June’s Hot List
APP: CUBITTS HERU
Since opening in Kings Cross in 2012, Cubitts has quickly established itself as a go-to purveyor of smart, unfussy glasses and shades at affordable prices. To shake up the market a little more, it’s now about to launch Cubitts Heru, an app to help you buy (and afford) frames that actually fit. To bring bespoke glasses into financial range for the masses, founder Tom Broughton is deploying AI. Anyone whose phone has 3D-modelling capabilities (like the iPhone X) can use the app to scan a photo of their head, choose a style of glasses they like, customise the frame and send off their order for 3D printing. For Cubitts, this will be the difference between charging £725 for a made-to-measure prescription pair, as it has to now, and £250.
Coming early June
Visit Cubitts.com
BOOK: SURFING 1778-TODAY
In five chronological chapters, this visual history of surfing from art publisher Taschen traces the sport from Captain James Cook’s first contact with surfing in the late 18th century to the global phenomenon it is today. In an XL coffee-table format, it brings together more than 900 images and essays by leading surf journalists to capture its influence on style, film, art and music around the world. Signed copies of the original edition used to go for £900, until they sold out. This new edition, promised for release at some point in June, comes in at a much more accessible price.
Coming soon, £60
Visit Taschen.com
GROOMING: LIFEJACKET
Skin cancer is one of the more preventable and treatable cancers. And yet, men often leave it late to seek treatment, and they have traditionally been put off protecting themselves from the sun by heavy, greasy products that feel like too much hassle. Having had their own brushes with cancer, the three founders of LifeJacket hope to change a few male habits. Alongside a range of protective t-shirts, they’ve spent three years working with scientists to develop lightweight sun gels and daily moisturiser that will never leave you feeling sticky or white.
Visit LifeJacketSkinProtection.com
FOOD: BAO CONVNI STORE
If you’ve ever been to one of BAO’s three London sites (Borough, Fitzrovia and Soho) you’ll know all about the pillowy steamed buns from which it takes its name. You might even have missed them – with their magnificent fillings like beef shortrib and black cod – over the last couple of months. The wait is now over: the mini-chain’s Convni Store is about to unleash some six-bun BAO at Home kits on the world. It’s kicking off with two flavours (classic pork and daikon) and delivering anywhere within the M25, then expanding the range and widening delivery to nationwide. Join the online queue early.
Pre-order food kits from 8th June
Visit BaoLondon.com
FILM: DA 5 BLOODS
Spike Lee might have received a lifetime achievement Oscar back in 2016, but the Do The Right Thing director shows no signs of slowing down or mellowing. BlacKkKlansman won the adapted screenplay gong in 2019; now he’s about to make his Netflix debut. Da 5 Bloods sees four African-American vets returning to Vietnam, in search of the remains of their fallen leader – and some buried treasure. The journey means confronting the worst ravages of the Vietnam war. Like BlacKkKlansman, it makes daring use of real-life footage to connect the past to the present.
Out 12th June
Visit Netflix.com
TECH: SONOS ARC
Cinema-quality sound delivered unobtrusively was Sonos’s aim for its new Arc soundbar, which can be wall-mounted or discreetly placed on furniture. Once it’s in place, a combination of Dolby Atos – the latest iteration of Surround Sound – and Trueplay technology tailor the sound to your space. Oscar-winning sound engineers were also deployed to ensure any human voices are rendered perfectly. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are built in if you really want to set the Arc to work. For next-level aural immersion, add its matching wireless subwoofer and One SL speaker to your basket.
Pre-order now, £799
Visit Sonos.com
ALBUM: MORDECHAI BY KHRUANGBIN
Khruangbin are a boy-girl-boy trio from Houston, Texas. But you wouldn’t know that from their first three albums: the overriding influence on their 2015 debut was vintage Thai funk; their sophomore effort went farther and wider, drawing on retro sounds from the Caribbean and Middle East; then last year’s Hasta el Cielo was a playful dub version of the previous LP. The unifying force across all three was an easy, frayed, psychedelic vibe that’s perfect for barbecuing in the sun – so perhaps there’s a Texas influence in there after all. Expect more globe-trotting mellowness when Mordechai drops later this month.
Out 26th June
Visit Bandcamp.com
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