Blog — Page 178 of 284

Amenra

Factory Theatre

Sydney, Australia

November 16, 2018

Slow and doomy build-ups that cascade and are eventually unleashed not unlike a ton of bricks: Amenra have taken the DNA of what made Neurosis the ground-breaking, envelope pushing mavericks they were at the height of their powers, condensed it to its essence and infused it with their own interpretation of spiritually nourished avantgarde metal and hardcore roots.

While the sonic representation in recorded form are exercises par excellence in cataclysmic ebbs and flows, in a live environment, things take own another dimension as Amenra’s commitment to channelling their alchemy becomes not only apparent but palpable.

Vulnerability.

Chaos.

Pain.

Passion.

Transcendence.

Release.

Catharsis.

A mere collection of the few nouns that come to mind yet in their singularity do not do justice to what the Belgians are about, after having been bulldozed by the crushing outbursts of chief ritualist Colin H Van Eeckhout and his worthy constituents.

Amenra dominate in a realm they have created for themselves and refined over the years. Once you enter, you are at their mercy – an experience that the audience was too eager to be immersed in.

Atavistic and borderline tribal in nature, the performance evoked hypnotic and meditative states, nuances of which are usually rare to be found in the genre Amenra resides in as most bands attempting something similar tend to use a far too broad brush thereby sacrificing sustainable and lasting impact for mere gratifying impact.

Despite being set in scene in an orchestrated manner via lighting and monochrome video projections, it was refreshing to see a lack of fabricated theatrics and feel the raw emotional delivery as it poured out of them.

A band that commands attention whose dedication to their vision you want to experience, feel yourself firsthand and surrender to.

Henry David Thoreau: A Life

Laura Dassow Walls

University of Chicago Press

Henry David Thoreau.

A luminary of American literature canon.

A Life is more than a mere biography – Dr Laura Dassow Walls integrates Thoreau's life with his writings and thereby highlights his naturalistic and scientific interests in historic context. As a result, Thoreau emerges very vividly as a personality with family, friends, business responsibilities, humour, a courage, and an insatiable curiosity.

A splendid life-affirming paen to the sage of Walden Pond fame that makes it obvious that the author Walls is a fan of Thoreau and his oeuvre. The depth of her research makes possible the kind of detail which matters in a biography.

Wall details Thoreau's intense interest in science, and some of his discoveries, notably about forest succession. For me A Life also unveiled that Thoreau wrote far more than what the mainstream is aware of, especially in his journals.  His "Walking" and "Slavery in Massachusetts" are outstanding examples. I had not known about the posthumous discovery and editing of his final book, Wild Fruits, which Walls mentions repeatedly, though I had to go to her notes to find that it was actually published.

In a world with many lengthy and plodding biographies that do not really advance the story of the subject in a meaningful way, this one is an exceedingly well written book that gives a thorough and well-paced accounting of Thoreau, his surroundings, circle of friends, family and influences. A first-rate piece of work and I would highly recommend it to anyone with even passing interest in its subject as Walls bringing together the facts of his life and times, the places he has been, his friends and acquaintances as well as his influences on those around him helps to see a fuller version of the complexity and development of this writer, prophet, sage.

An expertly written recount of Thoreau's manifold activities that carefully manages to not overwhelm the reader.

No matter if you are a Thoreau novice or even an expert, this is the biography you want to read. It is not only informative but pleasant to read as one encounters the author's numerous perceptive insights.

Starward Distillery out of Melbourne:

If you remotely follow this series, our previous coverage of Starward, its excellent outlet and its liquid emissions would and should have left more than a mere blip on your whiskey radar.

Now, never a distillery to rest on their laurels, Starward Distillery have very recently taken a bold step forward with the ambitious Two-Fold release. A symphony that is bathed in double grain whisky, i.e. a melange of Wheat and Malted Barley, that is entirely matured in their signature Australian red wine barrels.

The result is a drop whose complexity encompasses the richness that only the marriage of two grain world could culminate in. Now, the X-factor is Melbourne’s overly reactive, “seasons in the size of days”-climate that is never not a contributing factor when it comes to expressions out of Victoria.

Taste-wise and from the feel I got from the first sip I taste, Two-Fold makes what is commonly referred to as an excellent breakfast whiskey – a foundation of vanilla extends to tropical fruits, apples and culminates in an oaky finished. The range of flavours of the accessible Two-Fold unfolds makes it a remarkably versatile drop, no matter if it is the basis of a cocktail or taken neat and the fact that it was sold out within days is testament that it is one that should be popular with both connoisseurs as well as the occasional whiskey drinker.

Not unlike all other expressions from Starward Distillery, exclusive use was made of Australian Apera wine barrels for maturation and emphasis was put on the whiskey’s interaction with the wood, which resonates through Two-Fold’s lighter character and its wheaty DNA.

An affordable alternative that would find its place easily amongst the likes of classics like Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich.

Given that there are plans for Starward Distillery to expand across the pond and excite the imagination of North American whiskey aficionados, not unlike the savoury complexity of the smooth Two-Fold is something to keep your eyes peeled for.

Read more Water of Life entries here.

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Photo by T

Haruki Murakami – Killing Commendatore

Penguin Classic

Murakami has been a constant source of joy for me over the last decade. His Kafka-esque, surreal, multi-dimensional story telling scattered with allusions and references is like a tonic for your brain as he invites you into a world beyond the mundane confines we must deal with every day.

Following Murakami’s labour of love, i.e. translate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby into Japanese, Killing Commendatore is more than a mere subtle homage to one of his favourite writers – it is a long declaration of love and adulation for Scott Fitzgerald’s oeuvre.

The novel casts its web wide when it comes to intertwined narrative threads and never grows tired when it comes to explore ideas revolving around everything from art, to the dystopian brave new world we find ourselves in to classics like Don Giovanni and Alice in Wonderland.

Following the lead of an unnamed narrator, we explore his claustrophobic tumbling down a myriad of rabbit holes pervaded by Murakami’s trademarked metaphysical plateaus that never grow tired to stage the next unexpected turn.

While for the faithful Murakami aficionado nothing ground-breaking new is proffered, his distinctive way of storytelling along with explorations of his pet peeves and riddled themes he feels passionate about is omnipresent throughout this literary emission.

If you like Haruki Murakami’s previous novels, you will not be disappointed as Killing Commandatore is an extension of what he has become loved and known for with the merging of logic and riddles that allow for the magic to become apparent in the realistic depiction of the mundane.

Bill Murray and Jan Vogler

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

November 9, 2018

Bill Murray.

Actor.

Entertainer.

Comedian.

I have yet to meet somebody who dislikes the man and it is certainly a hard feat giving the decades of laughter and bemusement his career has bestowed on us. His collaboration with classically trained cellist Jan Vogler, a luminary in his own right, is centred around a well-documented chance meeting at an airport which evolved to what found its incarnation tonight at Sydney’s Opera House.

Flanked by pianist Vanessa Perez and Jan Vogler’s partner Mira Wang, who complete the troika that Bill Murray finds himself in the midst of.

The evening is an interesting off kilter melange of highbrow classical music interludes, Murray reciting classics of the tenor of North American prose and expertly infusing poetry with his trademark DNA and him crooning, dancing, joking and everything in between, meandering territory from Mark Twain via Franz Schubert to Walt Whitman.

Now, the audience is dotted with aficionados wearing Team Zissou red hats to show their devoutness and it is palpable that a lot of Murray’s fans think that he is a genius and can do no wrong. I personally found Murray’s refreshing first address to the audience quite fitting: The performance is many things – funny, thought provoking, whimsical, tedious, drawn out, hilarious, enjoyable, deliberately foolish, heartfelt, silly, sad and self-indulgent.

The one constant is the superb performance of Jan Vogler and the female constituents of his chamber outfit, whose effortless deliveries are a delight to not only listen but also eye candy.

It certainly is an experience to see Murray perform in the third dimension and reassuring how this fine mimic achieves big results with the tiniest of gestures and the fact that he does not take himself too seriously while still showing respect for the works he is presenting and referencing, however, at times his emissions are a mixed bag. The good thing is that he is aware of it and does not try to camouflage the patchy pointless parts but is committed to the performance with conviction. A man that exists in multitudes.

The audience lapped it up and with most of them, Murray can do no wrong. Despite the adoration, the more than two-hour long performance was moving, powerful, surprisingly physical and unlike anything that you would expect based on the backgrounds of the individual protagonists, the poetry recited and or the music being performed.

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Photo: Bill Murray and Jan Vogler - New Worlds album cover