|
|||||||||||||||||
|
“Charlie knows how to make a compelling track AND how to wring the last drops of emotion out of it.” – Dave Ruby Howe
“Charlie Gradon’s talent is seemingly uncontainable.” – Life Without Andy
Sydney melancholic strummer Charlie Gradon takes a more upbeat approach on new single ‘Blurry Ones’ from his forthcoming sophomore EP.
‘Blurry Ones’ was written when Gradon bought his wife a vintage camera which took, as Gradon describes, “basically useless blurry photographs”. Born in his bedroom studio, the track sounds just like the blurry images Gradon sings of – nostalgic and reflective indie-rock.
Earlier this year Gradon resurfaced with the mellow single ‘Grieving’ which found a home on radio, reaching #3 on the AMRAP Metro Radio Charts along with adds on FBi Radio, 2SER and EDGE.
The products of a challenging period of change, both singles offer a glimpse of Gradon’s introspective upcoming sophomore EP – out later this year – which the talented multi-instrumentalist wrote and performed on his own.
This omnibus follows on from 2018’s ‘Self Doubt’ which intrigued audiences and garnered on-air support from Double J and FBi Radio and had him named in The Music Writer’s Poll for ‘Song of the Year’. Echoing this praise, he was recently a finalist in Happy Mag’s Needle in the Hay competition out of 2000 entries, and named in Life Without Andy’s Next Big Things for 2020.
With the world in an extended period of reflection Charlie Gradon is here with the perfect soundtrack.
CHARLIE GRADON
‘BLURRY ONES’
OUT NOW
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is your name and role within The Mean Times?
My name is Tom Morgan and I’m on vocals and guitar. I also do all the shit that no one else in the band will do – like badly manage our finances or lack thereof.
Where are you currently based?
In Melbourne. Rock City.
What’s been happening recently?
You know, mostly just staying at home, ordering beer off the internet and cancelling gigs. Oh, we also released another EP the other day, which is exciting. Spewing we haven’t been able to play it live to anyone yet!
Your new EP ‘Stunned Mullet’ is out now, what influenced the sound and song writing?
We recorded ‘Stunned Mullet’ at the same time we recorded our last EP, ‘Raw Prawn’, which we released last year. We’d originally intended to do an album, but the more we got into the recording process and building on ideas, we realised we had two distinct sets of songs that needed to be split into different releases. We knew that each EP would retain a definite similarity, but that they were very different in style. While ‘Raw Prawn’ is a catchy, punk rock EP showing our lighter side, ‘Stunned Mullet’ is an angsty, dystopian rejection of traditional pop and indie norms, but also catchy, dancey and familiar. So we’ve kind of gone from influences like 70s and 90s oz punk rock, writing about life in general and self-deprecation, to a mixed bag of sludgy, grungy, stoner rock, indie pomp and acoustic ballads that all deal with death, depression, bad influences and dead bats.
How did you go about writing the music?
For this EP, it was mostly me writing the core song and bringing it to the band to make it good and point out what I was doing wrong. I actually wrote the first track, ‘She Lives on Oxygen’ when I lived in Amsterdam about 12 years ago. Most likely stoned. It was performed in a couple of bands I played in over there (Hand Bites Dog and Yakuza Smile), but it never felt finished. It only recently got a rewrite and a new chorus and became one of our favourite songs. ‘Miss Damascus 2008’ was written around a bass line that was looping around in my head for ages and layered from there by the rest of the band. Taxidermist came to me on a bike ride home from work one night when musing over the amount of songs that had the lyrics, ‘If you had wings you could fly’. And Faking Death is a dark one that just instantly came out on guitar when I was really tired and struggling with life. But we’ve moved away from that approach lately and are now really focussing on writing together as a band. It’s much more satisfying and enjoyable.
Where and when did you record/produce and who with?
‘Stunned Mullet’ and ‘Raw Prawn’ were mostly recorded and mixed at Rolling Stock Studios in Collingwood by Nao Anzai, who’s done a bunch of awesome stuff like Cash Savage and the Last Drinks. We actually started it way back in 2017 when we first laid down bass, drums and some guitars at Rolling Stock, but over the following year or two, we added a heap of guitars ourselves – mostly at Eoin’s house. We then sourced horns, strings and more guitar from musicians scattered across the internet, then came back to the studio to do vocals and mix it together with Nao. The whole lot was then mastered by Mikey Young from Eddy Current Suppression Ring.
What programs/instruments did you use?
Heaps of goddam guitars and effect pedals. At one point, when recording ‘She Lives on Oxygen’, we’d already recorded about 5 or 6 guitar layers, but we still wanted more! We asked our mate Cosmic from Brisbane band Death By Carrot to do a mad wah solo, then our former band mate Ant did another solo, then we went full bogan and roped in the craziest guitar soloist we could find in South America. We then changed tack and decided we wanted strings and horns for the second track, ‘Miss Damascus 2008’. We tracked down musicians offering these services on websites and worked with them collaboratively. We’d figure out the melodies or textures we wanted on the keyboard and send them a recording of what we were looking for and they’d make it sound good and send us their recordings to add to the mix. We also added our own keys to pretty much every song.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the writing/recording process?
Having no time was our biggest challenge. Having busy day jobs, families and other outside commitments is always what makes it hard for us, especially when recording. If we had more time, we would’ve busted out about 10 albums by now. We’re actually quite efficient when we get down to business. Also, at the time of recording, we didn’t actually have a full-time drummer, so we shipped in our mate Jonesy who’d been filling in for us occasionally to help out. That was a challenge in itself as he also had limited time and heaps of other bands.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Right now I’m listening to Failure! I’m also liking Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever’s new album at the moment, but the one band I’m addicted to listening to this year is Viagra Boys from Sweden. They sound insane. Expect us to start ripping them off very soon.
What do you like to do away from music?
Outside of music, work and family, I don’t have a lot of time for much else. If I do, then I like to go camping, bike riding and put things in a slow cooker. During lockdown, I’ve also managed to step up an already worrying drinking habit and am becoming even more of a craft beer wanker.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?
Hopefully we can go back to the pub! First and foremost, I just want to go to the pub and get on the beers. But then, I want to play some goddamn gigs in the goddamn pub!
We had to cancel our single and EP launches during lockdown, so we’re hoping to put on a massive Melbourne show as soon as things go back to normal. Keep an eye out for that. Then we’ll play as many gigs as we can. We’ve actually been relatively productive with songwriting over the past few months at home, so it’d be great if we could get back to the studio and record it all. Hopefully it doesn’t take 3 years this time.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Pub feeds and the pub. I don’t discriminate as to which.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/themeantimes
Instagram @themeantimes
|
|
|
|
|
Follow ABRACADABRA on Twitch & Tune In Friday!
A 3-day Virtual Festival for Bye Bye Plastic, June 19th-21st LIVE on Twitch
ABRACADABRA & BLOND:ISH are also giving away 1 Bitcoin (worth around $9,500 at the time of announce) to a lucky winner
Hey presto, ABRACADABRA, the magic movement conjured up by Vivie-Ann Bakos aka BLOND:ISH and Liana Hillison, brings you music, magic, self love and sustainability roundtables in a festival to benefit Bye Bye Plastic Foundation. Get ready to depart; you are about to choose your own adventure…
What’s up their sleeve? Not just a highly curated mix of mindblowing sounds from Diplo, Nahko (Live), Nightmares on Wax, BLOND:ISH, Themba, Lunar Disco; not just magic from mentalist/illusionists; but an embodiment of our best possible selves, mirrored through self love, brain games, yoga, 3D sound exploration, meditation and more (‘The Class’’ Taryn Toomey and Jai Dev Singh will also feature)… with surprises to keep your inner child alive.
‘ABRA is all about creating your own reality, because magic is everywhere!’
Always forward thinking, ABRACADABRA is one of the first electronic music brands to run single-use plastic free events. Since 2017, their vibes have throbbed in Tulum, Tomorrowland, and Mykonos… Now they’re adapting their craft of putting on legendary parties in paradise and shifting to our current world; ABRA TV provides a one stop show to support artists and creatives, providing a space for them to connect and create magic with their talents and passions, ‘all around our beloved music, the glue that brings us all together.’
ABRACADABRA Virtual Festival has partnered with Bye Bye Plastic Foundation, the grass roots organisation on track to remove single-use plastic from the music industry by 2025. BBP, dreamed into being and led by Vivie-Ann, has inspired thousands of DJs and event promoters to join the #plasticfreeparty mission with their ‘Eco Rider’, onsite activations, beach cleans, and innovative research since launching in 2018. BBP officially became a Foundation in January 2020, and have partnered and consulted with industry giants such as International Music Summit (IMS) & SXM Festival and led sustainability panels at ADE Green, IMS, Brighton Music Conference and beyond.
Bye Bye Plastic will host experts and brands like Mogu’s Maurizio Montalti (‘Mycelium Magic’) and industry trailblazers like Elektrik Fantasy Festival and Ultra Music Festival (‘Miami’s Sustainable Party Fairies’) to thrash out new ideas and set a path for sustainable raving.
This is only the beginning for this adventure, as the channel will be developing into something increasingly inclusive. ABRACADABRA TV will be a hub to show you magic exists and show you how to create it in your own life so you can spread it far and wide. ‘We’re starting with this festival, and the channel will constantly be evolving, and we’ll be inviting our community to share their own passions with us and each other.’
And! To celebrate its first virtual festival and to give back to the community ABRACADABRA is giving 1 Bitcoin and lifetime subscriptions to ABRA TV on Twitch to a group of lucky friends. To enter the contest, Instagram users can tag 2 or more friends in the comments on ABRA’s lineup announcement post (@welcometoabracadabra) and anyone can RSVP at https://www.abracadabra.life/
Tune in to ABRACADABRA Festival on Twitch on Friday!
On Friday 25 September, IDLES will release their anticipated third album – Ultra Mono – via Partisan Records / Liberator Music. Accompanying today’s announcement, the band have shared album highlight and thunderous call-to-action ‘Grounds’ alongside a music video (dir. by Rob French).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
STATE CHAMPS
ANNOUNCE STATE CHAMPS UNPLUGGED EP
DUE OUT AUGUST 14 VIA PURE NOISE RECORDS
10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY VARIETY SHOW ON JUNE 22
TICKETS, EP PRE-ORDERS AND EXCLUSIVE T-SHIRT WITH 100% PROCEEDS GOING TO BLACK LIVES MATTER AVAILABLE NOW
“We’re excited to Celebrate our 10th Birthday as a band in the best fashion: An interactive online variety show where we get to hang out with fans, perform, reminisce, and tell stories from the past 10 years,” shares vocalist Derek DiScanio. “We’ll be bringing in some surprise guests, and even premiering new music. That’s right, those who purchase tickets to the event will be the first to hear some brand new tunes and music videos from our upcoming Unplugged EP. There will be exclusive merch deals right on the event page and we’ll top the night off with a live Q&A hangout with everyone. This is the most unique event we’ve ever thrown and we can’t wait to share it with everyone as we ring in the next chapter of Champs.“
Given that this is a very important election year, State Champs has partnered with HeadCount to offer a 50% discount on tickets for all fans who register to vote. For those that are not of age to register, they can pledge with HeadCount and still receive the discount. For more information, please visit HeadCount.org/StateChamps.
In addition to this partnership with HeadCount, State Champs recently unveiled ways they will be helping to use their platform to champion the Black Lives Matter movement. “There’s an incredible movement happening right now in our country and throughout the world. Black voices that are tired of the injustice, the discrimination, the inequality, louder than ever in a choir fighting to be seen and accepted without prejudice, and it’s long overdue,” shared the band on social media. “We are excited to lend our voices and support alongside those protesting, donating, making petitions, gathering and distributing resources, and raising awareness. It’s time to listen, learn and act, because it’s time for a change.” Fans can head to https://www.statechampsny.com/ for a limited edition t-shirt and the opportunity to win unique pieces of State Champs memorabilia through raffles.
State Champs Unplugged, dropping in time for the band’s 10-year anniversary, is much more than a set of stripped-down reimagined bangers. Instead, the EP offers up four brand new tracks crafted specifically for this setting, plus a surprising reworking of “Criminal” and a moving new take on “Dead and Gone.” It’s a record that’s reflective of the diverse listening habits of the foursome, unapologetic about their love of everything from Pop to Country without sacrificing the upbeat enthusiasm of the central influences that first moved their collective souls.
“The Unplugged EP is special for us for many reasons, one main reason being the writing process. We feel like we really went back to our roots, you know, just the band, in a room with an acoustic guitar, writing songs and having fun,” shared DiScanio on the upcoming EP. “We tend to execute our best material in an environment that is stress free and organic. Our fans have been asking for new acoustic, stripped down material for quite some time, we’re happy to say it’s here.”
This will be the first taste of new music from State Champs since their 2018 release Living Proof. The 13-track collection is the most ambitious and cohesive work in the band’s catalog. While securing the #9 Top Current Albums, #28 Top 200 and #3 Rock Billboard charting positions, this album has seen impressive praise from fans and press alike.
State Champs has always embraced the idea of getting their music in front of as many people as possible. They aren’t running away from the sound they’ve established; if anything, it’s that scrappy punk spirit that drives them to continue to reach further and further. They’ve done pop arena tours, metal tours; they’ve even played a show on a beach. Wherever they turn up, they are going to be sincere and passionate. They are going to have fun. And moreover, so will you. This is an arena-ready band, capable of moving any kind of crowd, with the heart and soul of DIY freedom.
State Champs is Derek DiScanio (Vocals), Tyler Szalkowski (Guitar), Ryan Scott Graham (Bass) and Evan Ambrosio (Drums).
About HeadCount:
HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that promotes participation in democracy through music, culture, and digital media. Since 2004 the organization has registered over 650,000 voters and worked with a long list of musicians and partners including Ariana Grande, Dave Matthews Band, JAY-Z, Beyonce, March for Our Lives, RuPaul’s DragCon, MTV, and Dead & Company. HeadCount also organizes “Participation Row” activism villages at over a dozen major music festivals and concert tours. With 40,000 volunteers, street teams in most major U.S. cities, and presence at more than 1,000 events each year, HeadCount ranks as one of the most active grassroots civic participation organizations in the United States.
|
After recently announcing the upcoming release of their first album in five years, Australian punk-rock legends The Meanies have today shared ‘Jekyll and Hide’, the second single from their forthcoming record, Desperate Measures, slated for release on Wednesday 8 July.
Available for pre-order now via Cheersquad Records and Tapes, Desperate Measures is a 10-track onslaught of hard-hitting Meanies numbers that evoke the classic sounds that cemented the band as an iconic fixture in the annals of Australian music over 25 years ago.
To Meanies frontman Link Meanie, latest single ‘Jekyll and Hide’ depicts a turbulent journey through the shit show of life, while a culture of nauseating superficiality parades on past.
“‘Jekyll and Hide’ is a story about riding a raft of shoddy construction down the river of life,” says Link.
“The river is a torrent of shit, blood and acid and constantly threatens the raft’s integrity. To rub salt in the wound, Stepford people race past, laughing on their glistening jet skis and spraying you with the foetid contents. The hard wooden planks of the raft’s deck are the enemy of your screaming haemorrhoids. It’s a nice day though.”
Accompanying the track is another suitably-freakish animation by Link, only this time, what started as a spoof of a dated animal-pal adventure story fast transformed into a Lord of the Rings / Monty Python saga.
“detailed and perfectly calibrated songwriting” – NPR Music, ‘New Music Friday’
“…a stunningly empathetic study of human frailties” – Pitchfork
“…a deeply personal and revealing look into Hutson’s life, all presented through the lens of gorgeous instrumentals and vocal melodies.” – Uproxx
“…Hutson possesses a rare balance of critical wit and soul” – Paste
“Beginners seems like an introduction to Hutson and his past: fears, anxieties and faults and memories. It’s all packaged in a brilliant album that satisfies any cravings for well-written, subtle and resonant folk rock.” – Exclaim!
Christian Lee Hutson’s new album Beginners—produced by Phoebe Bridgers—arrived in stores late last month via ANTI- Records, and the album has been garnering acclaim and highlights from outlets including NPR Music (‘New Music Friday’), Pitchfork, Uproxx, Paste, and more. Early singles “Get The Old Band Back Together,” “Talk,” and “Lose This Number” have also caught additional attention from Stereogum, The FADER, Guitar World, and Brooklyn Vegan, among others.
Beginners can now be purchased or streamed HERE.
On Beginners, Hutson embeds every lyric with his most intimate self-dialogue, sharing painful confessions and private jokes, imagined conversations and elaborate daydreams. The album spotlights a nuanced song craft and understated candour that all but erases the distance between feeling and expression. Throughout this collection of songs, Hutson ultimately speaks an illuminating truth about regret and forgiveness and the endless confusion in growing up.
“I went with Beginners as the title because that’s where I feel like I am in my life—like I’m still just learning and trying to figure out how to navigate the world,” Hutson notes.
Hutson—who also co-wrote a song on the 2018 Boygenius EP and two on the 2019 Better Oblivion Community Center LP—and Bridgers recorded Beginners at L.A.’s legendary Sound City Studios, but purposely preserved the homespun quality of his cell-phone-recorded demos. The album mines its subtle textures from Hutson’s warm vocals and graceful guitar work, and also unfolds flashes of sonic brilliance achieved with the help of its guest musicians—including Bridgers herself, as well as Nathaniel Walcott of Bright Eyes (who created all the string arrangements for the album, in addition to playing trumpet).
CHRISTIAN LEE HUTSON – BEGINNERS – OUT NOW
TRACKLIST
1. Atheist
2. Talk
3. Lose This Number
4. Unforgivable
5. Northsiders
6. Twin Soul
7. Seven Lakes
8. Get The Old Band Back Together
9. Keep You Down
10. Single For The Summer
Western Australian artist Paige Valentine is ready to lift the veil on the stunning video accompaniment to her latest ethereal single ‘Pure’. Teaming up with local Freo filmmaker Luna Laure, the video opens the door to a new world of metaphorical wonder and awe, shining a spotlight on both the nuanced delicacies of Paige’s songwriting and the subtle yet detailed lens through which Laure creates.
“The experience of working with Laure and her crew was once in a lifetime. We shot on film, built the props over two days, one of the crew half jokingly asked for a wall in my house to be painted for the shot in a day and my best friend came over in her lunch break and sure enough – gave us a pink wall. It was shot at my home studio “Lucky Blue” here in Fremantle, which was a perfect fit with its quirky lino, old wallpaper wall (mid-reno) and Laure (director) and Bee (styling/hair/MUA) dreamt up the finer details of the scenes. When Laure came over for the first time, I ended up giving her a bunch of plants from my garden I’d grown from seed without realising she’d built the plot around me growing a plant representing love / relationships. I now have a permanent hole in the lino from the fire that resulted in my manager hiding under the kitchen table with a bucket of water, but the clip was so worth it and we all had so much fun in the two days of the shoot, ending with a late night of red wine, pizza and lots of post-covid hugs. . Truly honoured to work with such incredible and fun creatives.” – Paige Valentine
“In an ever changing world where dichotomous male/female relationship are no longer the only norm, I wanted to put a twist on what the love interest could look like. A subtle metaphor for how love can grow and thrive, but also stifle and suffocate.” – Luna Laure
Releasing new music in 2020, a year that will go on record as being cursed for the music industry at large, Paige Valentine has found herself swapping festival stages for live streams… a trade that may feel like a step down in the interim, but is ultimately the shape of things to come for musicians. Paige has embraced the sea change, launching ‘Pure’ mid-lockdown to a worldwide captive audience of people much in need of some light at the end of the tunnel. And this has always been what Paige Valentine’s music provides: light.
Already a five-time WAM Award nominee and Vanda & Young International Song Competition finalist, Paige’s songwriting has gained her substantial accolades. Flattering as this may be, Valentine’s motivation is purely her music; to write the best songs she can, and deliver them with honesty and tenacity. A new direction for a new era, the release of ‘Pure’ will not only bookmark the next chapter in Paige Valentine’s career but the strange times into which it was born, where all of us are reminded by its absence, just how precious live music actually is. Paige shows no signs of slowing down in 2020, with another single already in the works and hints of an EP on the way, so keep an ear to the ground for what will surely be more impressive things to come.
Paige Valentine ‘Pure’ Single Launch
Friday 26 June
Cleaver St – West Perth
Thursday 4 July
Esperance – Woody Island
All tickets and details Paige Valentine Facebook
Video Credits
Directed and Produced by Luna Laure
DOP – David Le May ACS
1st AC – Brianna Trinidad
Gaffer – Rhys Jones
Styling, HMUA – Bee Rizzi
Edited and Colour by Luna Laure
‘Pure’ is out now via AWAL
Spotify / iTunes / Apple Music / Bandcamp
After 11 episodes, Delivered, Live is set to lower the curtains on its first season this Saturday night. 90s rock heroes Killing Heidi will close the show out with a bang, and the show will also feature replays of some of the best moments from the season, as voted for by the viewers.
The brainchild of The Handshake Agency, the show was created to stream live gigs, fully amplified and staged, into the homes of viewers worldwide. Every performer and crew member was paid for their time and viewers were able to experience live entertainment again, while the world went into lockdown. Throughout the season, over 10,000 tickets were sold, and over $888,000 was injected back into the live entertainment economy – via the musicians, comedians, venues, crew booking agents, managers and production crew involved. The weekly show gave many creatives the chance to share their art and generate the feeling that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The show gave hope to many businesses who were able to survive because of what was being produced.
Something that can’t be measured is what it gave to the viewership. Viewers created new friendships in the YouTube chat room, and were able to discover new music each week that they may not have otherwise discovered. For some viewers, getting out to see live music and comedy was a challenge, even before the pandemic, due to geography, illness, family/work situations etc – Delivered, Live made live entertainment accessible to all again.
Delivered, Live are hoping to return for a second season sometime in the future, until then, tune in this Saturday night, 20th June from 7.30pm
Over 11 episodes, Delivered, Live has:
Tickets Sold: 10,000
Ticket revenue: $190,693
Over 55,000 hours watched in over 47 countries
Over $888,000 put back into the Live Music economy artists, venues, crew, booking agents and managers
Over $50k of band merch sold
Producers The Handshake Agency thanks its sponsors for getting on board this first series – Victorian Government, The Music, Oztix, Small Time Group, Young Henry’s, Harry The Hirer.
IN THE GALLERY: SELF-GUIDED VIDEO TOURS
Launching on Saturday 27 June, visitors to the NGV can access self-guided video tours on the NGV website using their own smart devices to navigate the Gallery.
Audiences will be guided by curator led videos through NGV Collection galleries and NGV International exhibitions Japanese Modernism, Collecting Comme, Colin McCahon: Letters and Numbers, Japanese Design: Neolithic to Now and at NGV Australia Top Arts 2020 and Marking Time: Indigenous Art from the NGV.
On Level 2 at NGV International, NGV Assistant Curator of Collections and Research, Dr. Maria Quirk will lead the Women in Art: 17th Century tour exploring the history of female artists in Europe from the 1600s to the twentieth century.
NGV Senior Curator of International Decorative Art and Antiquities, Amanda Dunsmore will guide audiences through the Being Modern in early 20th Century Vienna tour, on Level 2 at NGV International, focusing on the enormous social changes that took place during the twentieth century and how this influenced art and design in this period.
Self-guided video tours will be available on the NGV Channel from Saturday 27 June. Visitors are invited to bring their own headphones to use with their smart device in the Gallery.
WATCH: LIVE IN-STUDIO VISIT WITH CHRISTOPHER BOOTS
Wednesday 24 June | 6.00 – 6.30 pm
As part of the NGV’s live in-studio artist visit series, Melbourne lighting designer Christopher Boots will virtually invite NGV’s Hugh Williamson Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture, Simon LeAmon into his Fitzroy studio where he works with a team of artisan makers handcrafting decorative lighting.
Boots’ practice is inspired by natural forms and references his Greek heritage through narratives of ancient mythology. In the NGV Collection, Boots’ most recognisable design, ORP: Oblique rhombic prism 2011, emphasises simplicity and form while employing sacred geometry to create a 3D optical illusion.
SPEAKERS
Christopher Boots, lighting designer
Simon LeAmon, The Hugh Williamson Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture, NGV
Available to watch on NGV’s Instagram on Wednesday 24 June at 6.00 pm and available to watch on NGV Channel following the livestream.
WATCH: NATIVE FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH FLOWERS VASETTE INSPIRED BY WORKS IN THE NGV COLLECTION
Live on NGV Channel – Friday 19 June at 2.00pm
With a focus on Australian native florals, Curator of Australian Painting Beckett Rozentals explores renowned Australian artist, Margaret Preston’s much-loved painting, Flannel flowers, 1938. In this episode we are also joined by Curator of Indigenous Art, Myles Russell-Cook, who explores indigenous artist Trevor Nickolls’ work Still life Venetian vase created in 1990. Russell-Cook explores Nickolls contemporary practice and his unique style, through this captivating painting. Sonya Wilson from Flowers Vasette demonstrates two ways viewers at home can create simple yet striking arrangements using seasonal Australian native florals, inspired by the works of Preston and Nickolls from the NGV Collection.
SPEAKERS
Myles Russell-Cook, Curator of Indigenous Art, NGV
Beckett Rozentals, Curator of Australian Painting, NGV
Sonya Wilson, florist, Flowers Vasette
WATCH ON THE NGV CHANNEL: ngv.vic.gov.au/channel/floral-arranging-series/
WATCH: FLORAL GARDEN ARRANGEMENTS FROM YOUR GARDEN WITH ARTIST ROSSLYND PIGGOTT
Live on NGV Channel – Friday 26 June at 2.00pm
In part three of the instructional video series, audiences will learn to create at-home floral arrangements inspired by art works from the NGV Collection.
Joined by special guest and renowned Australian artist Rosslynd Piggott, the final instalment of the series focuses on Piggott’s work Unfolding flower-cloud space no. 2, 2005-2006 and the ways in which this work is inspired by Japanese cherry blossom.
Rosslynd Piggott will collaborate with Hokuto Takase from Flowers Vasette to arrange florals inspired by Piggott’s work and her ongoing fascination with flowers. Curator of Contemporary Art, Jane Devery will share with audiences the themes and inspirations behind Piggott’s work and its importance in Australian art.
SPEAKERS
Rosslynd Piggott, artist
Jane Devery, Curator of Contemporary Art, NGV
Hokuto Takase, florist, Flowers Vasette
WATCH ON THE NGV CHANNEL: ngv.vic.gov.au/channel/floral-arranging-series/
Title: Hype Or Die: Emergence EP
Label: Dim Mak Records
Bass heavyweight Riot Ten flexes his versatility on the 7-track EP, “Hype or Die: Emergence.” Featuring a VIP mix of festival anthem “Rail Breaker” and collaborations alongside DIESEL (aka Shaquille O’Neal), Whales, and Bok Nero, the EP presents a mature palette of sounds, blending future bass, hardstyle and Latin instrumentation amongst his signature dubstep drops.
The Emergence EP is Riot Ten‘s first multi-track release since his successful “Hype or Die: Nightmares” studio album and the subsequent deluxe package, which followed last year. It arrives off the heels of his recent performance at one of the first car raves in North America last month in Houston, TX. New tracks “Bring It Back” with DirtySnatcha and “Buck” featuring Bok Nero each integrate elements of dubstep and trap, complete with grimy, heavy bass, and serrating mechanical synths. “Ultimate” is a heavy-hitting collaboration with basketball legend DIESEL (aka Shaquille O’Neal) and viral Houston rapper T-Wayne. “Narcos” with Madreckless contains the pulsating tempo of psytrance fused with bass elements. “Save You” sees Riot Ten team up with Whales and his cousin Megan Stokes for a rich, future bass original, showcasing a softer side to his sound. As a special treat, he closes the EP with VIP renditions of “Save You” and “Rail Breaker,” the latter of which remains a fan favorite around the world, boasting over 7 million on-demand streams. Wielding plenty of chaotic bass nuances, the EP lives in the same “Hype or Die” underworld, but with a heightened sense of urgency.
“I wanted to create something that was different from my previous bodies of work, yet still embodied that “Hype Or Die” aura. I named my EP ‘Emergence,’ due to the chaos in the world now coming to light. It is symbolic of how many have felt for some time now..and so we have risen. I stand in solidarity with those fighting injustice.” – Riot Ten
Born and raised in El Paso, TX, Riot Ten exploded into the world of EDM at the young age of 22. Joining the Dim Mak Records family in 2017, with additional music out on Never Say Die, Insomniac, Bassrush and Excision‘s “Rottun Records“, Riot Ten blasted off with four #1 top 100 dubstep singles and his music can be heard around the world from the likes of DJ Snake, Zeds Dead, The Chainsmokers, Excision and many more. The 2017 single “Fuck It” became a staple on The Chainsmokers‘ “Memories Do Not Open” tour. This success helped pave the way for “Rail Breaker“, his global smash in 2017, to become one of the most played out dubstep songs of the last decade. The single continues to see support at nearly every major festival from the biggest names in dance music. Following the release of “Rail Breaker“, Riot Ten dropped his debut EP with DIM MAK called Hype Or Die: The Dead in 2018, which recorded a top 10 debut on the iTunes “dance album” charts, a feat seldom seen by an artist in the genre. He recorded another top 10 debut on the iTunes charts in 2019 with his debut album Hype Or Die: Nightmares. Outside of the music, Riot Ten has continued to record sell-out shows domestically and internationally, touring the infamous “Hype Or Die” brand for its 2nd straight year. He has also played EDC Las Vegas, Coachella, Nocturnal Wonderland, Electric Zoo, EDC Mexico, Lost Lands, EDC Orlando, Global Dance Festival, Electric Forest, Bass Canyon, Imagine Music Festival and more.
