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Pearls
Facebook | Instagram
dotdashrecordings
remotecontrolrecords
The art of performance photography in collaboration with one of Australia’s leading performance photographers Jeff Busby.
By exploring highlights from the rich photographic holdings of Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection, together with some favourites from his own archive, Busby gives us insight into both the art of photography and the world of the performing arts.
“I thought an important factor in this project was how we were able to cross through time and find a commonality in what these images are trying to tell us,” said Jeff Busby.
“One of the most fascinating aspects was looking at the Australian Performing Arts Collection and the historic sweep of their work and being shown how performance photography has followed the progression of the performing arts in Australia.”
Framing the Stage was developed during Victoria’s second-wave lockdown in 2020 and opened up a dialogue between Busby and the Assistant Curator for the Australian Performing Arts Collection Ian Jackson. Exploring the archive together, they uncovered a number of special moments from Australia’s performing arts history.
“At a time when live performance has been limited, we wanted to remind people of what is so exciting and compelling about the performing arts. Performance photography is like capturing lightning in a bottle, the photographer needs to capture a performer, their role, and the feel of the production, all within a single image,” said Jackson.
“The Australian Performing Arts Collection has a wealth of amazing photographs, covering more than a hundred years of ballet, circus, dance, theatre and opera. We knew that a practising performance photographer like Jeff would bring new insights to them, based on his many years of experience.”
“We wanted to take our audiences backstage and behind the camera to see his work – and the photographs in the collection – through his eyes.”
The project has resulted in a robustly curated exploration of photographic images, styles and history, combined with unique insights from Busby.
“I found it an extremely rewarding process and allowed me to reflect in a way I perhaps hadn’t been able to until recently. In particular delving into the collection and opening up a whole gamut of thoughts and how the photos over time have fit into the bigger picture,” said Busby.
“These moments only happened once, and through these moments, with layering and attention you are able to capture a moment in time which reflects a complex matrix of performance. We’ve managed to uncover and present photos that entice, entertain and have a timeless quality to them.”
Online exhibitions have been an incredibly successful initiative for the Australian Performing Arts Collection, allowing audiences all over the world unprecedented access to this rare trove of objects. Framing the Stage adds to the developing wealth of knowledge available through their online portal.
You can access Framing the Stage and other exhibitions here.
We’re excited to be welcoming visitors back to our venues in line with the most recent Victorian Government guidelines on COVID-19. However, following the Victorian Government’s announcement that the state is returning to Stage 4 lockdowns from 11:59pm Friday 12 February, events scheduled between Saturday 13 and Wednesday 17 February will not proceed as planned. Ticketholders will be contacted directly with more information. This also means we have temporarily closed our Sunday Markets and Australian Music Vault, but our outdoor café Protagonist is still offering take away coffee and food should you be passing through.
While the ghost lights will stay on a little longer inside our venues, we will continue to offer audiences the chance to experience the wonder of the performing arts via our digital hub – Together With You. For more information including: our opening plans and related health and safety policies; bookings for free and ticketed events; and other digital content and experiences, please visit artscentremelbourne.com.au.
For more information about Arts Centre Melbourne, please visit www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183. Become a fan of Arts Centre Melbourne on Facebook or follow @artscentremelb on Twitter and Instagram.
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TRACKLIST
Icarus
When The Moving Stops
Start Over
Limb
Rocky Road feat. Cousin Stizz (co-produced by FREAKEY)
Why Do You Run
Stay connected with Planet Giza:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | SoundCloud
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SECOND IDOL
UNVEIL EVOCATIVE DEBUT SINGLE ‘WHITE NOISE’
SUPPORT FOR ‘WHITE NOISE’
“Charged bursts of captivating alt-rock-meets-punk-pop that sits in-line with long-time influences from Sonic Youth and Savages.”
Pilerats (AUS)
Sydney-based alternative-rock trio Second Idol have just revealed their fervent debut single ‘White Noise’ – mixed and mastered by Nick Franklin (Peking Duk, Polish Club, Clews).
Opening with menacing guitars and steadfast drums, ‘White Noise’ immediately envelops the listener in a hypnotic trance as lead singer Kate Olivia’s snarling vocals exude effortless presence. The tracks lyrical themes hammer home its commanding subject matter, as its forthright choruses propel the track towards its rewarding finale.
Kate talks about the meaning behind ‘White Noise’:
“’White Noise’ is a contemplation of body politics, women’s bodies and misogyny. It emerged out of my observations of comments often made by cis men on social media regarding the policing of women and gender non-conforming bodies. The lyrics are written in a way that I’m having a conversation with someone in a bar, and I’m calling them out on their misinformed views and telling them that ‘we need to take this conversation outside’, then they just get sledgehammered with a barrage of guitars.”
Second Idol consists of Kate Olivia, Theia Joyeaux and Maxine Gillon, who take inspiration from alternative-rock luminaires Savages, Placebo and Sonic Youth. To coincide with the release, the band will launch ‘White Noise’ at Frankies Pizza on February 27, with a further performance at Mardi Gras for Queer As Fvck in early March.
Outside of the band, the trio are proud members of Sydney’s LGBTQIA community and work with organisations such as Queer As Fvck, as well as queer and mental health charity Baylin’s Gift, located in lead singer Kate Olivia’s hometown of Kempsey on the Mid North Coast of NSW. “I’ve experienced prejudice and negativity in relation to my gender, sexuality and cultural background, so I’m reflexively a supporter of minority groups and the pursuit of equality” Kate adds.
In the coming weeks, Second Idol will reveal an accompanying music video for ‘White Noise’.
‘White Noise’ is available worldwide now
SECOND IDOL
WHITE NOISE LAUNCH SHOWS
FRI 27 FEB | FRANKIES PIZZA, SYDNEY NSW
SAT 6 MAR | QUEER AS FVCK MARDI GRAS, SYDNEY NSW
FOLLOW SECOND IDOL
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD | SPOTIFY
lovedavid, e4444e and Skip Willcox, three of Newcastle’s most bold and experimental artists, present Invisible Stone, a one-of-a-kind production that will take place at the iconic Civic Theatre on Thursday the 18th of February as part of the City of Newcastle’s New Annual festival. Tickets available here.
Combining art, sound and dance to create a fully immersive experience, Invisible Stone guides the audience on an ethereal journey through the unknown. A true collaborative effort, lovedavid (creative director), e4444e (sound design) and Skip Willcox (choreography) blend sonic compositions with distinct visual environments to explore the interplay between the cosmic and the mundane; a shiver with no chill; a lump in the throat; a premonition. lovedavid, e4444e and Skip Willcox pose the question of what is beyond and within us, as the intertwining of these unique artists’ respective disciplines unfold onstage.
Invisible Stone was inspired by Ryōan-ji, a Japanese Zen temple garden featuring distinctive rock formations. The garden is said to be “an abstract composition of ‘natural’ objects in space, a composition whose function is to incite meditation.” lovedavid explores this concept to investigate emotions, feelings and connections, challenging the audience to question what exists in our lives that we can’t see. What doesn’t exist that we can see? “It’s freeing when you think about it but challenging to grasp – it can send you the other way,” lovedavid says. Through this absorbing examination, a loose narrative unfolds between the seen and unseen, constantly checking in on one another.
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DIGITAL AVATAR BAND SODA STATE RETURN FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION WITH BREEZY POP SINGLE
‘WAY TO GO’
SODA STATE – ‘WAY TO GO’
OUT NOW
Lyrically, sonically and visually Soda State are on a mission to take you away from the world around you; they want you to surrender yourself to the moment and come with them to ‘The Soda State Of Mind’. Each time they release a single they open a door to this world and with their first two singles ‘The Look’ and ‘Midnight’ they showed us a glimpse into their utopian paradise. Setting their standard with layered 80’s synths, kicking back beats and euphoric vocals epitomising their sound.
Now with the latest single, ‘Way To Go’ they continue the expansion of their sound, delivering unadulterated breezy synth pop, simultaneously contemporary and retro, beautifully constructed and designed to make you smile. Its builds in breathy, dreamy and super hooky vocals over a pop dance backdrop, primed for summer and sunnier days, working on the radio as well as your favorite streaming playlists.
The band come equipped with a fascinating story. Back in 2019, M and Tracie are in their garage recording studio in London. Using their laptops, classic analogue synths and an array of gadgets they’ve wired themselves, they stumble on a sound, a combination of 0’s and 1’s in digital code that unexpectedly opens an interdimensional portal, transporting them to an alternate reality: the Soda State.
Transformed into digital versions of themselves, M and Tracie find themselves in a utopian world. Euphoric and intoxicating feeling both nostalgic and brand new – like nothing they’ve experienced before. Immediately hooked, they vow never to leave this paradise.
Before long, they find themselves tumbling through the portal again, away from Soda State. Re-entering the human world in their digital forms. Hypnotized by what they’ve experienced, they can’t rest until they find their way back. Now getting to grips with life in the real world as digital avatars, the friends are on a musical journey to rediscover the sound that will open the portal once more.
Soda State come to us with fascinating and highly creative imagery, they are also lovers of all things retro, think video games, fashion and of course, music. The single release comes equipped with an original video and an alternative ‘Club Soda’ Mix primed for when we finally return to the dancefloor.
Soda State’s ‘Way To Go’ is out now on Potion Records.
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LISTEN TO ‘SUGAR’ (KOLOMBO REMIX) HERE
Continuing to outline their commitment to showcasing new talent from around the globe, Junior Jack & Pat BDS present the next release on their Adesso Music imprint: Virak – ‘Sugar’ (Kolombo Remix) out today.
An exciting new talent and French virtuoso, Virak first received a rework for ‘Sugar’ from label head Junior Jack at the end of 2020. Now, as the track continues to grow houseplayer heavyweight Kolombo delivers his rework.
‘Sugar’ is built on bold drums, driving bass and a deeply moving atmosphere. Kolombo brings elements of tribal trance in his remix whilst retaining that house undertone that he’s become so famed for.
Having mastered the art of modern production, Belgium’s Kolombo’s discography charts esteemed imprints such as Kompakt, Turbo, Diynamic, Noir Music, Dirtybird and more. Playing shows at Belgium’s Tomorrowland, all across America, Russia, Australia, Europe and not to mention his second home in Brazil, display that he has soared to the forefront of the global electronic music scene and is a credit to the ‘Sugar’ remix agenda.
Virak is also no stranger to the DJ booth. Now residing in Thailand where he has a number of residencies, he started his career in 2006 and has frequented many of the prestigious clubs in France such as Les Caves: (Courchevel), Le Milk (Montpellier) as well as open format sets at some of the world’s most tropezian bars and beach clubs. Championed by Junior Jack, the Adesso Music team and beyond, Virak is a sure one to watch for 2021.
Virak – ‘Sugar’ (Kolombo Remix) is out now Adesso Music
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Earth Is A Black Hole, the sophomore album from Los Angeles band Teenage Wrist, is out now via Epitaph Records.
Produced by Colin Brittain (Basement, A Day to Remember), Earth Is A Black Hole follows the band’s 2018 debut Chrome Neon Jesus and sees guitarist Marshall Gallagher stepping up as frontman. The artistic liberation of this lineup change, coupled with two years of consistent touring has aided in the band’s sonic evolution. The new album incorporates elements of modern rock with the band’s signature shoegaze styling while integrating synths, drum samples, and electronica to ultimately take their sound to a more expansive and aggressive level.
Conceptually, the album focuses on the potential that we all have to transmute our past into something positive. This concept is paralleled in the collage-style artwork designed by Colin Crane, which acts a visual representation of the album’s central theme. The dichotomy between hope and hopelessness is what lies at the core of this album.
Early Acclaim for Earth Is A Black Hole
“Throughout Earth Is A Black Hole’s tight, 33-minute runtime, impeccable sequencing carries the listener through various emotional states with ease. “ – New Noise Magazine
“a comforting soundtrack for these strange, dark times we’re all experiencing, positioning Teenage Wrist as not only one of rock’s best new bands, but also, maybe, an important one.” – Kerrang!
“This is the sort of album that will thrive with replays in the summer months, maybe even locking in some year ends spots in the process – it’s certainly likely.” – The Soundboard Review
“Earth Is A Black Hole does an absolutely stunning job of navigating all of the ups and downs for a life in a pandemic and beyond.” – Soundfiction
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WATCH
BAND ANNOUNCES “LIVE FROM THE UNKNOWN” LIVESTREAM EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 2021
FALLING IN REVERSE have shared the video for the reimagined version of the classic fan-favourite “I’m Not A Vampire.”
Watch the video for “I’m Not A Vampire (Revamped)” HERE
The epic visual is dramatic and cinematic, and feels very Tim Burton-esque. Meanwhile, the new version of song is equally as epic and sprawling.
“‘I’m Not a Vampire (Revamped)’ was over 10 years in the making,” says Ronnie Radke. “I wrote the original song, while sitting inside a maximum security prison, about drug addiction. I always believed songs such as this one had more to offer than its original form, so I wanted to give fans a new perspective and redefine who I am when it comes to expressing myself and being creative.”
The original appears on the band’s 2011-released album The Drug in Me Is You, which achieved a Gold certification last year.
Falling In Reverse are also pleased to announce “Live From the Unknown,” an immersive livestream experience. It will feature two totally unique concerts with different set lists taking place over a pair of Friday nights in April.
“‘Live From the Unknown’ is a two-part event I have created that has never been done,” Radke explains. “It’s two shows on separate nights with added elements that you just have to see to understand. Me trying to explain it now would ruin the live experience and also wouldn’t do it justice. Make sure you grab your tickets cause it probably will never happen like this again!”
The dates for the “Live From the Unknown” are as follows:
Saturday, April 17— Part 1 — 11am AEST
Saturday, May 1 — Part 2 — 11am AEST
Watch the “Live From the Unknown” trailer here and then purchase your tickets here.
Falling In Reverse’s most recent single “Popular Monster” enjoyed a multi-week stint at No. 1 on the rock radio charts in the US. The song landed in the top spot on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart, Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Chart, and the Nielsen Rock Chart. It marked the first No.1 single of the band’s career. It also followed the gold certification of the band’s 2011-released debut album The Drug in Me Is You and a sold-out anniversary tour in US.
ICYMI:
Watch the Stranger Things-inspired video for “Superhero” here.
Watch the epic and atmospheric video for “Coming Home” here.
The “F**k You and All Your Friends” video is viewable here.
Watch the BTS footage from the “F**k You and All Your Friends” video here.
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Young Thug releases his new single ‘That Go’ featuring Meek Mill and T-Shyne via his label, Young Stoner Life Records. Produced by Nick Papz, ‘That Go’ sees Young Thug and Meek Mill reunite for the first time since 2017’s ‘We Ball’, bringing together their signature flows with the energetic addition of Young Stoner Life Records’ newest talent, T-Shyne.
Since signing to Young Stoner Life Records, New York rapper T-Shyne has become a staple in the family, with ‘That Go’ building on Young Thug and T-Shyne’s collaborative history, last coming together on the hard-hitting 2020 single ‘Moncler’. T-Shyne will be releasing a new project in 2021.
The track is the third single from Young Thug and Young Stoner Life Record’s highly anticipated album, Slime Language 2, released later this year. Singles ‘Take It to Trial’ by Young Thug & Gunna and ‘GFU’ by Yak Gotti & Sheck Wes feat. Yung Kayo were both released in 2020.
Recognised worldwide as the godfather of new wave rap, Young Thug has broken convention at every single turn and reinvented the sound of popular music. His Grammy award-winning, platinum-selling records have paved the way for generations beyond him. In 2020, he achieved fourteen Billboard charting hits with no album release and released records by artists including Gunna and Lil Keed through Young Stoner Life Records, of which he is the Founder and CEO.
Now in 2021, Young Thug leads the charge as a certified cultural tycoon. In addition to owning multiple hugely successful businesses, Thug continues to challenge and redefine the boundaries of culture in his vision of the future.
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LISTEN TO ‘ACOUSTIC – UNUSUAL’ HERE
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Photo Credit: Amaya Lang
Where are you currently based?
On Gadigal land of the Eora nation aka Sydney.
How did you first start playing music?
When I was little I copied everything my older sister Jeanie did. She brought a guitar home one day when I was 10 and I adopted it. I was painfully shy back then so I started writing songs as a way to communicate.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?
As weird and depressing as a lot of things have been politically/globally/
In terms of music though, I have missed playing shows and watching live music a lot. Having an imposed break has made me really appreciate it. Now when I go see live music you can hear a pin drop because everyone is so focused on the music. The audience is soaking up every note. I haven’t played a live show since I left Australia in September 2019 which is weird after playing every week or so for years. Can’t wait to get back on stage.
You were overseas in 2019 and then came back to Australia due to Covid, please tell us about what you got up to:
I had wanted to live in Europe forever and got a three year working visa for the UK in 2019. So I released my second album Hysteria! in September 2019 and a week or so later I left. I spent three months in London, three months in Paris and three months in Athens walking 20 kilometres a day exploring the streets, parks, music, galleries. I taught myself a music recording program called Logic and wrote songs every day and demoed them in Logic. I was basically by myself working on my craft with jobs on the side to fund adventures.
Then in Athens, I was working for an NGO supporting LGBTIQ refugees and the situation politically got pretty scary – there were anti-refugee riots and people started burning refugee camps in Lesvos. They had to shut the shelter I worked at due to threats so I lost my job. The next day I got an emergency text from the Greek government saying a lockdown was going to happen because of COVID and no-one could leave their house without a permit. Trump announced he was closing the US borders. My family called and said Morrison was about to do the same. I had to make a very quick decision. I didn’t even have time to tell my landlord I had to leave and threw all my shit in a bag, went to the airport and got the first plane back to Sydney I could. It was the right decision – it would have been hard to stay living alone in the current climate. And now seeing all these stranded Australians still trying to get home 14 months later.
Your new single ‘Waiting For Time’ will be out on Feb 16, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I wrote this song walking around London with a heart that fell full and empty at the same time. When I left Australia I had just fallen in a terribly timed romance. I decided to leave anyway with the hope and a promise they would join me eventually. This song is about feeling in limbo, wondering when and if I’d see them again. Talking to them on the other side of the planet at odd times of day and night due to the time difference.
In terms of the sound, I penned the term Stargaze for this new collection of songs I’m releasing this year. Think shoegaze but instead of looking down you look up at the stars, trying to absorb and reflect the sound of their beauty, darkness, silent noise, infinite space, twinkling hope in the distance. I’m always using the stars for inspiration.
How did you go about writing Waiting For Time?
I wrote it in winter in London when I was feeling pretty lonely but also experiencing a weird long-distance love bubble. I didn’t have a guitar at the time so I wrote it on bass with lyrics and melody and stitched the rest together in a kind of patchwork from random recording sessions in Paris, Athens and Sydney.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
When I got back to Australia during the first wave of COVID, I did a (socially distanced) session at Harvest Recordings in Marrickville to get the bones of the song down. Kat Ayala laid down some beautiful lush guitars for it. And Sarah Fenn-Lavington smashed out drums. I co-produced the song with Ben Moore (Harvest Recordings), who also added his guitars and synths. We kept layering things on, rearranging, adding things and taking them away. It was the first time I’d worked on a song in this way and the first time I’d worked closely with a producer. It felt so good to collaborate creatively like this in a safe place – my living room mainly. We did vocals in my bathroom and Ben mixed it too. I got Casey Rice in Melbourne to master. I’m really proud of where it ended up sonically.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
RVG, Vagabon, Arlo Parks, Spiritualized, Sol Seppy, Brian Eno, Grouper.
What do you like to do away from music?
Spending time in nature mainly. Solo swims at the beach, exploring rock pools, I love going on ferry rides in Sydney and taking my dog for walks near water. Also I love my friends and laughing as much as possible with them.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
I’m working on and releasing a bunch of new songs this year and going to work with a director for a special music video or two. Mostly I’m excited about rehearsing a new set with a new band and getting back on stage on on tour as soon as possible/
Favourite food