Post rock, jazz and ambient maestros, The Album Leaf, makes its anticipated return to Singapore after a string of sold-out performances at the last Mosaic Music Festival here in 2007. With a successful full-length album, A Chorus Of Storytellers, just out, as well as the opportunity to play in a spanking new Live Music venue (TAB), front-man Jimmy LaValle and his band look set to command and conquer.

The Album Leaf plays over 9 and 10 Septemer at TAB. Tickets on sale now at www.tab.com.sg.

www.thealbumleaf.com

50.drmartens.com

The ever-reliable G-Shock gets a little makeover by the guys behind Passarella Death Squad. The matte black model (the popular DW-6900FS) will feature the subtle but still iconic details from the british label, which includes details engraved onto the back case and straps on the watch. Might require a little squinting to spot it but hey, subtlety is the new black. This collaboration will drop soon, and more details will soon be available on their website so bookmark it!

www.passarelladeathsquad.blogspot.com

This Friday, La Maison is topping itself, bringing you not one, not two, but three acts in one night! They ain’t calling it a menage a trois for no reason. In the club’s main arena, you may get your ears tuned to Linkwood, a top-notch player on the electronic dance scene, in the vein of Juan Atkins and Larry Heard. And in the VIP loft, you’ll find Jus-Ed, one of the world’s Top 100 DJs (according to a Resident Advisor poll) who’s adventurous and spiritual brand of house music you’ll surely love. He comes along with Levon Vincent, his fellow label mate and techno whiz.

Catch these three acts at La Maison on 3 September.

Here’s the motherload! This September we’re spoiling you silly with a mound of content, including interviews with everyone from Hiroki Nakamura (founder of Visvim and our cover personality) to Major Lazer, reports on how Delphic and Nightfest went down, fashion bites from Gap, Ray-Ban and Saturday, as well as a spotlight on local bloggers. And then, there’s that night out we spent with The Like, which was somethin’ else all together.

It costs only $4 to purchase a special edition of JUICE, which comes with extra goodness in the form of chats with Arcade Fire and Designer Drugs, more feature-length stories on art, fashion and music, on top of special promos from Kyboe and New Balance!

Get your free JUICE at any of these spots, or buy your JUICE (at only $4) from all major bookstores and news stands.

Hiroki Nakamura photography by Ivanho Harlim / Photo-op courtesy of Surrender and Visvim

The celebration of Sanrio’s 50th anniversary continues! This time round, it teams up with BAPE to release a collection of 48 items for both boys and girls that ranges from accessories to apparel. This collaboration also sees the birth of the uber cute Baby Milo - and in the collection you’ll be able to catch him hanging out with his new pals from the Sanrio fam, which of course includes everyone’s favourite cartoon cat, Hello Kitty along with her posse. Apart from Singapapore, this limited collection is only available at Kyoto and Tokyo, so you know what to do.

Available from 28 August to 30 September only at the BAPE store at Mandarin Gallery, #02-02/03.

www.bape.com

You couldn’t have found a happier and more pumping dance floor than the one at La Maison last month. The newest stop for hipsters and scenesters of all shapes and sizes, the club was enjoying its official launch – and what a night it was.

Ramming its premises were sexy and sweaty bodies, overflowing champagne and the perfect party atmosphere, while the decks were ably helmed by not one, but two special guests. André Saraiva, French graffitist and entrepreneur (La Maison benefits from his input), was one, and the other was Gildas Loaëc, one-half of Kitsuné. Their resulting tandem DJ set marked the first of La Maison’s collaborative X Parties, and also happened to feature a bangin’ cross-section of indie-electro (from Le Tigre to La Roux). And judging by the fact that every surface of the club was being occupied by a dance move or 86, we know you loved it.

www.lamaison.com.sg

In a world of unicorns and strawberry shortcakes, Major Lazer is a Jamaican commando who fought in the “Secret Zombie War of 1984” and lost both arms in combat (this is pretty LOL stuff). In real life, Major Lazer is the collaboration of two of dancehall, reggae and electro’s biggest brains today - Diplo and Switch – who with appointed “Hype Man” Skerrit Bwoy, lay mayhem, madness and some pretty sharp tunes on the dancefloor. Diplo explains.

Your album Guns Don’t Kill People - Lazers Do was produced in Jamaica. Was it a good place to do a record?
Yes it was! This year, we have been doing lots of stuff in Jamaica and I still work there for other projects too, not just Major Lazer, like I DJ there quite a bit and was just there trying to finish Santigold’s new record. I have a good relationship with some studios there too. Actually, it was more difficult to work with the first album than it is now with the second. With the first album we were working from scratch with the songs. Now with the second one, we have established a fan base and a lot of artists want to work with us. Makes it easy.

Great parties in Jamaica?
Not really, since the studio is out in the woods. But it’s good like that – when you are isolated you can get more stuff done. But we are often in Kingston too and there is a lot of great energy there!

Nice. And you are doing a new album with Major Lazer right now?
Yeah, we are going to do like 20 albums before we are done….

How does Major Lazer make the world a better place?
If not for our existence, there wouldn’t be shows like tonight’s and the world will be a bit darker. I’m really just happy to be here.

Read the rest of this interview in the September issue of JUICE, now out at these spots.

www.majorlazer.com

Text: Heidi Lahtinen
Image and Interview courtesy of: Zouk