All posts by TrendEngel

Jessy Lanza – Polaris Prize Should Be Hers

jessy-lanza-600x330While the wispy singing on “It Means I Love You” might invite too-easy comparisons to Grimes, it lives in its own unique, equally imaginative universe. With its effervescent blend of gently skittering beats and playful synth stabs, it dances nimbly and nervously around the edges of avant-garde, dubstep, and pop.  Jessy Lanza has written a gem. Contrary to the album’s recurring theme of anxiety, however, the mood is ebullient, echoed by the repeated refrain of, “When you look into my eyes, boy / It means I love you.”

Now she is nominated for Canada’s equivalent of the Mercury Prize and there is no doubt that she should win. An amazing talent from Hamilton, Ontario, just outside of Toronto. Not as accessible as Grimes but every bit as good. Give her a chance and this song will haunt you.

Martone Cycling – Beautiful Urban Magic

diana-detail-1-1 diana-diamond-1Martone produce beautiful bikes. At 1100 Euros they aint cheap but they are beautiful and really really good. The SRAM 2-gear AUTOMATIX hub requires no shifting – it adapts automatically with you throughout your urban journey. Best of all: our commuter bikes require virtually zero maintenance. Martone bikes are light and strong, made of steel alloy and wheels of double-wall aluminum; perfect for daily urban journeys – and always with a red chain to add some magic to your daily transit. The new Diana bike is our favourite.

MILES in Bordeaux – The Great Hope of French Cooking

1-Miles-034 The owners are 2 couples, 4 young chefs with cosmopolitan background: the Israeli Gil Elad, the Japanese Ayako Ota, the New Caledonian Laura Eyrin, and the Franco-Vietnamese Arnaud Lahaut. They met at Ferrandi cooking school in Paris. They parted their ways, worked in some great restaurants: Arpège, Astrance, Atelier de Robuchon, Chateaubriand. Years later, they1-Miles-003reunited together and opened MILES. This is the future of french cooking. Cosmopolitan techniques with a french twist.
ed4ee32a5ae99ba159418b65e1bafd571edba5f6_1_700x525The prices are incredible . 32 Euros for four courses is a steal. Go to Miles while you can and enjoy asian influences mixed with french traditions. restaurant-le-miles-bordeaux-1024x754

Frightened Rabbit – Still Underrated

Frightened-Rabbit-Photo-by-Dan-Massie-770x430Frightened Rabbit’s latest album, Painting of a Panic Attack, is their first since Hutchison made the move from gloomy Glasgow to sunny Los Angeles to pursue a relationship that, for all intents and purposes, seems to be going well. (He has since moved to Hudson, New York.) The transition marks a clear shift in the band’s sonic and lyric approach. Maturity, self-growth, taking responsibility for one’s faults — though there have been some strong recent examples in the indie world, none of this, historically, has been the stuff of great rock songs. Fans live in fear of the day when their favorite artists make peace with the inner demons that torment them, but also inspire and motivate them to achieve great things creatively. On Painting of a Panic Attack, Hutchison writes from a different place, both literally and figuratively. He and his bandmates were separated by the Atlantic, composing over email and figuring out the best way to move forward. Frightened Rabbit are still underrated by many but their latest album is just amazing. Some might say this is no trend as the record came out a while ago – but TrendEngel says: Who cares?

The Tap Strap – Virtual Keyboard – For Real

tap-strapIn the near future, you may not need to touch your phone, tablet, or keyboard when you want to type. That’s the concept behind the Tap Strap, an amazing wearable Bluetooth keyboard that converts finger movements into key presses, so you can tap out messages using any surface as a virtual keyboard.

Its use goes beyond virtual keyboard control, and Tap Systems founder Ran Poliakine envisages it being used for playing music on digital devices, and being incorporated into mixed reality hardware such as Microsoft’s HoloLens headset.

The Tap Strap has a series of embedded sensors which monitor mechanical information of the hand and fingers. This information is processed by an MCU in the Strap, which decodes the raw data into finger tap combinations and transmits the resulting characters or commands via a Bluetooth radio.

The bad news? Tap Strap is not available yet and TrendEngel wasn’t able to test it for you. However if the video is an indication for the usability of the strap: Pretty pretty promising.

Are These The Best Headphones Ever? Nura: Australia Meet Kickstarter

nura-headphones-3Here’s the pitch: Everyone has a different ability to hear different musical frequencies. So there are whole sections of music on your favourite song that you just cannot hear well.
Melbourne inventors Dr Luke Campbell, 30, and Kyle Slater, 29, claim to have invented a pair of headphones that can detect your personal hearing signature and adapt the sound of the music you’re playing so you hear every element of the song. They collected about 500000 Euros on Kickstarter and call the wonderful device Nura.

Our ears are constantly making a tiny sound in response to the sound they receive, too faint to be heard by humans. Let that sink in for a moment (it’s called an otoacoustic emission).
The Nura comes with a tiny microphone in the cup. When you first put the cans on it runs a quick frequency-detection test, like something you might do at an audiologist’s clinic. The Nura listens to the ears’ own sound as it plays the test, calculating the ability of the ear to hear each frequency.

The headphones are slated to ship April 2017. The proof, as always, will be in the pudding.

Get it? If not pls. watch the video:

The Summer Is Orange – An New Kind Of Wine Takes Over

The_Crusher_2010_Wilson_Vineyard_Big_Orange_White_Wine_Blend_-_4_Packls2DetailFor years, wine drinkers have faced deciding between a crisp white, warm red or, if they fancy a change, a rosé.

But this summer there is a new tipple on the market – orange wine, made using a technique favoured by the Romans.

The drink, which is made from leaving grape skins in juice for a few days or weeks rather than removing them immediately, is fast becoming a favourite among wine buffs and foodies after flooding supermarket shelves and top restaurants. Basically it’s a white wine  made by using the technique to produce a red wine.

Ask your local wine merchant or your favorite bar keeper to give you some. Orange wine is the way to go.