Posted by kluster on April 26, 2012
Just quietly, we've become a little fixated on motel rooms of late. The more mysterious, the better. We’re not quite sure why. Maybe it's their capacity to fill the void left by the never-reached locations of Lost Highway (yeah, still digesting). Or, maybe it's just the superb kitschness than seems to abound in the best of them. Who knows…
Speaking of the best of them, Sydney photographer (and friend of Kluster), Cybele Malinowski’s newest exhibition offering, Vacancy, pays homage to these establishments. By capturing aspects of these once-well-trodden travel routes on film, Malinowski is inviting guests to return to the road. Oh, and did we mention the exhibition comes complete with motel-room installation? No, well, it does.
If you want to see the exhibition, complete with in-house live guest, be sure to head down on opening night. Before they… check out.
Vacancy opens at Gaffa Gallery on Thursday 3rd May, 6-8pm.
Date of show: 03 May-14 May. Mon-Fri 11-6 Sat 11-5 More...
vacancy, cybele malinowski, gaffa gallery
Posted by kluster on March 27, 2012
Cake Wine at China Heights
Our friends at Cake Wine have been busy bees of late. Combining fine vintages with stunning works in the kind of art-meets-drink manner that we can't help but love. Bottles of wine with beautiful labels: the stuff dinner-party tables are made of. Yeah, that's Cake Wine.
The colabs to date have been pretty darn impressive but, we must admit, we're particularly taken with the recent addition which features labels by Sydney artists Hollie Martin (above) and Kevin Tran.
Oh, and did we mention a portion of each sale also goes to FBi? No? Well, it does. Brilliant.
Want to see more?
Cake are hosting a self-described, exhibition of wine: Friday 30th March at 6pm, at China Heights in Surry Hills, Sydney.
See you there.
cake wines, holly martin, kevin tran, chine heights, pinot
Posted by KB on February 14, 2012
It’s been just on a year since two Melburnites took over a three-story terrace of Oxford Street and gave us Hunky Dory Social Club. We’ve spent our fair share of Saturdays choosing cocktails from the Little Golden Book menus and making the most of the rooftop garden bar – such a rare find in this city – but now our sights are on Bruno’s, the venue’s street level eatery.
As with the rest of Hunky Dory’s, you’ll find plenty of personality in the decor: black crochet table cloths, a ceiling covered in cowhides and a whole wall of religious paintings, purchased by the owners for the unholy price of $666. But it’s the menu that has put Bruno’s back in the spotlight, getting a recent revamp with the appointment of a new head chef, Daniele Trimarchi. He comes to the kitchen by way of Fratelli Paradiso and Icebergs, so as you’d expect his influence has been entirely Italian.More...
hunky dory social club, brunos, italian, restaurants
Posted by kluster on February 7, 2012
We're currently a little torn as to whether we're completely enthralled or mildly terrified by the new Abstraxion video, "Moribayasa".
We'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself. However, if you could let us know once you do so we’d be rather grateful. Might help unwind this ball of confusion of a state we currently find ourselves in.
Regardless of the outcome: killer track.
Abstraxion, Moribayasa, Different Recordings, shamanic techno, acid, deep house, dub tech
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on October 24, 2011
The inaugural música /TUMBALONG festival took a line-up gamble which paid off in Sydney last weekend, with a fresh crop of international and local electronic and indie acts.
With the one stage, limited capacity and most people keeping their clothes on, this boutique festival was a welcome change from what has become a stock standard festival package. A day spent running from stage to stage, crying over timetable clashes and losing your friends left, right and centre.
Bon Chat, Bon Rat, a Sydney-based trio, played tracks from their self-produced (and mixed) debut EP to a crowd that lazed on the grass in the hot afternoon sun. The trio’s hypnotic electronica complimented the atmosphere of the festival, with the lofty melody of tracks like ‘Blackbird’ carrying through the air.
Emerging artists Mitzi, a four piece hailing from Brisbane, Australia, brought their disco inspired beats and addictive grooves to the stage with stand-out tracks, “All I Heard” and “India”. More...
musica/tumbalong, sbtrkt, ghostpoet, mitzi, bon chat, bon rat, electric wire hustle, lunice, tiger and woods, sydney music festival, electronica
Posted by KB on October 21, 2011
It’s no secret that Sydney’s pub food has taken a distinct turn towards the Americas. It’s now a pretty rare thing that you don’t have the option of some kind of taco, hot dog or bite-sized burger to go with your beer. And while we’re massive fans of the fresh flavours (and pulled pork) on offer, we decided to re-explore the world of the original beer-drinking food: German.
We figured you can’t go too far wrong with a restaurant that means ‘eat’ in German, so we headed off to Essen on Broadway. You may know it as the place that used to be Una’s. It still has a connection to the old place by way of owner and executive chef Geert Elzinga, previously an owner at Una’s, who has moved the focus away from the simple schnitzel and expanded on the hearty European theme.More...
essen, german, beer, broadway, pork, restuarants
Posted by kluster on September 30, 2011
In October 2000 Bosnian-based peacekeeper, Kathryn Bolkovac risked her job, reputation and life to expose UN and international peacekeepers involvement in the country’s post-war human trafficking and sex trade.
The debut feature by Canadian born director, Larysa Kondracki, is based on the true story of American police officer, Kathryn Bolkovac’s (Rachel Weisz) time spent working as a part of the post-war peace effort in Bosnia. It certainly packs an emotional punch.
The Nebraskan police officer secures a high-paying job in Bosnia, working as a peacekeeper for a private firm, contracted by the USA State Department to work closely with the UN to restore order to war-ravaged Bosnia during the late ‘90s. After helping to facilitate a historic conviction and a promotion to head of the UN’s Gender Office, Bolkovac begins to gradually uncover a violent human trafficking and sex-trade industry populated by underage women – some as young as 12 - and frequented by peacekeepers, UN workers and international police.
Kondracki tackles this mammoth story with the sophistication of a seasoned director and deserves plenty of kudos for her efforts as writer/director. It’s a pretty impressive first-time offering.More...
the whistleblower, rachel weisz, film, movie, larysa kondracki
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on September 9, 2011
Smirnoff hosted an intimate event for Sydney's media and bloggers in a secret location in Darlinghurst tonight. The evening was to announce Australia's swap country for the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011.
Following last years' eve of Brazilian themed festivities, this year Australia will be treated to a taste of Italy for one night of cultural swapsies. Junior Jack & Kid Créme and Alex Gaudino will be flown in to headline the event, while Nervo and Bang Gang Deejay’s will fly over to Italy to rep the Australian music scene.
The event is part of Smirnoff's ongoing global social experiment, which provides people all around the world with an opportunity to see how their foreign counterparts get down and dirty. Fourteen countries across the globe - including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Lebanon, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and Venezuela - exchange their local nightlife for one evening of debauchery on 12 November 2011. More...
smirnoff, eau de vie, behind bars, max greco, smirnoff nightlife exchange project
Posted by AndyRyan on August 22, 2011
Yearlings is the third release, following a previous EP and album, in the four-year existence of Sydney’s Dead Letter Chorus. It is an album that is confidently comes at you made by a band who have figured out what they are all about. They tackle the eternal quandary and elation of a newly evolving love across the ten precise songs within; with aware and insightful lyrics such as ‘you helped me lift my heart, it weighed a tonne/ because two is always better than one’ elevating it above the usual emotion blinded clichéd bluster the subject is capable of giving rise to.More...
dead letter chorus, yearlings, gabrielle huber, les cooper
Posted by KB on August 2, 2011
Somehow we seemed to have ended up with an Italian food mindset which equates authentic with traditional. Where the only ‘real’ Italian food comes from a home-style kitchen, just the way nonna used to make it. But unfortunately that leaves something of a gap between that and the modern Italian restaurants.
And that’s why we like Caffe Sicilia so much. A bold black and white outfit, with plenty of marble and gold trim, it seems to come straight out of 1940s Sicily and landed perfectly between our two extremes. It’s as authentic as it comes, but there’s nothing home-style about it.
As you’d expect from an island, Sicilian cuisine is heavy on the seafood, which is reflected in the menu here. There are other options (braised spatchcock, veal involtini) but it makes sense to stick with the waiter’s suggestion of fish; the staff really know what they’re doing. More...
caffe sicilia, italian, surry hills
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on August 2, 2011
For the second year running, Splendour in The Grass took over the humble town of Woodford, Queensland for a weekend of sun-soaked, dust-ingrained shenanigans against a stellar soundtrack of live music.
Whether your outfit of choice was a full blown cow, penguin, panda or dog outfit or just a furry animal beanie, you would have fitted right in with this years' peculiar theme of animal dress.
If you wanted to be a bit more stylish, there were some awesome pop up stores dotted around including Aje, Maurie and Eve, General Pants Co. as well as the Mo'rockin Wine Bar, Strongbow booze boat and some delicious food from Grill'd, Govindas, Hungarian Langos, dumplings, German Bratwurst, obligatory festival Gozleme, corn and about twenty million more.
But we're not here to talk about food, are we? We are here for the tunes, so here goes...
Day One
After lining up for twenty minutes to get into the main gates from the campsite (daily festival-fail), we took in the massive festival site as we bee-lined to the Amphitheatre for Jinja Safari. The Sydney band’s playful folk pop was the perfect accompaniment for the sunny Friday afternoon. Marcus Azon closed the set by crowd surfing to the back, jumping to the ground and leading the audience in a run around the valley. More...
illy, jinja safari, splendour in the grass, woodford, kanye west, james blake, the hives, pnau, thievery corporation, gomez, foster the people, friendly fires, pulp, coldplay, cloud control
Posted by KB on July 25, 2011
In the Sydney suburb of Centennial Park, an ex-socialite lies dying. Her adult son and daughter have flown to be with her, but even on her deathbed she remains a strong and destructive influence on those around her.
The Eye of the Storm is directed by Fred Schepisi (Six Degrees of Separation) and brings together stars Charlotte Rampling, Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Patrick White, Australia’s only recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
We are offering ten Kluster readers the chance to win an in-season double pass to see The Eye of the Storm. To be in the running simply email us at info@kluster.com.au with the subject: Stormy Weather. Entries close 12.08.11
The Eye of the Storm is in cinemas from September 15.
the eye of the storm, fred schepisi, charlotte rampling, geoffrey rush, judy davis