Another year around the sun, another Laneway Festival loaded with unforgettable moments we’ll be recycling until the next one rolls around. The 2017 edition saw another leading lineup take on 7 shows across 3 countries – quite a far cry from the festival’s humble beginnings 13 years ago. The Sydney leg of the tour started out with some choppy weather, which soon gave way to blue skies and sweltering heat. Rain or shine though, the weather wasn’t going to stop punters taking the day by storm.
First up on the main stage was Melbourne three-piece Camp Cope, setting the tone with some high-energy noise and 0% tolerance for rowdy hecklers. Next we moved over to Spinning Top for the always incredible/ completely hilarious Koi Child to take in our fill of that jazzy Hip Hop. This was shortly followed by the infectious NAO, who is all but the name to watch right now. The long awaited Whitney took to the stage afterwards, their gorgeous brand of country soul drawing an enormous crowd who were all too keen to experience the Chicagoans. All-time favourite Nicholas Allbrook wasted no time in jump-starting things – by jumping straight into the crowd that is. Legends Dune Rats on filler duties for an absent Young Thug came to the party and then some, with every single person chanting every lyric to every song that they belted out. Then, in stark contrast to the Dunies, the incredible Mick Jenkins took the the Future Classic stage and pelted us with some seamless lyrical finesse. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard followed back on the main stage – a consistent crowd pleaser and a sure mosh riot, they slay every time. Seattle native Car Seat Headrest followed up his sold out Sydney sideshow with a choice set at the Spinning Top stage, with Tash Sultana then rounding out a massive crowd as the sun sat over hill, lighting up the late afternoon. A.B. Original brought a resounding “fuck you” to their stand-out spot, and Glass Animals sowed some contagious fervour around with their star stage presence as the sun started to set. Mr. Carmack was next over at Future Classic, and things got weird when the crowd overran the barrier and started dancing in the photo pit and on top of speakers, even the stage – a testament to his music and infectious style. Grammy winner Tourist shortly followed with some face-melting tunes, and then it was a quick rush back to the main stage for the one and only Tame Impala, who sprayed the crowd with confetti and delivered a truly memorable live set. Wrapping up our Laneway experience was local psych-electronic guys Jagwar Ma, who brought a hypnotic end to an enormous day of amazing live music.
We managed to capture some of the vibes that went down. Peep the shots below.
Check out Part I here, feat. Whitney, Dune Rats, Nic Allbrook & more!
Read our Laneway 2017 review!Tash Sultana
A.B. Original (with Hauie Beast)
Glass Animals
Mr. Carmack
Tourist
Tame Impala
Jagwar Ma
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
When Sydney psychedelic dance outfit Jagwar Ma appeared on our radar 3 years ago, we were convinced we had made a major breakthrough for Australian dance.
Here was a new band with a solid DIY ethic, fusing catchy hooks with EDM beats, creating a truly unique sound.
But the best part of it? They were our little secret. None of the big bad international labels and agents could get their grubby hands on Sydney’s newest alternative outfit and pump them full of the global pop propaganda.
However, much to our dismay, after the release of 2103’s Howlin’ the band (inevitably) caught the attention of critics, managers and agents alike worldwide, and after numerous international tours and festival appearances, the band relocated to the UK leaving us to rue our chance of keeping the band within our shores and their sound on our terms.
What would living in Europe mean for the band’s sound? Would they remain the same, hardworking duo from the suburbs that trusted their instincts over what was ‘hot’ at the time? Or would they give into the pressures of the international market, and allow themselves to be sculpted for consumer benefit, losing their distinct sound in the process?
The band’s second record Every Now And Then is proof that all these silly fears were well and truly unfounded.
Jagwar Ma have used the time between records to further expand their creative palate and mold their sound into something truly special. The opening combo of Falling and Say What You Feel ring true of this statement, with the former serving as an introduction to the atmospheric, slow-burn of the latter. The song is the perfect introductory statement to the unique fusion of disco, dance and pop that will be heard throughout the rest of the album, taking its time to build up to a euphoric chorus, the lyric I gotta have you baby joyfully sung over a pulsating drum beat.
What is apparent throughout the early stages of the record is the immense growth that Gabriel Winterfield and Jono Ma‘s songwriting and production skills and scope have seen. Where tracks on Howlin’ cautiously tried to mix up the conventional song structures, tracks such as Loose Ends and single O B 1 progress with clear direction and the confidence to seriously push boundaries and explore new sonic ground. The boys seem to trust themselves further on what does and doesn’t work for them. Give Me A Reason appears slightly over-indulgent at first, clocking in at seven and a half minutes. However, as the song slowly builds, with layer after layer of synths and percussion creating a wonderful canvas of sound, it becomes clear that these lads can be trusted to not let things get out of control. That being said, the final two minutes of the song, consisting of the band mucking around on the microphone whilst the beat continues, could well be the product of a tad too much wine and cheese on the farm in France that the record was conceived in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1i06Aog2MQ
Unafraid to break barriers and toy with with journey embarked on by their listeners, there’s a sense of immense fun, and unrestricted freedom. Ordinary moves between orchestral pop and funk, while Batter Up begins in a haze of blissful psych before settling into a thundering, dub-laden march, one of the greatest rhythms on the record. This record has some seriously good grooves.
Slipped presents itself as a quieter, more minimalistic cut, allowing the wispy yet driving beats to sit above the crooning vocals. On the other hand, High Rotations abandons melody for a glitchier, more industrial sound with the clanging percussion attacking the listener, resulting in what can only be described as an artistically uncomfortable song. It’s hard to listen to, but that seems to be the entire point.
Put simply, Every Now And Then is a wonderfully colourful and creative record. As a band, Jagwar Ma has not only found their sound- they have honed and mastered it, learning how to channel all their creative energies into audible, digestive and exciting music. Allowing them off the leash to travel the world, tour with Tame Impala and write music in the countryside of western Europe seems to have been the best possible thing for them. The results are speaking for themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkvDccj-a5U
Image: Supplied
It’s been three long years since we heard any new material from psychedelic-dance trio Jagwar Ma, but that silence has finally been broken. The group announced a brand new album, Every Now and Then in the process, and premiered their new song O B 1 on Triple J yesterday.
The song itself is a steady psych-pop groover that alternates between the dark underbelly of nightclubs and summery goodness… but makes no mention of Star Wars.
Accompanying the track is an ‘on the road’ music video, showing the band gigging, recording and travelling between cities, all with a retro filter that will no doubt be replicated by fans on countless Instagram accounts.
The video also briefly shows Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint on the skins, raising questions as to any features that may be included on the album.
Watch/ listen below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1i06Aog2MQ
Every Now and Then is due for release on October 14th, following on from their 2013 debut Howlin’, which blew us away with its fusion of bluesy grooves and dance beats.
The band are set to appear at Splendour In The Grass next week and have also announced a couple of warm up shows. See below.
Jagwar Ma Australian Tour
Wednesday, July 20th- Secret Show, Sydney
Thursday, July 21st- Secret Show, Melbourne
Friday, July 22nd- Splendour In The Grass, Byron Bay
Image: Supplied
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.