While originally created as a festival of lights in 2009, Vivid Sydney has over the last seven years become much more than just a pretty spectacle. The incorporation of Vivid Ideas and Vivid Music has meant the exposure and promotion of cultures, creatives and scenes that Sydneysiders – and those who come to visit – may not have otherwise seen. Though the past year has seen announcements that festivals like Future Music and Stereosonic are no longer, this year, Vivid paved the way for a new one day music and lights festival – Curve Ball.
Held in Carriageworks in Sydney’s inner west, the festival kicked off at 3 in the afternoon – obviously looking to make the most of the lights after dark, in the same area that has previously hosted events like Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and FBi Radio’s SMAC Awards and Festival. The crowd was consistently huge throughout the day, with two stages offering punters both a chance to see the major acts, and to take a break in a room staffed by HEAPS DECENT – an organisation that works with young and emerging artists from disadvantaged communities – which was constantly smashing out hip-hop bangers. The almost entirely Australian lineup saw a diverse range of electronically driven musicians, with Xavier Dunn, Yuma X, Nicole Millar, Luen, Cleopold, JOY. and Elk Road covering nearly all bases. There was something for everyone, with the crowd only becoming more and more enthusiastic over the 6 hours of high quality tunes. Hometown boys Cosmo’s Midnight and Basenji were obvious crowd favourites, with their bright and bubbly-meets-bass driven beats kicking everyone’s dancing shoes into the next gear. However, it was enigmatic American headliner ZHU who everyone was there to see. With the release of his debut album Generation Why only a little over a month away, he had plenty of new releases to share. Live accompaniment by both a guitarist and saxophonist was unexpected, but very welcome to see. It’s hard to explain just how much a saxophone changes the vibe in a warehouse full of people, but the collective ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ of everyone in the crowd paint a better picture than words ever could. As you might imagine, Faded got the most stellar response out of any track of the evening. Though it’s now been over two years since first released, it’s clear that it’s become an all time favourite for people all over the world.
Being part of Vivid, there were also a number of really interesting visual components to Curve Ball that made it stand out among other festivals. Behind the artists there was always something to look at, from videos of inflatable clownfish moving around the Carriageworks space and shots of Sydney roads, to anime rockets flying through space for Cosmo’s and kaleidoscopes of Basenji’s Versace logo, to ZHU’s incredibly stylised animations straight out of an 80s style neo-noir/sci-fi film. Visuals adds so much to live sets, and as we’ve said many times, it’s something more shows should be incorporating.
By far the standout of the day though was Carriageworks itself. At other gigs you might be finding yourself squished in between a bunch of super sweaty people, trying to find somewhere to dance and get comfy, but that was never the case at Curve Ball. The amount of space at Carriageworks meant that everyone was spread out and not intruding on one another. Yes it got a bit crowded for ZHU, but on the whole it was a really refreshing experience. There was a really well organised bathroom and bar situation too, and plenty of space for food in a really small area. With Carriageworks having just earlier this year announced their plan for a $10 million redevelopment over the next six years, here’s hoping that we see more going down in what has the potential to be such a fantastic and staple venue.
Photo: yeahsure
It’s happened. The summer is well and truly over. With a bunch of festivals, sideshows and tours over the New Year absolutely blowing our minds, it’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye as it all drifts further and further back into our memory. However, before it leaves completely, there’s still some time to bring the heat.
Future Classic’s series of MCA shows have over the last few months seen some absolutely legendary performances. Kenton Slash Demon, Roland Tings, Harvey Sutherland, Tornado Wallace, Sampa The Great, Wafia, Anthony Naples, Pelvis and Kenji Takimi have all graced the MCA’s Sculpture Terrace with their presence, and crazy fun shows. So it’s only fitting that the mega-label is seeing it off with a bang, putting on a final show this Sunday packed full of Future Classic Allstars. They’re being super secretive about the lineup and not giving any hints until it’s actually happening, so we’re here to speculate and myth-bust as to who may be jumping behind the decks.
Our little dog friend is barking all over the northern hemisphere at the moment. He’s just done a bunch of shows in the U.S. and Paris, and his Saturday night is taking place in London. That’ll be the 9th of April, which, with time differences, is almost exactly when the FC Allstars show will be going on. We can sit on his latest track Chroma, to make him feel a little bit closer, but we won’t be able to see him do his thing at the MCA.
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Since the release of Built on Glass in 2014, Chet’s been all over the world playing shows, and even making an appearance on Ellen. Towards the end of last year though, he released Work, an EP he produced alongside London’s Marcus Marr. It’s 4 tracks of beautiful house, which would be phenomenal to see played live. He’s proven himself to be very comfortable behind the decks, having a slap at the Ray Ban x Boiler Room show in Melbourne late last year, so we can hope we get to see it go down again.
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His show alongside Cyril Hahn in late February is still fresh in our minds, and sadly, leads us to believe that he won’t be back to play so soon.
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Though it’s been a while since we’ve heard from LA duo Classixx, their last album releasing all the way back in 2013, it’d make sense to get a surprise appearance from them on the Sculpture Terrace. They’ve just released their latest single Grecian Summer from their second album Faraway Ranch, and been announced as part of that absolutely mammoth Lollapalooza lineup, we imagine to tie in with its release. So, maybe to kick off what is to be an absolutely massive year for them, we’ll see them Sydney-side this weekend? Fingers crossed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3q_Pr9hYzo
Though we’re on the precipice of the release of Skin, Flume’s second album, and yes it would make sense for a huge hometown show before it releases – it’s super unlikely. He’s playing Ceremonia Festival in Mexico on Saturday, so we can live in the hope that maybe his set is early and he could make a flight, but let’s not get them up.
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Side-project of beatmakers Ta-Ku and Kit Pop, HWLS’ most recent release was two months ago with Ty Dolla $ign as part of Adidas’ #songsfromscratch series. They’ve played a few shows here and there, their last one in Sydney being the Laneway Festival afterparty with Hudson Mohawke. With them going quite for a while, it’d make sense to have them as part of the allstar lineup, but Ta-Ku is doing so much at the moment that he legit may not have the time. He’s debuting his live show with Wafia (who just released her own EP) at VIVID LIVE, and has a residency at the MCA starting next week – though maybe that’s in our favour set-wise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UQ3WHMfcD8
It’s been quite a long time since we’ve heard anything from these two boys from Sydney. They’re playing quite a few shows in Europe over the next three months, starting in May, but haven’t done a Sydney show in quite some time. Reading between the lines though, Future Classic call specific attention to the fact that the Allstars are “jumping behind the decks”, and so we may not be able to get the full Jagwar Ma experience if they are to make an appearance. Maybe a lil DJ set though? Time will tell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP8k6fmxWe4
Not much is known about Midnight To Monaco, the project of Donnie Sloan, co-producer for Empire Of The Sun, and Ricky Ducati, but their sound speaks for itself. 50’s doo wop flung far into the future, Midnight To Monaco are set for big things the world over. Their latest single One In A Million was released on the latest Future Classic compilation, also called One In A Million, so we can clutch at straws and hope that they’re on the lineup, but would we consider them allstars yet? No doubt they will be eventually, but so far they’ve only been around a minute.
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Panama have just come home from a tour across Asia, though their last release was a while ago with Jungle just last year. Unless they do a DJ set, we imagine they won’t be gracing the MCA stage due to the fact that they use live drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1m0mceKkx4
The boys are doing a bunch of European shows in September, and just last week did a DJ set in Berlin. They seem to be spending more and more time overseas at the moment, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were still kicking it European style, but they are definitely one of Future Classic’s most allstar teams, so it’s very possible they’ll come home to pay a visit.
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Melbourne producer Thrupence has been flying under the radar for a while now, releasing New Light, his only track since Lessons all the way back in 2014, in September of last year. Though his lush and textured sounds would fit right at home at the MCA, if you follow his Instagram you’ll know that he’s been much more busy working in his design and art scheme of things.
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Off the back of his remix of Flume’s Never Be Like You, Wavey is unfortunately, for those of us at home, also on tour. Taking his Flash Drive tour across North America, Saturday night sees him play Madison, Wisconsin, alongside Promnite. This Sunday won’t be as wavey as we’d hoped in Sydney, take care of him Wisconsin.
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They’ve just wrapped up their Avocado Galaxy tour to promote their EP of the same name, but it’s unlikely we’ll be travelling through the Avocado Galaxy come this Sunday. Why? Instruments.
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OTHERS
Now though everyone else has gotten their own section on why they might or might not play, there’s some very simple explanations for the ones in this section. Though we’d love to see them again, Kenton Slash Demon and Perth singer songwriter Wafia have already played as part of this round of FC x MCA shows, so we’re banking on them not making a return just to give others a red hot go. Sidenote: Wafia could maybe come back, but it’d probably only be to accompany Ta-ku like she will be as a part of VIVID Live. Now, you may have also noticed that Charles Murdoch, Flight Facilities, Hayden James and Touch Sensitive haven’t been mentioned till now. Though all these artists are phenomenal in their own rights, and definitely all a part of Future Classic’s Allstar roster – these boys are the real allstars. Allstars are the players who come back and play in the game day after day, or in this case, rock the house again and again. They’re our best bets for Sunday’s show, but we can’t wait to found out properly.
DJ Rashad – Double Cup
This album came out shortly after I became interested in the Teklife scene that was happening in Chicago. Double Cup came out quite recently (late 2013) but completely changed my taste in dance music and for me did something very exciting with the juke/footwork style. I was lucky enough to see DJ Rashad live in Sydney and to date it was one of the best gigs I have been to, the passing of DJ Rashad is a complete tragedy but his legacy will always be remembered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmaDg75MIc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdHd-8vol70
DJ Danger Mouse – The Grey Album
I think I heard The Grey Album in the middle of high school and at the time didn’t really know a lot about DJ Danger Mouse. To be completely honest, I didn’t really know a lot about The Beatles or Jay-Z either. There was something perplexing about the way this bootleg release combined music from two completely different ends of the musical spectrum. It’s really just a mash-up album but to me it felt like so much more and really helped me realise the artistic value of sampling. The Grey Album demonstrated how having a concept and a specific creative drive can make something as simple as blending two songs together into something really exciting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSOW472bsUU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6VOvVh5TJc
Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
I don’t have a lot to say about this album – but it means a lot to me. This album sort of captures my affinity for disco and is just such a perfect album from start to finish. Luther Vandross is still one of my favourite male vocalists and on this album the power of his voice is matched by super strong instrumentation and songwriting. Never Too Much is something I still listen to regularly and I don’t think will ever fail to impress me. RIP Luther Vandross.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOJzPYnWpjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNj9bXKGOiI
THE PLOT Details:
When? Saturday December 5 2015 2:00 – 11:00 pm
Where? Monument (grasslands) and Old Government House, Parramatta Park, Sydney
Tickets? Purchase them here for $74
More details: Check THE PLOT’s official website.
LINEUP:
ANDY GARVEY
ART VS. SCIENCE
ASTA
B WISE
BASENJI
BOO SEEKA
CROOKED COLOURS
E^ST
FRIEND WITHIN (UK)
FUTURE LOVE HANGOVER
THE GRISWOLDS
JAWZ
L-FRESH THE LION LUEN
LUKE MILLION
MATOMA (NO)
THE MEETING TREE
NGAIIRE
PACES
SAFIA
SHANTAN WANTAN ICHIBAN
SPIT SYNDICATE
STONEY ROADS DJS
TKAY MAIDZA
TUKA
URTHBOY
UV BOI
YOUNG FRANCO
PREMIUM PRODUCE PROVIDORES
AUSTRALIAN BREWERY
BELLA SHACK BURGERS
CANONBAH BRIDGE WINES
THE CITRUS FACTORY
COURTNEY’S BRASSERIE
EMMY’S TURKISH GOZLEME
THE EMPORIUM
HILLBILLY CIDER
KNAFEH JERUSALEM STREET FOOD
RIVERSIDE BREWING COMPANY
SUNDWEESH
TAJ INDIAN RESTAURANT
YAN’S ASIAN
With his first full release on Future Classic, Trackpad, dropping just two weeks ago, and a tour alongside local and international heavyweights taking him across the US, Basenji has nowhere to go but up. Friday night saw the end of his Trackpad Tour, promoting his EP, which has sent him to every major city in the country. Capping it off, he of course returned to his hometown of Sydney, to wrap it up at Oxford Art Factory.
It started mega late, which we’ll get back to a bit later, with Body Promise kicking things off at 11:30. The room was pretty empty to begin with, everyone obviously waiting around for the main event, but it got down regardless. House and pop beats ruled the set, a perfect gee up for what was to come. The clock struck midnight and Kimchi Princi took the stage.
Real name Gina, Princi is a producer, singer and rapper, with spacious sounding instrumentals perfectly matching her breathy and gorgeous vocal work. She started putting stuff out earlier this year, but her performance on Friday would’ve left you thinking she’d been doing it for years. With Shisd on the decks, she absolutely destroyed OAF. Anything she did, she had complete control of the crowd. She spat bars and sang like a queen, and when she moved everyone went absolutely wild. At one stage between songs, some bloke up the front shouted something at her, and instead of just ignoring it, she completely called him out. “He just told me to show him my tits,” – and the whole crowd gave that guy fucking hell – there was no bullshit, and it was amazing. Kimchi Princi is going places without a doubt – do yourself a huge favour and get familiar with her asap.
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Kimchi finished a lil’ late, so Body Promise only got to jump on pre-Basenji briefly, but she definitely turned it up just enough to get the crowd jumping even more. It’s good that she did, it was about to turn up hard.
Basenji jumped on the decks at just past 1, and there was so much love in the club. You could feel all of it radiating towards the front, and nothing could’ve wiped the smile off his face. He’s known for playing some real soulful and turn up jersey sets, and this one was no different. Bouncing from SOPHIE’s latest to a live remix of Bieber and Jack Ü, it was clearly his originals that everyone was most keen to see.
Dawn, his first major track, got one of the biggest reactions I’ve ever seen at OAF. Newer work off Trackpad got everyone going real hard, and the dance-floor was absolutely packed super quick into his set. The visuals were stellar as well, with a whole bunch of sick images and spacey GIFs by Voena getting projected onto some oriental style screens made by Tablou Collective (the minds behind the stage design at Volumes Festival, Astral People’s 4th birthday, and two OutsideIn Festivals in a row) – it was gorgeous to look at and to boogie to. It wasn’t long before it was over though, however the night had well and truly begun. There’d been some teasing about a back to back set with a bunch of his friends, and one could assume who it’d be. At 2, though his own set had finished, Wave Racer, Cosmo’s Midnight and Nina Las Vegas, who’s recently left Triple J to pursue her own other interests, all joined Basenji on stage. It got nuts. Trap bangers to jersey to future bass, they covered it all until they got shut down – it was phenomenal, and the perfect way to see Basenji off to The States.
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There’s few that are more deserving of the attention they get than Basenji. His fans absolutely adore him, his tunes stay fresh and his performances are always mega fun. No doubt he’ll kill it overseas, but we wish him heaps of luck anyway. We <3 U
Here it is, Howl & Echoes’ ten best songs of the week. With a smattering of our favourite new pop, R&B, remixes and more, what better way to kick off your weekend than with our sweet, sweet playlist.
Crepes – Size Of Your Town
There is an uncompromising air of nostalgia about this track that I just can’t escape. Maybe I’m just homesick, but this really resonated with me and I haven’t been able to stop listening since. Crepes have served up an emotive slow burner that has got me hooked – not just on the song – but the band as well.
The Garden – Haha
Burger Records family members The Garden are new on my radar, but I’m sure glad they’re there. Haha is a slightly weird, really intriguing punk song with some jagged electronica and a fuckload of attitude thrown in for good measure. The theatrical vocals, the stomping riff, the spoken segment; this is an awesome slice of garage pop and has me all kinds of excited for their forthcoming album.
Lianne La Havas – What You Don’t Do (Maribou State Remix)
We love Lianne La Havas here, and we love Maribou State, so the marriage of these two could only mean good things. This remix of Lianne’s What You Don’t Do is a hypnotic, looped, minimal take, and one that shows her off in a different but very flattering light. Her voice is looped over skipping beats, fluttering samples and simple organ chords, before being stripped right back shows that there is more to both artists than meets the eye. Definitely two acts to keep an eye on!
Kelela – Rewind
Kelela has just announced the release of Hallucinogen, a new EP coming out October 9. Rewind is our first taste, and it’s a slick blend of glittery pop and understated R&B. The crystalline vocals are a really cool contrast against the wompy bass, anchoring down the shuffling rhythms and instrumental layers dancing about in between. Female fronted electro-pop is such an overblown genre, but Kelela is making it own. We’re really keen to hear what else she’s got in store.
Frøkedal – First Friend
This is my favourite track this week. First Friend is everything that I love about dark, female fronted electro-pop. With a deep rhythm and rolling bass, the atmosphere is murky, yet enticing. The eerie melody sends shivers down your spine, with Frøkedal’s rich, breathy voice demanding every drop of your attention. The track features as the final track on Frøkedal’s debut EP I See You, which came out this week on Propeller Recordings. Listen to the whole thing here.
Kwabs – Layback
British RnB rising star Kwabs is doing an excellent job at keeping interest and anticipation levels at an all time high ahead of his forthcoming album being released, and Layback is no exception. The atmospheric jam pulses with fluttering samples and easygoing synths, as Kwabs’ gorgeous voice effortlessly reels you in. Perfection.
Basenji – Can’t Get Enough
Following the release of his recent single Petals, Sydney producer Basenji returns with Can’t Get Enough, from his forthcoming EP Trackpad, out September 25. The spritely, lighthearted track shows a new side to his already fruitful style. Infusing a bubblegum pop melody and synths with part-funk part-trap brass and a big beat makes for a fun little track that’s sure to get you excited for summer!
Caribou – Can’t Do Without You (Manila Killa & Kidswaste remix)
From new Caribou to a Caribou remix, this is a killer new version of one of the best electronic tracks of 2014. Spinning the emotional house track entirely on its head, the track opens with ambient synths, before opening up into a bright, expansive, futuristic atmosphere. All this, before the drop. What a RHYTHM. Not only are we kept on our toes with the myriad progressions, but each one just gets better than the last.
Mazde – Battas ft. LissA
German producer Mazde has just dropped his collaborative EP with vocalist LissA, and this is my favourite track on the release. Stretched out and atmospheric, there’s something really warm and comforting about the inviting soundscape. Phrased really beautifully, the track feels compartmentalised, but not over-produced. It’s clean but not transparent; smooth but not overbearingly so; emotive, but not cheesy.
Debris of Titan, Anime
One of the stranger tracks on this week’s playlist, this is an interesting track that’s partially psychedelic, partially experimental, and wholly interesting. Managing to somehow feel both vintage and futuristic, it’s like if Animal Collective and Tame Impala took acid and had a sunny, funky, lo-fi baby. Sprawling, trippy and a whole lot of a fun, you can really get lost in between dimensions on this one.
Here it is folks, your weekly playlist of the coolest new tracks out this week. Lots of smooth electronic music today, with hip hop and R&B infusions – yep, it’s one of those days.
Eekkoo & Flowers And Sea Creatures, 4th Bell
Canadian producer Eekkoo has a wonderfully diverse range of music which he creates – from the dark and tormented, to the atmospheric, he’s a man of many talents. Teaming up with FaSC for 4th Bell, it’s as though Thom Yorke teamed up with Nicolas Jaar, and they had this musical baby. Click here to grab two additional remixes of this wonderful, delicate track.
Basenji, Petals
Time and time again, Basenji is proving himself to be a real tastemaker in the Australian electronic scene. Always on trend with his flitting synths and top-heavy vocals, Petals opens with emotional piano chords and a breathy, psych-pop melody. One of those tracks where only a few little things – the piano, the deep atmosphere, the lack of a huge, grabby drop – takes this track from potentially boring to something special.
Jai Wolf, Indian Summer
This is the latest release from Foreign Family Collective, a newly launched label run by our favourite electronic duo, Odesza. As with every FFC release so far, you can hear a distinctly Odesza-esque influence, but the important thing is that it’s just that – an influence, not a carbon copy. I absolutely love the swift rim-hit rhythm, and it’s gorgeous contrast against the ambient atmosphere. Really keen to hear more from Jai Wolf!
Chiefs, Demon ft. Beayz
The melody is seductive and so confident, paired perfectly with the rhythm, which goes from smooth electro-R&B to dub. I have big love for this track (although the drop is big enough to nearly veer into guilty-pleasure territory) – there’s something about the melody that’s really gotten under my skin. And who doesn’t love that slick blend of super slow dub/ska chords with sexy R&B. This is real baby makin’ music. Mmmm.
Emmy Wildwood, Scream
Wow – what a unique and gorgeous track this is. Spooky and strange, this feels like it’s been lifted from another world – one where the music all sounds like a mixture of Kate Bush and Nick Cave. This is a stunning track, which was actually created specifically to be used as the opening credits song on an upcoming TV show called ‘Scream Queens,’ which I believe is a show about sorority girls and a serial killer. Watch the trailer here.
Sorcha Richardson, Petrol Station
This is probably my favourite track of the week. Minimal, understated and gorgeous. A track that’s as lyrically captivating as it is musically, I’ve listened to it maybe 15 times and it only gets better. It has a distantly sad sentimentality which really reminds of Rhye, only with the addition of growing rhythms and pulsating synths. I absolutely adore this single, and cannot wait to hear more.
Sinah, Potters
Berlin born, London based producer Sinah has released this incredible, encapsulating single that’s simply swept me away. There’s something very very hypnotic about the instrumentation here, particularly when topped by those trip-hop vocals. Dark and smokey, I can’t tell whether it’s futuristic, or representative of a time and place lost long ago. Whatever the case may be, Sinah has my undivided attention. Listen to Sinah’s full album here.
Mr Carmack, All In ft. Kehlani
Who knew that Mr Carmack could make such gorgeous R&B? For his new track, the producer has called in a favour from the hyped-up Kehlani. Exuding the kind of vibes I’ve come to know and love from artists like SZA, there’s a confidence and richness to Kehlani’s voice which is largely unparalleled in her peers. You can really fall in love to this track – an impressive collab from two stellar artists.
James Bay, Hold Back The River (Miracle Remix)
The original version of this track is absolutely everywhere – on the radio, on TV advertising, I even think I’ve heard it playde at my gym. I thought I’d never want to listen to it again – until I heard this hip hop flip, courtesy of Miracle. Essentially using the original track as a sample, Miracle lays down a new beat and slick rhymes over the immensely popular hit single. Breathing fresh new life into an uplifting yet overdone track, this is just awesome.
B.Miles, Nine Matches (prod. Noise Club)
It’s no secret that I love a good female-led electro track. But because it’s no secret, I get a LOT of them sent to me every week. This track is gorgeous though, and it definitely stands out from the crowd. Somewhere smack bang in the middle of Tinashe and London Grammar, this is dark, sensual and a stunning display of B.Miles’ vocal skills. Another artist who I’m looking forward to hearing more from.