Seven Stories Publishing

Lydia Lunch and Quincy Troupe

Lydia Lunch has always been known for her dry humorous raunchy and raw approach to channelling her alchemy, i.e. spoken-word and performance art, fuelled by anger and outrage. Defiant in tone and style, So Real It Hurts meanders between anecdotes, intimate accounts of events to witty and sharp observations of social phenomena. Apart from personal revelations, the book is particularly interesting when light is shed on the relationship with Hubert Selby Jr and other protagonists, her account on the history of No Wave and her empowering rallying for the causes of taboo-busting feminism.

Lunch’s elaborations are fierce, explosive, revelatory and gripping and infused with urgency, specifically when it comes topics like environmentalism, consumerism and other social failures.

In essence, So Real It Hurts, is an anthology, which had previously been rejected by close to thirty publishers as it proudly states on the cover,  of new and established writings show no sign of Lydia Lunch dimming her flame, and with an introduction by Anthony Bourdain it is framed in a suitable context with the common denominator between being their appreciation of food and cooking, as her name suggests.

Great to have Lydia’s essays available in book form as most of what I had from Lydia were her diatribes from the days of her contributing to Forced Exposure magazine. An empowering and unflinching book with relevance especially for those without a voice who refused to be victims.

Seven  Stories’ Miles & Me: Miles Davis, the man, the musician, and his friendship with the journalist and poet Quincy Troupe is a nice counterpoint to Lydia Lunch in that is portrays a more subtle, less boisterous yet still provocative man and the way he went about his art with music and poetry until his untimely departure in 1991.

I quite enjoyed how  both Miles’ acute approach and his idiosyncratic vision is portrayed as well as his fragility and the solitude and loneliness that fuelled and impaired his genius. The book is testament to Miles being an accomplished poet in the realm of music and a skilful musical poet, which formed a unique melange that is highlighted by the author’s insights.

A warm and intriguing memoir based on Quincy Troupe’s experiences, a professor of literature at the University of California San Diego and accomplished author, and his friendship with Miles Davis.

Music in the Sky

UNSW Roundhouse

Sydney, Australia

May 29, 2021

Immersive audio-visual synaesthetic events have experienced quite an advent on terra australis as we have covered lately e.g. via the Monet & Friends and Van Gogh extravaganzas.

Created by Keith Hong, Music in the Sky takes things to the next level as what results from turning the venue, i.e. the University of NSW’s Roundhouse, into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of digital projections while sonically bathing the audience in both classic and contemporary compositions courtesy of an accomplished six-piece ensemble, is in essence a film score that has come alive.

At the intersection of light, music and space, one is invited to let go and be guided on an evocative journey from sunset to space through carefully choreographed projections emanated from six 10k projectors, which not only seem to enter a dialogue with the music but enhance each other in a synergising manner that creates something bigger than the mere sum of the individual components.

I like how the visual narrative set the scene yet still were fleeting enough to allow the audience to project their own interpretations on it and thereby making it a highly idiosyncratic and individual experience that creates a deeper, mesmerizing connection.

It would be nice to see that concept elaborated on and experience Music in the Sky incarnate in other venues to suit specific themes.

Akashic Books – Depeche Mode and Washington DC hardcore

What started as an independent publisher founded by the former bassist of Girls Against Boys and ex-member of Dischord’s Soulside in Brooklyn at the end of the 1990s has since seen an evolution that established Akashic Books as a veritable heavyweight on the firmament of publishers in terms of well-curated, quality books with a focus on attention to detail and the endeavour to make literature more accessible.

There are two recent releases that exemplify what is to love about Akashic as a publisher:

Given my weak spot for Depeche Mode and the 1980s at large, I got quite a few books on both the topic and the band, however, Depeche Mode: Monument takes things to the next level – not just in terms of extent with more than four hundred pages, but also in terms of how lovingly it is put together.

Having been released with the blessing of Mute Records, a label we recently covered, I would go as far as claiming that Monument is a borderline exhaustive visual account of the band’s catalogue and musical history.

Needless to say, there is an overload of eye candy with an array of never before published footage and given that one of the contributors hails from Germany, a part where Depeche Mode celebrated some most of their successes, their relationship with Teutonic heritage is illuminated, with accompanying essays, anecdotes and visuals focussing on their musical efforts and recordings, with less space being dedicated to the drama and clout around the band.

Not sure how the uninitiated would feel about the massive examination of all things Depeche Mode that makes the book Monument, but I’d be hard pressed to imagine that a fan would be anything less than enthused about it.

Let’s enter a time machine and head back to the end of the 1970s, take a couple of turns and look at one of the epicentres for what helped to shaped what became known as hardcore punk.

Spoke: Images and Stories from the 1980s Washington, DC Punk Scene is exactly what the title promises, i.e. detailing the history of the bands that contributes to one of the most relevant scenes in the alternative music cosmos.

 The main attraction here are live photos from the early heydays of bands like the usual suspect, e.g. Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Government Issue etc., but more interestingly other bands that are rarely document in other similar books on this matter, i.e. the fantastic Void, Swiz, my beloved Beefeater, Nation of Ulysses and others.

Having already been responsible for the Salad Days documentary, Scott Crawford hereby creates a captivating  coffee table equivalent that has intensity and immediacy reverberating from each and every page.

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http://www.akashicbooks.com

Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing

Being a dedicated biographer, researcher and music aficionado, Peter Guralnick has quite a portfolio in the realm of music related book releases, having had penned tomes about the lives of the who-is-who of rock royalty. Looking to Get Lost is in essence a collection of curated excerpts of his journalistic exposes along with editing and recent additions with the common denominator being Guralnick’s interest in them.

While being exposed to Guralnick’s writing will be illuminating for the uninitiated, a tad more structure would have added to the appeal as his elaborations lack context and information about how and when they were written. This would have added an interesting facet as around the time when some of the pieces emanated, they were hardly any other sources or magazine one could tap into for information.

However, if you look at it from a different angle, Looking to Get Lost could be perceived as Guralnick’s autobiography as his interactions with the greats of the music world and related anecdotes serve as milestones throughout his life and career.

An added bonus are not only Peter Guralnick’s endnotes but his song recommendations, which adds credence to the notion that the author is as passionate about the subject matter of his writings as his readers might be, i.e. written by a fan for fans, and thereby catering to an unlikely overly critical audience that won’t be disappointed by his essays.

A nice addition to your music related library and worth the price of admission for the chapters on Howlin’ Wolf and Jerry Lee alone. It could have been a tad more inclusive though, as I struggle to find more than one female artist covered.

Water of Life – The Firkin Whisky Co. and The Cannabis Co.

Unless you are a whisky fiend, the thought of how the initiated parlay about the merits of their favourite drops, let alone the brands themselves, will seem poncy to you and at times even detract you from trying – which is a shame as whisky should be about enjoyment no matter your level of expertise.

Enter Mike Collings and his Firkin Whisky Co.

With an unparalled pedigree in the realm of international whisky excellence with his roles including having been at the helm of the creation of a range of now well-established labels and distilleries for over forty years, Mike has set out to channel his alchemy in putting his own spin on the single cask malt market, poking good-natured fun and focussing on the proposition to get people to have fun and enjoy it.

What has become idiosyncratic for Firkin’s expressions is that each whisky is recasked into a custom double oak comprised of two types of oak – usually a first-fill Bourbon and a new Limousin oak with a custom char, which was previously seasoned with a fortified, soulmate wine to accentuate what is inherent in the characteristics of the whisky. Checking in every six months during the maturation process, Mike decides when his hand-crafted drops are ready have reached the depth of flavour he was going for.

Firkin Whisky Co. has currently four styles of whiskies, with each having deliberately distinctive attributes before getting the aforementioned trademark Firkin cask and maturation treatment: Firkin 10 is usually paired with a madeira cask finish. I tried a Benrinnes expressions and it proved to be an example par excellence for Firkin’s approach as the brightness of the whisky was not tamed but enriched with spiciness and citrus notes emanating from the cask treatment.

Firkin 49 is derived from the  Tullibardine Distillery and is married with a blend of amontillado and oloroso sherry, which adds nutty flavours to it.

The Marsala finish is used for the Islay expression, i.e. Caol Ila, which adds a delicate sweetness to the peat and smoke.

For the Firkin Rare, I had the fortune to taste the latest release, i.e. an Aultmore, whose musky, earth notes have been complemented by the richness of a tawny port.

The common denominator across the range is that each release is bottled at Firkin’s signature strength of 48.9% ABV, which not only enables to keep the need for filtration at bay but also pays homage to the years the founders were born in, i.e. 1948/49.

Apart from the whiskies, every facet of Firkin’s operations has a lot of attention to detail paid to, including the intricate labels and elaborate designs to reflect the craftmanship that goes into the creation.

Given what I have seen and tasted from The Firkin Whisky Co. and learned about Mike’s approach and philosophy I hope to be able to try his premium blended malts, i.e. Spencer Collings, the Imperial Tribute and the Founders 10-Y-O expressions.

Change of gear into gin territory…

Hemp has made many appearances in areas that it was shied away from over decades and with the advancement of the recognition of its benefits, it is having a moment and gaining acceptance when it comes to widespread mainstream acceptance.

Given the aforementioned, it was only a matter of time until we were to taste hemp based libations, to which the appropriately named Cannabis Co.  dedicated their efforts after hemp consumption became legal in Australia in 2017.

After launching their first hemp gin, The Myrcene, and selling out the entire stock within days before anyone having had a chance to taste it, I was curious to see what is behind the hype. While The Cannabis Co is not the only Australian distillery channelling their alchemy with hemp, what makes them stand out is the addition of aromatic oily compounds derived  from plants, fruits, flowers and seeds, which infuse idiosyncratic notes, essential smells and flavours to the distilling process.

Needless to say, Cannabis contains a myriad of those terpenes along with health and relaxation benefits, which adds another dimension to the indulgence of enjoying gin – at least in theory, as the question remains if the potency of the ingredients can survive the distillation process.

Since the first inception, Cannabis Co’s gin range has seen the release of other variants and expressions, further enhanced by the addition of Australian native botanicals.

As far as the gins are concerned, I would describe their Myrcene  expression as being inspired by the tradition of the classic London Dry Gin style, accentuated by a nice mouthfeel full of citrussy aromas sitting against a melange of piny, woody and spicy nuances.

The Jilungin Dreaming Hemp Gin not only contains the name giving Australian native botanical, but also lemongrass and cinnamon myrtle, which gives it a bit of a punch and a dominant sweetness sitting against a backbone of delicious nuttiness.

My favourite of the range is the High Seas Navy Strength expression, which not only clocks in at a higher ABV, but dials up the citrus spice as well, with the complex flavour profile meandering between grape fruity sweetness and gingery spiciness and lots of interesting half-tones in between.

Summa summarum, Cannabis Co delivers with three quality releases that offer ample opportunity for gin loves to experiment with new flavours.

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images from company websites