Abbey Road

Fashioned out of a sixteen-room residence at 3 Abbey Road, St. John's Wood that EMI bought in 1929, Abbey Road Studios opened in 1931, with several different sized studios to accommodate the different kinds of music that were being recorded at that time: orchestra, string quartets, choral works and instrumental soloists and singers. The first custom-built studio complex of its kind, the studio in its early years was used frequently by Sir Edward Elgar, left, one of England's most pre-eminent composers to record some of his famous pieces.

As the building in which The Beatles recorded almost all their studio material, Abbey Road Studios in London is perhaps the most important location in the group's history.

3 Abbey Road in the leafy district of St John's Wood, London, was build in 1813 as a Georgian townhouse. It boasted nine bathrooms, two servants' rooms and a wine cellar.

The building was acquired by the Gramophone Company in 1931, just a few months before it merged with the Columbia Graphophone Company to form Electric and Musical Industries Ltd (EMI).

EMI converted it to house studios to be used for the recording of classical music. Pathé filmed the opening of the studios in 1931, during which Sir Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra performing Land Of Hope And Glory while George Bernard Shaw watched in the audience.

The building's Studio One is the world's largest purpose-built recording studio, able to easily accommodate a 110-piece orchestra and 100-piece choir simultaneously. The studio's acoustics and size also make it a popular venue for live music events and film scores, and a live area also has two spacious isolation booths.

Studio Two, in which The Beatles recorded the majority of their songs, is perhaps the most famous studio in the world. The scene of the majority of The Beatles' sessions, it has a large space able to accommodate up to 55 musicians.It also has a range of upright pianos and a Steinway Model D concert grand.

Studio Three was designed to have natural acoustics and multiple isolation booths, and was used for the 5.1 surround sound mixes for The Beatles' Anthology project, as well as Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here and recordings by U2 and Coldplay. It was created to be a self-contained project environment with a private lounge, kitchen and bathroom attached to the studio area.

EMI Studios, as it was originally known, was used extensively during the mid-part of the 20th century by British conductor Sir Malcolm Sargeant, who lived near to Abbey Road. Other celebrated figures to have recorded there include Yehudi Meuhin, Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Adrian Boult, violinist Jascha HeIfetz and cellist Pablo Casals.

Chanel Couture

Cara Delevingne played the leading role on Chanel's Haute Couture catwalk today, opening and closing the Spring/Summer 2014 show in Paris.

From opening proceedings in stacked Chanel trainers, which she previewed on her Instagram during rehearsals, Cara was given a prestigious position in Karl Lagerfeld's traditional bride finale.

With a little help from the creative director's godson, Cara strutted down the runway in an enchanting sheer gown. Moving away from the traditional full frocks, the show-stopping dress was crafted with a slimline silhouette.


Cara Delevingne stuns in Chanel Haute Couture
The British super also joined the French fashion designer during his finale walk, confirming her spot as this season's leading lady. As if there was ever any doubt. 

Elsewhere in the collection, Karl presented glistening whites, metallic textures, feminine frills and a delicious palette of pastel hues.  

Models were also dressed with statement headpieces and glitter make-up, teamed, in Cara's case, with a strong brow. 

La Vie d'Adele

Blue Is the Warmest Color is a 2013 French romantic coming of age drama film written, produced, and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche.

Adèle is a high-school student whose classmates gossip constantly about boys. While walking on the street one day, she passes by a woman with blue hair and is instantly smitten. In her desire to be accepted, she dates a boy at her school and they have sex, but she is ultimately dissatisfied and breaks up with him. After having vivid fantasies about the blue-haired girl and having one of her girl friends behave flirtatiously towards her, she becomes troubled about her sexual identity. One friend seems to understand her confusion and takes her to a gay dance bar. After some time, Adèle leaves and walks into a lesbian bar, where she experiences assertive advances from some of the women. The blue haired woman is also there and intervenes, claiming Adèle is her cousin. The woman is Emma, a graduating art student. They become friends and begin to spend more time with each other. Her friends suspect her of being a lesbian and ostracize her. Despite the backlash, she grows closer to Emma. After a time, she confesses her love for Emma, who reciprocates. They have sex and begin a passionate relationship. Emma's artsy family is very welcoming to the couple, but Adèle introduces Emma to her more conservative, working-class parents as just a friend.

Over the course of years, the two women live together. Adèle finishes school and joins the teaching staff at an elementary school, while Emma continues her painting career. Adele feels ill at ease among Emma's friends; though Emma encourages her budding writing talents, Adele feels more comfortable acting as a muse and, outside of being her lover, does not seem to know what she wants out of life. They begin to realise how increasingly little they have in common. Emotional complexities manifest in the relationship and Adèle, in a moment of loneliness and confusion, sleeps with a male colleague. Emma discovers the brief fling and kicks Adèle out of the apartment they share, leaving Adèle heartbroken and now completely alone. Time passes and though Adele is satisfied in her job as a kindergarten teacher, an indescribable sadness and longing exists within her. Adèle and Emma eventually meet up again in a restaurant. Adèle is still very much in love with Emma, and despite the powerful attraction that is clearly still there between them, Emma is in another relationship and refuses to be unfaithful. Nonetheless, she reassures Adele that she will care deeply for her always. The two forgive each other and Adèle moves on with her life.

What I be

Photographer Steve Rosenfield recently asked subjects far and wide to complete the following statement: "I am not my ___ ". He prompted individuals to fill in the blank with their deepest and darkest insecurities, moving people to bring issues regarding body image, substance abuse, mental illness, race and sexuality to the forefront. The results of the social experiment of sorts is a photography series titled the What I Be Project, an intimate examination of the anxieties and inhibitions that plague men and women of all ages. 

The “What I Be Project” is all about honesty.

In today’s society, we are told to look or act a certain way. If we differ from these “standards,” we are often judged, ridiculed, and sometimes even killed over them.

By stating “I am not my_____,” people are claiming that they do in fact struggle with these issues, but it does not define who they are as a person. It is not aimed for people to say “You’re not fat,” or “You don’t have love handles.” It is to spread awareness on what people go through due to society’s paved roads. These are serious issues that some of us can live with, but most battle on a day to day basis. 

I am not my shame.

I am not my gender.

I am not my image.

I am not my turban.

I am not my weakness.

I am not my amputation.

I am not my bi-polar disorder.

I am not my adoption.

I am not my number.

I am not my vision. 

  

                         
                         

                                          

   

Are you mine?

AM is the fifth studio album by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was produced by James Ford and co-produced by Ross Orton at Sage & Sound Recording in Los Angeles and Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California, and released in September 2013 through Domino. The album was promoted by the singles: "R U Mine?", "Do I Wanna Know?", "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?", "One for the Road" and Arabella. It features guest appearances by Josh Homme, Bill Ryder-Jones and Pete Thomas. 

The album draws inspiration from various musical genres, including psychedelic rock, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, desert rock, R&B, soul and hip hop. Alex Turner described the album as sounding "like a Dr Dre beat, but we've given it an Ike Turner bowl-cut and sent it galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster", adding that it "sound less like four lads playing in a room this time. Essentially, that's what it is, but if you can find a way to manipulate the instruments or the sounds to the point where it sounds a bit like a hip-hop beat that'd be boss in your car, then I think there's something quite cool about that." Turner also cited Outkast, Aaliyah and Black Sabbath as influences.

Arctic Monkeys took a different approach to recording AM in comparison to their previous album, Suck It and See, with Alex Turner stating that it is much more a "studio album". The band incorporated new instruments to record the album; they used keyboard instruments such as piano and celeste, and even used a drum machine (on "I Wanna Be Yours"). Guest musicians Bill Ryder-Jones, Pete Thomas and Josh Homme also featured on the album. Subsequently, the album is more thoughtfully produced than any of their previous efforts. This is evident from the opening moment, the intro beat of "Do I Wanna Know?", which is in fact sonically enhanced hand claps and foot stomps.

B o o k a h o l i c

Αυτό που πρέπει κάθε φορά να διπλώνω τη
σελίδα του βιβλίου για να πάω να διαβάσω πρέπει κάποτε να σταματήσει. Τόσες ιδέες, τόσες σκέψεις, τόσα ταξίδια, τόσες εμπνεύσεις και μετά πίσω στη μιζέρια της πραγματικότητας τόσο απότομα και βάναυσα.

Τρίτη πρωί κι εγώ κάθισα σπίτι για να «αξιοποιήσω» το χρόνο μου τελειώνοντας τα μαθήματα που δεν πρόλαβα τις προηγούμενες μέρες, γιατί ως γνωστόν πάλι τεμπέλιαζα. Και τώρα αντ’αυτού κάθομαι και διαβάζω ανέμελη το μυθιστόρημά μου και γράφω διάσπαρτες σκέψεις σε ένα χαρτί χωρίς αιτία και σκοπό. Σα δε ντρέπομαι.

«Εσύ είσαι αστέρι …πετάς …έτσι να συνεχίσεις …κι εμείς θα σε καμαρώνουμε …το ένα 20ρι μετά το άλλο ». Ένας συνεχής αγώνας για συνέπεια, για την ικανοποίηση όλων των «πρέπει», για την ευχαρίστηση της 2ης θείας που θα χαρεί με το επόμενο 20ρι.

Παρατήστε με. Πότε θα τελειώσω το βιβλίο που σέρνω εδώ και ένα μήνα; Πότε θα αξιοποιήσω τις ιδέες που περνούν φευγαλέα από το μυαλό μου ανάμεσα στις σελίδες του;


Είναι και το άλλο βέβαια. Αυτό που περιμένεις να περάσει η βασανιστική μέρα και να δραπετεύσεις από τη φυλακή της ρουτίνας πάνω στο μαγικό σου χαλί, μέσα στην ιστορία και τις σελίδες του. Κι αφού κλείνεις ό, τι σχολικό ή κι εξωσχολικό –ξέχασα όλα τα φροντιστήρια και τα ιδιαίτερα- βιβλίο κυκλοφορεί στο δωμάτιο, μπαίνεις facebook… Κι εγώ το κάνω. Θύμα κι εγώ των social media. Εθισμένη σ’ αυτή την ύπουλη εφεύρεση που έχει πιάσει στα δίχτυα της μέχρι και τον τελευταίο κουλτουριάρη αντισυμβατικό χιπστερά που αρνείται και καλά να γίνει μέρος της μάζας.

Μα τι δημιουργικά που πέρασα τις τελευταίες δύο ώρες που μου περίσσεψαν από τις υποχρεώσεις. Νυστάζω νωρίς όμως, κατά τις 12-1, και το βιβλίο μένει πάλι μισοτελειωμένο…

Τελικά πότε θα ταξιδέψω ξέγνοιαστη μέσα στην ιστορία μου; Ποιος φταίει που δε μπορώ τώρα; Οι γονείς μου; Η κοινωνία; Το εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα; -μιας και το κατηγορούμε για ό, τι κακό μας συμβαίνει. Μήπως εγώ; Μήπως είναι όλα ιδέα μου και υπερβάλω πάλι σα χαζή έφηβη; Μπορεί, αλλά δεν πειράζει. Άλλωστε χρειάζεται καμιά φορά και η υπερβολή για να μας επαναφέρει στην πραγματικότητα.

Και τώρα συγγνώμη αλλά σας αφήνω, όπως και το βιβλίο και το χουχουλιάρικο πάπλωμά μου. Πάω να «αξιοποιήσω το χρόνο μου τελειώνοντας τα μαθήματα που δεν πρόλαβα τις προηγούμενες μέρες» και να ρίξω ένα βλέφαρο, άμα προλάβω, στις ειδοποιήσεις και τα inbox.                          
 Άρθρο δημοσιευμένο στη μαθητική εφημερίδα "Σπείρα" με τον τίτλο "Τελικά πότε θα ταξιδέψω ξέγνοιαστη μέσα στην ιστορία μου;"