Moonbase

It’s Friday. It feels like ten thousand songs have been released this week, and you know what? A whole lot of them are pretty damn good. We posted up a some of our favourite new Australian music just a few days ago, but we’ve got a bunch more for you right here, right now. Enjoy!

Fortunes, 501 (Remix ft. Dai Burger)

Electronic duo Fortunes caught our attention last year, when they were announced as the first new signing to Future Classic in well over a year. Their big Future Classic debut was the slinky, seductive killer 501. Now, they’ve released a new version of the track – its second official remix – chopped, beat-ier, and packing a fresh verse from Queens rapper Dai Burger – who was just in town last week. Dai’s flow is light, natural and packed with a sensual confidence that couldn’t fit the track’s vibe better. This was already a great track, and it’s now been made even better. One of the best we’ve heard all year.

Gang of Youths, What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out?

Following a roaring performance at Laneway Festival, the mighty Gang of Youths have now returned with a brand new single, and the exciting news that their sophomore album Go Farther In Lightness will be out later this year. The track is frenetic and wild – with huge, epic guitar chord smashes that remind me of some of my favourite Pixies moments, all drawn back into line when juxtaposed against sparser vocal-driven verses. Having absolutely found their feet as a band and live act throughout last year, they’re really starting to expand and nourish the elements that make them stand out. Not many bands can feel so wild and sentimental all at once, again cementing Gang of Youths as one of the best rock bands we’ve got right now.

All Our Exes Live in Texas, Boundary Road

The four girls that make up All Our Exes are among the greatest talents in Sydney right now. With their debut album When We Fall just a few weeks away, they have now debuted a new track, Boundary Road. I’m not usually one for softer folksier tunes, but there’s something about this band that keeps me engaged and enraptured. The track has a slightly ominous, telling sentimentality to it, musically aligned with its lyrical themes of dealing with others’ emotions while keeping your own in check – most of the time. “What if I wanna be the one to fall apart once in a while?” it asks.

Moonbase, It Don’t Matter  ft. Anderson Paak

It’s always exciting when a local artist gets a big name feature on their track, and this might be one of the best in recent memory. Moonbase, formerly Moonbase Commander, returns today with this dark, slinky new track featuring none other than Anderson Paak, who seems to be just about everywhere lately. The track was conceived online, with the artists communicating from Sydney and Los Angeles. It’s a seductive, understated banger with a deep growl of a bass, brightened by trappy synths, with unsettlingly flitting snares blurring the gaps between. Paak, of course, takes centre stage, with his verses and choruses markedly different to most of what we’ve heard from him so far. While his unique voice feels extremely familiar by now, it’s thrilling to hear him on a track with such a dark, dangerous atmosphere.

The Cactus Channel & Sam Cromack, Sorry Hills 

This is the first new track in a while to be released by Melbourne collective the Cactus Channel. It features the immediately recognisable voice of Ball Park Music’s frontman Sam Cromack, and the pairing is immediately magnetising and seamless – a good thing, considering they’re releasing a full six-track collaborative EP later this year. This track is incredibly soulful, with honeyed chords, a syncopated rhythm and smooth bass setting the scene, embellished by brass layers, perfectly utilised at all the right moments throughout. This EP is going to be really special.

Image: Moonbase, supplied