Taiwan Travelogue
Poetic queer romance dotted with gorgeously alive food descriptions, examines the power dynamics of an intimate relationship through the lens of a far-reaching empire.
Berkeley rose garden
Spent hours here reading this past July. Highly recommend 🌹
Album: fata morgana by L’Rain (2026)
This album traverses through a gloriously textured sonic landscape, which both catapults and cradles the listener through space and time. Her voice is transcendent; layered, smooth as glass. It is an ethereal fountain with resonance that glistens like deep honey. Truly immersive— a whole damn galaxy. Listen to it in its entirety, after all, it’s an ALBUM, folks! (Am I showing my age)? A sweeping saga full of both rise and fall. I love that she allows so many facets of her musicianship exist simultaneously, without feeling the need to shrink herself into being categorized. She glides so effortlessly (which, in fact is NOT an easy thing to achieve) through both genres- rock, r+b, jazz, trip-hop to name a few) and employs a fastidious approach to instrumentation (drumssshred), but never feels like she is reaching out of her depth. Cinematic elements are present throughout the duration (40 min), and I wonder who is going to be lucky enough to hire her to score their film. We are so fortunate to exist in the same timeline as L.Rain’s bounteous multiverse. A musician’s musician. This is my ultimate end-of-summer listen. Bonus: the cover image was taken by one of our generation’s most prolific artists, Clifford Prince King. He imparts a golden hue within his images✨ Pro-tip: if you’re in Los Angeles, she’s playing @ 20220 Arts + Archives in December. Best to snag a ticket now!
Elorea on Wilshire
Located in a 100+-year-old Spanish revival building in the heart of Ktown. Enter through the intricate wrought-iron gate where the lobby reveals several detailed arches throughout the doorway. Ascend to the top floor via a well-traversed wooden elevator. When you emerge, you are situated on the rooftop and greeted by a covered seating area cloaked in a burgeoning wall of jasmine. The Elorea space boasts a vaulted ceiling, prominent arched windows, a spiral staircase and an expansive city view. According to a lovely salesperson, it was formerly a residence. The interior is accented with onyx-black details, including custom fixtures by designer Paul Chan that nod to a Brutalist foundation augmented by a futurist understanding of materiality through shape, texture and function. There are two half-circle displays that anchor the space. Here, you are invited to engage with the ever-expanding fragrance collection. I appreciated their attention to detail, including the minimalist bell-shaped porcelain diffusers that carry the scent. It’s a thoughtful touch and helps mitigate overwhelming your nose. The fragrances themselves are designed with a range of Korean ingredients, showcasing cultural elements through modern expressions. Bella, the most astute salesperson expertly guided me and a friend through their scenes. I was quite taken by the depth and range of their collection. What I realized is that while I enjoyed some of the bolder selections in concept, I didn’t like how they settled on my skin*. Ultimately, I purchased a few samples @ $12/ea, and lived with them for a week before returning for a full bottle. *I’ll go into some specifics/ reviews in a different post. With scent, storytelling is vital. Elorea expertly understands this and has built out a small cafe, offering a selection of beverages created with specific scent pairings in mind, giving way to a multi-sensory experience. For those who are curious— I highly recommend taking an afternoon, and finding respite in letting yourself be immersed in this version of the world. ☁️ ***image by YeRin Mok
