Owusu & Hannibal: Living With Owusu & Hannibal

by Evan Orensten

True innovation is hard to come by, but Living With Hannibal & Owusu is the real thing. The Danish twosome of Philip Owusu and Robin Hannibal actually made some new and exciting music without changing any of the usual ingredients but the way the elements are put together constitutes a rare and perfect fusion.

'80s synth sounds, cinematic string textures, acoustic guitars and sweet, thickly layered harmony vocals massage the ears behind minimal electro-hip-hop-ish beats. There are countless recognizable influences (think Tears for Fears meets Prince on a Dilla track for starters, if you can manage it). And yet they blend unpretentiously into something simultaneously familiar and groundbreaking, accessible and edgy, pretty and dirty.

On “What’s It About” they manage to be soulful while sounding like Paul Simon or The Beach Boys (whose “Caroline No” is covered on the album), while “Lonnies Love” is more like Metro Area or a mid-'80s Dexter Wansel synth-disco classic.

Their label, the LA-based Ubiquity Records, is on a roll with great new releases from Radio Citizen, Freddie Cruger and the upcoming CH review of frequent Alice Russell collaborator TM Juke.

Listen and download from Dance Tracks Digital.

by DJ Scribe

Coffee Innovations

by Letizia Rossi

There are more coffee products than ever, many boasting features promising to change your morning ritual and keep you caffeinated. We sifted through a range of coffee makers and culled a few noteworthy innovations.

Single Serving Coffee Makers
The Coffee For One from Rare Device is a ceramic French press with a matching mug and a stainless steel press that makes a 14oz serving. Coffee For One is available in aqua, red, blue and orange and is available online for $30.

The Aerobie Aero Press uses an innovative method to create coffee with low acidity. Coffee grounds are completely immersed in water and then filtered press-like using air pressure. The entire process only takes 30 seconds which keeps the coffee from getting bitter. The Aero Press uses lower temperature water which keeps the acid levels down, making it much easier on sensitive stomachs. The pressure used to filter the coffee also makes the Aero Press very easy to clean by creating a compact puck of used grounds that can easily be tossed in the trash. Available online for $25.

Melitta Smart Brew
The Melitta Smart Mill And Brew adds an information age twist to your morning coffee experience. Using Microsoft SPOT (Smart Personal Objects Technology), the Smart Mill and Brew provides real-time, region-specific weather information via a large LCD display, which incorporates MSN Direct service to receive weather information (including current conditions, three-day forecast, weather warnings, visibility, sunrise and sunset, chance precipitation, and UV index). The information is retrieved using an FM signal so there is no set-up, subscription, or internet connection required. All that and a built-in grinder to automatically convert whole beans to brewed coffee without the guesswork. Available from Amazon for $200.

Nespresso Le Cube
Pod coffee makers are all the rage and are available in both high-end and affordable ends of the market. Pod coffee makers have various benefits including ease-of-use and confidence that you are preparing coffee using appropriate coffee-to-water ratios. Some models can only be used with a specific brand, limiting your coffee options, and the increased packaging offends some environmentalist sensibilities.

That said, our favorite pod-style coffee maker was the Le Cube, which uses premium coffee capsules that are available in 12 varieties with diverse characteristics. Designed by Antoine Cahen of the ADN (Ateliers du Nord) design studio (who have had an 18 year collaboration with Nespresso) Le Cube is available in white or red for $300. Another $50 gives you a titanium model that features an innovative cup warming side plate. Nespresso machines make either two-ounce espresso or five-ounce lungo coffees. The coffee capsules are available online with an option to join the Nespresso Club for special offers. Nespresso products will also be available at the Nespresso boutique opening in New York City on 10 November 2006.

CH plans to do more extensive coverage of coffee in the weeks to come. Please email us with suggestions and information on your favorite coffee products or local coffee heroes. Send tips to feedback [@] coolhunting [dot] com.

Ikepod

by Watchismo

With Marc Newson's accomplishments in design, I'd have to assume he started designing out of the womb. Eight years before co-founding the Swiss watch company Ikepod, he created the "Pod" mystery dial watch (pictured) in 1986. Spinning disks with dot markers lined the time similar to the Pod Clock that he came up with a few years later. Likely his first watch project, the name has a deeper meaning now as we see how Marc's rich history of watch design grew from this very original Pod. Though Ikepod faced financial challenges recently, if the site is an indication, the company appears to be making a very welcome comeback.

I Am Plastic

by Ami Kealoha

Creepy yet cute, artist-designed and utterly collectible, the designer toy phenomenon is an accurate barometer of currents in pop culture over the last several years. Kidrobot, the most familiar name in the movement, has literally wrote the book on the subject with this month's release of I Am Plastic, a new hardcover that visually traces the nearly decade-old niche culture. Divided into sections by geographical origin, the book celebrates the Warholian spirit driving these kinds of objects with artist interviews and an informative intro by Kidrobot founder Paul Budnitz. But the real treat is page after page of photos of the toys themselves. From the sinister-looking, haute couture line commissioned by Barney's to Frank Kozik's renowned smoking bunny, the anthology is jam-packed with the abundance of inspiration in the bizarrely wonderful world of vinyl toys. Pick it up from Amazon.