Tame Impala at the Sydney Opera House forecourt

Photo: SMH

It’s no small feat to play in front of an international landmark, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker knew this was no ordinary gig. “I can’t believe we’re playing here, with that thing in the background, just right there…” That thing was the Sydney Harbour Bridge, peeking out behind the sails of the Opera House, and viewed perfectly from the outdoor stage where Tame Impala were playing to an audience in awe on the Opera House steps.

The band has been a top Aussie musical export and festival staple for years now but when you take their live show out of a dark concert hall to an outdoor space, there is something to say for how their psychedelic comes to life under a starry night sky. But despite the atmospheric spark, it was a shame that noise restrictions cut the sound levels to a less than impressive level.

Most critics of Tame Impala devote words to their elongated jams, cosmic effects and captivating visuals, but what struck me the most was Parker’s humble approach to it all. He genuinely seemed overwhelmed, or at least a little nervous. He was the only band member to speak, which is normal for the group, but he did add more of a festival vibe to his announcements than we’ve seen before: “how are you guys on the side? And at the back?”. Funnily enough, Parker called for us to raise our hands in the hair and clap along like we were at a large-scale arena.

The group is famously Australian but we have had to share them with the world, for their numerous international performances. So it was pretty special to hear three albums worth of music in one show as if we got a glimpse of what their catalogue would look like together in the future. Their standout track from latest LP Currents “Eventually” was a standout at the gig. Parker’s yearning vocals were even more fragile live and the layers of instrumentation were a joy to watch come to life. 

The boys weren’t afraid to delve into overplayed tracks from their early days calling “let’s go old-school” for “Half Glass Full of Wine” and “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind.” And you can tell its been a good gig when no one leaves before the final strum of the final track of the final encore. Even with the beckoning summer night above. 

Dear Plastic 'Zero'

From the first note a husky female voice croons: “Do you want to know the meaning of life?” Hint: the answer is in the song title. Melbourne pop quintet Dear Plastic have released a new single ‘Zero’ which emanates part 90s apathy, part modern pop seduction and fits into the realm of something like the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy.

For all the space synth and talk of “kings” and “queens,’” this track illustrates the lingering legacies of Bowie carried on by living lyricists and musicians eerily well . And in true Bowie style, among the minor chords and looping baseline, Dear Plastic put the power on the individual: “Reach out/you got it now.”

If you’re a fan the vocal distortion of Pond, the melancholy melodies of Big Scary or the strong, female vocals of The Preatures then chances are you will dig Dear Plastic. They don’t sound like any other Aussie act at the moment and sure, they’re not for everyone, but who isn’t curious to discover the answer to the meaning of life?

Published on AdamNOTEve. 

Majical Cloudz + Anatole at Newtown Social Club

It is one thing to sell out your first headline gig down under and it’s another to play to a room where you have the crowd’s full, phone-free attention. Canadian duo Majical Cloudz brought their Laneway 2016 set to the intimate Newtown Social Club for what proved to be a reflection on sombre emotions dispersed among witty one liners. The two donned their minimalist uniform (one in a white t-shirt, the other in a black t-shirt) and minimalist setup (only a synth board and mic on stage) for a show that was both soothing and confrontational.

But first, Sydney-based producer Anatole took on support duties with a mesmerising audiovisual set that had the whole room utterly focused, legs crossed and sitting down in silence. While kaleidoscopic visuals revolved behind him, [created by his friend Rory], Anatole was turning knobs and smiling as each layer built upon another in real time. His knack for subtly increasing tempo and playing with adored and familiar tracks, including “Say My Name” (eat your heart out, Cyril Hahn), made for a dynamic set that would shut down the argument of any purist who says that electronic production doesn’t move the heart strings.

As soon as Majical Cloudz came to the stage they received a huge cheer and their interaction with the audience was warm from the start. Singer-songwriter Devon Welsh maintained a melancholy blankness during his performance, but cracked jokes in between tracks. Meanwhile, producer Matthew Otto almost blended into the black curtains behind him as he made their records come to life. Their minor melodies and poetic lyrics felt naked in the tight, dark venue and unlike at a festival, we could hear Welsh’s every murmur (“Laneway was fun, but this is better.”)

When the stage is almost at eye level with the crowd, it is hard for a performer to cloud their intentions. It seems that the success of Majical Cloudz lies in their rawness (Welsh howls at one point) and all-too relatable lyrics (I’ll be honest/ I am afraid of love.) Although they showcased their new release Are You Alone?, the two finished their set with an old favourite, “Silver Rings”. In his awkward, yet endearing manner, Welsh thanked us for laughing and noted, “It would be good to play forever.”

Published on theAUReview.

Interview with Mr. Carmack

Mr. Carmack has established himself as a household name in bass music all the while maintaining an attitude of never trying too hard.

The Honolulu-born, Los Angeles-living producer is in Australia at the moment for a string of east coast shows. He took some time out before heading on his continent-spanning world tour to chat to PS about his writing process, dream rider and where he sees the electronic music scene at the moment.

What are you up to at the moment?
I’m good, I’m good. I’m at my house here in LA., in the kitchen currently. I just got a haircut.

That reminds me of Ta-ku who opened his own barbershop. I guess a lot of Australians heard about you from your collaboration last year (“I Miss You Most At Night.”)
Yeah, he’s started his own fucking store. I like it. Nah my buddy comes by and comes over and hangs out, smokes weed and cuts. Nothing too cray.

One of your last tweets for 2015 was “Reorganization can be a stem to inspiration.” What is that about?
I don’t mean complete reinvention. I just completely overhauled the bulk of my music and my computer, pretty nerdy stuff but very necessary. You need to have a moment to re-evaluate everything that you have, the things that you need or things that you don’t need, things that are necessary or taking up space. It’s kind of like cleaning your room you know. Except for me it took a week. I had so much music on my computer, so much music.

You have been unlucky and lost your laptop before, what kind of gear are you taking on your world tour? 
I actually lost it in my backyard here in LA. It wasn’t really lost, what happened was I blacked out and it got ripped out of my bag. I woke up on a bus in San Francisco with no backpack. I headlined my own show here in LA, which was sold out, and I got really, really drunk and all my friends left and then I ended up doing stuff I don’t remember. I regret it because there was a lot of good stuff on the laptop. But now I’ll be bringing two laptops – my production and my DJ laptop – a Traktor S5 and a midi keyboard so I can keep things tight and easy.

How are you feeling about the upcoming tour? 
I think the longest I’ve done is maybe 55 dates but that was spread over two and a half months. I think this is like 25 dates and it’s spread over three continents. It will be a really fun time, however touring is taxing on the body. It’s a lot of work, this continuous output of content – you work on something and two hours later you have to go catch a flight or one hour later you have to do an interview or in 20 minutes you have to go check into a hotel. So I can do as much as i can on the road but I’m focused on playing my new stuff like the red, yellow and white EP. It’s been a year since I’ve been Australia!

What are you most looking forward to about playing down under?
I love every part of it. I love Australia. I’m excited I’ll give it all I’ve got, play everything that I’ve made, playing my tunes you know. I just try to play my tunes and hopefully it goes down, you never know what happens.

What will you put on your riders in Australia?
Two handles of Jameson whiskey one bottle of Moët champagne and a towel. Sometimes when it’s not as strict – as much weed as possible. That’s pretty much it, simple.

I should start putting socks because as a touring artist you tend to lose underwear and socks at various hotels, so maybe I’ll think to put that on my rider when I come down. What’s an Aussie sock brand?

I don’t think it’s Australian, but Happy Socks are pretty popular.
Only if they make you happy when you wear them.

Artists like Flume praise electronic production because it means an instrumentalist can be self-sufficient. (Mr Carmack played French Horn in highschool, among other instruments.) What is satisfying about having that technology available to you?
I 100% agree with what Harley’s saying in that you have an entire orchestra at your fingertips and that you can repurpose an orchestra. You can get past the instruments and the sound and get into actual technical audio wave files and shapes and forms. You can get really into the building blocks of what makes a sound a sound and if you can harness that power you can literally make anything you want.

I think it goes beyond instrumentalism and beyond playing instruments and understanding core structure and musicality. It’s crazy. I could never, ever get bored of reusing certain sounds, say an ordinary door closing or a piece of wood getting cut or things like that. Computers have opened the floodgates to limitless creation.

I read in an interview with RL Grime that he thinks electronic music hasn’t peaked and we’ll always find a way to make music crazy. What do you think about that?
More and more I feel kind of jaded in that idea in that I hear a lot of the same sounds recycled and the same tunes. Even with me, I can tend to use similar sounds and create stuff that sounds “stale.” Music’s also taken on this thing where you’ve always got to create this new sound over and over. Every six months you got to reinvent and create and with technology you’ve always got to push for constantly reinventing new sounds new sounds, finding that limitless bank of sound. That can be really, really pressuring. it’s not conducive to sitting down for months or maybe even years of just sitting and cultivating one sound and working at it.

It’s only with that, with tireless hours of work put in, a new sound comes out, you know, a new thing comes out that you’ve never heard before. I guess on the surface level RL Grime is correct in that music will never find a glass ceiling but at the same time it’s easy to just get lost in the search for new sounds and not take time to appreciate and understand the existing music of yesterday and today. People don’t take time to listen to music anymore.

As well as listening to hip hop jams then you are also listening to classical music, given the Faure sample in “I Always Loved This One.”
Oh yeah I loved that. Classical is the best.

Finally, what advice do you give to young producers trying to get into DJing or music making professionally?
I’d say never stop being an apprentice, never stop being a student. There’s always someone to learn in music and someone to learn from, something to take in, so just be receptive to any and all forms of music and don’t be close-minded. Also save your money! I’m serious man.

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Artists to Watch in 2016: Elk Road

Perth producer Elk Road (aka Rory Garton Smith) is a relative newcomer on the electronic music scene who is already making a name for himself. His debut (and only) single has been on high rotation on triple j and we’re especially curious about the music to follow from the Facebook videos filmed in his studio computer chair.

Before bursting onto our playlists with ‘Not To Worry,’ Elk Road unleashed dynamic remixes of palatable pop hits. Each one has its own flavour, with top quality control over vocal adjustments and danceable breaks. On top of that, Garton Smith showed us that he doesn’t shy away from harder sounds when he teamed up with fellow Perth bass-heavy producers Slumberjack to breathe new life into Carmada’s ‘Maybe.’

Elk Road was noticed by happy patrons when he performed at the Red Bull Stage at Splendour in the Grass this July and was noticed some more when he released his first original track shortly afterwards. If you’re a fan of Just A Gent, Yahtzel and LDRU, then chances are you’ll dig Elk Road’s sound. Garton Smith terms it “post-trap” on his Soundcloud page but putting genres aside, he takes cues from any solid track.

We’re not the only ones with an eye on Elk Road, who was also nominated for the WAM (Western Australian Music) “Most Popular New Act” award (narrowly missed to a win by Koi Child) earlier this year. He’s paved a way through super hyped Spotify and iTunes lists and an ever-growing list of talented Australian producers. If anything, it’s an indication that his creative soundscape is about to become a whole lot more familiar. It’s going to be hard for Garton Smith to stay on the down low in 2016.

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Artists to Watch in 2016: Alphamama

She’s hip, she’s strong, she’s got one hell of a voice. Alphamama (aka Anita Meiruntu) prizes creative expression over digestibility and injects much-needed passion into music. It’s been almost three years since the release of her full-length debut album but following a great collab and new track, we’ve definitely got her on our radar for 2016.

Alphamama is like no other artist – her attitude is in check, and her voice soulful but strangely familiar and her music videos raw and unpredictable. In her latest creation for (what has been her first single in years) ‘Spit Me Out,' Alphamama touches on abusive relationship themes in a striking, delicate way.

You might also recognise her moniker from Set Mo’s latest track ‘Chasing Forever,’ where she lends her smooth vocals to feel-good summer song. It’s certainly upped her international coverage.

Never mind musical versatility, (with influences ranging from reggae to hip hop and funk) Alphamama is also a stylist, hair and makeup artist, and booking agent among other things. She also heads the God Queen blog, whose purpose is to bring about positive social change through art via a community of female artists.

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Interview with Boy & Bear

Most of us would need a break after performing 170 live shows across three continents but for Boy & Bear it was just the energy they needed to get into a new record before they jumped on a flight home at the end of 2014. We chatted to bassist Dave Symes about their much-anticipated third album Limit of Love, working with a rock legend and getting back to basics in the studio.

Hi Dave.
Good morning!

What are Boy & Bear up to at the moment?
We’re sort of starting rehearsals again now because we’re starting some shows in November and our new album’s coming out next week. So we’re getting it all up and running again to get this album out there and start playing and live again, which will be great.

When I saw you guys play at Falls 2012/2013 there was a full on mosh pit before the sun went down. Is this now stock standard for you guys or is it still enjoyable?
We love playing festivals, it’s a pretty amazing sort of energy if you have a great crowd like those festivals do. Falls Festival, Splendour – they’re amazing Australian festivals. Bluesfest is another great one. I don’t think you ever get sick of seeing a whole lot of people having a whole lot of fun to the songs that you’re playing. We definitely love doing the festival thing, it’s a nice change from doing your own show all the time.

Your guitarist Killian told triple j that the band decided to work more traditionally in the studio (with no overdubs in the process.) We see studio time romanticised in films such as Love & Mercy, but what are the challenges on the flip side?
I think the challenge, for us, in recording in this way, was to have the confidence to say this is actually the way you should be doing it. There’s so much technology out there these days, it’s very easy to give yourself way too many options and way too many decisions that you can always make later on, if you know what I mean.

So the way that we recorded live and the techniques we developed with our producer, Ethan Jones, was recording it all to tape and all of us in one room. It means that the sound is spilling into our instruments. So you have to keep everything you perform – there’s no editing and there’s no redoing. As a basic rule you’re basically capturing what went down altogether at one time.

I think the challenge for us was that you don’t have the safety net. It’s like walking the tightrope without having anything underneath it. But it’s not a new thing, it’s actually how records were made for a long time. I think at the other end of it, we love that way of recording – spending time together in the studio and getting great sounds and just playing music.

I’ve had a sneak listen to the record and the track “Just Dumb” stood out because it does sound like your live set with lots of layers and the instrumental jams.
That’s a pretty cool track actually because Ethan, the producer, he played a second sort of percussion/drum part on that. So that was a point of difference on that song which was a really nice thing. It was the only track we recorded late at night, like really late at night. Most of the things we worked during the day or into the evening but this one we were going to call it for the day and we said let’s just do it now and we set up and went for it. So it’s got its own sort of vibe.

What was it like working with Ethan Johns?
He’s like a big kid who just loves music and loves the sound of an instrument and loves a good song. He’s very encouraging, I think he brought the best out in us. I think we felt like we were collaborating with him at the highest of levels. He was interested in what we had to say. He’s open-minded, you know, he’s willing to change if it’s the best thing for the song. Working with him was really inspiring for us, I think we learned a lot.

The other thing is he is so experienced; he has a lot of stories. Everyday at dinner and lunch, which was probably an hour long, he’d basically just tell stories the whole time. But he had some pretty amazing first and second hand stories to do with famous bands, singers, studios. Coming from Australia, we were like “tell us that one again dad, the one with Keith Richards.” It was a little bit like a rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame of stories.

The cover art for Limit of Love moves away from your folk aesthetic – it almost looks like it belongs on an electronic record. Who created it?
Basically John, our piano/keyboard player, is a fantastic photographer and he’s always shooting on the road. So this is a photo that he took on the ferry from Vancouver, Canada to Victoria Island when we had a gig there. It’s probably 40 feet above the ocean so it’s actually taken from quite a distance of this beautiful coloured water and it’s an interesting texture because it’s quite rough water.

We had a meeting with the design guys at Headjam in Newcastle. They’ve done a bunch of stuff for us. We wanted things to be really simple and to reflect the way we wrote and recorded, simple and classic. In a way, it’s kind of cool you say electronic because in a way it outlines what we’re all about and not just the band name and the title and any sort of image. They chose this photo out of about 500 and we kind of dug it.

We wrote all the record in the south of Sydney down the coast so we did spend a lot of time by the ocean while we writing the music so it sort of tied in really nicely. And I like the fact that John’s the photographer, it’s his artwork.

What is the value of leaving your routine and physical space (from Sydney to Berry) to write music?
The reason for doing it, I think , is it’s nice to get to a space or an environment when you can just focus for a while.We’d hire a house on the coast for 7-10 days at a time and we did about three trips like this. We all live in Sydney and we do do some writing together, we might book 2 or 3 days in a week to get together but then everybody returns to their life or someone runs late because they had togo to the post office on the way. Life can get in the way, which is fine. But we find when we book this time away, it’s a really nice way to focus. Even when we stop jamming and writing, we might be cooking a meal and talking about the kind of music we want to make or listening to some albums that we want to check out or we can listen to our demos. We can work around the clock but in a really relaxed well. It seems to work for us. We all get on really well. We work well together.

Oh so there’s no band rivalries to uncover!
Ha maybe after this next tour.

And before the national Australian tour, guys are going back overseas.
Yeah it’s the first time the album’s coming out globally, at the same time, which is cool. It’s exciting. So we’re obviously here now, we’re doing a tour late Jan and February so we’re going to do some promo shows in Europe, the UK and America, and we’ll go back there next year if all things work as they could. We’ve been home all year, except for recording in England for 5 weeks. It’s been nice to spend time at home because last year we were gone for about 11 months over the year so it was a big one. But it’s amazing to have that opportunity.

What do you think of the idea that touring sucks out creative energy?
There is an interesting story for us this time. We finished our last show December 13 last year in Paris. We finished after the big year and a half all sort of with that feeling, you know, whenever you finish anything it’s slightly exhausted but really happy. We went back to London because we had to fly out of London to get home and we had to try and meet Ethan (Johns) before we went home because we’d already started to discuss the next record a few months before. We were just doing it for a practical reason, let’s do it while we’re here. It’s amazing, we got to the airport that night after having a two-hour meeting with him.

Now I don’t think that happens every time, we were lucky that we had things worked out. But I think that says a lot about how we ended up dealing with last year, we were definitely tired and you don’t have the brainpower to think of new songs but at the same time you get hungry for it because you’ve been doing the same kind of material for a year and a half and you do have a few new things that have come out of that.

What’s the best part of home shows?
I think it’s nice to play and have family and friends at the shows. When you’re away for a long time it’s nice to have that connection. We love playing at home. We’ve got amazing audiences here who have been there with the band since the beginning. We’re doing some cool venues this time, so it’s exciting. It’s a really nice grounding thing for us I think.

Published on AdamNOTEve.

Film Review: Flight Facilities "Across America"

Flight Facilities are a household name in Australian dance music but a never-before-seen mini documentary shows us that behind the polished performances are two good mates who make music for a living, and love it. Red Bull Media House  produced Across America during the duo’s coast-spanning tour of the USA in early 2015. It is hard not to get caught up in their incessant banter, self-deprecation and ability to transform any uncomfortable touring experience into a practical joke.

The film is edited as more like a memory flashback rather than a step-by-step guide to the touring journey. We start at one of their packed out shows in Las Vegas, jump to conversations in their tour bus, studio jams, free time and back to the concert halls. All the while the camera feels unobtrusive, as if we’re watching their backstage shenanigans as another member of the touring crew.

‘Of course, we see the classic flashes of fame, including quick cuts of girls screaming à la Beatles Shea Stadium to those same girls later getting their chests autographed with the FF logo. But the main storyline and most endearing aspect of the film is the opposing creative dynamics between the two: Hugo Gruzman aka the jokester, shown rolling in the snow in a Hawaiian shirt and boxers, alongside James Lyell (Jimmy) who does yoga and packs his suitcase meticulously on tour.

Across America uncovers valuable snippets in its interviews with the boys, their manager, Future Classic label staff and music journalists. We find out that the duo took an hour to create their first track together, which become a funky, rhythmic track “Big Fat Rio.” We also get to see childhood photos in their bedroom and footage of past live shows. It is a story of two unlike characters with like minds, who get on famously and saw a spark in their work from the get go.

While we don’t know where they are at times, Red Bull have done a great job of expressing the spontaneity of overseas performances and the freedom of the tour bus lifestyle. The two started out as DJs but possessed a knack for writing great original content which, as the film shows, translates across international dance floors. And while Jimmy notes that Flight Facilities have never broken industry records, “we’ve never been the top of the top,” it seems to be better that way because they truly live both the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Review Score: FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE

Flight Facilities: Across America premiered at an event in Sydney earlier this month and will will be available online soon.

Published on The Iris.

Interview with Keys N Krates

Keys N Krates are currently in their hometown of Toronto, Canada before they bring their live show to Australia for the new year.

For those of you who don’t yet know, Keys N Krates is comprised of international award-winning turn-tablist Jr. Flo, drummer Adam Tune and David Matisse on synth and keyboards.

The Canadian trio are about to release another EP on Dim Mak records, Midnite Mass, which is due out on January 14 next year. They took some time out to speak to PS about studio life, fanmade merch and the religious side to rave culture.

Your Facebook page has been down for a few days, did you post something offensive for that to happen?
No, we still haven’t been able to sort that out, so if anybody has any contacts at Facebook who could sort it out, that would be awesome. We have absolutely no clue. We went one day to update it, and it was no longer there, or any trace of it, so it’s kind of a mystery.

Aussie artists Hermitude are joining you on tour next year, how did that come about?
We met them in Chicago. The reason why we asked them to support us on our tour is because we really dig their music, we think it’s cool. We’ve seen footage of them performing live and we liked that they’re a live act. We hadn’t actually met them until we played a festival with them in Chicago called Freaky Deaky. We got to hang out with them there and they were cool guys so we’re extra excited to have them on the bus because we know that they’re not just good guys but normal dudes who seem like they’re going to be good to travel with.

Which other producers are you digging at the moment?
We’ve been listening to some Rustie, we’re always listening to Hudmo and Cashmere Cat; I’ve been really digging this new dude KRNE, he’s from the bay area. Ganz, Troyboi and of course Drake.

That sounds like a pretty sweet festival lineup.
Yeah it would be.

I saw you guys tweet that you love fanmade merch, what are some highlights?
There’s a lot that we Instagram. We see a lot of fans, they’ll come to our show and before they come they’ll make their own merch and screen print designs, or artwork, on a shirt. Some of it I think is fan enthusiasm and some of it is that they don’t want to pay the shipping fees for our merch. Either way we totally dig the DIY stuff and the enthusiasm of people actually wanting to create stuff out of our name. Super dope to us.

We see the fun side of the studio life (like Instagram videos spinning around in computer chairs) but what was challenging while creating the EP?
Generally, when you see the Instagram videos off us playing off the laptop that’s when we have the tune done, or 80% done, and we’re in a happy place. That’s when all the arguing, the recording, all the EQing, all the bullshit is kind of done, so we’re excited about the tune we’ve just made, or if we think it’s really strong. We argue, we butt heads, we do recording sessions with people and there’s a lot of emailing for getting samples. It’s definitely not all celebration.

In the promo for your upcoming  tour, you guys said “we want it to feel almost like a religious gathering.” Can you expand on that?
I think the whole idea behind Midnite Mass is music as a religious gathering because seeing an act is like that. Also, the rave scene especially has its own set of principles, of guidelines on how to act and we think we’re a part of that and facilitating that and we want the music to mean something to people and to be almost spiritual, something that they get something from and take something home with them. And we want the artwork and vibe of the EP to reflect that. The house production we bring on tour will reflect that too, the way we do the lighting will feel like a spiritual experience, we hope.

How are you thinking of translating Midnite Mass to a live set?
The way we interpret it live is going to sound a bit different to the EP, because that’s just how it is. Our live interpretations of our recorded music has always been a bit different. Part of the fun of people coming to see us is they’ll get something that holds true to the record but is its own experience. We do stuff in the show, independent of the record, that we don’t do anywhere else and will never be recorded. We have a cover of ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ that we do that will probably never come out, that’s just something that we do live. That also goes for the live versions of our stuff.

Your track ‘Keep It 100’ became a bit of a catchphrase, do you guys see a standout on the new EP?
We’re always trying to do fun, catchy taglines with a lot of our stuff – I think ‘U Already Know’ has that potential – but we don’t really know man. At the end of the day we’re making stuff that we like, we’re not saying at the time “we made this and it will do this.” ‘Keep It 100’ didn’t become a big song until a year out. It got a lot of DJ support early on, but it didn’t really become a big song. And same with ‘Dum Dee Dum’ – a lot of our music has been a slow burn. We never really know what to expect, we just make stuff that we like.

What would you say to young producers or musicians who are reading this?
Work on your own sound and make lots and lots of stuff. Don’t get discouraged, it takes a while to find your sound but make a ton of shit and after you make ton of shit, make more. Just keep trying to find new sounds and work at it.

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Gary Clark Jr. "The Story of Sonny Boy Slim"

It often takes a few listens to get into a song, but there’s no denying the sweet moment of that feeling like you've heard a new song before. Gary Clark Jr. oozes familiar, old-school sentimentality among creative production, and his latest record The Story of Sonny Boy Slim will delight most and move many.

Even the title itself beckons for a nostalgic flashback to the music of the mid 1900s, inviting us into a sonic storytelling that’s been missing (at least in the traditional sense) from a lot of the music since. Of course, there will be links to other artists when we read about Gary Clark Jr. – his sound clearly has a history to it. First track ‘The Healing’ sets the mood of the record with a gospel hymn sample “I’m On The Battlefield for My Lord” into twangy electric guitar, reminiscent of the Django Soundtrack.

Despite the vintage feel of the record, Gary’s voice brings a youthful energy, which lets us know we’re listening to freshly created lyrics. ‘Our Love’ is a charming ballad, not so much about a love complete but something in the process of becoming something life changing. ‘Church’ is a healing anthem, and a standout on the album. As he croons, it becomes a spiritual experience separate from religion. The Story of Sonny Boy Slim sounds like the story of all humans on the cusp of vulnerability, feeling very alone, and then reaching out to others despite the risk.

Gary Clark Jr. has acknowledged in interviews that his Blues sound has its roots in USA pre-Civil Rights, when artists sang of their oppression. However, his blues vocals aren't so much an imitation but rather a vehicle for the hazy autobiographical-via-imaginative narrative he develops song by song.

Ultimately, the record is an ode to music. Gary Clark Jr states it outright in the first track: “when this world upsets me/this music sets me free.” He takes us through the power of song as a vessel of doubts (“Hold On”), a psychedelic loop of thoughts and feelings (“Wings”) and an invitation to dance away cares (“Can’t Sleep”). His voice is an instrument in itself, ranging from a hip-hop inflected spoken style to a fragile falsetto exuding suffering. And classic guitar fans will enjoy his screaming solos cutting through the melodies.

The Austin Bluesman is playing Falls Festival in Australia over the summer and it will sure be a memorable set, watching Sonny Boy Slim come to life. He has performed previously down under at Bluesfest, but something tells me this record signals an expansion of his fan base from serious blues fans to all music fans. Who would have thought the harmonica had made a comeback? 

Published on theAUReview.

Safia at the Factory Theatre

“Do you guys want an album?” Safia’s loved vocalist Ben Woolner screamed out to a sold out Factory Theatre. In reverse career mode, the Canberra three-piece is now a household name in Australian music with just five official singles. They brought stadium level dynamics to a medium-sized venue (read: strobe lights and moving visuals) and turned an local weeknight gig into something really memorable.

Throughout the night, the band had a firm grasp on suspense. From the visual ticking metronome before ‘Counting Sheep’ to the looping ‘Take Me Over’ intro, riling up the audience like an animal call, we were made to savour the setlist. It felt like getting clues from a band with a decade worth of discography behind them. In the middle of the set, well placed, we heard the most sentimental, falsetto-sweet tracks, including ‘Listen to Soul, Listen to Blues’ and ‘You Are The One.’

You know it’s been a good gig when the songs stick in your head on the way home. Ben’s vocals are the heart of the band and his dedication to performing was sincere. Sometimes the stadium antics felt a little cheesy, (“I want to see your hands up! Sing along Sydney!) but it is nice to feel involved, especially when it doesn’t feel forced. It would have been an extra treat to hear their covers of fellow balladeers (James Vincent McMorrow, Alt-J), which featured in their sets earlier this year, but this gig was all about originals.

You also know it’s been a good gig when someone throws a bra on stage. Safia are far from the Red Hot Chili Peppers in attitude but it looks like they warrant the same love from their fans. After chants of “one more song,” the band came back for a five-minute distorted jam and a performance of ‘Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds.’ Guitarist Harry Sayers threw his picks into the audience and the faded down. Something tells me they’ll be playing hall-sized venues on their next Australian tour.

Published on theAUReview. 

Interview with Petite Noir

Photo Credit: Travys Owen

Yannick Illunga aka Petite Noir is an artist who calls several places home. From London to Cape Town, he’s accumulated a mix of eclectic influences (and a friendship with rapper Mos Def) which make for a rich listen on his bilingually titled debut record La vie est belle/Life Is Beautiful.

Petite Noir terms his music as “noirwave,” if it were to enter a genre and his music videos have captured our ears and eyes’ attention with striking visuals to match. We spoke with him during his Red Bull studio sessions in South Africa before he heads on a string of European festivals this month to launch his record.

PS: Hi Yannick, what are you up to today?

YI: I’m in Cape Town at the moment. It’s a quarter to ten here. I guess I’m a late riser. But I like to sleep early too.

I’m going to the studio later and then going Jo’burg tomorrow and then going to London on Monday for the European tour.

Who are the pioneers of Noirwave to you?

It’s more of like a mentality, you know. And yeah it’s quite new, it’s all developing itself and it’s really developed and developed and it’s like a freethinking movement – just freeing yourself from the system, if that make sense.

You seem to be getting a lot of press in France, why do you think that’s so?

I think maybe it’s the name and the fact that I speak French and the energy’s there, you know.

What have been some of your festivals to play in the past and why?

The last festival I played in France was pretty amazing. This festival I just played in New York like a week and a half ago was pretty amazing too. I mean there are so many good festivals but the main highlight now was the one just in New York [Afropunk Festival].

Which Aussie artists do you dig?

Tame Impala’s pretty amazing. Ah man, I’m sure I know a lot of other Australian bands I just can’t think of any at the moment.

On your new record La Vie Est Belle – Life is Beautiful, what came first the title or the music?

The music came first. And then while I was writing I had such a beautiful view of a garden and the sun shining in the garden on the flowers and I just thought, “this is beautiful.” This was in South Africa. I wrote it in Johannesburg a few months ago then moved to London and re-recorded everything in London. It is pretty quiet but I think that’s what I wanted – I think I wanted to be away from everything. And in London, I’m in new area all the time because I haven’t really gotten a place there. Every time I go back we rent some new place.

I’ve read that your girlfriend Rochelle Rharha Nembhard selects the aesthetics for your music videos, can you tell me about that ?

She does the creative direction and the art direction of where we should go and how we should do it. She’s really good and she’s brought along really good artists and she chooses who we should use. She’s on set but we’ll get a director as well and go from there.

What about your non-musical influences, what were you reading or watching during the creation of this album?

I don’t know. I just think I had stuff on my mind that I wanted to let out. I’m quite a spontaneous writer. I sort of write the first thing that comes to my mind.

Is there an ideal listening situation for your album?

I think it’s like family music. You can listen to it with your family and everyone will enjoy it.

How natural is it to sing parts of your songs in French?

I grew up speaking French and I speak French with my parents all the time. It was my first language so it was pretty natural to have it both in French and English.

How did people first respond to your pseudonym “Petite Noir?”

Sometimes people are uncomfortable but the thing is the problem isn’t with me, it’s with you. I don’t really let that phase me. That’s my name.

What have you heard about the record so far from people who’ve streamed it?

Yeah I’ve had very good feedback so I’m excited for the release of the album, very excited.

What else is on the cards for the rest of the year?

A lot of touring, a lot of promo, a lot of videos, more music, more collaborations. The next video should be out in October, I think.

What would you say to the young musicians or producers who are reading this?

Just know yourself and what you want to do and just enjoy the journey.

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Peter Greste 'Journalistic Freedom' at the Sydney Opera House

"I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy... but it’s brought you all here today."

Peter Greste knows that journalists don’t have the best reputation at the moment. He even puts them up with used car salesmen and politicians in public opinion. But all jokes aside, Greste spoke at this year’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas for a reason: his work as a journalist saw him locked up in Egyptian prison for 400 days.

Greste spoke to a packed out Concert Hall in the Sydney Opera House with veteran journalist and friend, Mark Colvin. He couldn’t tell us every detail, but Greste did recount his path to prison and continuing rescue efforts for his still imprisoned Al Jazeera colleagues, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. All in all, the focus was on the values which he champions, freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

Greste says that authorities and politicians have used the abstract “war on terror” term to clamp down on journalists, saying, “In the name of national security, we’re stopping interrogations and I’m very concerned about that.” All of which makes the job of a journalist a dangerous one, when half a century ago they were rarely direct targets.

Despite the talk show format, in a large venue, there was an honest interaction between speakers and audience whether a gasp of disbelief at the size of Greste’s cell or a round of applause to recognise the courage his family. Would he go through it again? Ironically, the hardest question of the night came from a young journalism student in the audience. Greste sighed and said that we need to get the human stories out.

Admitting a loss of faith in the system, Greste didn’t hide that his resentencing (as of this August) was shocking. But despite many injustices, he is still on the fight to free his colleagues and continue support for informed, public debate. “The internet tends to force people into radicalised silos as much as anything else. We need to have these conversations in daylight,” he said. The takeaway message - Keep tweeting, keep sharing information with your friends, and talk about the important matters in public.

Published on theAUReview.