Poetry Vault – The Tiger
The Tiger
Jaws
Like razor blades
on the brink of extinction
stripes
blaze in the sun.
A poem I wrote when I was 12 that was compiled for the American Library in Paris, 1992.
Holy SHIP!
Diplo sure knows how to throw a party. I especially like the use of my namesake in this one. That’s two brushes with the big D in a week. Three times a charm?
Taken from the site. “Sail to the Bahamas with some of the world’s hottest electronic music makers on this 3 day cruise. Come in early to the kick off party in Ft Lauderdale – then bounce freely among five onboard venues where the music is programmed around the clock! From poolside to dancefloor to your own private cabin, this once-in-a-lifetime experience redefines luxury in music. Dance barefoot on a private island at a special Beach Boutique party with Fatboy Slim, Diplo, Buraka Som Sistema & Dillon Francis. Be one of 2500 guests aboard the legendary maiden voyage of HOLY SHIP!”
Rusko Interview Featured on Mad Decent!
Much love to Graeme Phillips and Now Magazine for making helping to make this happen. I can’t wait to work with them again
Taiwan Profile – OPEN Magazine
Click to enlarge and read full article.
Written for OPEN Magazine, a monthly ESL guide for the bored English students in Toronto.
Maker’s Mark, No Shot In The Dark – Toro magazine
DRINKS
None too many reckon where the tradition of brewing Kentucky bourbon in charred White Oak barrels started, but many attribute the legend to a certain Baptist reverend, Elijah Craig. Back in the days before prohibition, it was common for the clergy to handle the brewing of spirits, with examples from Trappist monks to the Benedictines. Others say the trend was just a matter of struggling Irish, Scottish and German settlers keeping up with the Joneses, McDougals and Schmidts in the new country.
Either way, newcomers to America in the 1700s who migrated up to Kentucky noticed that the waters in the area were relatively soft, and iron free, perfect for brewing liquors like bourbon, as no sludgy iron sediment was left in the distillate. The qualities of the water made their bourbon excellent capital and became their main source of currency.
They also, at the time, noticed that using charred wood yielded a golden caramel flavour and an glowing amber colour emanating from the liquor. Much more appealing than the White Dog bourbon, the standard brew of the day’s of the American revolution, a drink that harkens back all the stereotypes of frontier-land ‘firewater’ before barreling techniques had been perfected. White Dog is still batched by Maker’s Mark, far for commercial distribution, but more as a test substance to gauge the quality of their ingredients.
A whiff off the semi-legal moonshine leaves a sharp burn on the nose, but a sweet prominent tingle on the tip of the tongue. Drinkers who get their hands on a bottle will want to practice what’s called ‘nosing’ in some circles, or in Confederate states, the ‘Kentucky Chew.’ Swish the bourbon in your glass observing the liquid left behind towards the top. Breathe it in through your nose, and take a sip while inhaling, swishing it around in your mouth and making slight chewing motions with your tongue and lips.
Sadly, towards the 1920s, Prohibition and the Temperance movement rolled around and killed off the centuries old tradition. Poor, clandestine, brewing conditions yielded rocket-fuel tasting drinks and was in poor taste, both in social circles, and on the tongue. Decades of bourbon-barreling tradition were squandered, and the mixologist’s trade, “once as respected as doctors and lawyers,” went to waste, says Maker’s Mark distillery diplomat, Matt Jones. “Bartenders had to learn over 500 to 700 different cocktails and mixtures by name, along with a wide spectrum of bitters.”
But high-end modern bourbon was saved late in the 1950s by Bill Samuels, an eighth generation Kentuckian, who decided to pick up his family’s 170-year-old tradition. A chemist by trade, Samuels hated his family’s original recipe so much, that he burned it and set out to compile a more distinguished ratio.
Gentle red winter wheat was used rather than rye, which tended to yield a sharper taste seen in rye. Not wanting to imitate the already popular Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, he held a family meeting to figure out the new name. Maker’s Mark seemed fitting as his wife Margie suggested, inspired by her collection of antique pewter, as a pewter maker would only put his mark on his very best work. The signature wax seal, inspired from cognac, was melted and dipped in the family’s deep fryer. Maker’s Mark still uses a, hand-dipped waxing technique, which according to marketing manger James Monaghan, has been legally patented, “allowing us to sue any other competitors who try to use a wax dipped bottling technique. Some of the dippers have been there since the very beginning and you can tell if they are left or right handed by the way it drips down the bottle.”
After 52 years, Maker’s Mark is currently celebrating the release of their newest batch, 46 (in limited quantities at LCBO for $49.95) , aged for 9-16 weeks in French oak barrels. It’s 96 proof with a smooth finish and notes of caramel, sweet corn, vanilla and cinnamon.
http://www.toromagazine.com/lifestyle/drinks/b00c50ec-449b-9e74-b94d-d7a0ca3e2824/No-Shot-in-the-Dark/index.html
Rusko Interview – NowTube (Now Magazine)
NOW sits down with the reigning king of dubstep Rusko to talk about his new collaboration with Cypress Hill, his pop writing rejection, and his new live show
http://vimeo.com/23040954
An Interview with Rusko (Part One) from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.
Interview by Jesse Ship
Cinematography by Kevin Sarasom
Produced and Edited by Graeme Phillips for www.nowtoronto.com/video
Jun Cha – Antenna Mag, Spring 2011
Click the article to read the full story!
At just 21, Jun Cha is making waves for his fine art and gothic inspired tattoos from his LA-based, Arudima Studios. Some of Jun’s celebrity clients include Freddy Gibbs and Rob Dyrdek, who hired him for a full back piece to honour his lifelong sponsors, Monster Energy Drink.
Elucid – Pain Parade
So, this is a great big wtf mess of noise. Elucid, (stalwarts, Breakage & Jamie Vex’d [who now goes by Q-d0]) call it the ‘Pain Parade’, which is probably the effect it would have on your mom’s ear drums, and it comes from their new album Super Chocolate Black Simian, dropping Jan 11. Dubstep seems to be going through an awkward, pubescent growth spurt, (let’s call it a tumorous), spreading its seed into all sorts genres where it doesn’t necessarily belong, like post-rock and east-coast hiphop.
Also, tune in for ‘Together’ a more forgiving, and melodically sophisticated track featuring what I believe to be a sample from the original white boy selektah, David Roddigan.
How I spent My Summer Vacation… – Egypt Travel Story – Antenna Magazine, Winter 2010
The Bug – Infected – Album review – Seen In Exclaim
By Jesse Ship
Just in case you have yet to be bitten by the Bug, Kevin Martin goes for the jugular, making sure you stay sick with his super-heavy dub madness. “Catch A Fire” will appeal to the angsty teen inside of you who can’t get enough of subversive little Asian girls chanting about burning the world down. This track features Hitomi as the agent provocateur, and the entire EP is built around this deeply disturbing track, easily the most infectious of the set. Autechre’s remix of “Skeng” is reminiscent of the Bug’s earlier work in the industrial scene, as dark sound textures are explored in depth with heavy clanks and echoes. Flow Dan’s vocal bits are reduced to eerie mutterings, with occasional splatting and squishing noises combined with the constant fritzing of a mosquito lamp battling a winged swarm. Also on the album is Roots Manuva on “Tune In,” a track bound to get your mojo, er, juju rising, as well as a remix by Scratcha DVA of the already anthemic “Poison Dart.” You may have a hard time finding a hardcopy with Hitomi’s buggy drawings (seen on many other bass-heavy albums), but the e-store is just a few clicks away.
(Ninja Tune)
