The eastern suburbs of Sydney are known for many things, and Bondi five-piece Hedge Fund know it more than anyone. Embracing the sand between their shoeless toes and the breezy beachside lifestyle, the band – three males, two females – embrace their roots, and the active wear, weaving it through their revitalising electro-pop sound.
The band have just released a new single and video, What You’re Hiding. If you think it looks a little like a clothing ad, you’re not alone. Frontman and video director Will Colvin explained, “The basic idea that Constantine (the clip’s co-director) and I had for this video was to make a film that at first glance looks like something half between a music video and a clothes commercial, and then to twist it into something slightly more deranged.
“We tried as hard as we could to dismantle any underlying logic at any point in the video’s construction that it seemed to become apparent.”
The single is hypnotic and dark, with a deep, driving beat, carrying the interrogative lyrics through the marching rhythm melody. The video is bright and really fun to watch, with the glitchy visuals growing a little more sinister and weird every few phrases.
“What You’re Hiding is probably one of our meanest songs,” Colvin writes. “It came from stress and conflict and it definitely has the sarcastic, aggressive tone of a come-back insult. It’s the second side of an argument and it’s really about trying to break someone down by exposing the truth of their character.
“As a performer, the ambiguity gives me a lot more space to play with the character – depending on the mood and who’s in the crowd, it can be played as a moment of triumphant, dominant victory or as a slithering introspection.”
https://youtu.be/W5Ih38jhjOA
Hedge Fund are heading out on tour this month and we highly recommend heading along. Below, check out photos from their recent show at VISIONS for Vivid Sydney.
Hedge Fund Tour Dates
June 24th – Mynt Lounge, Werribee VIC
June 25th – Yah Yah’s, Melbourne VIC
July 7th – Rad Bar, Wollongong NSW
July 8th – Waywards, Newtown NSW
July 29th – The Brightside, Brisbane QLD
Tickets available at venues.
All images: Danielle Hansen / Howl & Echoes
Our favourite local Bondi boys Hedge Fund, kicked things off at General Pants Co’s Rare Finds shindig at Oxford Art Factory during the week and we were there to capture all of the manic cashed-up energy.
Photos: Dani Hansen
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball-stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Hedge Fund – Summer’s Getting Shorter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5-I4gFdNB4&feature=youtu.be
Starting off with Sydney’s Hedge Fund this week and the video for their latest single Summer’s Getting Shorter. Featuring an absolutely stomping bass line amidst a swirling dream pop soundscape, the track has been met with instant acclaim since its release.
The video features frontman William Colvin giving a carpark everything he’s got, cutting shapes all over it with joyous abandon. Seriously, nobody has had more fun than he has dancing around on this rooftop at sunrise, watch and see for yourself.
Catch Hedge Fund on their Summer’s Getting Shorter tour around the country, they’ll be playing their own headline shows as well as supporting British India.
Pacific Heights – Buried By The Burden (ft. Louis Baker)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBUdCBxrhZo
This next one is a trip. Pacific Heights is the solo project from Shapeshifter member Devin Abrams. Soulful and ambient, his latest single Buried By The Burden is utterly heartrending, gorgeously minimalistic production surrounding his goosebump-inducing voice, the noise pressing in on you and building to a cacophony.
The film clip is 10/10 for creativity and ingenuity too, made using 3D laser printing and an XBox Kinect, it looks like the trailer for a survival horror video game. The stark monochrome melds perfectly with the sound to create a truly compelling experience.
Look out for Pacific Heights’ debut album The Stillness coming later this year.
Marcus Whale – My Captain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULdUCS3pRdE
This next one from Sydney artist Marcus Whale (who you may know as half of Collarbones) delves back into a dark part of history. My Captain is his latest single, a jarring, violent and almost industrial track with an unforgiving wall of sound behind it.
The track and its accompanying video tell the story of James Nesbitt and Captain Moonlite, purported to be lovers in 19th century Victoria until Nesbitt’s death at the hands of the police. The story goes that Captain Moonlite cradled Nesbitt’s body, heartbroken. The video moves this scene to the roiling ocean waves and it’s even more powerful for it.
My Captain is from Marcus Whale’s Inland Sea, out now on Good Manners Records.
Defron – Montblanc (ft. Niamh)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyahQZfzTZ4&feature=youtu.be
Next up is Melbourne MC Defron and his sophomore single Montblanc. If you weren’t sure from the title, it’s a track with a running theme of pens and how to steal them (and also the bittersweet fading of a friendship). At six minutes long it’s a sprawling journey of a track but Defron’s precision delivery ensures there’s no lull here.
The video is a gritty snapshot of urban Melbourne, Defron rhyming from a dimly lit apartment and the grimy sidewalk before the conclusion of the song splices in animated lashings of colour.
Montblanc is from Defron’s debut EP Invalid, out now.
Kiiara – Gold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO9cBXRcBvo
If you like your pop to be both clever and catchy then the latest single from songstress Kiiara is right up your alley. Gold is a nifty three and a half minute slice of smoky goodness, Kiiara crooning over the top of some perfectly layered off-kilter noise evoking dripping taps.
The video, directed by Kiiara herself because some people have all the talent, matches the high end production of the song itself, the singer assuming her throne in the middle of what looks like a fun and terrifying house party.
Gold is from the EP Low Kii Savage, out now via Atlantic.
Sahara Beck – Here It Comes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDEz8ScVdYU
Having just won big at the Queensland Music Awards, currently playing this year’s Bluesfest and with a forthcoming album in Panacea on the way, Sahara Beck is very much on the up in 2016. Her latest single in the lead-up to her album is Here It Comes, a positively stomping number full of twangy guitars and big percussion, Beck’s vocals are effortlessly cool over the top of it all. And that crescendo, by God it is mammoth.
The sepia-tinged video sees Sahara Beck take the jam to a domestic setting, her band swapping out instruments for everyday household items. The whole thing rocks so hard.
Panacea is out April 22nd via Create/Control.
Nicholas Allbrook – Advance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_NEcdhrl_U
Advance is the newest single from Pond frontman and total legend Nick Allbrook, a taste of his upcoming album Pure Gardiya that we’re positively fiending for. Turning the David Bowie vibes right up, Advance crests and falls and howls and whispers, a song that seems made for a huge stageshow.
The accompanying video sees Allbrook covered in liberal lashings of gold and glitter, an all-white guitar in hand and blood smeared across his face, the whole thing is a production in itself.
Pure Gardiya is out May 27th via Spinning Top. Check out our latest interview with Nick in the meantime here!
Rae Sremmurd – Over Here
Rounding out the video roundup this week is Over Here, the newest single from hip-hop brothers Rae Sremmurd. You haven’t embedded the video, you say? That’s because this one is entirely interactive, something more than a few artists have been utilising in this day and age.
Head to https://overhere.tv/ on your mobile deviceand see for yourself. It’s definitely one of the better interactive videos we’ve ever gotten to play with.
See you next week! Happy Easter!
Written by Sam Armatys & James Tait
This week saw us drowning under a mountain of video clips so good we just had to share them all in a super sized edition of our round up. ALL OF THE VIDEOS. Expressionistic dance, stunning landscapes, public park rage, regurgitated spaghetti, and 90’s revival; we’ve got it all.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Pish
The video to accompany single Pish off upcoming oddly titled Mini Album Thingy Wingy, has all the trappings of a cinematic epic contained in just over five minutes. About to embark on their 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee tour, the track throws back to the classic BJM shoegaze sound, with drawling vocals and guitar lines for days. Frontman and mastermind behind the band, Anton Newcombe, has expressed a strong interest in creating soundtracks to films, and this video obliges with a beautifully shot exploration of a Japanese woman’s obsession with dance. It is a story about being consumed by your passion night and day and all the joy and madness that ensues. With a brilliant performance from actress Hinako Matsumoto, it is a must see.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlwQVZUTdJA]
Toiné Houston – Summertimmme (Reminiscing Part 1)
If your days have been warming up and you have been searching high and low for some smooth sounds to groove away a sunny afternoon, then look no more. Toiné Houston brings a silky anthem for the summer with her latest track, and has a video that is just too damn cute to pass up. The clip traces the blossoming of a childhood romance with a 90’s production quality that makes it feel like a cross between a Brandy video and the movie My Girl. It’s full of nostalgia and a great track from the neo-soul songstress’s upcoming Love States EP.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_9qhQGPGdc]
Floating Points – Nespole
Remember when Sia released the Chandelier video and everyone was blown away? Well, it seems she has opened the door for more and more music to be brought to life by expressionistic dance moves, with varying levels of effectiveness. One of the best to follow the path has landed this week, with the latest clip from Floating Points, for single Nespole. Every sound of the minimalist electronic track is mimicked by two ballerinas (both played by dancer Kiani Del Valle), with hypnotic motions that explore the malleability of the human body. Light and dark, they spar off against each other across a vast auditorium in a beautifully choreographed sequence. The track comes from EP Eleania, out November 6th.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfYP7uTZX8Y]
Hedge Fund – Boyfriend
Sydney indie post-punkers Hedge Fund have released a video for new track, Boyfriend, that demands your attention. If you have ever felt so sad and angry you want to rip up the grass, roll in the dirt and beat the shit out of tree, then this is the clip for you! The clip follows YouTube sensation Jordan Markovina (you might know him better as the hilarious and awesome friendlyjordies) as he goes on a shirtless rampage in a public park, and you can’t help picturing bewildered passersby marvelling at the scene. The high energy track is fistfuls of fun to match and will be stuck in your head for days.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rzk0Lt1jaI]
Loose Buttons – Thrill
These indie rockers from NYC released new single Thrill last month and have followed up with a video that embraces their sound, with lo-fi hues that bring back memories of blowing on VHS ribbons after too many plays. Director J.D. Aronson says of the clip “I think we ultimately stayed true to the notion of ‘the thrill’— living in the moment, and being the most authentic version of yourself.” The video traces a night of shenanigans from skating behind cars, to dancing in the street, to the kind of night swimming that would make R.E.M. proud. If you ever taped Rage and re-watched it, you will be oh so familiar with those streaky lines and yellow hues, and it’s a fun little exploration into creating memories.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDXxKRtLN-A]
Elk Road – Not to Worry feat. Governors
Not to Worry is the first track from young Perth producer Elk Road that was released earlier this year and has since received loads of attention. The video clip to accompany it was released this week, and plays like a post card to the artist’s hometown. With stunning landscapes that could find themselves in a tourism commercial, it’s beautifully shot by production duo Matsu & Parks. Juxtaposing the vertical lines of feeling trapped in café’s and office buildings with the horizontal lines of freedom on wide open roads and fields of flowers, it’s an ode to stepping out of the monotony of daily life. You can check out Elk Road at Your Paradise festival next month, Sydney’s Electronic Music Conference in December.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSnxC7QkwQ]
Cosmo’s Midnight (feat. Kučka) – Walk With Me
I’m not usually one for pop music, but this is a damn near perfectly crafted slice of the artform from Sydney twins Cosmo’s Midnight. The vocal assist from Perth electronic songstress Kučka is a sugary falsetto delight that never threatens to become sickly sweet. The dream pop beat is infectious, the synths all kind of lush and the chorus guaranteed to stick in your head. The video is the perfect accompaniment too, Kučka lazing around her bedroom with a Husky, the Cosmo’s Midnight boys riding scooters around an affluent suburb in a pair of tracksuits robbed straight out of the lost property bin at a 90s squash court. There’s pickup basketball, scooter rap squats and Kučka in a kiddie pool before the trio meet up to throw down some of the sweetest choreographed suburban street dance moves you’re likely to see all year. Perfect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLXJzKdIlXE
Frøkedal – First Friend
Sticking within the pop world, although dialing it back just a little bit, is this absolutely NSFW video from Norwegian artist Frøkedal to accompany First Friend from her debut I See You EP. It starts out innocently enough, a young couple (portrayed by a pair of Norwegian actors) getting all touchy-feely in the late afternoon balcony sun, I can dig that. But then all of a sudden there’s a hand spider-walking with the creepiest of movements across the railing and then she’s regurgitating spaghetti into her partner’s mouth like some kind of messed up but honey-throated mother bird. The lyric ‘in an ordinary world I want nothing more than having you inside me’ is taken to graphically visual heights, with the woman spending the last minute of the song literally eating her partner, blood everywhere and grinning like a maniac. Shit escalated quickly, but it’s a cool and quirky film clip that swipes right with an ice cold pop song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jts61jbBeCk
Little May – Seven Hours
Just shy of releasing their debut album For The Company this week, Sydney trio Little May have given us an absolutely stunning music video for their song Seven Hours. The song is rock at its most hauntingly beautiful. The video features a back and forth living room ballet between a couple tangled up in their emotions. My favourite part of the entire thing is the menacing black storm cloud hanging above them as they lay on the bed together before the dude wakes up to find his bed out to sea and a humpback whale almost blowing him out of the water. Even if the song was garbage (and it is the absolute polar opposite of that) we’d watch this video over and over again just for the mindblowing visuals. Amazing.
G-Eazy – You Got Me
Sordid is probably the best way to describe the latest music video from Oakland born and raised G-Eazy. The trap beat is positively grungy, the bass turned all the way up as G-Eazy and his entourage enjoy a seedy night out on the West Coast. They visit (and eventually are thrown out of) a dankly fluorescent strip club, choosing instead to roam the streets in the wee small hours clutching bottles of champagne and riding around with the windows rolled down. It’s ratbag and it’s glorious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3wlroM2gZ8
L-Fresh The Lion – Get Mine (feat. Parvyn Kaur Singh)
If you don’t watch this video and immediately wish you had a crowd around you to start a slow clap then I don’t know what to tell you. L-Fresh The Lion comes straight out of Sydney’s southwest with a pretty simple message (if you read between the lines of his verbose and socially conscious rapid fire flow) for the sadly perpetual horde of un-Australian racists and bigots he probably has to deal with on a daily basis: fuck off. The video features L-Fresh looking dapper as all get out, delivering an address to an unseen crowd with Australian flags adorning the background, interspersed with grainy television footage of past Prime Ministers (Tony Abbott’s shit eating mug getting quite a look-in), as well as from dark days in our recent history like the Cronulla race riots and those fuck-awful Reclaim Australia rallies. And the man is a goddamn talent, sharp as a tack. He wrote an op-ed piece to accompany the release of this video that is absolutely spot on; highlighting how the words and actions of our political leaders have a poisonous trickle-down effect on our national narrative.
L-Fresh The Lion, doing Australian hip hop proud and a name you need to watch out for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiIj-enNs34
Ugh, it’s Monday. Five more days until the freedom of the weekend. But have no fear, because there’s already something to look forward to doing this Friday.
A collective of music photographers, writers, a label and artist management group to boot, Rare Finds has been helping young and upcoming artists, like Dune Rats and The Griswolds, find their feet over the last four years. This Friday the 24th marks the launch of their own club night, out of the lockout zone, at the Sly Fox in Enmore. Oh yeah and it’s completely free.
Headlining is Sydney’s Jenny Broke the Window, who last year scored a spot on triple j’s Top 20 Airplay list, and are now headed into the studio to record their debut album. Fingers crossed they bump some of those new tunes on the night. Local-legends, Food Court, Hedge Fund and Winston Surfshirt will be on support duties for what should be an incredible evening of up and coming Sydney talent.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/113597899″ params=”color=e66b2e&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
With so many clubs and venues closing as the result of lock-out laws and licensing, it’s great to see a night completely starting fresh. Especially outside the pressures of the lockout zone. It’s free, starts at 8, and you should be there. Support your local.
Check the event here, and get keen for the weekend.