Currents: Charm School
Our recommendations this week.. [7.9.25]
From S:
Viktor Lazlo
Belgian pop singer and avid wearer of Mugler, who named herself after the character in Casablanca. Amorous and sophisticated lounge, sung in French and English.
"I've been wondering for 15 years already why I chose Viktor Lazlo as a pseudonym: it took me years to figure it out: My parents had a daughter, but wanted a son. My mother cried when I was born, not another girl ... That's the sort of thing you carry with you in your life, and I did that with my name. I wanted to confirm the male part of me, to cover my female side: Sonia stayed at home, was introverted, shy, loved to cook, sat in front of the fireplace; While Viktor stood on stage, was brave, vindictive, played the role everyone wanted her to".
Tony Hancock: The Ladies Man
Watched this Tony Hancock sketch the other day. He attends a ‘charm’ school for men because he’s not having any luck with women. Englishness abounds.
Tom Ford
I enjoyed these sparkly suits for his Fall 2025 collection; they are silly, arrogant, dark, chic and sexy at the same time. There are sometimes moments in my day when Tom Ford comes to mind - a parked black Mercedes, a warehouse of building materials, a reflective burgundy surface, a woman with ginger hair. He says he wants to spend the next 20 years making films (his first two are good), and that sometimes he dissociates and realises how senseless it is that he designs clothes. He’s enigmatic and singular in a world of transparency and complication.
Money Honey - El Prevost
This is the first EP from 2010 by South London producer El Prevost, AKA Lincoln. Atypical house, Chicagoish with dark orchestral sounds, noir atmosphere throughout. Album cover is great.
From R:
Homemade Marmalade
'When I get sour oranges / make marmalade from the peels, if they are organic. Shred, soak, cook slowly simmering in water for about an hour before adding sugar, and letting that simmer without boiling until it thickens a little. When it's cool it thickens more[…] and the marmalade is a good way to get sugar with the cottage cheese or parmesan', spoke the late, great Dr. Ray Peat. I've bought one infused with whiskey from a local pub guitarist's sister. I will not be eating it with Parmesan.
Lightning Under Camouflage - Debut Demo, 2022
'Mixing the soft, rustic Neofolk chords, with Ambient experiments that create a rather unreal, ethereal atmosphere, that reminisces with the experimental meanderings of early Posh Isolation projects, or other labels like Janushoved or Vienna Press, and elements of Industrial as well as a lot of samples co-related with the themes. The production and mixing of the music, very multi-layered and with a lot of looping of sections also somehow reminds of the excellent Cold Gate project, from Russia' - Rites of Pestilence. Their first track, 'National Anthem' reminds me a lot of Dune, or early Grimes.
Peckhamplex
Budget retro cinema on Rye Lane. Tickets are £5.99 and they sell huge boxes of red sweets. There is something haunting about the shiny bright pink interiors reminiscent of a half-forgotten Year 6 school trip. I attended a short film screening there which was 3 minutes long.