If you’re a) in Sydney tonight and b) partial to the odd bit of grooving, then it’s worth heading along to Grooves on a Grassy Knoll at the University of Sydney. This year’s iteration will add to the lengthy history of an event that is constantly evolving and shifting its focus, but which always delivers the goods.
Under a variety of different monikers, the event has seen the likes of AC/DC, Cold Chisel and, more recently, Art vs Science and Flume leading the bill. So it’s fair to say that the student club at St John’s College – the organisers of Grooves – have always had a handle on the best of Sydney’s nascent musical talent.
In 2015, the headline spot is to be filled by local producer Kilter, whose tropical, percussion-driven beats attracted a substantial crowd to his set at Splendour in the Grass last year. Kilter has remixed everyone from Duke Dumont and Hermitude to Andy Bull and Snakadaktal, and will undoubtedly bring a varied and dynamic set of orginals and remixes to the event.
Supporting Kilter will be rising electronic duo Human Movement, Hottest 100 heroes Odd Mob (responsible for the Parks & Rec-sampling tune, Is It a Banger?) and fresh local acts Deuces and Helm.
Tickets are available here.
They say Australia’s in an electronic golden age, and it’s pretty damn true. The world over, artists and fans alike have been taking notice of what we’re producing, and for good reason too. Here’s three of our top picks for artists to watch in 2015.
Odd Mob
Fresh Australian duo Odd Mob combines the talents and wit of Brisbane boys Robbie Jacobs, 20, and Harry Hope, 21. Their track Is It A Banger? put them on the radar late into 2014 catching international attention and airplay by some of the best in the biz, including EDX, Tommie Sunshine and Henry Fong. Triple J soon picked up the lyrically hilarious single, featuring Aziz Ansari’s voice, and it’s has been shortlisted for Triple J’s Hottest 100. Watch out for these boys in 2015 – while Is It A Banger? is the perfect combination of humour, energy and a pounding bassline, their latest remix of Pierce Fulton’s Kuaga is currently on Beatport’s Top 100 Electro House chart. If that’s anything to go by, these boys are here to stay.
Atticus Beats
He describes his sound as “future beats” and he may very well take the future by storm if he continues to produce music at the calibre he currently is. Atticus Beats, a project just short of a year old, has already gained attention with productions like Decisions (feat. Woodes) getting spins on Triple J by The Aston Shuffle. The man behind the project is 20-year-old Queenslander Lucas.
He constantly refers to different genres for inspiration, including trap, R&B, and Jersey Club. He attributes having stumbled across Flume’s first EP, and producers like Cashmere Cat and Djemba Djemba, as the nudge he needed to push towards a more downtempo production style, rather than to continue producing in disco and house. The success of his latest track Decisions inspires him to “hurry up and make another track to share with everyone” and is still stunned by the response it has received on Soundcloud. This Aussie isn’t slowing down anytime soon with two new tracks with Paces & Bro Syszlack in the works.
La Mar
La Mar combines the forces of Sydney boys Andrew Grant, 22, and Dylan Wright, 20. They teamed up in April 2014 and have been creating electronic soul ever since. Their debut song, Anchor took to Soundcloud extremely well, shortly followed by their collaboration with German producer Mazde – Shifted Thoughts, would prove their talent once again, gaining radio exposure on Triple J as well as a Triple J Hottest100 nomination. The boys have said the track has received warm responses at their live shows and “feel it is a good progression from Anchor, bringing a slightly more energetic, powerful sound while keeping the La Mar vibe that Anchor paved.” Their current success determines them to take it to the next level with a single that really bights airtime, and with their next track slated for January or February 2015 they may just do it!