Sweet 23
Reflection on the Ins/Outs of 2023, and my favourite music from the year
I wrote these out following a dinner with friends the first week of 2023. Often do we see the lists but never the results or what we made of them– so I’ll leave some notes here.
INS
Surprises – There were many surprises this year. Maybe I gave a few more than I received. The best one was my friends setting up a disco ball in the basement of our cottage the night I turned 30.
Independence – I think about this image of Nicole Kidman so often. Freedom instilled in one image, one expression. The purity of it all.
Chiengora – Definition: Chiengora, also called "dog wool," is yarn or wool spun from dog hair. Honestly I didn’t think about chiengora for the rest of the year. But I love the idea of it.
Cash – We are moving farther and farther into a cashless society. I can’t be tippling 15% on every loaf of bread at the bakery. So I toss 25 cents into the tip jar instead. Sue me! Cash is still in for 2024.
Newspaper – I happened to make one this year– Something about its tactility, its folds. Click through to see more images on Instagram or purchase one here.
Dinners, lots of dinners – 2023 was the year of dinners. Nothing makes me happier than a good one.
Intuition – Always and forever, intuition. If u ain’t got it, u ain’t living
Flip phones – This did not work out for me, but kudos to all the girlies who flip
OUTS
Content – All this pressure for content. Do what feels natural or do nothing at all.
Overly produced music – Standing by this in 2024. I want roughness. I feel the reason I keep producing my own music is so I can grow from it, so there are mistakes, so I can see the growth.
Grey – I fucking hate grey. The colour of our dwindling society. Forever out
Fear – though fear can be still be good. the people in my life who I admire the most have put themselves in situations which have scared them. You can grow from fear
Aging male artists who are out of touch – A tale as old as time
y2k fashion – This one I came around to. Bought a Falenciaga Le Cagole bag online and have been wearing it ever since
Business Instagram dms – Scratched out because I understand their necessity
The Devil – I was drunk at the time of this inclusion–– maybe I was talking about the tarot card. But I don’t think I’ve ever pulled that one?
So there we have it. I’ll make my 2024 list in the coming days. Today I’ll buy my rose to welcome the new year, and tonight I’ll DJ the late dinner/drinks service at Kabinet. I keep joking with Hugo that I was born to DJ New Years Eve – and I do whenever possible.
Two songs that just scream New Years to me are Ceremony by Joy Division and Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads. One of the best New Years I ever had happened because we walked into the wrong party. It ended up being the best mistake ever made and we welcomed 2013 on a rooftop with fireworks screaming Ceremony to the Toronto skyline and kissing everyone on the mouth. Once in a Lifetime is just a beautiful sparkling song I remember my parents playing every New Years dancing with their friends in the living room. Now I do the same.
I’ll leave you with some of my favourite music released this year.
I was lucky enough to contribute music to two albums on this list: Seb Wildblood’s Separation Anxiety and Khotin’s Release Spirit.
I’ll be spending the next months in a new studio doing lots of writing. Will try and send some passing thoughts when I can. My problem is that I overthink these letters - best not to!
Happy new year to everyone. Lots of love,
xx tess
