Album Review: ‘When Love Was Around’ By Midnight Fusic

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Written by Zaaim Hariz

Whether you are stuck in a long midnight drive or just staring at your walls, letting your conscience make the call about your roller-coaster love life, this extended play would be a perfect fit for that escapade. Midnight Fusic just released ’When Love Was Around,’ their first six-track EP following ‘Lovesick’ and ’Heart Of May’, their two successful singles over the past year. We got to hear more of the best (and worst?) of their first big project, and suffice to say, a lot of expectations were definitely assured. It is actually a fun EP to listen to but it doesn’t pack as much punches as they wanted to fill in their desired sound of indie rock.

First off, the structure which revolves around a relationship filled with moments of clarity and heartbreak was well-resonated throughout the EP with ‘Heart Of May.’ The second single of the project delivers the best hit amongst others, and subsequently serves as a benchmark for the band’s signature sound. The number one track on Hitz.fm MET10 managed to capture the energy that reflects both excitement of being with someone and desperation to turn it all back with upbeat instrumentals playing very well in the background.

The second down the list is ’Time Machine’. A perfect closing track that seeks heavily on the duality of keeping it together and letting go, reminiscing about “when our love was still around”. Although the lyrics could have had a bit more work put into it, the overall musicality presents itself in a very smooth manner. The main highlight of the track is the jangly guitar intro that carries such an ecstatic development for the track, progressing through as it carries the song along till the end.

It is not disappointing as it sounds, but ‘Flowers’ is the weakest as compared to its counterparts, simply because the instrumental felt a little out of place. Lyrics that speak an entirety of uncertainties and regrets, or oscillations of “will anyone understand? and “what’s going on in my head”, didn’t quite manage to pull through with the intended melody and ends up feeling dreary for the most part.

Ultimately, Midnight Fusic have finally made their long-awaited waves with the track ‘Heart of May’ and ‘Time Machine’ being the best of the EP (and perhaps the most memorable?) but they do still have a long way to go to establish themselves as a prominent band of indie rock and it is a good thing to consider. if they continue along these veins, I think the fans will look forward to what they can bring in the future as the fresh faces changing the game of Malaysia’s ever growing music scene.

Rating: 6.75/10

WDHANFTSY: Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo

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Nike takes it up a notch with the launch of the Zoom Pegasus Turbo, featuring technology derived from the Swoosh’s Breaking2 campaign, the Vaporfly Elite. Watch the video as Bryan ‘Botak’ Chin (IG: @bryanbotakchin) and Julian ‘Sunflower’ Leong (IG: @julianleong) breakdown the Pegasus Turbo’s design, softness of the foam compared to the normal Pegasus 35, and what exactly is the function of the extended tail end of the Turbo.

The Nike Air Max 95 Gets Remixed With New Tech

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Remastered

Arguably the most popular Air Max silhouette of all-time, and a firm favourite amongst criminals as conducted by the UK Forensic Science Service back in 2007, the Air Max 95 gets remixed in a past meets present affair, by combining the Vapormax sole onto the 95’s upper, and finished in its original ‘Volt’ colourway.

The designer, Sergio Lozano has touted several inspirations during the creative process of his shoe, one being the human anatomy. The ‘Volt’ colourway presents itself with a gradient black upper, with the collar and laces being white, and darkening as the shoe progresses downwards. The Vapormax sole has taken an all-black turn, with the heel and toe guards given a ‘Volt’ treatment for a bit more pop.

The Nike Vapormax 97 releases this Thursday, August 16 for approximately RM 780 on Nike.com. Ya’ll gonna add a cult classic to your rotation?

 

Illegal Civilization Collabs With Converse For A Three Shoe Drop

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We’ve never heard of Illegal Civilization before, but it’s now on the radar thanks to a myriad of skate videos and playful designs elevating its popularity, and the crew’s newest collaboration with Converse solidifies its growing reach amongst the skate scene.

The crew has reworked three silhouettes, imbuing their identity onto the shoes, but still retaining simplicity with simple colours and designs. A Jack Purcell has been picked, featuring in black and white with branded dice stitched on the tongue, finished off with the brand’s logo embroidered on the heel.

The One Stars get reworked in triple-white with subtle detailing present on the tongue and midsole. A cowboy hat is embroidered on the tongue and the dino logos printed on the midsole and masked under the One Star logo. The Thunderbolt gets the most minimalist treatment out of all, featuring orange highlights on the outsole, laces, and star giving a little pop to the shoe.

The Converse X Illegal Civilization has already dropped at Crossover Mid Valley with the Thunderbolt retailing at RM 462.17, Jack Purcell at RM 377.26, and One Star for RM 433.87. Cop, or drop?

Levi’s Immerses Itself In Music In Its Latest FW18 Collection

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“The Beat Goes On”

What would you do if there is no music? It speaks everything, from transcending to race, religion and even politics. It’s a language that navigates genres with thousand of meanings and has the power to move, inspire and bring people altogether. From Tokyo to London, Levi’s are bringing you a blend of up-and-coming bands and musicians all around the world, showing off their own personal styles and unique sounds. The artists brought their own distinct point of view but in the end, they all have one thing in common, their passion for music and it’s ability of uniting us.

“No matter where you are, No matter what you listen to, Music bring us together”

For this year’s fall/winter season, Levi’s is up for something new because they are jumping on board to the game of streetwear and sneakers, manifesting with styles that are mix with today’s trends and flashbacks of the 80s and 90s, including splashy graphics, high-rise jeans and logo mania. This collection is also about curating authenticity and reminiscing nostalgia, connecting emotion and familiarity while capturing the modern energy that carries influences of the 90s streetwear and sportswear. The most important aspect of this collection is to put a huge emphasis on variety. You might be catching a metal gig on a Saturday or the biggest hip-hop event a week after that, this is a message that there is going to be a pair of Levi’s for everyone.

“Sneakers culture is a big influence on men style’s today. A lot of guys will pick their sneakers first and put their outfit together around their shoes.  So , we designed jeans that work with your sneakers. They are tapered at the ankle and sit on the sneaker rather than flood over it. We also turned the volume up on the back patch and red tab” – Jonathan Cheung, SVP, Global Design for Levi’s.

Levi’s continue to expand its lineup of tapered jeans and introduces new streetwear-inspired styles, with men’s and women’s collection having their own unique pairs. These new collection of jeans are celebrating the ever rising of the sneaker culture and of course, it is all about showing off your hype-worthy pair of sneakers. With every colourful sneakers of your choice, there is going to be a pair of Levi’s for everyone.

 

Men’s collection are available already at Levi’s stores nationwide from July 2018, with women’s 721 High Rise Skinny collection are set to drop from September 2018 onwards.

The Rising Sneaker Customizer, Malaysia’s Very Own Edmond Looi

Posted by & filed under Art, Design, Sneakers.

Streetwear isn’t just fashion but a tool for self-expression.

And this is exemplified with Edmond Looi, Malaysia’s very own sneaker customiser that has been on the come up in recent times. Another day another job then, as he received another package, but it wasn’t just any ordinary Joe’s custom leg up. American singer-songwriter, Erykah Badu personally tapped him up, enquiring the customisation on a pair of Air Jordan 4s.

Edmond usually finds inspiration for his artwork on sneakers by getting to know his clients in-depth but this time, the challenge presents itself differently, exploring and uncovering Erykah’s personality, principles, and beliefs through social media. As Erykah is well-known for her beliefs of expressing an individual’s inner-self, Edmond proceeds his customising job by engraving the word “Kah” and “Badu” on the sneaker’s leather upper with a  spectrum of colours resembling a rainbow. If you were wondering about the reason behind the engraving of the word “Kah”, the word “Kah” means inner-self and is related to Erykah Badu’s stage name.

In terms of sneaker customisation talents, we’d like to think of Edmond as Malaysia’s Shoe Surgeon, worthy to represent Malaysia’s sneaker customising scene internationally and we hope to see other local sneaker customisers to pursue their passion.

A Sabahan Gym Has Offered His Venue In Case MPs Bung And Mongin Want To Throw Down

Posted by & filed under Entertainment, Lifestyle, Sports.

I think by now we’ve all seen the clip with Kinabatangan MP saying ‘Fuck You’ during a verbal fight with Puncak Borneo MP,  Willie Mongin in the Dewan Rakyat 2 days back, and it got Team Karabaw Sabah owner Rayner Kinsiong excited. The gym owner has expressed that he is open to the idea of opening his gym to allow the MPs to slug it out, if it ever comes to that.

“When I heard that Mongin challenged Bung to a fight, I was excited. I want to provide a proper sanctioned fight event for them,” the former SEA Games karate gold medallist and muay thai coach said in excitement.

In an interview with The Star, Rayner told that he’d schedule the fight to be set in October to allow time for both MPs to prepare.

“I want to give them time to train like real fighters,” he said, adding that he would dub the fight ‘Ultimate Beatdown Borneo: Bung vs Willie’.

“And for this event, there would be a proper reference, fighting ring and rules just like a boxing match,” said Rayer.

Tickets would be sold to the public, with half of the sales donated to a charity. Mongin asked Bung on Twitter later on the same day to name a time and place if said showdown were to happen. What do you think readers? Should this be given the go ahead?

Source: The Star

 

Don C’s Jordan Legacy 312 Brings Back Iconic Colorways

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Don C has always been a close associate to Jordan Brand and now, Jordan Brand is giving him his own silhouette known as the Jordan Legacy 312. The Jordan Legacy 312 is a combination of three silhouettes which is the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 3 and the Nike Alpha Force Low. Jordan Brand continues to release more colorways of this silhouette and we have to say that these colorways are no stranger to older collectors. The first colorway is inspired by the Air Command Force made famous by Billy Hoyle, followed by the ‘Medicine Ball’ colorway on the Air Trainer 3, and lastly, the ‘Hot Lava’ by the Air Tech Challenge 2.

Sparked your interest? You can cop each colorway for RM629 this coming 11 August. Not your cup of tea? Check out one of Nike’s latest silhouette, the React Element 87 releasing soon.

 

COAST 2 COAST: A Threeway Collab By Against Lab, OBSCR, And Futuremade Studio

Posted by & filed under Fashion.

It’s not often we get brands partnering up, exchange ideologies and philosophies, translating that into a capsule collection, much less a collaboration with 3 brands straight with wholly different identities. A threeway collab is no small feat, but a handful of streetwear labels from the likes of OBSCR, FUTUREMADE STUDIO, and AGAINST LAB have come together to boldly front a creative movement called COAST 2 COAST.

COAST 2 COAST presents itself as a platform to share their stories through a pop up tour across major cities in Malaysia, and subsequently deliver the story through their garments. The story in question then, is a narrative inspired by the idea of harvesting contemporary fashion subcultures that are void in the scene, and bridging that gap between different cultures all across the world.

The collab aims to bring the styles and ideas from one coast to another regardless of city and country, and not just through fashion. In essence, it serves as a stepping stone to building a community through organic reach, nurturing the culture in the process by taking its initiative and venturing into the grey area of art, design, and lifestyle.

In conjunction with the tour, the trio have collaborated with Japanese photographer Taku Iwama on an editorial shoot in Tokyo featuring all three brands, communicating each of their stories, and styled such that all three can be infused into one entity. The pop up tour kicks off in Penang (11th-12th August), Johor Bahru (1st-2nd September) and Kuala Lumpur (6th-7th October).

WDHANFTSY: Adidas POD-S3.1

Posted by & filed under Sneakers, TV.

3-in-1 best describes Adidas’s new silhouette. In this episode of We Don’t Have A Name For This Show Yet, Bryan ‘Botak’ Chin (IG: @bryanbotakchin) teams up with Julian ‘Sunflower’ Leong (IG: @julianleong) to breakdown the new Adidas POD S3.1, from mirroring several design cues from Y-3, as well as the whole concept behind ‘Great Alone, Better Together.’