Interesting links I've come across while trawling the web:

• Pitchfork's incredibly hilarious illustrated review of Daft Punk - Daft Club.
• The Observer's feature on Nick Hornby's 31 Songs - I found this while looking for reviews specifically pertaining to Röyskopp - Röyskopp's Night Out, one of the best downbeat songs I've ever heard. It's chaotic and atsmospheric and is easily the best song (for me) on their debut album, Melody A.M.. That aside, the book looks very interesting, particularly because music's always been an important part of my life despite my apparent inability to articulate just what it is about the songs I love that I love so much.
• An article in The Independent on the demise of cheese making in France. J'aime le fromage, bon fromage particulièrement. So when I found out that the traditional art of cheese making is dying out - in the land of gourmet cheese, no less - I found myself feeling a little sad.

In other news, I'm looking forward to Screen Singapore. Curiously enough, for someone who's such an avid viewer of independent and foreign films, I've yet to catch a local production although I have seen a Malaysian show, Sepet. This month, I'm planning to catch:

• Cleopatra Wong: “She purrs like a kitten... Makes love like a siren... Fights like a panther. This side of the Pacific, she’s the deadliest, meanest and sexiest secret agent!” Said to have inspired Quentin Tarantino.
• Jefri Zain: Made in 1965, this show's about Singapore's own James Bond.
• Forever Fever: Kung fu meets disco. Kind of like the local version of Saturday Night Fever.
• 15: A serious look at the social misfits and underclass of Singapore.
• Ring of Fury: A kung-fu film dealing with gangsterism in the '70s. Banned for almost 25 years.

Also, for those hardcore ravers out there, there'll be an outdoor dance party at Port Dickson on the 20th of August. Recharge Revelation 3 featuring Johan Gielen, Scot Project and Markus Schulz (all harder trance DJs) is apparently one of the more well-known raves in these parts, and there'll be plenty of Melbourne shufflers on display. I don't have any plans to go as I'd rather take my much-needed and long-awaited weekend break during that weekend. Pity though. I've - surprisingly - never been to a rave before and would like to go to one while I still have the energy to do so.