Blog — Page 33 of 275

Audio = Ground Zero – JBL Home Audio options

Given the devil’s pace TV technology has advanced over recent years, with models getting smaller yet quantum leaps being made in terms of picture quality, you are going to want some serious audio to go along with technological improvements, which, unless your abode and wallet can accommodate and afford a full-blown home theatre, is where a slim, low profile, space saving soundbar comes in handy to distinctly upgrade your TV audio with clearer dialogue, richer sound and crisper details. 

In that regard, a well performing soundbar is the audio equivalent to a pair of glasses.

However, with a myriad of models and sheer endless features of varying quality crowding the market, there are a few guiding basics one should consider, e.g. making sure there are three or more channels to simulate surround sound for a more immersive experience and the availability of connectivity options like HDMI Arc, USB and wireless connectivity. 

At the affordable end of the spectrum and as an entry level model, one would be hard-pressed to go past JBL’s compact Bar 2.0 All-In-One soundbar as in terms of ease-of-use, uncluttered functionality with control buttons on top and a simple remote control layout and pronounced simplicity when it comes to the setup, i.e. simply using the HDMI ARC connection and you are in business, it offers a myriad of benefits.

Performance-wise, the Bar 2.0 All-In-One delivers in terms of depth both in the realms of 
low-end reach as well as midrange, with nuances being no less crisply presented in the higher frequencies. 

What I really like about the Bar 2.0 is the way layered, complex sound fields are conveyed  with all nuanced subtleties and tonalities even in bigger rooms without ever lacking punchiness

Stepping things up a few notches is the tour de force that is the JBL’s Bar 5.1 Surround. Imbued with MultiBeam technology that is used in cinema audio systems around the world, it should not be further wondrous that this little number is the epitome of being blissfully submerged in sound.

Comprised of a standard yet oversized soundbar setup with an accompanying wirelessly-connected subwoofer that can be placed wherever one feels like, this minimalist designed soundbar houses five front-facing drivers and two side firing built-in speakers, which results in its bigger size that makes it a veritable unit.

Controls can be easily accessed either via remote control or directly in the middle of the soundbar, with the button given a welcome tactile response. Connectively is ensured via Optical / HDMI inputs, with both AirPlay2 and Chromecast being supported for wireless streaming and the possibility to connect your mobile devices via Bluetooth.

Informed by JBL’s idiosyncratic MultiBeam technology, the sound of this entertainment powerhouse could not be more detailed and spatially-accurate, delivering an audio soundscape equivalent of 3D by not merely maintaining but enhancing intensity, thereby making it one of the most capable soundbars in its class and placing JBL on the firmament of quality home audio providers.

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image from company website

The Formative Years – Entombed

As far as Scandinavian metal is concerned, Entombed was one of the bands that defined their own idiosyncratic melange based on a well-calibrated mix death metal and hardcore punk influences, which cross-pollinated across underground genres and gave birth to a myriad of epigones.

I was first exposed to Entombed via their album Left Hand Path and when it was released, it left not merely an impression on me but quite a dent on underground music at large as within the context of its time, i.e. the infancy of death metal, with its raw, aggressive approach, it was almost the diametric opposite of the prevalent melodic and progressive metal that was en vogue.

Given the fact that all band members were in their late teens, there was a youthful, unrelenting capturing crusty energy to it, which was accentuated by frenzied thrash, consistently poignant drumming, slow chugging heaviness and innovative riffing that perfectly conveyed the horror themes of the album.

In essence, through condensing the DNA of death metal to its punkish base, Left Hand Path not merely went on to serve as the template for what death rock and the future Swedish sound was to be based on but it created a distinct, ominous sonic aura, i.e. a sound that grabbed one by the throat and would become instantaneously recognizable and inextricably linked to Entombed.

A classic and vitally important album that opened a chasm into another world.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Rocky Ridge Brewing Anniversary releases

Rocky Ridge Brewing Co is a truly unique entity on the firmament of Australian quality craft beer breweries as its focus is not only set on sustainable practises and locally sourced ingredients, but also on pumping out quality brews that consistently push the envelope without ever running danger of entering novelty territory.

Located South of one of the most remote cities on this earthround, i.e. Perth, in the Margaret River region, all ingredients are grown within the confines of head brewer’s Hamish Coates family farm, with H2O sourced from rainwater and the operations being propelled forward via channeling the power of the sun.

Needless to say, the fact that I have yet to come across a Rocky Ridge release that I do not immensely enjoy does not hurt either, so when I got wind of an array of special releases being released to celebrate their fifth anniversary, I got mildly excited especially as some of those were to be created in collaboration with other craft brewers and thus offered the opportunity to introduce hops from other regions into the mix.

If you have followed this series with an iota of interest it should not come as a surprise that two of my favourite expression from Rocky Ridge’s limited anniversary releases are India Pale Ales, one of which is based on Rocky Ridge joining forces with what could be considered their Australian West Coast equivalent in terms of ingenuity and quality, i.e. Mountain Culture. 

The collaboration culminated in the release of an expression named That John Denver is Full of Sht**, which is quintessentially a tour de force in terms of bold hoppiness, accentuated by dominant citrussy and resinous notes and backed by a distinct bitterness. 
With an ABV clocking in at 10% this dangerously moreish little number makes for a hell of a boilermaker with a dram of Octomore 6.3.

The other DIPA I instantenously fell in love with Rocky Ridge’s hoppy The Shape of Trub to Come, the artwork of which is a thinly veiled homage to Refused (and them imitating Rye Coalition’s  cover artwork of Teen-Age Dance Session,  which in turn was a reference to Dan Terry’s album of the same title).

Based on a melange derived from the best the quartet of El Dorado, Galaxy, Strata and Citra hops have to offer, The Shape of Trub to Come tickles the nostrils upon approach with its punchy aromas and what the nose promised is seamlessly transitioned to the top of the mouth with a pronounced juiciness with only the faintest hint of bitterness. 

An expertly calibrated, sessionable DIPA that sets the mark high for Rocky Ridge’s future releases.

The Formative Years – Darkthrone

No matter if you think you like what is commonly described as black metal, I dare you to listen to Darkthrone’s dense  and hard hitting 1992 record A Blaze in the Northern Sky as it remains a unique and genre coining record that has to offer so much more than shock value, open-handed clusters of minor chords and tremolo-picked single-note leads. 

While Fenriz remained adamant about using cheap equipment, the clear production creates an unpolished, deliberately primitive and radically simplistic atmosphere that conveys an eerily dark energy, which is only further enhanced by the sombre vocal delivery that punctuates the distortion and steady blast beats. Quintessentially, the album is a nightmarish collage.

Darkthrone never set out to reinvent the wheel and while their brand of sonic assault defied categorizations back in the day, they carefully curated and calculated the ingredients the gnarly, seemingly dilettantish total of which result in something much bigger than what the individual components could be summed up to. 

While A Blaze in the Northern Sky is not remotely near my fave Darkthrone emissions, it blew my mind when I came across it the first time in the mid '90s.

An album that feels like a musical artifact of a troubled time and place and one that successfully brings a vision to life. 

Water of Life – Amber Lane

We have covered quite an array of Australian whiskies as part of this series and while terra australis has established itself firmly on the firmament of quality whiskey producing nations, it was only over the last couple of years that distilleries evolved to create more refined and complex expressions and thereby crafting their own DNA.

Incepted in 2017 and based in the Yarramalong Valley on New South Wales’ Central Coast, Amber Lane distillery started out as a venture of the duo Rod Berry and Phil Townsend, which since then have grown their operations significantly and committed themselves to not only crafting high-grade spirit via using a pot still for double distillation and a consistent high-quality mash bill, but curating seasoned barrels and taking their time with the maturation process until their drops hit the sweet spot as far as the complexity of their flavour profiles is concerned.

My first exposure to Amber Lane was via their Destiny expression, which is comprised of a union of whiskies that have matured for four years in ex-Heaven Hill American Oak Bourbon Casks and ex-Fernando de Castilla and ex-McWilliams Sherry casks. 
Upon approach the nostrils are tickled by honeyed vanilla aromas, which seamlessly transition to the top of the mouth where buttercream, macaroons and vanilla custard collide with a caramelly top layer, pieced by gingery, slightly floral and acidic notes. 
The elongated finish reverberates with delightful fruity and raisiny notes, which make this little number a dessert dram par excellence. 

Amber Lane’s second release is aptly called Liquid Amber, the dark fruity chestnut nose of which clearly indicates that we landed firmly in Sherry Cask territory.

On the palate butterscotch dances with honeyed chocolate, caramel and tangy nuances, which culminate in a distinctly berry and fig dominated sweetness before things are rounded out via an excursion through cinnamon valley.

Given the quality of what I have tasted, I cannot wait to try Amber Lane’s new Cask Strength expression.

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image from company website