Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson is one of those artists so enormously talented that his appeal is able to transcend the barrier between languages. So potent is his talent, that an Anglophone can sit there in complete and utter rapture and enjoy his music. The melodic folk singer’s success in his native Iceland is even more impressive, where it’s estimated that ten percent of the population owns his debut album Dýrð í dauðaþögn.
And what better place to showcase such great talent other than the Sydney Opera House? The architectural wonder was the perfect backdrop to the Scandinavian’s mysterious and enthralling music. Performing there is a huge feat for any artist, and even bigger one for the 22-year-old who played a repertoire of songs from his album In the Silence, both in Icelandic and English.
It was a balmy Wednesday night as hundreds of Ásgeir fans packed themselves into the iconic venue in eager anticipation of the night’s sold-out performance. With no opener, the Icelander took to the stage soon after 9pm, accompanied by a veritable orchestra of violins, trumpets, drums and trombones, and began with Head in the Snow and In The Silence. Higher followed, Lupin Intrigue, also known as Frost, was a standout performance, with Ásgeir’s voice soaring to impossible heights as he hit every note perfectly, leaving the entire audience utterly transfixed.
You are a beautiful man
However, his most standout performance of the night was yet to come. I literally sat gob smacked in amazement as Ásgeir launched into the most harmonically, pitch-perfect, transcendently beautiful rendition of Heart Shaped Box. Time and space disappeared as my tunnel vision zoomed in on just Ásgeir, lit up under a single, translucent beam of light. It’s moments like these that make you realise that raw talents like Ásgeir need live performances in order to demonstrate the true extent of their talent.
In between songs, Ásgeir took the time to thank to the audience for coming to see him in his adorably truncated English, gushing as best as one could in a second language about how honoured he was to be performing in such an iconic venue, before launching into Dreaming and Nu Hann Blaes.
Finishing on his most well known hit King and Cross, he and his band swiftly departed the stage, leaving the audience craving more as they stomped their feet in protest. But he wasn’t finished just yet, returning to the stage to perform On That Day with just his guitar to accompany him. This was perhaps the most poignant moment of the night. Ásgeir’s lone voice singing out to a captivated audience, concluding on a theme that had come to characterise the hour-long set : humble minimalism.
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The Metro was the place to be last Saturday night, as record label Future Classic and BBE brought together some of this year’s best talent for their Xmas Weekender, celebrating a year full of musical greatness. A special shout out goes to special attendee Flume, blending into the crowd seamlessly as punters milled about restlessly in anticipation of a night full of electronic goodness.
Being a music label Christmas party, you’d expect the line up to be pretty phenomenal, and Future Classic did not disappoint with international imports such as Lido, SOPHIE, Nadus and QT coming in all the way from the UK, Norway and the US to perform. Local talents such as the magnificent George Maple, HWLS and UV Boi also made an appearance, making for a pretty impressive set list of performances.
First up were the FC DJ’s, followed by Brisbane-based producer and DJ UV Boi, pumping out tunes like A Q U A T I C. Soul-pop chanteuse George Maple was up next, delivering beautiful renditions of her hits Talk Talk, Fixed and Vacant Space among others, with Touch Sensitive supporting her on keyboard. Norwegian DJ Lido delivered an amazing set, playing some of his classic remixes such as Why I’m Single, Ain’t No Sunshine and Zhu’s Faded, interspaced with some playful crowd banter, before finishing off with his two biggest hits Often (Lido Remix) and I Love You.
George Maple performing her amazing set
On stage next was the mysterious and elusive producer SOPHIE, who, despite going under a female pseudonym, is actually a guy who decided on this particular moniker because he thought “it tastes good and it’s like moisturizer.” The London-based producer teamed up with QT to deliver some of their iconic collaborations, such as Hey QT and Lemonade, incorporating high, pitch-shifted vocals with QT’s brilliant but bizarre tin-foil jacket get-up.
Burning the midnight oil was homegrown Aussie act HWLS, who kept the crowd going with the conveniently and consecutively named playlist of tracks 001, 002, 003 and probably his most well-known 004 w/ Noah Breakfast. Last, but not least, was Nadus. The American, hailing from Newark, New Jersey, capped off a night of brilliant performances with Nxwxrk, his remix of Kanye West’s Send It Up, Sharpe James and many more.
George Maple, Nadus and QT were all spotted mingling with the crowd after each of their respective performances. I think it’s always great when artists take the time to interact with their fans, it allows for that level of interaction and dialogue between the two parties. The venue was full, but not packed, with everyone in the audience having enough elbow room to dance and really appreciate the music. To say it was an epic night would be an understatement. More like the perfect send off for an amazing year of music and emerging artists. Check out Future Classic’s playlist of the night to get a little taste of what went on at the best kind of Xmas celebrations.
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Fresh from his North Borders tour, Simon Green, the man otherwise known as Bonobo, delivers even more on his new three-track EP Flashlight. Around since 1999, the British producer has always tried to keep his sound fresh and original and Flashlight is no exception, exploring new territory in a series of scintillating, yet understated, dance tracks. Departing from his older work, Flashlight delivers a mixture of up-tempo and ambient beats against the backdrop of orchestral strings.
Speaking recently to Billboard about his newest EP, Green had this to say about Flashlight:
“I made this in summer 2014 during some downtime between touring. [Return To Air] was the last track I made before leaving New York and packing my studio into storage. In a way, it’s the last page of that chapter before I settle again and start the next album.”
In this way, Flashlight itself is less of a compilation and more of a transition, an interim period between two musical styles; a bridge between two albums.
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Opening track Flashlight is a mesmerising introduction, which gradually builds up into a crescendo of synthesisers and truncated Japanese flute sounds, giving the song multiple layers of rich and exotic, feel-good vibrations. It’s the kind of song you can zone out to, but choose to return to at any moment and still appreciate.
Second track Pelican begins with a series of mysterious echoes and then segues into a sequence of percussive beats. An indecipherable and disembodied voice piques up soon thereafter, punctuating the song intermittently as it progresses into a something akin to what I can only describe as an electronic rainforest.
Finishing off with Return to Air, Bonobo starts off quietly as if in an empty room full of voices and ringing xylophones that quickly morphs into a collection of organic instrumental noises blended with uplifting synthesisers. Return to Air is definitely where Bonobo is at his most comfortable. All three tracks bleed into one another, foregrounding each other and laying the groundwork for this final track, which fades off gently into the background as the EP comes to an end.
The EP is less of a collection of three tracks, and more an extended play of an interrelated piece of work, punctuated briefly by intervals of silence before picking up where it left off. I think it’s this kind of interconnectedness that gives Bonobo’s work a broad appeal. The inclusivity of his music is also what makes it so listener-friendly: you can tune in and out at any time and still feel like you’ve been listening to song the whole time. Perhaps it’s a combination of these elements that have provided Bonobo the longevity to sustain a 15-year long musical presence.
Check out this live set of Flashlights below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNkXJvQoVhc]
Flashlights is out now via Ninja Tune Records.
You can buy it on iTunes or stream it on Spotify.
Alternatively, go old school and buy the special laser cut 12″ Vinyl at Bonobo Store, Amazon or Phonica.
Sydney’s own Ned East, aka. Kilter, has announced he’s releasing a new remix album called Reshades just in time for Christmas. The release date is set for December 19th and comes after a hugely successful year of touring for Kilter, with killer performances at festivals like Splendour In The Grass and Listen Out. The album will feature never before released remixes for Duke Dumont, Odesza, The Kite String Tangle and more, as well as collaborations with other big names like, Mø feat. Diplo, Rüfüs, Andy Bull and Snakadaktal.
Kilter also announced upcoming tour dates not too far ahead, which will see him playing at Falls Festival in Lorne, Victoria and Field Day in Sydney on New Year’s Day. For further dates see below.
Considering the insanely cool tunes Kilter has already released this year like Coward featuring Ngaiire and They Say featuring Tkay Maidza, we’re expecting Reshades to dominate the airwaves this summer. Have a listen to the minimix below to get a little taste of what’s to come in in what will surely be an even bigger year than the last.
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TRACKLIST
1. ODESZA – All We Need feat. Shy Girls (Kilter Remix)
2. Disciples – Poison Arrow (Kilter Remix)
3. Duke Dumont – I Got U feat Jax Jones (Kilter Remix)
4. The Kite String Tangle – Stone Cold feat. Tiana Khasi (Kilter Remix)
5. Kilter – They Say (LWKY Remix)
6. Mø – X*X 88 feat Diplo (Kilter Remix)
7. Kilter – Coward feat. Ngaiire (Akouo Remix)
8. Andy Bull – Talk Too Much (Kilter Remix)
9. Shapeshifter – Shadow Boxer (Kilter Remix)
10. Ben Pearce – What I Might Do (Kilter Remix)
11. RÜFÜS – Tonight (Kilter Remix)
12. Snakadaktal – Fall Underneath (Kilter Remix)
13. Kilter – Alive Again feat Citizen Kay (salute Remix)
14. Kilter – Hold Me feat. YOUTH (Paces Remix)
15. Matt Miller x Kilter – Gravel Pit
Tour Dates
Fri, Dec 19 2014: The Garden, Wollongong
Sat, Dec 20 2014: Wonderland, Supreme Court Gardens Perth
Tues, Dec 30 2014: Falls Festival, Lorne
Thurs, January 1 2015: Field Day, Sydney
Sun, January 4 2015: Southbound Festival, Busselton
The usual suspects. A few wildcards, but nothing unexpected. The announcement was made on CBS This Morning early Friday by pop heavyweights Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran (a sign of things to come perhaps?), who revealed four major categories of nominations.
As usual, most of the nominees are artists who have dominated the charts over the past year. But could we expect to see some more surprise wins like Arcade Fire’s 2011 album The Suburbs? Wins are usually a mix of the critically acclaimed or the commercially successful, but sometimes even an unheard of underdog takes home the bacon. Below is a breakdown of some of the biggest categories of who could be winning big at next year’s 57th Grammys.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Beck, Morning Phase
Beyoncé, Beyoncé
Ed Sheeran, X
Sam Smith, In the Lonely Hour
Pharrell Williams, Girl
Look, let’s be honest. We all knew who the winner of this category would be the moment her album came out, and it goes without saying that Beyoncé will clean up big this year. No one else on this list even comes close in terms of musical prowess, star power and commercial success of her self-titled visual album. She didn’t even need to promote the album, she just dropped it on iTunes, lay back and watched the Internet go into overdrive. Such was the frenzied chaos of eager fans rushing to buy her album that they literally crashed iTunes.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSAOsm1u-OE]
What other artist can boast that, in an age where just actually buying an album is a feat in itself? Not only is it a financial success (it sold a total of 430 000 digital copies within 24 hours), but it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 – Beyoncé’s fifth album to do so. It’s also the most critically acclaimed album on the list, with a Metacritic score of 85. The only other competitor that comes close would be Ed Sheeran’s X (pronounced ‘Multiply’) or Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour. They are both musical powerhouses in themselves, but it’s a pity that they go grouped together with Queen Bey.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Bastille
Iggy Azalea
Brandy Clark
Haim
Sam Smith
This category is a little trickier because we have a few big contenders here all vying for the top prize. Personally, I think Iggy Azalea has the biggest chance at winning. She has dominated this year with her debut album The New Classic and the colossal success of Fancy, as well as making history by having two Top 100 songs at number one and two at the same time – the first person to do so since the Beatles in 1964. She’s collaborated with all the big names in the music biz, from JLo, Ariana Grande to Rita Ora. Although her album didn’t receive a standing ovation from the music community (especially the rap community), her star is certainly one that’s rising, and will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. However, I feel that this is a category in which actual newcomers might have a chance. For the past few years, unforeseen chart toppers like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Fun and Bon Iver have taken home the gold. Another interesting trend to note is that the most recent winners in this category are all Americans. There have been a few sporadic non-American wins such as Amy Winehouse and Adele in the past, so perhaps it’s the year of the Brit this time round? Maybe the so-called ‘male Adele’ Sam Smith or Bastille might secure another victory for the Motherland. Only time will tell.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Fancy, Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
Chandelier, Sia
Stay With Me (Darkchild Version), Sam Smith
Shake It Off, Taylor Swift
All about that Bass, Meghan Trainor
Again, this one is tricky. The real contenders here are Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea and Sia. It would be hard not peg Azalea as this year’s winner considering the enormous success and seemingly unending reign of her hit single Fancy. The song was on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for seven weeks and catapulted the Aussie MC and Charli XCX to superstardom.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-zpOMYRi0w]
In saying that, she is going up against Billboard’s Woman of the Year, country crooner Taylor Swift. Such is the magnitude of Swift’s success that her album 1989 sold 1.287 million in its first week of release, a feat that hasn’t been equalled since 2002 by Eminem’s The Eminem Show, when people actually bought records. However, we could also see a surprise win from the publicity-shy Sia. Despite her reluctance to appear publicly for any of the accolades so generously bestown upon her, Sia’s Chandelier was everywhere as she continues to ride on a wave of successful hits, with little to no promotion.
BEST RAP ALBUM
The New Classic, Iggy Azalea
Because the Internet, Childish Gambino
Nobody’s Smiling, Common
The Marshall Mathers LP2, Eminem
Oxymoron, ScHoolboy Q
Blacc Hollywood, Wiz Khalifa
It would be easy to say speculate that this year’s best rap album would go straight to Eminem. However, the usually untouchable star’s latest album has come under fire for featuring extremely offensive lyrics about both Lana Del Rey and Iggy Azalea. Eminem is no stranger to misogyny, but the reaction to these jibes were much louder this time than to his previous diatribes, and it could potentially cost him the accolade. Oxymoron by ScHoolboy Q and Nobody’s Smiling by Common are the most critically acclaimed on the list, both tying in with scores of 78 on Metacritic. But could it be Iggy Azalea’s The New Classic which takes home the top gong? If crowned the winner, Azalea would not only the first woman to win a grammy in this category, but the first Australian as well. The only other non-American to win Best Rap Album was Drake back in 2013. This could potentially stir up a great ol’ big shitstorm seeing as Azalea is constantly under fire for allegedly appropriating black culture. Personally, I’d want to see Childish Gambino win. His sophomore album Because the Internet brings way more to the table in terms of originality than anything else.
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Ghost Stories, Coldplay
Bangerz, Miley Cyrus
My Everything, Ariana Grande
Prism, Katy Perry
X, Ed Sheeran
In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
God forbid if Bangerz wins this one. I just don’t think the world can handle any more of Miley’s brainless trash pop excrement. Same goes for Prism. Katy, you and your barely disguised sexual euphemisms have had their time in the sun. Let’s be honest here: Ghost Stories isn’t going to win. It got absolutely trashed by the critics and Coldplay fans alike and scored a measly 61 on the Metacritic scale. You know you aren’t doing well when even your most loyal fans won’t flog your shit. I’d say this one is going to pop powerhouse Ariana Grande. No one can get enough of the baby prostitute Mariah 2.0 act. Hopefully Ariana won’t have to deal with deadly onslaught of tanned limbs and sharp wings like the last time she performed:
“Don’t rain on my parade, bitch.”
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Aphex Twin: Syro
Deadmau5: While (1<2)
Little Dragon: Nabuma Rubberband
Rôyksopp & Robyn: Do It Again
Mat Zo: Damage Control
(NB: Lauren wrote this bit)
This was an unbelievably impressive year for dance music, and the nominations are a clear showing of that. Each of these albums not only showcase completely different styles of electronic music, but in their own right, each absolutely shines. Aphex Twin‘s nomination is interesting – the sheer amount of reverance that the dance music community overshadows the pure strangeness and utter obscurity of so much of his music. In a nutshell, it wouldn’t be easy for a newcomer to release an album like this, and receive the same praise. (Same would go for FlyLo.) Little Dragon’s album was a surprise nomination but absolutely deserving; it is truly special and I highly recommend a listen. While I don’t think he’ll actually win, though, my personal vote goes to Deadmau5. I fucking love this album, despite the two hour running time. I love the extended instrumentals, the musical breakdowns that have probably freaked the shit out of techno-heads and the fact that it’s essentially a Nine Inch Nails tribute album. (Some people wrote that as an insult. I see it as a compliment). As for who might actually win, it will probably go to Aphex Twin of Royksopp & Robyn, though I’m hoping for Mau5 or Little Dragon.
Stereosonic Festival, colloquially known as the annual watering hole for ‘roid-raging beefcakes in tiny shorts, has become the latest arena for testosterone-fuelled violence at last weekend’s Sydney leg. A video has surfaced of a fight taking place at Sydney Olympic Park. The video, which seems to involve about 20 people, surfaced early Thursday morning and has since gone viral.
In the clip, a sparsely populated mosh pit littered with debris soon becomes a game of ‘roid rush as a shirtless festival-goer lunges for another man. Chaos soon ensues and TNs, nipple grazing singlets and fluro board shorts go flying in a colourful blur as the fight escalates.
The heavy background music is punctuated by high-pitched screams of nearby females, as security guards desperately try to break up the seething mass of sweating bodies. Unfortunately it’s too late for some, and one partygoer is king hit, struck down and left seemingly unconscious, surrounded by a wreath of plastic cups and a ring of hungry spectators, some staring at the action, others shuffling to the spastic cadence of the music.
As quickly as it started, the fight dissipates, assailants and spectators melt away, apparently unfazed by the sudden outburst of violence they have just witnessed.
Watch the video: