2024

highlights

👀

Hey what's going on there, here are a few cultural consumption highlights I think is deserved to be shared.
From websites, to movies, to music, to podcasts, to comedy and more.

Let's start with the websites. The damn websites.

eighteen websites not nominated by awwwards:

Stripe Dot Dev

Special mention to Stripe— a tech company pushing the boundaries of the web, who would have thought? Their Dev Docs made documentation beautiful again, but don't sleep on their BFCM (sadly now offline—there's a video out there, but it barely captures the experience 😭) and Price Adapter releases. They're both high quality.

Stripe Dot Dev

TWOMUCH.STUDIO

Loved the physics and the original UI for the Menu.

TwoMuch.Studio

Bid(s) for Survival

Found myself lost in this WebGL experience from the Michael Schindhelm exhibition. I really liked their take on Longevity. There's something deliciously nostalgic about the narrative and the 3D post-processing style.

Bid(s) for Survival

Artlist Paris

Love good quality photography on web and this site implemented it with very distingués hover effects. Full disclosure: Yes, I reverse-engineered their hover style for this blog main page. Good artists copy, etc etc.

Artlist Paris

GT America Intl

This one has a little bit of everything I obsess over in websites: physics interactions, illustration style, the motion design, the typography experiments, and a beautiful design that ties all together.

GT America Intl

Noomo Labs

First-class use of WebGL here.

Noomo Labs

Vera van de Seyp

♥ this portfolio. Original design choices, variable type experiments, and the sweet message section.

Vera van de Seyp

世外桃源 The Peach Spring Beyond This World

I'm a fan of oOOo Studio and this online exhibition feels a little bit strange so I love it.

世外桃源 The Peach Spring Beyond This World

Zes Nullen

This e-commerce site has style. The 'crystal ball' photo gallery is ♡

Zes Nullen

Dverso Studio

Engaged with the design style, the details, the micro interactions and the subtle use of audio.

Dverso Studio

Romain Granai

Typography experiments that make you want to scroll.

Romain Granai

Food for Fish

Beautiful WebGL graphic adventure game experience by Kris Temmerman.

Food for Fish

Daisy Chain Studio

Such good micro interactions and visual style.

Daisy Chain Studio

[SAGAPRO006] – J.ALBERT & HOLODEC

Love saga's work and this community visualizer.

[SAGAPRO006] – J.ALBERT & HOLODEC

McDonald's Brings Back New Collector's Edition Cups

I really enjoyed the high quality photography and 3D from this McDonald's experience.

McDonald's Brings Back New Collector's Edition Cups

Teletech

I have to admit I loved the hardcore pixelated shader effect for the main images. Nice use of WebGL in the rest of the elements. We need to stop using the random text animation on hover effect.

Teletech

Desktop.fm

I like when 3D, visuals and sound combine that well.

Desktop

Scrib3

Thank you darkroom.engineering for existing.

Scrib3

four movies:

Now the movies. Truth be told I did not watch a lot of 2024 movies because the time I destinate for cinema I did tried to watch all José Celestino Campusano's filmography.

El Jockey

"Morir y nacer de nuevo". The Jockey felt like a mix of Marcos López, Lynch, Wes Anderson, Almodóvar, and porteño culture.

El Jockey

Terrifier 3

Maybe the goriest of the franchise. As someone who grew up on slasher films, I enjoyed seeing Art the Clown become a horror icon of the genre this decade. Thank you, Damien Leone, for the character design and special effects.

Terrifier 3

Después de un buen día

The only one from the list I experienced in a proper theater this year, at the beautiful Cine Lumiere in Rosario. The director was supposed to be present but couldn't make it due to a (last-minute) transport strike (as far as I remember). This is a documentary about an Argentinian cinema phenomenon. I enjoyed the approach and get to know much more about the story of the protagonists. Frenkel continues to dominate the documentary genre in my country.

Después de un buen día

MaXXXine

The trilogy closer might be the weakest entry but idk it's Ty West and Mia Goth.

MaXXXine
Podcast Collection 2024

five podcasts:

In the bus, cooking, cleaning or walking. The usuals.

four music videos:

Some day I'll release new music and hire El Cielo and Fantastic 3D Creation and Fomotrauma and Pleazzures. Some day.

TAUSERT by nusar3000

I really enjoyed the ride with the guys.

TAUSERT by nusar3000

Martes 13 by Little Boogie ft El Doctor

Simple and effective gangsta video. The perfect tone. Dale pleazzures.

Martes 13 by Little Boogie ft El Doctor

three live shows:

I'm a simple boy with simple hobbies and I've always wanted to go on tour with a band. I had traveled to play in other cities before, but I wanted to do it as a proper tour—an n number of gigs in n number of days. Travel and play.
Back when I lived in Mexico City, I met several people organizing DIY tours with their underground bands, especially from the U.S. Here in Argentina, it's much rarer to see bands playing tours with more than two gigs. I don't know why but I wanted that experience.
This year, the planets aligned, and thanks to my friends and the help of many people involved, we made it happen.
It's tough because, as you can imagine, you have to organize a lot—make connections, coordinate with people, bands, and venues from other cities, take time off work (or whatever you're doing), handle logistics, and more.
But we got Lauri's precious Renault Clio on the road and played four shows in seven days in the northwest of the country.
That first taste broke something loose. Suddenly we're crossing borders - Formosa, Paraguay, Rosario, Paraná, San Luis. A team of four friends, one car and two shows to offer.
Every night was different but the feeling was always the same: this is exactly where we're supposed to be. Making noise and sharing moments.
While we figure out where the road leads next, here are some shows that lit up my 2024.

Ariel Pink at Uniclub (Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina)

My first time seeing live the man who created their own pop style and influenced all us. We enjoyed seeing how his raw material translated into this band format.

Ariel Pink at La Transtienda

Mizuki Amapola at Casa Babylon (Ciudad de Cordoba, Argentina)

After a few years of silence, Córdoba's own made their return to the stages, bringing their new record to Casa Babylon with a full band formation that made everything shine.

Mizuki Amapola at Casa Babylon (Ciudad de Cordoba, Argentina)

Los Veranos at La Veleta Cultural (San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina)

Tucumán, the pearl of the north, where raw meets refined. For every action (Mendoza's cheesy-taste music scene) there's an equal and opposite reaction (Tucumán's avant-garde movement). Los Veranos are proof. Playing alongside them during our summer tour felt like being part of that beautiful equilibrium.
P.S. Mendoza, I'm just playing the hater - we'll be playing there for the first time in a few months. I'm sure you'll change my mind. Love you.

Los Veranos at La Veleta Cultural (San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina)

one comedy piece:

It's an honor to present this award to O'Malley.

Rap World

Conner O'Malley is my current favorite comedian. An absurd suburban history located in 2009. Loved the ending.

Rap World
Book Collection 2024

extra one: three books

Ok I did not read any brand new 2024 books this year. But I read a few from other years and I'll recomend these:

  • -------Guía para criar hijos curiosos by Melina Furman

    I've become something of an evangelist for Melina's work this year. Spending more time with my nephew made me want to approach guidance from a more evidence-based perspective rather than pure instinct. This book was exactly what I needed - grounded in research but with a warm, approachable tone and packed with practical resources. Melina's legacy is truly irreplaceable. I still cannot believe she left us :(

  • --------------------------------The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

    Finally downloaded this one to my Kindle. After reading, I understand why - it's digestible, occasionally profound, though rarely surprising. A creative companion rather than any sort of revelation. Still, I keep coming back to random pages in my library, like opening old tabs you never closed.

  • ------------------------------------------------------Design for Hackers: Reverse Engineering Beauty by David Kadavy

    Nice as an intro for non-designers. Kadavy breaks down the fundamentals. A mix of history, theory and practical advice.

Hey you scrolled down all the way down here, are you crazy?
If you have any feedback, recommendations, wants to hire me or just want to say*hi I liked this you should see this*, please reach out to me on X, Instagram, book a call on Calendly or send me an email at hello@emilianolucero.info.