Hypothesis: partying with Beck, Justice and The Libertines is the most ideal way to kick a new festival off the ground. By all calculations, it turns out that reality lives up to the theory.
Sydney City Limits is Australia’s answer to the renowned Texas event that has become a cornerstone of America’s festival circuit. Like Austin City Limits, SCL is set to make its mark on the industry here at home. The event came out swinging in its inaugural year with a glittering lineup that echoed festivals past (Big Day Out, Soundwave), beckoning some big acts who haven’t been this side of the shoreline in a while (what we like to see).
Brit punk icons The Libertines, the infinitely talented Grace Jones, mastermind Beck, and French electro/indie powerhouses Justice and Phoenix all joined a rich and diverse bill of local and internationals acts. Aussie wares like Gang of Youths, Stella Donnelly, Winston Surfshirt, Alex Lahey and The Avalanches sat alongside comfortably showcasing staggering talent.
The kick-off was a one-day affair set to four stages and was peppered with boutique food, beverage and retail stalls, including The Grove VIP section, for anyone malcontent with the sweaty mosh life. While around 14,000 turned up to muzz, the Centennial Park space was easy to navigate between stages and the lines for food and drinks were spread out and moved quickly, thanks to the abundance of vendors. It was a jam-packed schedule which meant that we weren’t bored for a second. We’ll definitely be back next year.
Photos by Dani Hansen.
Thundercat
Gang of Youths
Oh Wonder
The Avalanches
Future
Ocean Alley
Grace Jones
Justice
Phoenix
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Drawing from the staggering 364 Australian albums released in 2016, the judges for the 12th annual Australian Music Prize (AMP) have managed to pluck 12 of the finest as contenders for the big prize. Coming in at a cool $30,000, the AMP is the nation’s richest cash prize for an Australian album and celebrates the creme of the country’s musical crop. The shortlist, which was announced today, features a decidedly eclectic selection, as is testament to how incredible 2016 was for Australian music. The nominees range from Aussie legends like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and their sombre Skeleton Tree, to the self-described “scummy little punks” in Camp Cope whose album was recorded in under two days to the passionate, and politically charged A.B Original, whose debut record Reclaim Australia topped many end-of-year lists, including our own.
Pitting newcomers like multi-instrumentalist Olympia against icons of the Australian music industry, the short list included the long-awaited album from The Avalanches Wildflower and previous winners Big Scary, with their gorgeous new record Animal. Artists nominated commented on the fact that 2016 was an exceptionally good year for Australian music.
Speaking of the nomination, Sarah Thompson of Camp Cope stated, “Being shortlisted for the AMP has blown our minds. We spent 1 and a half days and $1000 making this record so to see where it’s come is just nuts. We’re so appreciative of everyone who’s supported it and us over the past 12 months. Being recognised by the judges and our peers is a huge honour. I have no idea how three scummy little punks fell into the realm of any sort of prize but we are stoked, and really appreciate it – thanks so much for including us!”
The winner will be announced on March 8 at the annual AMPed Up in Conversation event in Sydney.
The 12th AMP Shortlist (in alphabetical order):
A.B. Original, Reclaim Australia
The Avalanches, Wildflower
Big Scary, Animal
Camp Cope, Camp Cope
D.D Dumbo, Utopia Defeated
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Nonagon Infinity
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree
Olympia, Self Talk
The Peep Tempel, Joy
Image: Bandcamp
The Avalanches‘ first album Since I Left You, was released when I was too young to purchase CDs (or download/streaming them), but in the 16 years since, they became an enigmatic mystery and a legend; the album was everywhere, universally acclaimed, and the world were collectively waiting for what would finally come in 2016 as the beautiful Wildflower.
Taking their show on the road, they played a select few local and international festivals last year, wrapping up 2016 with Falls Festival, as well as a series of much-anticipated headline sideshows, two of which took place in Melbourne. After selling out the first night, January 3rd a second show was added for the 4th.
Upon arriving at Melbourne’s amazing Town Hall, I was stunned how quiet the room was. There was no one on stage, soft music playing in the background, and most punters were just sitting around chatting to each other in groups. Soon, everything went black and a shadowed figure walked out onto the stage. It was hip-hip legend and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, Grandmaster Flash. Flash is considered one of hip-hop’s greatest pioneers when it comes to DJing, mixing, and cutting, introducing a wide range of turntable techniques which single-handedly influenced the way so many DJs and producers work today. His influence extended far beyond hip-hop, and can be clearly felt throughout The Avalanches’ music.
Seeing Grandmaster was interesting. I was so pumped to see him, and considering his fingerprint on my favourite genre, my expectations were high. He took the crowd on a nostalgic journey through some of music’s best funk, jazz, disco, and hip-hip, landing plenty of Michael Jackson in particular. Although you’ve gotta respect the 59-year-old for still being out on the road, the minimal scratching and maximum need for hands to be up in the air didn’t quite do it for me. While simply being able to watch the man live in action was exciting for its sheer historical weight, it nevertheless did leave a little to be desired.
Photo: Juan Castro
After a merciful 30 minute interval spent escaping the sweatbox of Melbourne Town Hall, The Avalanches graced the stage, with a full live band. The band now consists of only two member Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi. Fortunately, Robbie was well enough to show off his skills on the guitar. The rest of the live band consisted of singer Eliza Wolfgramm, rapper and vocalist Spank Rock, and drummer Paris Jeffree.
Wasting no time, they launched right into Because I’m Me, the perfect song to show off the whole band’s abilities right up top. Eliza can really belt out any vocals thrown at her, and Spank Rock’s ability to mimic the various rapping styles and tones featured throughout the album was thoroughly impressive; touring bands often face a huge challenge when considering to perform songs with featured artists who may not be on stage at the time – so finding an artist who can essentially cover all bases was undoubtedly a real blessing. Especially, when it came to doing his best Danny Brown during Frankie Sinatra. At the end of Frankie Sinatra Tony jumped on the theremin, perhaps one of the most unique musical instruments I have ever seen played live.
Photo: Juan Castro
For such a heavy synth, turntable, and sample driven set The Avalanches were able to keep the crowd engaged and each song fresh and interesting. They performed a couple of covers including The Clash’s Guns Of Brixton, which Eliza sung while swinging a baseball bat above her head. Guest vocalist Oscar Key Sung also came out for an intimate performance of Colours.
After revisiting a few old favourites like Flight Tonight and Radio, the large banner behind the band dropped to reveal a video screen, which started to play the acid-trip laced film clip to Subways. The visuals added a cool, unique touch, and the song was the most well-received of the night.
Photo: Juan Castro
Spank Rock then got a chance to perform some of his own material as the group covered his track Bump, before launching into a more acoustic rendition of If I Was A Folkstar with Oscar Key Sung back on vocals.
The end of their regular set ended with a killer performance of one of the most classic Avalanches tracks, Frontier Physiatrist, with accompanying video. Tony then thanked everyone and said they were just going to pretend to leave, which didn’t stop the crowd from delivering a roaring encore chant, complete with stomping and cheering.
They emerged again a few moments later, and gave the crowd the exact three songs we were all hoping for; Electricity, the kazoo laden The Noisey Eater, and the song that started it all, Since I Left You. Mic drop, and everyone left the stage.
Photo: Juan Castro
It was an incredible night, complete with a subconscious history lesson. From Grandmaster Flash’s set, which harks back to the very origins of sampling and scratching, to the mighty mighty Avalanches and the way they have so uniquely crafted their music using these techniques, it was as interesting to witness in action as it was to hear and enjoy. The contrast was an experience that will not be matched; The Avalanches’ return was every bit as magical as you could hope for.
Check out our full photo gallery here, photos of The Avalanches at Falls Festival in Byron Bay, and of Grandmaster Flash also in Byron Bay.
Image: Juan Castro / Howl and Echoes
After 23 glorious years, Falls Festival continues to provide us with the most unforgettable moments across the New Year festivus. The 2016-17 lineup saw some major international names, as well as our best local acts rounding up another year in style. In Byron Bay, it was a balmy 33 degrees across the three day event and climaxed with a torrential downpour for the very last performances on day three.
Straight into day two, multi-instrumentalist Hein Cooper opened the amphitheatre to a nice swell of punters, braving the extreme heat just after midday. Meanwhile, Sydney locals Middle Kids ambled their way across the Forest Stage with a stellar set, followed up by Norwegian act Lemaitre. Ultra-talented crowd favourite Matt Corby delivered an as-per-usual spine-tingling performance, with POND and Violent Soho going on to take the Valley Stage later in the night. Finally, The Avalanches and The Rubens clashed to close out another massive day of amazing music.
In this gallery you will find Hein Cooper, City Calm Down, The Jezabels, Middle Kids, Lemaitre, Matt Corby, POND, Ta-ku, Violent Soho and The Avalanches.
PHOTOS: Falls Festival Day I
PHOTOS: Falls Festival Day IIIHein Cooper
City Calm Down
The Jezabels
Middle Kids
Lemaitre
Matt Corby
POND
Ta-ku
Violent Soho
The Avalanches
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Festival season is well and truly in full swing, and for those who can’t attend any of the major camping festivals, there’s a seemingly endless plethora of sideshows to pick from in a city near you, and we may have just witnessed the best one. One of the most incredible comebacks in recent times has been the mighty Avalanches, who returned last year after a 16 year gap, delivering their stellar sophomore album Wildflower. With features from rappers including MF DOOM, Danny Brown and Biz Markie among others, the hip-hop influence was immediately clear on their sound as well as their famed use of sampling and turntablism. So when it was announced that none other than scratch maestro himself Grandmaster Flash would supporting the group, it made a lot of sense to combine the two (as strange as it is to see one of hip-hop’s earliest and most important names in an opening slot), and indeed, it worked a treat.
The Avalanches and Grandmaster Flash were both in town to perform at Falls Festival, and we were lucky to also catch them live in Melbourne at Melbourne Town Hall on January 3.
At 59 years old it was impressive to see the master still in action, no doubt feeling revitalised due to the sudden influx of attention he’s receiving right now thanks to Netflix programs The Get Down and Hip Hop Evolution.
Chances are the nobody in the crowd actually expected they’d get to catch The Avalanches live one day, making for an unforgettable experienced for all who attended. To be able to see a live performance of music crafted in such a thoroughly unique and painstaking manner, is matched by little else, particularly when brought to life by a full live band.
Grandmaster Flash
The Avalanches
All images: Juan Castro for Howl & Echoes
With this year’s edition of Falls Festival somehow only a week away, we’re all getting very much ready for Christmas to be over and the end of the year upon us, going mental at a festival a damn sight more fun than awkward family gatherings. We’ve looked at ten acts from around the world that you need to catch at this year’s Falls, today we get a little closer to home with five local acts you’d be a fool to miss as well. The likes of:
Violent Soho
Look, if you’ve been to a single music festival in Australia this year then there’s a very strong likelihood that you have seen Violent Soho at some point, they have just been everywhere on the live circuit this year touring the heck out of their outstanding latest album WACO.
Even if you’ve seen them more times than your own grandmother this year, few things are as earth-shaking as a Violent Soho festival show on home soil, they’re up there among the biggest bands in the country and when they play absolutely nothing gets left in the tank, from the band to the raucous crowd. You know new hits like Viceroy, Like Soda and Blanket are going to go off like frogs in a sock, but who could pass up the euphoric singalong to Covered In Chrome that will surely end the set (and possibly the entire festival in a smoking crater) with a bang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFbbZuO7f4E
DMA’s
Violent Soho’s I Oh You labelmates in Sydney’s DMA’s are also touching down at Falls after having themselves a ripper year too. They released their long-awaited debut album Hills End earlier this year, a record that won them swathes of new fans and solidified their status as one of the country’s best exports in one fell swoop, the trio on a meteoric upswing ever since.
They’ve expanded their sound on the new record and it’s a sonic experience that should transfer to the festival stage naturally, their signature Brit-pop throwback wall of sound made for seething outdoor crowds. Delete is a festival favourite that everybody in the country should know the words to like the national anthem at this point and DMA’s should be a highlight for everyone in attendance. If they love us unconditionally they might give their spellbinding cover of Cher’s Believe from their stint on Like A Version this year a red hot crack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmwFnoMoDDg
The Avalanches
What a return 2016 was for The Avalanches. They were heralded as conquering kings at their first stage show in years at Splendour, a true spectacle that showed The Avalanches still have it in spades. Their sophomore album Wildflower, released 16 long, bleak years since their debut Since I Left You is one of the records of the year and live renditions of Frankie Sinatra and Because I’m Me blended seamlessly (and delightfully) with old hits like Since I Left You and the titanic Frontier Psychiatrist when they unveiled them live at Splendour.
Special guests, mash ups and enough dancing to send shockwaves to the core of the earth will be the order of the evening when The Avalanches take to the stage at Falls Festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpqm-05R2Jk
Tired Lion
Perth’s Tired Lion came to kick ass and chew gum and they’re fresh out of gum. They’ve enjoyed a breakout 2016 as part of the new wave of feminism taking the Australian punk scene by storm. They hit absolutely huge on just about everything they released, including the snarling I Don’t Think You Like Me, the anthemic Not My Friends and the darkly personal Agoraphobia among others.
They’ll be rocking Falls a new one this year as well leaving no ear within about 200 feet of them un-defeaned. Frontwoman Sophie Hopes is without doubt one of the best in the business going at the moment and Tired Lion will be a must watch as they take to one of the nation’s biggest stages to solidify their place on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNKzInyG9n4
Middle Kids
Sydney trio Middle Kids are playing their first ever Falls Festival as well. They’re a fantastic new name in Australian indie rock, finding success and racking up plays with hit singles Your Love and Edge Of Town in 2016.
Frontwoman Hannah has a set of pipes that will haunt you in your dreams. If you’re feeling like just chilling out for a little while amidst an otherwise hectic and debaucherous festival, Middle Kids will be there to give you the good vibes in spades.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d5IIgGucaw
Mallrat
Last but certainly not least is upstart young Brisbane talent Mallrat, whose name has been heard with increasing frequency throughout the year off the back of fantastic singles like Inside Voices and the deliciously off-kilter Sunglasses.
Dancing the line, with nothing short of aplomb belying her incredibly young age, between hip-hop and electro-pop, her tunes are beyond infectious and Falls will be her chance to make her mark even bigger in the wider consciousness of Australian music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0sD0Tm7aCk
Image: Music Feeds
Another week and another crop of fresh music videos from some of your favourite artists and some of your new favourite artists (you just don’t know it yet). We’ve taken the time to round them all up for you to take a gander at below
Emma Louise – Illuminate
The video for Emma Lousie’s hugely successful Illuminate is a beautiful marriage between music and visuals. Under blue lights, there are dancers moving together as one to bring the words to life and the video paired with the music is so natural and seamless it is as though they were created together as one performance piece.
Coming together for their fourth video, it is a collaboration between the singer and director Dylan Duclos using choreography by Jason Winters and it is a true testament to the adage that sometimes, less is more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yBgjYOyPY0&feature=youtu.be
Bloc Party – Stunt Queen
They may have only released Hymns in January, but already the revamped Bloc Party have dropped a new single Stunt Queen. Written along with a bunch of other new material during their tour with Falls Festival earlier in the year, the song is reminiscent of their earlier work while (note the the hints of Silent Alarm, particularly at the open) with the renewed energy that comes with a fresh lineup.
The video is a classic tour diary, sticking strong with the theme and narrative that finds its footings somewhere between the sticky floors of The Forum (Melbourne) and Enmore (Sydney) Theatres.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVPulAbfAj0
AYLA – Like The Other Kids
A decked out abandoned train carriage, lush fields and daisy chains make up the sweet, sun-drenched visuals for the new video from Sunshine Coast’s AYLA. Going her own way as she frolics through the greenery, chops firewood and takes aim at beer cans with a slingshot, the video is a symbol of personal libation and a celebration of the wonderfully feeling of fulfilment that comes with forging your own path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd838scz2NE
The song might be called Down At The Beach, but the new video from Sydney’s Big White was filmed in an abandoned Belgian castle between shows in Paris and Amsterdam. Shooting the footage themselves, they opted to avoid a beach clip as the song is about “killing something that’s old”, letting go and finding time and space to reflect.
With the filtered, hand-shot footage, the video has a certain poignant nostalgia about it, ensuring that they achieved just that. A far cry from (and far better than) the cheesy tourist beach shots they could have gone for instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2p5A8vgF7M&feature=youtu.be
Dave – Six Paths
Fresh from his game-changing remix with Toronto’s incumbent king Drake, South London’s Dave has returned with the third visual accompaniment from his incredible Six Paths EP. Embodying the same stunning artistic direction, the title track video shows Dave stunting eerily in black and white with a medieval castle as his setting. Tying in with the dark, gritty, string lead beat, Dave brings his same razor sharp bars.
To keep with tradition, there’s even a cameo from collaborator AJ Tracey proving these two are bros ‘til the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuV_cyckCqY
Sampa The Great – HERoes (The Response)
After sending out a call to action in the first half of HERoes earlier this month, the incredible Sampa The Great has returned with its answer. Sporadic electronic tones open the tune, making way for a truly neck shattering African-influenced drum beat.
Sampa flexes a seriously incredible flow alongside her always constant attention to lyricism. As she raps at an incredible pace, despite it being a lyric video, it’s hard enough just to read along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1nLFBy_weU
Action Bronson – Durag vs. Headband
Everyone’s favourite Albanian rapper turned chef in Action Bronson has finally returned with the new hilariously named track Durag vs Headband. Featuring the whole Fuck That’s Delicious crew, plus producer and Ancient Aliens co-star Knxwledge.
Both the video and music are outstanding, the whole gang filling the screen with their raw tenacity over a rough boom bap beat by Knx and always on point verses by Bronson. Not to mention Big Body Bes on the hook, reminding all once again how incredible he is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWLg7_G0_go
The Avalanches – Because I’m Me
After returning oh so wonderfully at the start of this year and dropping their highly anticipated sophomore album Wildflower, The Avalanches have been casually releasing a number of music videos from the project over the last few months. Obviously, they’ve saved the best until now though, with the video for Because I’m Me.
This heartstring-plucking love tale follows a young kid in the subway trying to seduce the girl behind the ticket desk. What results is an incredible sing and dance video which is simply put, brilliantly acted, choreographed and scripted. It’s pretty much the definition of feel-good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu0KsZ_MVBc
YG – One Time Comin’
A possible glimpse into an upcoming project, YG’s One Time Comin’ continues with the police brutality themes which are evident throughout much of his music.
Shots of YG evading the police by car are paired with shocking first person footage of an innocent man frantically on the run, who is inevitably shot for no reason. It’s a powerful video with a similarly intense track below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nTCUI5reJw
I AM D – Seven Deuce
Brisbane’s most veracious emcee, I AM D, has come a long way since his 90s inspired boom bap tracks early in his career. After releasing a range of new and fresh, yet similarly dark anthems over the last few months, the D has now returned with yet another straight to the point track in Seven Deuce.
Paired with bold cinematography, this track is nothing short of fire. There’s no sugarcoated hooks to be found here either, just three minutes of the ill-est verses around, demonstrating I AM D’s skill brilliantly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWomlPOS73o
twelveAM – On My Own
One of Melbourne’s latest rising stars in twelveAM has released the video to his catchy heartfelt tune, On My Own. The track leads his debut EP, demonstrating briefly his ear for brilliant hooks, alongside his unique melodic flow and deep tone, painting a vivid picture as he longs for a lover.
No doubt he’ll be one to watch in the months to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po-RQD36–M&feature=youtu.be
Johnossi – Air Is Free
One of Sweden’s largest bands, the platinum selling Johnossi, have returned with yet another rock scorcher to get you grooving. Backed by harsh guitar riffs, bopping bass lines, marching drums and incredible, powerhouse vocals, Air Is Free follows a young nomad as he yearns for independence and freedom.
The result is a truly moving journey, with a soundtrack that is oh so sweet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQDTG-caCOs
High Klassified – Gold feat. Mick Jenkins
One of Montreal’s finest upcoming producers, High Klassified has blessed us with a vocal collaboration with a similarly incredible artist in Chicago lyrical legend Mick Jenkins. With its smooth, jazzy and booming beat, we see its producer starring in a spooky love story.
Just in time for the Halloween period, the surrealistic clip is fit with creepy bunnies, eerie dolls and clowns, not to mention the sheer insanity of the narrative. Definitely a see it to believe it type video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzsaHjE27zo
Bad//Dreems – Mob Rule
After recently wrapping up their tour with Sydney rockers DMA’s, Adelaide kings Bad//Dreems have followed this up with the release of an incredible new track Mob Rule.
This rough and tough anthem sees the lads reflecting on Australia’s own culture, and what better way that to piece the whole track together with a range of hazy, 80s TV excerpts and clips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmsffFCA4fQ
Image: Pitchfork
2016 has been the year of The Avalanches. The legendary group finally released Wildflower, sixteen years after their game-changing debut Since I Left You. They returned to the international live stage, headlined Splendour in the Grass, are performing at Falls Festival across New Years 2016-2017, and will be heading out on a huge world tour shortly after.
A new interview with the Sydney Morning Herald has now revealed three confirmed headline tour dates, in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney on January 3, 5 and 7 respectively. No further dates have been announced (sorry Perth, Brisbane, Hobart, etc.) but it’s possible that more will be on the way.
The band are planning to be touring for the majority of 2017. Along with core members Robbie Chater and Toni Di Blasi, they’ll be bringing along rapper Spank Rock and drummers Eliza Wolfgramm and Paris Jeffree to complete their live lineup.
Reviews of their Splendour performance were mixed, and the band know it. For anyone who was unconvinced by the performance, fear not – they’re still working on it. “We had time coming in to Splendour, but probably not as much as we would have liked, to make the show as good as we could. Now we have the time,” Di Blasi says. “Splendour was a matter of playing the songs as they were, but now we’ll be doing extensions and rejigging a few. We’ll take the music to the new level we know it can get to.”
Ticket details will be revealed tomorrow.
The Avalanches Australian Tour Dates 2017
January 3, 2017: Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne
January 5, 2017: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
January 7, 2017: Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Read Howl & Echoes’ album review of The Avalanches, Wildflower
Read more: Flashback Friday – The Avalanches, Since I Left You
Image: Mark Metcalfe / SMH
The human ear is easily fooled. In 1967, a pop band called The Main Attraction released a charming, fairly unremarkable single called Everyday. Long story short: the band’s singer is pretty smitten with this new man she’s met. Every day my load is lighter, she croons. Since I met you, I found a world so new. And there’s the trick. This vocal sample is an integral component of The Avalanches’ much-loved single Since I Left You – even providing the song’s title – and yet ‘left’ isn’t the word being sung at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpqm-05R2Jk
Listening to The Avalanches’ brand of plunderphonics is an otherworldly experience. It’s a stained glass window through time, colouring and distorting the sounds of the past to create music as beautiful as it is muddied. Snippets of conversation, music from long-forgotten recordings, dialogue from film and radio… all of it re-purposed to form something new. Even the album artwork is a sample; it’s a small portion of American artist Fred Dana Marsh’s 1920 piece Sinking of USS President Lincoln. Band member Tony Di Blasi put it best in a recent interview with triple j: “It’s like The Avalanches is all these voices throughout time and we’re just a conduit for it.”
The enormously talented Melbourne group has been ubiquitous recently, with their long-long-long-awaited sophomore LP, Wildflower, finally seeing the light of day last month. But amid the fanfare, there are those who are bemused by the sudden reappearance of the group. Who are they, exactly? Why is everyone so excited by this album? Why did it take so long to make? And so on.
Without context, you could be forgiven for doubting the relevance of The Avalanches’ new music. After all, they only released one album all the way back in 2000 and, until this year, had been disappointing us with broken promises and new music that never arrived. Think Frank Ocean or Gendry from Game of Thrones (where is he?) but for sixteen years. If it was anybody else, we would have given up. But it’s The Avalanches, the group responsible for one of the most innovative, revered and expertly-crafted albums in Australian music history. That’s why this band still matters.
The Avalanches, before they left us: (L-R) James De La Cruz, Robbie Chater, Dexter Fabay, Tony Di Blasi, Gordon McQuilten and Darren Seltmann
In 1997, Di Blasi, Robbie Chater and Darren Seltmann formed a group from the ashes of Alarm 115, the trio’s short-lived noise-punk band. Chater and Seltmann had produced a demo tape using crates of old vinyl records, from which they extracted a variety of beats and other sounds. By their fifth gig, after trialling brash names such as Swinging Monkey Cocks and Squid Hats, they settled, mercifully, on The Avalanches.
The inspiration behind the band’s penchant for sampling was simple. As Chater told triple j in 2000, they couldn’t afford to play grand orchestral pieces or replicate the sound of a distinctive instrument from a particular era, so they sourced the sounds they needed from other records. “None of us had much money, so it was just a very cheap sampler, a cheap computer and lots of time going through Melbourne’s op shops,” he explained. By 1999, the band members were spending hours digging through crates of old vinyl, sending interesting samples back and forth and gradually collecting enough to make an album. That album, released in November 2000, was Since I Left You.
The album is best experienced in its entirety, and through headphones. Each track flows into the next, weaving a mesmerising sonic narrative where a horse neighing is as influential as Madonna’s Holiday. Since I Left You is rumoured to comprise over 3,500 individual samples. The summery, disco-inspired title track was one of the band’s most successful. “Get a drink, have a good time now. Welcome to paradise,” you’re greeted, amid soaring flute and a sampled harmony by ‘60s doo-wop icons The Duprees. And so your journey begins.
The Madonna-sampling Stay Another Season is an accompanying coda to Since I Left You, and its familiarity is comforting. It morphs slowly from breezy cruise liner tune to the staggering groove of Radio, apparently via Flemington racecourse. Between tracks, The Avalanches litter fascinating shreds of audio, which, despite their complete disparity, allow for seamless transitions. It’s with the cry of, “Can’t you hear it?”, taken from the 1961 original Broadway cast recording of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, that we reach Two Hearts in 3/4 Time. Here, the gorgeous vocals of American soul singer Marlena Shaw lead us through serene waters and into the turbulence of Avalanche Rock, an interlude of sorts before the blipping, helter-skelter Flight Tonight, which centres on a looped hip-hop lyric by Prince Paul and De La Soul. The pace is frenetic. Before you know it, you’re deep into the album, tossed in a salad of Debbie Reynolds and Sesame Street, garnished with dialogue from Robert De Niro in the ‘80s action film Midnight Run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvWsfyapD2Y
Subtle, familiar threads link sections of Since I Left You together, allowing The Avalanches to explore busy musical side streets before returning to the main thoroughfare. Recurring samples, such as Nancy Wilson’s Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life – parts of which appear in three tracks, culminating in the gentle piano chords of Tonight – are anchoring motifs, providing balance and continuity. There’s definitely a seaside flavour throughout the album, too, with dialogue from the 1986 film Club Med appearing in four tracks and the fleeting Pablo’s Cruise comprised primarily of seagulls and a foghorn.
Through the fog looms The Avalanches’ pièce de résistance: Frontier Psychiatrist. It’s impossibly dense, excessively dramatic and entirely bizarre. “I’d had the music for a long, long time. That big Spaghetti Western kind of sample. I could never figure out what to do with it,” Chater recalled to triple j. Enter Canadian comedy duo Wayne & Shuster, whose record provided the unexpected source of inspiration The Avalanches needed. Lines from their Frontier Psychiatrist sketch, among others, as well as spoken word contributions from Flip Wilson and dialogue from the film Polyester, construct what is essentially a comedy song, albeit one set to a masterfully mixed cocktail of drums, strings, horns and choral harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrnkK2YEcE
The alarm clock ringing in the background of Etoh is fitting; it does feel as though Frontier Psychiatrist was a strange dream. Somehow, though, it sits comfortably alongside the fluttering, French-infused Summer Crane and the robotic funk of Live at Dominoes (“Flight two two is off to Honolulu!”), which are unlikely bedfellows themselves. Then again, the whole album was unlikely; so much of it was composed by chance. If Robbie Chater hadn’t stumbled across that record by The Main Attraction and decided it looked useful, Since I Left You simply wouldn’t exist – not by that name, anyway. As if to remind us of this, Extra Kings fades out with a lyric by The Osmonds: I just can’t get you, since the day I left you. It’s a perfect, full-circle conclusion to an album that sounds as lush and imaginative today as it did in 2000.
While the samples themselves are rooted in the 20th century, Since I Left You is much more than a cut-and-paste pastiche. It’s a masterpiece.
Image: triple j
Fans have waited sixteen long years to hear new music from The Avalanches, but to hear it live, they’re unfortunately going to have to wait a little longer.
The artists, who just released their highly anticipated – and highly well-received – sophomore album Wildflower, have announced via social media that due to health concerns about member Tony DiBlasi, they have been forced to postpone their upcoming international tour dates.
For those headed to Splendour in the Grass this week, fear not – at this point in time the band still have every intention of appearing on the main stage this weekend, as well as at the official Splendour pre-party taking place this week in Byron Bay. As well as their performance last month at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Field Day in London, they were scheduled to play at overseas festivals including Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and La Route Du Rock in France.
The news was announced via their Facebook page, and assures international fans that the dates will be rescheduled down the line.
https://www.facebook.com/theavalanches/posts/10153578550672273
We can only hope that DiBlasi’s health improves to a point where he’s able to tour the world and perform their stellar new tunes for international fans (and ideally the rest of Australia, for those who cannot make it to Splendour in the Grass).
Read our review of The Avalanches’ Wildflower
Read more: The Avalanches take you through Wildflower sample by sample
Image: Steve Gullick