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Mike Parr: Performances 1971 - 2008

Black Inc. Publishing

Mike Parr’s shadow looms large, both on international terrain but specifically on terra australis. Having emerged on his artistic mission in the early 1970s, his oeuvre encompasses not merely a vast array of media but specifically performances, which not only work on different levels but more often than not have a political message at their core.

Over the years, I have had the fortune to not only visit Parr’s exhibitions but been lucky enough to witness some of his performances very close to the action, specifically the ones we have documented via our features of the Dark Mofo festivals, which Mike Parr has created monumental events for.

Being a self-taught artist who has always been marching to the beat of his own drum, Mike Parr very early own carved his own lane and developed what can be described as a signature language and visual aesthetic with the common denominator being his complete physical and intellectual commitment to his art – a commitment that often transcends boundaries and uses his body as a medium to deal with traumata and other experiences.

Challenging societal norms , the notion of identity as a fixed concept and conventions of what is perceived to be “normal”, Parr champions imperfection and has established these themes as consistent components of his body of work.

To do justice to an artist of Mike Parr’s calibre is challenging at best and I have long sought for a book comprising a comprehensive overview of her performances. Fortunately, there is Black Inc. Publishing, an accomplished publishing house focussing on quality non-fiction, fiction and poetry, based in Melbourne. 

While there is a myriad of publishers dabbling in the arts, it is Black Inc’s passionate approach, careful curation, tailored editing and a sense for relevant new works within the confines of art, history, politics, biography, criticism and current affairs, which gives their publications an omnipresent sense of relevance and substance.

Black Inc’s tome on Mike Parr, i.e. Performances 1971 – 2008 is an homage par excellence, both paying tribute and simultaneously examining Mike Parr’s artistic endeavours and by having Mike Parr himself at the helm of the operation, it offers unparalleled access to his unique world and views.

With its pared back yet stylish and elegant packaging, Mike Parr Performances 1971 – 2008 is essential for anyone harbouring an interest for artists who have dedicated their life to pushing boundaries in every sense of the word.

Water of Life – Souwester Spirits

Souwester Spirits intrigued me from the moment I learned about both – the fact that it is located in the Southern corner of Western Australia as well as its founder, i.e. Danielle Costley, being a luminary in the realm of winemaking before she started to channel her alchemy in distilling barrel-aged spirits.

For the uninitiated, Western Australia is overflowing with versatile local produce and native botanicals, which are predestined to imbue Souwester Spirits’ gin with idiosyncratic flavour nuances.

Given her pedigree and expertise in winemaking, Danielle’s focus is set on the experimentation with barrel-aged spirits, matured in specifically procured Ice Chardonnay barrels sourced from Fraser Gallop Estate in the heart of the Margaret River Wine Region, which adds another unique terroir based facet to Souwester with ice wines being on the rare end of the dessert wine spectrum.

Souwester’s Ice gin is based on a foundation of a melange of juniper berries and coriander seed to create a blend that is further refined with local finer limes and saltbush, botanicals that are emblematic for the South West coastal environment, which are then distilled in rainwater before being aged in French Oak barrels.

The result is a rich and complex array of flavour nuances, resting on a backbone of toast oak, vanilla-ey and citrussy highlights and culminating in a reverberating, lingering moreish crescendo. A gin that lends itself well for sipping it neat with its elegant textures.

Given the quality of the gin, I could not wait to sample the Ice Whisky, which as the name suggests, has also undergone maturation in the iced wine French Oak barrels.

What tickles the nostrils is a complex exercise in smoky peat, pervaded by the aforementioned oaky and vanilla aromas derived from the barrel. On the top of the roof, flavours take a detour via fruity, grassy, floral and sweet territory courtesy of the residue of the sweet grapes. The finish is bookended with spicy and slightly salty notes, which remind one in the most subtle manner of the maritime climate this drop has matured in.

Given that Souwester’s first whiskey has only matured for four years, I cannot wait to experience the future emissions from this artisanal distiller.

The Formative Years - Muzak 

Experimental, EDM, music that evokes a bodily reaction and noise music along with the underground cultures and aesthetics have always fascinated me – an interest that sparked curiosity as to what music can achieve beyond the realms of what is perceived and enjoyed when one actively listens.

Needless to say, when the ATF used meditative Tibetan chants in a bid to execute a psychological assault on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas to mess with the mind of David Koresh and his followers in the mid-90ies, I was intrigued.

After a stint of exploring how music is used by government agencies and police to sonically attack demonstrators or unwanted loiterers, an interest emerged in what other ways music is used to achieve desired subliminal effects, e.g. like the ubiquitous serenading of shoppers in retail stores with subtle background music – a style of music that to this day remains popular in Japan.

What eventually became a collective term to refer to background music at large, i.e. “muzak”, is a derivate from Muzak Holdings, an entity, whose name is a portmanteau of music and the made-up word “kodAK”, that since the 1950s has had its focus firmly set on creating the sounds that were have since become omnipresent in elevators and mercantile environments alike.

After a period of trial and error and a calibration of style, pace, and instrumentation, Muzak’s emissions were finetuned to the extent that they were deemed suitable to exert a stimulus to boost productivity, so it could be used in workplaces. In order to achieve their outcomes, Muzak eventually started to employ the services of dedicated orchestras musicians to further manipulate behaviours, which resulted in Muzak accumulating an impressive archive of original recordings.

With the advent of youth cultures spanning the decades from the 1960s onwards, background music started to loose its appeal as foreground music with original artist p[programming becoming prominent in public spaces – a development that eventually saw Muzak merge with Yesco, a company that licensed original recordings and a step which saw Muzak drop their stimulus progression program to evolve to creating their audio architecture program, along with offering the management of performance royalties, targeting specific audiences with pre-fabricated algorithm based playlists.

While Muzak eventually went bankrupt, its legacy and objectives still loom large, with entities like Mood Media following in its footsteps to focus on on-hold messaging and video programming.

While the concept of muzak might sound antiquated, the piping in of soothingly bland music in public spaces has never ceased and no matter if I frequent a restaurant or visit a bank, it has become an interesting activity to consciously listen to what non-threatening music is being played, question what it means to achieve and assess if it yields any results.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Rock Brewing Co

Before Rocks Brewing Co’s brewery was incepted in 2014, Rocks was known for channelling its alchemy as a gypsy brewer at different established Sydney breweries to create approachable ales to capture the hoppy equivalent to the characteristics of Sydney and its personalities.

In 2021, Rocks Brewing has established itself firmly as a veritable heavyweight in the Sydney craft beer scene, including the establishment of a brewpub, where the liquid range is on offer and can be sampled individually or tasting paddles and backed by sustenance in form of food pairings.

While It’s been in my periphery, it been a long time coming to zero in on how they channel their alchemy. Word around the campfire had that Rocks Brewing recently onboarded a new head brewer, who allegedly loves his IPAs, so needless to say that I was intrigued.

My first exposure to Rock Brewing Co was through their Hangman Pale Ale, which manifests their idiosyncratic take and Australian twist on the classic American pale ale style. With a melange of Cascade and Liberty hops, the Hangman is a carefully calibrated exercise in balancing the essence of malty caramel goodness against citrussy, stone fruity highlights. Not bad, not bad at all.

Given this fulminant start, expectations were high for what their West Coast IPA would have in store.

Upon opening the can of Rock; Holey Dollar, what tickled the nostrils was a welcome dankness, which after the first sip seamlessly transitions to the palate with a beautifully resinous onslaught of piney nuances, counterbalanced by just the right level of bitterness (57 IBU) and just a hint of spiciness. As the companion to a Laphroaig Quarter Cask Boilermaker, this is one flavourful IPA with a solid malt taste.

Given that I missed out on Rocks Brewing’s 10 Year Red IIPA as well as their Convict IPA, I shall make sure to check in regularly to not miss out on any of their upcoming specials.

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image from company website

Affirm Press Australia

Australia is home to quite an array of independent publishers, whose emissions deserve to find a wider international audience. Affirm Press is one of them with their foci firmly set on not only capturing and publishing Australian stories in their broad range of fiction but also provide food for thought with their non-fiction books, which nurture big ideas.

Once you have read a few of Affirm Press’ books, the common denominators can be easily pinpointed, i.e. loving attention to detail, editorial commitment and careful curation, which is reflected in most of their non-fictional titles focussing on influencing by delight.

Some reasons examples I found quite enlightening, especially during the travails of recent times, are the books penned by Patrick Lindsay, an ex- journalist and television presenter who eventually reinvented himself as a non-fiction author.

Be Inspired Every Day: 170 Ways to Transform Your Life is an example par excellence for no self-help hocus-pocus, but a guide that sheds light on the reconnection with sources of inspiration that are surrounding us, be it nature, the arts, music and good ole plain human interaction. A book that helps finetune one’s antennae to elevate the ordinary, find calm in the chaos to lift spirits and enrich the mundaneness of the day-to-day.

Be Resilient and Thrive sees Lindsay focus on the journey from being under pressures and stresses to the other side and how to navigate by note merely pushing on, but developing strategies to build and nurture resilience based on simple and common sensical ingredients like the soundness of body, mind and spirit and an action plan.

Anastasia Charisiou’s Simple Self Care zeroes in on the reset and restoring of oneself in a world that is obsessed with productivity, 24/7 availability and success by illustrating the transformative and liberating effects self-compassion can have.

Neuroscientists and podcast host Alexis Fernandez’ Be Bold has the mind and brain at the centre of its elaborations to help unlock the best version of yourself by not only identifying the best course of action but by pro-actively learning and unlearning.