kluster magazine

luminous, darling quarter

2012-05-21T11:52:00+00:00

While all eyes are on Circular Quay for the start of Vivid this week, around the harbour in Darling Quarter, the lights have already been turned on.

Friday May 18 saw the launch of Luminous, the world’s largest permanent interactive light display, which has turned four stories of two buildings into a giant illuminated canvas. It’s the work of lighting guru Bruce Ramus, whose designs have lit up icons like the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Federation Square.

Beyond the dazzling display, it’s the interactive nature of Luminous that’s so exciting. Two touchscreen consoles in front of the buildings allow visitors to influence the colours and shapes they see projected, or even use the buildings as a video screen for games like Pong or Big Snake. And visitors with a real creative streak can design a display online and have it programmed to run at a particular time.

Luminous is also turning a few heads with its innovative approach to power usage. Despite spanning massive 150 metres, the LED lighting only uses as much electricity as five vacuum cleaners, supplied by solar panels on the buildings’ rooves.

Luminous runs Tuesday – Sunday nights from 6:30pm at Darling Quarter, 1-25 Harbour Street, Sydney.

cybele malinowski's vacancy

2012-04-26T09:52:00+00:00

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

pinot + hollie + cake = china (heights)

2012-03-27T10:36:00+00:00

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.

review: bruno's restaurant, darlinghurst

2012-02-14T00:59:00+00:00

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.

Mains have for the most part been replaced by antipasti and share plates. A plate of mixed olives (including green olives stuffed with pork) or the spicy pork pate (nduja) served with soft goats cheese makes the perfect snacky supper in between drinks upstairs; for those after something more substantial there’s a very tender twice cooked pork belly and a surprisingly tasty brussels sprout and walnut salad.

The crisp woodfired pizzas that were a hit on the old menu are still on offer and can still be ordered at either of the bars upstairs, but for the full Italian experience, nothing beats dining under a print of The Last Supper.

Bruno’s is at 215 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.

the new abstraxion video is freaking us out?

2012-02-07T03:34:00+00:00

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.

review: música/tumbalong festival, sydney by danielle le toullec

2011-10-24T05:53:00+00:00

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”.

As the sun bore down on the recently refurbished Darling Quarter, the fearless lay about, enjoying the rays, whilst the others clung to any shade they could find. Some even erected a make-shift tarp to recline under.

Recently signed to the Future Classic stables, Sydney band New Navy were impossible not to dance to. ‘Zimbabwe’ is a definite must for any summer playlist. As the song reached its peak, each of the four members abandoned their instruments to play the drums for an epic minute-long collaboration.

As seagulls randomly swooped through the air, Electric Wire Hustle represented the New Zealand syndicate of the música /TUMBALONG festival line up. The trio’s slick sounds and soulful vocals got people up and dancing. With a slightly bizarre “big shout out to technology, without which we couldn’t do anything around here”, EWH treated the crowd to some new tunes before retreating from the glaring sunlight.

The crowd started to pick up as the mysterious Tiger and Woods took the stage for their first ever Australian appearance.

With their trademark black baseball caps pulled down low and their moustaches gleaming, Larry Tiger and David Woods played through their 60 min set without much crowd interaction. Unsurprising, for a duo that rarely show their faces and refuse to disclose their country of origin further than “Southern Europe”. Nonetheless their dance music was well received, in particular their closing track ‘Gin Nation’.

Throughout the day, Ghostpoet was seen walking around the festival, refreshingly lax about contact with fans, doling out hugs and high fives. Having never performed in Sydney before, the silky voiced London native did not disappoint.

With support from backing drums and guitar, he rapped his raw heartfelt anthems dripping with playful lyrics from his debut EP Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. The album that secured him a nomination for the 2011 Mercury Prize alongside big hitters like Elbow and eventual winner PJ Harvey.

One of the only acts of the day to interact with the crowd, he set up some healthy competition between the Sydney and Melbourne crowds with a smile. When someone shouted for him to take off his hat, he took it in his stride with a laugh and a slow drawl, “Can’t take my hat off, it keeps my brain in.”

With lyrics like “I love you like chicken soup, biscuits and lemonade” on ‘Us Against Whatever’, how can you not adore him?

Lunice hit the stage with boundless energy, opening with his acapella swag symphony. The pint-sized Canadian is well known for his dance moves and deconstructed cooking dances. The latter of which confused many and excited few. His choppy mix ups featured beats from Drake, Jay-Z & Kanye West’s album, plenty of bass and fragments of electronica.

Sticking to the timetable down to the very minute, Lunice was cut off to make way for the masked musical genius, SBTRKT.

Rising out of the London electronic music scene, this DJ/Producer is one of 2011’s most talked about artists. Clean beats, flawless production and killer hooks provide him with an edge that many electronic acts lack. He started his DJ set with his remix of Radiohead’s “Lotus Flower” before rolling into “Hold On” off his self-titled debut album.

“Living Like You Do” slipped into a seductively dirty Brazilian jungle beat, perfectly complimented by the scrolling animations from Morph Visual. With his now infamous tribal mask eerily looking out onto the crowd, the Drake remix of “Wildfire” poured out of the speakers, with everyone singing along.

Judging by the feedback on the night and on social media channels in the days after the event, the first música /TUMBALONG festival is an event that Sydney’s subculture has been screaming out for. We can’t wait for música /TUMBALONG numero dos.

review: essen restaurant and beer cafe

2011-10-21T01:11:00+00:00

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.

With that in mind it was hard to go past the sausage platter as a starter (though the deep fried camembert came a close second). It’s three kinds of sausage (leberwurst, csabai and a herby weissurst), a hot pretzel, potato salad and pickled vegetables. The pickles were an especially nice touch. They’re made in-house, and can be seen in large glass jars on the bar in the back room – it’s good to know where your food comes from, almost like seeing free-range meat on a farm.

Beer, of course, is a must. The food goes well with beer and the beer goes well with food. It’s like the circle of life. We opt for the Dreher Bak strong dark beer and a lighter Franziskaner Hefe, both served in suitably hefty 500ml steins.

Speaking of musts: if you’re a fan of that magical animal, order the pork belly. What arrived was the largest piece we’d ever seen - with no skimping on the crackling either – accompanied by traditional sauerkraut and bread dumplings. But the dish that sets Essen apart from your regular schnitzel house is the duck (pictured above). It’s wonderfully crispy from an overnight roasting, served with tangy red cabbage, potato and a marzipan-stuffed baked apple. And it looks just like the photo.

Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert. But our sources (and some timely eavesdropping on our diners at the next table) tell us the strudel is a hit.

Essen Restaurant and Beer Cafe is at 133-135 Broadway, Ultimo. Ph: 02 9211 3805.

review: the whistleblower by kat hartmann

2011-09-30T00:11:00+00:00

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.

The Whistleblower is an unashamed thriller but one with a foundation in so much horrific humanity (or lack thereof) that even the most adamant objector to the genre can’t help but become engaged. Unfortunately, at various points in the film the drama errs on the side of over-blown - a fact that serves to stir the realisation that you are part of an active viewing process, disconnecting you somewhat from the story unfolding before you – but for the most part the performances of Weisz and co-stars, Venessa Redgrave and David Strathairn are strong and do this incomprehensible series of events justice.

It’s rare that a movie makes me feel so passionate about a subject matter – and so ignorant – that I come and spend hours online researching it further. The Whistleblower is one such film. Be prepared to have your faith in the institution challenged.

smirnoff nightlife exchange project announce a taste of italy

2011-09-09T11:11:00+00:00

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.

To celebrate this announcement, Smirnoff had their very own pop-up bar with their Australian ambassador Anna Lunoe manning the decks. Green, white and red vespas propped outside representing the vibrant Italian flag. We were treated to some seriously delicious cocktails courtesy of the Behind Bars team, under the watchful eye of talented mixologist Max Greco from award winning boutique bar, Eau De Vie.

The stand-out cocktail was the Zabione. Served in a chilled latte glass, the coffee liqueur merged with maple syrup and was topped with an egg based cream. A whisper of liquid nitrogen hardened the cream and billowed into the air in smoky streams.

A close runner up was the Nonna Smith, which combined pressed apples with pear puree and lemon juice. The Zenzero Genoa also deserves a mention; fresh cocktail perfect for spring with dominant vanilla and lime notes.

As a sneak peak for what we are all in store for this year, Smirnoff certainly has our attention.

review: dead letter chorus, yearlings

2011-08-22T03:20:00+00:00

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.

The album sees the music elegantly wrapping itself around the twin vocal assets of Gabrielle Huber – equally capable of capturing dramatic highs and fragile-thoughted wistfulness - and Cameron Potts, whose woody croon consorts Huber through choruses as well as leading some brittle ballads. The contrast and combining of the two voices makes for a both sides of the coin exploration of the emotional undercurrents of relationships. With sympathetic producer Les Cooper, the band have crafted an intense, yet intricate cast of sounds to bare their souls too as they delve deep into the glorious hope, yet mostly futile impossibility of intimate interactions. One for frantic romantics and late night lamenting.

Yearlings is available August 26 through ABC Music/Universal.

Dead Letter Chorus will be touring thier new album thoughout September and October. You can catch them at:

16th Sept - Speakeasy @ The Villa, Perth

30th Sept - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne w/The Hello Morning

1st Oct - Kings X Hotel (FBi Social), Sydney

6th Oct - Old Museum, Brisbane