FOMO came correct to Parramatta Park at the weekend and we’re still buzzing. Now in its third year running, the festival saw an incredible lineup hit Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne this year to help punters get their freak on with one stage, zero clashes and zero worries.
We breezed in just in time for Tourist to take the stage. The UK producer has been a festival staple in Australia over the last couple of years, having completed a run with Laneway Festival last year and returning recently for a string of events across both sides of the country. His buoyant brand of electronica swept out across the valley and kicked things off in an awesome wave.
Next up, TDE It Girl SZA ignited the crowd with a brief but electric performance. Her 2017 debut Ctrl stole the hearts of damn near everyone who had one, and with her live band in tow, she belted out pure favourites including The Weekend, Supermodel and Kendrick collab Doves In The Wind.
The legendary Post Malone shortly followed to an absolutely ecstatic reception. Motioning toward the audience, someone threw him a rank, muddy sneaker and he proceeded with his signature shoey move that we clearly couldn’t start the show without. His loveable personality shined through in his on-stage banter between hits like Rockstar, White Iversion, Candy Paint and Congratulations.
A sweet sunset slot from Kaytranada took us smoothly into the night. His deck was hidden behind a wall of LED lights with a GoPro perched on top to capture all of his quirky jives. His rework of Flume track Sleepless had the crowd in a frenzy.
Onto a pounding set from ZHU, the California based producer let rip track after banging track, including a dope edit of Michael Jackson’s Thriller which spared no one’s butts from grooving.
Finally, a wicked closing set from RL Grime was looming, pyrotechnics and all. Opening with the utterly dystopian 2017 single Era, we lost a firm grip on our minds before the fire balls had even kicked in.
If you didn’t attend this bootylicious spectacle, check all of the action below, and make sure you head out next year. We’re already thirsty for what 2019 will bring.
Tourist
SZA
Post Malone
Kaytranada
ZHU
RL Grime
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Say NO to clashes and let your summer festival experience be epitomised by this absolutely delicious lineup brought to you by FOMO.
Returning for it’s third year running, the ever-expanding dance festival is bringing Kaytranada, ZHU, Post Malone, SZA, Tourist, The Kite String Tangle, Drezo, Stööki Sound, Nina Las Vegas, and Dena Amy together for one day of pure sensory overload next January, all with mastermind RL Grime taking the helm.
The deflation of Future and Stereosonic has left some room to groove in the dance festival sector, and FOMO has responded in sweet delight. Having kicked off in Brisbane last year with some eye-watering acts on the bill, they expanded to Sydney and Adelaide for their sophomore round, and 2018 is their biggest yet with the introduction of FOMO by Night in Melbourne.
If the one day, one stage, no clashes deal doesn’t quite swing it, Sydney and Adelaide punters can also opt for a payment plan to pay off their ticket in installments. There it is; literally no reason not to get in on this red hot action.
Tickets are on sale now and are selling fast. ¡Vamos!
Read our FOMO Adelaide 2017 review!
Top image: Mitch Lowe
Another year around the sun, another Laneway Festival loaded with unforgettable moments we’ll be recycling until the next one rolls around. The 2017 edition saw another leading lineup take on 7 shows across 3 countries – quite a far cry from the festival’s humble beginnings 13 years ago. The Sydney leg of the tour started out with some choppy weather, which soon gave way to blue skies and sweltering heat. Rain or shine though, the weather wasn’t going to stop punters taking the day by storm.
First up on the main stage was Melbourne three-piece Camp Cope, setting the tone with some high-energy noise and 0% tolerance for rowdy hecklers. Next we moved over to Spinning Top for the always incredible/ completely hilarious Koi Child to take in our fill of that jazzy Hip Hop. This was shortly followed by the infectious NAO, who is all but the name to watch right now. The long awaited Whitney took to the stage afterwards, their gorgeous brand of country soul drawing an enormous crowd who were all too keen to experience the Chicagoans. All-time favourite Nicholas Allbrook wasted no time in jump-starting things – by jumping straight into the crowd that is. Legends Dune Rats on filler duties for an absent Young Thug came to the party and then some, with every single person chanting every lyric to every song that they belted out. Then, in stark contrast to the Dunies, the incredible Mick Jenkins took the the Future Classic stage and pelted us with some seamless lyrical finesse. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard followed back on the main stage – a consistent crowd pleaser and a sure mosh riot, they slay every time. Seattle native Car Seat Headrest followed up his sold out Sydney sideshow with a choice set at the Spinning Top stage, with Tash Sultana then rounding out a massive crowd as the sun sat over hill, lighting up the late afternoon. A.B. Original brought a resounding “fuck you” to their stand-out spot, and Glass Animals sowed some contagious fervour around with their star stage presence as the sun started to set. Mr. Carmack was next over at Future Classic, and things got weird when the crowd overran the barrier and started dancing in the photo pit and on top of speakers, even the stage – a testament to his music and infectious style. Grammy winner Tourist shortly followed with some face-melting tunes, and then it was a quick rush back to the main stage for the one and only Tame Impala, who sprayed the crowd with confetti and delivered a truly memorable live set. Wrapping up our Laneway experience was local psych-electronic guys Jagwar Ma, who brought a hypnotic end to an enormous day of amazing live music.
We managed to capture some of the vibes that went down. Peep the shots below.
Check out Part I here, feat. Whitney, Dune Rats, Nic Allbrook & more!
Read our Laneway 2017 review!Tash Sultana
A.B. Original (with Hauie Beast)
Glass Animals
Mr. Carmack
Tourist
Tame Impala
Jagwar Ma
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
We caught Tourist live at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on August 25, 2016, while in town in support of his newly released debut album U. The Grammy winner played to a completely sold out room, and we were lucky enough to get in on the action.
Click here to check out our exclusive photo shoot with Tourist, too.
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Grammy winning electronic producer Tourist is currently in town for an Australian tour, in support of his acclaimed album U, featuring songs like Run, Too Late and To Have You Back. Tourist picked up the Grammy last year for his work writing Sam Smith’s smash hit Stay With Me, but it’s his own work that has earned himself a devoted audience.
We spent some time with the man himself in Sydney.
All images copyright Danielle Hansen / Howl & Echoes
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball-stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Holy Balm – Fashion
Kicking off this week with Sydney three-piece Holy Balm and their new video for single Fashion. Featuring a driving synth and breezy vocals that harken back to some of the best new wave from the early 80s, including a scuttling little sax that kicks in around the halfway mark (and I am all for more saxophone in modern music!).
The video is a whole lot of fun, taking the title and running with it showcasing all kinds of off the wall outfits and funky colours that capture the particular era Fashion is inspired by just magnificently.
You’ll be able to find Fashion on Holy Balm’s debut album Activity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDH0oCtQB4g&authuser=0
Getter – Forget It (ft. Oliver Tree)
To San Jose next and the new video for Getter’s latest single Forget It. Taken from his Radical Dude! EP, it’s a pulsating electronic track that drives along methodically with pulsating synths before falling away beautifully and placing the focus on the vocals at its conclusion.
The video, directed by Liam Underwood, follows a heartbroken young scientist attempting to bring his recently deceased girlfriend back to life through the risky means of cloning. Stunningly shot, it’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the very same time.
Radical Dude is out now on OWSLA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgIBr2FpGss
Cleopold – Not Coming Down
Melbourne’s Cleopold has been compared to such luminaries as Chet Faker, Bon Iver and Jack Garratt, and it’s easy to see why listening to his new single Not Coming Down. Taken from his debut Altitude & Oxygen EP, Not Coming Down is modern soul of the finest calibre, Cleopold’s voice strong over the verses and absolutely soaring over a funky chorus that grabs you by the collar. The synth solo that plays the song out is a mind-bender.
The video, co-directed between Cleopold and Peter Ryle, is actually not really a video in the traditional sense, rather it’s over 10 000 individual images shot with rapid photography combined into a video. Those shots feature Cleopold and his band jamming the track a mood-lit club replete with disco ball. Yet another fantastic talent out of Australia, always great to see.
Altitude & Oxygen is out now via Detail Records and Create/Control. You can catch Cleopold live when he tours Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in August.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx96uFrv-Kc
MANE – Bitter
Just across the border and into Adelaide for this next one from songstress MANE. Her latest single in the lead-up to the release of her debut EP House Of Horror this week is the wonderful combination electro-blues of Bitter. MANE has a very unique delivery and vocal style amongst her contemporaries, and she molds this intriguing soundscape to fit her voice so well.
The video looks aesthetically like the opening credits of a Bond movie, the almost menacing vibe of the song lending it a further dangerous edge, MANE both looking and sounding like a lady not to be fucked with at all.
House Of Horror is up for purchase on iTunes and streaming on Spotify today! Catch MANE on tour in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in mid-July.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBmVdYbaU8
Scarecrow – Shake It
Heading to a region we rarely cover in these roundups in France with Toulouse quartet Scarecrow. They’re another act who amalgamate the blues with a modern genre, this time hip-hop. Their latest single and video is for the ear-grabbing Shake It.
I have no idea what their MC Antibiotik Daw is spitting, his lyrics all in rapid fire French but nonetheless sounding great (as anything in that language usually does). Singer Slim Paul absolutely nails it, his guttural, soulful vocals booming out over a brassy chorus. The video sees our female protagonist slightly losing it in the kitchen, trying to cook up a storm but ending up just making a horrid mess everywhere.
If The Roots can make it work, so can Scarecrow, so look out for more from these multi-talents in the near future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuEvxihUQ7E
Seratones – Chandelier
Louisiana blues rockers Seratones have been making some waves around the United States recently, and if their latest single and video for Chandelier is anything to go by, they’ll be making a lot more very soon. It comes from their debut album Get Gone and it’s an absolute stomper. Big bluesy riffs just crunching behind frontwoman AJ Haynes’ belting set of pipes. Swagger is in abundance, even as it burns slow across the chorus. The jangly classic rock guitar solo punctuating Chandelier is an absolute treat.
The video finds Seratones jamming the track out in a dimly-lit garage, belying the song’s raw energy with a lot of robotic movements. It’s entertaining nonetheless and these guys have all the talent in the world to be huge.
Get Gone is out now on Fat Possum via Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOPCP5ARWNo
Tourist – Too Late
UK producer Tourist has been keeping busy this year. After winning a Grammy for co-writing the Song Of The Year (Sam Smith’s Stay With Me), he dropped his debut album U, which shot to #1 on iTunes’ electronic charts. His latest single from that record is Too Late, a three minute slice of modern electonic. The backbeat bangs behind a skyrocketing synth and alternating deep and high vocals. The kind of tune summer festival-goers lose their ever-loving shit to.
The video finds Tourist performing in a vibrant club, looking positively lonely and introspective amidst all the raw noise. There is as much colour as there is sound, bringing the energy of the song to fever pitch.
U is out now on Monday Records. Tourist is touring Australia in late August but it has already sold out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GA_EVr942k&feature=youtu.be
Klangstof – Hostage
Wrapping up with some calming indie from Norway in Klangstof. Having freshly signed to Mind Of A Genius, the multi-instrumentalist has quickly released a trio of songs, Hostage the first of them to get the video treatment. The track is gorgeous, some sparkly plucked guitar over a soothing soundscape of synths and vocals that threaten to lull you into a deep sleep. The crescendo of this song will leave a lump in your throat, simply breathtaking.
The video is a little less inviting, following the trail of a protagonist through a stark-looking Scandinavian forest featuring shit-losing and tree-punching. It will either make you want a winter holiday in Europe or be glad to be rugged up somewhere warm listening to Klangstof.
We can’t wait for more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7lrnlSN_Y
Image: Getter/Supplied