Two years on from his impactful debut EP Custard Gumboot, Melbourne’s Corduroy Spaceship returns to deliver its stunning follow on record: Life In Hollywood.

His most defining work to date, Life In Hollywood is an EP that finds strength in its musical complexities and use of different shades and tone. A significant step forward from his Custard Gumboot era, Corduroy Spaceship broadens his horizons with Life In Hollywood, breaking new ground for the artist as a songwriter and performer.

Across its five tracks, the musician and producer is at a new creative peak, demonstrating the material that speaks to the type of artist he has been flourishing into over the past three years. Confident, curious and completely in touch with a wide range of sonic influences.

The EP features previous singles including ‘I Don’t Cry’ from earlier this year and the more recent ‘She Wants You (I Don’t Know Why)’, and with ‘Homage #1 Part 1’, ‘Homage #1 Part 2’ and the EP’s title track, Corduroy Spaceship further introduces himself to newcomers while realigning his sonic identity for long time followers.

Comparisons to Tame Impala and Methyl Ethel aside, the sort of music Corduroy Spaceship has been making exists within this sun-kissed psych realm, but with his own vibrancy added, we’re getting an insight into his own approach to instrumentation – the craft of music itself.

Writing and recording the EP in Melbourne, Corduroy Spaceship took the opportunity to delve into the technical side of the process and learned a lot throughout the process.

“This process can be quite a lonely one when working by yourself. There is no one to bounce ideas off or gain some kind of confidence from, which I find creates a never ending loop with no feedback. You end up recording each part a thousand times thinking you can make it better, but the reality is the first or second take is usually the best. I gained an abundance of new recording gear through the 18 months it took to finish the EP, so as I added to my arsenal of gear the sounds developed and evolved. You can hear this throughout the record, especially in the vocals.” Corduroy Spaceship

PRAISE FOR CORDUROY SPACESHIP

“Cordy Boy coming through like the east coast Kevin Parker. Psych-pop embalmed in marmalade sounds.”
Triple J Unearthed, Dave Ruby Howe

“Getting so lost in this thick psych indie pop that has a big adventurous spirit.”
Triple J, Declan Byrne

“Corduroy Spaceship unveils a Fantasia of sound, honouring the wave party that is modern psychedelia.”
Happy Magazine

The Life In Hollywood EP is out now.
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Triple J Unearthed

Saudi Arabia‘s first and leading female DJ and producer Cosmicat makes her stunning debut with the first-ever single “Toxic Romance,” introducing herself to the global market as a sultry underground queen with both dancefloor and emotive potential. The track uses big-room synths and a rumbling, techno-influenced bassline to contrast exquisitely with her own feathery vocals; in this way, Cosmicat creates a soundscape that is both bold and delicate, personifying her own identity as a female artist who is trailblazing the electronic music scene in a culture that has traditionally forbid women from making any style of music. “Toxic Romance” is only the beginning for Cosmicat, so stay tuned to see what’s next as she establishes herself among electronic’s most exciting rising artists.

“When I was working on ‘Toxic Romance,’ all I had on my mind was that I wanted to create the sound I love. It got me romanticizing about my relationship with it, as it’s a human being; how it was there for me every time I needed it or how I always come around to seek and chase it. On the sonic level, I wanted to add a big-sounding synth to make the track sound bold and highlight how synthesizers and electronic music can coexist with gentle whispering and my own vocals. I believe this makes ‘Toxic Romance‘ sounding delicate and personal, while still being dancefloor-friendly.” – Cosmicat

As she rises from the underground, the world is ready to be introduced to Nouf Sufyani – better known as Cosmicat – as the first and leading Saudi female DJ & producer in the electronic scene. Born and raised in Jeddah, Cosmicat always had a strong passion for music in a world where it was considered taboo; there were limited record and music equipment stores and no live performances. Cultural protocol meant that she had to keep her passion a secret, so Cosmicat worked toward the more realistic 9-5 career but never gave up on her dream of producing. She became a “bedroom DJ” and taught herself everything she needed to know about producing in private. In 2019 she performed at the first music festival in Saudi Arabia – MDLBEAST‘s Soundstorm (which was also the biggest in the Middle East). Her reach quickly expanded to Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, where she performed, and now she’s gearing up for the release of her debut original single. I believe that Nouf is a perfect example showing that it’s important to be persistent and take the chance whenever it arises. Currently, there are more female DJs in Saudi Arabia who support and empower one another, with Cosmicat being the first/leading one, paving the way for other Saudi female DJs. She also hosts her own TV show. Privately she’s a cat lady (hence the artist’s name). Her personal favorites are Solomun, Peggy Gou, and Jamie Jones.

Sarah Jane is a prolific Alt-Rock, Indie singer, songwriter from Sydney, Australia who has amassed a huge online following. The singles for the videos ‘Lately’ and ‘Apparently’ from the upcoming ‘Moth’ EP are close to hitting 50,000 video views between them.

With over 295,000 subscribers and over 30 million views on YouTube it would be accurate to call the young musician a viral sensation. The six-track ‘Moth’ EP arrives on vinyl and streaming today Friday May 28th.

LISTEN/PLAY

Sarah Jane Moth Tracklist

1. Finger
2. Lately
3. Kiss Cross
4. I Complain Too Much
5. Nothing You Can Do
6. Apparently

Store link (HERE (VINYL+ SHIRTS)

Moth EP Launch Friday 4^th June 2021, Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney, NSW

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/sarah-jane-moth-ep-launch-three-wise-monkeys/128683

Sarah Jane Quote

“The idea of ‘moth’ is seeing the beauty in things that aren’t usually seen as such. I found with my experiences in life, my music is what comes from negative experiences. I’m also fascinated by how music can distract from the meaning of songs. You know that song you’ve been singing to for years and you have no idea what it means…just because the music makes you feel something.

I want to bring some positivity from the pain I’ve experienced and hopefully it will give someone something to relate to, or just to vibe with, either is fine!”

The new EP follows two solo albums “Absence’, an acoustic album released in 2019, and the album ‘Tainted Timeline” released late in 2020. Sarah Jane has released two full-length records with her band ‘The Violet Stones’ over the same period.

Sydney trio I Know Leopard are back with “Lover Automatic”, their first new music since their acclaimed 2019 album Love Is A Landmine. They’ve also announced June live dates to launch the single in Sydney and Melbourne.

“Lover Automatic” sees the band shifting to a sugar-coated, hyper-coloured take on alt-pop that flirts with an almost lo-fi hip-hop aesthetic but their knack for timeless infectious pop hooks is as strong as ever. They may have moved from their previous ‘70s soft rock inspired sound but the band’s other trademark elements remain present: Jenny McCullagh’s violin provides gilding to the melody and brilliant decorative flourishes while Rosie Fitzgerald’s fluid bass playing adds extra rhythmic bounce (which helps explain why she is fast becoming one of Australia’s busiest session bass players). Luke O’Loughlin’s falsetto vocal sings of being defenceless in the face of new love regardless of how acquainted we are with its perils.

“Can’t you tell
That I’m ready for a new kind of hell
if you are as well”

The song was co-produced and mixed by Konstantin Kersting, who has found success with his work with Tones & I, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat, The Rubens, Tia Gostelow and WAAX. The animated video by Sydney designer Luke Saunders sees Luke, Rosie and Jenny reborn as vampires travelling through a sweetly psychedelic landscape that’s something like a 1980s Japanese remake of Yellow Submarine (but with vampires).

The band are also excited to have entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Believe. “We are thrilled to be working with I Know Leopard, and are looking forward to sharing ‘Lover Automatic’ with the world” commented Mick Tarbuk, head of Believe for Australia & New Zealand.

To launch “Lover Automatic” the band return to the stage for their first shows in 18 months, hitting Melbourne and Sydney with special guests Georgia June. These performances will be the first chance to hear some of the new music they’ve been working on during lockdown and that they plan to release later in 2021. Luke O’Loughlin has also been keeping busy co-writing with other artists, notably US act The Knocks, on the 2020 track “All About You”, which also featured Mark Foster of Foster The People on vocals.

I KNOW LEOPARD
‘Lover Automatic’
OUT NOW

performing on

Friday, 18th June
The Night Cat, Melbourne

Saturday, 26th June
Oxford Art Factory

TICKETS

Julia Jacklin and RVG team up for a fierce take on Bjork’s ‘Army of Me’ as part of Rising Singles Club’s monthly full-moon releases.

The reimagining sees Jacklin and RVG add their own unique flair to ‘Army of Me’, whilst still retaining all of the intensity and frenetic energy of Bjork’s stunning original. Jacklin’s distinctive vocals echo over dissonant guitar tremors and bring forth the dark allure of the track.

Julia Jacklin x RVG – ‘Army of Me’

Out now through Liberation Records

Buy/stream here

Twenty-four year old singer/songwriter Mustafa Ahmed grew up fighting. He would do so firstly as a child growing up in Toronto’s Regent Park community, matching up with other children his age at the behest of the older kids from around the way. Somehow, it did not harden him. He would continue fighting, though now against stereotypes, as an adolescent poet dispelling notions of who Black Muslims from Regent Park were with every stanza of his continuously celebrated poetry. He would attempt to fight again, this time on behalf of his immediate community, as a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Youth Advisory Council, an effort that helped him realise his mission would be better served by amplifying the stories he’d collected over the years through song. And that is how we got Mustafa, child of Sudanese Muslim immigrants, one time Pan American Games Poet Laureate, cherished collaborator of acts like Majid Jordan, The Weeknd, and Khalid, and the artist whose debut project When Smoke Rises aims to exalt the Regent Park MC whose legacy Mustafa fights for now, Jahvante “Smoke Dawg” Smart.

“It just kind of shattered my entire world,” Mustafa says of Smoke Dawg’s murder. “I didn’t even realize how much weight we shared until I had to take that weight on for myself.” More painfully then, When Smoke Rises isn’t even only about Smoke Dawg. The project references a number of presences taken from Mustafa, names like Ano, Santana, and Ali, the friend whose doom Mustafa might have actually felt when he’d ask Ali to relocate for fear of such an unsavory end. That story, titled for its subject, appears as track six on When Smoke Rises. “All of the deaths that I experienced, I experienced through the time constraints of mourning,” Mustafa says. “Specifically, for young black people in inner city communities that die while at war with the state or at war with themselves, I wanted to beautify those departures. Because none of those departures were made beautiful for me.” On When Smoke Rises, Mustafa has sewn these departures – and his attempts to cope with them – into song, immortalising friends in the most honest way he knows how. Through his interpretation of folk music.

“The first folk singer I was introduced to was Joni Mitchell,” Mustafa says. “But Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan – they were anodising the White experience. But in hearing them, there was a kind of melancholy or sadness – something I didn’t hear in the songs that were representing the nuances of my life.” Ultimately, it was a video of Black American folk singer Richie Havens performing Woodstock that would empower him to perfect his medium. “When you see someone that looks like you, that feels like you, embodying the emotion that you are familiar with, it gives you the courage to walk in that path,” Mustafa says. He would reference the performance at every recording session thereafter. Racking up songwriting credits for pop stars while he developed his personal style, Mustafa would become one of the industry’s most sought after pens, understanding that the kind of music he helped to make great for others couldn’t possibly support the stories he needed to tell. For his diligence, both as student and creator, we get When Smoke Rises, a release that balances the impossible heft of honoring fallen comrades with the tenderness of a mother singing to a newborn. And it’s buttressed by Islam.

“It’s so important to be able to look at God,” Mustafa says. “As something someone can hold for themselves. Of course I want to be able to raise people’s tolerance level for Muslims, but even bigger than that, I want Muslims, themselves, to know that no one can take God away from them.” You’re likely to believe you hear God working through Mustafa on songs like ‘Stay Alive’, where he declares unconditional support for the Regent Park archetypes he knows so well and on ‘Air Forces’, where he can be heard pleading with these same affiliates to do their best to stay out of harm’s way. Then there is ‘What About Heaven’ where he wonders if the friends he’s lost have done enough to be forgiven for their sins and ‘The Hearse’ where a startling authenticity trumps even the singer’s purest intentions, Mustafa acknowledging revenge impulses in the presence of a friend’s dead body. “With my dogs/Right or wrong,” he sings.

Mustafa
Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

LISTEN/PLAY