Australia is enjoying an incredible golden age of hip-hop right now. Sounds, subjects and crowds are diversifying and growing, and some of the very best were on offer last Friday night at the Enmore Theatre, during Seth Sentry‘s 1969 Campaign Trail Tour, with equally solid support slots from Remi and Sarah Connor.
Connor, who recently dropped her wicked new single Apex took to the stage first, warming up the audience with her powerful beats and insightful lyrics. The crowd was filling up from early on, and the already-rowdy crowd lapped it up. The entire night was filled with special guests and surprises, and Sarah brought out Natalie Slade, Bigredcap and Losty to help deliver the killer first set of the night. Apex in particular drew the crowd in, with each MC spitting their own dynamic verses with fervour and energy that made the song sound even better live on stage. For anyone who’s not yet aware of Sarah Connor, make sure to check her out – she’s one of the best upcoming rappers and she’s only just getting started.
Remi took to the stage shortly after, accompanied by longtime producer and collaborator Sensible J on drums, and Hau on hype man duties. Easily one of the most talented and most important voices in Australian music right now, his energy and stage presence was phenomenal. Remi is gearing up to release his own new album Divas and Demons later this year, and performed a handful of new tracks to huge reception, including his brand new single Substance Therapy. The addition of live percussion added tremendous power to the already hyped set, made even stronger by guest appearances from Omar Musa (who also just dropped a great new single, Freedom) and the one and only Sampa The Great. After noting to the crowd that there a little too much testosterone on the all-male stage, Remi introduced Sampa to one of the biggest cheers of the night. The pair delivered an outstanding version of their brilliant collaborative track For Good. Their chemistry is palpable and I can only hope these two will head out on a co-headline tour some time soon. Remi noted during the set that it was his job to warm the crowd up, and he absolutely did; the room was almost at capacity well before his set wrapped up.
Last time I saw Seth Sentry live was at the very end of his fifty-date tour last year, the first major run of his 2015 album Strange New Past. The gig was animated and raucous, but I was so not prepared for how much has changed and expanded since then. From the very first moments of his set, it became clear he’d stepped it up a notch – or twenty. Booming electronic beats heralded him on stage, as the dark room was immediately filled with wild applause.
During my recent interview with Seth, he explained that things were going to be different this time; updated arrangements, a live drummer, new songs in and old songs out. But I really wasn’t expecting the magnitude of the energy, the sound and the production to have stepped up that highly. Backed by more live drums from Stevie Cat Jnr and DJing/onstage antics from DJ Sizzle, the crowd response was insane – not just on his most tried and tested tracks like Run, Waitress Song and Dear Science, but the newer cuts from Strange New Past that are now getting played live for the first time. That said, a personal favourite was Hellboy, what with the blackened stage bathed in dim red lighting, a sea of hands making the devil’s horn sign, and that jazzy bass line ringing out.
The crowd were rowdy and receptive – although perhaps a little too much at times. It would’ve only been after the first or second track that Seth had to ask people to stop throwing stuff on stage. Although, when he later parted the crowd to walk through and grab a beer (his version of crowd surfing, he noted, as he’s claustrophobic and understandably wasn’t keen to jump directly into a sea of thousands of bodies), the crowd parted so quickly and easily that he said it was the easiest run they’d ever done. Unfortunately whoever gave him a beer decided to do so in a plastic cup, not a bottle, so by the time he got back on stage there was about one gulp left. Oops.
Remi later came back out to join Seth for their track Nobody Like Me, before rounding off the main set with the track of the night, 1969. From the beginning of the night to the end of the encore, Sarah Connor, Remi and Seth Sentry brought out their absolute best to the beautiful Enmore Theatre.
Below, check out our full photos gallery of the night. You can also check out the remaining 1969 Campaign Trail tour dates – I highly recommend heading along.
Sarah Connor
Remi
Seth Sentry
Seth Sentry Tour Dates
FRI 29 JULY | DISCOVERY, DARWIN NT
SAT 30 JULY | THE GOV, ADELAIDE SA
FRI 05 AUG | CLUB 54, LAUNCESTON TAS
SAT 06 AUG | UNI BAR HOBART, HOBART TAS
THU 11 AUG | PRINCE OF WALES, BUNBURY WA
FRI 12 AUG | METRO CITY, PERTH WA
SAT 13 AUG | SETTLERS TAVERN, MARGARET RIVER WA
Photos: Danielle Hansen / Howl & Echoes
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball-stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Okkervil River – Okkervil River R.I.P.
Starting in New Hampshire this week and folk rock quintet Okkervil River’s latest single Okkervil River R.I.P. It begins a gentle acoustic song, frontman Will Sheff crooning softly over a lone guitar before the rest of the band kicks in around the chorus, falling away again for a mournful finish.
The video is morbid yet beautiful, set around a funeral for Sheff, who sings from inside an open casket. Shot in some stunning locations in upstate New York, the gorgeous sun dappling across leafy trees and green grass offsets the usual gloom a funeral brings about.
Okkervil River’s next studio album is out September 9th on ATO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BpA_MqGBtk
Beaty Heart – Raw Gold
To South London next with electro pop trio Beaty Heart and the new video for single Raw Gold. Their new album Till The Tomb just a few weeks away, Raw Gold is the latest taste of that record. Shimmering synths and complex tribal rhythms (understandable when you know that all three members are drummers) form the crux of some wonderfully dark electro pop here, singer Joshua Mitchell’s impressive vocal range utilised fully.
The video features Brazilian longboarder Ana Maria Suzano riding around in a warehouse, the streets and a rooftop. Her fluid, graceful movements match the song so perfectly, you’ll be mesmerised.
Till The Tomb is out July 29th on Harvest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck0BUxR6wVU
Sarah Connor – Apex (ft. Bigredcap and Losty)
Sarah Connor has a debut EP coming right up and she’s released a new single in preparation. Apex sees the Sydney MC going all kinds of hard over some menacing production, reflecting the song’s title and pulling few punches (but a few middle fingers) in establishing her place at the top early.
With co-conspirators Bigredcap and Losty, Connor have a day out roaming the streets of Sydney grime style in the accompanying video. You can catch Sarah for the official launch of Apex at Plan B Small Club next Saturday July 16th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIkpwewbRjc&feature=youtu.be
Polographia – Sly (ft. Winston Surfshirt)
Sydney duo Polographia have a new single out today in Sly. They’ve harnessed an almost tropical sound here, soft guitars, wavering synths and a scuttling bass line underscoring featured artist Winston Surfshirt’s breezy vocals, Sly is positively peaceful.
The accompanying video carries over this tropical vibe, lo-fi with the pastels set to lurid, bikini girls dancing in front of reef fish and palm trees at sunset. It’s the perfect single to remind you that Winter is temporary.
Catch Polographia when they support Snakehips in Sydney and Melbourne in a fortnight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M18TITevyhA&app=desktop
MAF Muses – MAF Million Is Born
The second artist on this week’s roundup to have a semi-eponymous single is North-West London’s MAF Muses and his new single MAF Million Is Born. He’s currently emerging as a solo artist, having previously been half of London Soundklash, and it looks like he’s ready for the spotlight, opening with the line “I think it’s time”, before spitfire flowing over his own uniquely discordant production.
MAF returns to his roots in the accompanying video, wandering around close to where he grew up in Camden, not another soul in sight as another sign this young artist is ready to make it on his own. There’s more to come from MAF Muses in the near future so his might be a name you learn very quickly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SspwJJOTTNk&feature=youtu.be
Preoccupations – Anxiety
Canadians Preoccupations have a new name and a new album out in 2016. They now also have a new single in this week’s Anxiety. It’s a jarring, dirge-y listen, frontman Matt Flegel’s almost robotic vocals warbling about “all-encompassing anxiety” out over harsh, lo-fi guitars before a soft little synth melody adds some lightness as the beat drives along.
The video, directed by David Yoonha Park, was shot in wooded British Columbia and does its best to creep the viewer out. It’s a series of shots meant to represent childhood fears and phobias, the black and white lighting only making them worse. Still a great track and an evocative video.
Preoccupations is out September 16th on Jagjaguwar via Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csMbqrFT1dM&feature=youtu.be
Cassius – The Missing (ft. Ryan Tedder)
French duo Cassius have a new single from their forthcoming album Ibifornia. Titled The Missing and featuring a molasses thick bass line and some classic RnB rhythms under the soulful vocals of featured singer Ryan Tedder (who you may know from OneRepublic), it’s a quintessential summer jam that will have you almost feeling the coastal humidity.
The video is unique, focusing on a couple having a passionate night out somewhere vibrant (meant to represent both Ibiza and California in case you hadn’t clued from the album title). The twist is that the viewer can change each member of the couple in real time by clicking on them, a total of 20 different characters of all backgrounds and over 100 possible combinations. Certainly one of the more innovative interactive videos we’ve seen.
Ibifornia is out August 26th on Interscope/Polydor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DreeCbl8s9E
Peaches – Vaginoplasty
Living legend and electro pop queen Peaches has a new video as well that is everything we’ve come to expect from her. Vaginoplasty is the name of her latest single, taken from her 2015 album Rub. It’s an absolute club banger, Peaches’ idiosyncratic almost spoken word vocals over huge stabbing synths and a beat made to dance to, listen out for the subtle homage to Smells Like Teen Spirit in there too.
The video is the icing on the cake, featuring dancers and synchronised swimmers dressed as different parts of the female anatomy, unicorns blow-drying their nether regions and Peaches herself dressed in an incredibly NSFW bodysuit all cavorting around a waterfall. I’d say we’ve reached peak Peaches here but, as she has proven time and again, there may be no such thing.
Rub is out now on I U She Music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwlDB5swdQ
Image: Stereogum
Sarah Connor has been an increasingly loud voice in the local hip-hop scene across the past two years, establishing herself early on as a force to be reckoned with. Having already made her mark with previous singles Kill Bill and Coma State, she’s setting the bar even higher today, with a brand new track titled Apex, featuring Sydney-via-UK artist Bigredcap and Sydney MC Losty.
The track is immediately filled with a manic energy, as a grimy hook and piano-laden instrumental set the scene ahead of her verses. Connor is a natural talent, demonstrating clever, demanding wordplay along with a refined flow. The guest vocals from Bigredcap and Losty add more fuel to the fire, rounding off one of the strongest Australian tracks I’ve heard all year.
Having already supported artists including Common, Talib Kweli, Dylan Joel and Thundamentals, Connor is just one of many incredible Australian rappers redefining the scene and its reputation. Last year she won the $10,000 Hilltop Hoods/APRA AMCOS grant, which was announced to support an upcoming rapper, producer or soul artist.
Apex is to feature on her upcoming EP, set for release later this year. It will also feature guest vocals from Natalie Slade, along with production from Lou Koo, Jaytee Hazard, Jesse Marantz and ILL 86.
Sarah Connor will be officially launching Apex on July 16 at Plan B in Sydney, with support from both Bigredcap and Losty. Details and more information can be found here.
Image: Supplied