It’s summer in Sydney; the sun is shining, the water is shimmering, and the whole city is gearing up for a relaxing break over the holiday period. The relaxation won’t last long, though, as summer also means festival season in the music world. While we’re all across the big camping festivals, smaller events are popping up across each city, providing new and exciting experiences for music-lovers around the country. One such event is Goat Island Sounds, taking place in January on Goat Island in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
Now in its second year, the lineup boasts some of Australia’s most inspiring musicians; leading ladies Ngaiire, Nina Las Vegas, Adi Toohey and Ariane will bring the beats along with Basenji and Kuren, all set to the spectacular Harbour backdrop.
We spent a morning checking out the island (and its view) with Ngaiire and Nina Las Vegas, chatting about the year that’s just passed, how the music industry is shifting toward gender and racial equality and more.
On highlights of the year, and their own labels: Nina Las Vegas’ own NLV Records just celebrated its first birthday. Ngaiire’s newly formed label Maximillian Brown is still in its early stages.
NLV: Playing Coachella was pretty sick, and the label, just looking back and realising how fast it went. I put out my own solo work too which I’ve never done before, that was really exciting. It was good to just start getting a groove, and for people to actually start thinking that we had a sound. So when someone says, “Ah that sounds like NLV records,” that’s exactly what I wanted.
Could you describe that sound?
It’s club music, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a broad term, club music; it could be rap or grime or dancehall or dance, anything that can be heard loud. And,0 I think the production is pretty forward thinking.
Ngaiire: The label’s not really a thing yet, so I can’t talk about it quite as extensively! Blastoma came out through there and through Orchard. The vision for the label is to sign or do development with artists back in Papua New Guinea, because not a lot of kids who were my age when I moved to Australia had the opportunity to expand on being musicians or artists. I started the label, but obviously we’ve been touring quite hectically so I haven’t been able to flesh it out – hopefully after the next album. It won’t necessarily all come from Papua New Guinea, but I definitely want to have an arm that gives kids that age an opportunity.
On how gender, ethnicity and social issues are changing the music industry.
NLV: In dance music it’s always the same – there’s more articles about the problem [of women being underrepresented in music] than about the stuff we do. It’s frustrating, because every request I get from an international publication is to comment on the industry, but then you put out your song with females on your label, and there’s just silence. We’ve got to move forward, and I’m just doing what I want to do to change stuff. If people take notice, fine. But eventually they’ll look back and realise, ‘Ah! Nina was doing it all along.’
I was in an article, it was like, ‘ten dance girls that you should not ignore and why they’re not getting on a particular lineup.’ And I just thought, no, it wasn’t because I’m female, I just wasn’t getting enough money. I think sometimes miss the point a bit. I think that it is really changing, and it’s cool at the moment. Now, the story is ‘look at what these girls are doing’, rather than why aren’t they doing more – but we are doing more. If you put up an article, ‘ten girls that get snubbed at a festival’, that’s just an article about why I’m not somewhere. Write about ten things I did that was cool! You just have to do it your own way.
I can’t comment on other scenes, but for dance it’s more just different because of lockouts. Electronic music is suffering a lot, so it’s not even about male or female anymore, it’s just about if you can get a show. So it’s more limited that way, and everyone’s working together.
I still think production is always gonna be less exciting than singing, though. I like sitting in a dark room and not doing my makeup.
Ngaiire: I agree with everything Nina said. For me, I’ve had two factors against me. It’s not just being a female, but the colour of my skin. People don’t talk about that because there’s no racism in Australia, that’s not a thing! *laughs*. There was a time when I was only getting booked at festivals on the Indigenous stages. That was a thing when I was coming up and it’s taken me about ten years to get somewhere, so it’s really exciting that there’s more conversation about diversity, not just as a female, but different ethnicities.
NLV: I think that’s more of a problem, the lineups are all white. My dad is Egyptian, and I don’t know any Italians or Greeks here. Western Sydney is the biggest population in Sydney and yet the lineups are all Caucasian, Northern Beaches boys. But I feel like the Indigenous mob have been loud in a cool way this year. Briggs, Thelma Plum, they’re being so vocal about it.
NLV to Ngaiire: You’re just going to be an idol to so many women for so many reasons now.
On their favourite records of 2016.
Ngaiire: Oh man, I’ve only been spinning four records the last couple months: Lemonade, A Seat At The Table, Blonde and Malibu.
NLV: I like Lemonade, I like Rihanna’s a lot too. I think I like Anti more, for different reasons. Prince died this year so all I’ve been listening in downtime is B sides, and obviously I like the stuff from my label. There’s this Arabic guy the UK, Geko, he raps about Ali G and uses Arabic, I’m so down with him! Obviously I listen to so much Skepta, AJ Tracy, Lady Leshurr. It’s been a big year for grime.
Goat Island Sounds returns once more in 2017 on January 26. Six of Australia’s best will perform to the unbeatable backdrop of Sydney Harbour, while enjoying treats from fried chicken joint Butter, Lebanese delights from Thievery, and beers courtesy of Mountain Goat. Meanwhile, the triple j Hottest 100 will air in The Green, where folks are invited to unwind and relax.
Tickets are $72.50 + BF and include ferry transfers, you can buy them here.
All images: Danielle Hansen
Words: Lauren Ziegler
The Easter weekend always throws a spanner or two in the works when it comes to organisation, so you’ll have to forgive us for skipping last week’s playlist. However, because we know you clearly wait on this to come every Friday, we have collected the best songs not only from this week, but last week too to form one big, mega, super duper playlist overflowing with stellar musical gems. Enjoy!
Thomston x Wafia, Window Seat
Newcomer Thomston has teamed up with rising star Wafia for this brand new track, and it totally blew us away. Sharp beats pierce the hazy synths, ticking away whilst a bed of atmospherics oozes below. It’s got some beautiful and passionate lyrics and vocal efforts from both artists, and shows them both off so well. It’s a pretty intoxicating blend of RnB and electro, creating a gorgeous song that will hold both artists in great stead as they continue to blow up.
Meredith, How Could You Believe That
Just listen to that voice! I was hooked from the get go, but got weak at the knees around 47 seconds when things really kick off. Meredith has been kicking around for a while, but this song is something else all together. It’s powerful, and demands you to sit up and listen- but she makes it sound so easy. Her voice almost has a hint of “I told you so” smugness as she asks the song title over swelling harmonies and explosive synths and cymbals. She’s got the experience behind her, and now she’s got the single to truly break through. Go girl!
Lupa J, Numb
Lupa J doesn’t always release new music, but when she does it’s truly something else. More than worth the wait, she has now returned with Numb; just under 4 minutes of a dreamy, electro kaleidoscopic. Turning and spinning unpredictably, Lupa J keeps you on your toes with this enchanting track. Her breezy voice is sublime as it glides across her shifting bed of noise, calming and hypnotic as it goes. Fresh from supporting none other than Grimes and taking out triple j’s Unearthed High competition for the second year in a row, it’s safe to say Lupa J is the real deal.
Nearly Oratorio, Occlude
You may recognise these vocals as those of I’lls or Kllo, due to the fact that the man behind the voice, Simon Lam, is a prodigal music wizard. Nearly Oratorio is yet another project of his, and it too doesn’t disappoint. Occlude is the latest single from his forthcoming EP, Tin, and is a snapshot into just how precise and meticulous Lam’s mind is. A more intricate song released in recent times, you probably can’t find. Layers of delicate keys intertwine whilst an almost tribal like drum beat quietly comes into play, before Lam’s Grizzly Bear-esque voice falls soft above it. It all kicks in around the 1:30 minute mark, and the gentle but hypnotic concoction of all of his elements tied together with some expert production is almost too good. Bring on the full release of Tin, because we need more of this in our lives!
Verge Collection, Class Of ’09
I really like this song because I think along these lines more often than not. Tackling spoilt brats who think they have it hard, Verge Collection ask us all to check our privilege a bit with the tongue in cheek hook, “Wasn’t high school hard?” Talking about still sucking a silver spoon whilst pretending otherwise, Verge Collection sound pretty fed up with these folks, but they make it sound so damn good with their Aussie indie sounds. Tight guitars and drums, a catchy hook and a searing guitar solo to really take things to the next level, Class Of ’09 is a fantastic track following on from the release of their debut album, Our Place. Here’s hoping we hear more of these guys soon.
Feki, Thankful
I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF FEKI! Every single time he releases a new song, I am blown away by it again and again. Thankful once again has outdone anything he has released prior to this, making me question just how good someone really can get. Clearly working hard to hone his skills more and more with every track, Feki is quickly becoming one of the most hyped artists in the country, and it doesn’t take long to see why. Thankful is a slow burner, with atmospheric synths slowly climbing to exhilarating heights, where his signature rolling drums and vocal samples come into play. The synths and atmospherics bloom gracefully, swirling around the almost trap-styled percussion, creating a gorgeous build before the real fun begins. Thankful is probably Feki’s most beautiful track yet, delicate and gentle as it rises and falls. Don’t say we didn’t warn you that he’d take over the world!
Big Wild, Aftergold Ft Tove Stryke
Aftergold was previously released just as an instrumental from Big Wild, but now he has teamed up with Swedish pop star Tove Stryke to breathe new life into his already stellar track. Playful and fun, Stryke turns Aftergold into a sassy, boastful, confident jam. Sounding right at home over Big Wild’s jangly chimes and synth sounds, as well as his rolling drums and hard hitting booms. In fact, this new take sounds so good we wouldn’t be surprised if Big Wild didn’t venture further into the pop realm thanks to Stryke. Previously released on ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective, we can only expect bigger and better things from Big Wild, but we can’t help hoping it’s more material with Stryke. Match made in musical heaven!
Anna Of The North, Baby
Reminiscent of James Blake, Anna Of The North’s new single, Baby, is an intimate and fragile number that gives you a vulnerable feeling almost instantly. It’s slow, smooth and forlorn as Anna pines after an uncertain lover. It’s got traces of 80’s electro with her drum machines and synths, but has been brought into the future thanks to her forward thinking production. It’s got that on edge feeling you get when you don’t know where you stand with someone, and although that’s not an easy feeling to experience, Anna Of The North captures it so well. A truly beautiful song.
Skies, Speed Boy
Now this is a jam. Adelaide synth pop trio Skies have teamed up with acclaimed producer Steven Schram (San Cisco, The Cat Empire, Paul Kelly) to lend his musical know-how for their latest single Speed Boy, and they’ve pulled it off in spectacular fashion. Sexy, smooth, and explosive in all the right places, this smoky pop/RnB number is inviting and seductive as they pull you in, bewitching you with their tight drums and excellent synth work- not to mention that falsetto. The guys have supported the likes of Tkay Maidza and SAFIA last year, and judging from the sounds of this track here, they’re ready to give it their all this year. We can’t wait to hear what they do next.
Colourwaves, Night Boat
Sydney artist Colourwaves has been doing his own thing for a little while now, so I guess you could say he’s been making waves of his own… All puns aside, this latest track sounds like a fantastic blend of the likes of M83, Neon Indian or Washed Out, melded together with his own flair. It’s woozy and lush, and takes me back to the late 00’s when things were much easier. His vocals soar gracefully over his 80’s synths and pulsing atmospherics, whilst a muffled drum beat keeps things coasting along very nicely. Night Boat is the latest taste of his fourth EP, which is set to drop this month, so be sure to take my word for it and keep an eye out for that!
Nina Las Vegas, EZY
Yassss Nina! The queen of Australian dance music strikes again with this banger. Delving further into that Jersey bounce, big room stuff we’ve heard from her in this past, this track absolutely bangs – and bangs hard. Skittering synths and huge beats combine to make it a total ear worm; a hugely exciting move from the legendary radio host/DJ. Out now on her own label, NLV records, Nina is continuing to slay making her own way as an artist in the industry, and it’s tracks like this that really bring home the message of just how good she is.
Huntly, We Made It
We recently premiered a stunning video for this Melbourne band, and they didn’t waste any time pumping out another utterly sublime track not long after. Titled We Made It, this song is just perfect. From the heavenly vocals of lead singer Elly, to the lofi RnB beats, the gentle blooming synths and more. It’s just beautiful, and wins best track on this list by far. Huntly are onto a really good thing here and I am so excited to watch what they do next. They’re launching their single on April 14 at the Gasometer in Melbourne, with Mondegreen, Corin and our favourite, Squidgenini which promises to be an unreal night. Get along if you know what’s good for you.
LDRU, Keeping Score (The Meeting Tree Remix)
This track was already huge, but The Meeting Tree just took it to the next level. With bass that would blow your speakers, they go in, taking the already dance floor friendly track into the dark, dingy club. These guys are notorious for just having fun, and that’s exactly what they’ve done here. Hitting the road again this June, LDRU is set to play some of his biggest venues yet, as he continues to acquire an almost cult-like following. Fingers crossed the Meeting Tree show up to rip into this bad boy!
Deeds, Dream Song
New Brisbane band Deeds are really fresh on the scene, but the combined years experience of each of the members puts them at veteran status- and their latest single proves it. Dramatic pianos, big crashing drums, stunning vocals and more, Dream Song is as impressive as they come for a new band. Vocalist Beau Lindsay sounds incredible, his voice bellowing as he cries his gorgeous lyrics. I think what I love most about this song is you can really feel how much time and effort has gone into it, and it really shows in how well it has come together. Deeds is a name you had better remember.
Holy Fuck, Xed Eyes
Amazing band name aside, Holy Fuck are actually so good it borders on ridiculous. Xed Eyes is the latest release from their forthcoming album, Congrats, which is out in May, and is just under 4 minutes of weird, glitchy, industrial electro punk. With heavy effects on just about everything, the band have really played around with their sound on this one, and it had me hooked from the get go. Things get really hectic with about a minute to go, and you can practically imagine the heaving crowd that would be whipped into an absolute frenzy when this one would be played live. They’ve just announced some overseas dates, so fingers crossed they set their sites for Australia VERY soon indeed!
River Tiber, Illusions (Ft. Pusha T, Prod. River Tiber, Kaytranada, Doc McKinney)
River Tiber is the latest signee to local label Good Manners, who won’t fall in the “local” category much longer thanks to their knack for signing acts that really are something else. Illusions sees River Tiber team up with none other than Pusha T, who lends a fiery verse for the otherwise blissed out track. It also has production credits from none other than living legend Kaytranada, as well as Doc McKinney, proving that sometimes more hands are better. Illusions is lofi heaven, and a rare occurence to hear King Push on such a chilled out number. Thankfully, Pusha T must have seen what Good Manners saw, and the world is beginning to see- and that is a very talented artist just about to hit his prime. Stay tuned for this guy!
Gypsy & The Cat, I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else
Gypsy & The Cat continue their triumphant return with yet another outstanding single, I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else. Providing the perfect soundtrack for that impending existential crisis, Gypsy & The Cat take things down a few levels from their all out synth jams to delve into a kind of chillwave area – an area they actually sound great in. As dynamic as you can get with a track this chilled out, the thick, buzzsaw synths of the hook paired with the quiet verses creates a back and forth not unlike the feelings and thoughts you’d be having if you were the protagonist of this track. It makes me feel okay to want to be somebody else, as long as I get to listen to this bad boy while I’m doing it.
Jenny Broke The Window, Airport Love
Jenny Broke The Window are one of those bands that you may say you’ve never heard of them before, and you’re met with a chorus of “Really?! You’ve never heard of them?!” Well, that happened to me anyway, but I’ve since learned my lesson and they quickly earned a permanent place on my radar. If you haven’t heard of them either (Seriously?!), let their latest single serve as the perfect introduction to them. Airport Love is a perfect slice of alt-pop, with breezy, airy vocals and a slowly rising bed of sounds that is added to bit by bit until you’re presented with a fully fledged indie pop tune to boogie to. They’ve locked in some pretty impressive support slots over the past few months, and by the sounds of this, things are only getting bigger and better for them in the very near future- for very good reason.
Boys Noize, Starchild (Ft. Polica)
Fresh off the press just today, Boys Noize has shared a brand new track today through Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show. Being heralded as Lowe’s latest “World Record”, this time we see the legendary techno wizard team up with Polica for some absolutely stunning vocals. Titled Starchild, this track has a dramatic build, twinkling atmospherics and underground techno/footwork sounds that show Boys Noize is really on his A game with this new material. The track also comes with the announcement that a brand new album is on its way, and will be out in late May. Titled Mayday, it’s meant to be his “most dynamic album to date”, and judging from this and his previous track Euphoria ft Remy Banks, I’d say we are all in for a real treat come May 20!
Ecca Vandal, Truth To Trade
Ecca Vandal rules. Everything she touches rules. Her songs are so badass and unashamedly confident, she makes me want to get up and kick the day ahead in the face. Truth To Trade is no exception. With a guitar that stirs in your loins and her punk vocals not holding back even for a second, she once again gives it her absolute all here. Taken from her End Of Time EP released earlier this year, this track was a true stand out on that record, so it’s only fitting it gets its own single treatment, with a kickass clip to boot. Check out the video below, with footage taken from her Sydney show on her recent tour, and try not to break anything as you thrash around to this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X-YsbqXNUw
As far as best songs go, these are ten of the best. We’re now in February and the consistently high quality of music output that we’ve seen over the past four weeks ago hasn’t dwindled once in the new month. If anything, it’s gotten even better. See for yourself below!
AAA+, Disciple Of Love
Adelaide artist AAA+ dropped a doozy this week with Disciple Of Love– a retro-futuristic electro-pop jam with a lot to give. Sounding like he’s borrowed elements from everyone like Cut Copy to The Chemical Brothers, Disciple Of Love is a pulsing, pounding track that’s driven by its bouncy synth line and crashing drum beat. He’s been kicking around for a while but has never really taken off in his home country – until now!
Summer Flake, Shoot And Score
The more I hear Summer Flake, the more I enjoy her. Taken from her sophomore album, Hello Friends, this tune is called Shoot And Score and is four-and-a-half minutes of droning, mesmerising bliss. “Shoot and score, take what’s yours,” she sings, her guitars thick and heavy as they carry the emotion in her lyrics and voice. This track is dripping in reverb-y goodness, and has done yet another excellent job in reminding me why Summer Flake is so great!
Annabel Jones, IOU
IOU by Annabel Jones has already got the approval of one Zane Lowe, who she debuted it with this week on his Beats 1 show. Now she can add approval from Howl & Echoes too, as I was instantly hooked from the first serene note that kicks the song off. From here, it just gets better and better, with it’s bassy groove and quirky arrangements- not to mention her sassy af lyrics that take it to another level. Total jam.
Pandamic, Heck!
Following along the same vein as bands like Violent Soho and Dune Rats, Pandamic’s new belter Heck! is a beer-drenched anthem with thrashy guitars and punchy drums- but don’t let the bravado fool you. It’s a forlorn love song at it’s heart, it just tricks you for a second. With a ripper of a chorus that would no doubt be unreal to join in with at a live show, Heck! is a huge step forward for the boys and one in a direction I can’t wait to see them go down.
Gallant, Skipping Stones (Ft. Jhene Aiko)
Skipping Stones represents when two worlds collide in the best possible way. Featuring two of music’s most incredible voices around at the moment, Gallant and Jhene Aiko have teamed up and it is stunning. Both artists bring their A-game here in a big way as they sing about their empty hearts and beds in a way that casts a spell on you with it’s dreamy arrangement accompanying it. Sounding like Leon Bridges mixed with Sam Smith, Gallant has never sounded this good before, whilst Aiko shows off why she is one of the most hyped up acts in the world- and why she’s so deserving.
Two People, Fading
Fun fact: Two People are actually two people from the now defunct-Snakadaktal. Phoebe Lou and Joey Clough are now trying their hand at a different game, and the first taste of it is impressive to say the least. Hypnotic and spell-binding, Fading is a swirling dream featuring static-y rain, Four Tet-esque production and heavenly vocals. There are huge things in store for these two.
Tinashe, Ride Of Your Life (Prod. Metro Boomin)
Tinashe is the next big pop star, and you only need to listen to any one of her songs to hear why. She has one of the best voices around, possessing a certain “superstar” quality that comes naturally to her. She also has an uncanny knack of picking the right producers to work with, and this latest track with Metro Boomin is no exception. Seductive both in Tinashe’s vocals and Metro Boomin’s trap-styled beats, the two bring out the best in each other with Ride Of Your Life– yet another feather in Tinashe’s already very full cap.
Nina Las Vegas, Now Or Never (Ft. CZ & Swick)
Australian dance music’s leading lady Nina Las Vegas is at it again, dropping another banger via her brand new record label, NLV Records. She teased us all last year with a sampler that featured an original track from each artist on the label – herself included – and now we can finally hear what else she’s been sitting on this whole time. Practically redefining the term “banger” Nina goes in on this track, teaming up with CZ and Swick as if it wasn’t good enough already. It’s like PC Music sent into overdrive, and is a seriously solid release from one of Australia’s most prolific tastemakers. Yaaaaaaas!
Carmada, Realise (Chrome Sparks Remix)
Chrome Sparks is just about to touch down in Australia for a string of shows at the end of the month, and it seems like he’s really getting into the spirit of things by taking Carmada’s hit track, Realise and running with it. Turning it inside out in his own special way, Chrome Sparks shakes up Realise and reassembles it with some slightly off-kilter beats, thick synths and unpredictable drops throughout. This is part of an entire EP of Realise remixes, but we’ve got our money on this being the best one. Chrome Sparks can’t be beaten!
Loose Tooth, Bites Will Bleed
Melbourne three-piece have just today announced that not only are they teaming up with Milk! Records (Courtney Barnett’s label), but that they are dropping a brand new EP on April 1 titled Saturn Returns. To celebrate, the trio have released an absolute wailer in the for of Bites Will Bleed. Scuzzy guitar, booming drums, and vocals that cut through the fuzz, Loose Tooth immediately got me very keen indeed to hear Saturn Returns. Hopefully there is more where this came from!
Image via Two People’s Facebook
It was just last year that Nina Las Vegas hung up her triple J hat and heralded in a new era in her career. Promising bigger and better things, it wasn’t long after her final triple J set (which we still have on regular rotation) that she announced she was launching her very own record label, and already had a number of budding new artists ready to bring their A-game.
And so, NLV Records was born. Boasting a roster of Swick, Strict Face, Lewis Cancut and Air Max 97 as well as Nina herself, the NLV Records crew released a collective sampler pack to prepare us all for what’s to come in the new year, and whilst we had high expectations, we perhaps weren’t entirely ready for what we were about to hear.
Each and every artist delivered up a tasty cut of their own original music to serve as a taste test (or warning) for what they’ve been working on, and each and every artist blew us away with their huge tracks. From Swick’s enormous R6 Wheel (Dub) to Strict Face’s chilled trap sounds on Rogue Park; the exquisite dance track that is Air Max 97’s Passage and Lewis Cancut’s massive original Systems; even Nina Las Vegas’s own pounding Contagious, we weren’t joking when we said each act absolutely brought it with their tracks.
Now, it’s time for Nina to celebrate, and so she is taking her show on the road. Bringing labelmate Lewis Cancut along for the ride, the pair will be wreaking havoc on capital cities for the rest of the month in what is shaping up to be an absolutely huge tour. Starting off in Sydney on Friday 15th January, then Fremantle, Melbourne, Brisbane and finally Adelaide, things are undoubtedly going to get wild and rightly so.
If there are any remaining tickets for these shows, it’s probably in your best advice to jump on them now. Having caught both of these acts live in action, I can personally guarantee just how much fun it is. Don’t forget your dancing shoes!
Nina Las Vegas & Lewis Cancut Contagious tour:
Jan 15 – Chinese Laundry, Sydney, NSW
Tix via: Chinese Laundry
Jan 16 – Corona SunSets, Fremantle, WA
(SOLD OUT) *
Jan 22 – Old Mates, Melbourne, VIC
Tix via: Moshtix
Jan 23 – The TBC Club, Brisbane, QLD
Tix via: Moshtix
Jan 30 – Fat Controller, Adelaide, SA
Tix via: Fat Controller
Lewis Cancut supporting at all show excluding *
After an 11 year run as one of Triple J’s most influential and highly regarded presenters, Nina Las Vegas parted way with the radio station earlier this month to focus upon her career as a DJ/producer and establishing ambitious new dance label NLV Records.
The third track from a ‘label sampler’ which will showcase new tracks from all 5 of label’s talented stable of artists, Contagious has been preceded by Melbourne local Lewis Cancut’s tropicana infused Systems and Passage from New Zealand natives Air Max 97.
Considering that one of the founding objectives of NLV is to provide a greater voice for female producers, it comes as little surprise that Las Vegas’ latest work is a collaborative effort with emerging U.S. producer Snappy Jit.
Combining booming trap kicks, militant snares and an adrenaline fuelled tempo, Contagious is a seriously infectious dance stomper.
Combing anthemic lyrical exclamations like ‘We don’t need sleep/I got that dance fever’ with a truly climatic builds Las Vegas’s latest is a carefree party starter which is sure to please fans.
With new tracks from labelmates Strict Face and Swick coming soon, things are certainly shaping up for Las Vegas and her promising new venture.
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One of the most influential figures in the Australian music scene as a whole, let alone the dance scene she practically helped create, is Nina Las Vegas. Absolutely integral in the rise and rise of “the Australian Sound” and the consequent boom of Australian dance music onto the international stage, Nina Las Vegas has become one of the most revered tastemakers in, well, practically ever for Australian music.
After hanging up her hat as boss of triple J‘s House Party, she started a new segment of Mix-Up Exclusives on the station, handpicking acts to come on and deliver outstanding mixes weekend after weekend. She goes out to regional communities to engage youth with music with her foundation Heaps Decent; she has toured incredible acts around the country with her NLV Presents tours; she regularly DJs and always brings it to her shows; and now she’s set to do even bigger and better things.
Just a few weeks ago, Nina announced to a rather heartbroken Australia that October 24th, 2015 would be her last triple J show ever. She would be resigning to start her own label and undoubtedly continue to kill it, just in a different area of music. Not long after that, she announced NLV Records and her first signings – Swick, Lewis Cancut, Strict Face and Air Max ’97. She then began to announce just who would have the honour of featuring on her final show ever.
Calling on her friends, who just happen to be some of the biggest DJs in the world, Nina pulled out all the stops for her last Saturday night in the triple J studio. Diplo, Cashmere Cat, RL Grime, Anna Lunoe, Flight Facilities, Swick, Flume and Levins all responded to the call and made enough mixes to fill on four hours of high energy and emotion sets for their girl’s big night. If you, like me, unfortunately missed the show due to other commitments, you may have felt a bit of sadness having missed such a historic radio show. Thankfully, Nina Las Vegas gets us, and she has now uploaded her final show in its entirety for all to hear.
Filled will party vibes, fantastic mixes and messages from friends like Dillon Francis, Alison Wonderland, Duke Dumont and many, many more, this is one four hour mix that will take up the best part of your day in the best possible way – and you can hear it below. Nina Las Vegas is responsible for so much good in the Australian music scene, and it is so exciting to see what she will do next. We had the absolute honour recently to chat to her, and of course she delivered one hell of a discussion. Thank you, Nina!
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
Words by Carolyn Fernandez
Nina Las Vegas has become a staple figure for Triple J, and has made House Party on Saturday nights a household name. Not only has she produced acclaimed sets alongside international acts like Diplo and Skrillex, but she also helped launch the careers of landmark Australian artists, such as Flume and Alison Wonderland, who have gone on to massive international recognition.
After over 10 years of dedicated service, Nina has announced she will be leaving the station to begin a new adventure in the US, focusing on her career as an internationally renowned DJ and producer. Next week Nina is set to launch her own record label, NLV Records, revealing on Facebook that she has been working hard on this project.
Whilst the news of her departure has left Triple J and her fans heartbroken, Nina says her passion hasn’t changed: “it’s just evolving,” she wrote. Owing much of her future success to her longstanding position at the radio station, and she thanked Triple J in a statement regarding her departure:
“For the past decade triple j, the Australian club scene, supporting local artists and pioneering new electronic music has been my life. I walked into triple j as a work experience kid at 19 and literally worked every job right up until House Party and Mix Up Exclusives. Thank you to triple j for the incredible experience and especially to the triple j listeners for listening to my first triple j mixtapes, calling in to House Party, coming to House Party gigs and texting in when I play something crazy on Mix Up Exclusives.”
Nina is set to perform her final Mix Up Exclusives Show on Saturday 24 October, 9pm, featuring some of her favourite artists and biggest names. Listen to Nina Las Vegas and Swick – Pool Girls below:
…. AFTER ALMOST 11 YEARS
I’M LEAVING @triplej <3 <3 https://t.co/WeRyqq8d5l
— Nina Las Vegas (@ninalasvegas) October 15, 2015
I really enjoy interviews in general, but sometimes I get to interview people I really admire, and that’s what makes it all worth it. Earlier this week I have the absolutely privilege of chatting with leading lady Nina Las Vegas ahead of her NLV Presents tour which kicked off in Melbourne on Friday, August 21. Packing more than a few punches with Djemba Djemba, Monki and Mssingno all on board, she has once again pulled a killer lineup to bring to our shores with her seal of approval.
Having been at the helm of Australian dance music for a really long time, Nina has seen it all. She has got herself to a stage where she can say what she wants, and people not only listen to her, but they really hear it and understand. Whether she’s championing women in music, showcasing homegrown talent, pushing live music, being one of the best selectors and DJs going or even making her own music; it’s safe to say whatever she’s doing, she’s going to kill it.
Tickets are scarce for her tour but if you can get your hands on the remaining few, thank us later. It must not be easy to be Nina, but – as someone who is a direct product of her influence by just doing what I love for the love of it – I can speak for more than a few people when I say I’m glad she is who she is.
Hey Nina, how’s it going! Where are you?
I’m in Alice Springs right now. I was doing a Northern Territory run of shows but I’ve also been doing music workshops. Today I was in a community called Santa Theresa, which is about an hour from Alice. I’ve just got home and I’m covered in dust!
Tell me about these workshops – is it just a one day thing?
It’s one day, but I’m going back with Heaps Decent in December. It was a meet up to say hi to everyone. I work with the girls because in the Territory, Aboriginal communities have different rules for males and females like if you’re a girl in a band or you make music, you have to perform with your family members who are men. So that’s why it’s really important they get workshops with women. I did a bunch of work with Music NT this week, which is why I came up. I did a show in Darwin and a show in Alice Springs and then two days of workshops.
That’s so awesome! I find in smaller communities and towns, the appreciation is so much more because they don’t get it as much. Did you find that?
Well it was different. In Alice, the workshops were with the Desert Divas, so these are the girls that have a connection with music like they’ve performed already or they write music or they DJ. They’re young women in the community that use Music NT as a resource. Whereas the girls in Santa Theresa are school girls so they’re shy, and there’s a lot of shame and it takes a while to get stuff out. But we did some cool beats, and it was definitely fun! Basically, there are some amazing people that work out in those communities. These are Aboriginal communities so, you know, everyone lives in a small community and they love bush bands and reggae. It’s really cool!
That is so cool!
Yeah, well it’s kind of like the stuff I did before I worked at triple J, so I really wanted to get back into it.
Well I imagine it would have been slightly different to the US tour that you’ve also just wrapped us as well – how was that for you?
Oh my god, it was crazy! I haven’t stopped. I got back from LA last Tuesday, went back to work for three days then flew to Darwin on Friday. Then I go home for two days, then go to Melbourne to start the tour! America was amazing. It’s really cool because it’s like I’m starting fresh there and people know me and they’re getting to know a bit more, but it’s just so exciting because I’m playing to kids who have never seen me play before and it feels like I’m beginning again. it feels really cool. The shows got bigger and bigger too. I was there for five weeks and by the end of the tour it was HARDfest so it was huge.
They’re so much more active over there. American audiences are really active on social media so you can play a show and the next day you get 20-30 people tweeting you or tagging you on Instagram saying how much fun they had, whereas in Australia – we’re online but we’re not as active. You might come up to me after a show and be like, “Yeah that was sick!” But in America, they take a photo, they’re like “What’s your Soundcloud? What’s your Instagram? What’s everything?” My social media grew by thousands in like four weeks.
Twitter especially is such a thing over there! It just isn’t really a thing here. Like it is but it isn’t?
Nah, not at all. Not at all. But it was super cool. The shows were amazing. Here in Australia, people know me for triple J, but also pushing the Flume and the What So Not stuff, so when I play outside the NLV Presents, when I play a regional show here I kind of have to play the triple J stuff. not that I have to, but it’s just what people know. But in America, it’s really weird because I’ve got this reputation over there of someone who plays weird club music, so I get to play the weirdest stuff! It’s so cool!
A lot more freedom in your sets over there, then?
It’s just different. I’m playing a bit less in Australia now, so when I play people know what I’m going to do. My Mix Up show gets me to put different stuff in, so I can play weird Japanese tracks in the sets now. I couldn’t do that on House Party, but now people are starting to see that different side. In America, that’s all they know. They know me as that girl that Skrillex likes that plays weird songs. In Australia, I’m part of the whole dance scene, I’m not just in the alternative one.
It’s interesting because the US just continues to love Australia! We’re huge over there!
Yeah, but the other thing is it puts it into perspective over there. I was there when Peking Duk and Carmada and all the boys were – we all played the same festival. It’s just it’s a size thing. We’re a smaller community; we might think we’re big but we’re actually not. Smaller things happen because you can see it happen because there’s less of us. In America, it’s easy for them now with the internet to see who pops off because it’s quicker. Whereas, there are HEAPS of people in America, they’re looking at a million of them but we don’t hear about them. I can go to a club show in LA and not know anyone who’s playing, but in LA everyone knows who they are. So LA is a little bit like Australia, if that makes sense. Does that make sense? It’s a perception thing. They’re loving us hard, because we’re easy to spot. We stand out. The scene is still so big. We can think like, “Oh, Peking Duk are killing it!” Yeah, they are – but we’re all working really hard to get to that stage too. Everyone’s putting in the hours.
Well that’s what pays off in the end!
Yeah! And Australians are hard workers. I think there’s a mentality with Americans as well, because it’s in the blood of Americans to want to be a star. They started pop stars first, so a lot of musicians know it’s possible where here we’re fresh to it. We’re like, “Oh, cool! That happened! We can do it!” It’s a nice energy.
We’re also optimistic as well.
That’s what Americans love about us too, we don’t over think it – we just do it.
Now, obviously the NLV Presents tour kicks off this week, and once again you have brought a KILLER lineup!
Oh, you like it?!
Dude, anything with Djemba Djemba on it is good by me.
I know, I think it’s going to be really wild.
How do you choose your acts? What do you consider when you’re putting all this together?
Well my first consideration is, because a lot of festivals don’t do it, I look at women. I say, “Okay, which girls do I want to have out?” Initially it was going to be something where I focus more on women. Last year we had the three girls, myself included, and the two guys. This year it’s two girls, two guys, and that’s my first priority. It’s like, “Actually, do you know what? I’m female, I’m in EDM, I want to promote more women!” Monki was the first person I selected. I love what she does. She plays really cool grime stuff, she plays really cool house stuff. She is just on fire right now. I wanted her out here. Then I think about it being international, so I try to shake up the different scenes. Djemba was someone that I just started hanging with in March and like obviously all the stuff he did with Alison Wonderland and some others, he wanted to come back. It was a timing thing, it just worked out like that. Same with Mssingno, who I love and has a bit of a cooler, unknown quality, but the people who see him will love him. His tracks are dark and moody and bassy. He got the best track on Fact Mag in 2013, like he’s just starting. You’ll see him, you might not know anything about him but I know for a fact in three years time he’ll be the Cashmere Cat. He’ll be the RL Grime.
Sounds unreal! How important is it for you to be able to use your platform to showcase these artists in such a way?
That’s why I do it! I’m so lucky to have that platform and I guess festivals and things have to get the acts that sell because of tickets and stuff. But that’s not who I am. I put everyone on first. I put Flume on first, I put What So Not on first. The best thing about this stuff is if something crazy happens with these guys, I’m going to feel great that a whole bunch of people in Australia got to see them early. You know when RL Grime first came out, no one went to the Sydney show. Now look. That kind of stuff happens. It’s not that you need to know about it, but I travel and I get to see cool people all the time. A lot of people don’t get to see all these different people, so if I can bring different sounds – not just the trap/EDM vibe that is so much in the club right now, still – then I’m down.
Well, I’m going to get a bit fangirly here now but that’s one of the things that I really admire about you so much. You use your reach for so much good and you really help people. Especially women in music, and I know you get asked a lot about this but it’s something that really rings true for me personally. You make it okay to do stuff like this!
I know that I’ve worked hard, so I know that what I say can ring true and I know that I can get on a platform because I’ve worked my gut off and I’m allowed to. You can’t just come to the scene and be like, “I’m a girl, I do everything the best!” I get that. But now that I’m into several years of triple J and touring and everything, and I back what I say – I’m not going to shut up until it changes. That’s the thing. It really hasn’t changed. There is more stuff happening like HARD and Holy Ship are booking more people, but Listen Out has ONE woman on the lineup. I’m not going to not say anything about that! It’s their job to actually book more women.
The women are there, they just need to be booked.
100%! I could book 10 right now, and they’re booking international lineups. I’m not saying Listen Out are the only ones but there are some really cool chicks doing cool shit right now and it just needs to be supported a bit more. By everyone – by listeners, by everyone. Look at Alison Wonderland. She’s got the most hype about her in the world right now. She’s selling more tickets than any dude in the country and that stuff needs to be recognised and championed and copied in a way. I want to see more Alison Wonderlands! I’m all about more is more. There should be more girls making trap songs. It’s really important.
I think also, Australian listeners trust you now. You’ve been around for long enough that people trust what you say and follow that a bit more. Do you see it like that?
I dunno. I think ultimately, unfortunately we’re in an age where money and stuff is important, and we have to sell tickets and stuff like that. I think there is change happening though. I definitely do. But it’s just hard to constantly be that person who has to say it – but I’m not going to stop. Every now and then I’m like, “Ah, you know how I feel…” But it’s like, I’m up for being a spokesperson, but I want more people to do it as well.
The more people that speak about it, the more commonplace it will become and that’s when the big change will happen!
That’s exactly right!
Do you ever feel any pressure?
Sometimes I get a little disappointed if I do feel like I sound like a broken record. Sometimes I’m like “Why is it me saying this again?!” But I don’t think it’s pressure. I think pressure is a funny word. I feel like sometimes if I stopped talking about stuff and if I stopped putting on shows and stoppe working on triple J, I do think it would kind of be like, “Oh… Well what do we do now?” So I feel a bit of pressure to continue. Every now and then, everyone gets tired though! I would love a fucking holiday! I would love to spend a month writing an EP, you know? People don’t realise how hard I work at triple J, like I have a day job. I have to do admin and boring stuff, and that’s part of the job. Being a DJ is cool but you have to do a lot of music work. Writing music is the most fun I have and I wish I did it earlier. That’s the only time that I’m like, “Why can’t I just not work on all this other stuff and just sit in the studio?!”
I just spent a week in the studio in LA, and it was probably the best week I’ve had all year. It was just writing music and it’s such a nice feeling to know that I can do that stuff.
When you were in the studio, did you enjoy it so much because it was that kind of uninterrupted creative outlet?
Oh my god, yes! Triple J have been so good and they know obviously I want to do a million things, so I got a week to write. I had written heaps already whilst I’ve been travelling for the last couple of months, and so I was able to sit in the studio with Swick for 10-12 hours a day. It was just writing, and we were enjoying it! That’s the most fun you can have.
I feel like I have to tell you that your latest songs with Swick on the Cool Sports EP, I don’t think there has been a day go past since they came out that I haven’t listened to one of those songs…
Oh my god! I think what’s going to happen with those songs, because we wrote them so long ago and this was us working together and me getting the confidence to do stuff on my own – this new stuff is going to give those songs a new life. That’s where I feel pressure, when I put out music because it’s a new part of my career. Once I put my next EP out and they go back to those songs, they’re going to get a second life. I let them sit, I didn’t go on about them. You have to promote songs so hard. Look at Dillon Francis on Instagram, and every day he’s writing about his new songs.
And on Snapchat!
Yeah, exactly! I didn’t do that with those songs because I can do better. They’re out and they’re cool, but the new ones are so wild.
That makes me so excited! Can we expect to hear any of that on this tour?
Maybe, they’re not quite mixed yet but maybe some of the club ones… They’re really cool, I’m really excited about them. I think the plan is to have one out for our summer, then an EP next year, but this time I’m gonna do it real.
Do you still feel nerves before a release? Do they increase or decrease the more confident you become?
I think nerves are good. I used to get really down when people would say I didn’t do it. You can read any interview with any female producer, it’s always going to happen. People are just convinced you don’t work on the tracks, and I think that would get me down. Now I’m like, “Fuck it! I know I do!” Anyone who sits in a studio with me and hears my demos and sees me on the program knows I do! I just ran two workshops and made five beats in a day. I’ve moved past that anxiousness of what people think, because you just have to. It’s a perception that has to change, but it won’t immediately. But the more you do, that’s just life. I’ve lost those nerves. I did a session with Golden Features before I went overseas, I like his bass sounds and I wanted to know how he works. We sat in the room, I brought my idea and showed him a billion things. Then afterwards, he was telling me about how one of the interns asked if I could do anything, and Golden Features was like, “Yeah man, she schooled me!” I was just like, “Thank you!!!” At least the boys in the scene know what’s up. It’s going to take 7000 hours to be as good as Swick or anyone, but I’m on it. I’m getting there.
NLV Presents International Edition dates are below, click here for tickets.
Shake off those winter blues because Nina Las Vegas is bringing the third instalment of her NLV Presents International Edition to clubs across Australia this August.
This time around the shows will feature Djemba Djemba (USA) Monki (UK) Mssingno (UK) and will be hosted by Nina herself. With collaborations with the likes of Diplo, Beyoncé, Madonna and Miley Cyrus to his name, LA based Djemba Djemba will be bringing his whole tool belt to craft a show of epic proportions. And if that’s not enough, taking influence from her mum’s love of Ibiza summer anthems and her uncles’ hip-hop cassette tapes, Monki will deliver a set that showcases her eclectic tastes.
2014 saw a run of sold out shows so if you want to guarantee your spot at the biggest party of the year, snap your tickets up here.
Nina Las Vegas tour dates:
FRI 21 AUG – BROWN ALLEY, MELBOURNE
SAT 22 AUG – THE TBC CLUB, BRISBANE
WED 26 AUG – ARGYLE HOUSE, NEWCASTLE
FRI 28 AUG – VILLA, PERTH
SAT 29 AUG – GOODGOD DANCETERIA, SYDNEY
SUN 30 AUG – ZHIVAGO, ADELAIDE