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The Daily Grind

What's Sumatra With You?

T.S. Eliot had measured his life out with coffee spoons.

Some claim coffee is the most valuable trading commodity after oil.

A lot of folks have come up with their odes to coffee - Australia is obsessed with it and it comes with its idiosyncrasies:

Ordering coffee in Australia is a different sport compared to any other country.

Sure, there are still standards, e.g., cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and macchiatos. What is idiosyncratic for New Zealand and Australia is my favourite, the  “flat white”. If you dig what is elsewhere referred to as Americano, down under you would need to ask for a “short / long black” to not be disappointed.
Double and single shot servings are different depending on the coffee dispensary you frequent. The only constant is that flat whites demand double shots, whereas lattes and cappuccinos get single shots.
American double tall skinny latte orders translate to “large skinny latte double shot” where the sun shine.

The barista might take it upon themselves to correct your order to a doppio or may say that all their coffees are a double shot.

A science in itself.

Local cafes roasting their own coffee and distributing it are popping up like mushrooms.

Let’s have a look at some quality ones:

Since 2002 DC has been committed to roasting specialty coffee.

Based in Melbourne, where their manufacturing infrastructure is located, they have been servicing the Sydney and Adelaide markets since day one.

DC has an artistic side to it when it comes to their packaging, for which established as well as budding artists’ works are commissioned:

B-side tracks are always the unknown gems in on an artist’s album record. They are those certain songs separate from the main album that live a life of their own; perhaps a remix of a classic, a live performance, an instrumental or even a spoken word.

Whatever it is, the B-side always showcases raw artistic creativity without constraints and reveals something more about the artist. Paying homage to this, dc’s B-Side delivers a unique blend created by our roasters for themselves.

The dc blend we sampled is named “B-side” not only to signify the alternative ‘track’ to 100% Arabica coffee, furthermore it signifies dc’s endeavours to support and give emerging talent a leg up.

DC’s Reale comes with an aroma reminiscent of fruit and herbs, light-medium body and low acidity, it harbours flavours of sweet caramel, honey and nutty flavours, culminating in an aftertaste of citrus.

The packaging of Reale features artwork of artist Sindy Sinn.

His design for Ducale’s ‘Reale’ blend came about fairly naturally. He liked the idea of ‘keeping it reale’ and giving it some underdog fighting-spirit. So he just treated the Reale design like it was a gang, rooted in his fascination for the movie The Warriors.

DC’s Monsoon is a mellow tasting coffee with a sweet fragrance.

Featured artist for Monsoon is Thomas Townend, a Sydney based artist working mainly with acrylic inks on paper. 

His work is inspired by tattoo flash and all things tattoo related although recently getting inspired from early eastern art.

More into industrial strength coffee with a solid flavour?

Killer Coffee Co is on a mission to redefine what it means to drink strong coffee.

The post blended, small batch Killer Coffee is like an energy drink on steroids in coffee form.

We are talking a 100% Arabica whole beans.
Maximum caffeine content reminiscent of  Borusta coffee beans that results, as the head behind the brand guarantee, in “the strongest cup of joe you’ll ever taste in your life,” 

Despite the undeniable impact,  it is actually quite balanced and smooth, something that might be expected from the strongest cup of coffee going around.
 
Not into coffee?

Hmm...

How about we make your hot beverage golden?

Turmeric lattes are fast becoming the favoured morning pick-me-up for health aficionados and whilst it might not replace chocolate, it is an adequate replacement for that post-lunch sugar craving.

Turmeric Midas Cup comes with anti-inflammatory and immune boosting goodness, i.e. it is good for your gut bacteria and your hayfever  - all that needs to be done is adding a teaspoon of gold to some hot milk and sip sip sip. 

Midas Cup was born when nutritionist / food scientist Samantha Holdsworth, who was already obsessed with the benefits of turmeric, introduced her OCD stylist / ex-marketer friend, Elaine Marshall, to what is commonly known as “golden latte”.

After complaining about spending many hours and dollars searching Melbourne for the perfect golden latte, Holdsworth suggested that Marshall make her own.

After realising the merits of their own blend, they decided to share their Midas Cup magic with the world. 

Midas Cup is free from preservatives and pesticides, contains no traces of nuts, dairy or soy as well as being sugar and caffeine free.

All ingredients are 100% Australian Certified Organic from an organic supplier in NSW - raw, vegan and yummy with no downsides.

Like the pause that tea allows?

Well, fret not – the people behind New Philosopher and Womankind 

have launched their very own ‘literary’ organic tea called ‘poet,’ which can be found at their bookshop and tea atelier ‘poet store’ in Bangalow, where the book selection is curated by the editors of Womankind magazine and New Philosopher magazine.

They have a carefully selected range of ten certified organic fair trade teas – from the hills of Sri Lanka ranging from Ode Oolong to Poet’s White with Orange. 

Poet’s award-winning organic Earl Grey and English Breakfast teas are smooth, strong and fresh, the Green Tea crisp and light or alternatively mixed with rose petals, the Chai comes as a fine blend with spicy undertones and Poet’s Chamomile is one smooth and soothing companion that can be counted on.

Other variants come with whimsical names: The light and fruity Accent Orange, Quatrain Black tea with a hint of cinnamon, the Octave Black with a smooth vanilla taste,

All of Poet’s teas from in beautifully designed tins from the team behind New Philosopher magazine.

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Photos from websites of companies discussed above.

Dead Cross

September 23, 2017

Ogden Theatre, Denver

"Hello, we are Dead Cross and we are not gluten-free." - Mike Patton

Usually by the end of a tour, a band can seem a bit rote. A bit tired. A bit cranky. But despite Dead Cross saving the last date of their North American tour for Denver on Saturday,  they displayed none of these traits. Patton dove off the stage within 3 seconds of set and album opener Seizure and Desist, catching the crowd off guard almost to the point of not catching him. Make no mistake - Mike Patton is one of the greatest frontmen to ever touch a mic. Putting aside even his incredible vocal ability and range, his career has always kept surprising fans, whether it's his ever growing body of soundtrack work, or his varied projects like Nevermen, Fantômas or his newest, Dead Cross. In theory, Patton, now almost 50, joining his first hardcore band sounds like an odd choice to say the least. But in practice? Hearing the album and seeing it live on stage, it makes perfect sense.

Originally conceived by drummer Dave Lombardo - another Fantômas alumni, Dead Cross is hardcore to the uhh....core. Brutal, vicious and combative. Lombardo and Patton, along with bassist Justin Pearson and guitarist Mike Crain plowed through a tight-as-fuck set lasting less than an hour, but leaving the crowd of about 1000 people wholly satiated.

Every song on the album was represented - along with a couple of new songs. The band has been teasing a Slayer cover all tour and Saturday was no exception - as the familiar thump thump thump of Raining Blood echoed throughout the Ogden. Of course, cock-teases that they are, only the first few bars of the song are played along with Patton's perfect tag of "you want it aaalll, but you can't haaaave it" from Faith No More's Epic to lay it to rest. The band however did finish the encore set with GG Allin's Suck My Ass It Smells and Dead Kennedys' Nazi Punks Fuck Off. 

As with any Patton project, there's really no way of knowing how much more there is to come, that's why when you see them coming to your town, best jump on those tickets because you're always sure to get a show you won't forget.

Australia and New Zealand have a history of winemaking that harks back to the late Nineteenth Century, but it was not until the 1970s that the region became known for making quality wines, which is when the advent and recognition of wines from Oceania gained traction and eventually secured them a prominent place on the world market.

Let me introduce you to some quality drops that don’t break the bank, brim with subtle flavours and are made by passionate winemakers that care about their product.

Peter Yealands’  plan, i.e. to create beautiful wines in a sustainable manner,  came to fruition and by 2017, Yealands had developed a portfolio of  vineyards, producing the staple Sauvignon Blanc, but also more exotic varieties like Viognier and Grüner Veltliner and Viognier in the maritime climate of the Marlborough region, i.e. Wairau Valley, Southern Valley and the Awatere Valley, where Yealands Estate HQ is situated and which produces wine with characters defined by their acidity and herb tinges. While the individual sub-regions might not be far apart, the flavours they produce are diverse.
 
Wairau Valley winegrowers and winemakers in particular needed to manage their vineyards to retain freshness and blend parcels appropriately to have the wines show vibrancy.

Let’s shed some light on their liquid emissions, shall we?

Peter Yealands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 is of a light yellow colour with green hues with a nose that is fresh and elegant aromas mixing nettles and cut grass with underlying capsicum notes. It shows ripe notes of passionfruit and guava, underpinned with aromas of fresh herbs and blackcurrant.

Dry in taste and medium bodied, the palate is brimming with zingy fruit that is balanced with a long, crisp mineral finish with underlying phenolic textures.

An ideal companion for pre-meal drinks and salads.

Yealands’ Pinot Gris is brimming with pear drop and nutty characters, leading to subtle flavours of stone fruit and honey.

The palate is full and shows wonderful balance between fruit sweetness and acidity, with a refreshing, crisp finish.

This Pinot Gris is one my go tos when it comes to pairings with Asian food, e.g. Vietnamese or Japanese, chicken dishes as well as light southern Italian pasta dishes.

Peter Yealands Pinot Noir is a personal favourite: A rich, silky wine with juicy ripe cherries and plumns, hints of spices and wood and a lingering rather savoury than sweet finish.

An ideal partner with lighter meat dishes like lamb fillet and fresh rosemary or tomato based pasta recipes.

One of my favourite Australian wineries is Moorilla Estate.

Moorilla Winery, which is part of the Museum of Old and New Art, whose festivals and exhibitions we have covered extensively, is worth a visit to Tasmania in itself: Stating that Moorilla stands for the cutting edge in terms of boutique cool-climate wines would be an understatement par excellence.

What is exciting is that apart from producing quality drops, there is a fair bit of experimentation that goes into them channeling their Dionysian alchemy and praises to Bacchus. A DIY-approach pushing the envelope of conventions.

How quintessentially MONA is that?

Host and wine expert Daniel McMahon is an approachable, charming sommelier devoid of pomp and secure enough to not lord his knowledge like a golden scepter over the uninitiated.

No matter if you are an advanced connoisseur or if your knowledge of wine culminates in “red with meat, white with fish”, Daniel has the ability to pick you up where you are at and communicate on a level that you understand based on his hands-on experience and involvement in the wine making process.

The grapes from the 3.5 hectare Berriedale vineyard form the core of Moorilla’s wines and the foundation of the Muse range, which include Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir, additions are sourced from its St Matthias vineyard in the West Tamar region, which is contrasting in terrain and climate and mainly makes up the Praxis wine range.

For the 2017 incarnation of the Dark Mofo festival, Moorilla released limited edition themed wines specifically for the occasion:

Usually dedicated to crafting the fanciest , most interesting Tasmanian wines they can, the dangerously drinkable Carbonic Riesling along with a geschmäcklerische Nouveau Merlot specifically launched for the festival under the monker Alter Ego turn the tables upside down.

Just like a horde of pirates on a rampage across the island, they have stolen the best grapes from around Tassie and created two instantly enjoyable guilty pleasures of wine.

Arrrr.

Despite sounding like something from a science fiction, “carbonic” is actually the technical lingo for fermenting grapes whole, resulting in fresh, fruity, juicy and bold wines that are best enjoyed while they are still young.

This particular tipple of the Riesling variety boasts the aromas of a harvest basket overflowing with elderflower, honeysuckle, red apples, lime, mandarins and slate.

Intense floral, fruit, spice and mineral falvours meld with a textural palate, chalky tannins and linger long after young punchy acid.

Gird your loins.

The Nouveau is traditionally the first wine of the latest vintage.

Moorilla’s Alter Ego is light bodied, low in tannin, vibrant and zesty – a calibration that is rarely accomplished with red wines.

Aromas are bold and bright, bursting with berries, cherries, blood oranges, violets, charcuterie spices, and brioche.

A well-balanced tension between sweet and sour flavours, a touch of dusty dry tannins and the characteristic freshness of the nouveau style.

Local artist Tom O’Hern was commissioned to bring the concept to life for the new Moorilla Alter Ego variety.

At first glance, the bottles of the Alter Ego range seem elegant and classy, but when the label is inverted it becomes "a rampaging pirate", acccording to O'Hern, who completed the design whilst 35,000ft over the Pacific Ocean on his way to Europe.

Moorilla’s carbonic Riesling and Noveau Merlot are two wines imbued with MONA’s and Moorilla’s spirit, while entering more affordable realms without sacrificing style, class and favours.

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Photos from Yealands Estate and Moorilla Estate websites.

New Philosopher

Womankind

Feel like there is a gaping hole for content that is intellectually stimulating among existing print media, underestimating their readers’ capacity to reason and their curiosity about the world around them?

Look no further.

Seneca, speaking on the shortness of life says: “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realise that it has passed away before we knew it was passing.”

“Life is long if you know how to use it.”

The aforementioned quotes convey the quintessence of New Philosopher’s DNA.

Approachable in nature and with a thoughtful and intelligent tone, New Philosopher caters to those who have not studied philosophy, as well as the inducted, mixing  the voices of established luminaries with its host of writers.

As the team behind New Philosopher practices what it preaches, there is no reliance on established media organisations or any other companies - it is ad-free and solely funded via subscriptions and sales at bookstores and news agencies.

Based on the success of New Philosopher, the team behind the project have also recently started a second ad-free magazine for women called Womankind, aimed at smart women in the market, which quickly eclipsed New Philosopher covering art, psychology and social matters.

newphilosopher.com
womankindmag.com

Motionless in White

Metro Theatre

Sydney, AU

September 19, 2017

Motionless in White embarked on their first national headline Australia tour this September in support of their new album Graveyard Shift.

With their unique djenty chuggs, intricate riffing, guttural breakdowns, haunting pop melodies, the occasional blast beat and over the top devious aesthetics, i.e. a penchant for necrophilia and stylized creepiness, Motionless In White having graced stages with the likes of Slipknot and Korn does not come as a surprise.

While I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical as to Motionless in White being a fashion core band in the wake of Eighteen Visions, who seemed to have had a lasting influence beyond inspiring the name of the band, the live incarnation of Chris Cerulli, who is wearing his Marilyn Manson influences on both his sleeve and face, and crue was quite an enjoyable treat.

With ample homage being paid to the shock rock and gothic genre, a highly energetic set and enough nuances to make their mélange of metalcore, gothic metal, pop punk and a tinge of industrial appealing.

The strength of Motionless in White is in their ability to seamlessly shift gears between traditional metalcore and industrial-esque excursions, at times entering Nine Inch Nails territory. both vocally ranging from high pitched screaming to singing and back and musically combining epic, macabre and explosive elements.

Yup, there are at times Hammer Horror and borderline kitschy gimmicks to be found in their oeuvre and it all feels oh so strangely familiar, and while less might be more in some case to not run danger of making the whole appear smaller than the sum of its parts, their engaging and charismatic live performance cements their status at the forefront of genre that has been muddled by epigones.

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Photos by KAVV