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The Monocle Book of Italy

Thames and Hudson

For the uninitiated: Monocle is the empire Tyler Brûlé has built from scratch, at the very core of which is the concept of the conveyance of an enlightened cosmopolitan outlook and place- and timeless luxury when it comes to the enhancement of the overall quality of life.

With a faithful following, international sensibility and globalist chic, the “briefing on global affairs, business, culture and design” has established itself as a taste making authority when it comes to making lifestyle choices for the affluent and the identification of new trends to the extent where even lifeless items are stylized to have life enhancing qualities.

With its ever-expanding nature, the Monocle empire encompasses not only the original magazine but branded clothing, a streaming radio station, retail stores and a beautiful series of carefully curated and opulently illustrated coffee table books.

The newest instalment of the country-specific series is dedicated to the celebration of all things Italian.

Scratching the surface to unearth more than the cliché, the effortlessly cool, energetic and traditional charm that forms the DNA of Italy is zeroed in on, to then elaborate on what makes Italian fashion, design, architecture, culture and food unique, desirable, stylish, functionable and timeless.

By shedding light on both cities as well as places off the beaten path, what is considered to be the undeniable appeal of  “la dolce vita” is set in scene in a way that makes one long for a visit to experience the enigma that is Italy first-hand.

A beautiful and unique portrayal of Italy channelled through the idiosyncratic lens of Monocle.

The Formative Years – Dutch Hardcore part 1

Despite small in size, the influence punk and hardcore bands from the Netherlands had on the European and even global scene in the 1980s cannot be overstated.

Take for example LÄRM, who with their messages catered simultaneously to a range of audiences from left-wing politics via straight edge and a PMA outlook to those merely in it for the sheer intensity of their own idiosyncratic brand of super-fast, noisy and disharmonic hardcore, which very much lived up to their name.

Having emerged from a range of short lived bands, the first incarnation of LÄRM manifested itself as early as 1980 and it took four years before they recorded for the first time, the result of which became the split LP with Stanx.

Set against the context of the Reagan and Thatcher eras and lyrically heavily influenced by the implications of the cold war, the arm’s race, apartheid and other tenets of the left wing movement of said time, their first recordings served not only as a musical outlet for their frustrations but also as a vehicle to propagate their ideas, which did not remain unheard during the heydays of tape trading as it placed LÄRM firmly on the forefront of European and international hardcore bands and enabled them to tour Europe.

1986 their LP “Straight on View” was released, followed by a 7“ titled „“No one can be that dumb“ and a final 7” in 1987 (“Nothing is hard in this world..”) before they split up to seamlessly reincarnate as SEEIN RED.

One of the most heralded bands within the context of punk and hardcore in the 1980s is the outfit behind the acronym B.G.K., an homage to the assassinator of the Dutch king in the sixteenth century, i.e. Balthasar Gerards Kommando.

Having risen out of the ashes of the fantastic THE NITWITZ in 1981 (check out their LP “Scorched Earth Policy”), the band perceived themselves as a musical countermovement to the popular, stereotypical Oi! Bands of the era.

Inspired by proto-punk bands like the STOOGES, MC5 and the first American hardcore bands, they were inspired to focus on writing furiously fast, intense and aggressive music paired with heartfelt lyrics infused with their DIY spirit.

Their first LP Jonestown Aloha!, which was released on their own label

Vögelspin Records remains a timeless classic and given its calibre, it should not come as a surprise that it was re-released a year later in the US by R Radical Records.

Another classic is their “White Male Dumbinance” 7” from 1984, which was followed by their “Nothing Can Go Wrogn!” LP from 1986, which saw a US release in the same year via Alternative Tentacles.

The Formative Years – Oasis

Think of them what you will, given their influences and the way they channelled them – controversies , theatrics and drama aside - one would be hard pressed to not deem Oasis a decent band.

The UK has always been a hotbed for genre coining rock bands starting with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Black Sabbath, Joy Division, Sex Pistols, The Smiths, et cetera.

However, at a time when rock music became more fragmented as a genre and the emergence of new subgenres that started to infiltrate the mainstreams, out of the blue a band from Manchester appeared on the horizon to coin and herald a new age of lad-pop, which with them at the very centre made them one of the most successful bands to come from the old world.

Having had a chance to see them perform live early on in their career, they won me over straight away – not only was their blissful mass of sound brutally loud but infused with an attitude and swagger of each constituent that clearly indicated that this band was their destiny.

A range of great albums followed throughout the 1990s, with each being a milestone in their own right, with especially their two albums “Definitely maybe” and “(What’s the story) morning Glory” being examples par excellence for an output that is paved with anthems, showing their talent and expertise in sequencing the song in borderline perfect order for maximum impact.

Needless to say, what seemed to be very real inner-band animosities and the way they elevated it confidently to performance art to use the ensuing fallout for marketing, did not hurt the ascent of the band either.

The combination of Noel Gallagher’s song writing skills and pop sensibilities in conjunction with Liam’s wonderfully logical yet ultimately meaningless, non-sensical lyricism conjure mental images that serve as a perfect canvas for the recipient to project their own interpretations and ride their big emotions on.

In essence, they brought the evolution and collapse of rock music heroism full circle by reinventing the notion of rock stardom and bigger than life on stage personas and the scale they achieved it on, remains unrivalled to this day.

Water of Life – Dugite Whiskey, Limeburners and Finders Distillery

While most of Australian’s distilleries are located on the South Eastern part of terra australis, the ones that are based in Western Australia have set benchmarks in terms of craftmanship when it comes to channelling their unique climate and context into aging outstanding whiskies.

Limeburners is the accolade decorated spearhead of the Western Australian distillery scene and has accomplished the trifecta of provenance by using locally grown grain, Albany water sourced from deep below the distillery and the usage of Australian fortified wine barrels along with American oak bourbon ones.

Sounds like winning combination?

It is.

There is hardly something more satisfying than a dram of Limeburners’ Port Cask Strength expression during the colder months of Australian winter.

Given that the expression is bottled directly from the barrel without further ado, this is as close as it comes to an unaltered drop that showcases the facets that emanate from being matured in a single cask. The dark shade of ruby red derived from the Port cask already gives an indication of the complex and decadent flavours that await:

Think truffled caramel, alcohol soaked raisins along with fine nuances of honeyed orange and apricots. Claiming that this drop is “moreish” would be an understatement par excellence.

Now, if you think that the Port Cask Strength cannot be topped in terms of indulgence, try Limeburners’ Darkest Winter expression.

Clocking in at a whopping 66% ABV, Western Australian peat is what takes things to the next level in this case: Sourced from a local valley, the peat is used to smoke Great Southern barley for an extended period to enhance the flavour profile.

Created to celebrate the Winter Solstice, what tickles the nostrils is churned caramel, vegetative, fruity and floral notes that transition into sweet, warm and woody aromas.

On the top of the mouth things get more subtle and refined than what one would suspect. Resting on a backbone of oaky and toasted maple, nutty flavours are punctuated by a delicate honeyed, poached pear sweetness with the elongated finish culminating in a crescendo of warm coffee bean piquancy and a subdued nuanceful peatiness.

Given the limited nature of the release, each batch is different and I cannot wait to try the 2022 incarnations.

What I have always appreciated about the three distillers that form Great Southern Distilling Co are there more accessible snake themed releases, with Tiger Snake being one of my favourite.

Bottom of Form

Named after a deadly Western Australian snake, Dugite Whiskey the new blended kid on the block derived from a mix of single malt whisky and the hybrid of barley, wheat, rye and corn, the result of which then has been individually barrelled in new American Oak casks and second fill bourbon barrels to age for at least two years.

On the palate, creamy in texture, each of the grains unfolds its flavours ranging from vanilla, honey dew and malty caramel via passionfruity citrus notes and oranges to spicy and nutty notes.

The finish culminates in a lemony, fruity high butterscotch toffee that leaves one lusting for another tasty sip.

A welcome and affordable entry point to the portfolio.

Let’s change gears from whiskey to gin and move locations from Western Australia to New South Wales:

It is every so often that one realizes that one does not have to venture far to find up and coming gems in the realm of distilling.

Case in point: Finders Distillery based out of an industrial unit on Sydney's North Shore.

Following a two-year around the world trip as a source of inspiration which saw the founders visit a myriad of distilleries to learn about production processes and graced with a passion for artisanal products upon their return, they set out to create each batch of gin individually with their three hundred litre capacity copper pot still.

Based on a backbone of Australian wheat spirit, Finders’ core Juniper forward Dry Gin expression is crafted the traditional way with an idiosyncratic Australian twist, i.e. the infusion of nine local botanicals such as Wattle Seed and Native Gum, the adage of which is finely calibrated to ensure that the desired flavour nuances are being achieved.

With the melange of the aforementioned Australian botanicals and floral sweetness reminiscent of chamomile and citrussy highlights, a uniquely complex flavour profile is achieved and enhanced by the expression not being chill-filtered, which with its smooth mouthfeel lends itself particularly well for both neat sipping or the traditional G&T.

Given the quality of Finders’ Dry Gin, I can only hope that we will soon see them venturing into creating their own whiskies.

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images from company websites

Rare Bird Publishing special

Founded in 2010, LA-based publishing house Rare Bird has released a catalogue of over fifty books and records with an eclectic cast of authors ranging from Mark Lanegan via William T. Vollmann to books by Sam McPheeters, which we have covered before.

One of Rare Birds’ latest releases is a tome dedicated to the collective known as Leftöver Crack, who have left an indelible dent in the realm of underground music with what on the surface looks like a nihilistic melange of no fucks given, cops hatin’ and drug takin’ crust core that centres its output around the tenet of causing mayhem in every possible way.

Architects of Self-Destruction: An Oral History of Leftöver Crack scratches the surfaces and seeks to document the band’s history by gathering details from the main protagonists themselves, their entourage, supporters and, most interestingly, their antagonists and enemies.

The result is a nuanceful depiction of a well-reflected band that shows that there is a method to their madness and more to their antics than mere shock value: In both a contemplative, challenging and provocative manner, the band’s history is chronicled with light being shed on the fiascos, confrontations and other shenanigans that ensued along the way.

An enlightening read that should tickle the fancy of both the uninitiated as well as hardcore fans, as the book is in essence an homage to the DNA of rebellious underground activism.

Having recently worked on an academic expose on Rammstein’ play with Teutonic imagery, taboos and stereotypes at large, it was nice to come across a book penned one of the less prominent members who nonetheless holds a special significance within the confines of the band, i.e. their keyboarder Flake.

It’s the World’s Birthday Today is the book equivalent of the man himself in that it is self-deprecating without being coquettish, funny and written from a unique angle.

Penned in a steady stream of consciousness kind of manner, Flake muses on being a middle-aged rock artist touring the world, fame,  its pitfalls and insanities that come with it, set against the evolution of Rammstein as a band.

With his own idiosyncratic sense of humour and in an engaging and relatable fashion, Flake shares not exactly glamourous but entertaining anecdotes from what happens behind the scenes of one of the biggest current bands on the planet.

The most entertaining bits is when Flake touches on mundane things and deconstructs the mythical entity the band has become, e.g. the fact that he listens to Rammstein cover bands to prepare before tours as their recordings prove to be more precise, his gripe that fascists do not get what Rammstein is really about, the creative process informing it all and what ensues when the band films their eccentric videos or engages in their not always too safe onstage pyro enhanced performances.

A wonderfully down-to-earth, enjoyable and entertaining book filled with titbits of a musician’s life that sheds light on where they come from and either makes you fall with Rammstein even more or will inspire you to give them a second shot, should you have decided that they were not for you the first time around.Cheap Shots: A Photographic Look at Underground Bands from the 1980s and Beyond should be the last component of the Rare Bird trifecta.

As the name suggests, this photobook zeroes in on bands that coined and shaped punk and hardcore music as we know it, ranging from the Bad Brains, Black Flag, Danzig, The Descendants, Fugazi via The Damned, UK Subs to the portrayal of U2’s first US tour along with many others.
Depicted both on-, behind and offstage in their respective natural habitats, Cheap Shots delivers in the eye candy department and should be a mandatory addition to the library to anyone remotely into underground music of the 1980s.