This is brilliant

Amazing idea, brilliantly executed, with craft and scale. Love it.

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

Is anyone else as obsessed with this show as I am? I’m absolutely loving being immersed in its terrifying, apocalyptic nightmare world. The writing, cinematography, performances and recreation of the locations are all amazing.

 

But what I’m finding most sobering and grimly addictive is its reflection on a world where the truth is kept hostage to institutional power. Not so much bureaucracy gone nuts as the spark of humanity almost completely crushed under the boot of toxic egos, macho groupthink and blind totalitarian idiocy. The arse-covering, blame-storming and rejection of scientific knowledge are just the tip of the iceberg that stretches out into the sinister machinations of The Party. The whole thing reminds me of that George Orwell quote – “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

 

And yet, despite all that, the visceral heroism of the firemen, miners, medical workers, military staff and scientists who gave their lives to prevent the situation going from ‘really f**ked up’ to ‘REALLY REALLY REALLY F**KED UP’ is heart-breaking and inspiring. Loving it, can’t wait for the last episode.

Well this is exciting!

We’ve launched an agency!

CHIQUITA KING AND ANT MELDER LAUNCH NEW INDIE AGENCY WITH A VOW TO DELIVER AUDACIOUS CREATIVITY AND A PROMISE TO DO GOOD IN THE WORLD

Brown Riot!

I’m really proud to announce the launch of my new podcast series, Brown Riot. This is a project I’ve been working on for a while, with a bunch of amazing guests and my friends at Smith & Western Sound. The theme is a subject that’s very close to my heart – diversity in the ad industry.

The chats are all really insightful and the guests are super articulate. I sound like a stuttering buffoon but that’s a small price to pay to get this out there. It’s a celebration of diversity, a clarion call for more of it and hopefully the inspiration for more debate and progress.

It’s already getting great traction globally. Clearly now is the right time to be having this conversation and for us all – whatever our skin colour – to be working together to move things forward.

The podcast is available at brownriot.com or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Audioboom.

Please listen, share and let me know what you think.

Thank you.

By the time I get to Ladbroke Grove

The greatest rapper of all time tells the story of the greatest band who ever lived. What’s not to love?

THIS IS PUNK ROCK!

This song would definitely be one of my Desert Island Discs.

And this performance is absolutely stunning.

One part Beatles, one part Rage Against The Machine and a little sprinkle of Jay Z.

The final coda, from around 4.13, where the singer Alynda Segarra goes nuts, is totally mind-blowing. She’s the real deal.

Watch with headphones on and volume up loud.

Pa’lante!

“You’re not alone, look up to the sky and be calm.”

So beautiful. These amazing words reflecting on the truth and beauty that’s handed down from generation to generation. The Alan Watts-esque idea that we are all part of an ongoing line of life; all simply expressions of the one universe breathing in and then out again; all present in every wave rising and crashing, every baby being born and every person dying. Coupled with this spectacular video shot over the city of Pripyat in the Ukraine, very close to Chernobyl, which got evacuated a day after the disaster and has been left abandoned ever since. Gloriously uplifting melancholy.

 

 

“That’s what the early spring smells like”

Wow…just wow. What an amazing idea and how brilliantly executed. I think we can safely say Hornbach have set themselves apart from their competition in the DIY category…

“I write for myself…no ghosty”

How good is this?!

Can’t stop watching it.

I’m loving the Jamaican dancehall vibe across what – I think – is a meta lyrical theme about the boastfulness of MCs. (I can’t get the lines “fling a ragga ridim like it’s 03” out of my head).

The super-entertaining video, by Henry Scholfield, is brilliant fun, and handles the MC baton changes so slickly and cleverly.

And could Idris Elba be any cooler? Love his toasting (and long red coat) on this.

The whole thing feels proper London.

(Thanks Nat x)

McQueen

 

This is such an amazing film about creativity and what it means to be truly creative.

Massively inspiring in that it shows how talent, determination, self-belief and hard work took a working class kid all the way from the streets of East London to the top of the fashion world.

Stunning in its coverage of his incredible, mind-blowing art – I came away thinking he’s massively under-rated.

And a heart-breaking treatise on the life sentence that abuse condemns its victims to and the tragic insecurity/loneliness that can come with such a singular talent.

If you’re interested in creativity…MASSIVE RECOMMEND.