It’s Wednesday, four nights before what ended up being the best New Year celebration of my life, Beyond The Valley. Following a car ride from Melbourne city out to the Lardner festival and setting up the campsite, it was boogie time almost immediately, with a mystery international guest in tow to entertain the earlybird campers. And so, the festival began with an intimate set from none other than Claptone, whose chiming house tunes bellowed through the central park, gathering all attendees into the one spot for the first and last time of the festival – an amazing way to kick things off.
Image: Facebook – Beyond The Valley
Day 2
Waking up on day two, the skies were looking dim, and to make matters even more interesting a heavy storm was predicted to hit mid to late afternoon. So, we got out to as much as we possibly could. Alex Lahey cleared the skies and brought the sun and good vibes with her, delivering her signature Australian twang and down to earth lyrics making for a warm welcome to the main festival. Running through tracks from her debut EP like Wes Anderson, and PTSD early on, she amped up the crowd with the inevitable revelry of Let’s Go Out, and closing number You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me.
There was no question though, that the day peaked early with Boy Better Know’s CEO JME, drawing an energetic crowd at 3PM. Joined by BBK’s resident DJ, DJ Maximum, JME opened on strong with his latest album’s title track Integrity. Being his first ever Australian show, there was a solid mix of both classics alongside the more recent album cuts, smoothly transitioning from the tracks like Serious to Taking Over.
The energy in the crowd was wild, despite many not being fully aware of the artist, who is also the brother of grime’s standout king Skepta. Still, his raw and gritty delivery atop booming instrumentals was so on point that they were impactful whether you’d heard them before or not. Adding to the stage antics, at one point an Australian cork hat was thrown on stage, and JME proceeded to flip some of his verses and freestyle about Australia and the hat itself.
Soon, the rain began to pour, showering onlookers with much needed cool water. We were drenched from top to bottom, but we were happy with one of the highlights of the entire festival.
Image: Semplesize – Christopher Cohen
The storm picked up even stronger, so headed back to the tent to gather out gumboots and ponchos, ready to head to the main stage. While JME took us into the rain, GoldLink braved the storm and pulled us out the other end. Although he arrived little late (no doubt because of the rain), his DJ did an amazing job to keep the energy up and the worries away, playing tracks like Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and Migos’ Bad and Boujee.
GoldLink emerged, thankful that his fans actually still came out in such weather. Tracks like Sober Thoughts and Dark Skinned Women had the intimate yet devoted crowd belting his lyrics, and the energy really heightened when he had a little covers jam, dropping tracks like Next Episode, Killing in the Name Of and Smells Like Teen Spirit. Sliding back into his own hits, Dance on Me and Fall In Love provided just the right upbeat energy needed to create another magical moment.
Thundamentals came through next with yet another energetic set that helped us forget about the weather. Joined by a DJ and live trumpet, the tracks sounded fresher than ever. Tuka’s vibrancy and jumps around the stage were infectious, while tracks like Smiles Don’t Lie and Got Love worked the crowd into a sing-along frenzy, while Thunda’s experienced their very first mudslide.
The highlight of the night came courtesy of Hermitude, who had a fully live set with an MPC (drum machine), turntables, keys and synths to bring their tunes to life. A well balanced mix of their own productions alongside remixes, they flipped tunes from Rihanna, Kanye and even The Lion King in between their own hits. Blitzhing through the classics, Speak of the Devil had an amazing breakdancing video, Searchlight featured a special appearance from Yeo, and of course Hyperparadise, which they couldn’t play without the Flume remix, resulting in a sea of screams and a chant of “I don’t have to worry!” As if the good vibes couldn’t get any better, they even handed out a gnome to the crowd, as this apparently brings good luck to whomever touches it. The only thing left was The Buzz, and boy did that go off.
Day 3
After Hudson Mohawke pulled out of his Australian tour, the anticipation was even higher for his TNGHT collaborator Lunice. Known for his dark, bass heavy beats, it was extremely weird to see him perform bright and early at 3pm. nevertheless, the Canadian’s DJ set was really fun and entirely unexpected. Rather than stay behind the decks pumping fists, he climbed on the table, partied with the crowd, and most of all took us on a journey (one that didn’t include actual DJing, clearly). Gliding through tracks from Rihanna, Travis Scott, Chance The Rapper, Goldlink and Kanye to name a few, he also delivered grime from Skepta, Novelist and producer Faze Miyake. From there, it only got heavier, with BPM continuously rising to a point of experimental hardstyle, and his own TNGHT tracks Higher Ground and Buggn. It ended suddenly, and we wished it could’ve lasted much longer.
Things took another turn with Luke Million, who delivered the funkiest set in the dance tent. 80s dance musicinspired dance music had the listeners grooving to their hearts content, and rather than simply spin tracks he too was performing live with additional synths and keys. When Arnold dropped, the audience followed suit in incredible fashion, squatting up and down to the bodybuilder-turned-politician’s voice, while Luke fired up the stage with a belter of a keytar solo, all in all making for an incredible moment. Of course, his Stranger Things remix was another hit, having enjoyed massive runaway success last year.
Returning to the state they used to call home, The Delta Riggs were certainly welcomed warmly. Keeping the energy high singer Elliott Hammond kicked the set into gear, quite literally with his bag of stage theatrics. Each track felt livelier and livelier. The Record’s Flawed and … got the crowd in a ramble, and despite the early microphone failures which popped and crackled through tracks, their raw bravado and punk nature kept things full steam ahead. Supersonic Casualties rung out through the arena as their final track, and regardless of their psychedelic sound their set had taken us on one hell of a trip.
Image: Tone Deaf – Brandon John
Emoh Instead of What So Not fame was the first of the three heavyweight acts to grace the main stage that night. If you had to describe his set in one word, fat would be it. Every drop felt bassier, grittier, deeper than the next, and pulled the crowd further into his grip. He delivered a varied set of his own tunes and remixes, including his own heavenly trap take on the Stranger Things theme. We sang to Gemini, moshed to Tell Me and Waiting, and went wild to Jaguar.
As far as stage setups go, ZHU’s eerily cloaked band members was incredible. His set was jazzy, funk rhythms, delicately wrapped up in a range of bouncing beats. With the addition of live guitar and saxophone from the cloaked band members, the American producer’s electronic jams sounded tastier than ever. Each tune received warm praise, but it wasn’t until Faded that the crowd really livened up in the latter end of his set. All in all while I enjoyed his set, the change from What So Not was so different that I found myself really just craving the next act.
The man of the hour year, festival headliner Chance The Rapper was the next and final to appear on the main stage for the night. Showing up around 10 minutes late, he wasted no time, jumping right into Angels. Cutting the track half way through, he switched to Blessings, before apologising for having lost his voice. It was clear that his voice was cracking a little, but it seemed so sincere and genuine, and the energy did not waver for a moment. Lesser artists would have cancelled with a lost voice, yet he pushed through, delivering the best set of the entire festival. Introducing Acid Rap, he then delved into some favourites like Pusha Man, Cocoa Butter Kisses and Favourite Song. He then performed a couple of tracks he’d guested on, namely Action Bronson’s Baby Blue (which he dedicated to his ex) and of course, the brilliant Ultralight Beam.
But he wasn’t done just yet. After a brief wait, Chance launched into a back-to-back medley of No Problem, Mixtape and All Night, bringing the energy higher than ever. Thanks to The Social Experiment behind him, he was also able to change things up a bit in comparison to the recordings, delivering a stripped-back, heartfelt All We Got and Blessings part 2 as the final track, blasting confetti out over the crowd. Frankly, only thing keeping this from being a perfect set was that the audience surrounding me weren’t as hyped as they should have been.
Image: Tone Deaf – Brandon John
Day 4
Finally at long last, New Year’s eve had arrived, bringing clear skies and good vibes along with it. The daytime was mainly focused on electronic singer-songwriters, with our favourite being the super talented Wafia. Delivering one of the most solemn performances of the festival, her emotive yet danceable music was the perfect kick off for the day. Racing through her own jams alongside those produced with collaborator Ta-ku, and we even got a glimpse into new material with an ‘unnamed track which doesn’t yet have a home’. While her performance was relaxed, and the audience mimicked this, the atmosphere was still extremely positive, and the set was so enjoyable.
Brisbane’s stoner rock heroes Dune Rats contrasted these calm vibes with a weed-filled whirlwind soon after. Walking out onstage to the Rocky theme song and jumping straight into Dalai Lama, Big Banana, Marijuana, it packed a mean punch from the get go. Tracks like Fuck It and Superman are perfect for festival sing-alongs, and later, they held a shoey competition, even giving a fan the stage for one song. What followed was a sloppy reinterpretation of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, yet once the drums slapped in, the mosh went wild, before they ended their set with the unruly Bullshit.
Image: AAA Backstage – Emily Mathison
Tokimonsta matched Lunice as my favourite DJ set of the festival, with her incredible ability to really transport the crowd. Beginning with hip-hop bangers like The Next Episode and Alright, it soon blended into trap, slowly getting heavier, bassier and more experimental, keeping punters on their toes. She also played a new track that she has in the works with one of our favourite artists Anderson .Paak, a tune we’ll be eagerly waiting for.
The night was now fully underway, with 2017 fast approaching. Phantogram delivered a gritty and dark set which masterfully demonstrated their blend of hip-hop, rock and electronic vibes. Their stage presence was intoxicating, especially when You Don’t Get Me High Anymore rang out, setting the bar high for the rest of the night.
Canberra kings Safia came through next with a mystical performance. Playing crowd favourite My Love Is Gone early on, the bass vibrated to a new level, and with only a few tracks into their set, the man next to me claimed that he could now die happy. Make Them Wheels Roll added to the adrenaline, but the major highlight was when the trio merged Led Zeppelin into their hit Counting Sheep.
As the countdown neared, Sticky Fingers took to the stage for one of the final sets before their hiatus. It was a bittersweet moment, and the topic of many discussions among the mosh. While they were meant to show up ten minutes before the countdown, the lads decided to take it time, only arriving in time for the ten second countdown.
Confetti exploded as the crowd cheered their way into the year, as the band launched into Australia Street, followed by Our Town and Gold Snafu; this was the the blast into the year we wanted, and we got. Gliding through their catalogue, it was clear that despite the controversy facing them of late, their fans are as dedicated as ever belting out every word as if it was their own. After playing through some recent tunes, their classic material really took the cake, Rum Rage, Caress Your Soul and of course closing with How To Fly made for a great start to a (hopefully) great year.
Image: Sam Brumby
The night was coming to a close, but first, Motez and Dom Dolla rounded it off in amazing fashion. With Motez on the hill and Dom in the tent, each set went off and kept the party going until 3am.
At risk of sounding reductive, everything about this year’s Beyond The Valley was incredible. The music was loud, and I mean loud. The stage designs were next level, and each even had its own side-of-stage DJ booth to keep the party going between sets. The people, food, bars and campsites were great, but it was the music curation that really won out. Okay, we would have preferred a bit more hip-hop, but that’s just us. The variety of local and visiting talent was so solid, and it made for the best possible way to ring in the new year. Bring on BTW 2017-8!
Header Image: Facebook – Beyond The Valley
23-year-old singer, songwriter and producer Wafia is undoubtedly one of the most exciting Australian artists to emerge in recent years. Known for her soothing melodies, heartfelt tones and warm buzzing beats, she conveys an intimate sincerity. Born of Middle Eastern and Dutch parents, her music channels global influences; she often writes in Arabic, not English.
Her debut EP XXIX was released in late 2015 through Future Classic, and put an honest twist on modern pop music, covering topics like racial discrimination and mental illness. Since then, she has also released another stunning project alongside label-mate Ta-ku, a frank collaborative EP which delved into family lives and how it affects each of them.
Now, Wafia is set to perform at Beyond The Valley and at St Steven’s Uniting Church for the Sydney Festival. As she inches ever closer to the release of her sophomore EP, we managed to catch up with this ever growing artist about all the intricacies of her life, both in and out of music. The Brisbane-based artist speaks with a sophistication well beyond her years, and as she guides us through her creative vision.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/229483884″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
From an outsiders perspective, you’ve had an incerdible year. How has it been for you personally?
It’s actually really interesting, I thought this would be one of the best years, I have been doing all these things that I’ve always wanted to do. But to be completely honest with you, the thing that I thought would be stable throughout this year, my family life, wasn’t. And so, I realised, can you really enjoy the other things if you have those problems.
I try not to focus on these things as the only successes. This year has really helped me realise how important the family aspect and the support network around you is, otherwise it’s so easy to get lost in the noise of it all. I’m realising that music makes me happy, but only when it’s paired with a combination of things, if I’m personally and mentally happy, with my family and all these other things. I guess I’m really lucky to have that sort of perspective so young and early into my career.
You decided to pursue music after finishing your three-year pre-med studies. What was the turning point where you decided to make that switch?
A big part of it was my parents, my dad in particular. I think he always wanted to be an actor, but he never got the chance because his parents really pressured him into going on and studying med. So when it came time for me, I think he was kind of living vicariously through me, therefore he was just really encouraging me to do what I want to do so that I don’t regret anything later in life.
He did end up doing what he loved, he found his passion as a chef, but I think he still always has a little bit of that ‘what if’. My mum on the other hand got to pursue her dream, she always wanted to study English and French literature, but my dad never really did. So when it came to it, they were both really accepting. I guess if I hadn’t had them around I don’t think that I would have made the decision that I did. They were just so comfortable, and I think they were aware of my decision before I even knew of it.
For someone in my position, with the background I have, being Middle Eastern, I know that it is quite hard for young Arab girls to find themselves in music with support of parents, so I’m definitely so appreciative of that.
Image: Vlad Savin
Has music always been your dream and passion?
I think so, but even as a young child I was a realist. I was like, ‘This isn’t going to happen…there’s such a small chance of me ever doing this’, I wanted to be a doctor and live a life where I can help people and all of that.
It was always something I wanted to do, but I didn’t know if I was capable of doing it. I used to, and still do, listen to a lot of pop music, and all those people they always just felt so manufactured to me, not that they all are, but they just seemed so considered and put together.
I didn’t have a team around me, and thought I could never do that, but then you grow up, and I think the Internet did wondrous things for those artists who just want to put themselves out there.
Reflecting back on your first project in 2012, your music could almost be described as folk. How do you reflect on that now that you are experimenting with more electronic sounds and producers?
So that EP was basically just a demo EP. Those were the first five songs I’d ever written and I just thought, ‘I’m going to put this online now,’ I didn’t really think anything of it. At the time I wasn’t entirely comfortable with myself to be completely honest, and I think I wore my influences on my sleeve. Listening to a lot of Bon Iver and Daughter at the time, I decided I wanted to make music like that.
I ended up taking that offline because, while the lyrical content was genuine, I feel the sounds weren’t. I was working with a producer and he helped me put it all together, but I wasn’t very assertive in that process, or at least as assertive as I would have liked to have been in hindsight. I wasn’t as proud of it as I believed I should have been of a body of work. It was a really tough decision for me, because I was so attached to those songs, but just not how I had presented them, which was really confusing. That was just my period of growth, and when you put things online, it just means that everyone else sees that and everyone bears witness to my growth and change.
In those early days you explained you could only write for yourself, and that anything else just didn’t share that genuine quality. Is that still the case or has your creative process changed somewhat?
That’s such an interesting question, because I’ve actually been thinking about it a lot lately. I tried to write for other people this year. On the back of Heartburn some pop artists reached out to me, and I was flown out and got to write alongside them. I just couldn’t separate myself from what I was writing. I ended up walking away, feeling like I had to keep those songs, and I felt really bad, but when I sent them the demos asking if it was okay to take them they were totally fine.
I really romanticise Sia’s trajectory, in that she wrote for other people and totally killed it in that regard, but she must be so skilled to be able to detach herself. When her album This Is Acting came out, I found it really confronting. I just realised everyone is different, and I can’t be that – I can’t detach. I’m just too emotionally invested, and I can’t figure out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing in this industry. Any time someone criticises you, it’s automatically taken to heart. I’m just too close to the project and too close to my songwriting, especially because I don’t actually consider myself a songwriter. Maybe it’s imposter syndrome or something, I acknowledge I write songs, but I’m not a songwriter. Sorry it’s a bit of a tangent, just spilling my inner most thoughts to you here!
Why don’t you feel like a songwriter?
I don’t know, I mean I know I can write songs, but that title ‘songwriter’ feels so professional, and I think I’m so intimidated by that title even though it is totally what I do and I can’t ever see myself singing a song someone else has written for me. It’s really tough to explain.
Ta-ku and Wafia – Image: Johnny Castle
What was it that then drew you to work with the likes of Thrupence, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, and Ta-ku?
Honestly, it’s that we were friends, and that we connected on a human level before it was on an artistic level, that’s what made it so easy. I think Thrupence just tweeted me. Nothing came out of it for a really long time, but then when it came time for me to decide which songs I wanted on the EP, I was listening to one of his songs at the time, and I just decided this was the guy I wanted on this project with me. We’d tried to do demos beforehand and it just didn’t work out, but when I went down there it obviously worked. The exact same thing happened with Ta-Ku. We met really randomly on some basketball court, tried to work, didn’t happen, but then something just clicked. I really appreciate that no one ever came in and tried to organise it.
As for Vancouver Sleep Clinic, he’s my neighbour. He was on tour with Daughter at the time and was just told me to come on tour with him to write a song. So we wrote it, and then the next night we were actually playing it at the St Stevens Uniting Church, which is the same place I’m playing for the Sydney festival.
I’m so lucky to do this with people that I like. There are times when management, your label, or publishing will put you in a room with people, and there will be that chemistry, but I don’t think I can ever replicate what I have with Ta-ku, Ben Abraham, Vancouver Sleep Clinic – those are my guys.
You mentioned that earlier on, you regretted not being assertive in terms of the production. How involved are you today?
I’m heavily involved. I think we went through eight different producers for Heartbreak before I was satisfied. Even then, Ta-ku sent through a bunch of ideas, and me and my mixing engineer at the time (Andrei Eremin) stripped it down just to the elements that I liked, and rebuilt it up from there. I can’t imagine not being a part of that. At the end of the day it’s my name that’s going to be on the thing, alongside the producers. I feel like I need to represent myself in all aspects. I think I’m also really obsessed with cohesion, so even though I want to have all these different producers on something, the body of work needs to flow.
Sometimes I like to put people together who you wouldn’t really expect to work together. Right now I’m really fascinated with putting pop producers with hip-hop producers, and seeing how they collaborate, while I, what I like to call, ‘backseat produce’, which means I sit on the couch and try and explain what I want. It’s easier for me to explain how I want things to feel, and then depending on how I am with the producer that will then turn into something.
In one of your earlier interviews you explained that you write “very few songs but give them everything,” does this mean there are large chunks of time spent waiting for that inspiration, or do you find yourself fine tuning songs for a long time?
I think it’s a bit of both. When I’m writing a new song I need to wait for that inspiration, but while doing so I’m also fine-tuning another song until that inspiration strikes. I find that my inspiration comes in waves; I just have to allow myself to be present and wait for it to come.
It works in two stages. If I’m going through something emotionally, sometimes I can’t write exactly how I feel because I’m just so overwhelmed. So I find myself writing notes my phone, explaining what I’m feeling, and then I try and revisit that when I’m actually trying to write a song, after I’ve processed that situation a little bit better. That way I get the heat of the moment, but still a considered song.
I’ve noticed the songs I’ve written when I’m still emotionally charged can sometimes just only make sense to me, which is fine, but they’re only songs for me. I would never put those out or anything, those are my way of dealing with it, and then from that song I write a more refined song.
So you have almost a catalogue of songs just for you, basically as therapy for yourself?
Most of the stuff I write by myself ends up being for me, or I just collect all those ideas. Then when I’m in the room with my principal co-writer Ben Abraham, I bring those up and revisit those with him.
To be honest, sometimes in sessions I become really introverted, and I get really shy presenting completely new ideas. Just to get the ball rolling I’ll throw in passages from songs I’ve written for myself, and then use that as a launching pad to get comfortable and see what the vibe is with the person I’m working with, if that’s the first time that we’ve written together.
Your big release this year was the (m)edian EP with Ta-ku. How was the creative process shifted when you were working in a studio alongside with Ta-ku?
It was really effortless, I think we were both really surprised about how quickly it all came together. I felt like each of us knew how the other worked surprisingly well, and I think at this point Reggie (Ta-ku) and I had toured twice together, so that really helped in that regard. We both just knew that we really respected each other. We also decided that we would always try to have a third person in the room with us, which is why we brought up different people. When you’re just with two people in a room, it’s so easy to get stuck and hit a wall, but if you have that third person, there’s a bit more dialogue, and a lot less internalising.
I wish it was always that way working with people. You realise doing things like that with Ta-ku, how rare that is to have that chemistry where you go in to the studio that morning, and you know by the end of the day you’re going to walk out with a song that you’re really proud of. Everything that we wrote made it onto the EP. It just felt right, it told a story and it represented both of us.
Image: Claire Wakeford
Speaking about your Sydney Festival show, what made you decide to strip it back and perform solo piano?
I wanted it to be a night about the song writing, and the people I do that with, so I’m bring out my musical director Hans, who I play all my shows with, but also Ben Abraham who I write almost all my songs with. It’s kind of a testing ground to try out all these new songs which are going to be on the EP and album, without the pressure of the production, because that part of it isn’t done yet, whereas the songwriting is.
I can’t wait to play new songs with the people I’ve been creating them with. How often do you all get to be in the same space, and have a festival that’s going to be so accommodating to you wanting to just play a solely piano show for 60+ minutes when your forte is electronic pop? I just want to push the envelope. I was raised singing in churches, so even though I’m not Christian I’ve always had this affinity towards them. I think it’s going to be a really special night, probably most because I’ll be on stage with the two people who have really helped me be where I am now.
Do you see yourself doing more of these stripped back sessions to test the water with other new works?
Totally. Like I said I’m so fortunate that Sydney festival were willing to accommodate with what I wanted. This probably wouldn’t fly in most festivals, but I really want to do more of them. I would love to just do an entire tour of churches.
Finally, do you have many plans for next year? Can we expect to be hearing a lot from you or are you going to be tinkering in the shadows?
I’ll definitely be releasing stuff next year, and I’m going to be working towards an even bigger project after that. I’m always going to be tinkering away in the shadows, but something I realised the other day is that I never want to be the loudest in the room. I’d rather be quietly achieving or just doing my thing. I’m mostly just excited to share all this new music that I’ve been working on, and hopefully do more shows with pianos and churches!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLSQUYCh1rd-SSrQW6ckOofOtIDovWEiVh&v=JXph-vA7FTc
Wafia Tour Dates
Sat Dec 31: Beyond The Valley, VIC
Fri Jan 27: St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney (Sydney Festival)
Image: Instagram
It’s time for your weekly dose of the hottest new musical visuals, and this week we’ve got a bit of everything, including healthy doses of nostalgia, action and surrealism. Some of these videos are truly cinematographic while others are a bit of fun, either way they’re made for solid viewing, so you best pull up a seat.
Kllo – Sense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSPETjXwLOA
First up for this week’s collection of weird and wonderful videos is the new one from Melbourne duo Kllo, off their EP Well Worn. A hazy meander, the video for Sense opens with a shot of the instantly recognisable Royal Arcade off Bourke Street. From there,the duo travel through the suburb they grew up in and wrote a majority of their music and other parts of the city they hold dear – everything from a typically chilly coastal adventure to restaurants, arcades, shopping centres and blossom dappled, homely gardens. The muted tones (courtesy of the Super 8 camera the entire thing was filmed on) of the video offset the nostalgia dripped mumble of the track, the piecing together of the different locations calling to mind the duo’s knack for blending pop and r&b. Intentionally unrefined, the duo have said that the am of the video was to “capture the honest aspects of our life at the moment,” in the same way they do their music.
Rainbow Chan – Pearled Into
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbifrpOlWOg
Headed to Sydney now with Rainbow Chan’s new visuals from her debut album Spacings. Her clip for Pearled Into is decidedly minimalist and plays with blank space. Dressed in all black, she pulls shapes around a stark white box of a room. The simplicity of the clip is captivating and calls attention to the crux of the song, which about working to rebuild yourself. With Rainbow’s angular, interpretive moves and the song’s themes, there is a wonderful marriage between the idea of dancing as though no one is watching and the line “Wear it with pride, girl/ Nothing can hurt you now”. Directed by Rainbow’s frequent collaborator Ellie Graham, the dance was choreographed by Amrita Hepi and while at first it seems simple and perhaps delicate, as it progresses it becomes clear that there is a certain strength at play here.
Tkay Maidza – Carry On ft. Killer Mike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXKN_IBdhRA
Back down to Adelaide and we’ve got a fresh clip from the wonderfully talented Tkay Maidza. The first single off her highly anticipated, upcoming debut album TKAY (out October 28) Carry On was already a beast of a track and now it’s got a video equal parts gritty and vibrant to go with it. While the song features one half of Run The Jewels, Killer Mike, who was quoted last year singing the praises of Tkay, he doesn’t make an appearance in the clip. Rather, the video focus on Tkay and a small troupe of dancers as they switch up outfits, stomp around what looks like a makeshift photoshoot set and unashamedly make their presence known, as Tkay so often does. Filmed in London during her recent UK & European tour, the clip is a frenetic flurry of colour, style and shape that calls to mind Tkay’s live show and makes you want to dance like nothing else.
L-FRESH The Lion unBECOME ft. Jimblah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry4YrknLDdU
While Sydney’s L-FRESH The Lion has just finished a national tour, that doesn’t mean he isn’t taking time off. He’s just dropped the video for his Jimblah featuring track unBECOME. A captivating gray scale simplicity, the clips follows L-FRESH and Jimblah as they explore the implications of burnout that is often experienced by activists and social workers. Speaking about the concept, L-FRESH said that upon first approaching Jimblah to feature on the track, they spoke about “balancing your own expectations with other people, including you own community’s… We’d spoken about all of this a few times in the past.” The song itself discusses the anxiety that can come with trying to balance all those expectations while still doing the work to be a better person every day and how “many times, we are our own worst enemies.” The stripped back approach to the video allows the lyrics to really come across on their own.
Ta-ku & Wafia – (m)edian
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSQUYCh1rd-SSrQW6ckOofOtIDovWEiVh
Not content with selling out a New York date on their maiden US voyage, for their next trick Australian duo Ta-ku and Wafia have presented not one, not two, but three new videos for an EP they’ve titled (m)edian. Comprising of three tracks, the videos were co-directed by Ta-ku (his debut) with Collider’s Damon Cameron. A surreal, a cool-toned three part series, videos for the songs Treading Water, Meet in the Middle and the inescapable Love Somebody make up (m)edian. As the videos progress, we follow a number of central characters on their strange adventures that are best explained through simply watching the videos themselves. A highly stylized aesthetic which showcases Ta-ku as a multi-talented and yet utterly focused artist, the series feel more like a short, wordless and wonderfully perplexing film than video clips.
Sampha – Blood On Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oM1DFL43Lk
The international entry for this video roundup comes courtesy of one of the most intriguing acts out of the UK, singer-songwriter Sampha. Having collaborated extensively with a number of widely acclaimed artists (we’re talking everyone from FKA twigs and SBTRKT to Beyonce, Kanye West and Frank Ocean), Sampha has given us a frankly stunning piece of film which cuts together a number of threatening and somewhat bizarre scenarios. Perhaps most fitting thematically is the shot of Sampha running on a greyhound track before eventually collapsing, however it is the dramatic ending to the entire piece that tends to stick with you, giving off a sort of Weasley’s-flying car-meets-macabre-Green-witch vibe.
Pixx – Grip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4kONnKvqG0&feature=youtu.be
Also out of the UK is the new offering from Pixx (real name Hannah Rodgers), titled Grip. The song is lifted from her debut album slated for release early next year. Through a series of angular yet fluid movement and a forever twisting and turning camera, the song shows Pixx in what appears to be an abandoned home. Of the song and video, which seems to defy gravity, she said that “we go through life facing backwards, moving forwards without a clue what is in front of us.” much in the way we did watching the video, she said that is a concept she finds herself getting lost in.
Flatbush ZOMBiES – Trade-Off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPYsfMd16JQ&feature=youtu.be
Finally, we wind things up in Shanghai with the new video from Flatbush ZOMBiES and the short film that provides the visuals for their track Trade-Off. Titled 65 to Life, the film was written and directed by British filmmaker Jayga Rayn and produced by his Shanghai-based production house. The video follows a, perhaps unlikely, duo as they embark on a night’s wicked antics. From a convenience store hold up to the drunken outing that ensues to the call into work the next morning, the film is fast-aced and utterly frenetic and makes for entertaining, enthralling viewing.
Image: Pixx (supplied)
Well here’s a nice bit of news! Perth-based producer Ta-ku and Brisbane-based singer Wafia are teaming up to present a joint EP. In the lead up to its release later this week, they’ve dropped one of the singles from the record. Love Somebody is set to be the final track on the five-track EP, and the pair have really done something special. If the entire EP follows this level of quality, consider me very excited.
The track is a really solid offering, with a mellow line of synths opening it, then kicking in with a more layered sound once the vocals enter. It’s got a very optimistic feel to it but it never devolves into giddiness, instead playing with a sense of maturity that it commendable. It’s a fantastic level of quality from Ta-ku and Wafia, so check it out below:
The pair have previously worked together on Meet In The Middle, which will also feature on the EP. The five-track release will be titled (m)edian and is set to drop this Friday (August 5). Wait a minute… that date sounds awfully familiar… oh. OH. Right. Well, my ears will be torn as to which to listen to first, but Ta-ku and Wafia have released two stunning singles so far, so their EP is beginning to sound very promising indeed.
Image: Matsu
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.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/100553360″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
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
Mainstay champion of Australian electronic music, Ta-Ku took to the beautiful Sydney Opera House stage this week to perform as part of Vivid Live, which also featured artists including New Order, Bon Iver, Hiatus Kaiyote, Bjork, Max Richter and more. Ta-Ku performed alongside Wafia, with whom he has announced a joint EP, (m)edian, due August 5 via Future Classic. The pair had previously collaborated on a number of tracks including Charles Murdoch‘s Frogs and Ta-Ku’s American Girl (a cover of Estelle’s American Boy). Listen below to the first track from the new EP, titled Meet in the Middle:
https://youtu.be/dbtcVc0Tv-4
We were lucky to catch them perform at one of their two performances at the Sydney Opera House, on Friday June 3, 2016.
All images: Danielle Hansen / Howl & Echoes
Ta-ku and Wafia have confirmed that they will release a full EP of music together next month.
Titled (m)edian, the EP will drop on August 5 through Future Classic.
Having worked together in the past on both Charles Murdoch‘s Frogs and Ta-Ku’s American Girl (the latter being a stripped back take on American Boy by Estelle), the pair have proven that they have plenty of musical history and chemistry together.
In preparation for(m)edian‘s release, the pair yesterday shared their new single Meet In The Middle.
Dropping straight into a filthy groove, Ta-ku croons over a fuzzy synth line before Wafia adds some light into the dark with her own vocals. The chorus doesn’t jump out as such but rather flows on as a natural extension from the verse, with a steady, percussive pulse holding it all together.
After the introduction of keys in the bridge the song rises and falls before gently fading away, leaving listeners hanging out for just a tiny bit more. Listen below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbtcVc0Tv-4
Wafia and Ta-ku will be performing as part of Vivid Sydney, showcasing their new material with two shows at the Sydney Opera House.
The pair will also be playing a one-off show in Perth for the State of the Art festival before embarking on a string of European dates.
See below for details.
Read our review of Wafia’s EP here.
Image: hypetrak
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.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232918279″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
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.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/252409608″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
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
It’s happened. The summer is well and truly over. With a bunch of festivals, sideshows and tours over the New Year absolutely blowing our minds, it’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye as it all drifts further and further back into our memory. However, before it leaves completely, there’s still some time to bring the heat.
Future Classic’s series of MCA shows have over the last few months seen some absolutely legendary performances. Kenton Slash Demon, Roland Tings, Harvey Sutherland, Tornado Wallace, Sampa The Great, Wafia, Anthony Naples, Pelvis and Kenji Takimi have all graced the MCA’s Sculpture Terrace with their presence, and crazy fun shows. So it’s only fitting that the mega-label is seeing it off with a bang, putting on a final show this Sunday packed full of Future Classic Allstars. They’re being super secretive about the lineup and not giving any hints until it’s actually happening, so we’re here to speculate and myth-bust as to who may be jumping behind the decks.
Our little dog friend is barking all over the northern hemisphere at the moment. He’s just done a bunch of shows in the U.S. and Paris, and his Saturday night is taking place in London. That’ll be the 9th of April, which, with time differences, is almost exactly when the FC Allstars show will be going on. We can sit on his latest track Chroma, to make him feel a little bit closer, but we won’t be able to see him do his thing at the MCA.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/251289572″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Since the release of Built on Glass in 2014, Chet’s been all over the world playing shows, and even making an appearance on Ellen. Towards the end of last year though, he released Work, an EP he produced alongside London’s Marcus Marr. It’s 4 tracks of beautiful house, which would be phenomenal to see played live. He’s proven himself to be very comfortable behind the decks, having a slap at the Ray Ban x Boiler Room show in Melbourne late last year, so we can hope we get to see it go down again.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234865253″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
His show alongside Cyril Hahn in late February is still fresh in our minds, and sadly, leads us to believe that he won’t be back to play so soon.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232762332″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Though it’s been a while since we’ve heard from LA duo Classixx, their last album releasing all the way back in 2013, it’d make sense to get a surprise appearance from them on the Sculpture Terrace. They’ve just released their latest single Grecian Summer from their second album Faraway Ranch, and been announced as part of that absolutely mammoth Lollapalooza lineup, we imagine to tie in with its release. So, maybe to kick off what is to be an absolutely massive year for them, we’ll see them Sydney-side this weekend? Fingers crossed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3q_Pr9hYzo
Though we’re on the precipice of the release of Skin, Flume’s second album, and yes it would make sense for a huge hometown show before it releases – it’s super unlikely. He’s playing Ceremonia Festival in Mexico on Saturday, so we can live in the hope that maybe his set is early and he could make a flight, but let’s not get them up.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/244255359″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Side-project of beatmakers Ta-Ku and Kit Pop, HWLS’ most recent release was two months ago with Ty Dolla $ign as part of Adidas’ #songsfromscratch series. They’ve played a few shows here and there, their last one in Sydney being the Laneway Festival afterparty with Hudson Mohawke. With them going quite for a while, it’d make sense to have them as part of the allstar lineup, but Ta-Ku is doing so much at the moment that he legit may not have the time. He’s debuting his live show with Wafia (who just released her own EP) at VIVID LIVE, and has a residency at the MCA starting next week – though maybe that’s in our favour set-wise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UQ3WHMfcD8
It’s been quite a long time since we’ve heard anything from these two boys from Sydney. They’re playing quite a few shows in Europe over the next three months, starting in May, but haven’t done a Sydney show in quite some time. Reading between the lines though, Future Classic call specific attention to the fact that the Allstars are “jumping behind the decks”, and so we may not be able to get the full Jagwar Ma experience if they are to make an appearance. Maybe a lil DJ set though? Time will tell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP8k6fmxWe4
Not much is known about Midnight To Monaco, the project of Donnie Sloan, co-producer for Empire Of The Sun, and Ricky Ducati, but their sound speaks for itself. 50’s doo wop flung far into the future, Midnight To Monaco are set for big things the world over. Their latest single One In A Million was released on the latest Future Classic compilation, also called One In A Million, so we can clutch at straws and hope that they’re on the lineup, but would we consider them allstars yet? No doubt they will be eventually, but so far they’ve only been around a minute.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/248907390″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Panama have just come home from a tour across Asia, though their last release was a while ago with Jungle just last year. Unless they do a DJ set, we imagine they won’t be gracing the MCA stage due to the fact that they use live drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1m0mceKkx4
The boys are doing a bunch of European shows in September, and just last week did a DJ set in Berlin. They seem to be spending more and more time overseas at the moment, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were still kicking it European style, but they are definitely one of Future Classic’s most allstar teams, so it’s very possible they’ll come home to pay a visit.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/35498404″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Melbourne producer Thrupence has been flying under the radar for a while now, releasing New Light, his only track since Lessons all the way back in 2014, in September of last year. Though his lush and textured sounds would fit right at home at the MCA, if you follow his Instagram you’ll know that he’s been much more busy working in his design and art scheme of things.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/225891710″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
Off the back of his remix of Flume’s Never Be Like You, Wavey is unfortunately, for those of us at home, also on tour. Taking his Flash Drive tour across North America, Saturday night sees him play Madison, Wisconsin, alongside Promnite. This Sunday won’t be as wavey as we’d hoped in Sydney, take care of him Wisconsin.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/254881118″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
They’ve just wrapped up their Avocado Galaxy tour to promote their EP of the same name, but it’s unlikely we’ll be travelling through the Avocado Galaxy come this Sunday. Why? Instruments.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/221208097″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=’166′ iframe=”true” /]
OTHERS
Now though everyone else has gotten their own section on why they might or might not play, there’s some very simple explanations for the ones in this section. Though we’d love to see them again, Kenton Slash Demon and Perth singer songwriter Wafia have already played as part of this round of FC x MCA shows, so we’re banking on them not making a return just to give others a red hot go. Sidenote: Wafia could maybe come back, but it’d probably only be to accompany Ta-ku like she will be as a part of VIVID Live. Now, you may have also noticed that Charles Murdoch, Flight Facilities, Hayden James and Touch Sensitive haven’t been mentioned till now. Though all these artists are phenomenal in their own rights, and definitely all a part of Future Classic’s Allstar roster – these boys are the real allstars. Allstars are the players who come back and play in the game day after day, or in this case, rock the house again and again. They’re our best bets for Sunday’s show, but we can’t wait to found out properly.
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