Energy Sources #05 – Sep.22
Energy Sources | Issue 05 | September 2022
As the preparations for the new season of my ENERGY TRANSMISSION are in full swing, I present you the last interlude for now.
In Season 4 I will interview people from all over Germany, and Germany only. Let's see where they see the Culture of Tomorrow. 🔮
Resuming to my other format "ENERGY SOURCES": this listicle format helps me to fill the gaps while trying to send out a newsletter every month. So, here we go again!
It consists of things I found on the Internet or in the streets, that infused me with some kind of vibes that I wanted to share with you.
If you have any recommendations, links or wanna chat – please feel always free to reply to the mails. Thank you. 🙏
These are my new energy sources for September '22:
The Cobrasnake's Life in Parties | W Magazine
You wanna see Instagram before Instagram? That's what legendary photographer Mark Hunter aka The Cobrasnake started with his party photo platform. Being on the hottest parties in Los Angeles and New York City, he captured a celebrity vibe that no one did before him. What I like about this mini-documentary by W magazine is that you catch a bit of the early 2000s vibe and Hunter tells the story completely from his perspective. Interesting to see how this cultural phenomenon came to life and how Hunter also became a constant in the fashion world. Check it out if you haven't heard of The Cobrasnake before or if you just wanna see some goofy celeb shots.
Marcel Haupt: SILENCE. The Flame. Muted.
This is a special one again. My friend and photographer Marcel Haupt had the opportunity to fly to Japan and visit the Olympic Games as official photographer. And if you remember these games, they took place in the middle of a lockdown-phase Covid-era. So: No spectators, empty stadiums and an almost eerie atmosphere. Marcel captures it perfectly with his photo series 'SILENCE. The Flame. Muted.' which was released both as a beautiful website and a gorgeous book. I feel very honored to have contributed in naming this special project. Thanks to Marcel and my girlfriend for sparring with me. When you have a look at the stunning photos, remember his words: 'This about much more than just Olympia. It is about contemporary history, because the world is changing. It is about banality and emotions that are special. But this work also reflects my own journey that I have been privileged to make to this point. SILENCE is my contribution in the midst of a turbulent time that is significantly turning the world upside down.'
Victory Journal: 'THE RIDERS' & 'THE BUSINESS OF BEING SWAGG'
If I need to recommend you an online publication that you probably never heard of but I'm sure you will love, it has to be Victory Journal. Their style and their approach to sports journalism is very unique and sophisticated in a way that makes you addicted. Besides beautiful print publications that sell out in an instant, they also make it so pleasant to scroll and read the stories on their website. I brought you two articles that really got me excited and both are about 'extreme sports' in a way. The first one is 'THE RIDERS' which came out a while a go and showcases the 'first extreme sport' ever. And by that it means traditional Indian Horse Racing Championships. One in Shakopee near Minneapolis in Minnesota and one in Billings near the Crow Reservation in Montana. The way they explain history from the Indian perspective, how the races came to be and how the writer brings in his own experiences paired with the stunning imagery has so much energy that it makes you want to go there. It's a beautiful appreciative way to Indian Culture.
The second article is about the phenomena that is FaZe Clan. With extreme and excessive gaming they birthed a platform for sports enthusiasts of any kind and gave esports a boost in popularity and coolness. This very interview is about Kris Lamberson, better known as Swagg: 'THE BUSINESS OF BEING SWAGG'. What I like is how he saw his serious injury in Basketball as the opportunity to start something completely new and make a successful career out of it. It's motivating to read his story of his way to millions of subscribers yet never letting his athlete mindset rest.
TEDxTeen | Steve Lacey: The Bare Maximum
This TED Talk for TEDxTeen is nearly five years old. And yet, you can learn a very important lesson from it. It's none other than Steve Lacey talking. Yes, that Steve Lacey that recently released his critically acclaimed LP 'Gemini Rights'. If you haven't yet, give it a listen as well! The then 19-year-old started his musical career with playing guitar and producing with just what he had: his phone. He had no latest tech and the best of computers and equipment. He took what he had and improvised. That is the lesson here: it's not about the tools, it's always about the ideas. Try executing ideas with the "bare maximum". Starting with 'The Internet' as part of Odd Future, Lacey now has worked with all the big names such as Tyler The Creator, Kendrick Lamar or J.Cole – besides dropping astonishing solo projects.
VOGUE: Virgil Abloh 'V' short documentary
Vogue did a great job with this one in my opinion. Their mini-documentary called 'V' is a melancholic and beautiful tribute to Virgil Abloh. Or as the influential creative was known among his friends: V. Directors Mahfuz Sultan and Chloe Wayne Sultan let some of Abloh's closest collaborators talk about him, his being, his work and his legacy. 'We didn’t initially plan it to be something of this size, but it became increasingly ambitious as it went on. Part of that is because people just said the most incredible things about their friend, and we wanted to have it on the record. If anyone cares to watch this in 10 years, we’ve been able to collect some of those amazing testimonials about Virgil’s impact, and what an amazing person he was.'
Fire King – Stacking Mug 'Jadeite'
It's been a while since I recommended a very specific product, but here we go. It might be that I flipped through too much Popeye magazines recently or the fact, that me and my gf inhaled Twin Peaks over the last few weeks. And yes, we made it through the whacky part of season two to see the stunning finish. Anyways, it has to be one of my favorite shows ever. In certain scenes in the Sheriff's Department you can spot Cooper or Harry with these little green mugs. These were exactly the ones I had always seen in those Japanese magazines and already found appealing there. I had to get them! After doing a bit of research and stumbling across this extensive article of Fire King mugs in Twin Peaks – I found a shop that sells them and ships them from Tokio overseas. Digital Mountain is wonderful to dig deep in; it's a bit of a hustle to order internationally, but you'll find their convenient tutorial. And it feels a bit like those good old days of hunting products you won't get anywhere here in Germany. I went for two of the stackable cups but of course you can go for the exact mug from Twin Peaks. And of course it had to bee this American made milk glass with the jadeite finish – beautiful!
ENDYMA – The biggest Helmut Lang Collection in the world
A few weeks back I was in Berlin with Jochen and David. We had the pleasure of meeting Michael Kardamakis inside his archive 'ENDYMA'. Little did I know how many fashion grails he owns there. It's the biggest Helmut Lang collection in the world. The original Helmut Lang until 2005. His legacy and influence on fashion and the things you wear everyday or see in newest collections is mindblowing. We were not allowed to take any pictures, which is why I couldn't put this in here earlier. It's totally fine, because normally people pay to visit the archive or rent pieces. As Michael told us, they spend the whole day there to inspect each and every piece. Also, a lot of rappers visit the archive to dig for new styles and inspiration. Anyways, it's an amazing and energy-infusing experience to stroll through these clothing grails. Gladly @icykof, known on YouTube as 'The Unknown Vlogs', went there as well and covered a lot in the first part of his 2-part-feature of ENDYMA. Watch it to get an idea of how extensive and impressive this collection is. And if you're in Berlin, the biggest selection of vintage Helmut Lang to buy is available at Murkudis! A must see.
That's it for now. I hope you feel inspired or energized in any way by this newsletter and make the most of it!
Get out there, enjoy the mellow days – but protect your energy.✨
The was the last "Energy Sources" until spring. I can now officially and proudly pronounce the new 4th season of "ENERGY TRANSMISSION".
Starting October 1st with a very special guest – none other than Tatjana Wenig (100blackdolphins & Female Force) 🧊:
As I said, the season will be Germany-only and may or may not feature some original audio content from the interviews 👀
For all international readers, we'll keep all the text English of course. Can't wait!
See you. 🫂