the sound of summer

I have yet to meet someone who genuinely flat-out does not like music. It connects people, helps us through tough times and quickens us when emotions are soaring.

Connected to the latter is the well-known phenomenon of striving for "the perfect holiday soundtrack", which generally hits sometime in the sunny months of June and August.

In the past years, I've put endless efforts into assembling a playlist that is of a light and stimulative nature, works both by the poolside and during longer car rides and reminds me of fun and carefree days with friends without being distinctly associated with previous events or travels. This year, in line with my newfound hang loose-attitude, I've decided to skip endless hours of record sampling and found someone else to do it for me:

The people at RCRD LBL (free MP3 a day, anyone?) have teamed up with Saludos and produced the ultimate summer holiday mix cd. Available as a free download, Cheers to the Summer: 2010 Summer Soundtrack includes tracks by Mishka, The Like, Femi Kuti, White Denim, The Drums and many others. Simply enter your email address, and you will receive the compilation as a .zip file, which can easily be copied into an empty playlist folder in the music player of your choice.

I'm already hooked to my new favourite summer track: The Sunshine Song by The Candle Thieves. Don't miss out on this grand opportunity to lay your hands on free music NOW!

PS: If you don't feel like sharing your email address, you can also stream the playlist online.

(all images by Soludos/RCRD LBL Cheers to the Summer)

.HBC Couture - Designer Scouts II

Originally determined to skip Berlin Fashion Week as a whole (courtesy of the blazing heat that Berlin seems to be blessed with these days), only the Designer Scouts event at .HBC could lure me out of my air-conditioned appartment, dressed to the nines and ready for four hours of fashion, music, drinks and good conversation.

Here's the short film of the shows which I shot and edited:

(click here for higher resolution and better quality)

*For more photos of the event, check out the official Designer Scouts website. You might also be interested in my post on the previous show which took place in January.

travelettes flea market

Berlin is known for it's variety of Sunday morning flea markets and the hidden treasures that can be found at these. Mauerpark, Boxhagener Platz, Neukölln: no tourist goes back home without having obtained a little something to show off to friends and family (What, a 10€ handsigned Iggy Pop vinyl AND Levi's denim cut-offs for just 2€?).

Last Sunday however, there was an addition to the classic Berlin flea market repertoire: the 1st Travelettes.net flea market, themed Holiday. Since Travelettes is an online travel magazine/blog for girls, only ladies planning a trip in the near future could participate and sell their stuff. With a 1-month surfing trip throughout Europe lined up for myself, I was slightly intimidated by the rest of the sellers, many of which were planning to explore Australia, India or Thailand.

Nevertheless, it turned out to be an incredibly pleasant day. Katja Hentschel, journalist and mastermind behind the entire function, did not only provide the perfect holiday playlist to set the mood, but also supplied us with enough coffee and snacks to last the day. Visitors were able to browse through heaps and heaps of vintage clothing and shoes, self-made jewelry and accessories, as well as enjoy cold drinks at the bar or receive a 1€ manicure at the door.

Thanks to the enormous amount of positive feedback, there may be another flea market at the end of August - so keep your eyes open!

More photos and video can be found on the Travelettes website.