Friday, as usual, brings with it good vibes that just can’t be beaten by any other day in the week. Add to that the fact that each Friday also brings with it our playlist made up of the best songs of that week, and you can understand why this day is such a great day in H&E land. This week we are serving up a electronica-heavy mix, with gems from local talents Golden Vessel, Oisima, Charles Murdoch and more. There is also a stellar new track from Jouk Mistrow, new stuff from MT Warning, a banger from Paces, an amazing collab by Alice Ivy and Chloe Beckwith and an very interesting number from LA Priest. Also joining the ranks is the new song by RW Grace (formerly Grace) and newcomers Noire, so you can rest assured your weekend listening is absolutely sorted. Enjoy!
Golden Vessel Ft. Tiana Khasi – Borrowed Time
Two Brisbane newcomers teaming up on this one. The silky smooth vocals of Khasi soar over Golden Vessel’s heavenly arrangements to create a powerful and intimate track showcasing just how much potential both of them are sitting on. Keep an ear out for the narrow end of the track where Golden Vessel takes over to show off his stellar production chops, and let Khasi’s serene singing wash over you like the beautiful cloud it is. Too much? Not enough.
RW Grace – Shell
Fun fact – this Perth artist was discovered by the late Heath Ledger when she was going under her full name of Grace Woodroofe. After that, she dropped the surname and stepped up her game, but it wasn’t until she changed her name one final time to RW Grace that she really stepped into her own. Shell is a badass, headstrong track that will make you strut down the street like you bloody well own the place. Huge rises and falls, soaring vocals and crashing percussion – Shell is heralding in a new era for the singer, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
Luke Million Ft. Jesse Davidson – Fear The Night (Oisima Remix)
We featured the original version of this track a few weeks back, but never did we think we’d hear it like this! Oisima is having his biggest year yet, and it’s exciting to see what he can do with his remix hat on instead. Taking the disco floor filler into some sort of Middle Eastern jazz lounge (is there such a place?), the Adeladian breathes new life into the track, spinning it into something that would sit perfectly at home with his new album.
Paces Ft. Reija Lee – Hold It Down
This one’s a banger. There is something about Paces’ music that makes me feel like I’m on a deserted island somewhere. Reija Lee holds it down (pun intended) with her sassy lyrics, whilst Paces keeps it grooving with his hip hop laden, tropical beats. The pair are a match made in heaven, and I am hoping this is a sign of more new tracks to come from the Gold Coast producer.
Noire – Just Like Honey
Even though “dream pop” seems like the latest trend to emerge as of late, I don’t mind it one bit when it sounds like this. Sydney newcomers Noire have just released their debut single Just Like Honey – a crisp, gentle, but slightly melancholy track with emotion to spare. The high pitched guitar in the background drives the track as the drums pierce the wall of sound and the heavenly lead vocals. Totally sublime.
Jouk Mistrow – Oh Well
Brisbane band Jouk Mistrow dropped this bad boy just yesterday, but it’s already become one of my favourites for this week. The sound is huge, the band is tight and that lead guitar alone is enough for me. They’re celebrating the release tonight at The Milk Factory in Brisbane, and rightly so. I’m throwing caution to the wind and saying Oh Well is a turning point of sorts for this band. Keep your eyes peeled for more to come!
Alice Ivy Ft. Chloe Beckwith – Paint Me Blue
This is one of the more beautiful tracks I’ve heard in recent times. Starting off with delicate keys, a pounding bass drum and smoky, soulful vocals, Paint Me Blue had me hooked from about the first 10 seconds. Not that you should need anymore incentive to listen and purchase the track after hearing it, but Alice Ivy has decided to donate 80% of the proceeds to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. A good song AND a good deed?! Click here to find out more!
MT Warning – When It All Bleeds Out
MT WARNING have been busy readying themselves and their fans for their new EP dropping next month on July 10, but this latest track is definitely my favourite by far. When It All Bleeds Out is unsuspecting and raw, whilst laid back and restrained. Going from a leisurely stroll to a full force sprint, the track gains momentum quickly, snowballing into a powerful, searing roar with delicate harmonies and beautiful lyrics. The band themselves said of the track, “Truth has no advisors, truth has no game plan. When it goes unobserved little pieces fall from you til there’s no pieces left. When It All Bleeds Out is an observation of that notion, waking up to what you really want and standing up for your truth, no matter the consequence.” Powerful words for a powerful song; we can’t wait for this EP!
LA Priest – Lady’s In Trouble With The Law
Former frontman of Late of The Pier Sam Dust has been hard at work with his solo project under the moniker LA Priest, with Lady’s In Trouble With The Law being his third and latest single for the project. Unsurprisngly, each release has been quite different from the rest, with this track being no exception to that. Continuing to reiterate that his forthcoming album Inji “is a record that has its own logic and exists in its own time zone,” this explains a lot about the tracks we’ve heard so far. Taking a step back from his usually frenetic tracks, this track has room for all the elements to breathe and move on their own, sounding slightly “pop-y” without sounding pop at all. Safe to say this is an album I can’t wait for, which drops next week on June 28!
Charles Murdoch – Straws
After keeping to himself for a while, there is no doubt that Charles Murdoch is definitely back with the release of his new track, Straws. Downtempo, deep and so damn groovy, Murdoch keeps it fresh yet dark with this new track – the first taste of his forthcoming debut LP, and his first original track since 2013. He’s clearly learnt a lot in this time, and it sounds to me like he’s ready finally show us all. Welcome back, Charles. Please never go away again.
This week’s playlist is designed with the fact that it’s getting colder, so you will want to dance to warm up in mind. A fantastic all Aussie collab with Luke Million and Jesse Davidson, some UK loving in the form of XO, Kwabs and Billie Black, a bit of local rock from Brisbane’s The Jensens and the same city’s most exciting soul export in Jordan Rakei, as well as a perfectly devastating song by MT Warning, the experimental wonders of BUOY, a fantastic debut single by Yuma X and of course, some Total Giovanni to wrap things up. Enjoy!
Luke Million – Fear The Night (Ft. Jesse Davidson)
The coming together of Luke Million and Jesse Davidson at first struck me as odd, unlikely and a little confusing. However, whatever doubt I had quickly vanished when I began listening to Fear The Night, as I realised they make one hell of a dream team. Davidson’s almost haunting vocals echo over the dark disco Million has cooked up, creating a futuristic whirlwind of pulsing, heart racing electronica. Not bloody bad!
XO – Flames of a Phoenix
Funk laden vibes and soulful vocals are the order of the day for the UK’s XO and his new track, Flames of a Phoenix. Receiving nods from Annie Mac and Diplo, XO puts his own spin on whatever you think “future RnB” is, and makes something new altogether. It’s unpredictable, and quickly deviates as it works it’s way along, but it’s so much fun you barely notice. Taken from a new EP dropping this June, I dare you to try and not groove to this bad boy.
The Jensens – A New Hope
Brisbane legends The Jensens have been kicking around for a little while now, but something tells me they’re on the precipice of something very exciting. My proof of such a speculation lies in their latest song, A New Hope. What a scorcher! Frontman Joe White‘s voice wails over the harmonies and classic rock riff, and you KNOW this would be a ripper live. Classic Brisbane rock – is there anything better?
MT Warning – Petrified Heart
Taken from his new EP of the same name, MT Warning’s newbie Petrified Heart has already received some remix love from Brisbane’s JOY., and when you hear the song you’ll know why. The intimate fragility and vulnerability in his voice, the stark arrangements of piano first heard until it rolls into something much greater, the forlorn lyrics; MT Warning is onto something seriously good right now, and we won’t be complaining at all hear more stuff like this!
Kwabs – Fight For Love
With a voice like no other, Kwabs is one of my favourite UK male artists. He is well and truly back with Fight For Love, a track that grips you within seconds. Passionate as hell, Kwabs is giving it his all here; his voice soaring with emphatic lyrics over upbeat, dance production. It all fits so well together, it feels like home when you listen to it (again and again and again and..)
Billie Black – Going Under
19 year old UK songstress Billie Black sung her way onto my radar late last year, with her stellar EP 000 100. Now, on the eve of her tour supporting Jack Garrett, Black dropped this number to let people know “they could come along and dance.” Well, now they definitely know with Going Under. This is a track that creeps up on you, and catches you by surprise. Stay with it til about 1:40, and get your dancing shoes ready *emoji winky face*
Yuma X – Swimming Pool
It’s a risky move to release a cover as your debut single, but this one has paid off ten-fold for mysterious Sydney newcomers, Yuma X. In only a matter of days, they have managed to take out the #1 spot on Hype Machine, and have received nods from all corners of the globe. Sticking to a relatively simplistic formula, Yuma X have turned Ghoul‘s 2008 track into a shifting, swelling soundscape you can’t help but get lost in. Total bliss.
BUOY – Don’t Want To See You
Experiment in the best possible way, there are only good things to come from BUOY. Refusing to be pigeonholed, she has kept her head down to craft her own unique sound, and we are just fortunate to hear the results. Don’t Want To See You could easily be described to FKA twigs, but it really is something different, something special. Her serene voice glides effortlessly over the bed of glitchy noises, erratic beats, bass drops that could shake bones, and a variety of other sounds that would rival any other genre-pushing act. BUOY is heading into a league entirely of her own, and it’s going to be very exciting indeed to watch!
Jordan Rakei x Kiran Kai – Maya
Jordan Rakei is one of the most exciting acts in Brisbane, and Australia right now. All you have to do is hear him sing to know why. This time around, he has the added help of Kiran Kai on production, and the pair have proved to be a match made in heaven. Seductive, relaxed and dreamy in the way that some of the sounds going on here don’t sound like something you’d hear in real life (those warped, almost under-water like samples), Maya continues to prove that Rakei is one to watch, but also has me desperate for more Rakei x Kai works. Hopefully this isn’t a one-off…
Total Giovanni – When We Break
This one unfortunately isn’t on SoundCloud, so it has it’s own separate entry. Melbourne disco lords Total Giovanni return once more with a dancefloor burner with When We Break, featuring some typically impassioned vocals from frontman Vachel Spirason (who I recently interviewed), and some of TG’s most danceable sounds yet. Guitarist Vinnie Del, aka Frankie Topaz said of the track, “This story is true heartbreak house. A sad boy can’t work out whether love is coming or going. He walks the streets late at night singing a maudlin chorus to himself. Then he gets on a yacht that once belonged to the Bee Gees and sails it all the way to guitar solo island where the George Baker Selection are waiting with a bottle of champagne. Enter his true love. Happy endings.” Because of course it does.
Good news everyone!
Marmalade Skies Festival is back on! Punters despairing the cancellation of the originally slated December date can rest easy, with the festival now taking place on Friday 10th through to Sunday 12th April in the Southern Tablelands, Goulburn.
The rescheduled event is featuring a pretty sweet lineup, with etcetc Music hosting Friday night and including the likes of Kilter, Acaddamy, Flamingo, Godwolf and Luke Million.
If what the organisers are saying is true, then Marmalade Skies is going to be a festival like no other. Crowdfunded on Pozible, the event is uniquely curated with its audience in mind with a focus on amazing music from local artists, all while showcasing the beautiful NSW Southern Highlands. Another bonus is the BYO aspect, which means there’ll be no pesky security guards combing through your possessions like a bloodhound.
Supposed to be held back in December, the original event was cancelled due to a high fire risk in the region. A refund option was available to festival-goers not willing to wait out for the new date, however those still holding onto their tickets should have received an email with all the new details.
Tickets are $135 dollars for 10-12 April, camping included. You can purchase them here.
So grab your tickets and get ready for what the organisers are self-describing as a ‘two day country house party’.
