It’d be an understatement to say that Australia is still reeling from the Splendour In The Grass lineup reveal yesterday morning. Aside from a saddening lack of international hip-hop acts, the lineup is filled to the brim with great artists, local and international, of just about every genre. One act that may have taken some by surprise however, is a producer by the name of Szymon.
A Newcastle boy born and bred, and an electronic music producer of amazing skill, Szymon tragically lost his battle with depression in 2012 at the age of 23. In the wake of his death, his family and friends went about finishing the album he started, collecting all his work, samples and assembling it in the style he’d become known for. Tigersapp, released in August of last year, was nominated for an ARIA award for 2015 Best Adult Contemporary Album, featured on the Australian Music Prize long list, and was FBi Radio’s album of the week. On top of releasing a video for Floods, Szymon’s family have announced that they will pay tribute to him, with a special performance at this year’s Splendour. His siblings Dom, Eva and Kubush Borzestowski, and brother-in-law Josh Irwin will take the stage for what is to be an absolutely unforgettable performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7EG8pAlpV8&feature=youtu.be
Though the Australian music scene has lost someone of immeasurable talent, it’s beautiful to know that there’s no doubt that his legacy will live on in his music, and in the hearts of the people he knew.
Splendour In The Grass tickets go on sale Thursday the 21st of April at 9am AEST.
Read our review of Szymon’s Tigersapp here.
Szymon is a caster of spells; he weaves sound into this vivid, rich-with-colour tapestry. He catches sonic threads tousled wantonly by the wind and plaits them into the braid of his artistry. He does this with soft-handedness and gentility, and as such sound rallies to him on its own accord to rest in the warmth of his genius. There is no doubt that Szymon is otherworldly talented, that his relationship to music was more than sublunary. All of his soundscapes are an unforced gathering of keys, brass and strings, everything reposes and croons from its set place. It really is a bewitching experience to listen to; all the elements gyre and turn together like unison-flying flocks of birds tracking through cream cumuli. The point is that it feels profoundly organic, prime and vital, in a way that one rarely experiences.
Szymon cannot be placed in any single genre – his songs can be pure sonic narratives (Katyusha, Saigon, Zoo Story), or lush, from-the-forest folk anthems (Golden, Locks, Trojan Stalks, Floods) or even sugar-sweet 60s/70s pop revival tunes (Medusa). I am sure, however, that many will try to pigeonhole him as another iteration of the indie-folk zeitgeist. But Szymon is not stale, nor trivial, nor conformist. He proves on his posthumous album, Tigersapp, that he is profoundly human and connected. This body of work cannot be made secondary to the concerns of genre obsessors. It cannot be reduced to an auditory blimp, an atom, when it is fact star-like in its proportions. Tigersapp is the distilled voice of a sufferer, and it will speak to us for longer than Szymon could have imagined.
I could write without end about the songs on this album. But just as a foretaste, I will share my thoughts and feelings on two songs. Katyusha is a revelation. There are so many things: the way the clutter-clap of the drums lends its texture to the sirening vocal sample, the way the trumpet’s metallic voice slips into the lush bundles of instrumentation, the way the guitar glides with a sensuous Che Guevara-esque wanderlust. It is an incredibly well-crafted sound-piece that would be better described as high-art. It flung me onto some far-off landscape burnt orange by the sun’s fire, fragrant with fruit-festooned forests and played upon by dry-with-cool winds. It transported me.
Zoo Story did the same thing. Different to Katyusha, it has this deep groove that makes your bones rattle with rhythm. Szymon builds the song’s percussive architecture, by intersecting and layering wooden, glassy and metallic beats. He holds the teeming mass of clicks and clacks in order by means of a guitar melody, found I imagine in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magical South America. I don’t know why, but so much of Szymon’s music evokes images of the mist swept Andes, and the green infinity of the Amazon. Perhaps, it was a world that he longed for – a world of life, living life.
It is incredibly sad that Szymon took his life in December 2012. Debilitated and shrunken by his battle with depression, Szymon could not bear to continue. But he has left us with a powerful body of work that affirms life in all its complicated expressions. Szymon might not have been able to save himself, but I have not doubt that he will be saving others.
Once again, we’ve got you covered and have sourced the best songs that have dropped over the past seven days. It’s a big mix of everything, but one thing you can be sure of is that we have only included tunes of the utmost quality. If you only hear ten songs this week, make it these!
Leisure Suite – Sweet Gin
Leisure Suite have marked their return this week with the announcement that a new EP is on the way as well as the first taste of what we can expect. Sweet Gin is a total dream, soft and down tempo with enough depth to make it that extra bit special. If this duo aren’t on your radar yet, Sweet Gin is the perfect introduction.
Papoose – Michael Jackson (Ft. Rema Ma & Ty Dolla $ign)
As far as jams go, they don’t get much better than this. A big ball of fun turned into a song, Michael Jackson is too good. Big bass, frenzied beats, grandiose lyrics and enough good vibes to warm up our Australian winter nights, this will definitely feature heavily in future party playlists of mine.
BUOY – Close/Open
BUOY is one of the most exciting acts in Australia right now. I cannot rave enough about her. Her songs are so unique, so refined and there is so much detail, each listen you discover another subtle intricacy that wasn’t there before. They bloom and swell as she adds more and more to the mix, complimented by her gliding vocals that float above the frenetically produced bed of beats she’s made. Her debut EP has recently dropped, and it falls into my “Everyone Must Listen To” category. BUOY is definitely one to watch.
B.Miles – Shaking Hands
B. Miles possesses one of the most commanding voices I’ve heard in some time. Reminiscent of singers from a bygone era, she pays homage to her inspirations whilst looking forward, and her latest single Shaking Hands is yet another example of this. Slow, sexy and smoky, it’s a slow jam that has an extra punch.
Dornik – Drive (BADBADNOTGOOD Remix)
Dornik + BADBADNOTGOOD = match made in heaven. Dornik’s Michael Jackson-esque vocals are perfectly suited to the downtempo jazz infusion the Canadian trio have laid down, and is shown off in a different light from his usual upbeat R&B jams. This remix comes just before Dornik’s debut album drops next month, and has us like Homer Simpson thinking about donuts when we think about that being in our ears.
DownBeat Keys – Final Round
If there is a song you have to hear on a Friday afternoon, it’s probably this one. The Brooklyn funk/R&B band have turned it up more than a few levels for this track, amping up the good vibes to a whole new level. Those vocals are to die for, and that hook will definitely be stuck in your head for days to come – lucky it’s so good though, so I’m not even complaining.
Szymon – Medusa
Szymon’s music is bittersweet. Although he lost his battle with depression at such a young age, his family decided to celebrate the bright light that he was, and have been busy releasing his collection of songs posthumously. Medusa is a beautiful, delicate narrative with fast paced guitars and summery vibes. It’s a gorgeous song, and a touching tribute to the raw talent that was Szymon.
Gill Bates – Didn’t Mind (Prod. Feki)
Brisbane’s Gill Bates has totally blown up lately, and for good reason. From the release of his debut single, She Knows, featuring Allday, he jumped on the Chubby Boy’s tour alongside Asta, and is now supporting fellow breakthrough star in the making, Baro. He’s got a voice that immediately makes you sit up and listen, sounding more like someone rubbing shoulders with Frank Ocean than someone from the Brisbane ‘burbs. Didn’t Mind is another feather in his cap, teaming up with Feki for production duties. The track holds Bates in good stead for what we can still expect from him. All I know is that Gill Bates is not one to sleep on.
Zola Blood – Play Out
Intimate, mysterious and rich, Hackney-four piece Zola Blood have returned with a fantastic tune in Play Out. It snowballs, slowly but surely, into a sprawling, intricate track with a multitude of influences on display. Play Out marks Zola Blood’s return since the release of their debut EP last year, which saw them reach #1 on Hype Machine. If this track is anything to go by, I dare say they’ll be heading that way again!
Homeshake – Give It To Me
Having just signed to label Strange Yonder, Homeshake have gone and dropped one of my favourite tracks of this year in Give It To Me. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I am including the clip as well in this playlist and it gets it’s own special mention. So chill, so cool, and so controlled, Give It To Me is the soundtrack dreams are made of, and have made Homeshake one of my favourite discoveries to date. They are tipped to have a new album out soon, and to say I’m excited is a huge understatement. All time!
Adria, Falling
Perth’s Adria (named after the Adriatic Sea) has now released the video for Falling, an otherworldly exploration of sound and rhythm. The dark clip is largely black and white, featuring the singer swimming and singing with grace and emotion. It’s an intimate, interesting clip – the perfect complement to the introverted, beautiful song.
Safia, Counting Sheep
The Canberra trio are back with the video for Counting Sheep. Directed by the , who also directed the post-apocalyptic clip for You Are The One. The spooky clip is eerie and somehow evokes a horror-movie vibe; you never know if something horrible is just about to happen. While this is, admittedly, my least favourite Safia song so far, this is a wholly entertaining video clip.
Szymon, Golden
It can’t be easy to create a video clip for a song that’s been released posthumously, but the beautiful work created for Szymon’s Golden is wonderful. Directed by Emile Frederick, the surreal, intimate clip was filmed in Scotland, with the idea that it’s set in an alternate reality where the sun rises once every 23 years, and is therefore considered a rare, beautiful phenomenon. Vast landscapes and dark blue hues give way to blinding light and fantastical surreality. It’s warm and somehow devastating at the same time.
Tired Lion, I Don’t Think You Like Me
Switching it up a bit, here’s Tired Lion’s video clip for the fuzzy, female-fronted indie punk single. The clip itself is really fun, a visual collage of their experiences on tour – from drinking in hotels to being live on stage, driving around and… eating soup. The track is really refreshing – the sound is bright and exciting, with heavy grunge guitars and wicked vocals. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys!
Darts, Aeroplane
We recently wrote about Darts’ wonderful new track Aeroplane, and now we’ve got a clip to go along with it. The grainy clip is really quite surreal, with the lead star walking for quite some distance to a house, only to see its residents (who are the band members, by the way) deliver her one hell of a death stare. So she leaves, eventually heading to a smoke-filled house party – only to be again confronted by the death stare crew. She later encounters them AGAIN atop a car in the street. Creepy.
Ty Dolla $ign, Drop That Kitty ft. Tinashe and Charli XCX
Well, this is just a bit of fun. Not exactly fitting in with the indie vibe of the above tracks, the high-end clip is tonnes of expensive fun. Ty Dolla’s awfully auto-tuned verses feature him driving around in a car, while Charli XCX walks and rides on a weird tricycle, next to two women with huge cat heads photoshopped onto them. Then you have Tinashe doing a sexy dance, with two backup dancers who, you guessed it, also have weird cat faces. This is just a fucking weird and funny clip. Watch it.
J Cole, Wet Dreamz
I’ve saved the best for last. We loved J Cole’s album Forest Hills Drive, and now we’ve got the video clip for his second single, Wet Dreamz. The track features a special kind of star – the four-egged furry kind! The clip begins with Cole walking a gorgeous canine, and the clip goes on to tell the tale of two lovestruck dogs. The track itself is about how he’s a virgin, and is about to lose, but doesn’t want her to know. Hilarious and incredibly cute all at once – and the excellent soundtrack doesn’t hurt. My favourite this week for sure!
Darts
Friday means one thing and one thing only here at Howl & Echoes – playlist day! We have spent all week compiling this week’s best releases and narrowing it down to just 10 songs we think you need to hear. This week, there’s a lot going on. We’ve got Canberra’s Safia, the tragically beautiful track from Szymon, and a Cyril Hahn take on a Caribou classic, as well as a bit of hip hop from JayCee, MIA, Bon Voyage, and another Notorious BIG mashup. In between all that you can be taken away to a dreamier place with Genghar or Sofi de la Torre, and get down to an amazing cover by Winter Islands. Enjoy!
1. Safia – Counting Sheep
This track is a bit strange, as is to be expected with Safia. Dramatic, dynamic and infectious, these three guys know how to make a good dance track, and Counting Sheep is no exception! Following along similar lines from their eerie Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds, this track is a little spooky but so groovy and fun it doesn’t matter!
2. Szymon – Golden
This is a special track. Szymon wrote a series of tracks in his bedroom in 2008, but it wasn’t until his tragic loss in his battle with depression that they were to see the light of day. Eloper Music and his family joined forces to release his beautiful songs, and so they should. Golden is lovely, smooth and definitely deserves your time.
3. JayCee – Vibe
This is one of the smoothest hip hop tracks I’ve heard in a while.The sparse, relaxed production allows the lyrics to take centrestage, with the beautiful vocals of Naomi Lee paired with the chilled out rhymes of JayCee. This has sunny afternoons written all over it.
4. Gengahr – Haunter
Gengahr have just supported Alt-J and Wolf Alice, so already you know they must be good. Haunter is a beautifully delicate track; hazy and emotive with fragile vocals and acoustic guitars. Keep an eye out for these guys, as they continue to capture hearts at SXSW, then support Circa Waves and The Strokes – definitely ones to watch!
5. Sofi de la Torre – That Isn’t You
Alternative R&B is quickly becoming one of the most popular genres in music at the moment, meaning it takes something extra special to standout. Spanish singer-songwriter Sofi de la Torre is exactly this. That Isn’t You is lifted from her forthcoming EP out next month, and I cannot wait for that to drop. This sultry, emotional track features powerful production full of skittering percussion, swirling lasers, whistles and swelling synths. Sublime.
6. Winter Islands – Don’t Let Go (En Vogue Rework)
This En Vogue track is definitely a guilty pleasure/go to karaoke tune for me, so to hear it reworked by Winter Islands in such a way makes me very happy indeed! They’ve made it explosive, with booming drums and soaring guitars, as well as vocals delivered with almost as much passion as me during my karaoke performance.
7. Caribou – Second Chance (Cyril Hahn Edit)
Caribou had one of the most critically acclaimed releases of 2014, with each track on his Our Love album an example of bar raising electronica. It takes a brave soul to step up to the plate to remix this legend, but Cyril Hahn took it upon himself, and spun Second Chance into a slowed down and more soulful, sweeping number. He’s definitely done it justice.
8. Bon Voyage – Booshie
This track is so much fun. Lots of bass, cheeky lyrics and light synths make for a seriously contagious track from this fresh new three piece. “Booshie” is to consider oneself to be above everyone else, and if Bon Voyage are making tracks like this I would say that belief is justified. I’ve had “She way too good for that” stuck in my head for two days now.
9. MIA – CanSeeCanDo
I fucking love MIA, and I’m so glad she is back to her good old angry as hell self. CanSeeCanDo marks the return of her politically charged dance tracks, where her messages of global politics are thinly veiled by immediately likeable and accessible dance music. There was a brief stage where, with the release of her 2013 release Matangi, she was told her music was too dark. This surprise track was accompanied by the SoundCloud description, “DEMOCRACY CONVERSATIONS ! TAMILS ARE STILL WAITING! AND NO MY BEATS ARE NOT BETTER WITHOUT MY POLITICX” so it’s safe to say she’s back, and ready to tear the world a new one!
10. Terry Urban – Who Shot Papi (Prod. Chi Duly) Notorious B.I.G x FKA twigs mashup
We’ve covered the first release of this mashup series, as well as the whole damn album Terry Urban dropped this week, so this track is included merely as an indicator of what has been on repeat for me for the past 5 days. Who would have thought Papi Pacify would be so well suited to Who Shot Ya? The whole album is a dream I didn’t know I’d had come true, and this little number is a definite stand out.
Last year I wrote about the touching story about Szymon, an Australian artist tragically took his own life in December 2012. Szymon had actually recorded an album prior to his death – and the album is now being released posthumously, via specially-formed label Eloper.
We listened to his gorgeous debut release Katushya, from the forthcoming album Tigersapp. Now, the second track has been released – Golden is as emotive and compelling as you might expect, combining experimental electronic rhythms and loops with acoustic lines. It’s unique, captivating and thrilling – particularly when you consider the efforts that have been taken to mix and release this album in tribute to the late musician.
Originally from Newcastle, Szymon Borzetowski created Tigersapp in his bedroom throughout 2008. Partially mixed by Rusty Santos (Animal Collective) and Ian Pritchett (Angus & Julia Stone), the album is set for release later in 2015.
This is a really special project and I’m so happy to share it here with you. I’d like to introduce you to Szymon Borzetowski, an incredibly talented artist from Newcastle.
When Szymon was 19, his father sent a demo of his music to EMI, who were bowled over by what they heard. A development deal followed and most of an album was put together.
Like so many around us, Szymon suffered from severe depression for a number of years, but slowly it began to overpower him. In December 2012, when he was 23, Szymon tragically took his own life.
Szymon’s family have been working with Mark Holland, who was at EMI the time, to finish his album Tigersapp in order to release it posthumously. Holland and Craig Hawker, now at Sony ATV, set up new label Eloper specifically to release this record. Eloper have been working intimately with Szymon’s family, who see the album as a beautiful way to honour his life and work.
The first track to be released is Katyusha, an intriguing, absolutely unique blend of electronic and instrumental elements, otherworldly effects and strong beats. It’s one of the few tracks which are predominantly instrumental.
The full album will be released in 2015. Listen to the single here: