Reclaim The Streets, a protest/festival/gathering/demonstration will take place in Hyde Park at 1pm this Sunday to fight back against the lockout laws, and destructive impact that government policy is having upon our public freedoms. The Facebook event describes the dilemma eloquently:
“The decay of out nightlife is a visible symptom of a much bigger problem: the influence of money upon policy.
As property developers, casino owners, miners and bankers fight over their own agendas, the interests of the average person take a backseat.
Reclaim The Streets is a protest and a street party, but most importantly it’s a celebration of what our public life could be.
We believe the city should be affordable, open and supportive of everyone who works, lives or plays here.
The city is for everyone – RECLAIM THE STREETS”
The event will start out the Hyde Park Fountain and move quickly from there throughout Sydney, featuring an awesome line-up of talent to facilitate the ‘street party’ component of the protest. Artists such as Xion, Sam Da Chemist, D-Vide, Ncrypt, Source Invisible and more will be performing on a DSS sound system.
Sydney’s lockout laws have had an incredibly destructive impact on the economic, social and cultural structure of the city, and represent a basic denial of our freedoms. To learn more about the laws and their effects check out our feature here.
It’s hard to imagine what the vibe of the protest will be, as they seem to be incorporating some serious commentary on issues that affect all of Sydney with an awesome street party. That’s what makes it so exciting though.
Check out their Facebook event for the full line-up and details on the event.
Facebook photo from Reclaim the Street’s page
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Can’t Keep Checking My Phone
Unknown Mortal Orchestra have released a beautiful, if not slightly bizarre new music video for their latest single Can’t Keep Checking My Phone. The video details different syndromes, emotions and phenomena, rendering it much more interesting and informative than the average music video. Some of the more notable phenomena include Stendhal Syndrome (a psychological disorder that includes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and fainting, Restless Leg Syndrome and Hybristophilia (in which sexual arousal and capacity to organism are reliant on the partner having committed an outrageous act of cheating, crime or violence). *Sidenote if you tend to be a hypochondriac watch this with caution… you may get ideas.
Le1f: Koi
Le1f has created an incredible music video centred around the idea of feeling a little cool towards someone who is hitting on you, that is, playing coy. Le1f performs in a whimsical beachside paradise, complete with swaying spouts of seaweed and large animated koi swimming around his head. Le1f’s joyful, cheeky lyrics are emphasised in his playful aesthetic, which incorporates colour, dance and animation in a way that is awesome to watch. Lyrics such as,
“I kiss boys but it’s just for stunts. I’m not giving them what they want.” and “You ain’t catching nothing but you keep throwing these lines out. I think you need some practice shutting your mouth,” cement his title as one of the best, and sassiest rappers around right now. He’s just so fab.
Crepes: Size of Your Town
Crepes’ video for their latest track Size of Your Town is a gorgeous blend of nostalgia and melancholy. Featuring rare footage of the forgotten Ballarat 80s music icons The Teddyboys, the film cuts shots of the long lost band with images of Crepes during and after a live performance in Melbourne. The new footage is filmed on an old VHS camcorder, creating a hazy lo-fi effect that blends remarkably well with the Teddyboys clips. The films’ slow, fuzzy quality gives a dreamlike sense of calmness, which perfectly matches the tone of the song.
Jonny Telafone: Waking Up Crying
Jonny Telafone has made an awesome new music video to go with his new track, featuring a verse from LA rapper and A$AP Rocky collaborator Bones. The track itself is intense and brooding, with a strong beat throughout. Shot and directed by close friends Jonnine Standish and Frank Valo, the film plays with water to focus on the way that it moves in different circumstances. In the film Jonny is haunted by the psychic energy of a girlfriend from his past life, and therefore seeks relief under various sources of water. The film is beautiful, muddying the line between film for entertaining and art.
Chiefs: Demon ft. Beayz
Melbourne-based producer Sione Sisifa has added lyrical songwriting to his signature sound in his latest track Demon, which includes haunting lyrics from singer Beayz. Chiefs talked about how he chose an artist to turn the single into a dark animated video.
“I found (animation artist) JiJi Sama digging on Youtube and immediately hit him up to turn me into the sword wielding badass anime of my dreams. He saw exactly how the ‘Demon’ story should be played out and made it work really well.”
A time old argument has been thrown into the public spotlight lately for more than a few reasons. Namely, the dilemma of free speech. Most recently, it has been championed by Tyler, the Creator, who was barred from entering the UK for 3-5 years based on the offensive lyrics he wrote early in his career. The artist has also been banned from entering Australia and New Zealand.
Tyler spoke with The Guardian in a recent interview about being held at British customs and treated like a terrorist by border control:
“Monday was one of the shittiest days I’ve ever had,” the rapper said. “I was in a detention room; I felt like a criminal. And then [a Border Force officer] showed me lyrics from songs… literally, a paper with five lines of lyrics…
“Thirty minutes later, the guy comes in, he gives me a paper, and he says, ‘OK, they’re not letting you in the country.’ The paper said I couldn’t come at all, saying that I support homophobia and acts of terrorism…
“I’m just like, one, none of that is true, and two, I was here seven weeks ago.”
The rapper slammed the UK for blindly following the lead of other countries and banning him for offensive lyrics he wrote years ago. He also made the extremely valid point that if rappers start being banned for their lyrics, why not other writers?
“What about the people who will make music in the next five years? Are they gonna get banned? Why don’t they ban authors? Writers who write these mystery books about people getting raped and sabotaged and murdered and brainwashed – why don’t they ban them?”
It does seem interesting that while 50 years ago a man could write a book that sought to understand, if not justify paedophilia, and be praised as one of the most important authors of his time (such as in the case of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita), but today, a rapper who writes lyrics which are deemed as homophobic and misogynistic is banned from three countries. Of course the question of audience comes into play – Tyler has a dedicated and constantly swarming fanbase, as opposed to Nabokov, who, well, existed before Twitter. Some will thus argue that Tyler’s lyrics and incite action among his listeners – something they might not argue about Lolita. It also raises the question of where to draw the line. Should bigots, misogynists and homophobic people be permitted to run websites or write articles which promote their views? Should racists be allowed to have rallies and marches down public streets in Europe?
“There are rallies of neo-Nazis in parts of England, and then you’re telling me I can’t come there because of some bullshit song, but you got motherfuckers with swastikas rallying down the street actually promoting hate?
“This is only gonna open a door for other people to get banned. And then they’re gonna go after video games, and then they’re gonna go after movies, and we’re gonna live in such a sensitive world. It’s like the world is scared of everything…
“I feel like everyone is so sensitive to everything, and if they don’t like something it’s like: ‘Oh my God, I don’t like the colour yellow – let’s get yellow banned from every country, let’s sign a petition – let’s start a hashtag to make sure this colour is never seen, because I don’t like it and I don’t understand it’.”
Recently Australian supermarket chain Coles sparked a lot of controversy by banning the pornographic magazine Zoo Weekly from its shelves. Many came out against the ban, claiming it was the beginning of the end of free speech in Australia. I’d like to put in my two cents here and remind everyone that a) Zoo Weekly is still sold in other stores and online, and b) why should a magazine that promotes misogyny and violence against women be sitting in the shelves of a popular family supermarket? Why should five-year-olds have to look at degrading headlines and naked women while their parents unpack the shopping trolley?
The resounding point that Tyler makes is that his treatment seems completely unjustified and unfair. He isn’t the only rapper who has written bigoted lyrics, and moreover he isn’t the most extreme. In our efforts to create a society that is fair, we can’t start treating every human who expresses a controversial opinion as a terrorist. It doesn’t make them disappear, and as is made evident from the above, it sure as hell doesn’t keep them quiet.
True to his title, DaM-FunK has done a damn funky remix of Disclosure’s recent single Holding On. Starting with the same epic intro, DaM-FuNK subs out that classic house beat that Disclosure is so known for, opting for a much smoother, sexy bassline. The new beat completely transforms the song, turning it into a cruisy classic that could have come straight out of the nineties.
Disclosure have been leaking some awesome singles from their forthcoming album Caracal, which is due for release on September 25 this year, as well as an incredible string of music videos to compliment them. The films will make up a four part series, detailing the journey of a young girl who lives in the near future. Touching on themes of corruption, political and the underground music scene in Britain, they are worth watching for the cinematography alone.
Following Holding On as part one, we have Disclosure’s second collaboration with Sam Smith, Omen. After the insane success of their collab Latch, it’s no wonder the artists teamed up once more. With a background in classical singing and range that would make most professionals weep, his vocals blend perfectly with the edgier beats that Disclosure has to offer. And if you still aren’t sold, the music video has attracted a lot of attention for making Sam look a little sweatier and sexier than we’re used to. Check out that facial hair.
Who knew that house could be blended with funk and come out so damn sexy? We can only hope DaM-FuNk lends his skills to more great new tracks. You can pre-order Disclosure’s Caracal here at their website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgRywu7a9kU
Beat Connection: So Good
Beat Connection’s new music video is kinda self-explanatory. It’s So Good. Breathing new life onto the single shot video clip, they play with space and time in a way that is intelligent and truly captivating. The clip wasn’t actually filmed in one shot, but cuts are worked in with such subtlety that you don’t notice them, or if you do, you forgive them. Set in a swimming pool out in the desert, and based around eight characters that are lounging about, swimming, dancing and lying on deck chairs. It’s hard to describe how clever the film really is. So go ahead – check it out.
Wave Racer: Flash Drive
Wave Racer recently released Flash Drive, taken from his upcoming debut EP, dropping on October 24th. Now he has a gorgeous music video to go with it. Smooth, slick and exceptionally well-animated, it is a gamers dreams come true. The glossy sheen of the water, combined with incredible warm pinks and baby blues make you want to dive right into the computer screen and begin your new life as a dolphin.
Floating Points: Silhouettes
Continuing down the animated route, Floating Points bring us his music video for Silhouettes, taken from upcoming album Elaenia, coming out on the 6th of November. The film combines beautifully lit countryside footage with spritely, animated dancing white lights. Silhouettes combines synths with strings and vocal harmonies in a way that is so uplifting and sublime. When combined with the shimmering, dreamlike light formations, we are simply left mesmerised. Right near the end you’ll find a little easter egg, where, for just a few seconds, the the camera moves back a little, revealing to the audience that the ‘landscape’ we’ve been watching is actually a handmade miniature set surrounded by cameras and lights. It’s pretty incredible.
Kali Uchis: Loner
When Kali Uchis first exploded onto the music scene, she was hailed as one of the most exciting new artists of her time. Talented, unique, and with magnificent style, she was a breath of fresh air. I was a little hesitant, lamenting that perhaps her aesthetic charm compensated for a lack of depth and meaning in her work. But now, I stand corrected. Uchis’ latest track Loner is beautiful. Aching for an old lover, her lyrics are intelligent, sensitive and relatable, while the visuals are of course immaculate. Reminiscent of the 1960s, Uchis slinks around an old diner and motel room. All in all, the lighting, the sexy costumes and the gorgeous soundscape make for one bangin’ music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_OOpXLeTpM&feature=youtu.be
NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge): Suede
You might know Anderson .Paak from his recent spotlight on Dr Dre’s Compton, where he featured on no less than five tracks. He and Stones Throw labelmate Knxwledge have teamed up as NxWorries, and their new track Suede is fucking fabulous. Combining Knxwledge’s smooth, understated instrumentals with Paak’s vocals the song is charming and classy. At the end it features a little black and white snippet, with a somewhat abrupt ending.
Basenji ft. Scenic: Petals
Basenji’s new single Petals is just adorable, featuring Scenic’s ethereal vocals. Petals is mellow and airy, accompanied by a video clip that’s set in a dark and steamy plant-filled room, dimly lit with red and green hues. The band members each inject droplets of an unknown drug (let’s assume it’s cough syrup) onto their tongues and settle back to watch bubbles float around the room. As you might imagine, it looks like absolute bliss.
Nothing says gentrification like The Imperial Hotel, one of Newtown’s most iconic LGBTI pubs, being turned into a fine dining venue. But alas, that is the fate of our beloved Erskinville pub, which sold for $6.5 million.
Former owner Shadd Danesi has kept the venue closed while he negotiated it’s fate with authorities. Walking past down Erskinville Road it is a sorry site, with dramatically boarded up windows and motivational graffiti saying things like “We Still Believe”. But this is soon to change, as it has now been handed on to publicans Scott Leach, president of the NSW branch of the Australian Hotels Association and owner of the Rose of Australia Hotel, and Fraser Short, of Morrison’s Bar and Grill and Watson’s Bay Hotel.
The publicans have said that they recognise the importance of the hotel to the LGBTQI community, but also indicated that they would take it in a new direction, outlining a $3 million dollar renovation including a high end restaurant. They’ve said that they will be consulting with the local LGBTQI community in the coming months as they refurbish the venue.
“We have stepped up because we are passionate about [the Imperial’s] future. It will remain shut in the short term but we are injecting funds immediately to start creating a modern food and beverage option for the venue.” Leach said.
“This will include the introduction of a custom kitchen and high-end restaurant business to meet the local community demand.”
The Imperial Hotel first ran into trouble when former owner Danesi leased the space to Spice International, transforming the ground level of the venue into Spice Cellar ERSKNVL every Friday and Saturday night. Spice Cellar used to be located as an after hours club in Martin Place, but made the move due to lockouts. The lease got a huge amount of media coverage and quickly went out of control for several reasons. A hugely popular institution, the venue reached capacity as early as 10pm on some weekends, with hundreds of people lining up outside. As a result, the venue was regularly scrutinised by police, who reported massive regular breaches of RSA and drug laws, including staff openly using drugs and serving alcohol to highly intoxicated patrons. The Imperial Hotel was twice subject to a 72-hour closure order by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, on both occasions due to drug related activity. The second time, it didn’t reopen.
I think it’s important to mention here that if police really want to get a liquor venue shutdown, they will. That isn’t to say that The Imperial Hotel didn’t need to fix up their act. But when you put it into the perspective of, say, comparing it to the Star Casino, which has repeatedly been recognised as the most violent late night venue in Sydney, yet has been subject to almost no consequences, the onslaught seems pretty ridiculous.
It’s a shame that we’re losing such an iconic venue, and that the structure of Sydney is shifting, but at least they had a damn good run.
Four totally different artists, four totally different singles. Here’s some of the new tunes we’re loving right now:
Hayden Calnin: White Night
Triple J unearthed singer, songwriter and producer Hayden Calnin has just put out an incredible new single, White NIght. The track starts slowly and then gradually builds in intensity, with sweeping instrumentals and awesome vocal harmonies. Calnin began his career with a degree in film and a major in sound design; it’s therefore little wonder that his sound production is flawless. What’s more, he has the incredible vocals to go with it. Inherently Australian, the epic-ness of his sound evokes feelings the sweeping Australian landscape, bringing to mind other Australian artists like Matt Corby and Holy Holy.
Sylvan Esso: Jamie’s Song
Now from the other side of the world, North Carolina dance-pop duo Sylvan Esso have released a new single via WNYC’s science podcast, Jamie’s Song. The track was written for a recent episode of the podcast which discused mental illness, and told the story of someone living with bipolar disorder. Some of the track’s lyrics are actually inspired by quotes from the person in question, giving the track a beautiful sense of honesty. For more of their stuff, you can check out Sylvan Esso’s latest album, which they released last year here on iTunes.
Check out the full podcast below. Scroll to 22:50 for the track, or tune in earlier to hear more about the song itself:
Roots Manuva: One Thing
Since his collaboration with Four Tet resulting in this amazing creation, we haven’t heard a whole lot from the British rapper and vocalist Rodney Hilton Smith, who goes by the much sexier title of Roots Manuva. Thankfully he’s now released this slick little number, One Thing. With a smooth, restrained bass and hard hitting lyrics, the song is simple, refined and incredibly cool. One Thing was released on the 12 of August on Big Dada, it can be streamed on SoundCloud, or you can head to ninjashop the single, along with a bunch of other new releases.
Green Buzzard: Slow it Down Now
Sydney band Green Buzzard have just released Slow it Down Now as their second release from their forthcoming debut album Our7. The actual album was released today, which you can check out here on their hilarious website, and has already the Aria for Best Adult Contemporary Album. Slow it Down Now is fun and uplifting, evoking feelings of summer and a strong sense of 90s nostalgia. We recently asked Green Buzzard to share some of their favourite tunes with us, you can check that out here!
There aren’t many bands that can say they’ve been making new, consistently innovative music for ten years. PVT have been doing exactly that. As pioneers of the Australian electronic scene, their trajectory has been smooth, seamless, and constantly evolving. This year they will be celebrating one decade of creating music by reissuing their debut album Make Me Love You, as well as a collection of unreleased demos and B-sides from their early years.
Make Me Love You – 10th Anniversary Edition will be released on 180 gram clear vinyl, along with original art. Available free with the vinyl purchase, or as a bonus disk Make Me Love You – B-Sides & Demos 2003-2005′ will contain a whole album of previously unreleased tracks from their earlier years.
The band’s producer, guitarist and singer Richard Pike spoke about the way that he began working with both live music and electronic, marrying digital tracks with analog sounds in the beginning of his career.
“Make Me Love You was a real attempt to make something we had never heard before. We did some live sessions in a Sydney studio which doesn’t exist now. I edited the audio on a second-hand beige Apple G3, in my parents house. I was intent on marrying digital tracks with analog sounds. The album was even mixed on 24-track analog tape, which no-one does these days. There was an attention to detail I’m still proud of. At the time we had grand delusions that we were forming a new kind of tradition. Electronic and live music were very separate 10 years ago.”
Make Me Love You really was a revolutionary album of its time, it was nominated in the very first Triple J Radio J awards in 2005. The trio, which began as an instrumental five piece under the name Pivot, have since released three more incredible albums, O soundtrack My Heart, Church with no Magic and Homosapien. PVT was the first Australian band in history to sign with Warp Records in the UK, they’ve been chosen as FBi’s Album of the Decade and have performed at iconic venues such as the Sydney Opera House, and oversees at Glastonbury.
You can purchase PVT’s 10th anniversary package at their very own store, as well as heaps of other albums and t-shirts. Go wild.
Summer is coming and that means one thing, festivals. From Falls Festival in Byron, Lorne and Marion Bay, to Field Day in Sydney and Woodford Folk Festival near Brisbane, we’re spoilt for choice. Here are five reasons why Beyond the Valley should be at the head of your list this summer. Check out our review of last year’s BTV here.
1. Location
BTV is located in one of the most beautiful parklands of rural Victoria. Think rolling hills, cute, chubby farm animals and acres of uninterrupted green pasture. The perfect area to transform into a musical paradise. The BTV website boasts significantly improved camping options and facilities from last year, claiming the vibe will be similar to a festival overseas. Add to that the bonus that you’re only 90 minutes from Melbourne, it’s easy to turn the three day festival into a cheeky week-long trip away.
2. It isn’t a moving festival
Unlike Falls Festival, Beyond the Valley is not hopping around to every state on the east coast. This means organisers hare able to create awesome amphitheatres and facilities, artists are fresh, and their performances feel more authentic. it also means there won’t be any strange timetable rearrangements or changes, to allow artists to catch flights and rush around the country.
3. The lineup is sick
A kind of fusion between Lost Paradise and Falls, the BTV line-up is compact and refined, with a strong focus on local talent. Big names such as Flight Facilities, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ set), Touch Sensitive and Ta-Ku join Tkay Maidza, Snakehips, San Cisco and more.
4. Parking and entering the site
BTV is a lot smaller than some of the main festivals, especially those happening around New Years. This means that you aren’t forced to spend hours waiting in a queue to enter the festival, and by the graces of the gods, you can park next to your tent. Last year security guards were super friendly and relaxed, creating an atmosphere that was fun and friendly. That isn’t to say that you can fill up your car with bottles of Smirnoff and expect to be waved right through, but the police and security presence are definitely less aggressive than any other camping festival I’ve been to.
5. The vibes
Beyond the Valley is a new festival, which means no dickheads. In this glorious period where people are still figuring out what the scene is (should they adorn their faces with glitter and put flowers in their hair or should they go head-to-toe fluoro and wear glow sticks in their boobs?) BTV remains remarkably un-pretentious. There is a strong sense of community, and shared excitement over a festival that is still blossoming.
Peep the full lineup below.
Tickets start at $320 for three days. For more details, head to the official website right here.
