The prospect of sipping a fine single malt scotch has caused a stir in the palate of many of a sophisticate. While ingesting such a splendid spirit has no doubt caused taste buds to dance around in ecstasy, it also possesses the power to inspire artistic expression. What better way to direct enthusiasm about such a luscious libation than to fashion a work of art from the very cask used to create it. For this year’s Barrel Art Initiative the folks at Glenfiddich commissioned London-based design consultancy Johnson Banks to construct pieces representative of the length it takes the various incarnations of top notch whiskey to mature. The result is an exhibit that takes advantage of every inch of the container. If you want to drink it all in, the works will be on display at the Studio Warehouse Gallery in Glasgow from November 24th to November 27th.

Via Designboom

The RolandTR-808 was once a standard. Its affordability ensured that the cheesy drum sounds it packed became a staple in songs throughout the 80s. What is now referred to as ‘classic hip hop’ made the 808 its own, right next to a pair of Superstars and that fat belt buckle. While it sat out through a few rounds of what’s hot, that sound came back as a relic that was more enthralling than ever. With 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye West uses the iconic machine to illustrate his pain, with tracks about the follies of success, the loss of his mother, and the end of a relationship. Old meets new as he incorporates heavy use of modern vocoding, a sound that’s annoying when used as a crutch, yet compelling when it’s part of the texture.

A decade before the Solid Steel mixes featuring modern masters like Amon Tobin, Herbaliser, DJ Kentaro became some of the most listened-to podcasts and downloads around, a little radio show on London’s KISS FM began building clout for an up and coming sound. While many of the individual shows were lost with now-obsolete formats, Solid Steel 1998-2008 : 20 Years of the Broadest Beats gives us what we couldn’t possibly compile ourselves. The disc contains shows featuring staples like DK and Coldcut, as well as interviews with the likes of Jean Jacques Perrey and Steinski & Double Dee. Check it out and hear what we with radio was still like.

For some of us a test of human endurance entails leaving our homes without a scarf when the weather dips ever so slightly below the freezing mark. So imagine the challenge of traveling 1800 miles through the coldest weather imaginable without so much as a ski lodge in site. That’s the task being undertaken by Ben Saunders and Alastair Humphreys on their SOUTH expedition. The two men will be making the first ever return journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back again using their feet as their only transport. The trek, in addition to being a mind and body numbing challenge, aims to focus on creating a long term commitment to environmental stewardship responsibility. Though set to be the longest unsupported polar expedition in history — the the equivalent in length of a staggering 69 consecutive marathons — the participants, along with the Carbon Neutral Company, are doing their best to ensure that the undertaking leaves no carbon footprint. The journey begins in late October of 2009, but you can follow the preparations leading up to it at the expedition’s official blog.

We wouldn’t think of putting fresh, delicious preserves and throwing stars together in a blender, but that’s essentially what the Japanese jewelry label Jam Home Made does with each new collection. For each season the designers balance weighty-looking materials with unexpected  — and sometimes sweet — looks. For instance, in one collection they created a “college ring” that replaced the spaces usually reserved for letters with binary code, and in another there’s a lock and key necklace that come as a pair, one unlocking the other. Excellent conversation pieces.

New York feels a lot of things. Unshakable pride is one of them. FLIPNY, founded by Todd Aferiat, is new apparel company that sells hoodies and tees, but for their fall/winter collection, FLIPNY worked with local NYC artists and encouraged them incorporate the label logo into a unique design. Smooth fountain pen lettering and upside-down/flippable pieces is the theme-du-jour. And, although we found the clothes to be hit-or-miss, we loved the site. If being a New Yorker and getting busy with Flash is your idea of a good time you won’t be disappointed.

We never really knew that there was such a thing as “competition grade” espresso and cappuccino cups. I’m not even sure we knew there were espresso and cappuccino competitions — but as long as the folks at Terra Keramik are here to enlighten us we can get behind their new collection of premium competition grade, espresso cups, cappuccino cups and coffee mugs. These dishwasher-safe ceramic coffee chalices are made free of the tyranny of lead and cadmium glazes and are triple fired so that they’re extra durable. While their stability is certainly appealing, we also like the fact that available in eight vibrant colors, accented in platinum, and hand signed. Additionally, these caffeine containers are the preferred choice of over 30 professional baristi for their regional, national, and international competitions. If they’re good enough for them who are we to argue? The whole line of cups after the jump…

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