| Kwame and his team are devastated to announce the cancellation of Kwame’s ‘Please, Get Home Safe Tour’ Australian Tour. With the recent developments surrounding COVID-19 we have no choice but to cancel the upcoming shows which were due to take place in venues over 500 cap.
Current ticket holders can apply for a refund from their place of purchase. We are working to announce some new shows in the future and will make an announcement about this once they are locked in. So many artists are affected by this and we send our best to everyone doing it tough at the moment. From Team Kwame “One of the leaders of the New School” “He’s the movement’s youngest by age, but arguably its most visible by virtue…” “Kwame has long been on our radar of international MC’s to watch.”
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“Thanks everyone for all the love over the weekend, especially to triple j listeners for the huge support we’ve been shown over the years. We’re four working class blokes from Brisbane who get to share our music with you all and (can’t stress this enough) the love we receive back means the absolute world. It means everything.
We were going to announce a tour today, but in light of the current climate it didn’t feel right to do so. Instead, here’s ‘Pick It Up Again’, another taste of our upcoming album ‘Everything Is A-OK’. We love you all and promise to throw some huge parties when it’s clear that it’s safe to. Till then, take care of ya selves.” – Violent Soho
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Epitaph Records welcomes Melbourne, Australia based anomalistic collective DREGG
“It’s super humbling to be joining such an innovative yet true to its roots punk label that isn’t afraid to take risks and do things their own way,” says DREGG. “To be added to the list of greats that we grew up listening to is absolutely mind blowing. In the spirit of the culture, it’s refreshing to see a label of such magnitude allowing their artists to have so much creative freedom. We’re as excited to be a part of Epitaph records as we are to watch the label grow into the new era of punk we’re endeavouring into.”
DREGG make powerfully energetic music, driven by themes of fierce individualism, with a sound that hungrily consumes metal, hardcore, and rap, only to heave it back up in a colourful rainbow of bombastic brutality and iconoclastic absurdity, lovingly fed to the audience like mother birds. The thought provoking five-piece, known for tongue-in-cheek take on the current state of the world, continues to push the boundaries of hardcore with their new single “Hectic.” A song that explores the current state of the music scene, criticisms the band has received, and their journey of signing with Epitaph.
Australia and New Zealand rescheduled. All current tickets remain valid for the new shows. Contact your local ticket outlet for full details. Hobart and more dates / cities to come! Stay safe and we will see you later in 2020!
FEEL PRESENTS…
VIOLENT FEMMES AUSTRALIA 2020
Thursday 19th November 2020 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW
Saturday 21st November 2020 – Sandstone Rocks, Sandstone Point QLD
* now with added Sunnyboys!
Sunday 22nd November 2020 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast QLD
Wednesday 25th November 2020 – Forum Theatre, Melbourne VIC
Thursday 26th November 2020 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide SA
Thursday 3rd December 2020 – Concert Hall, Perth WA
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PHOTOGRAPHY: LUCAS PACKETT
30 Years and Rippin! Southern Californian gods Lagwagon returned to Melbourne for a night of legendary punk singalongs.
The Ottawa and Toronto-based musician and songwriter wrote, performed and produced the album. Boyd has signed with MTS Management Group for promotion of the LP.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, but for Canadian guitarist and songwriter Darren Michael Boyd, music has been the ultimate cure. After a life-altering car accident, the Ottawa and Toronto-based musician created his debut album, “Lifting The Curse,” as a therapy for the physical and psychological complications that followed the accident.
Painstakingly writing, recording and producing the 9-track album himself, Boyd only called upon outside help for one track, “Was It Something I Said,” which features drums by Emily Dolan Davies (The Darkness, Kim Wilde.) Mastering was done by Harry Hess at H-Bomb Mastering (Barenaked Ladies, Danko Jones, Monster Truck.)
MTS Management Group has been brought in to promote the album and first stress track/video, “The Earth Is B Flat.” MTS President Michael Stover says, “Darren is a rock star…there’s no doubt about that. He’s got the look, the attitude, and the chops to pull it all off. I’m really excited about this album! Boyd blends the theatrics of bands like KISS, Alice Cooper and Queen with technical playing and melodies around every corner, with a modern twist to the sound. This is definitely not a ‘throwback’ record. Guitar fans are gonna flip!”
Website: www.darrenboyd.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darren.michael.boyd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darrenmichaelboydmusic/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/THEwHORRORcanada
Hailing from Sydney, Jordan F creates a distinct style of retro synth driven electronic music with a modern fidelity. While his sound could be easily likened to the soundtracks from Stranger Things, Drive or Blade Runner, his knack for retro flair without the limitations of genre create a unique sound that is instantly recognisable as him.
He released his debut album Slipstream in 2014, which racked up a very impressive 3.5 million streams on Spotify alone. This was followed up in quick succession with the release of his sophomore album Timelines in 2016 on NRW Records, which again impressed the scene with a whopping 4 million plus online Spotify streams.
2017 saw his music featured in the Netflix psychological thriller ‘Death Note’, while also releasing a collaboration EP with Sydney duo Vast Hill. In the wake of 2018 he released his third full length album Oblivion – an adventure into spacey, ominous sounds and Lovecraftian horror.
Returning today with a brand new single, Jordan is over the moon to present ‘Without You’ (feat Gryff) out via GD FRNDS. The tune follows on with vibe we’ve best come to know from Jordan F – splashy drums, big verbed out snare hits, beautiful arps and those lovely pad like synths.
Taken from his upcoming fourth record ‘Memory Collision’ , Without You sees Jordan team up with QLD swooner Gryff, who delivers a retro style of vocal delivery that is reminiscent of a blue light disco in the summer of 1988. A track filled with uplifting scenes that give inspiration of being confident with ones self. Jordan F describes how the track came about;
“Without You (feat. Gryff) was one of the first tracks I wrote for the new album. I wanted the track to complement a scene to an 80’s heartbreak movie that existed only in my head. It’s about letting go and just being happy and confident by yourself. I approached Gryff with a finished instrumental and he came back with all the lyrics and recordings. We were pretty much done after one take. His Phil Colins and David Bowie inspired vocals really transformed the track into an upbeat state of euphoria.” – Jordan F
JORDAN F EUROPEAN TOUR DATESSaturday 23 May | Debaser, Stockholm
Friday 29 May | Baderhaus, Berlin
Saturday 30 May | Golden Krone, Damstadt
Saturday 06 Jun | Underbelly Hoxton, London
Friday 29 May | Baderhaus, Berlin
Saturday 30 May | Golden Krone, Damstadt
Saturday 06 Jun | Underbelly Hoxton, London
‘Without You feat. Gryff’ is out now Stream Here
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London based DJ, producer and writer Robin M returns with yet another stellar club track that serves up his melodic, dark tribal and afro-tinted house offering to take to the dancefloor.
Pushing his Afro-Tech House sound, Robin M’s latest offering ‘Ghost’ displays his abilities once again to masterfully fuse world influences with his signature afro synths and deep, rolling house grooves. Teeming with organic percussion and arcane brooding bass tones, Robin M’s spacious arrangement deals a real wonder moment for the dancefloors.
Since the beginning of his solo project, Robin M has certainly made his mark. Stepping out as an individual artist, showcasing his own sound and style has seen him already gain support from top tier DJs and tastemakers across the globe.
His first underground track ‘Thanks To You’ was championed by taste-making radio platform Rinse FM as ‘Track Of The Week’. His second solo production and single ‘Choosy’ further cemented his status as the track was played across Radio 1 & 1 Xtra including a DJ Target premiere. The track also saw plays on Scott Mills Party Anthems, Rickie Melvin & Charlie, Toddla T and more as well as generating over 1.5 million combined streams.
On the back of the success of the release, he followed up with an underground club EP ‘Hangdrum / Dust (ft. Badbox), released on the legendary FFRR. The release gained support from specialist radio shows around the world as well as DJ’s across the board, including Anii ( Kompakt), Rebuke, Gorgon City and Nic Fanciulli.
Robin M’s ‘Ghost’ is out now on Ground Up Records
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What’s been happening recently?
We’ve been working on new tracks for our live show, had a small tour in germany and recorded a nice live-video which will be out soon.
You’ve recently collaborated with Cristian Vogel to create COEXIST EP, how did this partnership come about?
The festival “fm riese” in wattens (tyrol/austria) invited us (elektro guzzi) to choose a musician that inspired us in creating our music to collaborate for a concert and cristian vogel came to mind as he was a big influence when we started the band. Please describe how you went about working together?
We basically just met in our studio in vienna, set up our gear, pushed record and started playing. since improvisation is a big part of our musical practice it developed very naturally. Actually one of the tracks on the ep (plenkel) is taken from the very first jam we recorded.
What influenced the sound and songwriting for the EP?
We realized that we could create very similar sounds with both the acoustic instruments of elektro guzzi and the electronics of cristian vogel and that they interacted in very interesting ways.
How did the songwriting take place?
We took the parts of our improvisations that already had a “song” structure and refined them in the mixing process.
Where and when did you record/produce? How did this take place?
We recorded and mixed the tracks in our studio in vienna, cristian did the mastering in his studio in copenhagen. there was a period of almost five year in between recording and finishing the tracks though, because we were all doing loads of other stuff in between. But we are all very happy we got around to mixing the material and get it released after all. What programs/instruments did you use?
Cristian uses a software called “kyma” and elektro guzzi use drums, bass and guitar with a lot of effect pedals.
recording/arranging/mixing was done in ableton live.
What do you have planned for this EP?
For us it was important to present this collaboration to a bigger audience since only the few people at the concert heard the music yet. maybe it will be also bring an opportunity to perform live together again.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of COEXIST EP?
The most challenging part of creating this EP was to choose the right parts from a lot of material and to arrange and mix it. The most reward part in the collaboration was playing together an having fun in the studio.
Please tell us about any future collaborations:
We have two interesting collaborations coming up: one is our composition “inner scope” with 16-piece a string orchestra. the piece had it’s premier last year and we will recorded it this summer and bring it to the stage again in autumn 2020 and spring 2021. Secondly we will perform with the piano player Ingrid Schmoliner at “Musikprotokoll” festival in Graz/Austria in October.
Any shows coming up? If so, when and where?
We have a few trio shows coming up in spring but are not sure at the moment if they can go ahead because of the corona virus. in summer we hope to be back on the road for festivals across europe. Check our website for dates.
What’s planned for 2020?
Make more music.
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Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I’m based in Sydney, Australia. There’s always been a strong electronic scene since the early 2000’s with artists like The Presets, Bag Raiders, Grafton Primary, Van She, Flight Facilities and Bag Raiders.
Today there are so many established and up-and-coming artists adding a lot of diversity to the scene including Hayden James, Touch Sensitive, Fluir, Tilda and I Know Leopard.
How did you first start playing music?
Before I got into music production I was a DJ for a few years and did a lot of warm-up sets around Kings Cross at venues like Candy’s Apartment, La Roux and The Club. I played a lot of Nu-Disco, Electro Pop stuff like Cut Copy, Louis La Roche, Bag Raiders, Chromeo and Lifelike.
What’s been happening recently?
I spent all of last year finishing the new album so 2020 has been crazy but also really exciting! I recently wrapped up an East Coast Australian Tour with Dream Coast and Sol Flare and have just released a new single.
You’re new single ‘Without You’ Feat. Gryff is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?
A lot of my songs take a modern approach to 80’s electronic music and are more cinematic/soundtrack focused. I wanted to create an upbeat synth pop song that sounds like it could have been released in 1984.
How did you go about writing Without You and how did you come to work with Gryff?
I wrote the track with the intention of adding vocals. I finished it as an instrumental and sent it straight over to Gryff to see if he’d be interested in singing on it. I’ve always been a big fan of his powerful 80’s style vocals so I was stoked he was up for a collaboration.
How was it working with Gryff?
We had a couple of reference tracks for mood and feeling, but I stressed he should do what felt natural to him. I think it’s really important in collaborations to just let the artist add their perspective and value to the songwriting process.
With that said and after a few iterations of the recordings he pretty much wrote the lyrics and finished vocals in two weeks! He was really efficient! It also helped that Gryff was based in Brisbane, as he was able to join me on tour to perform our song live, which was a really cool experience.
Where and when did you record/produce?
I write, record, produce and mix everything in my bedroom.
What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?
I own a Roland Juno 60 and Yamaha DX7, which are very archetype keyboards from the 80’s. Funnily enough, I haven’t used them in ages! There’s just so much you can do with VSTs these days. For me it’s really not about what you use, but how.
I use Ableton Live as my DAW with a handful of plugins that I’ve come to know very well. These include TAL-U-No-LX, heaps of Arturia products mainly the Prophet V, CS-80V and Jup-8V. I also use a lot of Korg M1 and the Emulation II by UVI.
For mixing and production I use Fabfilter Pro-Q, Pro-MB and Pro-DS, Waves API 550, The Glue by Cytomic, Soundtoys EchoBoy and Valhalla Vintage Verb. I buy new VSTs occasionally but I always end up going back to the stuff I know really well.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Com Truise, Gunship, Tangerine Dream and Touch Sensitive. I’ve really been digging the new Tame Impala and Tycho records lately.
What do you like to do away from music?
I got a puppy late last year so I pretty much am taking him out all the time to the park or beach if I’m not in the studio.
Please tell us about your passion for synths and the whole retro aesthetic:
It’s quite hard to pinpoint where it all came from but I think playing a lot of Nu-Disco stuff in my DJ days subconsciously informed my curiosity for vintage drum machines, italo basslines, brass stabs and synth solos.
I purchased Ableton Live at a point where I was gradually losing interest in DJing. I was making all sorts of electronic music but nothing really stuck. One day I came across a blog called Disco Champagne who released monthly mixtapes with artists like Miami Nights 1984, Lebatman, Com Truise, College etc and I was immediately drawn into the nostalgia and emotion these songs created.
You’ve done soundtracks for Netflix tv shows, how did this come about and how do you go about writing music for a series?
It was all pretty random to be honest. I received an email from a music film supervisor asking if they could license two existing songs for a film. Literally that was it.
Their email signature had a Hollywood address so I searched the name and the person had been a film music supervisor for Inglorious Bastards, Kill Bill, Django Unchanged and heaps of others.
After we sent the tracks over we didn’t hear much from them other than they were shortlisted for the final cut for the move Death Note. Then on the day of release I was advised my tracks were on the film…it was a surreal experience!
Your previous work has racked up millions of streams, what do you attribute to the success of your music?
I’ve been making this style of music since 2010 so I think starting out early when the genre was relatively niche has allowed me to refine my own sound and style. Today there are so many artists making this style of music so you have to really make something exciting and fresh to stand out.
There’s also been a general interest in nostalgia lately, which has seen this sound and style make its way into the mainstream with films like Drive and Stranger Things contributing to its popularity.
Your about to embark on a European tour, where are you headed and when do you go?
I’ve locked in gigs in Stockholm, Berlin, Darmstadt and London. The tour will run from 23 May to 6 June. I’m still pinching myself it’s happening I can’t wait!
What can we expect from your live show?
A mix of my earlier instrumental outrun stuff blended with some newer dance floor vocal-driven tracks. I actually remake all my songs for live performance so they’re more dance friendly and have a consistent flow. I also like to add different synth builds, drum fills and transitions into my set to make it feel like one continuous electronic odyssey.
Please tell us about any future music:
My fourth album is out in May 2020, which will be 12 tracks with 7 feature vocalists. The album represents a process of personal transformation…expect a mix of styles in this one!
What’s planned for 2020?
Aside from the album release and UK/European tour I haven’t though much else beyond that! Maybe a few more Australian shows to wrap it up, a few remixes or collaborations and then probably back to writing some new music.
Favourite food and place to hangout
I’ve always loved Japanese food but lately I’ve become a huge dumpling fan…there’s an amazing tea shop near where I live so it’s perfect for a Sunday cleanse.
Without You (feat. Gryff) [Teaser]
Without You (feat. Gryff) – out Friday! Exclusive premiere coming tomorrow!? by Joseph G Media
Posted by Jordan F on Tuesday, 3 March 2020
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Australian-Japanese duo Lastlings today announced their momentous signing to Liberation Records with the first single released on the label, ‘Take My Hand’. The track arrives on the back of their biggest year to date, as siblings Amy and Josh Dowdle continue to gain global notoriety as an act to watch.
Premiered on triple j Good Nights, ‘Take My Hand’ arrives as their first release of the year, showcasing their multi-genre sound by crafting a driving electronic beat complemented by strong pop songwriting and effortless vocals. In the emotive video, the lyricism comes alive in an Inception-esque world where the pair operate a mind-altering transportation device that sends people into moments in time that they wish they could revisit for better or worse.
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MELBOURNE JOINS ELEVEN CITIES WORLDWIDE TO PRESENT WORLD-FIRST VIRTUAL SCULPTURES CREATED BY NEW YORK ARTIST KAWS
Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria will join 11 iconic international sites, including The Louvre Pyramid in Paris, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Brooklyn Museum in New York, and Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, to unveil an augmented reality (AR) sculpture created by celebrated contemporary New York artist KAWS, from 13 to 27 March 2020.
EXPANDED HOLIDAY, a global art experience presenting monumental KAWS sculptures in 12 international locations, is produced in collaboration with Acute Art and KAWS.
Public sculptures will be located in Doha (MIA Park – Museum of Islamic Art), Qatar; Hong Kong, Statue Square; London, Millennium Bridge; Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria; New York, Brooklyn Museum; New York, Times Square; Paris, The Louvre Pyramid; Sao Paulo, Ibirapuera Park; Seoul, Dongdaemun Design Plaza; Taipei, National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall; Tanzania, Serengeti National Park; and Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing.
As part of this project, the NGV will provide access to KAWS’s monumental 10-metre long virtual sculpture in the NGV Garden. Depicting KAWS’s popular character, COMPANION, the AR sculpture will act as the starting point for the discovery of the range of KAWS’s works in his survey exhibition at the NGV.
EXPANDED HOLIDAY will demonstrate the enormous potential of AR technology, which provides virtual perspectives on real-world environments, and conveys KAWS’s mischievous humour through the juxtaposition of physical and virtual worlds.
These virtual sculptures will be accessible via the Acute Art app and can be experienced in conjunction with the NGV’s exclusive exhibition KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness, a comprehensive survey of 25 years of KAWS’s oeuvre and his largest solo survey to date. Full of humour, hope and humanity, the exhibition features more than 100 works including iconic paintings reappropriating pop-culture figures to more recent largescale, layered works, and an impressive collection of KAWS’s celebrated sculptural figures.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to be harnessing the potential of AR to bring my work to life in a virtual context,” said KAWS. “Creating public art using new technology opens up so many exciting possibilities where people can respond, experience and feel in a new way.”
“Melbourne and the NGV are joining some of the world’s most extraordinary locations in teaming up with KAWS and Acute Art to provide new and innovative ways of experiencing art that push the boundaries of what people consider an art experience” said Tony Ellwood AM, Director, National Gallery of Victoria.
About KAWS
KAWS engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. His prolific body of work straddles the worlds of art and design to include paintings, murals, graphic and product design, street art, and large-scale sculptures. Over the last two decades KAWS has built a successful career with work that consistently shows his formal agility as an artist, as well as his underlying wit, irreverence, and affection for our times. His refined graphic language revitalises figuration with both big, bold gestures and playful intricacies.
KAWS often appropriates and draws inspiration from pop culture animations, forming a unique artistic vocabulary across mediums. Admired for his larger-than-life sculptures and hardedge paintings that emphasize line and colour, KAWS’s cast of hybrid cartoon characters are the strongest examples of his exploration of humanity. As seen in his collaborations with global brands, KAWS’s imagery possesses a sophisticated humour and reveals a thoughtful interplay with consumer products. With their broad appeal, KAWS’s artworks are highly sought-after by collectors inside and outside of the art world, establishing him as a uniquely prominent artist and influence in today’s culture.
KAWS has exhibited extensively in renowned institutions including solo exhibitions at — The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2019); Fire Station, Qatar Museums, Doha, Qatar (2019); Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Michigan (2019); Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, Missouri (2017); Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2016), which travelled to the Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China (2017); Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Longside Gallery, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (2016); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2015); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga, Spain (2014); Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas (2013); Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia (2013); High Art Museum, Atlanta, Georgia (2011); and Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2011). He will be the subject of a major survey exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in the spring of 2021.
About KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness
This exhibition is the largest survey to date of internationally celebrated contemporary artist KAWS and is exclusive to the NGV. Across more than 100 works including paintings and sculptural figures, KAWS engages with universal feelings of isolation and loneliness in response to the turbulent world we live in today. His larger-than-life sculptures are playful, toy-like figures, however at closer look, they reveal a fragility and darkness in the vulnerable poses of the characters. At the entrance to the exhibition, visitors can also experience the newly commissioned GONE 2019, which is currently KAWS’s largest bronze sculpture. Accompanying this exhibition is KAWS: PLAYTIME, a free kids’ exhibition filled with sensory rich activities inviting children to interact with KAWS’s iconic character BFF.
About Acute Art
Providing access to cutting-edge technologies, Acute Art is a production house fostering close working relationships with the world’s leading artists, including Marina Abramović, Olafur Eliasson, Cao Fei, Antony Gormley, Jeff Koons, and Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg. For more information visit the Acute Art website.
EXPANDED HOLIDAY is unveiled at the NGV from 13 to 27 March 2020. To experience the virtual sculptures, download the Acute Art app via the Apple Store and Google Play and simply point your phone at the designated areas.
KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness is on display until 13 April 2020 at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia. Tickets and information are available from the NGV website.
Social media
#KAWSNGV @ngvmelbourne @KAWS #KAWSxAcute #EXPANDEDHOLIDAY @acuteart_