New Zealand-born artist Thomston is gearing up to release his highly anticipated debut album, which has been a long time coming. It’s shaping up to be a really interesting, emotive release, blending elements of pop with electronic and R&B in a unique and immersive way. The young artist has been incredibly busy dedicating himself to the task across the past two years, having travelled the world to collaborate, write with, and learn from a myriad producers and performers in the USA and UK, as well as local artists like Ta-ku and Wafia. He recently performed with Ta-ku at his Vivid Sydney concert at the Sydney Opera House, as well as touring with Wafia, with whom he also released collaborative track Window Seat.

One of our very favourite things to do here at Howl & Echoes, is to support and promote exciting upcoming artists; the kind of artists who gives off that feeling that they’re creating something special, something important, something real. Thomston is one such artist, and it gives us great pleasure to support him as he prepares his album. We recently sat down with Thomston ahead of his debut Australian shows, to learn more about his writing process, the album’s development, his journey so far and more.

So you’ve been spending time writing with other artists lately, right?

Yeah, Wafia and I wrote a track together the day we met! We just had breakfast and then we went and wrote Window Seat. it was really cool, it came together so easily. I did a bunch more with her this year, she came to New Zealand and we spent a few days writing. Then I went to Perth and wrote with Ta-Ku, I had a hand in writing his song [with Wafia] Meet in the Middle that’s out at the moment. He’s so great to work with; he’s so humble, and that sounds like a cliche, but honestly, he really is. So humble, unassuming, so so gracious. Something Wafia and I were talking about is how you wanna give him your best work. I had headlines that I’d been saving, knowing that when I put it in a song it’ll be a fire line, but I just gave them to him! He makes you feel like he deserves them, he makes you want to give him your best, and those kind of people are rare, especially when you just meet them.

And considering where you’re at right now, I imagine you’re meet a lot of new people.

Yeah, and if you’ve got all this material and you give it all away, you might cheapen an idea that you had by not having it in the right context, or not knowing a person well enough for them to really flesh out an idea you have in the right way. But with him it just felt natural to give him the things that I’d been holding on to.

So it’s really important for you to work with people you can connect to.

Absolutely. Last march, I was just starting the record, I went to the States and the UK and wrote with a different person every day. It was such a weird experience for me, it was my first time meeting these people, we didn’t have any correspondence prior. So I’d be like, “Hi I’m Thomas,” and they’d be like, “Hi, I’m so and so,” and I’d try to write a song with them, but it’s so unnatural and it’s so wrong. I felt like I couldn’t be open with my lyrics, that it was letting them into a real personal aspect of my life, especially in the formative phases where I can’t explain my thought process without depersonalising it, so I’d have to talk about specific experiences. I’d come up with a line and they’d be like, wow, what’s that about? And it was like, this is very personal, I don’t feel like I wanna talk about this, especially as we’re writing. You’d have to explain the whole scenario to them so they can contribute lyrics, which is so weird. But meeting people like Ta-ku and Wafia that I instantly connected with is very one in a million to me.

My collaborators are chosen sparingly, it really has to be the right person. I don’t just wanna work with anyone, I mean, there’s so many people I wanna work with, but I might get in a room with them and it’ll be all wrong.

Is it just a feeling?

Yeah, it’s just a vibe. You can’t put it into words.

Who are your dream collaborators?

I’d love to work with The-Dream *laughs*, his melodies are nuts. I’d love to work with Malay, who did a bunch of stuff with Zayn and Frank Ocean, he’s a producer more than anything. there’s a guy called GRADES in the UK who’s done all the NAO stuff, and I love the production – it’s so big, and so intense, it hits so hard. And that’s a very special skill to possess, because it hits hard but it doesn’t feel like a top-40 hitting hard. He’s managed to find that niche, and I wonder how much NAO influences that.

So, tell me a bit about the album now that it’s finished?

So it’s all done, it feels really good to listen to start to finish. It feels very much like a coherent project, which I really desperately wanted it to be. When I started writing this, I was writing a lot of pop. I was worried that I was just gonna write a bunch of pop songs, and they’d be sandwiched between more alternative sounding songs, and it would feel disjointed. But to me it’s the perfect bridge from the older work to what will be coming after the album.

Oh so you’re already planning what’s next?

Yeah, I’ve already started writing.

A five year plan!

*laughs* more like a 50 year plan. I’m in love with writing, I can’t really stop, I’m doing more tomorrow while I’m here. But yeah, the first track on the album is an instrumental track that combines a bunch of themes from the record, melodies and motifs on a bunch of the tracks. I’ve got a piano line from one song that’s over the chords of another song, and I’m doing a vocal melody from one of them, but just humming it, with lots of reverb.

So it’s like an overture?

That’s exactly what I wanted it to be! It’s super influenced by the orchestral overture, where you introduce the motifs at the beginning, and then you explore them in the context of the song with lyrics, later down the line. It feels so much more coherent as a body of work.

Did you plan that early on?

I wanted an intro track, but the overture just kind of happened. I was playing this one melody line over and over from one of the songs, and I just tried different chords underneath it. it sounded beautiful, and also very very different. I slowed it right now, and yeah, it just ended up as track one. Just me playing the piano with lots of layers.

You were saying how it was really hard to explain and formulate your ideas in the earliest stages of the writing. Where are you at with that now? Would you be in a better position to share or explain your ideas?

I think so. I think I’ve learnt how, when you’re talking to someone you’ve just met, there’s things you can do to really distance yourself from this really personal thing that’s happened to you. It allows you to keep writing from a personal place, but you can talk about a very broad scenario.  I’ve got a lot better at having a succinct story without having to put in the personal details that I couldn’t separate last March. If they asked me what it was about, I’d be like, “oh it was this person, and they did this, and it made me feel like this,” which is such a weird thing to say to someone you’ve just met. So it’s easier to be like, “this is about a person who does this thing to a person,” you can depersonalise it.

So it’s like you can say, “this is about this kind of relationship,” rather than, “this is about my friend who’s name is this and they did this…”

Yep, exactly *laughs*. I’ve learnt how to deal with that a lot better.

Keep an eye out for more music from Thomston soon.

Image: Supplied

Every week, we do our very best to provide you with the sweetest sounds from across the musical globe. From hip-hop, to R&B, to electronic and beyond, there’s so much incredible new music coming out every day. Head to our singles and playlists pages to check out everything else, but for now, here’s a playlist of the best new music that you might have missed from the past week. There’s only one hip-hop track here, as this week’s been all about the luscious pop melodies and smooth electro-soul.

  • Golden Vessel, Wave (ft. OKBADLANDS)
    The final single from Golden Vessel ahead of his EP release, this is a beautiful, intimate piece, anchored by lingering, hollowed percussion and gorgeous vocals courtesy of Brisbane duo OKBADLANDS. An emotional track that kind of reminds me of Rhye, or perhaps Emma Louise, save this one for the feels of a grey Sunday morning.
  • Brandyn Burnette, State I’m In
    One of my favourite new discoveries, Brandyn’s new single State I’m In is a really lovely, guitar-laden bluesy piece, packed with soul, emotion and a really catchy melody the whole way through. Brighter than some of his recent tracks, I have no doubt that he’s poised for a radio takeover any day.
  • A Z E K E L, Linger
    I’ve been a long time fan of AZEKEL and I’m stoked that a new piece is now upon us. Continuing on from the previous two tracks, this future-soul number is slinky and sensual, featuring his amazing, husky vocals, pitted against a deep bass and flickery percussion. One for the bedroom playlist for sure.
  • TEN FÉ, Make Me Better (UNKLE Reconstruction)
    UNKLE has long been one of my favourite artists ever, and he’s put his spin on this heartbreaking, folky track in a way that evokes all kinds of emotions. The rich, echoed vocals are embellished by ambient instrumental layers, before a synth-pop beat kicks in, elevating the entire atmosphere in an incredible way.
  • True Vibenation, The World Is Ours
    True Vibenation are heading off to Glastonbury soon, but before they go, they have unleashed The World Is Ours, a really intricate, interesting, and seriously cool new single, a big leap away from their more hip-hop inclined roots. Packed with funky synths and a really great rhythm, it’s impossible not to wanna have a boogie to this one.
  • Marone, Mission Impossible
    Upcoming Melbourne rapper Marone has released another slice of conscious hip-hop pie, once again demonstrating incredible lyricism and clever rhymes. Absolutely one to watch in the local hip-hop scene, he knows what he’s talking about, he’s studied the craft, and it shows. I’m looking forward to hearing a lot more from this one.
  • Clark, Mirage Trooper
    This week’s Adult Swim single comes from legendary producer Clark, and it might just be my favourite one yet. This is a heady, beat-laden experimental production, with incredible, mesmerising sounds and effects emanating from every single layer across this intense, choppy, dense piece. At seven minutes long, there’s a lot to absorb, and a lot to love.
  • Hayden James, Just A Lover
    New Hayden James is always a great thing! One of my favourite Australian producers, and live performers, this is a swift, dark and dirty house track with a seductive late night vibe. The thumping bass and percussive groove complements the vocals so perfectly – I have no doubt we’ll be hearing this one all over the place really, really soon.
  • Thomston, Float
    Upcoming New Zealand singer Thomston has today released Float, an intimate track, both lyrically and musically. The melody in particular is really lovely, backed by a bold, yet restrained rhythm. Balancing the fine line between lush pop and electro-soul, this is heartfelt, and really beautiful.
  • Kllo, Walls To Build
    Finally this week, we have a brand new single from Melbourne duo Kllo. This is a dainty, delicate new single ahead of their upcoming EP, Well Worn, due out August 5. Topped by understated vocals, a lightly bouncing rhythm and new layers building and growing throughout, the atmosphere continues to expand and change as it progresses.

Image: Hayden James / Supplied

The definition of ‘live’ electronic music is often contentious. Often, a ‘live’ set is quite simply a DJ set. However more and more often artists who had previously only been seen behind the decks have attempted to set themselves apart by doing “live” shows. Often times these live shows may include the use of MIDI pads and drum kids which play samples and sections of tracks, and it’s arguable just how “live” these performances are. However, one artist took it to the next level in The Opera House’s Concert Hall on Friday evening as part of Vivid Live.

Ta-ku is the definition of a jack of all trades. Having his fingers in every pie – from photography to video, music to his own barbershop – he’s a busy man to say the least. Like all his work, his music is unable to be defined. Known also as “genre-killer”, Ta-ku’s work has taken him from the trap and heavy sounds of side project HWLS with Kit-Pop, to the stripped back and soulful beats of his 50 Days for Dilla project. By far his biggest claims to fame however, and the subject of Friday’s double sellout performances, are his Songs To Break Up To & Songs To Make Up To EPs.

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Boasting kaleidoscopic visuals, a string quartet and vocal accompaniment by Perth local and recent collaborator Wafia, the first of two shows kicked off at 7. The audience took their time to file in at first, but the last of them hurried in as the string quartet sat at the front of the stage. Ta-ku rose above his own platform centre-back, and the show was set to amaze.

But that’s where things took a turn for the worse.

The projections ran and the audience were treated to was a slight ringing of feedback – something definitely wasn’t right. After a few minutes of looking over cords and conferring with stagehands, Ta-ku announced that there had been some technical issues and they would be taking just a few moments before starting everything over.

While none of this was his fault, and didn’t detract from the show, it did remind me about the perils of a live electronic show; like any other electronic music, it relies completely on the communication between technologies. I don’t want to dwell on this point for too long, but I feel like it’s an interesting point to keep in mind as electronic music becomes more of a performance art. it did work to bring out Ta-ku’s fantastic sense of humour, however. In between every track he’d always manage to crack a joke – whether it was asking the audience who could yell out the funniest thing, commenting on everyone being there for him, or just his generally lovely nature. It brought everyone closer to a person who for the most part, has been pretty enigmatic and out of the limelight.

When it all started over a few minutes later though, the performance – which also included a live drummer and keyboard player – was magic. Setting itself apart from other electronic performances was the fact that each track was played separately, rather than a continuous mix. The drums brought a much appreciated pop into each song, with rolls and symbols clanging both in the microphones they were recorded in, and fading perfectly into the acoustics of the Opera House. It was difficult to differentiate between the sounds the keyboard was playing and the samples that Ta-ku was cueing, but moments of improvisation shone through beautifully constructed live pieces.

While Wafia was largely on vocal duties, the performance also marked Ta-ku’s vocal performance debut. Although his voice was slightly strained , it was impressive to see him step outside of his comfort zone. Their latest single Meet In The Middle, from their (m)edian EP out soon was an obvious crowd favourite, as well as Wafia’s own Heartburn. While Wafia darted between on and off stage, Oscar Key Sung, Thandi Phoenix and Thomston all reamined on the stage throughout. Oscar Key Sung’s feature in place of JMSN on Love Again was one of the highlights of the evening, with his own adlib working perfectly over samples of JMSN’s chorus. The biggest highlight was set climax, American Girl, a take on Estelle‘s American Boy. Everything came together in the most perfect and emotional way, really hearing the individual passion coming from each of the performers. Although only one hour long, it was nevertheless emotionally captivating.

Read our interview with New Zealand up-and-comer Thomston here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9X47eVM1c

Although the music was of course the main event, it was so easy to become lost among the kaleidoscopic visuals. With Ta-ku no doubt having a huge part in the direction and animation, it was interesting to see what he paired with his own music. Loops of marble halls lined with huge flowers, cartoon hands falling in on themselves, his own face, in metal, crumbling away, ribbons running around and forming human hearts – it was really beautiful to watch, with the lights enhancing the colours and cues of the music alongside it. It begs the question, why don’t more electronic artists put visuals alongside their sets? Hopefully we start to see more of it in the future, it works wonders.

There’s no question that everyone who got the chance to see Ta-ku live walked out of the Opera House feeling like they’d seen something special. Whether it was the raw emotion delivered in the performance, or the blending of live instrumentation and electronic music, there’s no denying that Ta-ku has and always will be an artist ahead of the curve.

Check out our full gallery of images from the show here.

Image: Danielle Hansen / Howl & Echoes

Thomas Stoneman is 20-year-old Thomston. New Zealand producing, singing and songwriting extraordinaire, he’s already amassed thousands of plays via Spotify and Soundcloud. He toured Europe just last year, playing festivals like Pukkelpop, Lowlands and Soundrive to his adoring, and constantly growing overseas fanbase. More recently, and closer to home, he’s supported Perth Future Classic signee Wafia on her XXIX EP tour, and released a collaboration between the two of them – the pulsating and melancholy duet Window Seat. With two hugely successful EPs already under his belt, and an album on the horizon, we managed to catch up with this up and comer on his come up. Here are the words of a young man about to break through more than ever before.

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You’re only 20, what’re you doing aside from music?

Music’s kind of consumed my entire life, to the point where someone asked me the other day what’s been my happiest memory recently that isn’t about my career and I found it difficult to answer. I feel like everything that’s happening in my life at the moment is just music. So I’m not really doing anything else other than writing and releasing music, it’s just kind of taken over my life.

Before you got into music you have a history of acting, filmmaking and writing – are you continuing with any of that at the moment?

I feel like all my interests from when I was a kid have rolled together into what I do now, so I still get to make films in the form of a music video and I get to write songs and, acting is something that I’m not super interested in anymore but we’ll see what happens, I might get bored.

You’re also super active in the visual components to your work. How important is having an aesthetic to what you do?

It’s extremely important to me. I think just because these days especially you see music before you hear it. Unless you kind of discover new music through the radio, you’re seeing visual content on blogs and things. You look at it before you decide to click it in an instant, so I feel like more than ever visual content is extremely important, and it’s also just something that I really enjoy. So for me to put a lot of emphasis just makes sense to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N7JEnJOpXY

 

What made you realize that you wanted to pursue music rather than your other creative fields?

To be honest it kind of fell into my lap in the most bizarre of circumstances where I was kind of just offered a management contract. I really wasn’t serious about it. I enjoyed making music but I was really not serious about it, and then at the end of 2013 I got asked in for a meeting with a management company which ended up becoming my managers and I kind of just caught up with the expectations I guess.

What’re you hoping your audience feels when they listen to your music?

That’s an interesting question. I hope they feel something. There’s a lot of music that’s super easy to zone out to when you listen to it, and I don’t want to make music that’s easy to zone out, I want people to have to hang on every word and to relate to it and just have it mean something for them. That’s ultimately what I want to do, or I’m trying to do.. what I hope I have been doing.

Initially in your career you weren’t playing many shows, but how does it feel to be performing more regularly?

I feel like in the grand scheme of things I haven’t been writing for very long. I’ve only been songwriting for two years, but the live component I’ve really enjoyed. It’s such a different level of stress verses pay off for me. When I’m playing shows, you’re so stressed before you go on but when you’re up there and when you come off it’s the biggest high. Whereas when you’re writing music, it’s just fun the whole time. It’s interesting.

How do you feel that playing your shows has affected the way you write your music?

I don’t know if it’s had much of an affect. I think that seeing a lot of bands play live made me think a lot more about what kind of songs rev up a crowd, and what kind of songs get people excited. If anything it taught me that it’s really varied, but it’s so different from artist to artist, you can go watch and artist like Alt-J, that has some really down tempo music that people go crazy over, and then you watch Major Lazer and people are losing their minds the whole time. So if anything I came away from playing my shows and watching other shows being like, “I don’t actually know anymore”. I feel like I’m just going to keep writing and keep making music that I believe in, and I just hope that it translates and people like it in a live setting.

On the production side of things, do you feel that since you’ve started your growing production skills have allowed you to further the sound that you’re going for?

100%. I feel like I’d taken a real back seat with my production for a year where I was kind of observing and just saying what I wanted, but recently I’ve really taken the reins and I’m loving what it’s allowing me to do, in terms of the creative freedom it’s giving me but at the same time it’s such an interesting aspect, and such a huge aspect of the music that I make that I think it’s important that I learned how to do it myself, and I’m really enjoying it.

You’ve got a huge following in France and greater Europe, how did that start? And how did you end up playing shows there?

So basically Spotify France put me on a couple key playlists. I remember one of them messaging me on Facebook and being like “By the way, your song is number 50 on our chart,” and I was like, “Wait, what?” So I checked and everything and sure enough there I was, just at the very bottom of the chart. Over time people were sharing it within France, and it moved up and then suddenly my name was among all the pop-stars. It was really really strange how it happened but to me it was really re-affirming. I felt like if my music’s given a push and it’s given a platform it’ll reach the casual listener and people will share and people will get behind it. Then in terms of playing shows in Greater Europe I just had a really good booking agent over there and he noticed some demand and I just played some of the cool festivals while I was over there. It was incredible to see the response, and it’s kind of weird for me cause I’m so far from Europe. Going over and seeing people who know who I am and who know my words to my songs and having them sing back to me, it’s very strange, kind of unnerving.

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You’ve recently supported Wafia on her XXIX EP tour, and you both worked on Window Seat – what’ve you learnt working with her as an upcoming artist herself?

We’re just very similar in a lot of ways. She’s taught me a lot about the value of collaboration. She’s really scouted a good group of people that she consistently works with, and I’ve become one of them which is really cool for me because I’m now getting to work with people she’s been working with for her projects and stuff. She’s just got a really cool way of championing the people that work on her music with her, and that’s something that I’ve taken away from it. I just want to get a key group of collaborators and really get behind them and support eachother on all our various different projects.

You’re working on an album at the moment, and just collabed with Wafia – what guests will feature on the album?

There’s not actually going to be a lot of guests on the album. I wanted it to be because it’s my first record, not “all about me” but at the same time, I’m aware that I just wanted to keep it in a pretty small circle of collaborators on this record.

And when can we expect it?

I’m not sure to be honest. I’m trying to finish once I’m back home, but we’ll just see how it rolls out. Yeah! I can’t confirm nor deny a date at this stage because I don’t know.

What’re your plans for the rest of the year?

So much is hinging on the album, It’s so close to being done, it’s in the mixing stages at the moment, in its final vocal takes and stuff, but as soon as it’s done we’re really formulating plans and stuff and figuring out what my year is going to look like. At this stage, apart from things I can’t really talk about, it’s pretty sparse till we’ve locked the album down.

Finally, if you could give yourself a message when you just started out, what would it be?

Oh my gosh I actually talked about this the other day. Over the course of the last year I’ve really learnt to let myself be wrong about things and just to accept that some people know better than me. At certain points in the beginning I really thought that my gut was the most important thing, but the further along I’ve gotten the more I’ve realised that I don’t know everything. There are so many people around me that want to help me and are experienced and well versed and know a lot of things that I can’t. So yeah, I think that’s the thing I’d tell myself. I’d tell myself, “Be humble, listen to people because people know what they’re doing… sometimes.”

Thanks so much for talking with us Thomas, we look forward to seeing you very soon!

Thank you very much Jack!

 

Image: sniffers.co.nz

The Easter weekend always throws a spanner or two in the works when it comes to organisation, so you’ll have to forgive us for skipping last week’s playlist. However, because we know you clearly wait on this to come every Friday, we have collected the best songs not only from this week, but last week too to form one big, mega, super duper playlist overflowing with stellar musical gems. Enjoy!

Thomston x Wafia, Window Seat

Newcomer Thomston has teamed up with rising star Wafia for this brand new track, and it totally blew us away. Sharp beats pierce the hazy synths, ticking away whilst a bed of atmospherics oozes below. It’s got some beautiful and passionate lyrics and vocal efforts from both artists, and shows them both off so well. It’s a pretty intoxicating blend of RnB and electro, creating a gorgeous song that will hold both artists in great stead as they continue to blow up.

Meredith, How Could You Believe That

Just listen to that voice! I was hooked from the get go, but got weak at the knees around 47 seconds when things really kick off. Meredith has been kicking around for a while, but this song is something else all together. It’s powerful, and demands you to sit up and listen- but she makes it sound so easy. Her voice almost has a hint of “I told you so” smugness as she asks the song title over swelling harmonies and explosive synths and cymbals. She’s got the experience behind her, and now she’s got the single to truly break through. Go girl!

Lupa J, Numb

Lupa J doesn’t always release new music, but when she does it’s truly something else. More than worth the wait, she has now returned with Numb; just under 4 minutes of a dreamy, electro kaleidoscopic. Turning and spinning unpredictably, Lupa J keeps you on your toes with this enchanting track. Her breezy voice is sublime as it glides across her shifting bed of noise, calming and hypnotic as it goes. Fresh from supporting none other than Grimes and taking out triple j’s Unearthed High competition for the second year in a row, it’s safe to say Lupa J is the real deal.

Nearly Oratorio, Occlude

You may recognise these vocals as those of I’lls or Kllo, due to the fact that the man behind the voice, Simon Lam, is a prodigal music wizard. Nearly Oratorio is yet another project of his, and it too doesn’t disappoint. Occlude is the latest single from his forthcoming EP, Tin, and is a snapshot into just how precise and meticulous Lam’s mind is. A more intricate song released in recent times, you probably can’t find. Layers of delicate keys intertwine whilst an almost tribal like drum beat quietly comes into play, before Lam’s Grizzly Bear-esque voice falls soft above it. It all kicks in around the 1:30 minute mark, and the gentle but hypnotic concoction of all of his elements tied together with some expert production is almost too good. Bring on the full release of Tin, because we need more of this in our lives!

Verge Collection, Class Of ’09

I really like this song because I think along these lines more often than not. Tackling spoilt brats who think they have it hard, Verge Collection ask us all to check our privilege a bit with the tongue in cheek hook, “Wasn’t high school hard?” Talking about still sucking a silver spoon whilst pretending otherwise, Verge Collection sound pretty fed up with these folks, but they make it sound so damn good with their Aussie indie sounds. Tight guitars and drums, a catchy hook and a searing guitar solo to really take things to the next level, Class Of ’09 is a fantastic track following on from the release of their debut album, Our Place. Here’s hoping we hear more of these guys soon.

Feki, Thankful

I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF FEKI! Every single time he releases a new song, I am blown away by it again and again. Thankful once again has outdone anything he has released prior to this, making me question just how good someone really can get. Clearly working hard to hone his skills more and more with every track, Feki is quickly becoming one of the most hyped artists in the country, and it doesn’t take long to see why. Thankful is a slow burner, with atmospheric synths slowly climbing to exhilarating heights, where his signature rolling drums and vocal samples come into play. The synths and atmospherics bloom gracefully, swirling around the almost trap-styled percussion, creating a gorgeous build before the real fun begins. Thankful is probably Feki’s most beautiful track yet, delicate and gentle as it rises and falls. Don’t say we didn’t warn you that he’d take over the world!

Big Wild, Aftergold Ft Tove Stryke

Aftergold was previously released just as an instrumental from Big Wild, but now he has teamed up with Swedish pop star Tove Stryke to breathe new life into his already stellar track. Playful and fun, Stryke turns Aftergold into a sassy, boastful, confident jam. Sounding right at home over Big Wild’s jangly chimes and synth sounds, as well as his rolling drums and hard hitting booms. In fact, this new take sounds so good we wouldn’t be surprised if Big Wild didn’t venture further into the pop realm thanks to Stryke. Previously released on ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective, we can only expect bigger and better things from Big Wild, but we can’t help hoping it’s more material with Stryke. Match made in musical heaven!

Anna Of The North, Baby

Reminiscent of James Blake, Anna Of The North’s new single, Baby, is an intimate and fragile number that gives you a vulnerable feeling almost instantly. It’s slow, smooth and forlorn as Anna pines after an uncertain lover. It’s got traces of 80’s electro with her drum machines and synths, but has been brought into the future thanks to her forward thinking production. It’s got that on edge feeling you get when you don’t know where you stand with someone, and although that’s not an easy feeling to experience, Anna Of The North captures it so well. A truly beautiful song.

Skies, Speed Boy

Now this is a jam. Adelaide synth pop trio Skies have teamed up with acclaimed producer Steven Schram (San Cisco, The Cat Empire, Paul Kelly) to lend his musical know-how for their latest single Speed Boy, and they’ve pulled it off in spectacular fashion. Sexy, smooth, and explosive in all the right places, this smoky pop/RnB number is inviting and seductive as they pull you in, bewitching you with their tight drums and excellent synth work- not to mention that falsetto. The guys have supported the likes of Tkay Maidza and SAFIA last year, and judging from the sounds of this track here, they’re ready to give it their all this year. We can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Colourwaves, Night Boat

Sydney artist Colourwaves has been doing his own thing for a little while now, so I guess you could say he’s been making waves of his own… All puns aside, this latest track sounds like a fantastic blend of the likes of M83, Neon Indian or Washed Out, melded together with his own flair. It’s woozy and lush, and takes me back to the late 00’s when things were much easier. His vocals soar gracefully over his 80’s synths and pulsing atmospherics, whilst a muffled drum beat keeps things coasting along very nicely. Night Boat is the latest taste of his fourth EP, which is set to drop this month, so be sure to take my word for it and keep an eye out for that!

Nina Las Vegas, EZY

Yassss Nina! The queen of Australian dance music strikes again with this banger. Delving further into that Jersey bounce, big room stuff we’ve heard from her in this past, this track absolutely bangs – and bangs hard. Skittering synths and huge beats combine to make it a total ear worm; a hugely exciting move from the legendary radio host/DJ. Out now on her own label, NLV records, Nina is continuing to slay making her own way as an artist in the industry, and it’s tracks like this that really bring home the message of just how good she is.

Huntly, We Made It

We recently premiered a stunning video for this Melbourne band, and they didn’t waste any time pumping out another utterly sublime track not long after. Titled We Made It, this song is just perfect. From the heavenly vocals of lead singer Elly, to the lofi RnB beats, the gentle blooming synths and more. It’s just beautiful, and wins best track on this list by far. Huntly are onto a really good thing here and I am so excited to watch what they do next. They’re launching their single on April 14 at the Gasometer in Melbourne, with Mondegreen, Corin and our favourite, Squidgenini which promises to be an unreal night. Get along if you know what’s good for you.

LDRU, Keeping Score (The Meeting Tree Remix)

This track was already huge, but The Meeting Tree just took it to the next level. With bass that would blow your speakers, they go in, taking the already dance floor friendly track into the dark, dingy club. These guys are notorious for just having fun, and that’s exactly what they’ve done here. Hitting the road again this June, LDRU is set to play some of his biggest venues yet, as he continues to acquire an almost cult-like following. Fingers crossed the Meeting Tree show up to rip into this bad boy!

Deeds, Dream Song

New Brisbane band Deeds are really fresh on the scene, but the combined years experience of each of the members puts them at veteran status- and their latest single proves it. Dramatic pianos, big crashing drums, stunning vocals and more, Dream Song is as impressive as they come for a new band. Vocalist Beau Lindsay sounds incredible, his voice bellowing as he cries his gorgeous lyrics. I think what I love most about this song is you can really feel how much time and effort has gone into it, and it really shows in how well it has come together. Deeds is a name you had better remember.

Holy Fuck, Xed Eyes

Amazing band name aside, Holy Fuck are actually so good it borders on ridiculous. Xed Eyes is the latest release from their forthcoming album, Congrats, which is out in May, and is just under 4 minutes of weird, glitchy, industrial electro punk. With heavy effects on just about everything, the band have really played around with their sound on this one, and it had me hooked from the get go. Things get really hectic with about a minute to go, and you can practically imagine the heaving crowd that would be whipped into an absolute frenzy when this one would be played live. They’ve just announced some overseas dates, so fingers crossed they set their sites for Australia VERY soon indeed!

River Tiber, Illusions (Ft. Pusha T, Prod. River Tiber, Kaytranada, Doc McKinney)

River Tiber is the latest signee to local label Good Manners, who won’t fall in the “local” category much longer thanks to their knack for signing acts that really are something else. Illusions sees River Tiber team up with none other than Pusha T, who lends a fiery verse for the otherwise blissed out track. It also has production credits from none other than living legend Kaytranada, as well as Doc McKinney, proving that sometimes more hands are better. Illusions is lofi heaven, and a rare occurence to hear King Push on such a chilled out number. Thankfully, Pusha T must have seen what Good Manners saw, and the world is beginning to see- and that is a very talented artist just about to hit his prime. Stay tuned for this guy!

Gypsy & The Cat, I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else

Gypsy & The Cat continue their triumphant return with yet another outstanding single, I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else. Providing the perfect soundtrack for that impending existential crisis, Gypsy & The Cat take things down a few levels from their all out synth jams to delve into a kind of chillwave area – an area they actually sound great in. As dynamic as you can get with a track this chilled out, the thick, buzzsaw synths of the hook paired with the quiet verses creates a back and forth not unlike the feelings and thoughts you’d be having if you were the protagonist of this track. It makes me feel okay to want to be somebody else, as long as I get to listen to this bad boy while I’m doing it.

Jenny Broke The Window, Airport Love

Jenny Broke The Window are one of those bands that you may say you’ve never heard of them before, and you’re met with a chorus of “Really?! You’ve never heard of them?!” Well, that happened to me anyway, but I’ve since learned my lesson and they quickly earned a permanent place on my radar. If you haven’t heard of them either (Seriously?!), let their latest single serve as the perfect introduction to them. Airport Love is a perfect slice of alt-pop, with breezy, airy vocals and a slowly rising bed of sounds that is added to bit by bit until you’re presented with a fully fledged indie pop tune to boogie to. They’ve locked in some pretty impressive support slots over the past few months, and by the sounds of this, things are only getting bigger and better for them in the very near future- for very good reason.

Boys Noize, Starchild (Ft. Polica)

Fresh off the press just today, Boys Noize has shared a brand new track today through Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show. Being heralded as Lowe’s latest “World Record”, this time we see the legendary techno wizard team up with Polica for some absolutely stunning vocals. Titled Starchild, this track has a dramatic build, twinkling atmospherics and underground techno/footwork sounds that show Boys Noize is really on his A game with this new material. The track also comes with the announcement that a brand new album is on its way, and will be out in late May. Titled Mayday, it’s meant to be his “most dynamic album to date”, and judging from this and his previous track Euphoria ft Remy Banks, I’d say we are all in for a real treat come May 20!

Ecca Vandal, Truth To Trade

Ecca Vandal rules. Everything she touches rules. Her songs are so badass and unashamedly confident, she makes me want to get up and kick the day ahead in the face. Truth To Trade is no exception. With a guitar that stirs in your loins and her punk vocals not holding back even for a second, she once again gives it her absolute all here. Taken from her End Of Time EP released earlier this year, this track was a true stand out on that record, so it’s only fitting it gets its own single treatment, with a kickass clip to boot. Check out the video below, with footage taken from her Sydney show on her recent tour, and try not to break anything as you thrash around to this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X-YsbqXNUw