It’s that time of year when leading Sydney tastemakers Volumes put together another crackingly wholesome party. These folks launched their annual festival in 2015, set across three inner-city venues, and have brought together the likes of Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, Nicholas Allbrook, MOSSY, Slum Sociable, Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, and an absolute hot pot of distinctive emerging artists that you had no clue you needed to have a clue about. Expertly curated for the last three years now, it’s an all-immersive dream for music lovers that hinges on the dynamics between music, art and technology.
The Oxford Art Factory, Cliff Dive and Brighton Up played host to this year’s extensive lineup, which saw the return of World Champion and Gold Class, and also featured Sunscreen, Body Type, Gauci, Hideous Sun Demon, Willaris K, The Ocean Party, Straight Arrows, Moaning Lisa, Publique, The Goods, Hatchie among many, many more.
The lineup may be packed but clashes are amazingly few and far between; getting from one venue to the next is a breeze. It’s honestly one of the most enjoyable festival experiences you’re likely to have. If you happened to miss out, Volumes also curates a bunch of other parties from time to time, including this year’s FREEDOM gigs – a four part series of free events to celebrate Oxford Art Factory’s 10th birthday. We suggest you get the heck around those.
For now, peep some of the action from the weekend.
The Ocean Party
Gold Class
Gauci
Publique
The Goods
Willaris K
World Champion
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl and Echoes
Photos by Ashley Stanford
The Ocean Party launched their new album Light Weight at The Tote in Melbourne last Friday, October 24!
Melbourne-via-Wagga sextet The Ocean Party are gearing up for the release of their next album Light Weight and they’ve premiered a brand new single, the second from the album, a nifty little song called Greedy.
It’s a perfect little sub two minute song, equal parts shoegaze, new wave and pop rock with a scuttling opening riff that sticks in your head, the guitars jangling softly over the chorus, the nifty little solo that splits the song is more than welcome. The lyrics delve thematically into the power and persuasion of advertising and it’s an incredibly positive sign of the album to come after the lead single Guess Work was crafted oh so wonderfully as well:
You wouldn’t expect anything less from a band who are releasing their fifth album in the space of three years, it’s easy to tell how hard this band works at getting their craft down to a fine art and they demonstrate such a professional grasp of the pop hook.
The guys are going on a pretty massive tour that will see them traversing almost every nook and cranny of Australia to celebrate, including shows all this week as part of Brisbane’s annual Bigsound festival, so if you want to catch The Ocean Party live before or after the release of Light Weight (and take it from us, they’re absolutely tremendous in that setting) you can do so at any of the following dates:
Pre-album dates:
Tue, Sep 8th: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Wed, Sep 9th and Thu, Sep 10th: BIGSOUND Live, Brisbane
Sat, Sep 12th: The Foundry, Brisbane
Sat, Oct 3rd: The Loft, Warrnambool
Light Weight album tour:
Thu, Oct 8th: The Phoenix, Canberra
Fri, Oct 9th: Vic on the Park, Sydney
Sat, Oct 10th: Treehouse, Byron Bay
Sun, Oct 11th: See Space, Lismore
Tue, Oct 13th: Caffiend, Cairns
Wed, Oct 14th: Rec Room, Townsville
Thu, Oct 15th: The Workshop, Rockhampton
Fri, Oct 16th: The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
Sat, Oct 17th: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Sun, Oct 18th: The Time Machine, Nambour
Thu, Oct 22nd: Finbox, Wollongong
Fri, Oct 23rd: Thyme To Taste, Yass
Sat, Oct 24th: The Tote, Melbourne
Sun, Oct 25th: Birdhouse, Wagga Wagga
Fri, Oct 30th: The Eastern, Ballarat
Sat, Oct 31st: The Metro, Adelaide
Fri, Nov 6th: The Bird, Perth
Sun, Nov 8th: The Newport, Fremantle
Sat, Nov 14th: The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Sun, Nov 15th: Fresh Cafe, Launceston
Light Weight is out October 9th via Spunk Records
Statik Selektah – In The Wind Ft. Joey Bada$$, Big K.R.I.T and Chauncy Sherod
We were getting a little impatient in the lead up to the release of Statik Selektah‘s Lucky 7 album, but thankfully this week, that wait is now over. In The Wind is another track taken from that record, and like its predecessors, is another shining example of just how incredible Statik is. Blending so many elements and whipping them into a groovy, blissful, hip hop storm is no mean feat, but Statik goes about about it in such a way it looks almost easy.
Youngs. – Serasan Shakes
Slow but fast, gentle but powerful, Melbourne band Youngs. have dropped a doozy with Serasan Shakes. Hypnotic in the way it soars and crashes, it’s a promising release from a very promising band. The frenetic beats are reminiscent of acts like Seekae, but the vocals and melodies distance the band from too strong a comparison, and put them in a league of their own.
LIR – Chasing
Melbourne and Tel Aviv are pretty different I would imagine, but the best of both worlds have combined in the new duo, LIR. Chasing is their debut single and as far as debuts go, this one is very special. The layered vocals, the frenzied loops, the dulcet tones of Liron Tru and the fed up lyrics swirl together to create a glitchy, unpredictable but totally enthralling track that I just can’t get enough of.
HANA – Avalanche
Having received support from Lorde, Grimes and Lana Del Rey before releasing your second ever song is no mean feat, but when it comes to HANA, you can understand why. It also helps that Blood Diamonds is your boyfriend as well as your producer. The two clearly work superbly together, with this track really speaking for itself. Crisp but muffled drum beats, the intricate production and HANA’s feather soft voice – Avalanche is a total dream.
cln – Found
Cln is definitely an up and comer that deserves your attention – and with tracks like Found, he’s bound to get it. One of the better producers to pop up in this post-Flume world, Cln’s work is delicate, meticulous and considered, and it’s this thought and care that he takes with his tracks that make them what they are. I’ve got both my eyes on this guy!
The Ocean Party – Guess Work
In my opinion, The Ocean Party are one of the best bands in Australia right now, so any new music from them is pretty much guaranteed to be good. Guess Work marks their return to the scene after dropping one of the best albums of last year, Soft Focus. With lyrics that sing of “feelings of guilt and disenfranchisement of living in an age of globalization and drone warfare,” and such precise guitar leads, poignant keys and a drum beat that carries the track, Guess Work is one hell of a way to mark their return.
Major Leagues – Someone Sometime
Brisbane darlings Major Leagues are definitely not wasting any time accumulating a loyal fan base with their dreamy tunes, and rightly so. The serene vocal harmonies, the fuzzy guitars and hard hitting drums might seem like something you’ve heard before, but there is something special about this band that keeps them separate from the pack. They’re about to go on tour as well as performing at BIGSOUND later this year, and I insist you go along to see them in action!
Ta-Ku – Down For You Ft. Alina Baraz
It’s basically a given that any song that Ta-Ku releases will end up in many a “Best Songs” playlist, and this one is no exception. Down For You is taken from the prolific producer’s latest EP, Songs to Make Up To, and it makes us want to do more than that! The gorgeous vocals from Alina Baraz and Ta-Ku’s exceptional as always production make for another outstanding track.
Coda Conduct – Paint it Gold
Canberra/Sydney hip hop duo Coda Conduct have only just come onto my radar recently, and I am so glad they did. Sally and Erica can rap, and they can rap really good. Sally makes their beats too, and their EP released in March Butter Side Up is one of the better releases I’ve heard this year. Paint It Gold is so much fun, delivered with high energy, dynamic production and a spotlight on just how much these two ladies have going in. I am predicting very big things to come from these two!
Words by Katie Rowley
The Ocean Party, Melbourne’s finest six-piece have just landed off a flight from Brunswick, USA, but if there’s any tiredness or jetlag the boys hide it well. Showcasing songs from their fourth and most recent album, Soft Focus, the band receive a warm welcome from a slightly undersized crowd at the Lansdowne. It’s safe to say that the band is a talented bunch; all six write and sing, and, apart from the recent addition of bassist Mark Rogers, grew up together in Wagga Wagga. It’s a far cry from the ocean, but it’s this shared experience and collective nostalgia that really comes through in their sound.
Liam Halliwell sets the tone with the thoughtful instrumentation and playful, yet precocious lyrics of Deluded; “you haven’t seen me in a while, I haven’t changed much but I’ll never be the same.” With just the right touch of reverb, it’s like a warm coastal breeze passing over and engulfing you in a cosy cocoon of comfort.
Drummer Zach Denton, brother of guitarist Lachlan, takes the vocals for the second track. It’s an upbeat shuffle that sees the band weave between one another on the compact stage – for a bunch of unassuming music nerds, they command the audience’s interest.
Every Decision offers a bassline that sounds ever so like The Clash’s I fought the law, but it’s short and punchy enough in its own right. The band’s sound is simultaneously catchy, uplifting and soothing. Their variety shows through on slower, more expansive numbers like Charters Towers, which has keyboardist Jordan Thompson singing honestly and dreamily about small town Australia.
Despite cramming six musicians onto a small stage, their cohesive and wholesome sound shines through the PA with clarity and energy. The upbeat opening guitar riff on Head Down throws the crowd into a jiggle, with a catchy hook of “don’t prove me wrong, I like to think I’m right.” The band can distill lyrics down to their witty simplest, but don’t be fooled: a lot of thought and skill is required to pull this trick off.
There’s a touch of funk and sass to the gig that justifies their ‘party’ tag, as well as clear onstage chemistry and a strong unified sound that shows the boys’ commitment and practise over the last couple of years. With live tracks as intelligently heartening as this, The Ocean Party can confidently look forward to bigger things.
The Ocean Party, Deluded
Bassist Mark Rogers cuts a rug in the backstreets of Fitzroy, Melbourne to what is one of the most impressive tracks on one of 2014’s most impressive albums. The Ocean Party are going from strength to strength these days, but maybe what they didn’t even know they were missing lies in the mystery man at the end of the clip? Catch them on tour soon!
A-Trak, Push ft Andrew Wyatt
One of my favourite dance tracks of last year has seen A-Trak return to his rightful spot on top after a little break. Featuring the undeniably striking and captivating vocals of Miike Snow‘s Andrew Wyatt, this is piano-house at it’s banging best! The clip gets weird with some pretty crazy scenes of young high society, and is actually perfectly suited to the track. A-Trak recently told The Fader, “I also really wanted a tiger and a squid, I was very specific about that.” Classic A-Trak.
RATKING, Snow Beach
Landing in Australia very soon for Laneway Festival, RATKING have done it again with their latest clip for Snow Beach. Braving the freezing cold (20 degrees Fahrenheit, people), the boys take us on a tour of NYC including the deserted beach. Known for their ability to push the boundaries with their captivating and demanded music, Snow Beach is one of the best songs off their 2014 album So It Goes. TOASTIIIIIIING!
Total Giovanni, Can’t Control My Love
I can’t stop raving about this group, and their latest clip is just adding to my argument that Total Giovanni are one of the most exciting groups to come out of Melbourne in 2014. The film clip for their second track, Can’t Control My Love centres around a group of bad boys getting up to no good, with things not sitting right with the youngest member. When they pick on a young girl – the object of the young boy’s affections – things take a turn for the better thanks to the disco breakdown in the new track. Also, a moment of respect for Total Giovanni’s cameos and the outfits they’re wearing.
POMO, Back 2 U
POMO is on the same label as Kaytranada (HW&W Recordings), and performs alongside HudMo, Giraffage and SpazzKid, so he must know what he’s doing! His first ever music video off his debut 8 track EP, The Other Day, is stunning, with beautiful imagery of professional high diving. However, things get really trippy as the scene begins to warp and melt until it’s completely unrecognisable. The song is catchy as all hell too, and shows there are big things to come from the Canadian producer!
The Ocean Party had a pretty big year last year. Their album Soft Focus made it onto countless “Best Of The Year” lists, and they began cementing themselves as one of the hottest acts in the country. Sharp and cohesive, Soft Focus features every member having a go at not only singing but writing as well, and it’s pulled off incredibly well!
Now, thanks to the legends at Bedroom Suck Records and Spunk Records, they’re hitting the road at the end of January!
Coming along for the ride is Totally Mild, an indie four piece from Melbourne known for their smart version of dream pop. The two bands are touring nationally and you can see the dates below! This isn’t a tour you’ll want to miss!
