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Music and Fashion…Dr. Martens will see you now!

It was in seventh grade when a much older hellraiser joined my class that I was introduced to Metallica’s “…and justice for all” album, which had just been released. Intrigued and inspired by the aggressive complexity of the album, I delved into their back catalogue to then delve deeper and immerse myself in the metal scene to find gems Slayer and eventually, via a couple of detours, found my way to punk and hardcore, which paved the way for a lifelong affiliation.

Especially at the age of thirteen, a rebellious uniform was a must to go with my mindset and from what I gathered from the older punks I encountered during my first field trip to London and the scarce information that was available via mainstream media, one could not possibly be remotely into punk rock without a proper leather jacket, jeans distressed by bleach and combat boots. My metal loving peers got German Army “Springerstiefel”, which aesthetically lacked appeal and never resonated with me, so when I laid eyes on the cover artwork of Agnostic Front’s live album “Live at CBGBs” and the iconic display of Dr. Martens boots that the deal was sealed: Following Christmas saw a pair of 16-eye steel capped boots high on my want list in my endeavours to shape my appearance to resemble the looks of Wattie from The Exploited I had caught a glimpse of in a fanzine.

Eventually my personal Dr. Martens’ history came full circle in terms of Dr. Martens paying tribute to punk birthplace CBGB with designed variants of its 1460 boot to celebrate its recent sixtieth anniversary, one of which was fabled about to have been inspired by graffiti adorned walls of CB’s toilets.

But let’s dial back a bit and look at the genesis of Dr. Martens to examine why it eventually became such an integral component of rebellious uniforms and subculture at large, along with an unwavering significance to this very day via a myriad of reimaginings that remain true to its DNA.

Doktor Klaus Martens was a medic in World War II and once it had subsided, used military left overs to sew a prototype for a comfortable leather boot, the major objective of which it was to assist people suffering from ailments in the foot region to recover faster. This feat was achieved by the creation of an air cushioned sole, which left its imprint via the label “Airwair”, which remains a trademark of Dr. Martens to this day. After piloting some models, wider exposure was eventually gained in the UK in the late nineteen fifties through a cooperation with the English shoe manufacturing company Griggs.

Entering the British mainstream as a workwear staple in the nineteen sixties, the advent of  the skinhead movement championing working class and the punk movement being spawned by the identity crisis of the middle class, it became an integral part of a new movement at the end of the seventies – probably partly because of its radical military appeal, but definitely because of its durability.

One could claim that through the punk movement and icons like Pete Townsend publicly wearing them in a bid to protest against the mod movement or Elton John sporting an oversized pair in the The Who’s rock opera Tommy, Dr. Martens became synonymous with self-expression, counterculture, attitude authenticity and a sign of one’s roots and leanings: Without music at the core, Dr. Martens would have probably remained a workwear boot.

Needless to say, in 1994, i.e. the year some claim that punk officially died with the advent of the Grunge scene, Dr. Martens experienced a major revival, with the boots not only becoming ubiquitous at festivals, but eventually fashion luminaries like Marc Jacobs and Phoebe Philo being influenced by its style and paying homage with their own collections, which was later – after a bit of a decline - continued in the mid-two thousands by other designers’ reinterpretations and customisations of the classic 1460 boot as well as Dr. Martens’ myriad of collaborations with other brands, e.g. Stussy, Supreme, Off-White and BAPE, which saw some hits and misses eventuate.

Through entering the hardcore scene and an infatuation with Chuck Taylor and Nike, my relationship with Dr. Martens found an almost decade long hiatus, before the iconic shoes with the distinctive yellow stitch entered my wardrobe again – via both the formal and informal variants.

The aforementioned built-to-last classic 8-eye 1460 with its grooved side, heel-loop with its lightly textured leather is quintessentially the mother of Dr. Martens boots: It remains for me to this day a trusted, comfortable and versatile companion that I have relied on specifically through travels to the colder regions of the earthround.  

However, over the years I have come to appreciate Dr. Martens’ more subtle and borderline subversive styles as well: The 5-eye Kelvin Kelvin II Smooth Brogue is a favourite for formal occasion with its firm, finished leather offering a smooth, semi bright appearance. Much more durable than other flimsy footwear constructions due to the upper and sole being heat-sealed and sewn together, I love how comfortable and easy to maintain they are due to their oil and fat-resistancy. The fact that they are made with Goodyear welt, which helps with abrasion and slip resistance, does not hurt either – specifically in winter.

Dr. Martens remains popular today and maintains relevance and currency by sticking to its DNA yet e.g. incorporating well-made vegan variants of their classic models.

However, upon closer inspection, there has been a slight shift due to its popularity and credibility, i.e. Dr Martens has infiltrated the mainstream as a fashion statement rather than a style identity and with models of the calibre of Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Kaia Gerber incorporating the classic boots into their wardrobe to give it an edge, there are countless ways to reinvent oneself by making Doc a seasonless wardrobe staple with an edge.

To the next sixty years!

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Dr. Martens images from company website

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Steteco

My first visit to Japan was in 2004 – many more for different reasons follow. What was a formidable experience the first time around, only got better once one was able to discern and deep dive into the beauty that is Japan and specifically the labyrinth of wonders that is Tokyo.  Each time I have the fortune of visiting, there are some regular stops, not only food, sake and specifically whisky related, but to record / toy stores and the HQ of fashion outlets like Undercover and e.g. Kapital in Ebisu, just to gaze at the outlandish creations designers like Jun Takahashi or experience the new ways the Kapital creative team has come up with to distress clothing and rearrange it in the most tragic and wonderous of ways.

While the fascination for the more “out there” Japanese fashion will most likely never vanish, I have grown to increasingly appreciate everyday garments Japanese brands create as they not only feel amazing as far as materials are concerned but more often than not, they have a nice twist to what they are doing. That is, if I can find garments in my size, which is always a challenge in Japan.

Case in point: Steteco, a brand named after the loose shorts worn under kimonos in 19th-century Japan. I had walked past their creations in departments stores many a times, until a friend brought them up and attested that she swears by them. Having received a pair of shorts and shirt as a Christmas gift and getting to experience the simple yet functional cotton-crepe pieces, made me instantaneously a fan and it was fantastic to see how the brand got more exposure via the recent collaboration with Monocle, which finally saw Steteco channel their alchemy in the creation of clothes in sizes larger than “LL”.

Sitting outside at a café, currently wearing some of airy Steteco’s versatile lounge shorts in public, might give an idea of the unique melange that Steteco manages to create, i.e.  marrying traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design, with a firm focus on comfort and durability.

Needless to say, no matter how casual Steteco’s creations look, a closer look shows the meticulous attention to detail and exacting standards their wares are created by as far as weaving, sewing and manufacturing is concerned, which adds a subtlety that many other brands lack. The fact that many of the distinct styles and clothes have a story to them, e.g. pants being named after the hindquarters of a flying squirrel adds a nice playfulness to the story.

Given the humidity of Japanese summers, literally all of their creations have breathability as the common denominator, with their pants being created out of the meshed, soft cotton chijimi textile, which has not only been used since the Edo period and feels nice, but combines elasticity and the ability to absorb moisture.

I am thankful for having been nudged to check Steteco out as it exposed me to a world of clothes that I normally would have not checked out at the Isetan Shinjuku Store.

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image from company website

G.I.S.M.

Extream Guerrilla Live Streaming

December 8, 2020

I vividly recall how difficult it was in the 1990s to get a hold of a copy G.I.S.M.’s Subj & Egos, Chopped video tape, let along Beast Art’s Performance and Bootleg videos from the 1980s. When +R, Regicide Reverberation was released in 2002, a trip was made to the local bank to obtain JP¥, which were sent by snail mail to Record Shop Base in Tokyo and it took weeks until the army ration packaged VHS tapes materialized and could be enjoyed.

Who would have thunk back then that in 2020, with the help of the Dommune live streaming studio, one could experience G.I.S.M. playing live via the push of a button?

Celebrating the re-release of G.I.S.M.’s classic debut from 1984, i.e. DeTestation, by Relapse Records, Sakevi Yokoyama assembled new musicians around him to play some of the most significant tracks of an album whose idiosyncratic melange of hardcore punk, thrash and hair metal, pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible within the confines of extreme music.

While it will remain forever impossible to replicate how Randy Uchida meticulously channelled his alchemy, especially as a far as the trills and taps of his solos are concerned, the backing band played a solid set, crowned by Sakevi’s on-point unique vocal delivery, which instantaneously connects both on a subconscious and abstract as well as on a literal level., as far as the piercing punchiness of his effortlessly delivered growls and trademark shrieks are concerned.

The fact that the Dommune studios usually broadcast streams centered around house and techno ensured that light effects added an interesting additional layer along with a perfectly orchestrated crisp sound, which was visually accentuated by what a crew of roving camera men captured as they meandered the band.   

Once the implications the pandemic have been curbed, one can only hope that G.I.S.M. will continue to play live shows - the teaser that was displayed at the end of the “Extream” performance makes one hopeful, as it alluded to a five-hour performance to be streamed in 2021.

Water of Life - Christmas Gin Palooza

Sydney, ICC

Australian Gin Association

Especially on terra australis, gin is back bigger than ever due to its idiosyncratic thriving craft and spirits movement, its versatility, and its increasing affordability. Having first emerged in the old world in the seventeenth century and refined by the Dutch, availability in England resulted in a steep price increase in a bid to curb alcohol related hooliganism.

Fast forward to the twenty-first century and given its versatility, it has firmly established itself as a mainstay of the most distinguished cocktail lists, with a myriad of craft distilleries offerings their own distinct variations by adding botanicals to the quintessential ingredient, i.e. the juniper berry, taking up prime retail space with aficionados being spoilt for choice.

With an abundance of flavours and affordable prices, the annual Gin Palooza is a happening that never gets dull as new, ambitious distillers appear on the scene. Curated by the Australian Gin Distillers Association last year, it is an event that usually sells out far ahead of time.

Showcasing more than two-hundred gins by over thirty gin distillers from all over Australia ranging from boutique outfits to major brands, there is a lot to discover and always a fun event.

Despite whisky being my usually go to, it is never not interesting to discover sippable variants, especially when it comes to smoky or barrel aged expressions.

Favourites of the COVID-19 safe incarnation of the Gin Palooza extravaganza, which was conducted in the spacious surrounds of Sydney’s International Convention Centre spread across two levels, included the emissions of the fantastic Prohibition Liquor Co., Newry Distillery, Distillery Botanic and Manly Spirits.

While Gin Palooza is a fun and what might appear to be a boozy event, it proves to be difficult to not have an educational experience as each booth has you engage with the distillers and / or brand ambassadors directly, who are eager to share their approach and the unique characteristics of the libations they proffer.

The event also offered themed masterclasses, which sees e.g. luminaries from the bartending and wider gin scene incarnate to showcase their craft, with e.g. Eddie from Cape Byron Distillery, which we recently feature.

A wonderful event that a lot of other tasting events can learn a lot from.

Water of Life – Vintage Malt Whisky Company

It is an age old practice for distilleries to sell barrels of their emissions to blenders and independent bottlers in a bid to create an additional revenue stream, with some distilleries eventually solely existing for that very purpose and others passing on casks, the particular flavour of which would not align with the characteristics of the brand.

Independent bottlers may or may not disclose the origin of the whiskies they use and while they are some dabbling in the creation of questionable bottom shelf quality, there are some fantastic independent bottlers with a varied portfolio and a quality approach. The latter of which get me excited when they go for more niche products and bottle their drops at full-flavoured cask strength, which often offers the opportunity to sample rarer variations in an affordable manner.

Vintage Malt Whisky Company was founded at the beginning of the nineteen nineties with the objective to source selected drops to distribute them via independent wine and spirit importers throughout the world – an approach that proved to be successful and lead VMWC to establish itself on the forefront of Scotland’s leading independent bottlers.

VMWC piqued my interest as they have a few Islay expressions with quite declamatory names. Case in point: The award winning Smoke Stack, which is – as the telling name suggests – a richly peated blend of drops from both Islay and the Highlands, with smokiness being the common denominator.

What tickles the nostrils is a nice melange of sweet Ardbeg-esque peat, which then takes a left turn into iodine territory with citrussy highlights.

On the palate, I quite like that in terms of peatiness, the spectrum from sweet to oily is displayed with a smoky backbone that is pierced by floral notes and honeyed ginger. The elongated finish simmers the drop down to its essence, i.e. oils and smoke.

Despite the heavy hitting name, I found the Smoke Stack to be a nice introduction for the uninitiated to forage into the beauty that Islay has to offer.

Islay Storm is another peaty expression, the nose of which is firmly on the phenolic end of the spectrum, counterpointed by a maritime saltiness. On the top of mouth, a lovely balance between sweet peat, vanilla, spicy nuances and iodine is achieved, which seamless transitions into a fantastic finish, with waves of smoke reverberating and leaving one lusting for more.

Vintage Malt Whisky Company’s flagship brand is Finlaggan Islay Single Malt, bottlings of which have incarnated in many different expressions.

The Finlaggan Old Reserve is more complex compared to the aforementioned two expressions as the bouquet is more subtle when it comes to medicinal notes weaving through honeyed nutty highlights. The aromas hint at the complex melange that manifests on the palate, which peat smoke serving as the foundation on which malty cereal flavours dance with gingery spices before seamlessly transitioning into a bittersweet finish, which bookends the experience with a toasty oakiness, menthol and minerals. Delicious, affordable and a great daily sipper, which I can see to be a gateway scotch for peat lovers to be.

The Finlaggan Port Finish is an example for the variations the Vintage Malt Whisky Company produces, with this expression resulting in adding a  wine-like sweetness which blends in with the smoky, coastal peat that forms the DNA of Finlaggan and on the nose, adds nice nuances of red berries to the mix.

Flavour-wise, the Port Cask dominates the palate and borderline overwhelms the peatiness, which adds another interesting dimension. The finish is satisfyingly smoky and seals a complex experience rounded out with raisiny highlights and slight notes of dark chocolate.

Cannot wait to try Vintage Malt Whisky Company’s other expressions.

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image from company website