2 Days in New York

I should have posted about this sooner but I've been incredibly busy, anyway, I went to the London premiere of Two Days in New York, Julie Delpy's latest film and the sequel to her previous feature Two Days in Paris and wanted to share my thoughts. Delpy and co-star Chris Rock were both in attendance for the press and Delpy also introduced the film and participated in an informative and witty Q&A afterward.

The film itself was very enjoyable, a brilliant blend of neurotic comedy and classic farce. The story sees Delpy's character Marion from Two Days in Paris now divorced and living with new boyfriend Mingus (Chris Rock). When her French father and sister visit the situation causes a strain on the couple's relationship and brings out Marion's neuroses in full force. While the characters are quite caricatured and the plot very basic you can't help but enjoy its simple charm and assured execution. There are some unapologetically cringe-worthy culture clash moments that are truly hilarious and Delpy really knows how to keep the material fresh and provocative without being too crass or off putting. It's also very refreshing to see an interracial couple at the centre of a domestic family comedy, as this is certainly rare. When probed about this during the Q&A Delpy downplayed the intention of this, explaining that it wasn't a key element of the storyline and that her choice to cast Chris Rock was simply due to her admiration of his work but nonetheless I think it's a positive and praise-worthy aspect. Rock lends his character a more grounded humanity which pits him as the voice of reason amidst a sea of neurosis and madness, he is the rational force that highlights the absurdity of the scenarios that escalate beyond his control and playing off of this Delpy shines.

If you're a fan of Delpy's previous directorial efforts, especially Two Days in Paris, then you will no doubt enjoy this and if you're just looking for a smart adult comedy then you could do a lot worse than Two Days in New York. It's worth the price of admission alone for the surprise cameo in the third act which had me in stitches! Check out the trailer below and a brief interview with the stars as well as some Chris Rock stand-up:

FACE @ W Hotel London

Last Wednesday we moved our new party FACE from the now defunct Kitts Club to the Wyld Bar at the W Hotel London for a one-off evening of creativity and fun featuring a live PA with the hotly tipped Kase Prince who blew us away with five new tracks of upbeat club-ready hip hop/electro, a nail salon by the fabulously talented girls at Nail Porn, tunes from myself, DJ Lukey, DJ BB (Lewis Griffith) and Sean Alto, plus support from Stooki Society. Here are some of the lovely people who came down to mingle snapped by Shama Anwar:

Mashina O

Check out my brand new original track titled Mashina O which is available for free streaming and download on Soundcloud...

Inspired by Laibach’s B Mashina, Mashina O is an ode to the ground-breaking Omladinski Program Radio Sarajevo (1987 – 1992). Turning communism on its head by promoting alternative lifestyle values as well as music, subsequently becoming among the strongest movement for peace when Yugoslavia collapsed, I'm helping celebrate its 25^th anniversary and legacy by DJing in-store at Rough Trade East in London on the 15th of this month.

The First To Know Gathering @ Rough Trade East (www.roughtrade.com), 15 May, 7pm. Q&A with 'Hoxtonite' trend-setter author Lida Hujic (www.thefirsttoknow.info), win original collector items from the Sarajevo Olympics 1984 and a live DJ set from Erol Sabadosh with a very special playlist. Click HERE for more info!

The Voice UK vs. Britain's Got Talent

I must say I'm not generally a fan of televised talent shows but the concept of The Voice UK coupled with the eclectic line-up of judges reeled me in and I've been watching since the show debuted. I think it's great that The Voice only celebrates real talent and doesn't set out to mock, unlike rival show Britain's Got Talent, which mixes the sublime with the truly terrible.

So far The Voice has already showcased some amazing performers, of which Ruth Brown, Jazz Ellington and Vince Kidd are my favorites, and I certainly think these three will do very well after the show is finished, no matter who is crowned the first 'Voice UK'. While I still think these kind of television shows are tacky and not really my kind of thing, I do think The Voice UK has emerged as a unique and highly watchable series that stands firmly above its competition, and if you happened to catch both The Voice UK and Britain's Got Talent yesterday then the difference between the two was perfectly encapsulated by Emeli Sande's strong performance on the former contrasting with that of singer Tulisa, previously of UK grime act N-Dubz, on the latter. Tulisa's cringe-worthy effort rivals Britney Spears' ill fated 2007 VMA performance for awkwardness, although of course she will never reach the same level of fame, which does make me wonder why anyone would want to see this. Surprisingly though BGT is winning the ratings war with The Voice UK according to latest figures so what gives?

There are some very gifted folk popping up on BGT but I just can't sit through the rest, and I find the judges excruciatingly smug and annoying. On the other hand The Voice UK has been a great platform for Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am who, during the course of the series, has completely won me over with his bizarre catchphrases and his brilliant anecdotes, and he really has proved that he has a great ear and top producer talent. I do think the show has lost some of its initial spark as the live rounds continue and the cast of hopefuls are slowly picked off, but there are still moments that make it worth watching. The judges haven't always made wise decisions (Harriet Whitehead not being picked has so far been the most infuriating) and the show is still obviously manipulative and exploitative but I do think it's a step up from the usual reality-based dross that graces television screens.

As an aside, I tried watching The Voice US but the judges, including Christina Aguilera and the lead singer of Maroon 5, proved too insufferable to bear.

Here are some of my favorite performances from The Voice UK so far: