Psyche yourself up for another round of wholesome fun in this October issue! The new additions to our racks this month promise to set your heart racing. Plus, as an advocate of locally designed products, we're definitely more than happy to introduce new local designers in this issue. These products are definitely a must to check out, especially for savvy tech geeks out there and we promise you wouldn't be disappointed.

FASHION

Surface To Air Autumn/Winter 2008 Fret not if you can't get your hands on Surface to Air X Justice collaboration because it's only meant for guys. Check out the latest Autumn/Winter collection For Women and perhaps that would just solve your agony. Remixing elements of the 1960's & 1980's, the highlights of this season were presented with strong colours mixed with light reflections. The construction of the garments is based on very simple, geometric looks while creating a sexy laidback persona, perfect for a great night out! While the women's collection is about simplicity and geometrics, the AW08 men's collection focuses on classicism & intensity. It is a mix of stylized uniforms & revisited classic pieces. Special attention is given to hidden details & fabric selection, alongside with coloured denims & graphics. Notable pieces from this collection serves as great basics that are essential for a modern man's wardrobe complete with a personality that reflects Surface to Air's strong direction & codes; always in reference to underground culture, art & music.

WACKY WARES

+d +d is a brand of interior decorating items collaboratively designed by h concept ( [a∫kαnsept] pronounced as "ash concept" ), a Japanese design firm located in downtown Kuramae, Tokyo. Driven by the importance of understanding the stories behind each design, + d nevertheless seek to deliver products with "heart for the new age". Start clearing your shelves to make way for these delectable gooooooodies. Arch Ruler by Tomoya Yoshida Imagine having a ruler structured in the form of an arch, which is uniquely shaped to make it easier to pick up and hold down. The best of it is that it also prevents smudges when drawing lines. No more lost rulers under those piles of papers as the Arch Ruler can be easily found if you lose track of it on your desk. Available in funky colours such as Blue, Green, Orange & Pink, we guarantee you probably wouldn't see rulers in the same light again. Splash Umbrella Stand by Yasuhiro Asano Made from rubber, this compact space saving umbrella stand comes in a variety of colours & is perfect for the home or office. No more leaving your umbrella out to dry or jostling for spaces with your co-workers because this great design allows up to 12 umbrellas to be inserted in the inner & outer grooves. Since it is made of rubber, there is no danger of damaging the floor. Its weight ensures that it will remain stable, even when numerous umbrellas are plugged. Tag Cup by Kanae Tsukamoto These kitschy silicone sleeves from designer Kanae Tsukamoto are the hippest layer of protection that allow you to hold and enjoy your cuppa firmly with both hands. The sleeves come together with cups that can be stacked together and stored away easily. Their size & design also make them perfect for serving a variety of food, including fruits, soup, & dessert. The array of colors not only brightens up the kitchen but adds a psychedelic touch to the latter as well. Tube Doorstop by Tetsuo Shibuya These cutesy darlings do not solely serve its purpose of replacing the boring doorstoppers but also prove to be very practical as well. Do not be deceived by their cutesy outlooks because these compact tubes can definitely keep your doors securely in place better than any conventional doorstoppers.

Areaware Roller Stop Following the success of his previous works, award winning interior and industrial designer Harry Allen sets to raise his career up another notch by introducing yet another design piece that leaves you in awe. Doing at what he does best, which is to reinterpret the ordinary, the designer introduces the Roller Stop, which plays on 1970's iconic object, the roller skate, serving its dual function as a bookend or doorstopper. Banana Bowl Taking a humble bunch of bananas and transforming into an art form is certainly not an easy task. Although it may not taste as sweet as the real ones, at least it does make its worth by having the ability to hold a good assortment of fruits or even sitting on its own as a piece of art.

SUCK.UK Deemed as UK's hottest names in interior product design, SUCK UK founded by Sam and Jude is the brand that you should not miss! Known for the iconic furniture and witty gadgets, which can be found in uber cool shops such as the Conran Shop in Paris or even the Design Museum in London, the designers are reluctant to pontificate about style or any influences, or rather they only enjoy doing what they believe in. Good Book & Dear Diary Flask in a Book Give the "Good Book" or "Dear Diary" as a gift and you can hand write a touching and heartfelt greeting on the inside cover. Or you can fill the flask with the recipient's favourite tipple. If you really want to push the boat out, nip into your local Key cutting shop and get the flask engraved! Key Bottle Opener Just about the coolest Bottle opener you could hang from your key chain! Made from tough nickel steel it will be your trusty drinking pal for years to come! The key-shaped bottle opener will impress and bemuse everywhere you go - just don't try to open your front door with it! Mix Tape USB Stick Remember the days before digital music and MP3 players? If you do, then you've probably made compilations of all your favourite music, to share with your friends and loved ones, on good old-fashioned blank cassette tapes. If you miss making mix tapes, this product will inspire you again! Carve Your Own Card Wooden postcard ready for you to hand carve your own message of love. Send a truly unique card to the one you love. We suggest a good old-fashioned heart pierced with Cupids arrow and decorated with the initials of yourself and the object of your affections! The wooden postcard is not only soft and lightweight but also easy to scratch in your design (with keys or similar) and easy to post.

Local Designs Ipod Holder by Victoria Chee - Février Designs Nothing beats having a unique Ipod holder, which easily sets you apart from the rest. These handmade Ipod holders come in a variety of fabrics that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also easy to care for as well. They can be hand washed with a mild detergent & ironed on low to medium heat. The Reading Glass by Tony & Keith - Archetypes An iconic representation of a bookmark in the form of a reading glass, a natural association with a tool that aids in reading and the Reading Glass by Archetypes is a subtle reminder to cultivate good reading habits! Made out of real wood, the bookmark has gone through an innovative manufacturing process that enabled the piece to be 1mm thin yet pliable at the hinge without breaking. Macbook/Macbook Air Sleeping Bags by Furryrobo Inspired by sleeping bags, these laptop cases for Macbook/Macbook Air do not only look stylish but also protect your laptops as well with its quilted foam high-quality nylon sleeve. It is specially crafted to be slim-fitting in order to compliment the Macbook. Decorated with premium leather trimmings at the side, it suits the hippie designer lifestyle by showing off their emblem of cool. Just don't mistake it for your pillow when you're going to bed!

BOOK

The Idea Book With a sombre cover like this, you can never fathom what's actually brewing in this book! Having sold more than 150,000 pieces in Sweden, The Idea Book is the ultimate remedy for the uninspired. Unlike other management books, the book essentially focuses on business creativity, which teaches uncreative people to develop their creativity. With blank pages provided, readers can even pen down anything that inspires them as they read along. How cool can that be? Dubbed as "Speaker of the Year 2007" in Sweden, author Fredrik Haren hopes that The Idea Book can be the training tool for developing creativity in any business organizations.

MUSIC

I Hold A Wish For You Aspidistrafly I Hold A Wish For You - the long-awaited first full-length album from Aspidistrafly, who has attracted attention outside of their native country Singapore for their works in international compilations, collaborations & overseas performances since 2007. Inspired by several excursions outside the confines of their immediate surroundings, the album invokes delicate moments & a feeling of connection with people & places faraway. The nine tracks combine acoustic instrumentations across broad washes of warm vocal harmonies & soft floating textures. The album is specially packaged in a customized 6-fold accordion photo album with photography by Aspidistrafly's April Lee & Kobe-based artist, Rika M. This album is an invitation to travel with sound & go forth into the world created by the artist.

Windvane & Window Flica The brainchild of Euseng Seto, Flica is an electro-acoustic outfit from the evolving music scene of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Started out by conceptualizing and producing delicate home-brew music since 2005, Seto eventually felt the need to explore further with his own music style, thus forming Flica in 2007. The debut album, Windvane & Window captures Flica's impeccable ability to balance simple playful musical creativity with subtle, honest emotional depths, combining youthful pop sensibilities with matured artistry. In essence, the album is not one of extremities but a collection of skillfully controlled heart-felt expressions, creating a sense of serenity that bridges dreams with reality.

3:19 Bande Originale Du Film Robin Guthrie 3:19 is the title of the original soundtrack recording by Robin Guthrie for the acclaimed Spanish film of the same name. This is the former Cocteau Twins Guitarist's second soundtrack following Mysterious Skin and it features all the trademark Guthrie, ethereal soundscape you'd expect. This time, however, Robin has added piano, just a bit a strings and a few sound effects that nicely communicate the film's mood. Robin Guthrie's talent should need no introduction. As co-founder and guitarist of Cocteau Twins and producer of bands like Lush and Chapterhouse, he has created some of the most beautiful music of recent times and is widely regarded as a musical visionary, his sound influencing a generation.

A Song For Lost Blossoms Harold Budd + Clive Wright A new record of ambient melody and transcendental mood portals from minimalist/modernist master Harold Budd and friend guitarist/composer/producer Clive Wright. A Song For Lost Blossoms nicely builds on both artists' previous ambient work. A Song For Lost Blossoms was recorded live and in studio at different locations including the artists' homes, at REDCAT (Roy E. Disney Concert and Theater), Los Angeles, and Clive Wright's Desert Sky Studio, Joshua Tree, CA. These recordings represent the very best of Harold and Clive's work together over the period 2004 to 2006. Artist and friend Anna LaCazio reads her poem, "A Song for Lost Blossoms" which is also the title track. Harold Budd is recognized as "The Godfather of Ambient Music". His works are the cornerstones of the modern minimal and ambient canon. Clive Wright is a founding member of the platinum selling pop/rock band Cock Robin and has worked as writer, producer and guitarist with Human Drama, Tears for Fears members, Montell Jordan, The Black Eyed Peas and Peter Gabriel.

DVD

Variations VII by John Cage In 1966, ten New York artists and thirty engineers and scientists from Bell Telephone Laboratories collaborated on a series of innovative dance, music and theatre performances, 9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering, held in New York City. Archival material has been assembled into ten films, each of which reconstructs the artist's original work and uses interviews with the artists, engineers and performers to illuminate the artistic, technical and historical aspects of the work. Variations VII, performed at 9 Evenings, was the next to last in John Cage's series of indeterminate works that he had begun in 1958, which made increasing use of electronic equipment and systems. This DVD documents the only complete performance of Variations VII and also presents a stereo audio recording of the full 85 minutes performance.

Jean Nouvel Jean Nouvel, 2008 Pritzker Prize winner, is one of the most innovative and unconventional architects of our time. He owes his fame to projects such as the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Opera House in Lyon, the Cartier Foundation Headquarters, as well as his spectacular design of the Tokyo opera and the boldness of his "Endless Tower". This film casts a fresh, explicit glance at the scope of this architect and his work as Nouvel explains what architecture means to him with footage from ten of his most recent creations. It reflects the portrait of a man who steadily confronts the world, and moulds it according to his own philosophy.

The World of Gilbert & George Written and directed by the artists and released to coincide with their major international travelling retrospective beginning in 2007 at Tate Modern in London, the feature-length film The World of Gilbert & George is an extraordinary journey into the work of this lively and controversial duo. Appearing on DVD for the first time, it is not simply a profile but an artwork in its own right - an expression of the emotional extremes of modern existence, and a stark portrayal of the streets of London.

Architects Herzog and DeMeuron: Alchemy of Building & Tate Modern The Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (architects of the Beijing National Stadium, or "Bird's Nest") were jointly awarded the 2001 Pritzker Prize, their profession's highest honour, for combining "the artistry of an age-old profession with the fresh approach of a new century's technical capabilities". Visiting examples of Herzog and de Meuron's ground-breaking style, this film reflects their capacity to astonish and explore the way in which they transform what might otherwise be ordinary shapes, materials and surfaces through new treatments and techniques. Their perspective on and approach to architecture; their design dialogue; the way their strengths and weaknesses complement each other; and their collaborations with others, particularly artists, will all be brought into focus to give a fascinating insight into the cutting edge of architecture today.

vE-jA: Art + Technology of Live Audio-Video by Xarene Eskandar 192 page book with 68-minute vE-jA is a global snapshot of a genre of tech-art performance: VJing and live audio-video. The book covers 40 international artists with 400+ colour images, 50+ movies and clips on an accompanying DVD and web downloads. Regionally organized, the book showcases VJing and live A/V, not as an isolated art-tech phenomenon for geeks, but as a global art movement with sophisticated creators and audiences alike.

ARTSY FARTSY

Solitude by Andree Weschler Drawing is a debate between the full and the empty. This body of work is an installation of empty wine bottles, defined as cadavers of time with their outer layers engraved with drawings and intricate lineworks. Transposing it into a physical calendar in the chart of emptiness, filling up the vacuum of solitude. About the artist: Andree Weschler is a French artist who has been living and practicing art in Asia for more than 13 years. Her works have been depicted in several mediums such as drawing, installation, video, photography and sound. Having studied Visual Arts in Singapore, Australia and Les Beaux Arts de Paris, she has also held various exhibitions in different countries, notably in Singapore, Japan, China, Korea, Argentina and London.