Yesterday when I was picking through the Park Slope Food Coop’s dwindling supply of rice and lentils, dodging the odd shopper in a preventative mask, some enlightened soul put the Contagion soundtrack on the loudspeaker. Pro move, obviously, if only in that it made the prepper hellscape feel a little more at ease with itself.
In that vein, here’s a song that could easily be the soundtrack to the action film that is this week (wow, Tuesday). Kassa Overall’s “Darkness In Mind” is actually a straight-up Chopin prelude, which is so ballsy and hard to pull off. Without bothering to distance itself from its 19th-century lineage, the song opens by layering rough, auto-tuned vocals on top of the rendition of a single pianist, Sullivan Fortner. Then Overall, a deeply appealing jazz percussionist, layers some drama on that foundation with his drum kit, and then ties all the elements together through a computer, lacing in a produced beat, orchestrated vocal ornaments, and a looping hook, which, together, spin a dark, intrepid theme: “The wise man and the fool / Side by side, which one is you?” Very eerie; very good. And if you like it, check the full album, I think I’m good, out just last week.
Indeed, the long-time preppers are finally having their moment. While most of us frantically rush the bulk section, those following the gospel of Alex Jones are sitting back with their dehydrated, non-thirst-inducing stroganoff packets and flashlights, ready to fully withdraw from society should disaster demand it. But that contingent is still just a small slice, and the rest of us dumb-dumbs out here cobbling together emergency supplies based on our individual needs are ripe for conversion to the kit life.
Enter: Judy, the Millennial-branded direct-to-consumer prep kit brand started by a socialite who saw a prestige-shaped hole in the market. Already hyped (er, sponsor-posted) by the likes of Courtney Kardashian, Haylie Duff, and two of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Judy presents a way to bunker in fashion. On their extremely slick website, you can type in your zipcode to see what kinds of disasters you’re eligible for (luck you!), then pick out a bold-faced, orange-shellacked pack that you could easily see becoming a statement à la Glossier bag. Inside, you’ll find everything you need (and many things you don’t) for days off the grid: food, water, chargers, duct tape, lights, gloves, glowsticks, matches and more. Which at least gives us something to look forward to in the weeks ahead: glowstick parties on Tik Tok.
Meanwhile, Fast Company just wrote up this prototype of a wearable virus shield that its designers are calling, “Be a Batman” (how’s that for on the nose). In the design, a backpack anchors what’s effectively a personal PVC bubble sterilized by UV light. “Designed for the urban commuter,” it’s not totally clear how you would use your hands to, say, swipe a subway card, or whether you would fit at all through a turnstile. But the firm behind the prototype is taking bids from companies who might like to put it into production. If that’s you, click here, I guess?
