that tomorrow), enjoy some Lebanese street food and have drinks in the tallest hotel in the world (JW Marriott Marquis) in a bar called The Vault. On our last day we paid a visit to the Madinat Jumeirah which the largest resort in the emirate, spreading across over 40 hectares of landscapes and gardens and it literally took an entire evening to explore.

dubai trip packing dubai airport architecture
Since I was there only for a few days I thought I'd pack my essentials:

Farah Vintage Oxford Shirt in White // £55.00 (Buy HERE)
Fujifilm XE-1 Camera with 18-55mm Lens
RayBan Sunglasses
Armani Analogue Watch
Armani Reading Glasses
Notepad
Headphones
Ray Kurzweils 'How to Create a Mind' (More Info)

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Dubai itself is a fairly new city, the airport for example went from unknown status to being the 3rd busiest airport in the world in the last couple of years. This means that the city feels really disjointed, the E11 highway (Sheikh Zayed Road) stretches for miles and serves as a great little playground to the supercars who use it. This isn't agains't the law by the way, Dubai has an enforced minimum speed limit so if you're the owner of a Ferrarri or an R8 that's one law you're kinda ok with not breaking.

Here are some of the photos I took during my time there, it's my first time using the XE-1 so any feedback and tips would be greatly appreciated.

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dubai places to go

dubai blogger travel

dubai uae visit

Instagram Snaps

Published by antondee in Lifestyle, Travel

23rd November 2014 — No Comments

Audio Inspiration Collection (November 2014)

It's that time of the month again guys, following on from the previous post (LINK) I have been listening to a lot of chillwave and dreampop specifically artists such as Summer Heart and Stumbleine who have that perfect unpolished sound you want with these kind of ambient songs. Other artists you may have heard of such as Kele (of Bloc Party fame) and Caribou also debuted some amazing new albums recently complete with their own undiscovered gems and I've tried to include some of them in the playlist below. Another name I discovered this month is Ferdinand Weber who has produced some big beat tunes such as 'Aaliyah' with his partner in crime Fabich and also remixed LANYs' 'ILYSB' which has been a regular on the Majestic Casual playlist for months.

The November playlist is a mixture of chillwave, house, electronic and a few rap tunes thrown in for good measure. Let me know what you think to the selection by tweeting me @StyleDivision

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Best of the Rest

Frank Ocean just doesn't get enough credit for his album 'channel ORANGE' and it's hard to see why with songs like 'Thinkin Bout You' and 'Pyramids' but it's the latter that caught my attention recently when I found a video of Frank performing it live with John Mayer and it put the already genius original to shame.

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James Blake needs a separate post just to go over a few of his best singles but it seems that he has collaborated with Drake by producing a few tracks for his next album, check out 'The Catch Up' which features James' trademark haunting samples and is a nice little throwback to one of Drakes most underrated tracks 'Lust for Life' produced by Noah "40" Shebib.

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A few months ago I found out about some raw UK talents who go by the name of Context and Great Skies. Context broke onto the scene around this time last year after Mike Skinner from The Streets (we've talked about him at length in the past) remixed one of his songs 'Small Town Lad Sentiments' which in itself was a little throwback to Mikes 'Original Pirate Material'.

Great Skies is a producer I would love to know more about, he has a distinct Burial influence and uses indecipherable vocal samples and 2step rhythms to bring his tracks to life. Great Skies and Context have created a number of songs together so I thought it'd be rude to include of the best ones here. Context has recently brought out a free EP titled 'Stealing My Older Brother's Tapes' which I urge everyone to check out as it's a breath of fresh air for the UK hip hop scene.

Make sure you follow me on Last.fm and Soundcloud!

Published by antondee in Entertainment, Lifestyle

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