Playlist: Tunes for Week 46/52

This year has been tumultuous as fuck. 
But I get what I want... So moving forward and getting shit done. 

Songs that encapsulate the full spectrum of my current feels:

1. Cirrus / Bonobo
2. Touch / Bearcubs
3. Water / Yon Yonson
4. Waited 4 U / Slow Magic
5. Come & Dance / GOVS
6. Make Me Wonder / Klo.
7. Close Your Eyes & Count To Fuck / Run The Jewels ft. Zack De La Rocha
8. Can't Do Without You / Caribou
9. Tessellate / alt-J
10. The Light / SBTRKT ft. Denai Moore

Mostly new tracks, a couple older goodies x

A collection of blurry iphone photographs from Splendour in the Grass 2014

The path to post-Splendour recovery is one well travelled, however nothing could have prepared me for the seemingly endless nights of brain zaps & never ending vertigo. Alas, here we are 22 days later and I thought I'd share some photographs from the wondrous festival. 

For past photo collections in a similar, blurry vein, please refer to the following posts: Melt! Festival 2013 & Leeds Festival 2013

g, c, s x

Childish Gambino at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

The 1975 at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

Violent Soho at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

Danny Brown at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

Foals at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

d, t, c, s x

Darkside at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

Nicolas Jaar dj set at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay / July 2014

Top 10 Tracks of 2013

I trust you all had a very Merry Christmas, filled with too much food and drink. I hope you all spoiled your loved ones and were spoilt in return!

I decided it was a priority that I select my top 10 for triple j's Hottest 100, and here I share it with you! In no particular order:

1. Always / Panama
2. New Slaves / Kanye West
3. Life Round Here / James Blake
4. R U Mine? / Arctic Monkeys
5. Is This How You Feel? / The Preatures
6. So Good At Being In Trouble / Unknown Mortal Orchestra
7. Help Me Lose My Mind / Disclosure
8. If I Could Change Your Mind / HAIM
9. Aleph / Gesaffelstein10. Milk & Black Spiders / Foals

Honorable mentions to Kavinsky & The Weeknd, Chet Faker & Kilo Kish, Daft Punk, Wavves, FKA twigs and Cults.


What were your favourite tunes of the year? I'll be heading up to Falls Festival on the 28th of December, so there are still many more tunes to be had before the end of the year! xx

Playlist: Tunes for Week 47/52

I was lucky enough to catch Franz Ferdinand at The Metro Theatre in Sydney this past Friday. (Can I just say - what. a. band.) That and my literal non-stop aural consumption of the new Arctic Monkeys record has got me feeling a bit indie rock n roll, so no surprises where inspiration for my BANGERZ of the week has come from! Let me know what you're listening to right about now xx

1. Do You Want To / Franz Ferdinand
2. Flathead / The Fratellis
3. R U Mine? / Arctic Monkeys
4. I Always Knew / The Vaccines
5.  I Appear Missing / Queens Of The Stone Age
6. Demons / The National
7. We Exist / Arcade Fire
8. Bones / The Killers
9. Unbelievers / Vampire Weekend
10. Australia / The Shins

Life & CULT LOGIC Update: Photoset

Hey yo! Please forgive the lack of in-depth posts, I'm currently in the process of rebranding and redesigning my online store CULT LOGIC. I'm excited beyond words to release this new collection that I have curated - the designers I have on board are so incredibly inspired and talented. If you are a designer, I would LOVE for you to get in touch: I am always on the hunt scouting fashion forward, bold, statement pieces! 

The lighting in most of these photos is pretty awful (I'll have to start bringing my camera around), but here is a little of what's been going on in my life over the past couple weeks: 

Good Food Month's Night Noodle Markets, Sydney / October 2013

Art & About, Sydney / October 2013

View of Sydney Harbour from Vaucluse / October 2013

Hermit Bay, Vaucluse / October 2013

Matt Corby at the Hordern Pavillion, Moore Park / October 2013

Casey's 30th birthday at The Beresford, Surry Hills / October 2013

CULT LOGIC sneak peek, Sydney / October 2013

Alley street art off Oxford St, Sydney / October 2013

Saturday sesh at Sweethearts Rooftop BBQ, Potts Point / October 2013

Liana's 22nd birthday at Sweethearts, Potts Point / October 2013

My culinary prowess: veggie quinoa stir fry - recipe to come!

I promise to write you soon! To keep up to date with the happenings in my life, give us a follow on instagram @binkachu, and like the CULT LOGIC page on facebook for sneak peeks and updates!! Peace and love bitches xx

Playlist: Tunes for Week 43/52

When you consider how pro-girl power I am, it's ironic that my favourite bands and artists have rarely consisted of female vocalists. I'm so pleased that in the last year or so, gutsy female artists with some substance have moved to the forefront of indie-rock and pop. (Manufactured pop is so 2004.) I've even been lucky enough to see the vast majority of these artists over the last few months! 

Whilst they aren't all new, here are a few of my current favourite lady-led tracks xx

1. I Can Hardly Make You Mine / Cults
2. Head Is Not My Home / MS MR
3. Send Me Down / HAIM
4. Waste Of Time / MØ
5. Manic Baby / The Preatures
6. Future Starts Slow / The Kills
7. Help Me Lose My Mind / London Grammar & Disclosure
8. Oblivion / Grimes
9. Water Me / FKA twigs
10. VCR / The XX

Playlist: Tunes for Week 42/52

Hello, hello! I have had a spectacular weekend filled with rad tunes, good vibes and too many drinks! I thought it was time to whip out a bit of what I've been listening to. So here it is, for the week ahead: an eclectic mix, made up of equal parts sexy/funky/SUPER FUN - perfect for the gorgeous warm Spring weather we've been having in Sydney. 

Not in order of obsession:
1. Higher (Flume Remix) / Ta-Ku
2. When A Fire Starts To Burn / Disclosure
3. If I Could Change Your Mind / HAIM
4. I'm Into You / Chet Faker
5. Lay You Down / Matt Corby
6. Papi Pacify / FKA Twigs
7. S.O.S. / Bluejuice
8. Wild For The Night / A$AP Rocky ft. Skrillex, Birdy Nam Nam
9. I'm In It / Kanye West
10. Odd Look / Kavinsky ft. The Weeknd

Hit me up with some of your favourite tunes at the moment!
I hope you all have a delightful week xxx

Home Sweet Home: Sydney -siding

Disclosure at Listen Out Festival, Sydney / September 2013

Well I've officially been home a week. 

First on my agenda was the decision to set myself a 30 day raw food challenge. I have wreaked my body with absolute havoc over the past 4 or so months. My skin isn't as clear as it could be and my body feels a little sluggish, so I've decided it's time to treat myself with some super self-love in the form of detoxification. I have spent a couple days tweaking a meal plan and taste-testing some recipes. I'll keep you all updated along the way and will be sharing a whole heap of recipes and shopping lists! I have heard a few raw-diet horror stories, so have put a lot of thought and planning into my meals to ensure that I am meeting all my nutrition needs. (Not to mention it's always easier to stick to something that has been well thought out.) This detox is not about weightloss, but about increasing my vitality and enhancing the condition of my skin and body through diet. My start date is still to be confirmed (kind of, possibly, totally because the Sydney Night Noodle Markets start on the 9th of October) but it's sure to be within the next fortnight. Read more about my food philosopy here.

Next I dove headfirst into a weekendlong bender. I spent the week at a four day short course so decided the best way to proceed would be to destroy every brain cell I utilised. I spent my Saturday getting loose at Listen Out festival where I caught TNGHT, Just Blaze, AlunaGeorge & Disclosure just to name a few. In the early hours of the AM we rocked up at Frankie's Pizza and drank vodka apples until they shut shop. My Sunday ensued in a similar fashion, with drinks, hitting up The Enmore to watch Foals, heading out to The Soda Factory for the after-party and then (surprise surprise) back at Frankie's for the after-after-party. Monday really hurt. I moved from the bed to the lounge to the floor and back to bed, and the universe didn't stop spinning until 7pm.

Finally, I am in the finishing stages of curating the accessories for the new CULT LOGIC XX collection. The nature of travel makes it far too difficult to co-ordinate all the tidbits involved from overseas, so it feels like it's been a very long time coming. I'm so excited to share it all with you, it feels like my little baby! So much love has gone into the collection and I have some incredible designers on board. The website shall undergo a much needed makeover and there's some rebranding plans in the making, but these things take time and may or may not coincide with the new product launch. You can find updates on the process on facebook and instagram.

I have a whole lot of projects to keep me occupied over the next couple of months, and promise I will wrap up my time in Bali with a post (once I figure out where my photos have been backed-up to). I'll have a recipe coming to you soon, and remember that you can see what I'm up to on the gram, @binkachu - hit me up! 

Until next time lovers xxxx

here.

Leeds Festival 2013: Photoset

Hola! I'm finally rested and recuperated after five nights camping at Leeds Festival. I simply cannot fathom how the clouds over just one city can hold so much rain! The whole festival and camping field was one big mud pit - definitely not an experience I will forget in a hurry.

I caught so many incredible bands and artists over the three festival days, I would be here forever if I tried to list them all - some of my favourite acts included Eminem (because he is my king), Fall Out Boy (because they are my guilty pleasure favourite band), Disclosure and HAIM.

I had some difficulty keeping a steady camera, particularly later on in the evenings, so I don't have the most extensive photoset for you all. You'll find but a few of my festival highlights below (/sets where my phone was charged) and more on my instagram which you can find here.

I'm spending the rest of the next week in London before venturing off to Bali for some soul-searching and R&R time!

I will have another post for you within the next week, much love and light to y'all xxxx

Jagwar Ma at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Ferris Wheel at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Mud friends at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

AlunaGeorge at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013 

MØ at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

More mud at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013 

Foals at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013 

HAIM at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Pheonix at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013 

Relentless Forest Rave at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Parquet Courts at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Diplo ballin' during Major Lazer set at Leeds Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Mud puddles at Leed Festival, Leeds / August 2013

Back In Berlin - What to Eat, Drink & Do

Sunset at Brandenburg Gate, Berlin / August 2013

Just the mere thought of Berlin is intoxicating. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity of visiting this divine city two years in a row. Sydney will always be home, where I regard the dining, music, fashion and art scenes so favourably - but to me, no city I have visited quite compares to Berlin which is truly in a class of it's own. Everything about the city is so edgy, and hip(ster). It seems to be ahead of it's time in so many different aspects, Berlin sets the trend and then the rest of the world follows.
I know that fashions and tastes change, and all that I find enticing about Berlin now may bore me in a few years when another city takes it's place. But, for now, here are a few of my favourite things about the city.

EAT
Mustafas Gemüsekebap - The time I have waited in line for a kebab from Mustafas has varied in length from 45 minutes to 3 hours. Yes, three. This little street stall will change your entire perspective on kebabs. The kebab is a little unconventional - without ruining the surprise, the ingredients list includes things like feta cheese, fried vegetables and tabbouleh, but I promise you will never taste a kebab like it or this good. I recommend heading to the convenience store around the corner from the stall before you hop in line - grab a few beers to sink in the line to ease the boredom that is waiting in a three hour line. The beauty of street food! (Find a sneaky pic of a Gemüsekebap in this photoset)

DRINK
Chalet - My favourite club in Berlin (because Watergate is pretentious and expensive, and I can't bear the fear of possible rejection from Berghain more than once a weekend) runs out of a 150 year old building, located in the heart of Kreuzberg (duh!). I was initially drawn to the venue by 'all the pretty lights,' and once you go in, you don't come out. (Seriously, it's impossible to find the exit once you're a little inebriated.) The garden is amazing, complete with pond, swimming pool and lounges whilst the rest of the venue is straight up party vibe. Spread across two levels, the decor feels a little bit 1800s Alice in Wonderland saloon and you literally just get lost in the techno.

DO
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp - It has taken me three visits to Berlin to make it out to a concentration camp, but I'm so glad that I finally did. Sachsenhausen wasn't designed as an extermination camp so it wasn't huge and mainly detained political prisoners, however over 30,000 people died there. Until physically stepping foot in one of these camps, I don't think it's possible to fully grasp the full extent of what happened in those concentration camps. The media and film industries have completely desensitised us to images of violence and cruelty, but it is a completely different feeling to be standing there in a cell where prisoners of war were tortured or the barracks where prisoners slept. Sachsenhausen was a very overwhelming experience (and it's not even one of the largest or most brutal camps), visiting it made me really appreciate how lucky I am to live in Australia and so grateful that my family has not first hand experienced horrors such as these.

After 18 hours on 6 different trains, I am finally in Amsterdam. As soon as I have a chance, I will fill you in on Prague. Until then... xx

Three Nights In Germany: Photoset

I'm currently sitting in Vienna, a week since my German bender. This is what I had to say last week when I wasn't blessed with the luxury of sleep or a wi-fi signal:

I’m on the train to Milan after a ridiculous three nights in Germany, two spent at Melt! festival and Berlin in between. I have had approximately six hours sleep since 5am Friday – four hours last night and the other two spread across transit time between Berlin and Gräfenhainichen. I am in no kind of functioning condition to write about anything so hopefully a photo set of the past four days will suffice. At least I will spend the next five days on the beach recovering in Giardini Naxos x

Friday friends at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013 

Alexandra & Tayler, mega babes at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013 

Caterpillar at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Fernando, John & Dane, Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Caterpillar #2 at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Caterpillar #3 at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

James Blake at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Bicep at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Bicep at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Todd Terje & Lindstrøm at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013 

Found my brother at the East Side Gallery, Berlin / July 2013

Wall on Wall photo exhibition, Berlin / July 2013 

Kreuzberg outdoor dining, Berlin / July 2013 

A (vegetarian) kebab from Mustafa's will change your life, Berlin / July 2013 

Oberbaumbrücke, Berlin / July 2013

Sneaky snap at the Berghain, Berlin / July 2013

Sunday recovery at the lake, Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Sunset over the Sleepless Floor at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Sunset by the lake at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Maceo Plex at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Mark Ronson vs. Riton at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

James Murphy at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013

Modeselektor & Apparat sunrise at Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen / July 2013