Nun schon vor über 10 Jahren fragte mich Noxlay damals, ob ich nicht mal Bock hätte, in der Toskana Therme im thüringischen Bad Sulza Musik aufzulegen, die dort so wohl über als auch unter Wasser zu hören ist. Seitdem war ich mehrfach dort, um Unterwassermusik zu spielen. Zu letzt Anfang November, aber dazu später mehr.

Jedenfalls dachte ich vor Ort, dass er dann ja auch mal einen Kalendermix beisteuern könnte, woraufhin er „Record“ drückte – und zack – seinen Mix kurzerhand aufnahm. Anfänglicher Downtempo geht in Ambient über. Ganz so, wie es Unterwasser halt klingen kann und klingen sollte. Wenn ihr mal die Gelegenheit haben solltet, fahrt da mal hin. Es ist wirklich großartig im Liquid Sound Club.

Noxlay ist DJ, Booker und leidenschaftlicher Musikenthusiast. Seit den späten 90er-Jahren prägt er als regionaler DJ und Promoter die elektronische Musikszene.
Als Resident-DJ im Liquid Sound Club, einem thüringer Thermalbad, kreiert er atmosphärische Klangwelten: Entspannte Ambient- und Chillout-Musik, die sowohl über als auch unter Wasser erklingt. Hier heißt er auch andere Künstler willkommen und schafft einen Raum für besondere Klangerlebnisse.

Dieser Mix entstand in den frühen Morgenstunden des Liquid Sound Festivals 2025 in der Toskana Therme Bad Sulza – ein Moment zwischen Nacht und Tag, eingefangen in Musik.

KFMW Adventskalender · 2025 #03: Noxlay – Drifting Lowlands

Style: Downtempo/Ambient
Length: 01:39:27
Quality: 320 kBit/s

Tracklist:
Schilfeule – Geplantes Nichtstun
Elliptical Sequence – Kalpataru Tree
Baltique (Original Mix) – Judith van Waterkant & Herman T.
Patrick Jahn & Erobique – Moonlight
Aconite – ELIXIR
Tall Skies – State Azure
Thought Becomes Form – Hibernation
Intrinsic – MARTIN NONSTATIC
A Chorus of Trees – Gregg Kowalsky
White Lake – State Azure
Candidasa – DJ Koze
Nmesh – 地平線に沈む夕
Nmesh – アンチ技術のマジェスティックビューティー
Black Hill & Cousin Silas – Grassland blues
Nmesh – 体熱
Epicentre (First Movement) – CBL
Patterns In The Dust – State Azure
Vär (Rework Bonus) – il:lo
Rapture – State Azure

This is the fourth edition of my monthly newsletter, M31, that was sent out on Tuesday, December 2 — you can subscribe here. and read the first edition here.

Hi everyone, and welcome to the December edition of the M31 newsletter! I’m Jean Snow, and this is where I share monthly updates on what I’m up to here in Shanghai. Let’s get to it.

What’s M31? It’s a name I used close to two decades ago as my sort of publishing imprint/company label for the activities I was doing while I lived in Tokyo, and I’ve decided to revive it. It’s simply inspired by my birthday of May 31. The logo you see above was designed by Ian Lynam, and is part of a set of 31 logos he created for me back in the late 2000s, which I’ve decided to start re-using for this newsletter.

All the activities I organize in Shanghai have dedicated groups in WeChat, where you’ll get the latest updates, and so please contact me to be added to any of them.

PauseTalk

On the PauseTalk side of things, no big updates since last month except that I’ve decided to postpone the upcoming Vol. 100 to sometime in January (instead of December). With a PechaKucha Night planned for early December (see below), and the second-half of December feeling like it might not be the best time to do an event, with many busy during the holidays, I felt like it was best to wait a bit.

I’ll settle on a date in the coming weeks, and share it in the usual places (the PauseTalk website and in the WeChat group).

You’ll find archives of past events on the PauseTalk website, which includes recaps for each session.

PechaKucha Night

In November we had our Vol. 48, which was a fun event, held in yet another new space for us (pictured above).

Our next PechaKucha Night (Vol. 49) is happening next week, on Thursday, December 11, and it will take place at a lovely space called Haworth. As I’ve already mentioned, this will be the 20th event George and I have produced since re-launching the series in 2023, and we decided to have a theme this time, “Transformation.” Also, I’ll be doing a presentation — something I’ve been doing every December, so it’s turning into a tradition — about “The Movies That Made Me,” in which I talk about my passion for movies, and how various movies influenced me throughout my life. I’m also introducing the “PechaKucha Mix” for the first time in Shanghai — basically, an improv activity in which I create a presentation, and will have someone present it without having seen the slides. This time, our “someone” will be two members of a local improv troupe, so should be lots of fun.

And looking even further, we are already circling January 22 for our first PKN of 2026, which will be our Vol. 50, which is a nice milestone to celebrate as well.

You can always check our Shanghai page on the official PechaKucha website to see the listings for the latest events.

FOTO5

The latest themes we explored in the FOTO5 group were FAMOUS, EYES (my contribution is pictured above), NATURE (and I did a part 2 as well, as I had traveled to Chengdu), and COOKING. This time, I reacted with a 100WORD comment to one of the photos that had been shared for the EYES theme.

—

It was a dangerous time to be meeting, considering the current escalation, but his handler had been clear. Contact at this time was essential, as there was an update to the operation that needed to be shared immediately.

He was dreading it but was expecting it.

It was a burn notice.

Despite everything he had done for his country (even if it was an adopted one), and the sacrifices made, trust had been lost, and now this.

Looking up, he then noticed the camera.

—

It was for this photo:

If you’re interested in participating in the FOTO5 photo club, contact me so I can add you to the group on WeChat.

Shanghai Design Pins

Here are some of the latest Shanghai Design Pins that were shared in the group since last month.

• 15th Shanghai Biennale (Hypebeast) — was held in November

• Barraco (Instagram) — a tiny bar that was made up almost entirely of reclaimed doors and windows (sadly, now closed)

• Espace Gabrielle Chanel (Designboom) — beautiful new library space for art books at the Shanghai Power Station of Art (pictured above)

• Miu Miu Literary Club (Vogue) — literary event held recently in Shanghai

• Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in China (Dezeen) — designed by BIG, opening in 2026 (pictured below)

• The Silent Gaze (The Spaces) — flagship store on Yonguyan Road for fashion brand theboyhasnopatience (TBHNP), designed by Beijing-based FON studio

• Yuanverse Living Paradigms (ArchDaily) — not in Shanghai, but developed in collaboration between AOMOMO studios and Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai Design Pins is a group on WeChat where we share design-related spots (and events) in Shanghai — contact me to be added.

One More Thing

Last Friday night ended up being quite good — after the end-of-day apéro at the studio, I had a burger at Goodman — certainly one of my favorite burgers in town — and then we went to a couple of cocktail bars, ending at Pop Corner, which has a lovely retro atmosphere inside (and is also quite popular, as we tried going first, it was packed, so ended up going again later when it was less crowded).

Well, that does it for this December edition of the newsletter. If you’re in town, do come to our upcoming PechaKucha Nights (or even PauseTalk), and here’s hoping for a great start to 2026.

For more on me, you can alway have a look at my personal website (where I share the newsletters in case you missed them) — I’ve been blogging since 1998 — or for lighter stuff (and lots of movie reviews) you can follow me on Bluesky.

Not every 80s home gets a second life this stunning. But in Alcudia, perched above the jaw-dropping Mallorcan coastline, Germany-based design studio Holzrausch has turned a once-underwhelming vacation home, Casa da Praia, into a summer retreat where mid-century California vibes seamlessly merge with touches of Brazilian and Mexican influences.

On the exterior, the house looks deceptively toned down – until you spot the pops of color drenching the poolside walls (where there’s an outdoor shower), much like you’d find at Luis Barragán’s house and studio in Mexico City. The monochromatic exterior reads like a single sculpted volume, thanks to textured plaster that replaces the original stone facade. The landscaping surrounding the three-bedroom house features Mediterranean and native plants that add life to the outdoor space.

Holzrausch preserved the two-level layout and original pine beams, then incorporated teak wood into the cabinetry, wall panels, and kitchen furniture. The studio even opened the central false ceiling to flood the once-dark core of the home with daylight from the terrace – an architectural choice that instantly makes everything feel more connected to the outdoors.

Color, again, plays a huge part – this time inside the villa. Holzrausch leans into the geometric quirks of the original structure and the clients’ love for Latin American design, pulling inspiration from the architectural masters, including the aforementioned Barragán. The kitchen alone is quite impressive, with its pink-painted doors and a glossy yellow suspended ceiling that glows as natural light enters the space. To meet the owner’s needs, the kitchen was outfitted with a large island made from tropical wooden slats and countertops made by local manufacturer
HUGUET.

Furnishing the home, Holzrausch blends iconic pieces with local brands, building an atmosphere that’s equal parts relaxed and refined. Soft, indirect lighting from favorites like Vibia and Marset creates a warm shimmer at night, while the Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa adds a layer of relaxed, sprawling comfort. While lounging, the owners can take in views of the swimming pool and surrounding landscape. Custom touches – like a built-in bench in the living room – make the flow appear effortless and the overall aesthetic feel polished.

The bathrooms join the fun with locally made terrazzo sinks by HUGUET and patterned tilework that add grit, texture, and a major burst of personality.

On other side of the villa, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open to a dark-stained wood deck that overlooks the coastline with breathtaking Mediterranean views. An extended overhang provides protection from the elements when the owners want to spend time outdoors in warmer months.

The result is a rare kind of holiday home: one that celebrates its roots while happily remixing them, a place where tropical ease and mid-century modernism can work alongside expressive color.

For more information on Casa da Praia by Holzrausch, please visit holzrausch.de.

Photography by Salva Lopez.

As of this week, half of the states in the U.S. are under restrictive age verification laws that require adults to hand over their biometric and personal identification to access legal porn.

Missouri became the 25th state to enact its own age verification law on Sunday. As it’s done in multiple other states, Pornhub and its network of sister sites—some of the largest adult content platforms in the world—pulled service in Missouri, replacing their homepages with a video of performer Cherie DeVille speaking about the privacy risks and chilling effects of age verification. 

The other states include Louisiana, Utah, Mississippi, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Montana, North Carolina, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Indiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, and Ohio.

“As you may know, your elected officials in Missouri are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk,” DeVille says in the video. On the blocked homepages there’s also a link to an explanation of the “Restricted to Adults,” or RTA label, which porn site administrators place on their sites to signal to device-based parental controls that the websites are inappropriate for minors.  

Like most of the other 24 laws across the country, Missouri’s age verification law requires websites containing more than one third of material that’s considered “harmful to minors,” or sexual content, to perform age verification checks. Similar or more restrictive laws have swept the country since Louisiana became the first state to enact age verification legislation in 2023.

Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet

Invasive and ineffective age verification laws that require users show government-issued ID, like a driver’s license or passport, are passing like wildfire across the U.S.

404 MediaEmanuel Maiberg

Age verification laws reach beyond porn sites, however. In Wyoming, South Dakota, Mississippi and Ohio, where the laws are written broadly enough to cover social media sites and any platform hosting adult content, Bluesky users have to submit to a face scan by the third-party company Yoti or upload a photo of their credit card to verify they’re over 18 years of age. In July, Bluesky started requiring all UK users to verify their ages in response to the Online Safety Act. We’ve previously reported on the security risks in uploading sensitive personal data to identity verification services, including the potential for hackers to then get ahold of that information themselves. In October, after Discord started requiring UK users to verify ages, the platform announced hackers breached one of its third-party vendors that handles age-related appeals, and said it identified around 70,000 users who may have had their government ID photos exposed as part of the breach. 

Last week, Pornhub’s parent company Aylo sent letters to Apple, Google, and Microsoft, urging them to support device-based age verification in their app stores and operating systems, WIRED reported. “Based on our real-world experience with existing age assurance laws, we strongly support the initiative to protect minors online,” Anthony Penhale, chief legal officer for Aylo, said in the letter. “However, we have found site-based age assurance approaches to be fundamentally flawed and counterproductive.” 

Instead of protecting minors, age verification laws spike usage of virtual private networks and send users—including, potentially, minors—to unregulated or unmoderated sites that don’t care about complying with U.S. or UK laws. In Missouri, searches for VPNs spiked following the law’s enactment. 

Missouri schools are not required to teach sex education, leaving it up to local school boards to decide what, if anything, children are taught about sexual health. School districts that do teach sex ed are required to promote abstinence, a modality long recognized as ineffective at protecting children from engaging in risky sexual behaviors. Even if a district offers sex ed, parents are allowed to pull their kids out of that class altogether. But despite research showing age verification laws don’t work either, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway believes forcing adults to undergo age verification protects the children in her state. “We are proud to stand on the side of parents, families and basic decency. Missouri will not apologize for protecting children,” Hanaway said in a press release. 

Like with most things that have been infinitesimally incorporated into an increasingly compact smartphone, the album art that pops up when we’re listening cannot be fully appreciated – a disconnect Tuneshine aims to remedy.

Album art is an oft-overlooked creative form that can be incredibly subtle and bold in directly or indirectly expressing the intended emotion of the intangible music track playing. These carefully composed visuals are arguably more accessible and widespread than fine art. And yet, they can be abstract or representation, nostalgic in the embodiment of a bygone era, and visionary in the speculative suggesting a potential future.

On a 5.91 × 2.83 inch handheld, it’s hard to fully comprehend all the nuances of composition, minute detail, and image-making technique: photography, painting, drawing, collage, or any mix thereof.

That all changes with the new 6.3 x 6.3 inch Tuneshine square LED display, designed by San Francisco entrepreneur Tobias Butler. The compact device seamlessly connects to music apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Sonos, etc. and existing speakers for direct image diffusion. The brightness can be controlled. When not playing music, one can even program Tuneshine to display other types of images.

Seeming to distort the visuals, the vivid 64×64 extra-bright pixel screen animates them in an unexpected fashion. It borrows from the resampling technique used by graphic designers and photo editors to blow up low-resolution pictures. They essentially break down the pictures into grids of smaller circles. Though not a true replication, the overall effect is preserved. One can even use Shazam’s new image search function to discover the music someone else is playing.

“If you grew up flipping LPs or studying CD covers, Tuneshine brings that magic into today’s streaming world,” says Butler. “And for a generation raised on playlists and AirPods, Tuneshine adds something new and unexpected to the music experience: visuals.”

There’s something to discounting and recontextualizing these two aspects of listening to music and having an endless stream of changing visuals appear from the corner of the room. The 1.6-inch thick case is finished in light and dark wood options, not cheap plastics. There are also special edition colors like pearl, ruby, and sapphire. As a “piece of furniture” it fits in well within different types of interiors. It adds a touch of retro-styling but with a contemporary modality.

Tuneshine is kitted out with a 6-foot braided USB-C cable and 20W power brick (with a 100-250 AC input). It requires an iOS or Android device for setup, and a 2.4GHz WiFi connection.

Tuneshine founder Tobias Butler

To learn more or to purchase Tuneshine for $199 (and up, depending on the model), please visit tuneshine.rocks.

Photography courtesy of Tuneshine.