Blog — Page 171 of 283

Water of Life – Chivas Mizunara and XV

Inspired by the attendance of Chivas’ recent Sydney incarnation of The Blend, my curiosity was sparked to explore Chivas’ expressions that so far have not come across my palate. As mentioned before, Chivas has been a reliable and accessible companion even in the more remote regions of this earthround and their trademark authentically Scottish art of blending whisky has yet to produce an emission that I would not enjoy a dram of.

When it comes to Whiskey countries outside Scotland, Japan has always ranked high among my favourite. Naturally, Chivas’ exploration of how they could channel their alchemy and marry it with a Japanese twist instantly caught my attention, i.e. Chivas’ efforts of sourcing fine and rich single malts and grain whiskies and letting their emissions mature in hand-selected Mizunara oak casks.

What makes Mizunara oak special apart from the beautiful name is that it is crafted from trees that are indigenous to Japan’s Hokkaido region and renowned for its distinctive porous nature, which necessitates expert calibration and blending capabilities.

The result is a smooth, light amber special edition 12-year old premium whisky from the Speyside clocking in at 40% ABV with a unique and subtle flavour, the sweet (think pears, stewed apples and honey) meet gingery spicy cinnamon notes, framed by a nuttiness, nuances which are partly derived from the rare porous Japanese casks and add a bit of sandalwood.

A bit of research yields the result that the genesis of this beauty was apparently inspired by Master Distiller Colin Scott’s trip to Japan and the fact that it was initially meant to be an expression aimed at the Japanese market only, before global demand had Chivas make it widely available.

Now, while the Mizunara expression is quite something, Chivas XV, i.e. a fifteen-year-old blend takes explorations and redefines in the best way possible what Chivas is usually known for.

Instead of Japanese oak, the Chivas XV has been selectively finished in Grande Champagne Cognac casks. Now, being a cognac aficionado, there was no doubt in my mind that this marriage would yield results, yet what materializes in the Glencairn knocks the velvety and rich notes that Chivas is usually known for out of the park.

This is one for celebrations as pouring it instantly adds a bit of luxury and gravitas to any moment: Sultanas, jam, sweet and fruity apple notes travel via fields of honey to butterscotch and caramel plateaus, which culminate in a vanilla high in the finish.

When at a bar in the depths of Northern Asia in the future, it will be difficult to order Chivas without at least inquiring if one of the two expressions might be hidden behind Chivas’ ole faithful twelve-year-old.

Both Mizunara and the XV are testament of Chivas being at the forefront when it comes to creating blended whiskies that do not have to hide behind their single malt peers.

Read more Water of Life entries here.

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Photo by T

Neneh Cherry

Carriageworks

Sydney, Australia

January 15, 2019

Since the beginnings of the 1980s, Neneh Cherry has incarnated in many forms: Be it hip hop, trippy hop, R&B, minimalist electronic, jazz or even more rocky and endeavours informed by punk rock – no matter how many breaks were taken in between, every time she emerged it was relevant and redefining her status and persona.

2018 sees Neneh Cherry incarnate in a laid-back ambience as part of a musical ensemble that helps to further enhance the spontaneous free flow approach that has become part of her DNA.

Agnostic when it comes to stylistic limitations and confinements and a consumed musician at her core, her performance was testament to her effortless ability to merge and sync styles and influences to channel her alchemy into her very own idiosyncratic brew.

The pleasantness of her more recent songs off the album “Broken Politics” prove to be a counterpoint to what is tackled thematically, e.g. the implications of the refugee crisis and other pressing issues like gun control, along with musings on the need to be.

Never heavy handed, Neneh’s Sydney performance was informed by a warmth and intimacy, resulting in an expansive set tinged with sadness, hope and cheerfulness in equal measures – in essence a melange that is hard to fabricate while the multi-layered fusion aspect never got neglected from a musical perspective.

Exposing fragility does not have to go at the expense of fierceness, for which Neneh’s both deeply personal, political and sonically cohesive set, which is not abstaining from touching thorny subjects, is an example par excellence.

Neneh Cherry remains a vital voice in popular culture – one that is here to stay and one that never ceases to reinvent itself.

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Photos by Victor Frankowski, provided by www.sydneyfestival.org.au

Masters of Modern Sound

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Sydney, Australia

January 10, 2019

The Art Gallery of New South Wales has a history of continually challenging the things are traditionally done via reinvention as well as the expansion of existing and new mediums.

The after-dark experience in art, space and sound extravaganza under the umbrella of Masters of Modern Sound is no exception in that regard as it is an extension of AGNSW’s pursuit to redefine and disrupt the way art is meant to be traditionally encountered by its recipients.

In essence, the enables visitors to gallivant through Sydney’s first and foremost gallery to encounter an eclectic melange of accomplished locals but also renowned talent from other necks of the global woods, not limited to any style but sourced from the realms of composing, music in all its variations, sound design, and performances from the multi-disciplinary boundary pushing local dance theatre company Force Majeure.

Sonic soundscapes were specifically created by luminaries of the calibre of David Lynch’s partner in crime and Asymmetrical Studio owner Dean Hurley, flanked by the ambience endeavours of William Basinski and Lawrence English, who in tandem created an exclusive live performance of what simmers down to “lives lived in transit”, i.e. Selva Oscura.

Freely roaming original movement and interventions were serenaded by experimental electronic music of Caterina Barbieri, who channelled her minimalism, counterpointed by maximalist Del Lumanta, which helped in creating a seamless transition to the meditation aiding sounds of Chris Abrahams.

An added bonus of MoMS is that it includes access to the formidable current exhibition “Masters of Modern Art from the Hermitage”, which was further enhanced by an exclusive live performance set in scene against the backdrop of paintings by Matisse, Kandinsky and other grandmasters of impressionism.

What AGNSW produced and contributed to this year’s incarnation of Sydney Festival is an example par excellence for a carefully calibrated and curated event, the total of which results in something much bigger than what the already fantastic individual components would have you think, i.e. the artworks at display that make the DNA of the AGNSW.

One can only hope that this will become an annual occurrence.

David Lynch

Someone is in My House

Prestel Publishing

With a myriad of projects spanning across a plethora of disciplines and media, David Lynch has established himself to be a bit of a renaissance man, who idiosyncratic approach to art pervades every emission no matter if it is film, music or paintings.

“Someone is in my house” sheds light on Lynch’s multimedia endeavours, the common denominator of which is his visionary imagination and his own language that is translated via visuals – be it paintings, still photos from his movies along with other photography, doodles and works on paper, sculptures, proper paintings, sound installations and pretty much everything in between.

Heavily tinged with surrealism, what is covered in this book is an extension of what most have come to love with his often macabre and dark cinematic works. What makes this book interesting is that humorous nuances emerge in places where one would least expect it

Framed by a thought provoking introduction by music journalist and Lynch biographer Kristine McKenna, the book bridges over to Lynch’s current exhibition at the Bonnefantenmuseum, the curator of which elaborates further and Lynch’s significance at large as well as the rationale behind the exhibition.

“Someone is in my house” is an ode in book form to a man, who has never ceased to grow and evolve and whose multifaceted and versatile approach to art keeps engaging, enlightening and surprising his fans as well as new audiences. It is an oeuvre that fits both the aficionado as well as those who for whatever reasons have not come across Twin Peaks or Eraserhead yet.

Interpol

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

January 5, 2019

Joy Division. A band whose legacy and focus on mood, melancholy and expression has never ceased to reverberate through the realm of alternative music. Musically, it would be difficulty to deny that Joy Division’s sparse eerie spatiality and illusion of physicality, i.e.  Hook’s trademark physical high lead bass lines, the distorted guitars that intentionally left gaps and the non-traditional passive drumming along with Curtis’ laconic, baritone vocal delivery has had a major influence on Interpol’s approach to channelling their angsty alchemy.

Incarnating underneath an illuminated disco ball, Interpol’s silhouettes with their trademark tailored suits were set in scene by a sophisticated and at times powerful light show, that not only added to their atmospheric performance but was at times expertly used not merely as an amplifier – specifically when it comes to their subtle yet seismic tempo changes - but as a counterpoint, which certainly aided the enthusiastic audience to get lost and fully immerse themselves in a setlist that spanned their fifteen year long career.

Interpol creates hauntingly beautiful big music that creates a canvas for recipients to project and infuse their songs with their own sentiments, which creates a sense of intimacy and their live show is a natural extension of that dislocating and at times both alienating and unifying experience.

Deliberately understated, the dark glamour and ennui of Interpol is warmer than Joy Division’s desolated, noir-ish existentialism – there is something comforting, romantic and uplifting glistening through the gloom which is framed and set in scene with the timeless melange of spectral vigour and haunting shadow play.

A live show that is cinematic and puts one in touch with the anonymity of being lost in a dark metropolis, which is more often than not the essence and one of the driving themes of Interpol’s narrative.

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Photos by Daniel Boud (provided)