Blog — Page 89 of 280

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Swiss Wave and Calida

Gottfried Keller, precision watch manufacturing, the Alps, Max Frisch, fondue, versatile wee red knives, solid milk chocolate, more than seven thousand lakes, Jean-Jacques-Rousseau, multi-culturalism, Roger Federer and Gruyère cheese – stereotypes and clichés aside, I have always found it difficult to not like Switzerland.

Musically, I have always harboured a fondness for Swiss bands like Yello, Kleenex Nasal Boys and TNT, and my first excursion to Switzerland culminated in a stay at the Off the Disk Records HQ where my horizons were expanded to appreciate genre-coining pioneering outfits like Fear of God and Celtic Frost.

Fashion-wise, Switzerland has always been an insider tip for aficionados of sporty and contemporary couture, which should not come as a surprise given its location next to France and Italy. The fact that the fair trade industry is well entrenched in Switzerland only contributes to the appeal and adds another facet to a distinguishable, distinct identity that Switzerland embodies the fashion world.

For the last seventy-five years, Swiss brand Calida has been a champion of sustainability, long-lasting quality and contemporary design when it comes to lounger and undergarments. While their craftmanship and attention to detail has created a league of itself, I have developed an appreciation for Calida over the last couple of years because of their use of innovative materials, commitment to sustainability and their belief in the importance of transparency.

Case in point, Calida was the first underwear brand that championed Made in Green by Oeko-Tex, which ensures that the labelled products are devoid of harmful substances, adhere to safe and socially responsible production principles, which do not harm the environment.

Calida’s 100% Nature collection pushed the envelope even further by producing the first completely compostable products made exclusively from cellulose material, which are not only being manufactured in a closed, energy-efficient cycle and sourced from sustainably managed forests but are being produced using locally sourced carbon-neutral biogas. 

In other words, if you want to discard your Calida gear, you can just put it on your garden compost, where it will decompose into biological nutrients to essentially create new raw materials.

A favourite of Calida’s offerings includes the Spacer Lounge sweater, which I love wearing on long-distance travel given its HeiQ Fresh technology, which ensures breathability and odour control.

The fact that almost every item of Calida’s collections can be combined which each other, make it not only a dream for people who love getting dressed in the dark but creates an overarching cohesion and provides coordination possibilities that other brands lack.

Given the longevity of Calida’s gear, the commitment to sustainability and the aesthetically pleasing designs, it is commendable brand that justifies the investment as one easily see and feel what you pay for.

Station Museum of Contemporary Art

Hermann Nitsch and more

I first came across The Station Museum of Contemporary Art due to my interest in Hermann Nitsch as the Texan exhibition forum, which usually has its focus on fine arts that reflect the cultural diversity of Houston’s communities, hosted an extensive exhibition dedicated to the paintings of the controversial, big man – as the first museum in the new world.

In this day and age, Hermann Nitsch’s oeuvre is much more than an attempt at controversy as at its very core, it unveils the on-going war and brutality we are exposed to on a daily basis in a bid to transcend it spiritually and arrive at a deep appreciation for the beauty and preciousness of life.

Being probably the most prominent representative of the Vienna-Actionists with his focus firmly set on body art, blood sacrifice and  religious ritual, it was fantastic to be able to experience the exhibition, Nitsch’s free form Orgies Mysteries Theater, through Station Museum’s excellent accompanying catalogue.

Having experienced quite a few of Nitsch’s actions in the flesh, this is definitely one of the more interesting publications as it astutely depicts and gives an accurate impression of the how Nitsch channels his message with explosive intensity, with a cleansing catharsis being the desired outcome.

Nitsch’s luminous and monochromatic paintings are the epitome of sensual immediacy and erotic spirituality and in the way they were exhibited at Station Museum, a connection could be made from his painting to his theatre.

Upholding the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of expression being some of the central tenets of Station Museum along with its commitment to being an activist institution supporting civil society issues as well as artists who engage in socially and politically relevant expressions, Station’s collaboration with the Spanish artistic collective DEMOCRACIA should not come as a surprise. It is just one of many examples of Station Museum providing a platform to artists that actively question our society’s morality and ethics. Exclusive merch from the collaboration is still available from Station Museum’s online shop/.

With a deep sense for art being much more than a creative outlet but a resource that broadens every aspect of public awareness, Station Museum has made it to the must-visit places once international travel is possible again.

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images from organization website

Water of Life – Banks and Solander

While my DNA has me more geared towards whisk(e)y, my better half is all about gin, which enables me to sample new variants from around this earthround on a regular basis. What I really like is when gins are enhanced by local botanicals, which often add an idiosyncratic flavour profile that makes them distinct from other expressions.

In terms of gin, Australians are blessed with innovative distilleries mushrooming all over terra australis and the wealth of botanicals that can be tapped into in different locations. There is literally a new variant out on a weekly basis, plus limited seasonal and barrel-aged examples.

At that recent Christmas incarnation of the extravaganza that is the Gin Palooza festival, I came across distillers I had never heard of before and its location in close proximity of my digs intrigued me. Turned out that what I got to sample that day merited a dedicated instalment of our series.

Banks and Solander’s micro distillery is located at New South Wales’ Botany Bay, a history rich part of Sydney with an array of traditional and native Australian botanicals on offer.

Claiming that Banks and Solander’s expressions are artisanal in nature would be an understatement par excellence as their core expression is a tour de force in complex full-bodiness based on careful curation of ingredients and quality assurance of each step of the production.

Inspired by how Tasmanian distillers channel their alchemy, the husband and wife team started to build their own distillery from scratch to take things to the next level.

Their Signature Gin is a wonderfully citrus-forward  drop with floral highlights,

nuanced by the most subtle hints of chocolate and culminate in a tingle courtesy of Tasmanian pepper berry and a hint of lemon myrtle.

While this is ideal for summer, their limited edition Endeavour Gin caters to the colder months of the year, with its melange of spices, orange marmalade and oak caramel, resting on a foundation of citrus.

Interestingly, Banks and Solander have recently created their own Limoncello, which traditionally is a classic after dinner digestive based on macerating lemon zest in grappa. Needless to say, Banks and Solander refined the traditional Italian recipe by adding local Australian botanicals to create their own naturally vibrant limoncello that will work beautifully in cocktails and punches.

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image from company website

Water of Life – Glencairn Crystal

There is certainly no shortage of opinions when it comes to the question of the design and look of the vessel whisky is to be enjoyed from. Fact is that a well-crafted glass can change your drinking experience to the better, especially if your appreciation of spirits has matured past the stage of shooting and gulping.

While I find merits in the tulip-shaped copita glass for its aroma and flavour enhancing qualities and find the “shot glass” the least favourable option for anything you would actually like to savour, my go-to is the good ole traditional Glencairn glass. My preference goes as far as that I usually travel with one as one never knows when the aromas of a great drop are to be appreciated in a concentrated manner on the nose. Its shape lends itself perfectly well to fully experience the layering of flavours and with the glass being tapered at the top, it lets you focus on the essence of each expression, with the thick stem making sure that any unintentional heat is kept at bay. The Glencairn Crystal feels good when held in hand, lets one swirl whiskies around, provides the drop with room to breathe and delivers seamless drinkability. The fact that it looks aesthetically pleasing does not hurt either. In essence, it is the definite whisky glass for me and I was delighted that Glencairn Crystal have recently released a limited coloured edition, which is fantastic for blind tasting sessions.

Glencairn’s whisky mixer glass is another one of my favourites as it is versatile and can be used for neat sipping, on the rocks and mixers and is fantastic for Old Fashioneds and other whisky cocktails as it allows rooms for garnishing.

Having been developed in close consultation with the Canadian whisky industry, it lends itself especially well to savour the notes on the sweeter end of the spectrum of rye whiskies.

With my better half harbouring a weak spot for gin rather than whisky, we were delighted to find that Glencairn Crystal channelled their expertise in the creation of a proper gin goblet glass. With the enrichment of the drinking experience being the foremost pursuit, Glencairn has created a beautiful goblet that keeps the warmth of your paws away from the spirit and at the same time necessitates less ice. I love when glasses feel natural yet a lot of thought has gone into the actual design, which can be specifically experienced in this case with its lip and a curved design. 

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image from company website

The Formative Years – Rollins Band

I would deem it borderline impossible to be into punk and hardcore and not only be familiar with but have a distinct take on Henry Rollins.  While the topic of who the best Black Flag frontman was remains a well-debated, the fact that Rollins left an indelible mark with his stint in charge of Black Flag’s vocal delivery is undisputed.

In the late 1980s, an older scenester not only recorded a Black flag mix tape for me but also included songs from Rollins’ first solo album, i.e., Hot Animal Machine, the CD of which I acquired not too longer after. By that time, I had also started tracking down Rollins’ first attempts at literary pursuits and his first spoken-word album Big Ugly Mouth. The albums were interesting, - musically not necessarily bangers, at times silly and the spoken word performances still worlds from the refined engaging experiences that an evening with Rollins started to evolve to in the '00s.

Musically things got more interesting when Rollins teamed up with what was to become a napalm unit of musicians, i.e., Andrew Weiss, Sim Cain, Chris Haskett and sound engineer and mentor Theo van Rock.

Apart from an appreciation for rock and metal, I was intrigued to hear jazzy influences and what seemed to be a channelling of the adoration for Jimi Hendrix oeuvre on the Life Time album, the central theme of which was of course in true Rollins’ fashion alienation and existential funks in all shapes and forms, culminating in the song "Hard Volume," which gave an idea of where things were going to head into.

The murder of Rollins’ best friend Joe Cole in 1991 was not explicitly mentioned anywhere on the tank of an album that The End of Silence is, but it would be difficult to imagine that it served as the catalyst for what is a tour de force of pain, rage, despair, guilt and animosity.

The album sucked me in like a black whole both lyrically. Sonically production was stepped up a few notches, more polished and the clockwork-like precision of the Rollins Band and their full potential was exhibited for the first time. A pivotal raw, white-hot intense record, blueprint for the future, musical sledgehammer and all-out attack that resonated with every fibre of my being.

Weight in 1994 was the next album and both the songs, vocal delivery and lyrics were much more refined and tightened up – partly due to the new bassist Melvin Gibbs ‘love for jazz - and via MTV and the heavy rotation of "Liar," it allowed for Rollins Band to infiltrate and establish itself in the mainstream conscience.

The album contains some of my favourite Rollins Band tracks with Volume 4 being an outstanding example. I would go as far as claiming that in essence, Weight is the polished, simmered down essence of The End of Silence.

Get Some Go Again was the first album after the core of the Rollins Band had departed and saw Rollins team up with LA rock band Mother Superior.

The result is an extremely enjoyable full length that while not being as eclectic as the back catalogue, is a load of fun to listen to with its airtight grooves and homage to the greater moments of the bands that Rollins has always cited as his main influences.

Both Nice and Come In and Burn are solid albums, yet feel a tad recycled and especially the latter felt a bit anaemic. Both are good records but pale in comparison to Rollins Band’s previous efforts.