Monthly Archives

March 2026

ARTIST APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR BIGSOUND 2026!

by the partae March 2, 2026

written by the partae

The Southern Hemisphere’s largest music showcase, BIGSOUND is celebrating 25 years this September and as always, the team are looking for the next BIG thing.

APPLY NOW

With some of Australia’s most coveted showcase spots, BIGSOUND is the place to be. Applications are open now. The team encourages artists to apply now for their chance to be included on our stacked line up. Applications close Wednesday, 1 April 2026 – there will be NO EXTENSIONS.

Otherwise known as Music Industry Christmas, BIGSOUND brings Australian and New Zealand artists together with the big wigs of the global music industry. From labels, promoters and managers to media, festival bookers and venues – the who’s who of Music descend on Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for what is the biggest week in Australian music annually.

BIGSOUND has a strong track record of platforming artists who go on to achieve significant national and international success, with alumni including Flume, Confidence Man, Rufus du Sol, G Flip, Gang of Youths, Thelma Plum, and Lime Cordiale.

The nitty gritty – BIGSOUND is all about BIG impact

Programmers are seeking export market-ready acts regardless of their career stage (be it unsigned, emerging or established legend) – who can capitalise on momentum and will benefit from the opportunities provided at BIGSOUND.

If selected, you will be playing front of a curated audience of domestic and international industry guests, including A&R representatives, bookers, and delegates from global export events such as The Great Escape and Reeperbahn Festival.

Preparing your applicants in integral – you will need to submit band member details, social media profiles, notable career achievements, streaming and ticketing stats, a short biography, two representative tracks, a high-quality artist image, and a video. Plus you’ll need to talk about what you’re seeking to get out of BIGSOUND, who your dream team would be and what you’re looking to achieve as an act in the future.

Applications close Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 11:59PM, with no extensions. Artists are encouraged to apply early, as programmers assess applications on a rolling basis.

But what’s in it for me?

There is a reason why we call our past showcase artist alumni – BIGSOUND isn’t just a festival, it’s an industry showcase and a global marketplace for Australian talent.

If selected, by night you’ll play in multiple venues across Fortitude Valley in front of tastemakers, trendsetters and industry decision makers; by day, you’ll meet one-on-one with curated industry guests and delegates who we think can help you take the next step in your music career.

You’ll also have access to the full BIGSOUND festival including after parties and the Artist Hub which features artist-focused professional development and networking opportunities across three days of the festival. Your team will receive ONE delegate pass granting access to the full BIGSOUND Program and Delegate Portal (valued at $899), as well as a discounted price to purchase other delegate passes should you wish.

There are limited paid performance spots at BIGSOUND presented as part of our partner event series. We’ll put you forward for these opportunities but there are no promises.

These performance spots are programmed in conjunction with our partners with a focus on aligning to their commercial outcomes.

Photo Credit: PISCO SOUR performs at BIGSOUND 2025 (Darcy Goss)

APPLY NOW

March 2, 2026 0 comments

Music News

The Temper Trap Release New Single ‘Into The Wild’

by the partae March 2, 2026

written by the partae

The Temper Trap return today with new single ‘Into The Wild’, the latest in a run of new music that has firmly re-established the band as one of Australia’s most enduring and globally recognised acts: euphoric anthem ‘Giving Up Air’ and its remix from iconic DJ/producer Solomun, bold indie-rock track ‘Lucky Dimes’, and a fresh take on ‘Sweet Disposition’ from German dance powerhouse BUNT..

‘Into The Wild’ encapsulates the duality of body and mind, and the existential yearning to transcend physical limits. Produced by Styalz Fuego (Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Khalid) with Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice, boygenius, Manchester Orchestra) on mixing, it’s freeing, pulsing, soaring – Dougy’s hypnotic falsetto floating over the top of undulating drums that draw the listener in and never let go.

Alongside the release is a surreal music video directed by emerging Melbourne creatives Joey Clough and Edvard Hakansson. A dreamlike car ride on wide open roads, cut with chaos and strangeness; the mind proves wilder and more uncontrollable than the world outside.

“After years of being apart and trying to find our groove again, ‘Into the Wild’ was the spark that lit the fire.” – The Temper Trap

The release lands off the back of a strong return to the global stage. Over the past year, the band have played sold-out headline shows in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, London and Australia, alongside key festival slots at Beyond The Valley and Party In The Paddock. In late January, they made a standout return to international television, performing ‘Giving Up Air’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, marking a significant moment in this new chapter.

Released in 2025, ‘Giving Up Air’ and ‘Lucky Dimes’ have been clocking millions of streams whilst receiving global support, including landing in the top 40 US alternative radio charts, adds at triple j, Double j and commercial radio in Australia, Radio X and 6 Music support in the UK, and key stations throughout Europe.

If the past few months are anything to go by, this is still only the beginning of a much bigger return for The Temper Trap after a decade-long wait.

More about The Temper Trap

Few Australian bands of the past two decades have achieved the longevity of The Temper Trap. Across three studio albums, including two ARIA #1 debuts, the band have amassed well over two billion streams worldwide. Their seminal 2009 debut Conditions introduced ‘Sweet Disposition’, a song that not only topped charts internationally and achieved multi-platinum certification across Australia, New Zealand, the US and UK, but has become part of Australian music culture – placing #11 in triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs of All Time. One of the most sought-after acts in the world, the band have hit some of the biggest festival stages globally, including Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Primavera, Big Day Out and Laneway Festival.

Recent times have seen a resurgence of love for the band including a ‘Love Lost’ collab on Mac Miller’s posthumously re-released Faces mixtape and a slew of remixes for ‘Sweet Disposition’ (from the likes of John Summit, Vintage Culture, VXSION, Lost Frequencies and BUNT.). These new iterations of the band’s original hits have solidified their popularity with an entirely new generation of fans, re-introducing them to dancefloors and charts worldwide.

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March 2, 2026 0 comments

Music News

Lila Kova Ignites the Storm with ‘Vivaldi’ – A Cinematic Techno Rebirth of a Classical Masterpiece

by the partae March 2, 2026

written by the partae

When the first violin line cuts through the low-end, it doesn’t reference the past — it confronts it.

Los Angeles-based producer and electric violinist Lila Kova opens a new chapter with Vivaldi, the debut release on her newly launched imprint Symphotek Records. Inspired by the Third Movement (Presto) of Summer from Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the track draws from one of classical music’s most volatile moments — a depiction of a violent summer thunderstorm charged with urgency and dramatic momentum.

Rather than sampling the Baroque master as ornamentation, Kova reconstructs the piece from its emotional core. The violin carries the central melodic theme throughout the track, functioning as the narrative engine rather than a decorative layer. Every violin passage was performed and recorded by Kova herself, preserving the intensity of the original motif while translating it into a peak-time techno structure designed for high-energy dance floors and festival systems.

There’s something deliberate about the way the composition unfolds. The low-end pressure builds methodically. Percussion tightens. Then the violin enters — sharp, insistent, almost cinematic in its sweep. It doesn’t feel nostalgic; it feels immediate. The storm Vivaldi once painted with strings now surges through sub frequencies and industrial kicks.

What elevates Vivaldi beyond novelty is its intent. Kova’s aim isn’t to modernise classical music for trend value, but to create a cultural bridge. By retaining the emotional architecture of the original composition and reshaping its rhythmic language, she invites a new generation of listeners into a centuries-old narrative. The result speaks equally to those immersed in warehouse techno and those who understand the dramatic tension embedded in orchestral writing.

The release also establishes the artistic direction of Symphotek Records. Conceived as a platform for cinematic, narrative-driven techno, the label is built around long-form concepts that draw from orchestral structure and thematic storytelling while remaining firmly rooted in club functionality. In a landscape often dominated by fleeting singles, the imprint signals a commitment to projects with continuity and emotional weight.

Kova’s classical training is not an aesthetic accessory — it shapes her entire production philosophy. As a classically trained violinist based in Los Angeles, she approaches techno with an understanding of movement, crescendo and dynamic restraint. Her hybrid DJ and live performances place the electric violin at the centre of the sonic framework rather than treating it as a visual embellishment. Previous releases on IAMT, Reload and Modular States laid the groundwork, but Vivaldi feels like a defining statement.

It’s the sound of orchestral thinking colliding with modern peak-time energy. A thunderstorm written in the 18th century now rebuilt for the 21st-century dance floor.

As the first release on Symphotek Records, Vivaldi sets a clear trajectory. Further projects are planned throughout 2026, continuing the exploration of cinematic structure within contemporary techno. If this opening statement is any indication, the storm has only just begun.

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March 2, 2026 0 comments

Festival News Music News

G Flip With The Beaches & Ayesha Madon Friday 27 February 2026

by the partae March 2, 2026

written by the partae

Photography: Zane Taprell

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March 2, 2026 0 comments

Eats & Drinks Fashion & Culture

Yamagen Melbourne: Where Fire, Precision and Modern Japan Collide in Portland Lane

by the partae March 1, 2026

written by the partae

Melbourne doesn’t open its arms easily. It respects craft. It questions hype. It rewards places that understand rhythm — the pace of a service, the weight of a knife, the restraint of a perfectly balanced dish.

Yamagen Melbourne arrives knowing exactly where it stands.

Now open in Portland Lane beside QT Melbourne, Yamagen isn’t trying to recreate Tokyo. It’s not leaning on theatrics alone. Instead, it builds something more layered — a modern Japanese dining experience that feels disciplined, expressive and distinctly of this city.

Under the direction of Adam Lane, Yamagen reinterprets Japanese technique through Victorian produce. The philosophy is clear: honour tradition, but don’t be confined by it.

You feel it the moment you walk in.

Low lighting casts warm shadows across textured surfaces. The central bar anchors the room like a stage, drawing you into the choreography of service. Robata flames flicker. Steel flashes. A sashimi blade moves with quiet certainty. Guests lean forward without realising they are doing it.

This is dining as theatre — but grounded in substance.

Yamagen’s menu reads like a conversation between restraint and indulgence.

Sashimi snapper arrives dressed in truffled tosazu and yuzu sesame — clean, precise, lifted by citrus brightness. The Yamagen uramaki roll folds seared salmon and scallop into layers of buttery richness without tipping into excess. Smoke from the robata lingers in the background of skewers that are charred just enough to deepen flavour without overwhelming it.

There is an unmistakable umami depth throughout, but also a sense of lightness. Dishes feel composed rather than complicated.

Head Chef Yosuke Hatanaka brings decades of classical Japanese training to the kitchen, including formative experience at Tokyo’s Michelin three-star Nihonryori Ryugin. His style is measured and precise — the kind of cooking that trusts technique.

Alongside him, Sous Chef Misaki Maniwa contributes a contemporary sensibility shaped by Melbourne’s fine-dining landscape. The dynamic between tradition and modernity is not forced. It feels natural.

If the kitchen sets the tone, the bar pushes the boundaries.

Yamagen houses one of Melbourne’s most extensive Japanese whisky collections, with more than 120 labels ranging from approachable classics to once-in-a-generation releases like Hakushu 1981 Kioke Shikomi and Yamazaki 25-Year-Old. It’s not a token selection. It’s a serious offering.

The sake list spans over 45 varieties, curated to pair with the menu’s layered flavour profiles. Meanwhile, a Victorian-focused wine program reflects the same respect for provenance found in the kitchen.

Sommelier Andrew Lam brings international expertise shaped by years in Michelin-starred dining rooms and luxury hotels. Cocktails incorporate Japanese ingredients — matcha, yuzu, umeshu — without slipping into novelty. They are thoughtful, structured and quietly dramatic.

Front of house, Venue Manager Christine Vu ensures the experience unfolds seamlessly. Service feels polished but never stiff — confident without pretension.

Perhaps Yamagen’s most intriguing element is hidden in plain sight.

By day, Tanto operates as a Japanese specialist knife and sharpening house — a space frequented by Melbourne’s culinary professionals. By night, it transforms into a 12-seat private dining room where blade craft meets robata fire.

The knives themselves trace back to a 10th-generation lineage of Japanese sword makers. Here, heritage isn’t decorative. It’s active. Functional. Felt in every slice.

The intimacy of the room heightens everything — the heat, the aroma, the focus. It’s a reminder that precision is a form of performance.

Yamagen joins Pascale Bar & Grill and Rooftop at QT, helping define a sharper, more ambitious culinary precinct for the city. But it doesn’t rely on spectacle alone.

It relies on balance.

Melbourne understands restaurants that respect process. It rewards places that know when to hold back and when to lean in. Yamagen seems to understand that instinctively.

This is not just another Japanese opening.

It’s a measured, confident evolution — one where fire, steel and hospitality meet in rhythm, and where tradition is not preserved in glass but allowed to breathe.

Portland Lane has found a new heartbeat.

Photography: Darren chan

Yamagen Melbourne

6 Portland Lane, Melbourne VIC

Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Friday – Saturday: 5:30pm – 11:00pm

YAMAGEN WEBSITE

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March 1, 2026 0 comments

Festival News Music News

Benito Bowl Down Under: Bad Bunny Ignites Engie Stadium, Sydney – 28 February 2026

by the partae March 1, 2026

written by the partae

Bad Bunny brings the fiesta down under this weekend, with his ‘DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS’ tour bringing his highly anticipated debut to Sydney’s Engie Stadium.

Fresh off the tail of his historic Grammy’s (with his recent Debi Tirar Mas Fotos album earning him Album of the Year) and Super Bowl (or as many have dubbed it, the “Benito Bowl”), Bad Bunny is steadily becoming the biggest international act of our time. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer held nothing back, and where Spanglish translations could only go so far in an English dominated environment, the infectious rhythms and joyful energy paid the balance.

Stepping into the venue, production felt minimal. A simple stage setup with an LED screen backdrop, and on the other end of the stadium the infamous “La Casita” (the house setup that turned the Superbowl into a party in real time) remained dimly lit, serving as the performers B-Stage. Within moments of the show kicking off, it was clear that the set was anything but, with fireworks and strobe lights (Knockout anyone?) lighting up the stadium. Concert-goers became part of the show, with seated patrons donning prop Cameras that served as flashing LEDs as the show went on.

Personally, what stole the show was the cinematic essence of the displays. As someone who has an appreciation for colour grading and well-crafted camera angles, the backdrop transformed the concert from your average screen for the people in the back to still see the show to having “last night was a movie” comments happen in real time – a massive hats off to the camera crew.

The energy throughout the night was next level. At no point did the stadium stand still, with the floor and stands both exploding with different flavours of Latin dancing throughout the night. ‘NUEVAYoL’ captured this essence perfectly, combing his classic Latin Trap sound with more traditional Latin roots.

Following a hilarious skit from Concho the frog (who surprisingly likes Vegemite, despite his species intolerance to salt and sodium – science people please don’t fact check me), the B-Stage party that many had been anticipating exploded into view, ‘VeLDA’ & ‘Titi Me Pregunto’ sending the crowd into a frenzy that felt less like a large scale concert and more like a street party. Crowd favourite ‘MONACO’ surged through the speakers, with Bad Bunny saluting the audience from the roof while the house party raged on below.

The night felt like it could last a lifetime, through the numerous “BE-NI-TO!” chants and a many heartfelt moments of gratitude from Bad Bunny (Muchos Gracias! I understood that one!), the heartwarming feeling of warmth and community came to a nostalgic high with his much-anticipated title-track from his album, ‘DtMF’. Waves of people clutching onto their loved ones, screaming every word they recognised but connecting with every feeling that the rapper conveyed through the song, putting truth behind the uniting power of music and rhythm.

With the year only just beginning, there are no limits for how much Bad Bunny can accomplish with his already stacked accomplishments only 2 months in. Gaining traction as one of the biggest superstars not only in the international music scene, but the music and entertainment world as a whole, it is clear that Bad Bunny is showing no signs of slowing down. Gracias por la increíble noche, Benito.

The party continues – Bad Bunny’s ‘DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS’ tour continues tonight for his final show at the Engie Stadium at Sydney Showgrounds.

Photography: Maira Troncoso

Words: Ken Magno