Naomi:
Pluto is entering Aquarius and the next 20 years will be ruled by global themes of technology; the world feels like it’s on the brink of collapse and the AI takeover is impending. This has spurred on my obsession with big skinny robots. In the film “Castle in the Sky,” robots tenderly care for the birds and flowers in the city Laputa, but a disgruntled robot lays waste to a military base in an act of rage. In the album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” by the Flaming Lips, robots are scary: “Those evil natured robots / They’re programmed to destroy us,” but also sympathetic: “One more robot learns to be / Something more than a machine.” We rely on technology, but it’s fragile. Your laptop can be destroyed if it falls in the bathtub, and the robot in the graphic novel “Robot Dreams” breaks after going to the beach. Its dog friend abandons it, leaving it stranded until a racoon comes and repairs it. In the end it has a stereo for a chest and can play music. Robot stories remind me to be careful, suspicious, but also kind. I love big skinny robots.
Big skinny robot in ‘Castle in the Sky.’ Image courtesy of Studio Ghibli
Marian:
I’ve been recently obsessed with videos of Ethel Cain’s unreleased music on YouTube, specifically her demo “Crying During Sex.” The song makes me feel a deliciously intense feeling of utter despair and longing I could never be able to put into words good enough. I swear I’ve listened to it twice every day for a week.
Amyna:
I’ve been obsessed with the new “RAVE:N, The Remixes” album by Kelela featuring so many other amazing artists and Djs!! This album makes me want to dance, cry, stomp, scream and float.
Chloe:
The “Until Dawn” game on PS4. It is an interactive survival horror game where the player’s decisions will influence both the overall story and ending of the game. It takes place on the fictional Blackwood Mountain with a group of friends a year after their friends disappeared a year ago. They must face a masked “psycho” and mysterious vicious creatures. There are 8 playable characters and your actions in the game will determine their fate. The game has been announced to be getting a remake for PS5 and PC this year, plus a movie in the works!
The game is a great experience for horror lovers, especially people who are into the slasher and creature-feature subgenres. It has certainly become a classic amongst horror game lovers.
SPOILERS: My favorite characters are Emily and Sam (also the only ones I was able to keep alive my play through)
Emily from “Until Dawn.” Image courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment
Paige
My current obsession right now is AI being used in fashion. It’s scary but intriguing to me. I recently learned about Norma Kamali “downloading her brain” to AI so that her company can still function as if she’s there once she retires. It gives dystopian manufactured fashion in my opinion, which would take the heart, soul and creativity out of fashion. A lot of companies are finding ways to implement AI into their practices now but I haven’t seen anyone do it like this.
Samah
Makeup looks from Maison Margiela’s Paris Haute Couture Spring Summer 2024. The collection’s theme was artisanal and to showcase that, the collection had each model have doll-like makeup. Constructed by Pat McGrath, each look had a porcelain-like base, thin eyebrows and accommodating blush and eyeshadow. I was sincerely blown away. I came across this look from a painting on Instagram. I just thought it was the painter’s work, which was phenomenal, until I saw who they tagged, which led to me endlessly scrolling on the looks of this collection. They were eerie, avant garde. I appreciate when fashion shows put attention to detail in things such as hair, makeup, accessories, walking, etc. I think it elevates the experience for the audience and showcases the teamwork and creativity of the production as a whole.
Image courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs
Graphics by Asha Hubbard