Audio = Ground Zero: JBL PartyBox series

When it comes to powerful, sleekly designed, booming Bluetooth speakers, over the last couple of years JBL has singlehandedly raised the bar to new heights with its dedicated portable, durable battery-powered speaker systems, recently peaking with the launch of the PartyBox 310. 

Equipped with the capability for programmable nuanced, refined and fun RGB light show, which takes it far beyond novelty territory and instead makes it an additional engaging feature, the Partybox 310 allows one to finetune and customize all your desired outputs, no matter if it is meant to channel your vocal delivery or instruments with its dual-mic and guitar inputs. 

The bass, echo and treble controls are easy-to-use and geared towards intuitively dialling it in, with EQ settings tailored specifically toward catering to music performance needs, with the added benefit of the Karaoke setting allowing to toggle the input on- and off. 

Needless to say, the booming and crisp performance comes with a veritable weight, however, enhanced with built-in wheels and a retractable haul handle, it can conveniently be moved around no matter if the destination is an impromptu outdoor karaoke session or if  roving live performance for small gigs are your jam. The fact that it is backed by a fantastic battery performance, allowing up to eighteen hours of continuous playback time, does not hurt either.

Ready to play right out of the box without any complicated connections, the compatibility with the JBL PartyBox app not only accommodates for remote controlling the audio output but also allows for linking multiple speakers together if needed.

While JBL is known for providing the goods when it comes to a rich bass performance with solid mids even at higher volumes, this little number is a veritable beast providing a tremendous amount of value as it not merely carpet bombs whatever environment it is placed in with immersive beats but can be flexibly used as a PA, mic, guitar amplifier and battery.

Now, for those who do not have the capacity to deal with the size, power and weight of JBL’s bold PartyBox 310, the lighter, smaller portable format JBL Party Box-On-The-Go is, well, as the telling name suggest, the way “to go” with its adjustable shoulder strap.

While in terms of size, JBL has operated in similar territory before, the Party Box On-The-Go adds an array of new features that considerably enhance the listening experience. 

Made of durable, sturdy high-end plastics and equipped with a well-built microphone for karaoke as well as an input option to plug in an instrument, it is good to see old school, tactile, physical buttons making an appearance which is rare in a world of touch interfaces. As a result, playback controls are easy to use.

Up to eight devices can be easily connected to the speaker via AUX port, Bluetooth, or even a USB drive

As the telling name suggests, PartyBox On-The-Go is designed for, well, parties and in that aspect does exactly what it is meant to do with the LED light ring adding a visually appealing quality to the allure of the 100W of Pro Sounds it provides, which despite being bass-heavy never runs danger of overpowering other frequencies.

A battery life of six-hours of playtime is not exactly optimal for an all-nighter and probably constitutes the only niggle, so it is recommendable to leave it connected to a power source.

Summa summarum, the JBL Party Box On-The-Go is a versatile and competitively priced, portable speaker that ticks all the right boxes, no matter if you use it for partying or a small gig.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer

Deeds Brewing and Ocean Reach

Having evolved from a distribution dedicated to importing beers and ciders from all corners of this earthround and establishing some of the brands firmly on the firmament of Australian bottle shops and bars, Pat Alé and Dave Milstein launched Quiet Deeds in 2012 with a core line-up of a pale ale, Kölsch and an IPA.

Following a rebranding exercise resulting in the incarnation of Deeds Brewing, which saw the duo confidently stride down more experimental avenues in 2019 with one of the foci not merely set on the creation of delicious hazy IPAs and modern hybrid styles that quickly became crowd favourites but bold limited edition and highly enjoyable one-off brews.  Given that craft breweries are mushrooming in Melbourne at a devil’s pace, there is something said for Deeds Brewing quickly carving out their idiosyncratic niche.

While Deed’s ridiculously creamy, hazy and low-carbonated Juice Train is a reliable go-to in the realm of the classic New England IPA style, I have been particularly fond of Deed’s recent collaboration with Merrie Mashers, i.e. Karl’s Big Day Out. 

The brew results in a brew that no lover of hoppy and resinous IPAs would want to miss:  Based on the triumvirate of Galaxy, Azacca and Magnum hops and clocking in at a punchy ABV of 7.3%, this little number proved to be a match par excellence for a dram of Ardbeg’s recently released Hypernova expression.

The name and artwork of the DDH IPA that is Any Given Day is not merely a thinly veiled homage to Oliver Stone’s epic flic, but it kicks goals with a hop variant I had never sampled before, i.e. NZ-102 hops, with stone fruity flavours dancing against a backdrop of tropical, tart and sweet kiwi fruits.

Sunken Dream is a red IPA homage to the thin, white Duke with its Ziggy Stardust inspired artwork, moderately toasty malt and dark caramel flavours, which are further accentuated by hoppy highlights and a well calibrated bitterness.

A Wellness Session in the truest sense is Deed’s West Coast styled IPA with its wonderfully balanced, dank and resinous bitterness derived from Simcoe, Amarillo, and Mosaic hops.

The double dry-hopped IPA Maximum Effort rounds things out with Strata and Mosaic hops, conjuring a brew that aroma-wise is reminiscent of freshly sliced rock melon, which is married with pineapple and passionfruit  flavours.

I cannot wait for Deeds Brewing to channel its alchemy in the creation of Double and Triple IPAs.

Let’s continue on within the confines of Victoria yet shift to where the famous Penguin Parade takes place, i.e. Phillip Island. 
While its coastal scenery along with the unique wildlife might not have one think immediately of craft beer, it did not discourage Ocean Reach founder Simon Bismire to open his brewery in one of Victoria’s most popular holiday locations six years ago.

Having honed his craft via homebrewing over the years and learning all facets of the trade,  Ocean Reach established a popular core range comprised of classic styles, which was eventually further flanked by limited releases that constitute deliberate detours in experimental territory.

After having been accolade decorated for the elaborate efforts that go into the design of the artwork for Ocean Reach’s cans, a dedicated Artist Series was launched.  Geared at providing a platform and canvas for letting different artists not merely interpret beers but adding an aesthetically pleasing visual facet, thereby orchestrating how it will be perceived and adding to the enjoyment..

I was lucky to score an early release sample of Ocean Reach’s most recent instalment of their Artist Series, i.e. the Peach Double Dry Hopped IPA.

While in many ways the acronym “DDH” has turned into a marketing term to instantaneously evoke Pavlovian responses from hazy IPA aficionados, Ocean Reach nailed it with this little number in the increased hop department: 

Almost devoid of bitterness, flavour hits of epic proportions courtesy of Amarillo, Citra and Cashmere hops take centre stage, set in scene by a dazzling display of peachy intensity. 

Clocking in at 6.8% ABV, an immensely sessionable beer for the upcoming warmer months. 

The fact that the can is adorned by art created by Jake Ross channelling his trademark soft colours meeting bold monochrome traditional dark lines style, does not hurt either.

The Sisters Of Mercy
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, Australia
30 October 2022

Having first incarnated in 1980 in Leeds, the three albums The Sisters of Mercy have released until 1990 have left an indelible imprint on the realm of alternative music. Despite not having released anything new for the last thirty-two years, they have managed to establish themselves as a dynamic live act, centred around the continuous involvement of singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine that became known as Doktor Avalanche 
Fuelled by the rarity of their sporadic, theatrical live shows and given the nearly sold out well-dressed audience’s enthusiastic willingness to celebrate the Sisters’ light and shadow play in Sydney, things were off to the races from the get go.

Driven by the monotonous, repetitive beat of the stark drum machine and obscured by fog, Eldritch’s phantom-esque, shadowy figure and rich, baritone guided us effortlessly through the Sisters’ timeless, gloomy and danceable ditties.

Incorporating new material, which proved to be fitting additions to the Sisters’ drum-synth rock oeuvre, the show culminated in a bombastic encore with the devoted, singing crowd almost drowning out Andrew’s vocals, with him surprisingly remaining front and facing the audience, as the band’s most iconic tunes like “Lucretia My Reflection” and “Temple of Love” made an appearance.

Summa summarum, a communal and borderline cinematic, captivating and atmospheric evening with a regained spark. 

Eldritch’s nuanced voice was in full bloom and with two extrovert protagonists flanking him, accentuating his minimalism and brooding introversion, it rounded out a set comprised of apocalyptic masterpieces that make The Sisters of Mercy ever so fascinating. 

An evening that confounded expectations by capturing the essence of the fascinating oddity of a band that proved to be equally as enthralling as they were in their prime.

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photos by T

Audio = Ground Zero: JBL Quantum Series

In a world of audio gadget offerings crowding the market, JBL has established itself as a brand catering to a wide array of price brackets with premium products. While my focus is usually firmly set on traditional headphones and speakers, I was recently in the market for a solid, quality gaming headset with the objective to find something that would delivery in the realms of both noise cancellation and sound quality.

Enter JBL’s Quantum ONE, for which claiming that it comes equipped with a myriad of unique features would be an understatement par excellence.

Sturdy in appearance, wired in nature and designed with the PC as its foremost platform in mind, audio spatialization and head tracking prove to be characteristics that lend themselves specifically well for gaming and the fact that it excels in terms of active noise cancelling (ANC), is a feat that is seldomly achieved by competitors.

There are few things that will ruin your listening experience like an uncomfortable pair of headphones. Quantum One’s extensive padding on the easy-to-adjust headband and ear cups, the rotating nature of which allows for the headset to lie flat on a surface, demonstrate evidently that not only bit of time and effort has gone into the design process but that emphasis was put on the usage of quality materials.

In term of connectivity options and control features, offerings border on the excessive: Be it volume, a detachable microphone, muting, the ability to toggle between active noise cancelling or the possibility to centre the headset while using the JBL’s trademarked Quantum SPHERE 360 7.1 surround head tracking, which greatly adds to feeling fully immersed in your respective gaming context, this little number has got you covered:
The Quantum ONE is centred around intuitively customising your own preferences with the touch of a button. For advanced streamers, the option to calibrate and balance the volume of the game they are playing versus other audio input will come in especially handy.

Accompanying the hardware is the Windows-based JBL Quantum Engine software package, geared at audio spatialization and further enhancing the audio features, including but not limited to EQ levels, the intensity of the RGB lighting and, as we have still not peaked yet in the realm of taking customisation to the next level, an in-ear microphone aimed at assisting the software to further calibrate the headset to your ear shape for optimized surround sound.

Summa summarum, JBL Quantum ONE with all its impressive features and sound performance is a clever choice that despite being PC focussed, is still compatible with a large number of gaming consoles and handheld devices. A high-end gaming headset that not only lends itself very well for a wide range of games but one that excels with its active noise cancelling performance in a realm where most gaming headsets lack severely.
 
Talking of streaming: To complement the offering of the Quantum series, JBL offers its first standalone USB microphone catering to gamers, streamers and podcasters: Solid in nature and equipped with a removable desk stand, it offers the possibility to be either mounted to other stands or booms.

Not dissimilar to the aforementioned Quantum One headset, the microphone is geared towards gaming and comes also equipped with the Quantum Engine software to install the driver that grants access to menus allowing the customization of various settings. 

I found the Quantum microphone to be performing particularly well when attached to a boom stand when recording myself directly but it works equally well omnidirectional, i.e. when placed in the middle of a conversation held by different protagonists. The fact that it allows to easily switch between those options is another welcome feature.

Given Quantum Stream’s affordability and USB accessibility, it offers an easy-to-use and reliable light weight entry-level means to both capture and broadcast your emissions and thereby adds another accessible jewel in the crown of JBL’s Quantum range. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I do appreciate a traditional alarm clock with FM radio capabilities on my bedside table – all the better if it comes equipped with a Bluetooth speaker, USB charging abilities and with an LED screen, all of which comes together in terms of function and form with JBL’s Horizon 2.

Small, compact and easy to set up, controls – including a tactile volume control dial, snooze button and an auto-dimming ambient light emitting a warm glow at the back of the speaker - could not be more intuitive and it terms of audio experience, you would find yourself hard-pressed to find a similarly sized speaker with a more powerful and on-point performance.

With the emergence of the multi-functional Horizons 2 I bid adieu to the days where I was looking to retrieve my mobile phone in the dark to turn off the myriad alarms and instead rely on an elegant digital clock that is not only easy on the eye but subtly blends in with about any room décor.

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image from company website

Water of Life - Angel's Envy 

If you remotely follow this series, you would be acutely aware that whisk(e)y, in all its facets and incarnations, can at best be a pretty immersive experience that tickles all senses – given that you are willing to approach it with an open mind.

Needless to say, the quality and enjoyability of the juice is paramount, however, there is also something said for a visually appealing presentation, especially when schmick design not only aligns but further accentuates and implies the nature and connotation of the respective whiskey it adorns and manages to convey what the distillery is all about. 

Despite having made its first appearance well over a decade ago, I have to admit that other than admiring the uniquely shaped bottle from the corner of my eye every time I spotted one standing out of the back of a bar, I have never experienced it. Given that our focus has recently been mainly on Australian whiskeys, it was high time to change that and shed light on one of the more intriguing Bourbons on the scene.

Founded by Lincoln Henderson, who honed his craft as the Master Distiller at Brown Forman where he contributed to the creation of such iconic expressions like the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel and Woodford Reserve, Angel’s Envy enabled him take an intriguing and unorthodox detour: Interestingly finished in Port casks, Angel’s Envy is imbued with an additional dimension that transcends what traditional bourbon has been known for.

Brightly hazel-coloured in appearance, the nostrils are tickled upon approach by sweet, jammy and heady aromas of candy-like gleam of black cherry and liqueur touched with the teasing allure of almonds, which gives way to a licoricey blend that penetrates the senses, backed by a rustic oaky backbone with spicy, black peppery highlights.

What the nose promises seamlessly transitions to the palate: Via a rich and velvety mouthfeel the traditional honeyed vanilla Bourbon character unfolds, however, it is contrasted by a unexpected, sophisticated astringency, which adds a welcome bite. 

Sugary molasses dance with coconut chocolate and hints of raisins courtesy of the Port barrels, which add deepness and richness to the fulminant body. Touches of baking spices, nutmeg, cinnamon and citrussy, tangy nuances add depth and balance, thereby underlining the impressive consistency from nose to palate.

The clean and warm finish is medium in length, with a melange of dark chocolate, sugar cookies generously flavoured with cinnamon, peanuts, oak, butter cream and interesting sour, red winey and tangy notes with delicate smoky undertones. 

Summa summarum, Angel’s Envy is an immensely enjoyable and dangerously moreish richly textured Bourbon that proves more than the sum of its parts, with my only gripe being that while it shines at an ABV of 43.3%, it would certainly sing at 50% or beyond. Unfortunately a cask strength expression does not seem to be available on terra australis yet.