Ananya

May 20, 2019

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Barbuto

May 20, 2019

Techno giant Barbuto showcases a wealth of talent from up and coming...

May 20, 2019

Tokyo indie band DYGL announce new album ‘Songs Of Innocence & Experience’

May 20, 2019

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May 20, 2019

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May 17, 2019

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May 17, 2019

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The Southern River Band – Chimney

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IL BERETE releases new single ‘Goat Cheese’

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KEØMA “Rich Man”

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Boundary

May 17, 2019

Powder Face – new single from Fremmand

May 16, 2019

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Music Interviews


Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?   At the moment I’m based in Mumbai, but spend a lot of time in LA and London too. The scene back home is so exciting right now. For ages, film music just dominated everything. But recently there’s just been this surge in independent musicians, thanks to new music festivals and streaming platforms. Music is just much more accessible for everyone. It’s a really exciting time, for sure. How did you first start playing music?   I grew up with a family who had a real appreciation of music- there was always something playing in the background.  The first time I fell in love with music was watching my mother play the santoor. I was totally entranced so started to play myself when I was 9, and I never looked back. When I was a teenager, I taught myself to play guitar, just on YouTube. I learned all about music composition, and also started to get to grips with singing at the same time as playing an instrument – which was pretty challenging at first! I really got into performing live when I was at university in the UK, I used to head to London every other weekend and perform at small gigs. These gigs gave me the strength to take up music as my career. What have you been working on recently? I spent that last few months working on my first EP ‘Fingerprint’, which has been just so exciting.  I am so excited to share it with the world, it has been a lot of work and I’m really proud of it.  You've just dropped your new single 'Blackout' feat Vector & WurlD, what influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Blackout'? ‘Blackout’ is one of my favourite tracks from the new EP. I’ve always wanted to incorporate hip-hop into one of my songs, and it was awesome to get to work with artists as talented as Vector and WurlD. Both of them resonated with the lyrics and really liked the vibe. In terms of the song-writing: it’s all about taking a break from the craziness of the modern world; it’s about the importance of taking a step back and relaxing basically! How did you come to work with Vector & WurlD and how was the experience? I was introduced to them via UMG. Working with them was great! They’re both awesome. They both heard the song and loved it. That was really important for me because only if you resonate with the song, you can give it your heart. You have a EP coming up, can you please give us an idea of what to expect? Of course! It’s called Fingerprint because is really authentic to me and my own experiences. It’s mostly about love – the uniquely beautiful bits and the challenges too. It’s a pop record, but with little bits of R&B, hip hop and electro mixed in. I loved putting it together and I’m excited and nervous for it! Where and when did you record/produce? We mostly made it between London, LA and Mumbai. Whenever I travel for work, I’ll always try and learn a bit about the place and incorporate sounds in my music be it hip-hop from Atlanta or a simple Indian vibe. Who did you work with during the recording and production process? I’ve worked with loads of incredible creatives, like DJ Buddha, Nick Atkinson, Angela Hunte, who wrote ‘Empire State of Mind’, Edd Holloway and Mood Melodies, who I have collaborated with a lot over the past year and is one of my absolute favourite people to work with. How was your time in the studio? Apart from being on stage, the studio is my favourite place in the world. I can spend hours and hours in there without even feeling time go by; I just kind of get into this flow. Working with other people in there is great because you can really tap into each other’s creative flow. What or who influences your music? It can be anything really! I get particularly inspired by people I’ve met, places I’ve been, things I see… Most importantly though, it’s my own personal experiences – I write about stuff I’m going through: love, heartbreak, life, friendship. When music has its roots in something real, it makes it feel so much more authentic, audiences really appreciate that as they can connect with a song so much better. I try to deliver my music in a way which people will relate to, no matter where they are or what their background is.  Nothing makes me happier than when I read messages from people saying one of my songs has helped them to feel better about something they are going through. Who are you listening to at the moment? At the moment I’m listening to a ton of Ariana Grande (who isn’t?!).  I’m obsessed with Billie Eilish, and everything Khalid touches at the moment turns to gold. You also have a release coming out in July with Sean Kingston, how did you come to work with Sean and what did you two get up to? Sean was touring in India and I was asked to open for him at one of his shows. I had always been a big fan of his – I think everyone my age was hooked on ‘Beautiful Girls’ back in the day. We stayed in touch and agreed to catch up when I was next in LA. So, on my next trip we spent a couple of days in the studio and it all came together really nicely. He was great to work with, such an awesome guy – and we really vibe together in the studio. How do you come to collaborate with all of these many amazing artists from all over the world? So often it is just connecting with the musicians I am lucky enough to meet on my travels or, as in Sean’s case, when they come to India to perform. My labels, Universal Music India and Island Records UK have also put me in touch with such interesting and talented people. What do you most enjoy and also find most challenging when collaborating with different artists? I love to collaborate, working with other people really helps you to get perspective on a song and take it to the next level.  You can sometimes hit roadblocks – because music is so much down to personal taste, sometimes someone might like one thing and you like another – that’s why it’s so important to have a good relationship with the people you’re working with. You need to be able to be totally open with them, so that you can tell each other when you might not agree on something. What has the impact of global streaming platforms like Spotify had on the music industry in India?   As a music lover and as an artist I am so excited that Spotify has now launched in India. There is a lot of competition, but they have made a great start and people are really excited.  In general, the rise of streaming has meant that audiences are enthusiastic about more international sounds. Through platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, they are finding and loving artists that they just wouldn’t have come across before. This goes both ways: the globalisation of music has been an amazing boost for some the amazing talent back home: we have these amazing electro, pop and hip hop scenes emerging that deserve to be heard both inside and outside India. I hope to see a lot of homegrown superstars emerging in the next few years. What has the experience and influence been like working with UMG and Island Records UK? They are both so great! They have really helped to expand my audience around the world and to connect me with amazing artists. They’ve been so supportive throughout the journey and instrumental in helping me find my space within music. What correlation do you see with Mental Health and the Music Industry?   There’s always new evidence coming out about the relationship between music and mental health, and how it can be a force for good when someone is struggling.  I’ve always believed in the power of music – live music particularly – to bring people together. This manifested last year in concerts I hosted through my organisation Mpower to raise awareness and create a sense of community and belonging. On the flip side, we see loads of musicians who face huge battles with things like depression, anxiety and substance abuse. I think the industry can be a contributing factor: the unstable nature of a musician’s work, the fact that their art and their identity are so closely bound, the pressure, the challenges of  writing about your emotions and then having to relive them again and again while performing….We’ve lost so many amazing talents in the industry, like Aviici, Chester Bennington, Amy Winehouse, and Kim Jyong-hyun – artists from all corners of the world. It really highlights how mental illness does not discriminate. It can affect anyone. What do you have planned for the remainder of 2019? After my EP, it’s my single with Sean. I’m doing a load of concerts around the world, which I’ll announce very soon. Any secrets that you care to share? I am probably a little too in love with my puppies, Skai and Snoopy, and I definitely get through too much chewing gum. But not too much else. Sorry. Favourite food and place to hangout? Any Soho House around the world. Whether I’m in Hollywood, Mumbai, or London’s Soho itself, I just sink in to its loveliness. And I enjoy anything Lebanese or Japanese, even though I’m vegetarian!

Ananya

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm currently just outside of Sydney in the Southern Highlands with my family. There is not a dance music scene here which I find refreshing and rejuvenating. Its only temporary though, I come here every 6 months or so to catch up with family and friends and base myself here around a DJ tour. However I am usually based in Austin Texas for most the year where the dance music scene is very lively and busy. We typically have top tier techno artists throughout the week. You've recently started a label called 'Mavic Music' why did you decide to start 'Mavic Music'? A little cliche but the honest answer is it's that next step. I have been djing now for 20 years and full time for 11. I feel as though I have reached that point of knowing just enough to get it off the ground and I'm now in consistent communication with artists I admire who are willing to contribute their music to the label. So far I am really having fun with it. Mavic Music is about to release an 11 track compilation on May the 24th from a bunch of exciting new names, how did you come to work with these artists and what are your plans for this compilation? The entire compilation is from Australian based emerging talent who I either met in person over the last couple of years while touring Australia or was introduced to by the people who I had met while on tour. My goal was to uncover the most talented and fresh producers in the country and get them on the label. It took about a year to find out who is who and we trimmed it down from so many great artists to find this roster. The production level is extremely high and we couldn't be happier. Everyone on the compilation are so friendly and humble. As far as the plans for the release go we are really wanting to shed light on the individual tracks as singles and highlighting the background of the artists who wrote them, hopefully increasing their profiles and bringing some awareness to their individual brands. How did you go about choosing the tracks for this compilation? I am very picky about what I play when I dj but If I will play what I hear I will sign it. I only play around 1 in 500 or so tracks I hear when I am shopping or going through demos so to find so many singles to include in the compilation was lucky. I am very surprised at how good they all are. Most the artists specifically wrote tracks for the compilation so I couldn't believe how accurate the artist were in getting the vibe right for the labels character and my own particular style. You were named by DJ Mag as one of the 11 emerging artists that you need to hear, did this huge recognition change anything for you? It did, it was a nice boost and a nice surprise. DJ Mag presence gets allot of respect and notice so its been a great addition to the bio. Your single ‘Guided Perception’, hit the top thirty in the Beatport chart, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? This was a really fun project and collaboration with the legendary Da Fresh from France. He is an exceptional engineer. Basically he sent me a rough draft of some chords against a skeleton track then I got in there and got the groove going with the synth work he had done and filled it all out. Once we had the hook and all the fun bells and whistles were in place I sent it back to Da Fresh for the final once over. He did the mastering and the final touches and voila. The EP got some great attention from artists like Eats Everything and of course the Beatport chart helped get it out there also. I'm really proud of that project. How do you usually go about writing music? My ears love a tight kick and warm rolling bass so I usually slave away at getting a nice full sound in the low end first. I am not sure this is the best way but I can't stop working from that direction first. Once I have a low end rumble and groove that is satisfying just like that all by itself I will then add some simple synth, drum patterns and then the effects. I only use a few channels in a track, maybe 12 including everything.  What do you think is the key to being successful in the world of techno? Think about it 24 hours a day, work at it 12 to 16 hours per day and give it about 10 years and hopefully there might also be some lucky breaks mixed in there. It is not easy, you have to work very hard and have a very committed not give up attitude. From a focus and time commitment point of view it's the equivalent to being a professional athlete.  What programs/instruments do you use to produce and record? I do everything in Logic, most of my low end is from a simple Moog Lil Phatty, samples wherever I can find them or rip them. One of my favorite tracks that was released on Tronic even has some old 1970's game show noises in there. I will usually have just one soft synth in there for the top end lead sound. Really simple tracks with big linear dance floor energy, no shoulder shuffle stuff for me haha. How and when did you first start playing electronic music and how did you learn? I stared in 1999 after having been a dancer at some classic massive raves in the San Francisco Bay Area. I started as a DJ first and did that as a dream hobby for close to 10 years. In 2008 (late in the game at 30) I bought a copy of Logic. I had no one to teach me I just clicked and clicked and clicked. Even now I think my production flow is quite primitive but  the way I do it is care free and allot of fun. I think my music sounds fairly individual to my personality so it's honest to who I am as a person and my real character.  You’ve been touring Australia this month, what can people expect from a show from you? Fun in your face foot moving dance floor groovers. No shoulder shuffle stuff!  How do you prepare for each live show? I usually have 5 songs that I am really excited to play that I have probably been saving for this special moment. I build my set around those tracks about half roughly pre planned and the other half straight from the hip. Honestly I am more focused on mixing and making DJ moves than the actual tracks I play (ewww taboo these days). It's just that I grew up around really slick hip hop and jungle DJs so creating new fresh one off sounds with the records and the DJ gear is what inspires me the most. I love to mix records together and do fun moves with the DJ gear. What do you find most challenging and rewarding when on tour? Getting good sleep (surprise surprise) is for sure the most challenging and knowing that you just knocked it out of the park and rocked these people is for sure the most rewarding. Of course meeting new people and seeing new places is also a huge reason to keep doing it.  What do you like to do away from music? I lightly exercise a few times per week but honestly aside from that there isn't anything else at all. Techno is all I think about. I'm completely obsessed and compulsive. I should probably see a therapist lol. Who are you listening to at the moment? The tracks that are being sent as demos to Mavic. I seriously cannot believe how good they are. As far as non electronic music I like bands like Tool, the young and immensely talented Greta Van Fleet, Pink Floyd and some rock or metal. What's planned for the remainder of 2019? After this Australia tour I am going to head back to Austin to do some local DJing, write as much music as I can, get my radio show back up and running (sorry guys I have been slacking) and then I am headed to Europe to do some shows in August. I am looking forward to playing a Tronic party in New York at the end of June too. Any secrets that you care to share? No but I am transparent, if anyone wants to know anything about whatever I have accomplished so far just get a hold of me and I will tell you what I did. As far as a production tip I highly recommend listening to your mix from another room or stand outside and listen to your mix in your studio. Do 2 or 3 mix downs of each track and then have a couple of non DJ's pick their favorite mix.  Favorite food and place to hangout? Australian meat pies are my favorite food and The Lighthouse Bar and Restaurant in Briarcliff where I live just outside of Austin Texas (when I am there) is my favorite place to hang out. Its a fairly country'esq place on the lake but the owner Robin loves techno and he has CDJ2000s and a Pioneer 2000 mixer in the bar and I practice on it after they close whenever I want. Its really great and rather juxtaposed in nature. 

Barbuto

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and it's really active and diverse, there's really something for everyone here and it's cool that there's an actual sense of community since most venues are very centralized in the Zona Colonial. How did you first start playing music? I began making music around late 2014 with Logic and i didn't really understand it much, I then found about Ableton and began using it and started figuring out little by little watching youtube videos and spending whole days trying out all the features and things you could do. You've recently transitioned from your last EP, Aerodynamics of Multimedia, into your new project, Asociacion De Loops, Para Un Dia Mejor.  What changed in the creative process and what influenced the sound and songwriting on this project compared to ADOM? Most of the songs in ALPPM are based around small melody loops in which i keep working on until it becomes something quite complex.  All the artists from April Records (specially Opiate) are a huge inspiration in this EP for me, i really do think their blend of ambient, trip hop, and IDM is very unique and sounds very special to me. Where and when did you record? I recorded this back in March of 2019, at my home in Santo Domingo. What programs/instruments did you use? I used a Yamaha DX100, an Omnichord OM-84, + some CR-78 samples, all the sequencing done through Ableton Live. Who did you work with? I worked on the artwork for this EP alongside my brother, Ottmar Suero, you can check out his work here, everything else I made by myself. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation/recording/production? I think the most rewarding thing about this EP is that there was no challenge, everything just kinda flowed at the moment of writing these songs and it felt very personal. All of these songs were recorded in one night and it really did work to let out a lot of feelings and thoughts I had to myself for a while. What’s the goal of ADLPDM, what’re you trying to accomplish with this project? I wanted to give myself a break from the more uptempo and complex arrangements I've been working on and I also wanted to explore the arrangement style of Fantasmagórico (2017) and combining it with new concepts and ways of arranging I've learned. What prominent visual aspects influenced the audio on this project? Lots of Y2K and late 90's influences here, especially early 2000's artworks for ambient and minimal music. Who are you listening to at the moment? These past few days I've been listening a lot to Leandro Fresco, Isabelle Antena, Dettinger and Dan Curtin to name a few. What do you like to do away from music? I'm really into photography but I like to keep most of the things I shoot for my friends and myself.  What's planned for 2019? I have a lot of releases cued up for 2019, so stay tuned ! will also be back in Ensenada for some shows this summer, and more stuff coming up. https://www.facebook.com/bndofc/

Boundary

What is your name and role within Nomenklatur?   As you probably know, Nomenklatür is a french duet formed by Olivier Brucker influenced by the EBM scene and Olivier ROSSI alias Labinsect much more influenced by the techno scene. Olivier Brucker alias Mitch brings some fresh ideas created in his own studio or during his travels whereas Labinsect makes some sound research in the Nomenklatür studio where many analog devices are used to re-cast and give the definitive body to our songs.   Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like?   We are based in Paris where the scene is really prolific with many clubs and areas to play dance and electronic stuff.    How did you first start playing music?   We started in 1995 , Mitch who grew up in Metz close to the German border and Labinsect in Brittany who played as Dj and Live in Astropolis festival. We launched a record label called Elektrofon in 2005 but after 4 years and about twenty vinyl and cd releases, we’ve decided to focus our energy composing our music.   What have you been working on recently?     We’ve just completed a remix for The Micronauts and we are preparing several EPs to release on different labels . We are also working on stuff with Commuter and Franck Kartell within combination pseudo. There is a remix on this Ep with this alias.   It's been roughly a year since the release of 'Atomised' what influenced the sound and songwriting for this album?   As we had some troubles with our studio renter we had to find and build a new lab ready to produce music. Unfortunately when it was finished the new renter decided to sell his office including our new studio. We’ve produced Atomised in a hurry, with only 6 months before closing the doors of the studio.  Beside our troubles we are very influenced by movies and wanted to bring out a more quiet and slow album. Something more listenable rather being a dj tool material.   Where and when did you record/produce?   We’ve produced each other separately and joined our respective work in our studio here in Paris.   Who did you work with during the production process?   We collaborated with our friend Commuter who helped us for mixing; he is also a good adviser for plugins and secret tools. He is of course a great partner as well as Franck Kartell.   How did you go about writing each track?   Inspiration comes through our daily life after seeing a movie , reading a book or through our relationship with people and friends.   What programs/instruments did you use?   We use Ableton Live and different pluggins combined with analog gear that we have collected over many years. Minimoog , Six-trak , vintage samplers, Oberheim Sem, matrix 1000, but also digital gear like D50, Waldorf microwave for instance.    What did you find most challenging/rewarding during the recording/production process?   Making such different technologies working together in sync and also in the mix, that’s the challenge. We think we got it !!! It makes a lot of wires but it’s really worthwhile.   What did you learn from the whole creative process of Atomised?   We noticed that having too much time is sometimes unproductive. A deadline is the best way to go ahead   Who are you listening to at the moment?   Lies records label a lot and artists like Tolouse low trax, Tzusing , Vatican Shadow, Cabaret Nocturne, Vox Low, Beak.   What do you like to do away from music?   Ping pong bar    You've recently released a remix of Atomised where you worked with 6 amazing French artists, who did you work with and why did you decide you choose these artists to work with?   Most of them are our friends. After the teasing of this album, we received some good feedback and it didn’t take long to convince remixers.   What did you communicate to each artist prior to them remixing a track?   We asked them to preserve the spirit of each track as much as possible. Some did it in that way whereas others took a different direction. You can easily recognize those tracks on the EP.   Were you surprised with the end results?     Yes a lot. It is very exciting to discover the rework of remixers. You can clearly identify the sound of each artist. It is very surprising to hear what they did with the stems.   Where did the remixing take place?   Each artist did it at home we supposed.   What are your plans for this incredible new remix album?   Every listener will find a track to his taste, some for dancefloor, some for listening at home close to the album concept    Where can we listen?   On Every digital shops and streaming platforms on May 10th.   What do you have planned for 2019?   A new live show is coming with a brand new set up and a couple of EPs. The live show will be done without a computer with sampler and analogue gear.   Any secrets that you care to share?   We share more geek stuff with Commuter as he is our mixing guy    When are you playing next?   A new live is under construction and we let you now ASAP   Favourite food and place to hangout?   I LAZZARI  for special Napolitan food in Paris 5th TEPPEN in Bangkok for Japanese food BERBARI Maison d'hôtes Asilah Marocco for peace, nature and Storks

Nomenklatur

What is your name and role within IKTC? My name is James Freeman, In the studio I’m producer/engineer/songwriter for IKTC - In a live setting I’m in charge of Vocals, Guitar, Synths and a MacBook Pro. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Currently based in Melbourne, which in 2018 was named the live music capital of the world. Incredibly diverse live music scene full of amazing bands/artists, you can pretty much see any type of band you want on any night of the week. Please tell us a bit about IKTC: IKTC are a 3-piece Psychedelic Synth Pop band based out of Melbourne. We’ve been writing/releasing music and playing shows for about 6 years. What have you been working on recently? We recently filmed and released a video clip for “Jeff Goldblum’s House” - the opening track off our latest EP. Since then new music is in the works, there are a bunch of new ideas and demo’s working towards new singles/EP releases throughout 2019. Who are you listening to at the moment? In preparation for going to L.A in June/July I’ve been diving back into bands like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Harmonies to die for. How do you usually go about writing music? I don’t really have a formula or method I stick to when writing, songs come in all different ways. A lot of the time tracks will start out as 15 - 30 second instrumental loops that are then fleshed out into more substantial ideas with melodies and arrangements but I actually prefer when the lyrics come first, it always seems to feel bit more real. Your track 'Jeff Goldblum's House' has been remixed by Jamo, how did this track originally come to life and what is it about? The song started in an airbnb in Byron Bay between shows on an east-coast tour of Aus, from there it was worked up over a number of months leading up to the release of the EP. It’s about being made starkly aware of your own existence and the accompanying undeniable fact that you might have to kill off parts of yourself that your’e attached to if you want to move forward in life. Where and when did you record? This EP was worked on in a number of different ‘studios’ throughout 2017/18 (only one of which being an actual studio). From the Airbnb in Byron Bay to a house in Apollo Bay I converted into a studio for a month, the writing process was spread over many locations. The main production, tracking and mixing took place at a Studio just west of Melbourne that I was lucky enough to help build over about 10 years and now produce/engineer out of. Big Sky Audio is the studio - owned by Neil Gray - who’s a dear friend of the band, a great engineer and also the father of our drummer. How did Jamo come to remix 'Jeff Goldblum's House' ? JAMO is a label pal of ours on Onelove records - we dug his production and were stoked he was keen to put his spin on one of our tracks. What do you think of the remix? Let’s just say we can’t wait to slot it into our DJ sets. What do you like to do away from music? Get outdoors in nature Plans for the remainder of 2019? New music throughout the latter half of the year, spending a few weeks in the states in June/July and can’t wait to get back on stage after a few months off live shows. Any secrets that you care to share? Pretty sure the earth is not flat… could be wrong though #lookintoit Favourite food and place to hangout? Favourite food - Nonna’s homemade pasta. Place to hangout - Nonna and Nonno’s farm with a plate of homemade pasta.   JAMO   Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
-  Currently I’m based in St. Andrews Beach on the Mornington Peninsula. The music scene down here is mainly local bands, which can be some fun. In the summer things get a bit busier with a bit more dance music.
 How did you first get into music and remixing? I first got into music production when I was 16, I started out by remixing then also as that was the best way for me to learn the music software i was using.
 Who are you listening to at the moment? At the moment I’ve been loving NxWorries, Chaos In The CBD, Big Words and Mildlife.
 Please tell us about your own music, how do you write, record and what or who influences your sound and song writing?
 With my own stuff I like to get super creative with samples and real instruments. I find my best work is from those ‘happy accidents’ which is when you make a completely new song with opposite intentions to what you had before the studio session haha.. My sound has stylistic influences from a lot of dance music heavy weights such as Hayden James, Rufus Du Sol, Set Mo ect.
 What do you look for in a track before you decide to remix it? I look for a strong top line melody. most of the time I’ll only use the vocal or synth line in a remix and re-create the bed track. How do you approach the remixing of a track? I don’t actually have ‘one’ way of approaching a remix, its different every time. What do you like to do away from music? Surfing! It keeps me fit and healthy and have done so since i was young. Which artists are you digging at the moment? I recently saw Billie Eilish and G-Flip at GTM and really loved their sets. They’re at the forefront of my mind at the moment. What do you have planned for 2019?
-  Heaps! Plenty shows in the pipeline and I’m so excited to release the music I’m sitting on for this year. I also have a Euro trip planned in August.. (HMU). Gonna be a big year!
 What programs/equipment do you use? I use Ableton live 9 as my DAW on my MacBook pro and have instruments - OB-6, Moog Minitaur, Korg ms-20, Rhodes mark 1, Fender Telecaster. My interface is the Fireface UCX and my studio monitors are the Focal Cms 65’s. Favourite food and place to hangout? I’m a big mango lover! But have been loving my frozen berries on my muesli recently..  Chapel Street in Melbourne would have to be the place to be.

I KNOW THE CHIEF X JAMO

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm currently based on the Isle of Wight, the little island at the very bottom of the UK. The music scene is interesting, it's very different to other parts of the UK I feel because it's like a microcosm of the rest of the UK as there's not one set sound but rather everything from rock to pop to country all in this one small scene with a few live music venues. There's always new bands appearing and creating a buzz, and venues like Strings and The Blacksheep both really help to give new bands a way to cut their teeth and work on their craft before gigging on the mainland or further abroad.  How did you first start playing music? I originally picked up the guitar in middle school and had lessons because I thought it was cool really, but I quickly got bored because all we were taught was little riffs like James Bond and Jaws not really any actual songs. Then randomly I got really into street magic for a while, but then in the summer of year 9 I had the urge to sell my Playstation and get an acoustic guitar and it's been non stop since then really. I think it was better that I picked it up this way because I wasn't trying to do it to look cool or any exterior motive, it was just an instinctual drive to pick it up and now it's been a massive part of my life that has helped me through so much. What's been happening recently? A lot has been going on recently, I've started an events promotions company called Diamond Collective with two of my friends Tim Bouman and Daniel Thornton with the aim to build a scene and platform through which we can promote artists we're passionate about as well as ourselves. We've had two packed out nights at the Blacksheep on the Isle of Wight so far and are moving to Strings venue on May 29th for our next event. I've also released two singles ('Valentine' and 'Smoke & Ash') and am preparing for the release of another called 'Honey' in June. This year has been my debut as an artist with my new music so it's been really nice to finally get the music I've been working on out there and all the visions that I've had circulating in my mind for years now! You've recently released two singles 'Valentine' and 'Smoke & Ash', what influenced the sound and songwriting for these tracks? I've been writing since I first picked up the guitar so have got years worth of songs, but my sound has changed a lot since when I first started. Last year I finally started to find the sound and songwriting I wanted to pursue and was leaning towards the more pop orientated sound. Smoke & Ash was one of the songs I wrote just before this transition, and it represented a lot of changes and events in my life and so it felt right to begin with that as my first release into the world and lay the foundation for what was to come. Then Valentine was me really honing in on the pop vibe and creating something danceable that I would listen to myself. I'm really proud of both of them and am so happy to have them represent my debut as an artist. Where and when did you record? I started recording in February of last year with the first single Smoke & Ash, and then went on to record the other three tracks from the upcoming EP in June of last year. I recorded with Hungry Hound Productions on the Isle of Wight, working with the producer Stuart Heath. This was my first time in a professional recording studio and it was such a dream to be able to work with another passionate creative and have him involved in the process of making my vision come to life. He's such an amazing producer and I feel so privileged to have been able to work with him, if any artists looking to record soon are reading this please check him out! How do you usually go about writing music? I've never really had a set process to writing, I've found over the years I've developed techniques and ways of writing that I switch between all the time. Sometimes it'll be messing about on guitar and finding a chord progression I like then singing random words over it until a melody comes about, or using apps on my phone to create sounds and songs that I wouldn't usually come up with on guitar. One of my favourite techniques is to make a chord progression on piano or guitar, record it, and then come up with a vocal melody by improvising on guitar or piano as this leads to creating vocal melodies I wouldn't usually come up with by improvising with my voice. What programs/instruments were used during the recording and production process? We used the Logic DAW in the studio during the recording and mixing process. We tried to blend the raw instruments we used such as guitar, bass and drums with more electronic elements such as sub bass and samples to give it a more modern/pop edge. It was so fun to experiment with this blend and make it fit with the songs and create something new. You have a new track 'Honey' coming out in June 2019, what's this track about? I do! This track is probably the most vulnerable one I'll have released so far, and alongside this it's a stripped pop piano song so the lyrical content and emotion is much clearer. I wrote it about finding someone you feel is so perfect and you just want to be around them all the time and be surrounded by the happiness they make you feel, but then the harsh reality of long distance. It then also touches upon something I believe deeply in which is that before entering a relationship, the best thing one can do is to make sure they are comfortable and happy on their own and not in need of fulfilment and happiness from another person. And then when these two people come together the relationship is not the source of their happiness and love, but rather an extension of their happiness and love, and this I feel is the foundation of a relationship that lasts.  Where can we listen to your music? I currently have two tracks out ('Valentine' and 'Smoke & Ash'), both available on all major music platforms!! You also have a 4 track EP titled 'Sitting On A Bench By The Sea At Midnight, what can we expect from this one? So this will feature my two tracks 'Valentine' and 'Smoke & Ash', my soon to be released 'Honey' and also one more song exclusive to the EP titled 'Because'. And accompanying it will be a short film music video featuring all four songs! How did this EP come about? The EP takes it's name from a line in Smoke & Ash, and it represents a turning point in my life when I, believe it or not, sat on a bench by the sea at midnight after a few major events and began the process of change in my life that has brought about a lot of changes and evolution in myself towards who I am now and have always wanted to be. It felt natural to pay homage to this moment in my life by incorporating it in my art and almost saying thank you to a course of events and people in each song that have shaped me and stimulated growth. Please tell us about your new music video: So the new music video is for my song 'Smoke & Ash' and it's the first part of a short film I've produced with a video with Glasshouse Productions who are a cinematic film and photography business run by Reuben Mowle and Charlie Fennimore. I had the idea, rather than making a normal music video for each song, I'd create a short film format video that featured each song and tied them all together with an interweaving story. Making the film was such a beautiful experience for me and I've learned so much from it. Working with the lads at Glasshouse was truly one of the best experiences of my life, I've always admired what they do and so to be able to create something so personal with them and see my vision come to life has been an honour beyond words. The story of the film starts with the events explained in Smoke & Ash and then leads into a story line that's loosely based on the growth and journey I've been through since then. I'm beyond proud of it and I can not wait to finally release it into the world!! When and where are you playing next? My next gig is on the 29th May at Strings Bar and Venue on the Isle of Wight for the next Diamond Club I'll be hosting with Diamond Collective. This one is a pre-festival season bash and there'll be five local bands who'll all be playing on the festival circuit this year so it'll be a proper party. Plus I may or may not be playing my next single 'Honey' that'll be released next month... What do you like to do away from music? Music is a pretty massive part of my life and it's always running through my mind in some form, but I'm also a massive fan of cinema. The cinema has always been my other safe space aside from playing music in my room or on stage. Whenever I go to a cinema to watch a film I just let myself be absorbed in it and then when I come out I find I'm in a different headspace where I can look at things in my life from a different perspective and change the way I'm feeling. That's why I'm so passionate about the film I'll be releasing and making cinematic visuals and videography a large part of my art as a music artist.  What's planned for 2019? I'm so hyped for what's still to come this year, I've got a new single 'Honey' coming next month. Then I'll be releasing the short film and EP in July, followed by some very special extra releases tied in with the EP and film. I'll be appearing at Isle of Wight Festival this year which I'm so excited about, it's always an honour to be able to play my home town festival. Then after the summer I've got planned a very special set of releases which I'll be hinting at over the next couple of months so stay tuned to my socials! Any secrets you care to share? I may or may not have a screening planned for the short film in a very special location... That and my hair goes down past my nips. Favourite food and place to hang out? My favourite food is UNDOUBTEDLY peanut butter & avocado sandwich, honestly the best food combo I've ever taster in my twenty years on this earth, don't hate til you try it haha! And favourite place to hang out is either in a cinema or by the beach with my best mates and said peanut butter & avocado sandwich. Facebook: www.facebook.com/liamburkeofficial  Instagram: www.instagram.com/liamburkeinsta 

Liam Burke

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I currently live in Wayne New Jersey, which is like 20-30min away from New York. The specific music scene around me is pretty calm but being from Jersey, Paterson is the closest area that has a bubbling music scene with artists trying to come up. I don’t fall into their style so I don’t see much of how deep it is, but I’ve seen it first hand a couple of times How did you first start playing music? Uhmm, I would have to say my first start playing or doing music would be in 2009. My freshman year is the first time I attempted to make my own piece of music, and that was me making a High School version of Lil Wayne’s "Every Girl" that I called “My School." l replaced "Every Girl's" hook with “I wish I could date every girl in my school" You come from a very musical family with your father being the front man of RUN DMC, what was your childhood experience like? That’s a question I get asked a lot. For me, it was normal because I don’t know what it’s like to not have him being who he is. Now that I’m older and can look back on how my life actually was and even is to this day is, it’s honestly a blessing. Especially seeing how my friends lives are compared to mine, it made me realize that I was blessed with a path that I can’t let go to waste. What have you been working on recently?  Outside of working on myself, I’ve been working on getting my music to a place where it fills all voids. A place where it hits on all cylinders. Catching what is true to me, but at the same time, finding what is true in all of us. What do you most enjoy about listening to and creating/playing music? Music takes you to a whole other world. It can take you to a place of happiness and peace. Even if it’s only for the few minutes when your favorite song is on. Nothing outside of your favorite artist, or song, or album matters for that moment in time. You could’ve been angry, sad, overwhelmed but the moment you hear that song or artist it all vanishes and brings you back to level headed mindset. Knowing that I have the capability of bringing that feeling of peace and happiness to even just one listener gives creating music the music I make a purpose. The overall goal for my musics is getting people to accept all feelings we feel as humans and to know it’s okay to be EXTRA lol that’s the goal, get everybody okay with being Extra. You've just released your debut track 'Heat' which comes accompanied with a video, what influenced the sound and songwriting for Heat? Well actually HEAT went through a couple phases. I had the song in the vault for a whole year while working on getting it to what it is now, but when I originally came up with the idea I was trying to catch that “club” "turn up" vibe lol. Lil Pump's "Gucci Gang" and Uzi's "XO Tour Life" were heavy in my rotation, so I decided to make a festival crowd banger in this style, but once I showed my dad what I did he opened the flood gate by saying “it’s not enough, you can do way more.” With him saying that, I started looking back and Run DMC's "Rock Box" hit me. The guitar gives it life, the scratching gives it soul, then the sprinkles adding in the one that literally started it all-DMC. There’s no way this song could have been anything other than what it is.  Where and when did you record and who with? I recorded HEAT at Platinum Sound Recording Studio throughout the year, but the whole project “Earning My Stripes” was recorded in New York with the greatest engineer of all time- Serge Tsai. What programs/instruments did you use? To record I use Protools in the studio, but it depends on the studio and what they have. Doesn’t matter to me really as long I can record.  I personally don’t play any instruments.I don’t have the patience so I respect, honor, and lovingly envy all that actually do play.  How did you approach the recording/production process? Pretty naturally I would say. I didn’t rush or stress over any part of it. All the pieces just fell perfectly in place when they were supposed to.  How did you go about writing Heat and how do you go about writing music in general? Well HEAT is more so a dope radio hype song that electrifies a room. My other songs, however, are more heart and emotion driven. I’m really heavy on letting the voice in the back of your mind express itself, like for some songs, I purposely put myself in a mood so that I can express it lol.  Your debut EP 'Earning My Stripes' is also out now, what did you find most challenging and rewarding during the production of this Earning My Stripes? What did I find most challenging? Hmm, I’d have to say the most challenging part was having to only put six songs on there, and all the business that actually goes into being able to actually put out a song. I have so many ideas, but clearing a song is a real thing lol. The most rewarding thing from this has to be actually seeing and completing a full project officially, and taking that first step to doing everything the right way. (And I can move onto all my other ideas.. slowly but surly lol) What are your plans for Earning My Stripes? I want Earning My Stripes to be the bread at the table, not even the appetizer. Just a little something to get the taste buds and mind going to get you ready for what’s actually to come.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Currently, Lil Uzi is my main right now. I have him and instrumentals on repeat 24/7, but overall I vary from KISS, Bullet For My Valentine, Michael Jackson, Drake, Chris Brown, myself, all the way to Video Game/ Orchestral music. I’m all over the place, but I would have to say my go- to‘s are Lil Uzi Vert and Chris Brown. What do you like to do away from music? Away from music I’m pretty simple. I used to play hockey, was pretty good too for starting so late. I started skating when I was 16 and within four years, was able to keep up with college kids who’d been playing since six, seven years old. Other than hockey, I would say video games. I was big into Call of Duty, but the classics Call of Duty 4, Modern Warfare 2, the originals of Online Gaming. Now, what I mostly do, is wait until the next time I’m back in a musical setting. I never want to leave it, only to sleep because my body needs it.  What do you have planned for the remainder of 2019? The remainder of 2019 for me will be working on more music, hopefully getting another EP out for Fall/Winter and getting some videos shot for a few songs off the “Earning My Stripes” EP. Also, getting my name and face out there more so people can join me on my journey.  Any secrets that you care to share? Mm any secrets.. not really, no. I guess I could say a secret could be there are two girls out there that I love and who inspire my whole musical existence, but who they are.. well that’s a secret *tongue in cheek* lol   Favourite food and place to hangout?  Ooo favorite food would have to be pizza. That’s the one thing I don’t think I could ever give up no matter how healthy I wanna be. I’ll sacrifice skipping a meal so I can get those extra calories lol Favorite place to hangout? Outside of my house, the studio. That’s the one place I want to live. I have to merge the two together and then I never have to leave unless I have a show or radio interviews  Social: https://www.instagram.com/dsonmcdaniels/ Website: https://dsonmcdaniels.com

DSON McDaniels

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m based in Harcourt, near Castlemaine, Central Victoria. The music scene in and around Castlemaine includes events at the Theatre Royal (national and international performances), live local music in a variety of pubs, events at local wineries and harvest festivals, plus the Castlemaine State Festival, Castlemaine Jazz Festival, Maldon Folk Festival and Newstead Live. How did you first start playing music & singing? My mum gave me a keyboard at age three and she was my first piano teacher. I always loved singing along to my favourite songs and performing them or making up my own tunes and putting on a show during the day and every night before bed. Your debut single 'See You Again' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? The main influence for the track was an R&B style Ariana Grande track produced by Tommy Brown but also adding in references to 90’s New York R&B and gospel. The inspiration behind the lyrics was about my experience of briefly meeting someone and remembering those instant feelings of excitement and curiosity. The line ‘jealous of the night we had’ was created because I kept thinking back and missed being there. How did you go about writing 'See You Again'? I wrote See You Again in early 2017 when I was 18 years old. I started by playing warm R&B sounding chords on my keyboard at home. I knew I wanted this to be a song that builds into an upbeat song that you can dance to. I then I went to a place of inspiration in myself and started writing the lyrics. Where and when did you produce/record? ‘See You Again’ was produced and recorded at Next Level Studios, Brunswick, in October 2017.   Who did you work with during the production and recording process? I worked with Jerome Farah who produced and recorded ‘See You Again’ and Aman Bayatly who mixed and mastered the track. How did you approach the production and recording process? I had written the song and wanted to get it produced so I spoke with friend Dion Brownfield, who introduced me to Jerome Farah and said I could use his studios at Next Level Studios in Brunswick. I sent Jerome a rough recording I’d done of just keys and vocals before we met in the studio. Jerome loved the song I’d written and understood the 90’s New York R&B direction I wanted to take it musically. I gave him a few reference tracks. Jerome connected with them and instantly knew we were going to make this a big sounding song. We began by getting my keyboard parts down and adding percussion and drums. I recorded the vocals which we layered to create a gospel choir sound.  We spent 10 hours in the studio, then Jerome continued to build on the production after our session. What are you plans for 'See You Again'? ‘See You Again’ is my debut as a singer-songwriter to a wider audience, to establish me as one of Australia’s freshest new voices in R&B. I hope it will be become a popular tune and be on radio rotation and get picked up by publishers and noticed by a record label.   You also have a film clip for 'See You Again' where and when did filming takes place? We filmed the music video in Castlemaine at the Maurocco Bar/Midland Hotel and Castlemaine Railway Station in November 2018.   How did the concept for the film clip come about? I had the location in mind, the exotic ambience of the art deco interior in the Maurocco Bar/Midland Hotel. The location was great because it provided a bar as well as a bedroom, staircase and large lounge areas with interesting details throughout. I chose the pink tones of my clothes to fit in with the décor and furnishings. I had the idea of keeping me on my own in the music video because in the song I am on my own. I’m sharing my memories with the audience, as if they are with me. As this is my debut single I wanted to make strong eye contact with the camera and audience to capture their full attention. Who did you work with during the filming and production process? I worked with my mum Katherine Seppings on the pre-production and we directed it together. She was able to help me with her experience as a photographer and having worked on music videos in London in the 80’s and 90’s. I worked with Aidan Fryer who filmed and edited the music video. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the film clip? In the beginning it was challenging getting my ideas onto paper and making an actual plan for shooting and choosing the scenes. During the filming I really enjoyed performing to the camera. It was rewarding seeing my vision come to life especially once the edit was done. It is exactly what I wanted. What do you like to do away from music? Away from music I’m still listening to music and watching music videos. I love cooking and baking, interior design, decorating and painting, playing with fashion ideas, shooting film and taking photographs and spending time with my dog and loved ones. Who are you listening at the moment? I’m listening to Mac Ayres, Ariana Grande and H.E.R. What do you have planned for 2019? To bring out my debut EP followed by an east coast tour.     When and where are you playing next? I’m playing next at the Taproom, Castlemaine, for the launch of my debut single ‘See You Again’ on Saturday 11 May, The Palais in Hepburn Springs supporting Sol Nation (World Music Party) on Saturday 18 May, and at The Golden Vine, Bendigo, on Friday 24 May, which concludes my single tour. Any secrets that you care to share? I’ve been vegan for three years. Favourite food and place to hangout? My favourite meal is Jambalaya. My favourite place to hangout is at home in Harcourt.  

Maya Rose

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I am based in Melbourne, Victoria, I’ve been living here for the past 2 years and I absolutely love it! Melbourne has an incredible live scene which I believe is one of the biggest in the world. The Australian music industry in general has great potential with a stack of incredible talents! How did you first start playing music? I was 5, my uncles were musicians at the time and were rehearsing for a show in their studio in France. Next minute I was holding the microphone and I was performing as the opening act of their gigs. Please tell us about your background and why you decided to move to Australia: I was born and raised in France in a place we call the “city of love”: Paris. My parents come from Spanish and Moroccan background. When I was just a child, I used to hear Spanish, Arabic and French in my world… I could never thank them enough for giving such a multicultural childhood! I’ve also always been fascinated by English music, culture and language.After spending a few months in the United States, I decided to join one of my best friends on a trip to Australia which was supposed to only be for 6 months and here I am now totally in love with this beautiful country. What have you been working on recently? This is top secret! Haha just kidding  I’ve been working on my EP “Inspire” with my label Inspire Music. My goal hasn’t changed, I always want to inspire all music fans and artists through my music and my productions… and I think the title speaks for itself ! I’ve also been working a lot on myself, on my body and on my mind, my thoughts. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have to face every day’s challenge and if you learn the art of listening to it, you’ll become more aware of how to use it ! I think it’s really important in Music, especially when it comes to writing, find inspirations and learning to appreciate criticism… meditation is the key ! You have a new single out now called '#Greenlights'  - what or who influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? First of all, performers such as Drake, Justin Timberlake, Craig David and recently Khalid, are big influences for me, and I hope it reflected well in my music! Regarding “#GreenLights” As you might know, I’ve been working with a French music producer called “Nate” for about 7 years now. He called me a few months ago super excited about this track he produced. I could feel the energy and the excitement even through the phone. After listening to the instrumental and the beats, the melodies started flowing. I’ve had a lot of people compared it to “Chainsmokers” type of sound (especially the drop part)… Personally I like to think that every melody and artist is unique, and has its own way to do things… so if I had to compare it, I would probably say I got inspired by my previous tracks that I produced with “Nate” such as “Over Yah”, or “Love Seasons” from my previous EP “Future Vision” (that you can find on Spotify or Soundcloud, if I can do a little bit of advertisement haha). How did you go about writing “#Greenlights” My music is always influenced by what I experience in my life… it could be a personal situation, some stories shared by people around me, what I’m dreaming about, etc. Basically, everything that I feel inspiring to me. Recently one of my closest friends got engaged after 5 years of relationship. The way he was describing his future wife felt like the first time he met her. From this story #GreenLights came to life. Why Green Lights? I was writing the song sitting in front of a bridge that had amazing green lights hahaha How original is that? It might not be inspiring for you, but that moment felt special for me, the only thing I had to do then was to find how to transmit that feeling! How do you usually write music? Whenever I feel ideas coming up, I sit down in front of my laptop and let the energy flow. Like I said, I also love meditating. It’s often after a 15 minutes meditation session that I find most of my ideas. However, I never enter into meditation with the aim of finding new lyrics, I just let my mind rest and observe it. I guess it allows me to find a focus and a special energy to write new songs. You must think I’m weird now (haha) ! Where and when did you record/produce? We produced, wrote and recorded the song in February right after the release of my first project with Inspire Music called “Acuerdate” (a Latino/Rn’B track). Most of the voices and some instruments on “#GreenLights” are recorded in my home studio in Dockland. I have a view on the Yarra River and I find the view really inspiring! The rest, is produced by “Nate” from France. (For my Australian audience, I won’t say that the track is “Made in France”). What programs/equipment did you use? I’m using Logic Pro X and Ableton Live. For the mixing part, our sound engineer (@Panorama_mastering) is using Pro Tools. Everything I need like microphones, interfaces, speakers, keyboards are available in my home studio. What do you like to do away from music? On top of spirituality and meditations, I have two other passions, Travel and Fashion, but the last one is probably because I come from Paris (haha). I love travelling because I’m super curious. This pluricultural childhood probably gave me a thirst for discovery of other culture and languages. Finally, I do a lot of sports and read a lot. Weirdly, I read a lot about business but also books that talk about state of mind. For instance, I currently read “The Power of now” by Eckhart Toll, an excellent book that teaches you about living in the moment. I also go to the gym once a day… alright, “I TRY TO” go to the gym once a day (haha). Who are you listening to at the moment? One of my favourite tracks at the moment is called “Love Riddim” by Rotimi. But lastly, I’ve been listening a lot to Khalid and his last album “Free Spirit” (which I think is the most promising Rn’B artist). I’m also listening a lot to my mom asking me if I’m alright and when I’m coming back to France (haha). Where and when are you playing next? We will organise a launch party in a couple of days at this crazy place in North Melbourne called “The Third Day”! So stay tuned on my Instagram! What do you have planned for the remainder of 2019? The EP is about to be finished and will be released in the next few months. I’ve already started working on my next album that will follow up probably end of 2019/ beginning of 2020. We are also looking with the label to a few super talented Rn’B and pop artists in Melbourne that we’d like to sign under “Inspire Music”. Finally, I’m planning to go back to France in mid-August, but don’t tell my mom please. Any secrets that you care to share? The album will feature 1 major international artist. That’s all I can say. Also, I’m about to turn vegetarian, but only in Australia… My mom’s tajine (a Maroccan dish with meat) is way too good for me to turn Vegetarian ! Is there a secret formula to succeed in the music industry? Love is the key. If you do what you’re attracting about and passionate about, you will succeed. So listen to your feelings it’s that simple ! I’ll tell you what, I read once that “you need to leave something you’ve done with your hand on this earth before you go away”... wether it’s a garden, a house, a wooden horse, it must be something your soul can come back and connect to when you fly away. I decide it would be music. How has the music scene changed since you first started? It changed a lot! When I started, Music was all about radio plays and TV shows. Nowadays, social media is basically what runs music. It gives more chances to independent artists to succeed without the support of major labels. A simple video on Facebook or Instagram can make anyone blows up ! Favourite food and place to hangout? My favourite food is my mom’s dishes to be honest, she makes the best couscous in the planet… you should definitely try it! My favourite place to hangout is my studio. One day, I spent 17 hours in it… my roommate even brought me my dinner ^^ Even when I’m not making music I find it really peaceful to hang there. I also love doing team meetings at a cafe next to my place called “D.G.Expresso” or at “The Third Day”. Best place and they do really nice coffee !

S-Jee

Rick Howe / PBS 106.7 Radio Festival x The Partae Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Melbourne’s Reggae scene has flourished in recent years with new sound systems springing up all over the city playing foundation Jamaican music with heavyweight bass. This UK style of operation started in Melbourne with Heartical Hi Powa with new crews emerging like Tallawah Hi Fi and Higher Region Sound System. The more Jamaican style parties are held down by the original Chant Down Sound and vintage traditions are kept alive by the Funky Kingston family. How did you first get involved in radio? I started on a Hip Hop show at a pirate radio station in North London called Sweet FM back in 2005. I was just editing audio and getting starstruck around my favourite rappers coming in and out of the studio. I was blown away by the work ethic of everyone involved and the willingness to risk legal consequences for getting the music out there. How did you first get exposed to reggae and why is it that you love reggae so much? I first heard Reggae on the sound systems in the UK where I did my highschool. The sound and vibe is completely different when it’s played on the street with heavyweight bass. Jamaican bass culture is part of the fabric of Engligh street culture, so everyone grows up listening to sounds that evolved from Reggae like Jungle, DnB, Dubstep, Grime etc. There’s a serious toughness to Reggae which can be missed when listening for the first time. Reggae is often associated with easy listening in a beach holiday environment, but it’s ghetto music from the concrete jungle’s of Downtown Kingston. It’s protest music, the voice of the suffers. You've been on the air at PBS now for 2.5 years, how did you first come to be a part of PBS? I’ve been doing Riddim Yard for 2.5 years but I was doing fill in shows for years before that. My first spot was on NYE in 2012 hosting Ronan Hamill’s Hip Hop show Hippopotamus Rex. I’m a patron member to that show now because I grew up listening to a lot of what Ronan plays, like Task Force, EPMD, Rodney P & Big L You were working at ABC prior to joining the PBS family, have you noticed a change in the way each? If so please explain: What is it like working at PBS? It’s the dream job... which is why we do it for free! I encourage anyone with an interest in real music to get involved at PBS What is PBS all about? It’s the home of little heard music. We represent the sounds and cultures neglected by commercial broadcasters who are focused on selling ads. Our announcers are independent and free to give honest opinions and play real music without watering it down for mass consumption. PBS also supports local musicians, live venues and independent record stores to ensure a healthy ecosystem for the scene to flourish. The show 'Riddim Yard' has amassed a whopping 574k followers on Facebook, how does social media tie into the show that you run on Friday's from 11am to 1pm? The socials are good way of getting the show out to people overseas. The majority of the followers are in Jamaica, USA and Europe. I post the link to show each week so people can listen back to it on the website. Social media is a great place to share music and promote events but is otherwise a vacuous hole of vanity which leads to depression :-) PBS Radio 106.7 Festival will be running from the 13th to 26th of May, what's planned for this festival? Everyone pitched together to support the station that has been supporting Melbourne’s music scene for over 40yrs. There’s nothing quite like PBS anywhere in the world: A dedicated music station with specialist programming by expert DJs that is run by the community. What do you like to do away from music? Go Hawks Who are you listening at the moment? Luluc, Kendrick Lamar, River Fury, Anderson Paak, Cable Ties, Cardi B, Wagons, Fontaines DC, Kasey Musgraves, Migos, The Justin Walshe Folk Machine, Travis Scott Who are a few of your favourite reggae acts? The greatest voice I’ve heard across any genre of music is the Crown Prince of Reggae Mr Dennis Emmanual Brown RIP. Locally, there’s a great producer called Naram who makes world class throwback 80s digital dancehall on the Red Robin record label out of NZ. Also, Australia’s first Indigenous Reggae band No Fixed Address have record called Black Man’s Rights which stands up amongst the finest music to ever come out of Jamaica. What's planned for the remainder of 2019? I’ve got a brand new Reggae show starting on ABC International called Island Music which will be broadcasting across the Pacific Islands. I’ll also be backstage at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica this July to see the newly freed Buju Banton in front of his home crowd. Any secrets that you care to share? I love Mary J Blige Favourite food and place to hangout? Anything cooked by Reggae selector DD. And hanging out at Plug Seven Records on Smith St

Rick Howe / PBS 106.7 Radio Festival

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm just half of my time in Brunswick, a dreary little city in northern Germany, because my girlfriend lives there. The other half of my time im either on tour or in Berlin in the studio in the Holzmarkt. The Holzmarkt is something of an alternative village, including the Club Katerblau. I think i do not need to explain what is going on in Berlin. In Braunschweig there is only the art school and a few clubs in which I have never been. but I have heard that the „Laut“ club should be quite good. How did you first get into music and DJing? I had one of the first programs "cakewalk" when I was 13 years old. I made hip hop beats with that. that was in 1993. since then i have only had a two-year break from Producing. I came from hip hop to triphop and then eventually to electronic music. I started with dj much later, about 10 years ago as a warm up dj on our own parties. Who are you listening to at the moment?    I hear many different things. I am genuinely interested in all genres and styles. this is often music that has nothing to do with techno, for example minimalistic ambient music. especially music without drums i like. this is often the best choice for home i think, but thats more functional relax music in a way.  And lately I like to listen to old records on Spotify, especially the old and unknown tracks of very famous people im interested in. What have you been working on recently? the last 6 months i produced 3 records for „Amount“ the actual URSL one, and than two others: a „Upon You“ Record what is coming end of may and a „Feines Tier“ Vinyl including a Acid Pauli Remix. Also i did a remix for Soukie and Windish and for Amount too and i was updating my liveset. Actually im working on new Amount tracks.       What programs/equipment do you use when playing live and producing? For the effects I take almost exclusively Soundtoys and Ableton tools. I have a lot of synthies standing around in the studio, which I love very much and which are also often used. for live I'm pretty minimal equipped with a laptop and two large controllers. I shredded the music into small pieces and had to press many buttons to make it sound reasonable. finally I think I work more than many other live acts. In the future, I'll want to ad a analog synth for the entertainment-factor because a lot of people didn’t get it that i play live.  How do you approach the production process? its important for me to work in the studio and at home as well. I usually do sketches on my headphones on my laptop in the morning time when my ears and mind are fresh. it takes a few weeks to fabricate approximately 20 sketches. When I have enough ideas together, I go to the studio. In the studio I check which sketches sound good on the monitors and then try to mix the perfect sound. a few elements i always have to sort out because they did not sound good. I usually try to fill up missing parts with our analogue synthesizers. after optimizing the sound i leave the studio and go back to the headphones to start the arrangements. that will be checked again in the studio. only when everything works well in the studio and on the headphones are the tracks finished. in the end i have most of the time 5-8 pieces left over from the 20 sketches from the beginning. How do you go about writing music? I usually just start and just try to jam without any concept. But then I let the resulting ideas lie for a few weeks before I decide to continue working on them. I use everything possible for music production. from a modular system to an infinite number of samples. The main thing I do not bored me and am somehow in a workflow. When making music do you like to collaborate or work alone and why? both have their advantages and disadvantages, but the longer I make music, the more I like to produce on my own. How do you prepare for live shows? I practice about 1-2 times a day from three days before. It can be very strange when I am in the club and everything is very dark and the hand movements are not working properly. Alcohol is also not good when playing live. So I always have to practice before, otherwise the gig will not run smoothly. How has the Berlin music scene / tourism evolved since you have been there? I have been living in Berlin for 8 years now and it has changed a lot during this time. It's obvious that rents are rising because so many wants to live here and also because of the tourism - boom. As a result, the city is very crowded in the summer. I find it a bit too much, you lose the overview and it is becoming increasingly impersonal. on the other hand, of course, berlin was an exception historically and it is also clear that the status quo from the past will not go on forever. i just hope that the people here defend their shelters and that the city will not be totally boring in 20 years. What do you most enjoy about Berlin? the food and the nice people and the great parties. What are your favourite clubs in Berlin? Katerblau, Bucht, Golden Gate, Renate, Mensch Meier, Sisyphos.  Your studio is in Holzmarkt, please explain what your studio is like, what you have there, how you work there and what it's like being a part of Holzmarkt: We moved into a completely empty room and made everything quasi customary. The room is also measured by a room acoustician. There are a lot of bass traps attached. We have several classic synthesizers: Prophet 12, Moog sub 37, North lead, Juno z. and a modular system. the monitors are from Klein und Hummel. The most important thing is: we have a terrace and spree view. What do you like to do away from music? Bike tour, nature, cooking and reading.  What's planned for 2019? Nothing special. :) Any secrets that you care to share? When im naked i look quite funny.  Favourite food and place to hangout? So many in berlin that I would not highlight any.

URSL

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm currently based in Rome and I'm happy to see that genres i loved while growing up like Hip Hop and Trap got pretty popular with new talented artists coming up every month. Right now Dancehall influences are infusing the sound quite a bit so I wonder what the next big thing will be. How did you first start playing music? When I was 12 I had my first drum machine and I would make small loops to sing on, emulating some of my favourite artists, styles and melodies. Then - once I was introduced to DAW's - a new world opened up for me. What have you been working on recently? I've been in rooms with many talented artists like Crack Ignaz, Chvrli, Koder and many more working on productions and songwriting for their projects. I always try to create something new to keep the creative juices flowing without thinking too much for who it would be or where it would go so that my catalogue keeps its versatility. Your new EP is out now, what or who influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP? Apart from the new "trappy vibe" that influenced "SUMMER PLANS" I digged back a bit to get inspired so there is a bit of "The Neptunes" for "COOPER" 's drum pattern and feel and a bit of Craig David's UK 2 Step storytelling for "KISS + TELL". These are obviously starting points that sparked the sound idea cuz i wanted it to sound like me and not emulate. Where and when did you record? Mainly in Rome. Back and forth from my studio to my house. You never know when inspiration strikes you so I always had my notes open to write down any cool lyrics and kept my recorder close to pin down some quick vocal lines. Half way thru the project I traveled for sessions so that helped me to gain new perspectives but at the end everything was finalized in my city with the mix and master being finessed by my close friend MaD3E. Did you work with anybody else during the creation/production process? No. I usually don't work with other people when it's for my project. I surely will in the future but for this EP especially I wanted it to be all me and express what I had in mind without any external help. It turned out to be quite therapeutic. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation/production of the EP? The vision I had was to have 5 songs that touched 5 different genres that I love and raised me musically so being able to achieve that was challenging. Especially when you have to give the whole body of work a smooth logical sequence without any abrupt changes. What do you have planned for this EP? Since its release I gained a lot of amazing feedback from different people writing to me all across Social Media. I recently released the artworks to each individual song as I also wanted to showcase the story behind each song with visuals. You can find animated canvas of each song on the Spotify mobile app (in case you're using the premium model). Otherwise, I have some surprises coming up the next three months. Who are you listening to at the moment? I switch a lot. Sometimes I totally submerge myself in a month long listening spree searching for cool new music and sometimes I don't listen to music at all. Right now it's one of those "no music" moments but before I had Daniel Cesar, H.E.R., Bryson Tiller and PND on loop cuz I had a craving for RnB. What do you like to do away from music? I love astrophysics so i binge watch interesting interviews and documentaries about space and parallel universes, lol. Once you start it's difficult to see things the same way you used to. Lately I got into studying historic artists like painters and sculptures a bit more too. What do you have planned for the remainder of 2019? There's a lot of things going on as I recently started DJing. In July, I will be performing at the Splash Festival, which is Germany's biggest HipHop festival. Otherwise, I am constantly working on new music and doing sessions (recently been making music in Barcelona). There's more music to be released over the summer and for the remainder of the year. Any secrets that you care to share? You shouldn't put cheese on fish but I love parmigiano cheese on pasta with tuna. A lot of people that think the same as me are coming out and we will change things. Favourite food and place to hangout? Rome offers many options so that's a tricky one. Depending on my mood, I am to be found all across the city. Testaccio, Trastevere, San Lorenzo, Pietralata. It really depends on my mood. In regards to food, even though my name "BVRGER" has a different meaning, I still can admit that I love burgers. My manager lately introduced me to chicken and waffles in London and this was an amazing culinary experience. Try "Clutch Chicken" next to Colombia Road in Hoxton. Also pasta has a big place in my heart. Cacio e pepe, Amatriciana, Carbonara. When in Rome, try "Angelina a Testaccio" for a pasta treat. Best,

BVRGER

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I live in Amsterdam, which is an amazing place for music. Electronic music is very well represented here, and every weekend you can find a diverse selection of styles in really great venues. On top of that, there are countless top festivals in and around Amsterdam. The airport is next to the city so perfect for international touring artists. How did you first start playing electronic music? I started playing the piano when I was about 3 years old. When I was 10, I played around with some old music software, like the first version of Reason. Later, around the age of 16 - the time that minimal techno was ruling the underground scene - I attended my first techno parties and immediately became hooked to the sound and wanted to produce that. So I did. You have recently released your new album 'Church Of Clubmusic' what or who influenced the sound and songwriting? It’s an accumulation of all the influences in my musical life. There are elements from classical music in there too, but also rave influences from the illegal raves I used to attend and play at a lot. I think it is hard to pick just one influence when you make music. I believe that everything that happens in your life and all the music you listen to, has an impact on the things you do. How did you go about writing the music for 'Church Of Clubmusic'? After finishing my previous album ‘Megacity Servant’ in 2016, I started thinking about a new album already. This time I wanted to showcase a more diverse sound, as the music I produce is very different from the music that I usually play at my gigs. The challenge was to combine many different styles in one cohesive album, so it took a lot of effort rethinking and reshaping tracks until I was happy with how it fitted into the bigger picture. Where and when did you produce/record? That really depends on the track. The final versions, mixdowns and masters were all produced in my studio in Amsterdam. The oldest track on the album was recorded for the first time in my student home in Rotterdam 12 years ago: “Frozen Keys”. I always really liked the track, but was never happy with the production of it. Now for the album, I finally created the sound I always envisioned for it. “Hard Gaan” was actually born during a live performance in a club at 6AM, as it was improvised completely. The track always stayed an improv during my sets, but for the album I specially recorded a studio version of the track. Some other tracks like “Ibiza Disco Lines” were recorded in my studio in Berlin first, when I lived there back in 2017. “Evansecent” was first recorded in a hotel room after a gig, “Mind Game” in the airplane back from Mexico, and some of them I recorded in the studio I built at my parent’s place. Did you work with anyone else during the creation of the album? Yes, I worked with Cari Golden, she did amazing vocals for two of the tracks. I really love her voice and it blends in very well with the electronic sounds. Besides Cari Golden, I also went to a studio to record myself playing piano for “The Ones Who Know” track. I wrote, composed, arranged, mixed, mastered etc. everything on my own. I like to have full control and I enjoy working in the studio a lot - not only the songwriting but also working on the technical details. What programs/equipment did you use for the production of the album? Because I made the tracks during different periods of my life, the tools I used to produce the tracks vary as well. I really like a lot of the original old Roland equipment, like the TR909, TR606 and TR808, you will hear acid from a TB303 and SH101, some Moog thrown in there, but also the more boutique companies like Vermona. I have some nice racks with effects, EQ, compressors, old delays and reverbs. I sequence and record everything in Ableton using some really high-quality converters. I use PMC for monitoring. The actual gear used in the creative process differs from track to track. Some tracks I make are 100% digital, but sometimes they can be 100% analog too. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of 'Church Of Clubmusic'? It’s really hard to work and improve older tracks, to make it fit together with the rest of the album and make it sound how you envisioned it - without losing the vibe and feel of the original version. This required a lot of trial and error and thinking about the music conceptually to understand what to change and what not. Sometimes “mistakes” are what makes a track special. What do you have planned for this album? I’ll be touring with my live show in the coming months, the more powerful tracks of the album play a big role in the shows. Who are you listening to at the moment? At this moment I’m listening to some new work from Mees Salomé. What do you like to do away from music? There’s not a lot of time away from music for me – I’m almost always making music or listening to it. I like to spend time with friends, eat some good food, watch some series etc. How do you prepare for your live shows? Ever since my very first “official” gig, I always play live. For me, it feels very natural and I don’t need to prepare a set. The preparation takes place in the studio, working on new music, and making sure all my equipment is complete and works properly before I leave to the airport. My liveset always varies depending on the show and travel. My main setup is Ableton Live, a soundcard, midi interface, Allen & Heath Xone, Roland TB303 (usually a modded clone), and Native Instruments Maschine. With Maschine I can load in VSTs and keep sequences of the tracks I made in the studio. Then I have a collection of “backing tracks” in Ableton, which are basically just kick + bass + FX. With Maschine I sequence and play all the drums and synths live, which allow me to drastically change tracks and add things - without the need of having 10+ stems per track. The livesets consists out of work from many years and is about half a terabyte or something in size. This allows me to be very flexible and diverse in my shows. It basically means that I decide what to use, drag in and select what I want to play during the show itself. What do you have planned for 2019? Keep on touring like always; I have a very full agenda with many great shows all around the world, for which I’m very thankful and happy. Besides touring, I am making a lot of new music and will come with a new release concept on Filth on Acid. Any secrets that you care to share? I’m colorblind. Favorite food and place to hangout? Too much good food to choose just one… But lately I’ve been eating a LOT of Ramen Noodles. Favorite place to hangout is for sure my home after a good tour!

Reinier Zonneveld

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I am based in Melbourne and the music scene is very healthy and vibrant. Any night of the week you can head out and watch quality local original music. Whenever I have reached out to other artists or met people at gigs, I have only experienced genuine positivity and a supportive community.  How did you first start playing music? When I was six years old, my Dad taught me how to play the Blues on the Piano, I became obsessed with Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. My Pop bought me a Didgeridoo and taught me how to play. When I got to high school I didn't think playing the Piano was very 'cool' until some guys in year 12 heard me playing Herbie Hancock tunes and invited me to jam with them. That was the beginning of my obsession with music.  You've just finished an EP, what's the title? The EP is called Heavy Weight named after the last track. Heavy Weight is a broad reflection on narcissism and dishonest leadership, disregard to human rights, conflicted views on environmental matters and how lack of unity in decision making can ultimately result in us carrying this 'heavy weight' of guilt, disappointment or dissatisfaction as a consequence.  What or who influenced the sound and songwriting? I love the energy that Animal Collective, LCD Soundsystem and Caribou create. The complexity in production from Electronica artists such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Holly Herndon and Rob Clouth. Ambitious ideas and song arrangements from artists like D.D Dumbo and Unknown Mortal Orchestra and raw emotion of artists like Ainslie Wills and Anohni.  How did you go about writing the music for the EP? Musical ideas usually start at the piano or on the guitar and then evolve from there. I often listen to particular sounds and instruments I like such as bass sounds or beats and try to emulate these ideas or achieve similar results.  I have really pushed myself beyond my capabilities with this music with building new skills in production and mixing, and refining my sound. Crafting songs on your own is such a difficult and lengthy process but for the first time I am stoked that I have created music that speaks honesty about relationships and my anger towards powerful people around us who make dumb decisions for their own benefit. Lachlan Carrick of Moose Mastering mastered the tracks, how was this experience? Lachlan has worked with artists such as Gotye, Anatole, Ainslee Wills and many other great artists. With this new single Better Way, I played all the parts, produced and mixed it, so I was really happy to have Lachlan's expertise and creative approach when adding the final touches on the last four songs of the EP. Where and when did you record/produce? The EP is the result of many sessions in different studios around Melbourne and Sydney. I was really fortunate to learn from and work with a bunch of amazing artists such as Ocdantar - who mixed the first two tracks on the EP. Working with Ocdantar inspired me to record analogue instruments as much as possible in order to help the songs breathe and come to life. I learned how to push my beat making further when I did a session with an incredible Electronica artist and friend KCIN from Sydney, and I received some valuable song arrangement advice in a session I did with Memphis KL last year. I also recorded a lot of the synths at MESS (Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio) where I had access to some incredible vintage gear.  Most of the writing and arranging was done at home and I mixed the last four tracks at Spike Leo's studio at the Aivary Recording studios in Abbotsford, Melbourne. What programs/equipment do you use? The piano, a guitar or a synth is usually the birth place of a musical idea and then I'll build a beat around that idea using Ableton Live. All the piano and synth parts are recorded live and I re-recorded a lot of the sounds through guitar amps to add grit and variety in tone colour.  When I did sessions at MESS, I got my hands on some amazing vintage synths such as the Roland System 100 and SH-101, Steiner-Parker Synthacon and a MEAN vintage Russian synth from the 1980's called the Polivoks. The third track, Swimming is an instrumental track where I feature a lot of these sounds and let the inner synth geek run wild.  What do you have planned for this EP? I plan to get this music on stage as much as possible and play live more. I'd love to visit some other cities and play to new audiences, hey Brissy, Adelaide and Perth, I'm waving at you :) How do you approach your live shows? I have been working really hard on my live set as the new songs were made with the intention of having a stronger presence on stage. I have always been really inspired by artists such as Panda Bear and Baths and how they perform their music live. The new set is packed with harder grooves to get people moving and vibe the room, as well as more involved performance elements where I perform most of the synth parts, sing live and manipulate the tracks live as opposed to triggering backing tracks and looping. What do you like to do in your spare time? Despite releasing new music I am still writing and recording constantly so any free time is spent jamming with friends and working on other projects which I hope will also emerge from the studio this year as well.  What's planned for the remainder of 2019? The six track EP will be out in June. I plan to play a bunch of live shows and make more music with friends. Any upcoming shows? I'm planning some shows for the coming months ahead and cant wait to put this music through some nice speakers in a nice venue, hopefully some big speakers! I'm also going to throw a mad party for all the people who I have borrowed gear from, asked a million production or mixing questions to, and family and friends that I have frustrated and ignored whilst I've made this music over the past 12 months!  Who are you listening to at the moment? Clever Austin's new album is on repeat at the moment, I think Anatole's new album Emulsion will be in my top three albums for 2019 and I am really digging an incredible artist out of Toronto, La Force. Her voice and song writing is next level. I'm eagerly awaiting Flying Lotus' next album as well.  What do you like to do away from music? EAT FOOD ! If I'm not trying to find the next amazing Ramen or Dumpling joint, I'm searching for awesome recipes and food docos online.  Any secrets that you care to share? Give me a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and I'll eat it in one sit - or often just standing in the kitchen staring into peanut butter heaven. I blame my girlfriend for this, her influence started the obsession. Oh and pistachio gelato - damn, who needs drugs when that stuff is in your life.  Favourite food and place to hangout? Start at Growers Espresso in Fitzroy north for the best coffee in town - yes it's a big call and I'm confident, it's the best espresso in town! Then head north to Carwyn Cellars in Thornbury where there's an amazing selection of beer on tap, always great music playing and you can order in from a bunch of restaurants close by. You're very welcome :)  https://open.spotify.com/track/39CcPcwNwtDHxt4IIYpQ3B?si=ccrCHXjESyqDFQRpXywbMg Facebook: www.facebook.com/orchesmusic Instagram: www.instagram.com/orches_music Twitter: https://twitter.com/Orches_music TripleJ unearthed: www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/orches Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/orches-1 Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/better-way-single/1462179981

Orches

What part of the world are you currently based in, and what’s the music scene like there? I’m based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve always looked at the music scene here with mixed emotions. On one hand there is lots of amazing producers, DJs, musicians, promoters. The city has top international talent jetting in and out every weekend. So if you’re into music, there’s always something cool to check out! On the other hand we’ve always been restricted by outdated licensing legislation. Alcohol can only be served to 1am, and most venues close at 1am or 3am at the latest! It’s tough on promoters and DJs to programme everything into such a short space of time. But we all have to adhere to the same rules and it’s always been like this. Such a shame when other clubs in Europe can stay open all night.   For those not already familiar with your sound, how would you describe your music style, as I understand you have a couple of aliases? I’ve never been one to conform to a set style. I’ve always loved House, Techno and Disco. So I feel comfortable making and playing all styles. This has probably held me back at times. I think if I’d maybe just stuck with one set style I could have achieved more, but I just get bored easily and get inspired by different styles. I started releasing music about 12 years ago under the alias Scope. I released a mix of Deep House & Tech House on label’s like NRK, Large and Urbantorque. I had a lot of success with this project as the deep / tech / house sound was really blowing up and I was fortunate to play all over the world. A few years later I started making Disco re-edits, and what could be described as Nu Disco and Deep Discoy Housey under the alias South West Seven. Together with my production partner Sean Grieve we released records on Kolour Ltd, Shabby Doll and On The Prowl. Around 2012 I started releasing music as Montel. All my first releases as montel were on the old skool House tip and all released on vinyl. A few years later I felt that sound was being totally over used so I started moving towards a chunkier clubby sound. This is definitely when I started getting more recognition for the Montel stuff. People like John Digweed, Hot Since 82, Richy Ahmed and Anja Schneider we’re playing lots of my stuff in their sets and loads more people started following me. Some of my productions started more towards a real Techno sound and was maybe confusing to some people who just expected me to make House. Rather than starting a new alias I just started releasing my Techno stuff under the abbreviated Montel alias as MNTL. Recently I’ve been concentrating all my efforts to developing my own Techno brands / labels, Miles From Mars and Misfit Music! You just mentioned a couple of labels that you recently set up, could you tell me about those projects, and what makes them different from each other?  Misfit Music was set up in August 2017 with my partner in the label Steve Boyd. He runs the Misfit club night which I was a resident at, so we decided to start the label together to showcase the sound of the night. The label tends to focus on that big room techno sound. I didn’t want to saturate the label with loads of my own music so I wanted to create another label to release my own output on. I also wanted the sound of the label to be Techno and club focused, but deeper and moodier. The first 2 releases were by me and they got quite a bit of attention as Adam Beyer and Joseph Capriati we’re playing them a lot. I guess because of this I started getting sent demos by really cool new producers. Both labels give me the platform now to release my own sounds and also from producers I really like!  You mentioned Misfit Music also links to an event you are involved with. Could you tell us about the parties and what kind of artists you invite to play? Misfit started around 2013. Steve Boyd, my partner in the label is co-owner of the venue that Misfit is held at every Friday. I’ve been a resident since 2014 and was assisting in the bookings. Over the years I’ve booked Rich Ahmed, B.Traits, Tiger Stripes, Wehbba, Argy, Bart Skils, Reset Robot, Riva Starr, Santè, Catz ‘N Dogz, Steve Bug, Funk D’Void, Boxia, Ramiro Lopez, Audiojack, Waff, Spektre, Pleasurekraft, Citizenn, Andres Campo, Raxon, Loco & Jam, Cera Alba and loads more.. I understand your next release is due out on your own label Miles From Mars, and it also features a remix by Andre Crom. Could you tell us a bit about the EP, and what inspired its sound?  I’m pushing my Techno sound on with every track. Bad Blood is definitely the hardest ‘techno’ track I’ve made so far. I fancied making something really pacey and aggressive sounding. Then on the flip I wanted to balance it out with something more atmospheric, but still keeping the bpm’s pumping! I also love Andres sound and what he pushes with his OFF label, so really glad he wanted to be part of the release.  Tell us a little about your writing process when it comes to making music, and are there any bits of equipment essential to your style? I’ve a very busy schedule, balancing family life (I’ve 2 children), with music. Years ago I used to be able to sit in the studio all day, now my time’s limited but I try to be more productive. I generally work on ideas using my MacBook whenever I’ve got some spare time. I try to get at least a few solid track sketches together, then try and do a day in the studio, finishing them off. Years ago when I had more time, money (and space in my house), I was really into synths, mixers, drum machines. When I moved house and kids came along I sold most of my kit and actually preferred working more on a smaller set up (Mac running logic, soundcard, monitors, midi keyboard and a load of vst’s and samples). I love sampling… pulling sounds out of my record collection, manipulating them, and trying to create something different.  Not only have you released many solo tracks, but you have also collaborated with some of electronic music best known names such as Huxley, Kevin Saunderson and Todd Terry. How did you make contact with those guys, and do you have any forthcoming collaborative releases? Most of my collaborations have come around unintentionally. I’ve known Huxley for years! We were just chatting online one night exchanging tunes, and we got an idea to work on some stuff together. The collaborations with Kevin and Todd came about from personal edits I made of their tracks. They blew up after some big Dj friends were playing them, and then I got some labels looking to sign them. I wanted to make everything official and above board, so the guys were contacted and we collectively worked on them some more, and then gave them a proper release. Outside of music what are your other interests, and do they influence what you do as a DJ or producer? As I mentioned before, family life is really important to me. I spend a lot of time with my wife and kids. It’s a busy life style and anyone with kids will know what I mean. Besides that I love travelling. It’s ironic, as being a DJ I travel a lot, but you’re flying in and out of cities and you literally just see hotels and airports. I want to go and see cities and places where I’m not being held to a schedule and I can do things at my own leisure, and more importantly go to the places I want to go to. I also love food… cooking at home and eating in nice restaurants, in Belfast or when I’m travelling to. What can we expect from you in the future? I’ve got 2 big MNTL techno releases dropping over Spring and Summer. The one on Miles From Mars (with a remix by Andre Crom) and the other on Misfit Music (with a remix by Matrixxman). Then some House tracks for my newly launched Bass Hit Dub label. You can certainly expect the labels to grow as brands, and then onto the international scene as events. I’m putting all my effort into developing them and pushing forward. I’m also working on a few secret projects at the moment under new aliases focused on different sounds. Then I’ve plenty of UK & Ireland shows plus some European dates too. MNTL's new EP on Miles From Mars: https://www.beatport.com/release/miles-from-mars-09/2549000 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montelmntl/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montelmntl/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/montelmntl

Montel/MNTL

How is the Toronto music scene lately, anything we should look out for? Toronto's music scene(s) are kicking it right now! So many undeniably talented musicians and bands in multitudes of genres, It's such a huge list, it would be hard too choose just one.  I Guess cold winters here shack us up with warm amplifiers.  How did you first start playing music? Day one, noise and blisters on a acoustic guitar  Day 2 - one chord,  Day 3 -  2 chords,  Day 4 - 3 chords 6 years - bar chords and augmented such and suches And so on and so on and so on for many years later.  What have you been working on recently? Always something. Every show is different. We  play quite a few, so there is always a new work to be produced, a new vision to come to fruition, people to play with and for. Music has become often then not an audio visual experience for me and I spend a lot of time in that realm collaborating with mulitmedia artist Saúl Lederman. We make one minute concert series, animated vids, comedy musical sketches, live projections, full on music vids, and there is so much more to come up with. Plus i'm in pre-production to record an new LP this summer with a big cast improvisors that play at times in Ronley Teper's Lipliners.  You have a very unique approach to music and stage performance, how did has your approach to music and stage performance evolved over time? Hmm, my philosophy these days: Embrace change and strive to evolve or else you'll disappear like the dinosaurs.  Who or what influences your music and stage performance? Many things. Anything or anyone  that makes me feel something, weather it's the goosebump sensation of seeing something inspirational, the feeling of anger or joy in everyday experiences, current affairs and the energy created by collaborating with others.  Who are you listening to at the moment?  Honestly, I rarely listen to recorded music, and barely listen to music at all at home. But on an occasional heavy day I will never get enough of Nina Simone, Radiohead or D'Angelo. Listening for me mostly is about seeing live shows. I see a lot of stuff in all kinds of genres. And like I said there is no shortage of amazingly talented musicians in Toronto. If a great musician is in a band because they want to be there and not just because it pays big bucks then it probably will be a good project. These are just the first tonne of names that came to mind of such musicians from Toronto... Karen Ng, Christine Bougie, Thom Gill, Ryan Driver, Tim Posgate, Vivienne Wilder, Gordon Hyland, Maya Kiltron, Rebecca Hennessy, Andrew Downing, Chris Pruden, JaronFreeman Fox, Dafydd Hughes, Caleb Hamilton, Chris Adriaanse, Chris Banks, Sandro Perry, Bruce Mackinnon, Friendly Rich, Isla Craig,  There are soooooo many more. What do you find most rewarding and challenging within your musical career? Rewarding: The process of creation, presentation, collaboration, and audience participation.  Challenges: Money What has been your most memorable and also craziest performance mishap? There's been a few, but this one popped into my head first so....  Me: For half a set, I kept thinking that I had peed my pants on stage while in the midst of a performance, but was so confused as I didn't feel like i had to pee. Only right after getting off the stage, a person from the audience came running up to me to say how they really were affected by the performance art and how "brave" the bloody symbolism on the back of my white pants was, and how much it meant to them. A happy accident?   Is there anything that you want your audiences to take away from your live performance?  To be affected in any way really. Too much apathy these days.  Does the current political environment influence your music or stage performance? Sometimes and sometimes.  What do you like to do away from music? Chillaxing, I admit I like to be lazy.  Summer is coming so some patio time, some cruising the lavender fields outside of Toronto, risking my life riding my bike in Toronto, and chilling with friends and family.  

Ronley Teper

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm based in Los Angeles which is a massive vortex of creative and spiritual energy.  The music scene here is centered around the pop industry and there are just huge amounts of artists, writers, labels, producers, all just buzzing around like busy bees.  I've found that most of the people I meet are very optimistic and open to collaboration, as soon as you meet someone they're like, hey let's write a song together!  And you don't see a lot of artists that are content with just playing a few shows here and there and scraping together a humble living, it feels like everyone here is dreaming big, trying to transform themselves into something greater and shooting for the stars.  Which is good because that's what I'm here for too! How did you first start playing music? I grew up in a musical family.  I sang in choir, and I started playing guitar when I was maybe 10 or 11, then played flute and tuba in music class and eventually studied classical music in university.  For a while I was playing the tuba professionally in a few different bands in Toronto (Lemon Bucket Orkestra for example), and also got into composing and film scoring before starting this project a year and a half ago.  That caused me to pick up the guitar again after a hiatus of almost 20 years, so I'm back to square one in a way.  You have an album coming out in the next few months called 'Love Is Surrender' what influenced the sound and songwriting for this album? The biggest influence for me is probably Trevor Hall, I was going through a process of growth and spiritual awakening, and his music not only guided me through my own personal process, but he also showed me that it's possible to be an artist that writes songs about spirituality and have a career doing it as your authentic self, rather than twisting yourself into what you think the industry wants you to be.   Sonically I was also drawn to artists like Gregory Alan Isakov and early Bon Iver who have a soft and gentle Americana vibe that I really love. How did you go about writing the music for this album? A lot of the songs I wrote quickly, whenever inspiration struck, which would sometimes be when I was at the beach, or at home, or at my girlfriend's house.  Many of the songs showed up in the aftermath of an intense emotional event and I would use the song as a way of processing while the feeling was still fresh.  At first they were just kind of like journaling songs for myself, but as they started to accumulate (I've probably got about 40 since I started this process a year and a half ago), I started refining them and choosing the ones that fit together well to make a little record.   Where and when did you record? I recorded last summer at a studio in Burbank called Eldorado Recording.  It's a beautiful big building with huge rooms and a grand piano which I loved.  They are especially renowned for their drum sounds and used to do a lot of rock records there, including Offspring's "Americana" and My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade", which is funny because I remember listening to those records when I was younger, but I'm now doing something totally different.     How did you approach the recording and production? We did three days of bed tracks with a four-piece band, all live off the floor so that we could capture a tight ensemble sound.  Then another two days of overdubs of additional guitars and vocals.  I went back and finished the vocals later that summer.  All told it was pretty quick and efficient.  I thought we would get four or five songs done and I'd have an EP, but it ended up being seven. Did you work with anybody during the recording/production process? My secret weapon was Tim Callobre who played guitar (and also figured out how to play Hammond B3 and lap steel on the spot!).  He's insanely talented and I work with him at the same TV scoring studio, he is primarily a composer, but was a child prodigy guitarist, and I was very lucky he agreed to be part of my project.  He brought a beautiful touch and emotion to the record through his guitar-work, in fact it was so sweet that I started calling him "honey-fingers". My plan was to produce the record myself, since I have enough music experience to know how to arrange the tunes and get good performances, and work with Eldorado's in-house engineer   to shape the sound since I'm less knowledgable about mic techniques.  I was really luck that the engineer, Phil English, immediately understood what I was trying to do and brought a huge amount of heart and creative energy into the record and took it sonically into a completely new arena that I couldn't have imagined.  I ended up having him mix the record and giving him a co-producer credit. What are you plans for this album? This is my first release as Kalon Hart, so it's my way of saying "here I am!".  It feels like there is a shift in consciousness and spiritual awakening happening now across the globe that I've tapped into, so I'm hoping the record gets out there and finds an audience online and that people resonate with its message, and in that process I meet the right industry people who can help take my career to a higher level.  In the meantime, I'll be doing a 15-show CD-release tour in July and I'm really looking forward to getting on the road and connecting with people.  What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of this album? It's sometimes a challenge juggling my other career, which is writing music for film and TV, with trying to build this project up as a solo independent artist.  When I'm working on a film, I'm not as able to get out and see shows or go to writing sessions with other artists for example.  On the recording days I was dealing with painters and contractors at the studio in the morning and driving across town to record so I was exhausted by the end of the day.   The biggest reward was hearing my songs come to life with a professional band, and realizing that these songs were not just a hobby, but my spirit's calling.   By the end of the recording, I realized that Kalon Hart was a real artist who was going to have a real career, and it changed the entire way I look at my life.  Do you find Amercian and Canadian influences creeping into your music? Definitely there is an "indie Americana" sonic influence happening.  That's not necessarily a uniquely American thing though because a lot of Canadian artists sound like that too, there was a whole folk-roots scene back home in Toronto that I was probably tapping into.  Is there an influence in my music that's specifically Canadian?  Good question, I don't know.   You have experience working in TV, please tell us what it is that you were doing? I've been a composer for most of my career and I got into scoring films about eight years ago.  In 2015 I moved to Los Angeles to see what I could accomplish down here, and I was very lucky to find work as the assistant to a major TV composer, Sean Callery.  We have a nice Master-Apprentice type relationship going on and besides keeping the studio running, I've had the opportunity to write some music on a few of his shows, namely "Elementary" and "Jessica Jones". What has the TV experience taught you about music?  SO MUCH.  When I started I wanted to pack every scene full of all of my emotions and all of my musical knowledge, and it would just be way too much.  Like, it's just two people walking down a hallway, chill bro!  I've had to learn to give only what the drama requires and trim away the fat. As a songwriter, that lesson gave me confidence to expose my voice and write clear, simple lyrics, rather than cramming the mix with too many sounds and muddling it, or writing obscure lyrics that hide my heart.   What do you like to do away from music? I love spending time in nature.  LA is amazing for that, there are beaches, mountains, forests, deserts all within a one-hour drive.  I think it's important to get out of the city and remember that nature is not just a place we go to, it's what we are, and this capitalism machine that's got us all in its grip, well that's one story, but not the whole story.  I always feel like the universe has my back when I put my feet in the ocean or lie down on the grass.  Often that's when a song will come.   Who are you listening to at the moment? I'm on a "gentle spiritual acoustic" kick.  I'm really into two artists in particular: Danit (her album "Aliento" is a masterpiece), and Rainer Scheurenbrand. What do you have planned for 2019?  It depends entirely on what happens in the next 6 months.  I know that I want to make more recordings, write more songs, play more shows, shoot more videos, collaborate with other artists, and continue growing and experiencing life.   Beyond that, I'm open to the unexpected. Any secrets that you care to share? Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.  Favourite food and place to hangout? I became a vegan about 8 months ago so that brought a lot of changes to my life.  Luckily LA is a good place to be vegan, there are a lot of us here.  My favorite spot is a fully vegan restaurant called Sage Bistro.  Favourite place to hangout - gotta go with the beach, you can't beat the ocean, and it's free! 

Kalon Hart

Dom Youdan

Dom Youdan

Jackson Carroll

Jackson Carroll

For close to 10 years, Music Victoria has been representing musicians, venues, music businesses, professionals, and music lovers across the contemporary Victorian music community, providing support and advocacy, all while celebrating and promoting the state’s music sector. As the state’s peak contemporary music service organisation, Music Victoria has something to offer everyone in the music community. As Music Victoria has expanded the scope of its servicing, it has introduced new membership categories including Sound Engineer/Producers, Music Industry Professionals and a Free Under 18’s Membership. These new changes allow a broader range of professionals free access to the workshops and professional development series, and enjoy the benefits of the discounts. Music Victoria has brought on a raft of new discounting partners this year that cover the spectrum of the industry, from food and beverage, to merch, freight, acoustic reports, Auslan services, record stores, guitar repairs and green screen filming. We caught up with Music Victoria’s new General Manager Dale Packard to find out about what he does and what Music Victoria have in store for rest of 2019. How did you first become involved in music? I more or less grew up going to folk festivals, My dad played double bass and mandolin in a lot of bluegrass and folk bands (and still does) so being part of a musical community started very young. I then rebelled in my teenage years and started punk bands. Who are you listening to at the moment? I listen to a lot of country music and dance music these days. Modern techno and old-timey acoustic music. Not sure why exactly, maybe there’s something about having a foot in the past and a foot in the future. You played in a band called the Ground Components back in 2002 for several years, how has the local music scene changed since that period? There has been a lot of changes but the most obvious would be the shift away from the ‘new rock’ period of the early 2000s where boys in tight jeans were trying to relive the glory days of rock n roll. Since then the scene has become more diverse and inclusive both in terms of genre and the people participating. There’s a lot more rnb inspired music which is cool. Even the idea of ‘bands’ seem to be a bit dated. What is Music Victoria all about and what goals lie ahead? Music Victoria is the independent voice of the Victorian music industry. We look after the interests and voices of musicians, music professionals, venues and music lovers. One of the major aims of the organisation is to support venues, artists and the local community by ensuring live music venues stay open with more gigs and no lockouts. It’s fair to say we want to avoid what’s happening in NSW. You're new to Music Victoria, what is your new position and what does your role entail? I’m am the General Manager at Music Victoria, before this role I was in the programming department at Regional Arts Victoria. My role is basically to keep the operations of the organisation on track, look after the finances, oversee projects, ensure staff are well supported and to make sure Victorian music has a loud and strong voice politically. You came over from Regional Arts Victoria where you coordinated events around Australia that connect artists with new audiences and opportunities.  What events did you coordinate and how did they help artists? I developed and delivered a lot of touring projects. We ran an event called Showcase Victoria which is a marketplace for the performing arts. Artists and producers pitch their work in front of a room full of venue bookers and then Regional Arts Victoria would coordinate touring projects for shows that got sufficient interest. I was there for about 6 years and had a great time but it feels good to be back in the Music Industry, it feels a bit like coming home. You have spent years touring the world with many successful bands as a tour manager, sound engineer and musician, including: Midnight Juggernauts, Architecture In Helsinki, First Aid Kit, Little Red and more.  What were some of the biggest challenges that you encountered with touring and how does Music Victoria help touring artists? Dealing with different personalities on tour and the way different people react to touring life is pretty challenging. I always loved it but some people really struggle with moving to different cities every day and barely sleeping. It was great fun though, I strongly recommend that people do it, particularly in their 20s. Music Victoria helps in lots of ways, particularly through the membership program. Members get extra baggage allowance on Virgin and Qantas flights which is a life saver if you have lots of gear. There are also discounts on freight, accommodation and vehicles. You currently run Club Kids Music Academy, a place where children learn how to make music on electronic instruments and you're also a board member for Schoolhouse Studios, a not-for-profit arts organisation providing workspaces for emerging artists.  How are these two great causes making a difference to children and emerging artists? Club Kids Music Academy is great fun and I’ve had the pleasure of running it at many festivals around Victoria. Basically, I get a bunch of 3-10 year of kids together, set up electronic instruments like samplers, drum machines, synths and fx pedals and teach the kids how to use them. It ends up in a great big chaotic jam session and everyone loves it. Schoolhouse Studios is doing great work in the community arts area. They provide affordable workspaces for artists and also have created an accessible, harmonious community. Before becoming a board member I did an Auslan course there and loved it! Why should people sign up to Music Victoria? I strongly encourage people to become a Music Victoria member. You’ll get discounts, key information, professional development, access to the latest music and opportunities to further your career. We are like the community radio station you don’t hear, but we need memberships to continue to work behind the scenes, keep the fragile ecosystem together and help create sustainable careers for artists. What are the new membership categories, prizes and discounts that are available? Music Victoria has made some exciting changes to our membership categories. Some of our new types include memberships for Sound Engineers/Producers, Managers and a Free Under 18’s Membership. We’ve also introduced a category for Music Lovers who may not be part of the industry but want to support the work Music Victoria are doing. We've brought on heaps of discounting partners this year that cover the spectrum of the industry, from food and beverage to merch, freight, acoustic reports, Auslan services, record stores, guitar repairs and green screen filming. Music Victoria continues to offer our (free-for-industry-members) which equip musicians, venues and industry professionals with the tools they need to thrive in the industry. Membership also provides a discount to the Changes Music Summit and Brisbane’s BIGSOUND Conference. Please tell us about the upcoming professional development programs and workshops that Music Victoria will be running this year: There are some fantastic professional development opportunities throughout the year which are free for members. Coming up soon we have a venues day for the City of Port Phillip, we’ve got a workshop on artists management, one on pitching music to radio and getting on playlists. We also have one at the end of the financial year to help musicians and music professionals get on top of their tax. You can check them all out on the Music Victoria website. New Membership Types and Prices 2019 Under 18 memberships - Free Concession $33 Music Lovers $55 Musicians/Performers $77 Sound Engineer/Producers and Music Industry Professionals $77 Non-Profit Organisations/Small Businesses $220 Venues $440 Platinum $1100 Council $2200 Full list of Membership discounts at musicvictoria.com.au.

Dale Packard

What is your name and role within The Wild State?  Josh Difford, my role includes songwriting, vocals, piano and occasional guitar. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We are based predominantly in Brighton at the moment, which has a good music scene in many ways, however we are yet to really dive into it as our opportunities so far have been more London based. How did The Wild State form? Oliver and I met at school many moons ago, and as soon possible we moved to Brighton and attended BIMM where we met guitarist Laurie White and began to trial different sounds and genres until we found ourselves and became immersed within the sound of what is now The Wild State. Your new single 'Lavender' is out now, where and when did you record? We recorded Lavender at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut US last June. Who did you work with during the recording/production process? We worked closely with Peter Katis who produced our whole record. He had a great team at his studio. Gabe Wolf was a huge help throughout the process.  What or who influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Lavender'? Lavender actually started off as an instrumental song, pretty up beat and post rock inspired. One day I really felt the urge to project some emotion into this track, I had a lot on my mind at this time and the track provided a great back bone for writing. I sent the idea to Oliver who was touched by the fact I was able to make an upbeat song, kind of heartbreaking. And soon enough we collaborated on it and he dusted the song with his beautiful harmonies and melodic strength and the song quickly formed into what it is today.  How do you usually go about writing music?  We try to mix up the writing process as much as possible in order to not follow the same formula.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Big Thief, genius songwriting. Radiohead. Death Cab for Cutie  You have a unique set up being two lead vocals, with piano and drums being played, how did this come about?  We don’t particularly like the idea of this deeply engrained need for a front man. We aim to allow the music to speak for itself. Our vocals blend really nicely together and I think it represents the closeness we have as a band.  Your debut album is also on the way, can you give us an idea of what to expect?  A journey of emotion & expression, don’t worry, not all sad!  What have you found most challenging and rewarding whilst putting the album together? Writing/recording & living with your closest friends is the dream. And we were able to tap into this dream and do exactly that. There’s no better feeling. The challenging parts were insanity, ear blindness and HEAT. It was very hot in Connecticut and as a bunch of very English guys, we were melting a fair amount.  What else have you been working on recently and what's planned for 2019?  We are very excited to really get our live set out there, that’s our main aim currently. Our album ‘Light Along The Waves' is out on 10th May. What do you like to do away from music? Country walks and ale. We are the epitome of party animals.  Any secrets that you care to share? I’m scared of sharks, and mayo. Favourite food and place to hangout? The Better half pub in Hove, great atmosphere, great food, great landlord! 

The Wild State

What is your name role within Milo Viti? I’m Luke and I’m the lead singer/ Synth player. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Milo Witi is based in Sydney. Since Sydney is so big people don’t go out to just see live music for the sake of it. The Liberal government is also killing the venues for live music which I see as a good thing because it makes people more aware of how important live music is and gives you something to fight for. I see it as a really big learning experience because it makes you have to understand what makes good live music so you have a better understanding of what will bring people to your shows. How did Milo Viti form? It started out as a solo project and I found each of the other members through Facebook music groups but we’ve become so tight together now. Your new single 'Be Cool' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? There’s a really big punk rock scene in Sydney like Skegss, Dear Seattle, Johnny Hunter and we really love the punk energy they have at their shows but we also wanna give our music a dance element like The Presets and Rufus Du Sol so we try to mix huge synth in to our sound. How did you go about writing 'Be Cool'? I wrote it a few years ago and it started off being more of a chill pop song with piano during the verses and half-time drums but then we double-timed the drums so it was faster and gave it a whole new energy to the song with our huge synth sound and guitars. What programs/equipment did you use to record? We recorded in a studio with all our instruments and equipment we use live cause we wanted to try and recreate that experience so there’s nothing artificial on there. Do you approach your live sound differently to your recording sound? I like to keep the song pure and we play live with a lot of energy so I want that same energy to come across in our recordings. A lot of punk bands record their music more chilled out but then play their live music with a wall of distortion and energy. I love that energy that comes from live punk music and I like to try and convey that in our recording as well because it’s something that a lot of pop music is lacking so it becomes kind of numbing listening to recorded music. Where did you record and who did you work with? We recorded at A Sharp Studios in Sydney with guy called Justin Gonzales and he was incredible in helping us develop our sound and trying to convey that in a recording since we’re trying to do something different so there’s not a single band we can reference for our recording to sound like. Who are you listening to at the moment? I listen to a lot of different music but the two songs that I’m really feeling at the moment are Old Friend by Elderbrook and Lightning by Bag Raiders feat. The Kite String Tangle. I really love dance music but I want to incorporate the huge energy of punk. What do you like to do away from music? I love all the artwork that goes along with our music so every time we put out a song I love following the concept of the song and coming up with the artwork and for it and the general image of the band. I love the whole creative process. You also have a new video for the single, how did the film concept come about? Our video is coming out soon but we’re taking the idea of being “cool” and expressing the ironies that the glorification of that reveals. Everyone selfies themselves on social media these days so we’re capitalising off that idea and instead of using a big film production team we’re just filming each other off our phones and a GoPro to save costs and create a more natural/ realistic experience for the viewer. Who did you work with? We filmed it all ourselves but we got some live footage from an amazing photographer called Jack Thepsourinthone who filmed our single launch gig and got some live footage for us to put in our video. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the film process? Finding the time is always hard with our normal life schedules but we just love having a lot of fun with each other so it was basically just us mucking around and having a good time. What's planned for the remainder of 2019? Since this is our first single we’re looking to record another 2 more singles before the year is out and just generally trying to get out there and gig as much as we can. Any secrets that you care to share? A secret is only a secret when you have information that people want to know that you can’t share and we’ve got a lot of information that we can share but no one wants to know yet so we’ll keep you updated ;) Favourite food and place to hangout? We love Korean BBQ. It’s such a great experience to share and it’s something we really love doing as a band.

Milo Viti

What is your name and role within West Thebarton? My name is Nick Horvat, and my job is to make rhythm with the guitar with four strings. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? In the 5031, west of Adelaide, South Australia. We still rehearse in the same 3m x 6m practice room we formed the band in. The scene is thriving, tight, varied, interesting and exists outside a lot of the industry noise of the east coast. Small band-rooms like the Crown and Anchor, the Exeter and Jive reign supreme with a thriving DIY punk, rock and independent community. Mid-sized venues are popping up like Lion Arts Factory which is supporting emerging professional touring artists, and then we’ve got the holy cathedral – The Governor Hindmarsh (The Gov) where we’ve all been utterly transformed by the calibre of bands visiting Adelaide, what used to just be a stopover town. What have you been working on recently? Touring til recently, then as soon as we took a breather from that, we hit to studio to record our latest release ‘Tops’. Of late, we’ve been writing like mad hoping to strike while the irons hot. It’s pretty hot still, so we’re busy writing and demoing. Your new single 'Tops' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? ‘Tops' is about feeling anything-but. Rev says it like this, "This song is about those times in your life when you know you should feel so fucking good about yourself, but all you can focus on is negative." The sound: the driving bass hook throughout, the big guitar riffs, the gruffness of Rev’s delivery are all pretty quintessential West Thebarton elements. But with this one, we started to try out silences, and tried to reign things in a bit much like we did on the record (‘Different Beings Being Different’) with songs like Set it Straight and Reasons. ‘Tops’ was probably influenced by us trying to add dynamic, and groove, and giving some thought to the textures we could play with on the song. How did you go about writing 'Tops'? It came out of being basically naked (not literally) and vulnerable in front of the nation’s critiquing ears on the national broadcaster, Triple J, where we did a cover of “You’ve Got the Love” (first performed by Candi Staton, and later reinterpreted by Florence and the Machine) for JJJ’s ‘Like a Version’ segment. It is truly an honour to get a shot at the LAV challenge, and such a massive milestone for us as a band. But, of course, despite the giddy heights of the experience and an overwhelmingly positive response to the tune, one can’t help but take personally the inevitable potshots at your attempt, or your appearance, or your voice, or your playing. ‘Tops’ is about taking all that unfounded negativity and trying to live in the sunshine in spite of it. Where and when did you record and who with? We demoed ‘Tops’ at Monkey Moon Studios in Dortmund, Germany while we were touring Europe last year. Then we returned to Twin Earth Studios in Adelaide (where we did the album sessions) and got Dylan Adams (DMAs, The Vines) over to produce and engineer it again. Dylan has ears of gold, and knows when the performance is just right. He’s an absolute asset and a truly wired in individual. Richard Bowers was around for the sessions tinkering with some guitar tones too. Why did you choose to cover Florence & The Machine? We wanted to attempt a pop song with a huge vocal delivery, to challenge ourselves and also to stretch our ability as a self-professed garage-rock band. I hear that you all have interesting and varied jobs, what do you do for work away from music? I was working as a law clerk whilst going through uni and immediately out of it (probably six years total), but when things started moving a bit quicker with West Thebarton I took my leave from the office (definitely miss my old boss Tim though). These days I take photographs for bands’ press and publicity, design websites, labour on festival sites, sell things on Gumtree…you know, an array of interesting things that take my fancy that I can scrounge some coin from. How do you juggle your day jobs with your music / touring? Sometimes it’s like juggling 7 rapidly spinning flaming knives – we’ve got a tattooist, a radiotherapist, hospitality workers, a Red Cross employee, a music education and community engagement worker… basically we’re a working band, making it work. So touring is our release from a lot of those other pressures. Us 7 (plus Nick Astanei our photographer and Michael Ellingford our sound engineer) out on the road is what we really work for, I think. To be able to take music on the road is the dream. In 2018 you toured Europe (Reading/Leeds/Pukkelpop) what did you find most rewarding and challenging during this tour? Most rewarding: seeing how far hard work and unity can take us. Most challenging: sleeping altogether in a coach with earplugs in every night. How do the European crowds differ to your Aussie fans? Whilst we are definitely still emerging in Australia, we were pretty much unknown over there. So the fans were new, and it was exciting to be playing to people who may have read about us in a festival program or seen an interview and come out to check us out. Rock fans are outsiders these days, it’s not as in vogue to listen to or play guitars, but regardless of where those people live, the commonality is that rock fans, especially our fans, are adventurous and are looking for something with less polish. I think that our old fans here and new fans there enjoy the mongrel of our shows. What do you like to do away from music? I like to read, and I’ve recently been getting back into it. I read Black Elk Speaks as told to John G. Neihardt the other week and it just kick started my imagination and love of books again. It’s been some time since I’ve had a still enough mind to be able to take anything in. I picked up a copy of The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru in the airport coming back from India late last year, which I’ve been attempting, and like everyone I know I’ve got a stack next to my bed about waist high of books-in-progress: there’s a few music books like Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azzerad, a Murakami, some self-help books, all sorts. Who are you listening to at the moment? Right now I’m listening to: Turnstile, Fugazi, 808 State, Orbital, Mildlife, Miles Davis, Thought Gang and heaps of techno (it helps me concentrate). But I came across this band today who have one song out I loved listening to, who are from Brighton in the UK and they’re called GURU. They’re really carrying that torch that was set alight by Fontaines D.C. and IDLES who I’m also really into. What do you have planned for 2019? We’ve got a tour for ‘Tops’ coming up throughout Australia in May and June, and after that we’ll keep drilling down into these songs we’ve been writing, piecing them together, getting happy with them. And just getting on with our lives – trying to do our best in all aspects, y’know. Any secrets that you care to share? I’ve got a whole saucerful, but perhaps another time. Favourite food and place to hangout? Thai food, at home.

WEST THEBARTON

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I grew up in and am based in Melbourne. Besides being an incredible city, I'm constantly so grateful for how supportive and collaborative the creative community is here - so many of the people around me are constantly sharing each other's work. There's so much going on in terms of music as well, with heaps of young creatives regularly taking the initiative to get together to put on gigs. How did you first start playing music? I grew up as part of a Hare Krishna community, in which music is a huge part of worship, so was exposed to lots of incredibly beautiful music from a very young age. I started singing there when I was about 13, then started writing my own music, outside of my spiritual upbringing, at 18.  What have you been working on recently? I've been spending a lot of time lately writing for a second EP, as well as working on some concepts for some visuals for my first release. I've also been working with some friends to put together features on some tracks of theirs.  You've got a new EP in the works, what has been influencing the sound and songwriting for the EP so far? I've always used songwriting as a sort of outlet for my real world experiences, so this EP has been drawing on a super emotionally transitional period I've been working my way through. I think my recent state of mind has also had a pretty formative impact sonically - I want to write songs that I can cry to while also wanting to dance. Lots of early 2000s-inspired angsty pop moments. How has the songwriting for the EP been taking place? Little phrases come to me at really random times, and I've got a folder on my Notes app where I write them all down. It's the same with melodies - they'll hit me so unexpectedly, and I hum them into my Voice Memos. I'll then usually dedicate an evening where I piece bits together to form a song.  Do you have an idea of where you'll record and produce? I'm working with my friend Balaram, who's a producer based in northern New South Wales, so I'll be flying up there in a few weeks to record. You also have a music video on the way, what's been happening so far? At the moment, just lots of conceptualising and story-boarding! Because it'll be my first music video, I'm trying to make sure I'm 100% happy with how I imagine it in my head before I start filming. I'm working with some insanely talented local creatives on it, so I'm beyond excited. You're working on some features on tracks by a couple of your friends, please explain: I'm not sure if I can say whose tracks at this stage, but it's such a cool experience to add your own creative input to somebody else's project. Sacred almost. It's an experience that's new to me, and one that I feel so grateful for.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Lots of Robyn, lots of Charli XCX. What do you like to do away from music? I do a bit of photography and creative direction. It's a creative outlet I get so passionate about; although there's a whole lot of planning involved with every shoot, it moves a lot quicker than music does, so it's a sort of semi-instant creative gratification. Any secrets that you care to share? Not at the moment! I like working quietly until a project is properly ready. What's planned for 2019? Aside from music related releases, lots of work, a Europe trip, more work, and a potential India trip. Favourite food and place to hangout? Most days it's anything vegan and involving fettuccine, and Indian food when I'm travelling and homesick. I love Melbourne's northern suburbs - Fitzroy and Northcote in particular. There's always so much going on around there, arts-wise, and the people are so lovely and so switched on.  https://soundcloud.com/tunesbykavi IG: @karvesh  Facebook: facebook.com/tunesbykavi Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GmuVIS9CdJkdAmbwu1yV1 Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/train-tracks-and-bad-dreams-ep/1453034712

Kavi

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm based in Brisbane and the music scene is fantastic here. Theres such a variety of talented upcoming acts, and a really wholesome supportive vibe between everyone. I can't get enough of collaborating at the moment and it'll be amazing to see where people finish up in their careers. How did you first get into music? Originally I wanted to be a professional soccer player, from the ages of 5-20 to be exact. I even went and played over in England and in China, but I got two huge injuries back to back which kept me on the treatment table for a combined 2 years and 2 months. During that time I spent injured, I felt super isolated because I had built my life and friendship groups around soccer. I was super bored and stressed because my injuries kept being misdiagnosed and I didn't know if I'd ever recover. Since both of my parents were professional musicians we had guitars lying around the house, and I had some rudimentary skills, so I started writing songs to get some of my anxieties out. Then I started doing gigs to make some money on the side, and found that I actually enjoyed writing and performing music more than any career I could hope for in soccer. You've recently completed an EP, what influenced the sound and songwriting? So a while ago I thought I had met my future wife. It sounds melodramatic but if you've ever had that feeling when someone walks into your life and totally turns your world upside down over night, you know where I'm coming from. We quickly became best friends, but after a while it became obvious that she didn't see me in any romantic context, and that was really hard to take. We actually didn't part on the best of terms, although that's fixed now. After getting some distance from it I think I'm a better person from the lessons I learnt about myself during that time, about who I am and not changing to fit someone else's mould. The other souvenir I have were some songs I wrote about the unrequited love, and I thought placing them all together on an E.P would be a nice theme, to give people a bit of insight into who I am and where I've come from. After all, venting and connection to others is why I started writing in the first place! The sound is very much of my early influences, Crowded House, Jeff Buckley, Plain White T's, early Ed Sheeran, The Killers. How did you go about writing the music? The songs didn't come at first, I think the whole drama was a bit much to digest, but then honestly they came in all different ways. One I was jamming on a guitar at uni, another I was thinking in my bed late at night, one I was driving home from a singing practice and another I found an old chorus fragment which I hadn't used! Where and when did you record? Down in Coolangatta last year at the end of winter. I remember because the days we planned to do vocals I came down with a cold! Aria winner Govinda Doyle produced the EP, how did you come to work with Govinda and how was this experience? Govinda was recommended to me through a friend, and I remember just feeling like we were on the same wave length with the song production. I had spoken to a few producers at that point, and they were really good, but Govinda started laying out suggestions for the songs and it was like he was taking the words right out of my mouth. He's an amazing instrumentalist too, he actually played drums and bass on all the tracks. I knew he'd be good because he's won ARIA's and produced hits with Angus and Julia Stone, but seeing it in person was really something else. What programs/instruments did you use to record? Bass, drums, and a string section! Other than that nothing too crazy. Govinda's got an epic collection of guitars, amps and pedals so mucking around on his Fender was a treat. How did you approach the recording process? Nervously! We had demos, reference tracks and did a pre-production day, but I think I wasn't as helpful as I could've been because I didn't trust the quality of my ideas. However, during the weeks between pre-production and actually recording, a friend and I released a bedroom produced song that got played on commercial radio in Queensland and Sydney! So I took it as a message that my production ideas could have validity too, and felt much more at ease after that. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the recording process? Wanting to get the perfect takes was hard! As mentioned before I kept getting sick because of the long days where I'd drive from Brisbane to Coolangatta and back after every session. Our poor violin player had a terrible flu when he recorded his parts for 'Look Away'. The most rewarding part was hearing the tracks go up another level from the demos, and it was a really profound thing to hear melodies and lyrics that I'd made up in my head actually come to life in a studio. I'd recommend that feeling to absolutely everyone. Who are you listening to at the moment? Billie Freaking Eilish. I think she's getting famous enough now where an anti-mainstream backlash will hit her soon, but credit where it's due Billie and her brother have some serious talent. I was reliving vintage Arctic Monkeys and Panic at the Disco the other day too, in case someone's just come out of a coma and hasn't heard of them. What do you like to do away from music? I tutor a Burmese refugee family in English, and honestly it's the highlight of my week. The 3 kids are all school age, and their exuberance and energy can really bring you out of a mood. The benefits are definitely mutual, and the whole refugee situation is something I feel very strongly about. Also for a long time I was volunteering at the AWLQ animal shelter near my house, but I've just put a pause on that while I finish my music degree. Other than that I'm a bit of a home-body, or just hang with my close friends. I really want to go somewhere in music so I try not to get too distracted. What makes music special to you? I think I'm a passionate person, and music is one of the few joys in life that really gives people a transcendent experience. It connects people across the world, and across the centuries. Music saved me in a lot of ways. I play it down but I was in trouble mentally for a while during my injuries. I love being moved by music, and I love when people are moved by music I made. It still blows me away when a song I wrote that is special to me winds up also being special to someone else. Any secrets that you care to share? I'm currently answering this instead of working on 3 uni assessments that are due next week! Oh also followers of my social media will get a chance to hear a bunch of my unreleased music very soon! What's planned for 2019? I have my single launch on May 16th, and the rest of my E.P to be released. Later in the year I have another E.P to follow it up as well, and I'm applying for touring grants down the East Coast. I'm finishing my music degree and will hopefully be able to channel that free time and education into my career, it feels a bit like I've been fighting one-handed so far. You're playing Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane on May 16, what do you have in store for this show? It's a bigger, better show than my first single launch. I love Black Bear as a venue, it was my first choice for the show with a great room and stage. I really pull out all the stops for my launch shows, so we've got dance bangers, saxophone, heaps of feature artists, new songs and new arrangements of old favourites. I also don't want anyone to miss out on attending so you can actually choose what price to pay for your ticket! I'm asking for $10 but live your life. I've also got two award winning opening acts in Annie Joelle and Hoo Ha Hipsters so it's really the place to be! Favourite food and place to hangout? I've recently stopped eating meat and dairy, so I've been constantly starving working out the new diet. Anyone on a similar program should try the Deliciously Ella recipes online or on the iPhone app. If you want a great place to eat, hit up Eat Street Markets. I used to play shows there all the time and the port next to it actually inspired the opening lyric in my upcoming song 'Look Away'. Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/HarryPhillipsMusicAus Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/harryphillipsmusic/ Website- https://harryphillipsmusic.com.au

Harry Phillips

What is your name and role within Vesper Green? Hey, my name is Nick Ashby, I am the singer songwriter and guitarist in Vesper Green. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Currently based in Brisbane Australia. the music scene in Brisbane is small but diverse. I'd say it's a supportive scene and the most exciting thing is that recently there seems to be a whole bunch of new bands really starting to do something more unique instead of replicating a particular style exactly as it was. How did you first start playing music? I first started playing music when I heard Nirvanas nevermind. I know its classic response. and Nirvana really isn't our biggest influence. but that was the album that inspired me to pick up a guitar in there beginning. that and Eric captions "cream of Clapton" album. How did Vesper Green form? Vesper Green formed between guitarist Chris Fleming and myself. born out of the ashes of our previous band, we were keen to keep moving forward. the other two members auditioned later that year.  What have you been working on recently? Well we recently finished recording a couple songs for our EP. They are currently in the mixing process and hopefully will be ready to be mastered soon. apart from that we've actually got a whole bunch of new material in the works. so definitely not short on creativity at the moment. I think we'll continue to prepare the EP and play many more shows, before we announce tour later this year. You had your show at the Zoo on the 13th of April, how do you normally prepare for gigs? The work that goes into the show in the weeks leading up are the hardest. constructing a set that not only flows well, but creates an emotional journey can be so draining sometimes. at the end of the day, as well as being Artists, we are Performers. so theres a lot of work that goes into representing the music justly in a live setting. What influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Sub Solar'? Sub Solar is just a big conglomeration of influences. Definitely ones that people wouldn't expect. id says huge part of Sub Solar was based on sounds coming out of the early to mid 2000's. you could name bands such as Bloc party or Queens of the Stone Age for instance. but the song really is there to portray an array of emotions felt through a panicked journey.  Where and when did you record and who did you work with? We recorded with Josh Wilkinson if Burrow Studios' in his studio in Samford and a hidden gem of a studio, deep in the forests of Mt Glorious. We recorded it October last year. Bryce Moorhead mastered the final track for us. we really enjoy working with Bryce and Josh as a team.  How do you usually go about writing music? Usually the riffs and ideas come to me while I jam by myself and once I have a basic outline I'll bring things to the band and we'll work on it from there. But usually I have an idea of how everything should fit together and how things should sound, so it's pretty easy to put everything together.  What programs/instruments do you use? We record everything on Protools, however we usually run it back through an analogue tape machine in order to get that nicer authentic analogue sound. in terms of gear we have an array of amps we record with from Marshall Jcm800, Peavey 5150, Vox AC30 and Fender baseman's. We Generally use Fender Guitars. most of our rhythms were done using a Fender Mustang, while the leans and leads were done using telecasters and Strats. otherwise our rhythms section uses the good old drums and bass guitar. not too different from a classic band setup.  Your debut EP is on the way, can you give us an idea of what influenced the sound and songwriting and what we can from your first EP? I Think since we've taken such a long time to produce an EP. not for lack of songs, the songwriting has has time to mature. you can expect to hear diverse range of influences in our new tracks. The main kicker is that its something that you can't find anywhere else. its music you can hear the influences in, however has our own sound to it. our own feeling. its something that is designed to hold its own. As a band we struggled to get into our own scene as there really isn't anything else like us in Brisbane. so we were either too heavy for the rock bands, or not heavy enough for the metal bands.  In these harder times, how do you stay motivated with work and music? Music is the motivation for my life. it is what I do constantly. so its never something I lose motivation for. and work is just something I do in order to push my music career further. so motivation really isn't a problem. we all have make sacrifices for what we want. you just have to decide how far you are willing to go.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Listening to a hell of a lot of Frank Carter & the rattlesnakes, Dinosaur Pile up, LTNT, Queens of the Stone Age, RAAVE TAAPES,  Billie Eilish (just because I can) and Ecca Vandal.  What do you like to do away from music? Im never away from music haha. but I guess traveling gets me in another zone. I enjoy the fresh experience of being in a new environment. Having lived all over the world growing up. its slightly comforting to keep moving. I especially enjoy Africa. it bustling with life and the wildlife is insane and leaves one in absolute awe. Any secrets that you care to share? Vote for Sub Solar in the Brisbane city councils QUBE Effect competition. ( opens in June) and you could see us at a major festival this year. What's planned for 2019? An EP, A Tour + many other shows and More recording.  Favourite food and place to hangout? Favourite food is some sweet Italian Seafood Ravioli, and id say one of my Favourite places to hangout is Crowbar Bris, the Brass Bell in Cape Town, South Africa, and The Montreux Jazz Festival, where I'll be working this year in Switzerland. so come hang out whenever haha.

Vesper Green

What is your name and role within Lucifer Gunne? I'm Rory McDonald, Lead Vocals and Bass-playing thing. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We're all in Wellington, New Zealand, and to be honest, we have an awesome music scene over here. Bands like Pale Lady and Ego Valve are amongst my favorites from the capital and should definitely be checked out if you want a taste of the action. How did you first start playing music? Unless you count Guitar hero at mates places, it would have to be a drum kit that my parents got me for my 6th birthday. My dad was a drummer so I thought that gene of talent might've been passed on to me, unfortunately it must've skipped a generation, so at 7 I moved on to the guitar and I haven't looked back since! What have you been working on recently? We're currently all prepping for our first national tour, so we're really just getting our set down and adding in some new tunes that have not yet been heard (unless you've been in a 10 metre radius of the office we work in), so we're all pumped for people to hear what we have to offer. Who are you listening to at the moment? At the time of writing this interview I have Madvillain by Madvillainy on in the background, however on a day to day basis it's a mix of Boris, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Primus. Your new single 'Energenetic' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? I gotta tribute a lot of that song to the sound of IDLES, specifically their most recent project "Joy as an Act of Resistance". We wanted to make something that was very chaotic and I feel like we achieved that pretty well. As far as the songs meaning goes, I can mainly attribute that to the people in life that irritate or irritated me a lot, and is just a bit of a silent jab and a release of aggression. Where and when did you record? We recorded at Elysian Sound Studios in October of last year, it was such a fun time working with the people of that studio, and I think our visions for the track were captured pretty well by the crew there, so big props to them. How do you usually go about writing music? It really does vary from song to song, but it'll either be me or Don (one of our great guitarists) who will write a riff or sometimes full track to bring to practice, and we just see what sticks. What do you like to do away from music? Honestly a lot of what I do outside of music does relate back to it in some form, whether it's going on walks and jotting down song ideas, or making some sketches when I get writers block, I just like to stay creative and take inspiration from everything that happens around me. What do you have planned for 2019? Defintely some more singles on the way for you, maybe even an album, who knows! This upcoming tour won't be the last time you see LG on the road this year either, and we can only go bigger and better from here. Any secrets that you care to share? I don't like to get anyone's hopes up, but I definitely think it's time to pay our friends from across the ditch a visit, don't you? Favourite food and place to hangout? You can never go wrong with a burrito man, and if you don't think so, then I respect your opinion of you but you're wrong. I checked out this sick place in town yesterday called "The Ballroom", good place in Wellington to drink beer and play pool with mates after a long day at work. https://lucifergunne.com/

LUCIFER GUNNE

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I am based in my hometown Nice (south of France). Actually, we have seen recently a lot of artists coming from Nice like The Avener, Feder, Hyphen Hyphen. The music scene here is growing very fast. How did you first start playing music? My father was the first true inspirational figure for me as he let me very young listen to his vintage Vinyls from Bob Marley, Queen, Pink Floyd etc. That’s when I decided to choose Music as a way to boost my inspirations. How did you learn how to produce? I've had the chance to work with great friends’ producers who learned to me a lot, so I could also look and manage it myself. Every day since then I work to improve my skills and transform as much as possible the ideas into new tracks. Who are you listening to at the moment? At the moment I’m into the fabulous album Of Billie Eilish, it’s a masterpiece, otherwise I’m more of an 80’s guy, since little and till now I’m always a big fan of the pop Music from that time. What do you like to do away from music?  I love to hangout in my hometown, it’s such a pleasure to live here in south of France next to my family. Hanging out with my dogs or watching soccer with some friends it's something that I love to do. Where and when did you produce/record? Actually, the story goes way back like 6 years ago…Back in the days Larry handed it to me the acoustic original version of Free Like A Bird, after listening to it I knew already what to do with it. With Larry’s great collaboration we gave the track another shot and shaping into something groovier and more electronic. Who did you work with on this track? I Had the collaboration of my little brother from another mother Arthur Rémond on this track, he spiced it up and included some amazing vibes on it, and last but least course Larry Lynch my friend the singer of Free Like A Bird who did and great job with the vocals. You've recently signed to Warner Music, how did this come about and how has the experience with Warner been to date?  I would like to give a special thank you to Sylvain Baudier my Co-Producer on this project, without him we wouldn’t be doing this interview. It is a dream coming true to share my music to the world. I remain grateful also to Warner Music via the Elektra Label to trust in me. They've been really carefully and full of good vibes with me. What do you have planned for 2019? I’m working already on some upcoming tracks with some new artists, it’s really exciting and of course we are already planning a tour. Any secrets that you care to share? I can say that we should always follow our dreams and trust in ourselves, I’m more than confident on this one ;) Favorite food and place to hang out? I recommend in my Hometown, “Marinette “in the old town a super good restaurant, Le Délibo as well with a fabulous brunch and La Fabrik Bistrot in Beaulieu, it’s the restaurant of my brother Jerémy Vernevaux it's simply Delicious!

Chuck Wonderland

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I am currently based in Eindhoven, a city in the south of The Netherlands. How did you first start playing music? I first started when I was 14 years old. I played music with my cousin at family birthdays and started to experiment with DJ’ing in their basement. From there on I got more interested in playing and producing music and figuring out how this worked on my own. Who are you listening to at the moment? I am currently listening to Droeloe a lot. I really like the creativity and originality of their sound. I also made a playlist on Spotify where you can see what I am listening to as well! What programs/equipment do you use? My main software is FL Studio by Image Line. I run this on my gaming laptop, which is a real necessity to keep my projects from running slow. When I’m on the road I usually produce my music on my headphones, but when I am in the studio, I have a nice big system on which I can produce my tracks. Please tell us about your relationship with music and sleep: Sleep, what’s that? I usually sleep during the day and produce music at night. I feel that at night my creativity comes to live. Also, during the day there are so many distracting impulses that just kill my productivity. Who have been your favorite artists to work with and who would you like to work with in the future and why? David Guetta and Martin Garrix for sure! They supported me very early in my career and always believed in my sound. They also helped me a lot and giving me the chance to make music with them. How did you find your own sound? Finding my own sound took a very long time. I remember the days when I was just sitting in the studio for hours on end, trying to get down the smallest details. So right now, I am still a perfectionistic, but I have a good workflow that makes things a bit more streamlined. I found my own sound by experimenting a lot with different samples, genres and plugins. Don’t be afraid to try something new and don’t listen too much to other people. What do you like to do away from music? I like gaming a lot and hanging out with my family and friends. I bought a Nintendo Switch that always goes with me on tour. This way I have some entertainment for long flights. When I get home from touring the first thing I always do is go to my family and friends. It’s really nice to have some solid people in your life when everything around you is moving so fast. How do you approach remixing? I usually start working with vocal of the original track. Just start experimenting and see what I can do with the vocal. When I have a good idea for the drop, I get into my normal workflow of how I produce most of my tracks. I go bottom to top, so this means I start with my bassline and kick and then work my way op to the melodies of the track. How do you decided which track it is that you’ll remix? I usually get asked by the label of other artists if I would be willing to do a remix for them. If I like the track and see possibilities to make a remix that’s suitable, I will start working on it. How did you learn how to produce and remix? Like I mentioned before I got into music together with my cousin at these family birthday parties. I also got more and more into producing music and started to figure it out on my own. At one point I ended up using FL Studio and never stopped using it. At the age of 17 I started an education in sound design, which I finished 2 years later. This really helped me in understanding the technical part of music production. What do you have planned for 2019? There are a lot of things on my agenda. I am playing Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, Parookaville and I have my first residency at KAOS in Vegas. Music wise, I am currently working very hard on finishing my new tracks before the summer kicks in. At this moment I unfortunately can’t share anything about my new releases, but if you watch my live sets you might hear some new ID’s. Favourite food and place to hang out? My favorite food is Asian food, especially the Malaysian cuisine and Sushi from Japan. My favorite place to hangout is the studio. The studio is my comfort zone where it’s just me, my creativity and my laptop.  When I’m not in the studio I love to hang out at home with my friends. Just to get away from the hectic of all the clubs and festivals.

Brooks

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Technically I’m based in Melbourne but I’m travelling so much these days I don’t know where home is. The Aussie music scene is very indie dominated which I love. It’s driven by JJJ where you’ll get anything from Billie Eilish to Flume. When I’m home I get so much inspiration from the music there. How did you first start playing music? I started learning guitar when I was 8.  Who are you listening to at the moment? I love Billie Eilish. Her new album is incredible. In the dance space I love what Duskus is doing. He did a remix for DROELOE recently which is out of this world. What do you have planned for your S20 performance? A tonne of new music! How do you prepare for each show? A beautiful dinner followed by a shot of fireball. Who are you looking forward to seeing play at S20? Unfortunately I’m in and out of Bangkok so I won’t have the chance to see many people play, but I’m stoked to see Fatboy Slim. He’s a legend. I caught some of his set at Tomorrowland but have never seen a full show. What have you been working on recently? Music music music. I took a few months off touring over the Aussie summer to rethink the whole project and finish a bucketload of new music. You present Dirty Disco Miami, please tell us about this experience and what you found most rewarding and challenging? It was the first time I’ve held my own party in Miami. There are a million parties going on every year in Miami so I was super nervous about hosting my own night. Having CID and Autograf on the lineup was such a buzz for me, as they’re artists I’ve always looked up to and admired. The night was a complete success and something I definitely want to do again in future. What do you like to do away from music? I love cooking. When I’m not on tour I work on music out of my bedroom, so cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner has become my creative break time. You wouldn’t believe how long it takes me to craft a toasted sandwich. Recently I’ve been getting into swimming every night. It’s like creative cocaine for me. Not that I’m into cocaine. It’s such a good escape from the madness and always leaves me itching to get back into the studio when I’m done. What programs/equipment do you use? I use Ableton Live. I mostly work in the box but will incorporate my own guitar and vocal too. Any secrets that you care to share? Then they wouldn’t be secrets! What's planned for the rest of 2019? I’m finishing up my debut EP. It’s nearing completion now and I’m so excited for the world to hear it. It’s a real departure from what Throttle has been in the past and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s all sounding. Favourite food and place to hangout? Pad Thai! It’s scary how much Pad Thai I consume on tour. My favourite country to visit is Japan. Switzerland too, it’s a wonderland there.

Throttle

The Matchstick Skeletons x The Partae What is your name and role within The Matchstick Skeletons? My name is Neu Mannas, and I'm the singer of The Matchstick Skeletons. Does the Vancouver scene affect your music in anyway? Those who know me, know I'm a studio rat. Spend most my time in a windowless room nibbling on the cables 'till I get electrocuted. And at that point I just hope the red light was flashing when it happened, so it got recorded. But that being said there's a lot of great musicians in this town and collaborating with them / seeing them live can help bring new energy into songs where there might have been a void otherwise. Think about the song "I'm the Dog" on 'The Know-How EP.' When that was coming together I got help from 2 of my favourite singers on the planet. Jasmin Parkin & Krystle Dos Santos sung with me on that tune and ma ghaaaad, they're unbelievable. How did The Matchstick Skeletons form? We came from the ashes of my last band Head of the Herd. Matty played drums, and I sang in that group. It was clear the two of us had a musical connection and when that band took a bullet, we got right to work on this. Found Ryan & Cole and it feels like the band I've been trying to make since I was a kid. I'm a happy boy. What have you been working on recently? Shhhhhh....But....We....Might...Be....Recording something..... Who or what influences your sound and songwriting? My 2 favourite singers on the planet are Nina Simone and Ray Charles. There's nothing 'perfect' about the delivery but gaddam if you don't feel every word. I try and take that passion and put it into everything I do. It's not about technical precision, it's about feeling. And if you feel something, then you've succeeded. Music wise, I fuckin' love funk music. And the rhythmic elements of those tunes have had a huge impact on me. How did you first start playing music and singing? I played piano growing up cause I had to. But when I hit 12 or so I picked up a bass and started my first band. It flipped a switch for me that never unflipped. From that moment I knew exactly what I was gonna do 'till I die. And I haven't died just yet! Did you get music / singing lessons at any stage? I took bass lessons when I first picked it up. From a dude missing a thumb but who could still slap with the best of them. Singing wise I really just zig zagged 'till I found my voice. Then when I had to start touring for months at a time I worked with a coach to keep me from losing my voice when we'd do a pile of gigs in a row. Who are you listening to at the moment? Funkadelic, Grinderman, D'Angelo, and Billie Ellish have been in high rotation this week. You've recently come off of a tour, what did you find most rewarding and challenging? The tour was a dream. As well it was a trip. We were on tour while there was only 1 song out in the world. Regardless, we had people singing along by the 2nd chorus to tunes they'd never heard before. It was magical. We covered some Prince, some Bowie, and some Nancy Sinatra just for the helluvit too. Your voices harmonize magically on this track, please tell us how 'I'm The Dog' came about: First off, cheers. We love singing this song. Especially acoustically, the words really get to shine. It started as a synth loop I was considering for another project but when I picked up the guitar, the vocal melody poked its head out. At that point I knew it'd be a Matchstick Skeletons' tune. The lyrics to me are the centrepiece, and the harmonies built around the lead were done by Jasmin Parkin (mother mother) and Krystle Dos Santos. Any day I get to sing with those gals, or Ryan/Cole, is a good fuckin' day. 'I'm The Dog'has a light orchestral feel about it, what effect was used on the guitar pedal? It's basically a mellotron emulator on the flute setting. I keep the wet signal pretty high cause I don't want it to feel campfire-y at all. Where was 'I'm The Dog' recorded? We did the live version at Hipposonic studios in Vancouver, (same place we did the drums on the album). That room has a lot of history, I love recording there. How do you usually go about writing music? Oh man, that's a loaded question! I've never really done 2 songs the same way and had it work out. I write loads of poetry (like i've got stacks of full books), from that when I've got the emotional capacity to, I carve through it and see which things work as lyrics (cause lots don't). In the meantime I put together instrumentals with the band and then we get in a room and see what fits where ya know? Any secrets that you care to share? Ryan and I once went to 15 shania twain shows in a row. What do you have planned for 2019? The Know-How EP just came out so we're spreading the good word on that. A handful of gigs should be getting announced as we roll on through the Spring too. And shhhhh....but....maybe....more...music....will....be....released. Favourite food and place to hangout? You can't pry us away from the noodles of Vancouver. If you ever need to find us. We're in a food coma in the corner booth at the many noodle delivery locations around town.

The Matchstick Skeletons

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm living in Japan.  There are tons of music scenes here in Japan, but when I say techno, I think people are getting interested in more experimental or minimal techno than before.  And it is really nice to me! How did you first get into playing and producing techno? I've never DJ in my life, but I really love electronic music.  When I had an electronica band, I started to compose and singing. After years, I met my producer and gave me a chance to touch vintage synthesizers.  After I started to touch old school rhythm machines(808, 909) or analogue sequencers, I felt this is really fresh and I though I can make tracks forever!   What have you been working on recently? I'm making galcid's 2nd album right now.   You have a new Melting EP on the way, please tell us what or who influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP? Hummm...I've never though of that.  But Squarepusher is my hero! What programs/instruments did you use? I used TB-303, TR-8s,  and eurorack modular systems.  Hisashi, my producer, recorded on logic and edited in there.  How do you approach the use of your equipment when recording and in contrast playing live? When I use my equipment at live, I try to make a vibe to move body.  But recording is not only that, people keep listening. So I tried to make the scene in your mind, but not only try to make your body.   Did you work with anybody during the recording/production of 'Melting' ? Hisashi Satoi.  Where was the studio located and what was the space like? The studio is in my house.  The studio is surrounded by old synthesizers.  Please describe how the tracks on 'Melting' came about and what process you follow to produce each track:   Usually, I don't use 4/4 beat much when I do galcid. But when I played 4/4 beat and TB-303, I felt the beat deviation but it was not.  It was interesting, so I kept recording.   Who will you be releasing with? You've focused specifically on Acid, why is this? this is my new project, "lenacid".  galcid is more experimental and industrial.  I love Acid music, and just wanted to focus pure Acid music.  What is it about Acid that you love and how is it different to your work in the past? The sound of TB-303!!  I always use modular systems for galcid. There are harmony with TB-303 with something.  But lenacid use only TB-303, rhythm machine, and a few modules.  It is very simple set for lenacid.   Who are you listening to at the moment? My tracks for 2nd album! Any secrets that you care to share? The cable I'm using is 40years old.  Hisashi made this cable when he was jr.high.  This cable make this good cheap sound.   What do you like to do away from music? sleeping or watching movies What do you have planned for 2019? I have some schedules to do live and workshops in China, may be in the US. and of course in Japan!! Favourite food and place to hangout? Old Japanese Izakaya(tapas).  I love the atmosphere.  like Bladerunner!!

Lenacid

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like? I am actually living between LA and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland at the moment. Currently I’m in LA and have been for the last couple of months and I think we all know how insane the music scene is here. So many creative people collaborating and supporting each other and there is always something going on. I can’t wait to spend more time here and to get to know the place a little better. How did you first start playing music? My dad is the reason this whole music thing started for me. He was in bands as a drummer his whole life and growing up, made sure I knew how cool being a musician was.. He taught me the basics on his acoustic guitar and drum kit and after that I just became obsessed with it. You've just spent the past month or so writing and recording in LA, what or who influenced your writing during this period? Yeah I set up a little home studio in my room in West Hollywood and I’ve just been in my own head a lot. I would say the change of scenery has had an impact on my music. Really I’m just trying to keep my head straight, not focus on what everyone else is making and to just keep doing me. How do you usually go about writing music? It’s different every time. A lyric that pops into my head can start the process or even a drum loop that I come up with. Most of the time I just get this overwhelming feeling of inspiration that forces me onto my laptop and I just start messing around. What were some of the most memorable times whilst on this latest LA trip? Other than keeping to myself in my little studio dungeon, I’ve met some really inspiring people who have done amazing things with their life. I’d say getting to spend time with people like that has been really beneficial for me and a really big eye opener. You have recently been on tour with fellow Aussie Dean Lewis, how did you come to be apart of this tour? Dean’s a really good friend of mine and has been for a few years now. We met before all of this craziness and his success in a small studio in Sydney. He was rehearsing for a showcase and I was recording a new song. He heard the guitar riff I was trying to write lyrics to, let himself in and starting helping me out. Since then I’ve done a bunch of tours with him and really gotten to know him. He’s a fkn legend! What did you do on this tour and what do you most enjoy about being/going on tour? This tour for me was really about exploring these beautiful cities in North America, getting my music to as many ears as possible and finding my feet in this part of the world. Honestly I’m just so grateful to be able to travel around like that, meet new people and see all kinds of shit at such a young age. My parents didn’t have that luxury growing up so I thank my lucky stars everyday. Your new track Down Side Of up is out now, what influenced the writing for this track? My mate and I were unsure whether to write a happy or depressing song, so we kinda did both. I’m also a big fan of bands like ‘Ball Park Music’ and ‘San Cisco’ so those vibes could have been subconsciously coming out of me. How did you go about recording Down Side Of Up? We wrote the song in about 45 minutes in my bedroom and then I spent the rest of the day tracking the instruments in. That’s my favourite part so let’s just say I had fun that day.. What have you been working on recently? Heaps of new songs and my live show predominantly.. And I’ve been attempting to go to the gym but I’ll keep you posted on that one. I’ve also finished up a new song, ’Take Our Time’ that is coming out very soon. Who are you listening to at the moment? Jon Bellion’s new record ‘Glory Sound Prep’. That shit is hectic.. Because I’m a producer, I obviously obsess over the production and it’s next level on this album. What do you like to do away from music? I love to go to the movies. Like way too much aha. I dunno, there’s something really peaceful about it for me. Any secrets that you care to share? Ummm there’s new music in April And May…. What do you have planned for 2019? Music, music and more music. Then shows, more music then maybe some more shows! Favourite food and place to hangout ? Burger and fries... and the studio. Ideal scenario is eating a burger and fries in the studio..

Jack Gray

Party Dozen

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m based on the Central Coast and have been since I started playing. It’s a bit of a hub for singer/songwriters with a lot of markets and pubs to come through in terms of gigs. That’s certainly how I got into playing here, and there’s a define creating culture as lead by local organisations such as Musicians Making A Difference. How did you first start playing guitar and singing? I first sang when I was 8 years old at my school in a Michael Jackson tribute show- where I wore a black wig and sung ABC. I started playing guitar and writing songs at around the same time when I was 12, almost immediately after getting into busking and market gigs around the coast. What do you most enjoy about music? The two main things I enjoy about music are writing and playing live. I love lyrics and music and get such a fulfilment out of playing my songs to an audience and connecting to a crowd. That feeling has only amplified further since playing with my band in Indy Linzbichler and Grace Labrum. Who are you listening to at the moment? I love singer/songwriters with Bob Dylan probably being my biggest influence in music... I’ve been listening to quite a lot of Paul Kelly recently and just in awe at his lyricism and storytelling. What have you been working on recently? My Thoughts EP that I am so proud to have released now has been my biggest project recently. From writing these songs, to arranging them with the band, recording and the processes that are involved with that have had my biggest attention. I’m so keen to hit the road and play these songs live with the band. I hear that you built a recording studio with some of the money that you won from Australia's Got Talent, where did you build the studio? The studio is built in Berkeley Vale on the Central Coast about 20 minutes from my house. It was such a fun experience building that up with my Dad, and definitely more rewarding to have a sense of pride in the space. How did you go about designing the layout of the studio and what programs / equipment / instruments did you include in the initial setup? The roof is slanted which is great as it stops the sound bouncing around as much. We put in bass traps and sound foam which helps a bit too. There’s a drum kit there and amps for bass and guitars. I use Logic Pro X and have a few cool plugins too. Do you work with anybody else during recording sessions? I work solo and also with my band, but definitely keen to have more people come over and collaborate!  What have you been up to in the studio since it was setup?   As soon as it was set up the band and I played a gig there which was sold to the 30 people capacity haha. That was a sick night to preview some of the songs of my new record. It’s been amazing to have the studio to write, practise and record demos. I’ve been up there every day and it’s such a great space to have for rehearsals with my band too. What are your future plans for the studio? One of the songs off my EP I recorded myself; so I’m definitely going to continue to get better at recording and production and write songs there every day. We’ll probably do more gigs there for fun and look to build the gear as well. You had a contract with Sony, how was this experience? It was definitely a great learning experience and I’m still grateful to Sony. I guess I was looking to have a more long term plan around the music I wanted to release, which has been quite different to the usual ‘TV show’ path. I think ultimately this is why I’m now independent, which for me means I can release the music I want to make in the way that holds the most value to me.  You have a new EP 'Thoughts' coming out on April 5, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP? This Thoughts EP has been hugely influenced by my experiences over the past few years. From feeling like I’m owning my music more now and my own personal spiritual journey. Lyrically, the songs go into my opinions on things such as the psychology of a hater, expressing honesty and passion, and allowing myself to contemplate and question things such as the education system and politics to name a few. Musically I’m largely influenced by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley and Arctic Monkeys.  How did you go about writing the music? I wrote these songs in my bedroom by myself, which made it all the more interesting to hear how it came together with the band. I wrote usually lyrics and music together, as I feel it lets each compliment the other.  Where and when did you record and who did you work with? I recorded Thoughts with my band at Studios 301 with Tim Carr at the end of last year. He mixed 2 tracks and the other 3 were mixed with Gus Bonic of Emerald Point Studios. What do you have planned for 'Thoughts'? The 5 track record is something I’m extremely proud of. Planning on pushing this with a couple of tours around the country, and also video series that explains some of the lyrics and themes behind the songs.  What did you find most rewarding and challenging during the songwriting and recording process? It’s definitely rewarding when it all comes together in both a writing and recording sense. Some songs instantly feel good and others take time to grow. There were aspects of getting the mixes right that I found challenging but ultimately I’m stoked with the final product. It was also challenging to capture the emotion when I went to re-record ‘Letters’, which is why a live take of that I did in my bedroom is what is on the ep.  You're going on tour soon, where are you headed and what can we expect from these shows? The band and I will be playing shows at: Sat 6 Apr - Avoca Beach Hotel (Central Coast) Sun 14 Apr - Going Off At The Swamp (Central Coast) Sun 21 Apr - Seaview Tavern (Woolgoolga, NSW) Fri 3 May - Some Velvet Morning (Melbourne) Sun 5 May - The Newsagency (Sydney). Also dates for June/July to be announced. Can expect a variety of both riff-driven band songs and also more intimate singer/songwriter style with poetic like social commentary. We love to have a lot of fun and interact with an audience, so each show will bring something new!  How do you prepare for each live show? We do a lot of practice together as a band at the new studio... but for me personally, I try to make sure I’m healthy and connected to the purpose of the show.  On top of everything you are also in your final year of High School, how do you manage your school and music / touring? Music is definitely my main priority and I treat school as a bit of a blessing to learn things that I feel are beneficial to me. I do what’s called ‘pathways’, meaning I can do the HSC over a few more years to give me more time to dedicate to music.  What do you like to do away from music? My biggest passion outside of music is definitely surfing. Whenever I get some free time or take a breather from music I always turn to the ocean. I live across the road from the beach, so it’s a huge part of my life and identity.  Any secrets that you care to share? I couldn’t be more open and honest than I am in my new Thoughts EP, so my music reflects as honest as I can be.  What's planned for 2019? This EP is a big tick off my list for plans this year, along with the shows we’ve got coming up. I’m really keen for that. Will finish this year of school and write a whole bunch of songs to work toward the next record.  Favourite food and place to hangout? I love pineapple and hanging out in my studio or the beach. 

Fletcher Pilon

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I live in Denver, Colorado! Born and raised. The music scene out here is amazing. There's such a large demographic for any genre of music, and with all of our amazing venues including Red Rocks, it makes it a great place to experience a bit of everything.  When and how did you first get into producing and DJing? I got into producing when I was about 17 or 18, late in highschool. I was accepted into a digital audio production program that my school was a part of, so for all of senior year, I spent half of each school day at another campus studying recording and production. I didn't really get into DJing or live performance until a few years after that when I started realizing my music could become something more. I learned to DJ just as a way to perform the music I had written.  Who are you listening to at the moment? La Bouquet is a band that have been on heavy rotation for me lately. It's not really Dance/EDM, but then again I don't really listen to a lot of electronic music in my own time anyway. I've also been listening to a lot of music that I used to listen to back when I was in high school - lots of pop punk bands like We The Kings, Saosin, Yellowcard, etc. You recently teased your new collaboration with Slander, ‘Potions’. How did this collaboration come about? They actually hit me up not too long ago, and sent over the vocal of the song asking if I had any interest. As soon as I heard it I fell in love with it and we started working on it immediately.  Where and when was ‘Potions’ recorded and produced, and can you give us a little hint as to when you might be officially releasing this one? Not too sure where the vocal was recorded/mixed, but the rest of the track was produced in both my home studio as well as Slander's studio! And as far as a release date goes, not sure how much I can say other than it is coming, and soon :)  You have previously collaborated with Illenium, Seven Lions, Dabin, Matthew Koma, 3LAU and others.  What do you most enjoy about the collaboration process? I think my favorite part about the collaborative process is learning to trust other peoples’ instincts and letting them take the reigns with certain things. Its easy to get to a point in producing where you feel like you know what you want, and how you want certain things to sound, but I've found that some of the most rewarding sessions and songs have come from giving up some of that control and seeing where the other artist takes it.  Are you working on any new collabs at the moment? I am! Quite a few actually, but not too sure which ones will turn out and be released so I really can't say too much about them :)  You've just finished 25+ stop Wide-Eyed tour in January 2019, selling out numerous venues.  What did you find most rewarding and challenging about this tour? The biggest challenge really turned out to be the most rewarding aspect in the end for me. From the beginning of the tour, when I was still figuring out what I wanted to play and how I wanted to play it, the hardest decision for me was to decide to stay true to myself and only play my music, rather than add in a bunch of other peoples music to add to popular appeal or energy to the set. My music, when compared to most music in the scene today, is arguably quite chill. I decided that I wanted my set to reflect that, and before the tour started I was worried it might either bore most people, or leave them feeling like there wasn't enough energy. Based on the responses I got through the end of the tour, I'm SO SO happy I made the decision that I did, and I’m glad I focused more on the meaning and feeling of the set and music rather than how "hype" or "heavy" the set was.  You're playing S2O Songkran Music Festival in Bangkok, Thailand in April, which artists are you most looking forward to seeing whilst at S2O? ((other artists playing are Fatboy slim, tiesto, Steve Aoki, 1788 L, 3lau, bassjackers, netsky, robin schulz))  There are so may amazing artists on the lineup, but really looking forward to seeing another 3lau set, as well as 1788L. Also really hoping to catch Netsky. I've been a huge fan for years and have never seen his set! What can we expect from your S2O set?  Expect a lot of my own music! I'm not an artist that people come to for the heaviness and opportunity to head-bang for an hour straight. I focus much more on the musicality and the vibe, and simply hope to leave the audience feeling a little happier and maybe even younger. I want them to smile and realize how easy it can be to simply be nice to one another, and forget about all the hate and negativity in the world, even if its just for a moment.  What do you have planned for 2019? I've got a lot planned for this year! A lot of festivals to play this summer, but any time I get at home will be focused on new music, as well as starting on a second album and of course some collaborations here and there.  Favourite food and place to hang out? Favorite food is a tough one. That answer changes weekly for me. Lately I've been craving pasta. Specifically chicken alfredo.  What can you be found doing whilst away from music? Honestly not a whole lot! Mostly video games. I've been trying to find things to do outside lately. Frisbee, kicking a soccer ball around, hiking... I've been noticing how much time I've been spending inside my studio and feel like I need to make more of an effort to get up and out for a bit.  

Said the Sky

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Phoenix, Arizona. It's kind of a terrible and ugly city but there are still gems - Sun Trio, Treasure Mammal, Roar, Gene Tripp, Glob....I've never been good at defining a music scene.    How did you first start playing music? My mom played guitar. One day I just picked it up. I think I was 14. I wasn't into learning covers. I liked making up my own songs.  What have you been working on lately? Ard Eevin is my new project. I've been working on it with Ryan Breen who helped engineer my last record. Ard Eevin is Gaelic for "beautiful heights". So hopefully the record doesn't suck. I'm pretty sure it'll win us a Grammy. We finish mixing it this May. Please tell us about the collaborative nature of your recording process and why you choose to record this way: Some times I day dream about changing art forms....maybe a solo gig, like painting. But with music, it feels better to include others - "Here, make it yours too".  Where did you record most recently? At Water Works Studio in Tucson, AZ with Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth). He's playing drums on the Ard Eevin record.  What is it about the magic of the first take that appeals to you most? The more takes, the more you think. Like that Tony Robbins quote, "In your head and your dead".  Who are you listening to at the moment? I'm always listening to The Bee Gees and Tom Petty.  You use incidental noises through out your tracks, please explain why you do this: My husband took me to see Wolf Eyes while I was making that last record. During the show I got freaked out by the noise and thought a demon was trying to possess me. I had to walk out of the venue to calm down. A week later I realized noise was cool, that a demon wasn't trying to posses me, and that I wanted to experiment with scary sounds.  What or who influences your sound and songwriting? I'm not always sure. I can really hear my influences in my older records. But more recently, I just hear me. But maybe fast forward in time and I'll feel or hear differently.  How do you go about choosing which songs to include on an album and which to leave out? What ever feels right. I want to day dream. And I don't want anything to interrupt that dream. So if it doesn't flow, nope.  What do you like to do away from music? I like hanging out with my cats. Sometimes I ride my bike or take long city walks. I like getting lost in the aisles at Target. They have neat stuff. Probably one of favorite things to do - buying a lotto ticket and getting myself psyched up about maybe winning.  Any secrets that you care to share? There are two Maroon 5 songs that I'll turn up if they come on the radio.  What's planned for 2019? To keep playing the lotto and maybe win? To be nice. To play music.  Favourite food and place to hangout? I like Gracie's Tax Bar in downtown Phoenix. Stacy's in Melrose District has a good goth night on Wednesdays. Favorite food - Moira's Sushi , Federal Pizza and Welcome Diner. 

Lonna Kelley

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? For the moment I am living in Pavia, which is the city where I was born and is about half an hour from Milan. In Pavia the house techno scene is not famous at all but I am lucky to be very close to Milan which is a great metropolis and it’s full of clubs. A few months ago I performed in Milan at Magazzini Generali with Luciano and at the Armani Privè Club. It is very good to be near Milan also to travel for my gigs because the city has 3 airports and is very connected. Your productions are distinguished for their powerful, percussive and playful sound, with deep energetic bass lines and vocal sampling, who or what influences your sound and songwriting? Yes I love playing with vocal and percussions! I don't have a real inspiration, I like listening to lots of music and learning new things. I like to experiment. What programs/equipment do you use? In the studio I currently have an Elektron Analog Rytm drum machine, a Moog Sub 37 synthesizer (in love with it), a mute keyboard that receives the signal from the vst (for example nexsus, sylenth1 etc), 2 Focal Trio 6be monitors and a Motu Express as audio soundcard. Now I'm planning to buy a mixer and the vintage synthesizer Roland Juno 106. In 2017 you found success in the Beatport charts with Music On resident Leon, their record “Cant You See” reached #2 of the tech house chart and #3 on the global Beatport Chart, becoming the most played track during BPM Festival 2017. This caught the attention of Nic Fanciulli and Saved Records who signed Simone’s next EP “Halo” which also cracked the global Beatport top 10.   What do you think it is about your music that appeals to so many people? I'm really happy with the result I got with these 2 ep. Both have reached high positions in the world rankings and they have been played by many djs! It was great to receive videos of Carl Cox, Nic Fanciulli, Joris Voorn and many others who played my tracks at the Bpm Festival. It’s a huge satisfaction to see that the songs you have worked alone in the studio have reached that world stages. How has the experience been working with Nic Fanciulli and Saved Records ? Nic and Saved Records have always been a point of reference for me since I took my first steps in this world. Saved has always been one of my favorite record labels and having the opportunity to work with them has been fantastic for me. I even for a while been on the charts in the label and Nic Fanciulli posted the Ep on his social media saying that Halo was one of his favorite records of that year! Nic and I are still in touch and soon there will be more news. How do you usually go about writing music? There are days where I go into the studio already with an idea on my mind but most of the time I come in without ideas, I sit down and start to record what's on my mind until I find what convinces me. Who are you listening to at the moment? Right now I'm listening a lot Crosstown Rebels , the label of Damian Lazarus, especially the tracks of Sis, one of my favorite producers!  You were born and raised in Pavia, near Milan, how did this location shape your musical taste and career? Pavia for me was the starting point. The first time I played in my life it was here in my city for a party organized by a friend of mine. I was 17, there were 300 people and I was very excited. I prepared the whole DJ set with great care and at the end of the party the people made me many compliments and urged me to continue on this path. From that moment I began to take my DJ career seriously. In Pavia, however, as I said before, the house & techno scene has not developed, so being near Milan has helped me a lot to gain experience in this world. In Milan there are many parties and many clubs. In 2018 you performed 80+ gigs in 30 countries!  What do you find most rewarding and challenging when touring? That's what I've always aspired to! For me it is a huge joy and satisfaction to be able to travel the world and bring my music to the people. It's a wonderful feeling for me to see people dancing and having fun when I play. I really like to connect with the public and thank them for the support they give me, they are the ones who give me the energy! What do you do to relax and in your spare time when on tour? When I'm on tour and I have some free time I always try to use it to visit the cities and try their typical foods! I have always enjoyed traveling and I am lucky that my work allows me to see so many places and learn about many new cultures and people. This opened my mind a lot and made me grow on many aspects. In 2018 you had success with an EP on Elrow Music. Your new release is out now on Chicago label ‘incorrect music’ - listen here , how did you come to release with 'incorrect music' ? Now I am a great friend of Anthony Attalla (the label owner) . He believed in me right away and I've been working with his label and his Incorrect party in the United States for a few years. A few months ago we did a crazy showcase on the Groove Cruise from San Diego to Cabo in Mexico. I released on his label for the first time a few years ago with a remix that does very well on the charts and this is the first time I release an EP on the label. What influenced this release? Nothing in particular, as always I entered the studio and started recording. Where and when did you produce? If I'm not on tour I produce in Pavia in my studio that I created. I rented a spacious box and soundproofed it completely.  What do you have planned for 2019? There are many things in the program! A tour in Central America, a tour in Asia and Australia, loads of gigs in Europe. There will also be a fairly important news that I will reveal soon on my socials and that it will change some things. Any secrets that you care to share? I have some music ready to go out including a good project with a really good singer: Mikey V. Favourite food and place to hangout? I like a lot of things, I love to eat and I'm lucky to be Italian from this point of view because the Italian cuisine is one of the best in the world. I really like the risotto alla pescatora, the cannelloni and the real mozzarella di bufala. One of the places to hang out for me is Miami, I love warm places with a tropical weather. 

Simone Liberali

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m based in the inner-west of Sydney, NSW. The music scene is complicated, fertile, independent and populated by extremely talented people. As you might know, there seems to be a disconnect between the local government and artists like myself when it comes to nightlife, culture, festivals, arts funding ect. Despite this I’m constantly inspired and fascinated by the sheer quality and talent of many of the artists that call Sydney home. I’ve always been bubbling under the surface with a fairly gorilla approach to events and music, It seems more important than ever that we continue to find spaces and fill them with experiences, stories and people expressing themselves. How did you first start playing music? My dad used to play Bass in a band when I was fairly young. There was usually a guitar sat around the house and at some point I thought I’d give it a go. One thing leads to another and before I new it I was recording crappy demos on a cracked version of cubase. Your new single 'Places People' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? There tends to be a strong visual element to the way I perceive my music. I want it to feel alive. Often producers will look at a mix or sound as a static separation of elements. That approach is totally understandable when it comes to recording live music i.e guitar/ bass / ect . However electronica feels similar to animation. You’re almost limited by your imagination. I look the music as ribbons in space. They ripple, move emerge and dissipate. It’s like a reflection of energy, motion, movement, birth, death. That’s essentially what ‘Places People’ is about: feeling trapped between the pillars of birth and death while simultaneously looking at things as simply…energy I guess. Where and when did you record? I have a studio space that I cycle to most days. I feel very at home there. Took me a little while to build the wall / door but it’s looking pretty good these days. You achieved some beautiful stereo atmospheric moving sound on this track, how did you go about achieving this? 
Thanks! I’ll often have multiple synths weaving and morphing around each other. I’d say it’s a mixture of paying attention to frequencies, depth/ width of field and being open to changing these parameters over time and experimenting a bit. I tend to view each track as a moving thing so that helps. 
 Who are you listening to at the moment? Today: Chong the nomad, Snarky Puppy, Sophie, Selftape, Isy isy, Sparrows, Jaala What have you been working on recently?

I’ve actually been experimenting with drawing recently. Thought It might be fun to have a go at animating something, 822 scribbles later, my hand hurts. I’ve also been working on the install for an interactive sound work with Kieran Warner hunt at PACT theatre Erskineville for their salon called ‘Slurp’ for a work by the artist Vivienne Linsley. Also been putting together a new monthly intimate music event called “Arcadian Rhythms” at 1989, an awesome arcade bar in Newtown. You have an upcoming EP, please tell us about the songwriting and recording process for this EP and what we can expect:

Similar themes to ‘places people’. More motion, movement, sonic ribbons in space. Some catchy tunes, some weird tunes. You can expect a dynamic journey. Something worthwhile, Something only I could have made in that particular way (hopefully). The recoding process is fairly ephemeral and relative to each track but it’s all about translation and repurposing and staying limber. I was in a very transitional period during the recording process. It’ll be interesting to see how I look back on these once the dust settles.     You have a residency this March at Sydney's famous 1989 Arcade Bar, how did this come about and what do you have planned for these shows?

I thought it would be nice to use my residency at roll into something larger than myself and start fostering a bit more of a community for other local artists. It came about after performing at 1989 during newton’s King st crawl where live music essentially takes over Newtown. After a chat with the owner It seemed like a good idea to do more events like that. This month we’ve had Isy isy and Warner Hunt soon to be followed by Alon Ilsar of ‘The Sticks’ and Tru with me this Thursday. I hear that you are also curating a monthly night through April - July at 1989 bar as well, can you give us a taste of what's coming up? Yes! I’ve started piecing together a new intimate music night called Arcadian Rhythms! After the last residency it’ll roll into a monthly event. We’re focusing on local emerging experimental electronica, synth pop, art pop and beyond! I’m big on unique intimate events so I’m looking forward to seeing it develop. We’ll also be dropping live session vids to document the good times. 
I’ve got a some wonderful things bubbling away for future events but I’d rather lock in all the details before I go talkin’ about them. What I can confirm is an amazing vibe, wonderful people, an aural fizz of local talent that makes you feel happy to be here in every sense. What do you like to do away from music? Currently I’m enjoying drawing and noodling around with very basic animation. I also like to make videos, think pieces. Art stuff. I like listening to pod casts, walking around. My studio is great for just hanging out and catching up with friends, I like to do that when possible. 
 Any secrets that you care to share? Nup, none, I’ll never tell. You can’t make me. We all made a pact. I was young and reckless. You can’t prove it. What do you have planned for 2019? Making things! More music. Hopefully some collaborations. Probably a broader approach to what kind of things I create. Favourite food and place to hangout? In the winter, Pho from PHD in Marrickville. In the summer, Camperdown park + Beer + sultans table falafel kebab with fresh Chill/garlic/hummus.

Ross Henry

Where are you currently based and what is the music / art scene like there? •Currently in SYDNEY, Australia. Not really sure about any scene here although I’m sure there is one at least, if not many. I’m sure they are full of “too cool for school”cliques with top end shit talkers, social climbing parasites and of course the ever so common enthusiastic haters, backstabbers, imitators and wannabes. I really just kind of keep to my studio and to myself, well actually that’s not entirely true , I do go to art openings occasionally and a few public gallery functions here and there I suppose. The scene feels quite quiet and a bit too grown-up and drab actually. I find myself in bathrooms of dirty dive bars either writing my number on the walls or calling numbers left by other weirdos just to see if they have the courage to answer. How did you first get into art? •My grandmother used to give me butchers paper when I would stay at her place on the weekends. She told me to draw everything I saw. She herself painted many paintings over her lifetime and I recall her keeping an active studio in the back room of her hot box of a house for as long as I knew her. She didn’t call them paintings though, she called them practice boards. Whenever I would visit her we would go straight to the studio and she would talk to me about what was going on in all the pieces she was working on. She died at the age of 91 having never sold a painting. A true lover of painting my grandmother was. My favourite painting to this day is a portrait of Will Smith which she painted at the age of 84 not knowing who he was. I asked her why she had painted the “fresh prince of Belair” and she replied; “that he was an attractive young man”. She’d simply seen him in a magazine one day and cut him out and knew she just had to paint him. Her name was Josephine ‘Steele’ Lister and she was an orphan born in 1919 on Christmas Day. What have you been working on recently? •I’ve just completed a body of work where by I have altered a number of old masters’ classic paintings. Works like the “sunflowers”by Van Gogh and “weeping woman” by Pablo Picasso. Some of the other artists i have remixed include Lucien Freud, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali, Rembrandt, Lichtenstein and Degas. Upon finalising these works I began work immediately on a new series of two headed superhero’s which I am calling my “breakup” paintings. What inspires or influences your art and how has your inspiration and influences changed over time? •I am inspired by color and form as blunt and boring as that may sound. Constantly realising my work influenced by several combinations of philosophy and culture, people and history, music and technology and a large portion of disaster between. A great statement by a great painter once said, and I quote; “inspiration is for beginners, the rest of us just get to work” - Chuck Close. Id like to think that I actually just get to work most of the time. Until I find myself answering ridiculous questions like this and just have to shake my head and wonder who even bothered writing to ask such trite predictable fluff. You are originally from Brisbane, Australia. What was it like growing up in Brisbane and did Brisbane influence you and your art? •Brisbane was and still is a bit of a punish for me personally. I don’t really want to go into the details but let’s just say I’m glad I don’t live there now. I may completely change my mind one day and realise I was the problem all along but for now I’m happy to leave it where it is. Who's art are you really digging at the moment? •My own work to be honest. I really dig being in the studio. Iv always been about the work and more importantly -making it. I don’t think that ever changes. I need to be enthralled and excited about my own practice and the new developments and directions I activate. There is a world of great art that I love and get great joy from visiting on my travels and through books and the internet of course. I feel that if I was digging anybody else’s art more than my own I would’nt be doing a very good job at challenging myself. Having said that I am constantly seeing great work which makes me smile and at the end of the day I feel that if an artwork is truely great my first reaction is to smile when viewing it for the first time. I only hope my work can create a responses like these in others as much as they can do to me. What do you aim to achieve with your art? •Just that I guess - a feeling of happiness and or joy. Naturally to encourage others to seek out their own means to enjoy being creative. And of course- to echo in eternity as I stand upon the shoulders of so many so much greater and grandeur than myself. The streets play a major part of the medium where you create your art, how did you first get into street art and why do you like to use this medium to create and display your art? •I began working in the public in 1999 and have maintained a steady uncommissioned urban practice since. I like the immediacy. I like the secrecy. I like the exposure. I like being stealth. I like pretending to be drunk and/or on my phone. I like to have a plan. I like the activation of public spaces. I am a believer in the freedom of visual speech. I believe in freedom. What music are you listening to at the moment? •Mostly classical radio. Some Pusha-T. A bit of techno and the rest just rubbish. What do you like to do away from art? •Going through trash on the sidewalk. Antique stores. Shopping for flowers. I like to skateboard with my son. Eat nice food. Take walks in the gardens. Go on dates. Get dressed up. Read. Spend hours in second-hand book stores. Same as everybody I suppose. How do you know when a piece that you are working on is finished? •When something is done it feels done. Sometimes I can take it too far or occasionally in hindsight I will realise I could’ve done more. It is kind of the same thing with eating; you know when you have eaten too much right? In the same way (when you are still hungry after dinner) you realise you should’ve eaten more when you had the chance so you do the next time you get the opportunity to and so on and so forth. Painting is much the same. As we grow older and more a tune to things like eating or painting for that matter we develop a keen sense for fullness. If you could live anywhere and during any period of human existence where and when would it be and why? •Simple. I would choose now and here. I wouldn’t change a single thing. Everything is as it is for a reason. My only wish is that my children live happy, peaceful and fulfilling lives. Any secrets that you care to share? •Only that there are no secrets to anything in life when one can truely listen to the nature of goodness. To hear the great teachings of those that have gone before us would be true peace. If someday I could somehow calmly lead others with love toward goodness I’d share that secret. Too bad I’m actually more like some asshole snaking spots and calling people all sorts of fucked up in this big ass traffic jam of life for all that “do the Tao now” just yet. What do you think makes good art? •Questions like that. Or maybe answers like these. Not sure exactly. Probably a bit of this and a bit of that and whole bunch of hard fucking work I presume. Please describe your creative process, from how you arrive at an initial idea to the finished piece: •It is always a little different. When I think I have the pattern sorted I realise that it’s all a sham and I find myself back at the drawing board. So short answer: I draw, then think, write some notes, then think some more, prepare my surfaces then go for it. Sometimes the preparation is enough, sometimes it is far too much. Somewhere in between giving too much or too little of a shit I find myself facing my fears and that is where I am at my best and when I shine brightest. The product of this is what I find myself calling my artworks’ complete. And thus the whole process of working my way around a planet sized apple begins once more. Art and drugs can a lot of the time go hand in hand, do you think that by being under the influence of certain drugs that one can create great art? •I don’t think it matters whether someone is on drugs or not when they are making art. When it comes down to it at the end of the day, if someone has not applied themselves to their practice and devoted a countless amount of hours to their craft, whether that be making art or making cupcakes for that matter; if you can’t make cupcakes you definitely can’t call yourself a baker and you’re pretty much up shit creek. What drives you to create and what about the process do you most enjoy? •Seeing something new with fresh eyes. My mother’s reactions to when I try to shock her. And drugs of course. What would you be doing if you weren't an artist? •Either a pianist, an astronaut, a poet or a dead shit bored as fuck nodding off at the train station drug addict. Any words of wisdom? •Have children early. Do what you love. Favourite food and place to hangout? •Grapes/ lasagne. City centres with a skateboard worldwide. Please include links to socials and website. Website - www.AnthonyLISTER.com Instagram - @AnthonyLISTER Danger- www.LISTERdangerzone.com Google - Anthony LISTER

Anthony Lister

Second Prize

Second Prize

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m from Sydney. Whilst the lovers of live music and culture are pretty pooped about the results of the last state election, the majority of us are remaining positive and will keep fighting the good fight. The Sydney Music scene is awesome. It’s going to take a bit to stop us. How did you first start playing music? My parents sent me to piano lessons as a kid. That didn’t last too long - Angry teacher. But of course, singing was always a huge passion from when I was quite little. I started to take songwriting seriously right after I finished school. What have you been working on recently? A debut album! It’s been a long time coming so I am super excited. Life has gotten in the way at times so it’s also been a long recording process. Now I’m just looking forward to recording the next one. Your new track 'A Holiday' has just been released, where and when did you record? Early last year at The Golden Retriever studios in Marrickville. My producer Ben was in town so we took the opportunity to keep working on the album. There was a lot of different bits still to do, but I was feeling for something fresh, so we smashed this one out instead. Very happy we did. What inspired the sound and songwriting? A lot of the vocal layering comes from my love of 60s music. I’m a huge fan of ‘The Shangri-las’ and that spoken word type singing. I was after a more boisterous and ‘loud’ track that was straight to the point and got up in people’s faces. Who did you work with during the recording/production process? I’ve been working with Benjamin Fletcher on production, and Matt Landers has been recording and mixing the majority of the tracks. How did 'A Holiday' come about? In the songwriting phase, I ended up going on a bit of a rant that stems from my experience growing up in an Italian household. That’s in reference to the “A boat away from A Holiday” line. Immigrating to the lucky country and carrying traditions with them. What do you have planned for 'A Holiday'? The music video is out, and the band and I are about to start an east coast Aussie tour in celebration. Road trip! Where do you like to go on holidays? I love to explore. Somewhere in nature where I can also soak in the culture and try new things. Who are you listening to at the moment? I’ve just started getting into “The Jesus and Mary Chain” after hearing their song ‘sounds like honey’ on the ‘Lost in Translation’ soundtrack. So good. That, and I’ve also been going back over the Nick Cave catalogue. Where did the filming of the music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLT-eHaKuH8 take place? The Holiday beach and pool scenes were filmed at Port Kembla, south of Sydney. That beach is stunning in the evening- Wow. The family scenes are in a pergola in a park in Sydneys Inner West (is best). The car scenes.. well, I can’t tell you. Who did you work with during the filming and production of the music video? Adam Singer. One of the most calm and supportive humans I know. What do you like to do away from music? I love spending time with my people. And then there’s alone time on the beach, reading and writing, and I love exercise. A good power walk and practicing yoga is my thing. What was your first job? I worked at a pool canteen at the ripe age of 14 and 9 months. Super eager to get a job, I learnt how to fry potatoes and work a cash register. It was a time. Any secrets that you care to share? Eggs, parsley and breadcrumbs in your meatballs. Always. You've got a tour coming up, where are you headed? We start in Newcastle, home show in Sydney, then Canberra, Thirroul, and Melbourne. What can we expect from your upcoming shows? A pretty sweet band performing all the tracks coming off the album. What do you find most challenging and rewarding when on tour? Being an independent musician, the ongoing organisation ontop of being the Artist is pretty exhausting. Playing to new audiences and meeting new people that connects with my music is pretty tops. How do you prepare for each show? If I have the luxury of a day off, I like to do a morning warm up and then enjoy the day mostly relaxing before show time. What do you have planned for 2019? Perhaps another single release before releasing the album. Trying to take each month as they come, but the album will definitely be out. Favourite food and place to hangout? Hard one! A long brunch in a sun drenched cafe with girl friends would have to be one of them. ‘A HOLIDAY’ TOUR DATES Sat 30th March - The Stag and Hunter, Newcastle NSW Thurs 4th April - Waywards (The Bank Hotel), Sydney NSW Sunday 7th April - White Eagle Polish Club, Canberra ACT Thurs 11th April - Franks Wild Years, Wollongong NSW Sun 14th April - Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne VIC lisacaruso - Facebook lisacaruso - Instagram lisacaruso - Squarespace

Lisa Caruso

What is your name and role within The Empty Threats? Matt - Guitarist Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We're all based in Adelaide, there's plenty happening if you're looking in the right places, especially over the Adelaide Fringe which goes from mid February to mid March. What have you been working on recently? We've just released a 4-track-EP called Ablutions, we've got a video clip in the works for one of the songs, and we've got a couple new recordings that we're currently working on. Your new EP 'Ablutions' is out now via GD FRIENDS.  What influenced the sound and songwriting for the 4 track EP? The sound of the EP was pretty influenced by our engineer, Matt Hills, he's known us since very early on, mixing some of our very first shows. Matt has had a lot of success through the years so it was a pretty safe choice for us to ask him to record, mix and master the EP. The songwriting was influenced by a range of different elements, all of us have different preferences in music so bringing that all together can be difficult but I think it can give us something pretty unique at different moments. How did the songwriting process take place? We like to keep the writing pretty wide open and collaborative, we all write and play our own parts without trying to mess with each other too much. I think that's part of the fun of writing as a band, letting someone take their instrument and playing a totally different part in the song than what you would have played yourself. Coming to terms with the idea of not being in control of every part of the songwriting was a little difficult for me personally but now it feels like we've got a good idea of how to bounce off of each other. Loss of Breath and Wasted Time were actually written with a totally different bassist to our current bassist Lenny, Lenny has a very technical jazz brain and the bassist we had before had a more experimental style. Magnolia and Stubbornness were both written with Lenny and I feel like you can tell that the technicality is a little bit more of a focus in those tracks. You recorded, mixed and mastered with two time ARIA Award nominated Matt Hills at Hillside Studio.   How did you come to work with Matt? Matt has sort of been our musical Dad through the existence of the band, he's really got a good handle on how to tame the clarinet in a live setting and we're always happy to play at the Crown and Anchor in Adelaide where he is the resident engineer. We heard plenty about Matt Hills before we had approached him to record, he's got a pretty big reputation in the Adelaide scene. Please describe how the recording, mixing and mastering unfolded and what your found most challenging rewarding during each process: Because we took a year to put the EP together the styles that we approached recording totally changed from start to end. At the beginning we really hadn't seen a studio before and hadn't really gotten a grasp of how it worked, so there was a huge learning curve for us. Matt has a pretty insanely fast workflow, he'll really just record and mix on the go, most days that we went in to record a new song we would walk out with a master that sounded fantastic to us, it was only at the end of recording Stubbornness that we decided to go back and have a rethink about a couple parts of different songs. What was challenging for me in particular was sort of just letting go of control over the process, especially in the early stages of Lenny being around I had to step up in the song writing a little bit just until Lenny got settled in. I think I found it hard to know when everyone was pretty comfortable in their own roles and everything was naturally falling into place without me pushing it. Recording and mixing the end of Wasted Time was probably the most rewarding moment, we really went all out in production trying to use every sonic inch we had to make it as ecstatic as we could. What is the idea/concept behind the Ablutions EP? The whole concept of the EP mostly reflects on the changes that we've been through as a band over the past year, that's around when we started writing the songs on the EP. We also try to refer to our mental states and the state of society from our point a view, and trying to keep a positive mindset through all the bad. What programs/instruments did you use during the songwriting and recording process? Our engineer runs Cubase on his rig which is a bit different to what we've seen other people use but he's really efficient with it which makes the recording process easier. We mostly just used our own instruments and processing, it's just what we know and how the songs really sound live. We added in a bit of percussion like shakers and tambourine in the final stages of mixing to fill out some space, but mostly it was just Matt's drum kit, bass, guitar running through my own amp, vocals and clarinet. Of course the clarinet is a big highlight, we really process the clarinet and try and make it as wacky as we can, and we don't know of many psych-rock bands that include a clarinet. Who are you listening to at the moment? I'm really getting into Khruangbin at the moment, along with Pond's new album, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Melody's Echo Chamber, Boogarins, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and plenty of early Tame Impala. There's a pretty great range of new psych music coming out at the moment, and there's already plenty in existence. What do you like to do away from music? Most of us don't really have a life away from music, I'm a freelance sound engineer, Lenny studies Jazz Performance at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, Stuart (Singer/Clarinetist) plays in a couple bands and works in hospitality and Michael (Drummer) works in a call center. I guess we all have dogs, so we're probably spending our spare time hanging out with them. You're playing Thursday the  11 of April at the Grace Darling Basement | Melbourne, VIC Details / tickets @ https://bit.ly/2EOgCqe  ,what  do you have in store for this show? We're pretty excited for this one, we've played a few shows in Melbourne before but I think we're all feeling more prepared for this one which is adding to the excitement. We've got Mac Springs opening up for us and The Oh Balters playing as main-support, they spent a bit of time in Adelaide a couple years ago and have a pretty solid reputation over here. How do you prepare for each live show? We've worked out that the best way we can prepare for a show is to have a little jam before we play, not really rehearsing songs as much as getting a vibe going. We like to keep our live shows pretty open so it doesn't get to stagnant or over-rehearsed, so when we get a chance to just mess around for an hour at Stu's place before a gig we feel a lot more comfortable. Any secrets that you care to share? Has anyone seen our Hi-hat chuck? We still can't find it. What do you have planned for 2019? We've got some big plans in the works, we're looking at a few releases this year, you'll just have to wait and see. Favourite food and place to hangout? We can't go past something a little greasy (at least I can't), we love a decent feed at Lord Of The Fries when we're in the area. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theemptythreats/ Instagram - @theemptythreats (https://www.instagram.com/theemptythreats/) Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3yFZgbeIbg9UmgkOojGuGt?si=tBJRhax5TuqPPNEQmoOQNA Bandcamp - https://theemptythreats.bandcamp.com/

The Empty Threats

Kirklandd x The Partae Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m based in my hometown of Canberra, and the music scene is budding to say the least. We’re really starting to find our musical identity as a city and I’m constantly discovering new fire artists every week. It’s a majorly inspiring place. How did you first start playing music? I first started writing lyrics around the age of 12. From 14-18 I learnt to play the cello, and this has instilled a strong passion for live instruments that I try to incorporate into everything that I make. You have been very active in the Canberra hip-hop scene for many years now, how has the scene evolved over the years and where do you see things going? It’s evolved with the quality of output and level of artistry you see in our artists now. I firmly believe the reason I’ve been able to grow so much in Canberra is because of the outpouring of support I received early on – and this has only gotten stronger and more widespread over time, and more artists are succeeding because of it. Your new single 'Impulse' Ft Zellow was released on Feb 14, where and when did you record/produce this track? I produced the track with my producer Cam Bluff mid last year. We worked on the early idea for the song, and throughout the year I conceived the world I wanted to create around the song: its visual aesthetic, the look and feel of the video, and what you experience when you see the track live. You worked with Cam Bluff (Amy Shark, Allday) & Citizen Kay, please tell us about the creative process between the three of you that brought us Impulse: So Cam and I began the early idea with the instrumental; the soaring piano chords, electronic instrumental, and the Black-Panther inspired bongos you hear in the track. I had this immediate reaction to the beat of a feeling of a pained attraction, which led to the track’s concept. I brought the project back to Kay in Canberra, and we had a heap of creative meetings about my delivery, the structure of the song and exactly what we wanted to communicate. I think we really captured a feeling that’s reflective of the zone I was in when I wrote the song. What inspired the sound and songwriting? The lyrics were inspired by personal experience; the highs and lows you feel when being impulsive and returning back to an old connection, kind of painting a picture of what this feels like. The sound is very uplifting, haunting and emotive, and all of this channels from the moments Impulse was birthed from. What have you been working on recently? Honestly, a heap. I’m really working to define what my sound as an artist is this year, so collaborating with as many people as possible is the primary goal. On top of that, the next project to follow Impulse, which I think is going to be an exciting turn that brings in more of an 80s vibe. You've just become an Australian Artist Ambassador for Global Citizen, what does this entail and how did this come about? I want to always use my platform to inspire those around me and draw attention to things that matter to me. Global Citizen is an organisation that encourages people to become a direct part of the change they hope to see in the world, by taking direct action in areas that matter most to them. Signing petitions, sharing online articles; these are all rewarded actions that are directly contributing to global change. I was invited to perform at GC’s Louder Together documentary screening in Sydney last year. It was narrated by Hugh Jackman, and showcased the artists they had performing at their festivals overseas: Jay Z, Coldplay and Rihanna to name a few. From there, I learned more about the organisation and I strived to become more heavily involved – I’m excited to show my fans what they’re all about and how they can become directly involved in resolving a number of global issues. Who are you listening to at the moment? I’m listening to a record called Trouble in Paradise by Elhae. It’s a soulful project that explores a turbulent relationship over an acoustic-trap soundscape, and its music videos are shot solely in Cuba. You can tell some artists take their time with their melodies and writing, and this is a strong example of that. What or who influences your sound and songwriting? I’m influenced by my conversations with people. I love learning about how people explore and nurture their mental health, what inspires them, and identifying that drive that I feel everyone has for what they truly want. I try to channel a lot of truth in my writing and that comes firsthand from my interactions with those around me. What do you have planned for 2019? To take things to a whole new level with my creativity, live set, and the release that’s set to follow Impulse. Favourite food and place to hangout? Garema Place Pho, Canberra. As for my best hangout: Kay’s studio, The Hive.

Kirklandd Interview – Canberra winner for the triple j Unearthed Groovin The Moo comp

How are things mate? Below is the answered questions for the Heads & Tails INC interview we agreed. I’ve attached their artist pic to this email and at the bottom put some social media links. Let me know once the interview is published and I’ll make sure it gets a share on socials :) 1. Who makes up Heads & Tails INC, and what part of the world are you currently based in? Heads & Tails INC is a duo based in the surroundings of Barcelona formed by Xavi Martí a computer engineer, and Marc Trepat an architect. 2. For those not already familiar with your sound, how would you describe your music genre? We don’t really have any specific subgenre that we would classify ourselves in, as we are trying to cover a wide range, but techno is probably the simplest way to describe our sound. We love trying different things to discover new vibes, and we have done tracks ranging from dub to industrial techno, but we are always exploring ideas for the next releases. 3. How do you guys know each other, and what got you into music? We both met in the surroundings of Barcelona, in a club where Xavi was initially playing. Marc had a doorman friend in that club, and he would visit him every week to say hello and have a chat on the street outside the venue before the club opened its doors for the night. One evening when Marc was chatting to his doorman friend he heard some music from the club that caught his attention, and the doorman let him inside to check out the rest of the DJ’s set. After the set, the doorman introduced Marc to the DJ who was Xavi. Xavi always had an obsession with electronic music since he was a kid, which turned into a love for it when he sneaked into the city nightclubs on weekends when he was still only 16 years old. The moment he saw the DJ playing he knew he wanted to learn how to mix records, and after accomplishing those skills he also turned his hand to music production. Marc has always been in relationship with music, as his mother is a classic and contemporary dancer, and his father is a jazz musician from a successful band based in Barcelona. He started studying piano and clarinet before joining several bands, but he thought this wasn’t the sound he liked, so he stopped for about five years until he met Xavi and returned to music. 4. I understand your next EP is due out on UNER’s label Solar Distance, could you tell us about how you first made contact with UNER? Our first contact with UNER was returning from the 25th anniversary of Space Ibiza during the long flight delays Ibiza usually has. Marc saw UNER just next to us, and since we are both huge followers of his work he didn’t hesitate to politely say hello. During the conversation we told UNER we were going to see him play the Ants party at Ushuaïa, and asked if we could bring him some of our music on a pen drive, which he very kindly agreed to us doing. So a month or so after that conversation, we arrived at Ushuaïa with almost nothing to show, as we had not made many new tracks, but UNER had remembered meeting us so this was the beginning of our friendship. Afterwards we started going to some of the parties that UNER played, and attended a masterclass he was teaching, so via those we kept in contact. It wasn’t until Sónar festival during the labels meeting that we eventually showed UNER our tracks, which he accepted to release in his label Solar Distance. 5. The release on Solar Distance was a lot harder and more techno focused than the label’s usual output. Could you talk us through the concept behind the EP? We knew that Solar Distance is an eclectic label with a wide range of styles, and that allowed us to be unrestricted with our own sound. The main trait of this EP is hypnotic grooves made by the complimenting patterns of the synths and drums. We tried to make those elements evolve over time, alongside with the inclusion of some background pads, and voice textures that add some organic elements. 6. Tell us a little about your writing process when it comes to making music, and are there any bits of equipment essential to your style? The first thing we decide is the energy and the mood of the track, and then we decide how to transmit that concept to the listeners. That will often be the only fixed step, as Xavi is a bit chaotic, and he may be inspired in some form or another depending on his mood that day. Sometimes the percussive groove is the first part to be finished, and from there new ideas arise when it comes to the synth sounds or background elements. Other times the percussion part comes after setting the melodic idea. Xavi initially had a studio with some synths and controllers, but ended up selling almost everything because often we work mainly with the computer and just a few plugins. Stripping it back just to a computer was a great decision, as the less equipment the more creative you force yourself to be with the few things you have access to. 7. Outside of music what are your other interests, and do they influence what you guys do as DJs or musicians? We think Heads & Tails INC couldn’t be defined without talking about the design and multimedia attached to music. Xavi is a computer engineer and his natural curiosity with new software brings him to learn in multiple disciplines that link technology and music. Things like visual designs, 3D mapping, or even creating a synthesiser are just a few such examples. Marc is an architect and is always trying to link music and architecture. The first project where he did this was an architecture school project where he conceptualised an electronic music academy where a strong correlation between the space (designed by Marc) and sound (generated by Xavi) was presented. The second collaboration between us was at Sónar Festival (Barcelona) for the Sónar+D stage. For this we presented an audio-visual reactive project where a 3D mapping show was evolving in real time based on music (bpm, frequencies, and transients), and the users movements captured by a motion tracker. We not only love music, but also how music can interact with other disciplines, and enjoy experimenting with these multimedia concepts. 8. You mentioned at the start of this conversation that you are currently based in Spain, what’s the local music scene like at this time of year? This time of the year is where everything starts coming up, and we are preparing for the summer when the first outdoor festivals like SoundEat or Brunch-In take over Barcelona and kick start the party season. Also, in the summer is Sónar Festival alongside all the OFFSónar parties that bring together local talent and international artists. We really think it’s the best and most beautiful week in the whole year of Barcelona’s electronic scene, where every spot of the city is stained with electronic music. 9. What can we expect from you in the future? Honestly, we don’t know what’s coming next just yet; the only thing we know for sure is that we’ll keep trying our best, and enjoying the process of creating/playing music. So as long as we keep this love and curiosity for music we hope this will go a long way for our Heads & Tails INC project. Heads & Tails INC's new EP on Solar Distance: https://www.beatport.com/release/arctica-ep/2517235 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/headsandtailsbarcelona/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headsandtailsbarcelona/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/headsandtailsbarcelona On 11/03/2019 05:08, The Partae wrote: Awesome Will !! They look great! Thanks, We will need social, website links and an image please. Chris x On Tue, 5 Mar 2019 at 23:45, Will - Mainline PR wrote: Hi Chris, Nice one :) I've written out the below questions, let me know if they are ok, and I'll get them sent over to the guys... 1. Who makes up Heads & Tails INC, and what part of the world are you currently based in? 2. For those not already familiar with your sound, how would you describe your music genre? 3. How do you guys know each other, and what got you into music? 4. I understand your next EP is due out on UNER’s label Solar Distance, could you tell us about how you first made contact with UNER? 5. The release on Solar Distance was a lot harder and more techno focused than the labels usual output. Could you talk us through the concept behind the EP? 6. Tell us a little about your writing process when it comes to making music, and are there any bits of equipment essential to your style? 7. Outside of music what are your other interests, and do they influence what you guys do as DJs or musicians? 8. You mentioned at the start of this conversation that you are currently based in Spain, what’s the local music scene like at this time of year? 9. What can we expect from you in the future?

Heads & Tails INC

Joe Hertz ‘Møøn ft Nonô’ https://juicebox-recordings.lnk.to/BkQ_Y 1. Where are you currently based in the UK and what is the music scene like there? I’m currently based in Brixton, London. It’s a vibrant place and has been a key part of London’s music culture since the 1950s. There’s a record shop near my place called Soul Proprietors, my friend who runs the place gets a lot of rare groove, funk, soul and hip hop. It’s always a fun way to spend a couple hours in there digging for bits I’ve never heard before. 2. How did you first start making music? I first started DJing when I was about 15, and it wasn’t soon after I found that passion, I wanted to explore making my own beats. I think my first program I was using was reason 2.5. It was the first time I found a way for me to express my ideas in my own space. I loved staying up all night making beats so I could share them with my friends, even though they were super rough and all over the place! 3. What have you been working on recently? I have recently been working on tracks for my album. Some are ready, some are still in the process. I also just got back from my first Asia DJ tour which was nuts! Had a great time. 4. What themes/concepts does your work explore? I have always wanted to draw out an emotional response from people with my music. With beat making it’s very much a personal preference / on-going experiment on what sounds and melodies to use to do this. In terms of collaborating with songwriters I always like to spend time just chatting with them about what’s going on currently rather than try and put yourself in a position that you're not really in. It’s easier to write about stuff your experiencing at the time. 5. Who are you listening to at the moment? Jengi, Wantigga, Jael. There’s a lot of good shit coming out of the Netherlands at the moment. 6. How did you meet and get to work with Nono? Like most of the sessions that come through, my management and myself discuss and find people online that we like the sound of. I met Nonô for the first time when she came into the studio. There wasn’t that much expectation, but we got on so well in the session and it was actually a lot of fun to write with her. It’s always good to work with someone who’s not just talented but who you have fun with on a personal level 7. What do you like to do away from music? Cooking a 12-hour tonkotsu ramen, it’s kinda similar to making a beat. 8. Top 5 dream collaborators? J Cole, Kaytranada, Bobby Caldwell, Patrice Rushen, Bonobo 9. Any plans to tour Australia soon? We’re looking into it for later in 2019 / beginning of 2020. I have family in Aus and there’s so much good music that comes out of Aus, I can’t wait to play there. 10. What do you have planned for 2019? Really just finishing the album, DJ’ing - there will be some US dates, and dropping singles. 11. Favourite food and place to hang out in your hometown? I love Asian food! Ramen, hotpot, Korean BBQ

Joe Hertz

What is your name and role within Beverly Kills? Alma Westerlund on vocals and synth, Viggo Mattsson on bass, Hampus Höggren on drums, and John Jonsén on guitar. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Alma: We’re based in Gothenburg. And I’d like to describe Gothenburg as an active city, musically. There’s a lot of stuff going on here. I don’t think there’s ever been a Friday or Saturday night that I’ve been bored. What have you been working on recently? Hampus: We have been writing a lot of new stuff recently. Viggo: We also recorded a music video for our next single. Alma: Another edition of our zine is also on the way! Which bands are you digging from Gothenburg? John: Terra and Tyred Eyes are two of the bands I like the most right now. Viggo: Westkust’s latest record slaps! Agent blå and Kollapse are great too. Does living in Gothenburg influence your sound? Hampus: Not for me, at least. Viggo: I don’t think it influences us, but it might be something that affects us subconsciously. Bands like Broder Daniel and Makthaverskan are very typical for Gothenburg so it’s hard to be an active pop band here without getting somewhat inspired by them. What or who influences your songwriting? Alma: It’s hard to answer that question, because I’ve never heard anything and felt “that’s how I want to sound!”. Of course I have musical preferences, but I don’t think it affects how we write music. None of my favourite bands sound anything like we do, and I think that’s good. You've just released a new single 'Revellers'. How did this track come about? John: Alma and I used to live in a shared flat with some of our friends, where we wrote our first tracks for Beverly Kills. Back then Alma still played guitar instead of synth, so all of her melodies used to be guitar parts. I sang on two or three tracks, and this was one of them. When Alma switched to synth we kept very few of our older tracks since they didn’t translate very well into our new sound change, but Revellers made it through. Hampus: We didn’t actually plan to record it, but we had some time left during the session when we did ‘Melodrama’, ‘Dreamless’ and ‘In This Dim Light’. And here we are! Where and when did you record and who with? Alma: At Welfare Studios, sometime around the beginning of March 2018. Everything was recorded with Kalle Lilja, Per Stålberg and Olle Björk. John: We recorded our debut single ‘Fourteen’ with them too, and we were so satisfied with how it turned out so it felt natural to go back there the second time around. What programs/instruments did you use? Hampus: They use Cubase for recording. Alma: I used my Micro Korg, with a Roland Space Echo RE-201. John: I always use my Fender Telecaster for everything guitar related. Viggo: And I used my Fender Jazz Bass. How do you usually go about writing music? Alma: John and I usually sit at home and write stuff together. We often record a quick demo and then we take it to the rehearsal space. When we wrote ‘Revellers’ and ‘In This Dim Light’ it wasn’t as easy to write vocal melodies, since we hadn’t rehearsed that much as a full band at the time. So I wrote all the vocal melodies at home, or on the bus at times. How did you come to sign from punk/indie Melbourne/Fitzroy label Hell Beach? John: When we released ‘Fourteen’ in August I tried to spread the song as much as possible, so I used SubmitHub for the first time in my life. We had some blogs who picked the song up, and one of them was Little Indie Blogs and Hell Beach found us through there. He sent a mail a few weeks after the song was out saying that he wanted to work with us. What's the Hell Beach experience been like so far? Alma: It’s not easy having a record label on the other side of the planet. But Luke has been a pleasure working with, and he’s given us countless of good ideas and advice how to handle our social media. It’s lovely working with someone that understands you and understands where you want to go as a band. Where do you usually go out in Gothenburg and what's a typical night out look like? Viggo: We begin at someone’s flat and drink a few beers at first, since alcohol is pretty expensive in Sweden. Then we usually hit up one of the bars at Andra långgatan, which is one of the more popular bar streets in Gothenburg. Alma: Most of our nights out are the same, but I think that’s the charm of it as well. That way it’s even more fun if something unexpected happens. You have a limited edition double single vinyl record coming out in April, what can we expect from this release? Viggo: It’s blue, for one! Alma: About eight and a half minutes of emotions. Why did you decide to release on vinyl? Alma: To make our parents proud! Just kidding. It’s amazing to have our music printed in physical format. John: But it was all Hell Beach’s idea really. Where will we be able to purchase it? Viggo: From the Hell Beach store (https://www.hellbeach.com/store/beverly-kills-in-this-dim-light-7-vinyl) and from our merch booth at live shows. What do you like to do away from music? Hampus: Watching movies, cooking and playing video games. Viggo: I love to draw and sometimes tattoo my friends. John: I like to eat good food and watching Netflix series. Alma: I’m a big fan of plants, but I’m too busy to take care of them so they always end up dying. Other than that, I like to read and to pet our bunnies that John and I have together. How did you first start playing music? Viggo: I don’t know really. Everyone I knew played guitar when I grew up so it felt natural to play something else, so I chose bass. Hampus: Honestly, I first got into playing music through the video game Rock Band on PS3. Alma: Music has always been a part of my life. There has always been different instruments around the house, but I started getting into it when I felt that it brought me so much joy. Fun fact – my first performance was at the local church, and I forgot the lyrics. I started playing guitar when I was 8, and everything that followed after that has been a way to express my creative outlet. John: I don’t know if I ever had a choice, to be honest. My father is a musician and works with production and mixing nowadays, and my mother was a music journalist when I grew up. I’m surprised that I didn’t learn to play guitar until I was 16. Alma: I’m more surprised that you didn’t revolt against your parents to become a soccer player instead. Any secrets that you care to share? Viggo: My guilty pleasure is the Instagram account @samantha_holic. What do you have planned for 2019? Alma: A lot. Viggo: Releasing more music and to play a lot more outside of Sweden. The second edition of our zine is coming as we mentioned. Alma: Drink a lot more beer, hang with more friends, write some more banging tunes. Favorite food and place to hangout? Hampus: The bar/restaurant Omnipollo in Gothenburg. Their Sloppy Joe is incredible. Viggo: Soy in Berlin. John: Eating a nacho plate at Kelly’s in Gothenburg. Alma: My killer Ceasar salad, and me and John’s apartment.

Beverly Kills

What is your name and role within the Hard-Ons? Ray, bass player, vocals sometimes Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Sydney Australia. I do not know what the scene is like here. I am 53 with two kids. All I know is that the best venues I have been to recently have been the MOSHPIT and BANK HOTEL in Newtown, The BOWLO in Marrickville and the CROWBAR in Leichhardt, all superb venues. And The LANSDOWNE in Chippendale has made a comeback upstairs with a nice room, friendly staff and a fantastic P.A. How did you first start playing music? We were all huge rock fans in the mid 70s but when punk hit in 1977, it felt like anyone could form a band and I am not sure if I would have had the courage to form a band without the advent of punk in 1977. I joined the DEAD RATS in 1982 and we changed our name to the PLEBS straight away and by October 1982 we had changed our name again to the HARD-ONS How do you usually go about writing songs? I take my smart phone with me everywhere and will record riffs and melodies on there by singing into it. Then at band practice I will insist the other members amuse me by trying to play my ideas. I usually rely heavily on other members to finish off anything I start What's been happening recently? Trying to get organised for our tour with Rose Tattoo. Mixing albums by Hard-ons, Nunchukka Superfly, and Wog. Three albums at the same time. Getting ready to release “HARDER AND HARDER” 7” for Record Store Day. It will be released by Music Farmers of Wollongong You're going on tour with Rose Tattoo at the end of March till early May, how did you come to be the support with this tour? They asked us. We are friends with them Favourite Rose Tattoo song? “ROCK AND ROLL OUTLAW” for sure What can we expect from this upcoming tour? You can leave the grind of 9 to 5 behind for a few hours and get your ear-drums pummeled beyond belief. And as you lie in bed, you will hear a constant mid-range hum. It will mean you went and had a good time What do you find most challenging and rewarding when on tour? The most challenging for me personally is when long drives are involved, such as it is the case sometimes in Europe. The most rewarding would always be the 45 minutes on stage, especially if any punter happens to come tell us that they enjoyed the concert. I find that incredibly humbling and still feel extremely fortunate that there are people who like the Hard-ons Any spots that you are most looking forward to play and if so, why? Would have to be: FRI 5 APRIL - Doncaster Shoppingtown Hotel + BABY 8 SAT 6 APRIL - Chelsea Heights Hotel + BABY 8 The Hard-ons have played Europe 19 times, Japan 6 times, USA 4 times, we have played Mexico, Tromsø on the arctic circle, Buenos Aires, Joensuu near the Russian border, we’ve played many places that I’d never ever visit but I have, thanks to the Hard-ons. But we’ve never played DONCASTER nor CHELSEA. So of course we are looking forward to that very much! We’d love to play Darwin one day What do you like to do away from music? I used to be an avid record collector but nowadays I love hanging out with my family, we have two little kids. If I get a moment to myself, I love looking after my Australian native garden, I have banksias, grevilleas, Acacias and Davidsonias Who are you listening to at the moment? THE COLLINS KIDS – a rockabilly band from the 50’s Favourite food and place to hangout? Favourite place to hang out would be the Illawarra region of NSW. I just feel very comfortable there. Beautiful natural surrounds and easy going unpretentious locals. Favourite food would have to be roasted sweet potatoes

Hard-Ons

What is your name and role within Vast Hill? Elle Kress - Vocals, Synths Adin Milo - Vocals, Guitar Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We are in Sydney, Australia!  There has been a renaissance in the last say, 3 years of great bands and song writing coming out of Sydney! We feel like the next couple of years is going to kickstart Sydney back to its former glory (at least we wish it will).  What have you been working on recently? Our first ever album "More Than You Imagined" has been taking up 99% of our time, which will be out this year!  Who are you listening to at the moment? I Know Leopard, Froyo, Not a Boys Name, Tilda, Julia Jacklin, Dent May, Georgia June, Kira. Your new single 'Heartbreaker' has just been released, where and when did you record/produce? We recorded and produced the whole song in our home Studio with an array of gear we've collected over the years.  'Heartbreaker' has beautiful spacey harmonies, delicious poppy melodies with a strong electro drum 80's back feel, what inspired the sound and songwriting for 'Heartbreaker'? Thank you! Our influences are endless, but Electric Youth would be a big one, along with Luke Million, Touch Sensitive and Lana Del Rey. What was the songwriting process for 'Heartbreaker' ? Elle: It was a quick one. I had the chords already in my head along with the chorus hook and I just sat down on logic and smashed it out until all the bones were there. I laid down drums first, then chords and bass.  You worked with super talented producer/electro artist Luke Million, how did you come to work with Luke? We have always loved Luke's music and style, and one night we were at an "All The Colours" gig at Frankie's pizza in Sydney. We bumped into another "Luke" from I Know Leopard and started having a chat about their new single Landmine and were loving what Luke Million did on their track. Then Luke (I Know Leopard) told us to contact him because he's an absolute "hidden gem" of a producer/mixing engineer. We then messaged Luke Million and he took our album under his wing. Please describe what it was like working with Luke and what took place during your time with Luke: Nothing but great things to say about working with him! He is not only one of the nicest people ever, he is so talented and easy to work with. We basically handed him over our un-releasable songs and then... lets just say... Luke is the reason we believe magic exists. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the recording and production of 'Heartbreaker' ?   The biggest challenge was not being able to hear the full potential of the song due to our lack of production skills at that time. So its hard to remain with a song that you ultimately start to lose sight of, which is where we asked Michael Chow (Froyo) and Luke for help. The rewarding part is getting the song back after a fresh set of ears have taken it to that next level so that it is finally at a stage where we are so happy with it.  How did the concept for the 'Heartbreaker' film clip come about? It was a very impulsive thing actually. Adin always dresses in cowboy themed shirts and we both love Wes Anderson and the idea just came to us to do a dead-pan-western-meets-Wes Anderson theme! Where and when did you film and who did you work with for each process involved? We filmed it at our house. We like to collect vintage furniture and stuff so it fit quite well. We got extra props from a Sydney Stylist friend of ours Brendan De La Hey, and Michael Chow (Froyo) did everything else - filming, directing, editing. What do you like to do away from music? Spend time with our 3 big dogs, play basketball with a few of our muso friends, Elle roller skates, and Adin is an awesome illustrator. How did you first start playing music? Elle: I started playing violin and piano when I was 4, so I guess thats how it all started for me! Adin: I got my first guitar on my 15th birthday, and taught myself because I was determined to be a decent guitar player because all my friends in high school were amazing musicians and I wanted to catch up. You'll be in a mini Aus tour in April 2019, what can we expect from these shows? We play with a full live band which is such an energetic vibe. You'll also get lots of exclusive listens to a lot of the songs on the album! What do you have planned for 2019? A second Single, our album release, loads more live shows and photoshoots! Any secrets that you care to share? yes, Adin's hair is real and it is 100% his own haha. Favourite food and place to hangout? Superior Burger - its a 45min drive - and it is totally worth it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFoFfJaqopA https://www.facebook.com/vasthillmusic/

Vast Hill

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm currently based in Dublin, Ireland. The music scene here is great at the minute, very diverse. There are a lot of younger people coming through now who realise that they can produce and write their own music. I had an opportunity to leave Ireland last year but I stayed purely because of the music scene here. How did you first start playing music? I was made to learn how to play a traditional instrument called the ‘tin whistle’ when I was seven. I stuck at it for a few years and then one day I heard ‘7 Nation Army’ by the White Stripes on the radio. From then on I always wanted to play the guitar. What have you been working on recently? I have been working on some tracks for a second album. The first album is yet to be released but I finished it over two years ago. I never stop writing. Your new single 'Nocturnal' is out now, please tell us why you called the track 'Nocturnal': It’s about being a night owl, someone that naturally gravitates to the night time. It’s also about being an introvert. I guess I’m trying to say the night time opens up the world and gives space to us introverts to escape the madness that is currently happening on a daily basis. Where and when did you record? I recorded the demo for Nocturnal back at the end of 2015, it’s been around for a while. After I made the demo at home, I took it to the ‘Jam Studios’ in Meath, Ireland to re-record the guitar parts and the vocals. Everything else you hear on that track came straight from the bedroom. What programs/equipment did you use? I used a basic Ipad recording programme called ‘Cubasis’. Then I downloaded a drum machine app for five euros in order to programme the drums. It was a real DIY project. What influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Nocturnal'? I have been influenced by a lot of people from Tame Impala to Mac Demarco to MGMT. The guitar is tuned down for Nocturnal to a tuning that I learned while trying to learn Jose Gonzales’ version of ‘Heartbeats’ so I guess that would be the biggest influence for this track. How did you learn to produce your own music? Trial and error! I have been writing riffs and melodies and recording them on my phone since I was 16. About five years ago I decided to record some demos for a band I was in and I never looked back. How do you usually go about writing music? It’s always changing. It could be a piano progression or a riff on the guitar. Then I’ll construct a bassline or a drum part around it. The vocals generally always get added to the mix last. How do you go about producing/recording? I usually record the basic idea first and try to build layers over it. That will usually end up as the chorus for the song. Then I sit on the idea for a while and just listen to it over and over. If I start getting sick of it then I’ll scrap it. Otherwise I’ll start to develop it and fill in the verses around it. It’s mostly done using one guitar and one synthesizer. I find limiting choice aids in my creativity. How do you capture the vintage tones and psychedelic-rock feel? The sounds come from messing around with guitar effects like phaser and reverb. I naturally write quite happy and major melodies so I use tones as a way of trying to make the music a little more interesting. You also have a new album to be released on April 19, please tell us how this album came together: Lot’s of late night sessions in my bedroom while I was at college. I was determined to make a full album so I hung a blank A3 sheet of paper on the wall and marked it 1-10. Then I’d stick a song title beside a number once I was happy with a demo I’d finished. I went through lots of paper making that album! What's planned for the album release? The album is going to be released on Vinyl and digital download. It’s also going to be supported with a small Irish nationwide tour. Who are you listening to at the moment? I just finished listening to the new Foals and Maggie Rodgers records which are very good. There is an Irish rapper called Jafaris who has just released an album that I’ve been enjoying. And Pond have a new album out about an impending apocalypse due to climate change, it’s as great as it is weird. What do you like to do away from music? When I’m not working or doing music I like to chill out and read or go to the cinema. I played a lot of sports when I was younger so I also like exercising. Sometimes you need to tune out and do something completely different. What's planned for 2019? Releasing the album! I’ve been holding onto it for too long so it will be a weight off the shoulders to finally get it out there. Then to gig as often as possible. And finally to get back in the studio, there is a lot of new material I want to get out there. Any secrets that you care to share? If I did that then it wouldn’t be a secret. Favourite food and place to hangout? Indian and sushi at the minute. Favourite hangout? Probably my bedroom studio cave where I can write more music!

Jamie Adam

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I am currently based in Berlin, Germany. The music scene here is very colourful, there are a lot of musicians from all over the world carrying their own culture and sounds. At the same time all the big names in the music business stop by Berlin for a yearly show. The city is so special and so rich in music, I can’t keep up! What was it like growing up in Cyprus and then moving to Berlin? Growing up in Cyprus was simple and beautiful. I grew up in a small village and played all day in the yard or in the streets with the other kids in the neighbourhood. Moving to Berlin was a shock! The change from a small village on a small island into a big capital city was very difficult, it took me years to adjust to the new lifestyle. How did you first start playing music? I started playing the piano when I was about 8 years old. My uncle Elias was a tenor and one day he heard me singing and said to my parents, "Eleni sings very well, you should send her to learn music!" He paid for every music lesson and piano lesson I had until I was 18 years old You transition from a classical musician to a pop songwriter, how and why did you take your music in this direction? I was trained to be a classical concert pianist but for me, practice at home meant, 30 minutes learning the pieces for the teacher, and hours improvising and playing my own music. I never thought of it as a big thing but my personal sound was always there and kept growing with me even through the time where I was really into classical music while studying and performing...now it has taken over and it is finally out there for everyone to listen to! Please describe how you go about writing music: I don’t always have a theme or a message I want to put out there. At the beginning, I  am trying to figure out what a song is trying to say to me aswell. I let all my feelings go into the writing sessions and when I am writing I am thinking "oh, so this is how I feel"! Writing music can be a very healing process for me. How do you go about recording and producing your music? I am so bad at this! I am happy to have my 2 amazing friends and producers who did a brilliant work with the production of the album., Lefteris Moumtzis and Andreas Trachonitis. Andreas also recorded the album. I have been doing all of my recordings with Andreas since 2008. I was actually one of his first customers! Who or what influences your sound and songwriting? I am mostly influenced by relationships. The relationship with a partner, a friend, my own self, an imaginary partner, an imaginary friend, the imaginary self...! I also find nature fascinating, the moon and the stars and everything that is majestic and more powerful than me. I like to build a bridge between reality and my dreams, using my music and my songs. Who are your favourite artists from both past and present? Madeleine Peyroux, Billie Holiday, Alice Phoebe Lou, Freedom Candlemaker, James Blake, Sufjan Stevens, Joan as Police Woman, Bon Iver, Damien Rice, Sigur Ros, Notwist, Beatles, George Harrison, Eva Cassidy, Moving Mountains What do you like to do away from music? I like doing yoga, cooking or baking for friends, going for a swim in the summer, travelling! Who are you listening to at the moment? I am listening to Sam Cooke and really enjoying it! What do you have planned for 2019? We are planning a tour in Europe to present Rise Love, there is still a lot to be done! Apart from that, I have 8 shows until summer  in Cyprus, Germany and the UK. Favourite food and place to hangout? Whatever people I love cook for me! Wherever as long people I love are with me!

Eleni Era

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Interview 1986

Classic Red Hot Chili Peppers Interview 1986 !!

https://soundcloud.com/annika_zee/sets/factory-pageant-by-annika-zee

Annika Zee

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Hello! I’m from Paris, France, and I still live in my hometown. I don’t think I need to introduce the local scene since it’s one of the biggest and most avant-garde in Europe now. We’ve got incredible, worldwide famous electronic music artists belonging to all genres What have you been working on recently? So many things at once. I Just finished 3 remixes and some original tracks in the studio, I’m about to release new music …  You have an EP coming out soon on Mindshake Records (Paco Osuna’s label) how did you come to release with Mindshake Records? There were many reasons. But the main ones are is that I respect Paco as an artist and person; I like his vision and how he thinks. The second is that it made sense musically : these tracks fit Mindshake’s identity and vice-versa.   What influenced the sound for this EP? My mood of the moment, where I was, what I was listening to or watching … I’m very impulsive when it comes to producing; I follow the wind. How do you usually go about writing music? I am mainly working in my home studio so as soon as I have an idea, I translate it on my computer and put aside bits of this and that until I have a more global vision of what I want. What programs/instruments did you use during the recording and producing of this EP? I am using some hardware as the virus TI, novation mininova or the Moog Little Phatty Stage II and i use a lots of different VST too Can you tell us a bit about your label FORM Music? Form Music, which I created in 2009, aims at being a platform for talented artists, established or unknown. The only condition is that we have to like the music we receive, otherwise we don’t care about the rest. So we’ve had releases by respected artists like Julian Jeweil or UMEK, and also released amazing music by younger rising artists like JuanDDD and Celic, from Colombia, or The Reaktivitz from France.  Any upcoming releases we should know about? Valkyrie EP by American trailblazer Dustin Holtsberry is out right now on Form Music – it’s a Techno gem! Feel free to check it out on Beatport : http://classic.beatport.com/release/valkyrie-ep/2521448  Where will you be touring this year? Pretty much everywhere as usual! I’m heading soon to Miami to perform at Resistance/Ultra Music Festival, I’ve got a bunch of upcoming Form Music events around the world, a bunch of festivals as well, and some Ibiza dates as well… What do you like to do away from music? I’m a living cliché of a Frenchman so I’ll take fine dining and wine anytime! Other than that, I’m into sports a lot : running, snowboarding, boxing … What do you have planned for the rest of 2019? To continue enjoying the job I’ve been blessed to have, to keep making music, and to enjoy myself. And definitely to release a coupla more EPs  and remixes

POPOF

What is your name and role within Neon Tetra? I’m Josh the lead singer in Neon Tetra Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Adelaide born and bred. The music scene is really thriving over here and is going to have a real boom period I think over the next 12-24 months. The rest of the country is going to start hearing some big things from many Adelaide artists. How did you first start playing music?   I started playing music at a young age. I started off playing the trumpet, which I did for about 9 years. I started singing in shortly after that and haven’t stopped since. I’ve been playing guitar since I was in high school. How did Neon Tetra form? Liam (our wonderful bass player) and myself were in a high school band we formed together for a couple of years. Then after we disbanded we wanted a medium to still play music together so I made some calls and got Dan involved and we formed Neon Tetra. Your stunning new single 'Used To Be' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? This track was pretty heavily influenced with Dan’s love of 80’s stadium rock, so we kind of just went deep down that hole for this one in terms of production. Where and when did you record? We recorded this one late last year. We tracked most of it ourselves at home, and then tracked the drums with Matt Hills at Hillside Studios, who also mixed the track. What programs and instruments did you use for the recording? Everything under the sun touched this recording, Qbase, ProTools, Ableton etc. Fender P for bass, Gibson Les Paul for guitars and a Prophet 6 for synth. How do you usually go about writing music? The writing process is collaborative between Dan and myself. Usually whoever comes up with the original idea will kind of dictate where it needs to go and the other jumps in to offer their thoughts and help guide it if it ever gets stuck. It’s a really nice way to work to constantly have fresh ears processing how a song sounds. You have a tour coming up, where are you headed and what do you have planned? So we are playing Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, probably our favourite cities to play. We are also playing Whyalla and Wollongong for the first time which we are really excited for. What have you been working on recently? Basically as soon as we finished Used to Be, Dan and I began writing a whole bunch of songs which we are hoping to have together and ready to play on this tour. From there we’ll be recording those once the tour is done and hoping to drop something towards the middle of the year. What or who influences/inspires your mixed genre sound? Dan and I have very different influences. Dan listens to stuff almost exclusively between the 1960s to 1980s, while I listen to a lot of modern music. Finding the sweet spot (or sometimes the sweat spot) between those two influences is a fun challenge and with each release we get closer and closer to finding exactly how we want to express ourselves as Neon Tetra. Who are you listening to at the moment? I’m listening to a lot of different stuff as always. Lately though, a lot of Big Thief, Sharon Van Etten, Beach House, Paul McCartney and Wings, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tyler, The Creator and The Strokes What do you like to do away from music? Despite most of my life being consumed by work and writing music at the moment, I still find a bit of time to watch plenty of movies, I rewatched Interstellar for the first time in ages last night, that was a blast. Otherwise I love to sit around and sip away at a coffee and read. I’ve been reading some Nietzsche for some light and summery reading lately (haha). What do you have planned for 2019? Tour this single, record some new tracks, write some more songs to record at years end or early next year, play as many shows as possible, and have fun the whole way. Any secrets that you care to share? During May we will be working with a pretty heavyweight producer for the first time to complete our first 6-track EP. Favourite food and place to hangout? Can I say coffee? I’m hooked! I love nothing more than getting a coffee to go and sitting by the River Torrens in Adelaide and just lie down in the grass on a sunny day and read a book and listen to music. https://open.spotify.com/artist/3PfeyKMVSytMLxwZ3cATu4 https://www.instagram.com/weareneontetra/ https://www.facebook.com/neontetraband/

Neon Tetra

Ross Jenkins

What is your name and role within Being Jane Lane? Hello. I’m Louise and I pay bass guitar. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We were originally spread across Gold Coast and Brisbane, but are basically all Brisbane based now. The music scene is actually really great. The quality of bands kicking around is kickass, and people are really into the scene of live music. Your new single 'Be Okay' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? Our singer Teigan wrote this little ditty on acoustic guitar and we basically built it up from there. It’s a song about forgetting the shitty things happening in your life with an understanding that all things pass and everything will ultimately be okay. Where and when did you record? We work with Guy Cooper of Serotonin Productions/Human Records on the Gold Coast, which we have done for quite some time now. Over the last year we have been working on an album and ‘Be Okay' was a priority to record as we instantly knew there would be a place in the world for it to be a single. How did you approach the recording process for 'Be Okay'? We wanted this one to be perfect, so it was carefully structured in pre-pro before we entered the studio. Followed by drums, guitars and vocals as the icing on the cake. We are all a part of the process no matter who is doing their part. We make a pretty awesome team, adding ideas and just generally supporting each other. ‘Be Okay' was a prime example of this as it was a reasonably new addition to our set so we had heaps of room for the song to grow. Where can we listen to 'Be Okay'? It’s on Spotify! You played Big Gay Day in Brisbane on March 10, what does playing this festival mean to you? This is so important to us. As much as we love all the gigs we play, there is a special place in our hearts for playing BGD and Pride festival. Not only is it a celebration of being yourself without fear or prejudice, but there is plenty of exposure and fundraising for community organisations. We want to be out there playing amongst, and for our LGBT community. Not only are we proud of being women playing music, we are mostly proud of being gay women playing music. How did the Big Gay Day gig come about? I basically contacted the organisers, and who could resist and all gay punk rock band to warm up the crowd. We got asked back again this year and that was super flattering. You played the Hard Yards shows last year on tour with Waax, what did you find most challenging and rewarding of that tour and what did you learn from it? Well. Where do I even begin. This was one of the difficult things we have done as a band. The most challenging was absolutely the lack of sleep. We put a lot of time into setting up and packing down the backline, so it was late nights and up early again travelling to the next place. It was a huge eye opener to what big bands go through on tour. But every night we hit the stage and we were all instantly reminded why it is we play music. WAAX were so nice. And it was really cool to bond over Brisbane related things. Not only did we learn a lot about ourselves as a unit, but I think it inspired us to work harder to get to where we want. As hard as it was, we all would love to be a touring band as much as we possibly can. Playing live is our favourite thing! How did this tour change things for the band? We had so much exposure for our music and our name, and we are beyond grateful for the opportunity, and for all the people that worked so hard for us to have that opportunity. Who are you listening to at the moment? We are huge supporters of Australian music. Some of our favourites are Pagan. WAAX, Trophy Eyes, Hellions, Clowns and Totally Unicorn to name a few. The band won The People's Choice Award at the 2017 Gold Coast Music Awards and you are nominated for a Queensland Music Award this year, you've had a lot of love in your home state - what are your plans to take the band to the rest of Australia? Crazy right!! We definitely feel the love. It’s heart-warming. We have plans throughout this year to spend more time in our states. We have a tour coming up end of March/April to play the east coast, and then will be teeing another up later in the year, hopefully adding some more places we haven’t been to before. We have made best friends with heaps of bands from Melbourne and Sydney, so it’s nice to have some word of mouth and social media to give us a bit of a leg up getting our music out there. You've supported heaps of pop punk legends (Unwritten Law, Millencolin, Frenzal Rhomb etc), is there anyone left on the bucket list? Personally for me Green Day would be the ultimate dream come true support. BUT as a band our bucket list actually consists of supporting a band for their Australian tour. That’s a medium-term goal for us. It would be really cool to do that with bands like WAAX or Camp Cope. What do you like to do away from music? We like to hang out and have beers. We are all really close so it’s fun to just do stuff together outside of band stuff. We also love doggos. The band have an astonishing list of accomplishments for a band who has yet to drop a full length album - when can we expect that one? Yeah look we don’t muck around haha. Every Sunday we are in the studio working on Savage Sunday, which will be our debut album. The plan is to get it out July/August, which is looking pretty solid at this stage. It’s something we have been working really hard on, but we never wanted to rush. It’s going to be something we can all be proud of, and we hope that everyone enjoys as much as we have enjoyed writing. Any secrets that you care to share? Our lead guitarist Febe stalks celebrities. We also have a new song that might include a violin. Maybe a whole orchestra? What do you have planned for 2019? After the single tour we are really focused on getting the album out, backed up with another tour. We are already so happy with how this year is turning out, we are just going with the flow. Favourite food and place to hangout? - Ami (drums) brings a selection of cheese and crackers to our band things and this is our favourite thing. -Netherworld arcade is the best place in Brisbane…

Being Jane Lane

he Knows is made up of Teresa & Marcel, a spanish vocalist and a brazilian music producer, how did you two meet and start playing music together? We’ve met in a paella dinner at a friends place in Berlin. Since then We’ve been planning to play and write music together. We have now our own studio space and we’ve been collecting ideas and sounds since then. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Berlin is our base. Our studio is located in the heart of Berlin's creative headquarters in Holzmarkt. Many things happens in this place. The music scene in Berlin is full of creative people coming together to develop any kind of project and collaborations.This is something that is always pushing us, motivating us to create the music we love. What do you love most about Berlin? When I moved to Berlin I was impressed about the history, the architecture, the alternative life styles, and the magic of this underground electronic scene integrating all kinds of people, gender, nationalities with acceptance and tolerance: “Kein Mensch ist Illegal”. It is very interesting to learn how immigrants from all over the world are enriching and colouring the city. There is a big voice here claiming for freedom, breaking prejudices and walls, and many groups of people, communities, associations and cultural projects shaping the city. Berlin is full of dancers and many people doing what they love. How has the music scene changed since you started and where do you see electronic music going in the future? Well, in Berlin you always had the feeling that the past of the city has influenced the electronic music scene and how Berlin’s nightlife was connected to politics. The future in Berlin is a new mix every day integrating Berliners and Newcomers, you find always a bar or a venue in any district of Berlin playing very interesting music. Berlin is a showcase not only for music, but for any kind of artistic expression. Your first EP 'Distorted Images' is out now on the famous Berlin based Bar25 Label, how did you come to work and release with Bar25? In February 2018, we showed a few tracks of our production to the DJ and Producer Fraenzen Texas and he directed us directly to the Bar 25 Music Label. In the meantime, the label was curating the Zeitgeist Vol. 2 / Various Artists Compilation, which has a more 'Listening' character, and less Dancefloor oriented. Our first track Thalassa was subsequently released. Sometime in the summer, after we played our new live set at the Fusion Festival in Germany and Garbicz Festival in Polen, the feedback from the audience was very positive and we were asked about our music. The idea was to release an EP and at the same time came the call from Bar 25 Music who suggested that to us ... and so everything developed very organically. How has the experience been with Bar25 so far? Excellent. You know, this kind of moments when you are working with people and you have that feeling we all make a great team together. It's really interesting how artists like Sascha Cawa and René Bourgeois have remixed the tracks Passing Hours and Thalassa in their own style. We are very grateful that they took the time to support us. In addition, these two remixes complement our EP Distorted Images very well. Where and did you record/produce Distorted Images? We’ve written, produced and recorded everything in our studio. For the final mixing we were listening our sound and giving final touches at the Studio of our colleague and friend Zeno Mainardi, who has been also touring with us in 2018. We have also much to thank Sascha Cawa as he always gives us very good tipps for mixing and finalising our tracks. What influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP? The S-Bahn passing by close to our studio, the input on the streets, the festivals in the summer. The inspiration is everywhere and finds you for sure working, but I guess everything comes outside from the inside. The beginning is always based on the moment, on your feelings, experiences, emotions and the circumstances around us, we can’t scape from what we feel, for the good or for the bad. What are your plans for Distorted Images? We would like to create something hybrid, that fits the dance floor but not only. We would like to make something that also is a great song to listen to while riding a bike or having a good time at home with friends. Now we just want to share it with everyone and play it live as many as possible. Who are you listening to at the moment? We just released a Podcast for Bar25 including tracks we like. We also are about to release on Spotify the Distorted Images world. We invite you to have a listen. What do you like to do away from music?  Going to the beach anytime it is possible and enjoying the warm of the sun in the skin, and spending quality time with the people we love. What do you have planned for 2019? Keep on track. We are working at the moment to publish more music, we have many unreleased tracks wanting to be shared and many new ideas and feelings wanting to be expressed. We are also starting a collaboration project with Fish Eye Collective, who made our Official Music Video for the track Distorted images and Conzum.eu, to integrate images and music in the life performance. Favourite food and place to hangout? Lunch time at Katerschmaus, at Holzmarkt, every day there is a different menu and it has a wonderful terrace on the Spree river. The OMAs Coffee, which is door by door to our Studio and the cocktail bar Böckhstraße 50 in Kreuzberg for tasty drinks.

She knows

Where are you located and what is the music scene like there? Aurelia: I live in Melbourne and the music scene there is.. well, Melbourne. There’s something amazing happening literally every night of the week. Deutsch Duke: I live in Sydney and it’s had it’s troubles in the live music scene recently, but we’re getting there. It’s a pretty cool place. How did you first start playing music? Aurelia: I had an ex-boyfriend that was a musician (hence, no more musicians) and he was way more interested in his xbox than me, so I started an affair with his guitar.. Deutsch Duke: I started before I can remember. It’s always been a part of my life. How and why did you decide to come together to create BATTLEGROUND ll? Aurelia: We were working together on a bunch of tracks for other artists, and D showed me a track that he was working on for himself which was the original Battleground and I loved it. We’re both still living in the 90’s, so we decided to do somewhat of a sequel to the track as an ode to 90’s power duets. Deutsch Duke: I had written most of Battleground 1 with one of my other bandmates from Electric Empire, Simon Olsen, and Aurelia helped us finish that off. It was after that, that we decided to take it further to a sort of sequel and that’s what became Battleground II. What influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? Aurelia: Red wine. Haha Deutsch Duke: Aurelia is really world conscious, and really wanted to talk about the sate of the world and wanted to be able to write something that could bring some kinda peace. Please describe the songwriting/creative process between the both of you: Aurelia: The first time I saw D play live it was with his band Electric Empire, along side Aaron Mendoza, Jason Herrah and Simon Olsen.. Gods!!! I’ve never been so blown away by anything in my entire life, and it was a surreal experience for me to have to opportunity to work with such an amazing musician. Writing with D is always so easy and this song in particular just sort of tore itself into existence. Deutsch Duke: Aurelia is such an incredible singer and songwriter that pretty much anything I’ve ever done with her is the best thing I’ve ever done. Battleground II is a really good example of that. Where and when did you record/produce the track? Aurelia: We wrote and recorded the track pretty much in the one night. The whole thing was very frenetic. Deutsch Duke: In my old studio in Rushcutter’s Bay that isn’t even there anymore cause the building got knocked down. A lot of good old memories there. Was anybody else involved during the process? Aurelia: After we recording the track as a demo, it was ages before we decided to release it and I ended up getting my fave partner in crime Thrones who is the best, to add some live bass, a marching beat and some lush mellotron at the end of the track for a little bit more drama. I love the drama!!! Deutsch Duke: We recorded the track and I bounced it down to an MP3. After that my hard drive crashed and I lost all my files. So those guys only had an MP3 to work with, and I’m still not sure how a live bass and marching beat showed up, but I’ve learned that you never really know what to expect when it comes to Aurelia… What are you plans for BATTLEGROUND ll? Aurelia: I’ve held on to this song for ages, and I knew that when the time was right it would find it’s way forward… I’m so glad that this time is now. Deutsch Duke: I really believe in this song so much and I’m so busy working on a whole bunch of other things, but I just really want this song to be able to get the life it deserves and so I’m so overjoyed that everyone gets to hear it now. Have you been working on anything else recently? Aurelia: Yes, I’ve been hard at work in the studio working on a whole bunch of different things and I’m so excited for them to come out over the next couple of months. Deutsch Duke: Yeah I’ve been working with Baker Boy and St. Lane which has been awesome. What do you like to do away from music? Aurelia: I spend most of my spare time training my martial arts, and when I’m not doing that I’m drinking coffee and hanging with my pot plants. Lol Deutsch Duke: There’s an away from music? Who are you listening to at the moment? Aurelia: Electric Empire!!! Haha Deutsch Duke: Aurelia!!! Lol What do you have planned for 2019? Aurelia: I meditate a lot, but that’s prob a bit boring to you guys, lol, but apart from that I’m in a bit of a creative slipstream, so that pretty exciting. Deutsch Duke: My studio is at home now so I get to spend a lot more time with my family which I love, so lots of studio/family time. Any secrets that you care to share? Aurelia: Not yet… Deutsch Duke: I’m the worst at returning emails about answering Q&As. Lol. Favourite food and place to hangout? Aurelia: 2019 Deutsch Duke: The Bourbon haha

Aurelia x Deutsch Duke

Hamilton is booming right now - what is the music scene like there?  Hamilton’s a super cool scene to be a part of. My favourite part is the supportive attitude musicians have towards each other - we go to each other’s shows, show support on social media, and genuinely are friends with one another. It doesn’t ever feel competitive to me, which I find so healthy.  How did you first start playing music?  I’ve been singing and performing since I was a kid. My mom loves to tell a story where I hijacked a friend’s birthday party and told them all to stop playing, gather around me, and I would sing for them (rude). It was just in me - I don’t really remember it beginning at all. Formally, I started taking voice lessons when I was 7. What have you been working on recently (other than Dried Flowers)?  I just got a new apartment, so I’ve been slowly making it try to look like me and keep all my plants alive.  What influenced the sound and songwriting for your new record?  I’m influenced by a lot of different music - I grew up singing classical music, but also was gigging in a classic rock band, so that gives you a bit of a clue as to where I come from. Right now, the people that I seem to gravitate the most towards are those that do the same as me - that blend genres together to make something that they feel sounds like them. I really love messing around in alternate tunings (shocker: I love Joni Mitchell) but I also love the whole four chords and the truth style of songwriting, so I kind of jam them together to see what happens. I usually love to focus on the atmosphere surrounding the music, so there’s a lot of spacey guitars, keys, and pedal steel happening. My heroes seem to always come back to Joni Mitchell and Kathleen Edwards, but while recording, I also listened to loads of Kacey Musgraves and Maggie Rogers. Where and when did you record "Dried Flowers" - did the location influence the sound?  I recorded Dried Flowers with John Dinsmore at Lincoln County Social Club in Toronto. The vibe in a space always factors in a lot for me when I’m looking for studios, and John has a great setup with a classic country western vibe. John also works with a lot of the musicians I look up to (Kathleen Edwards, Donovan Woods), so I knew we would be a good fit and he would understand where I was coming from. I definitely think working together influenced the sound of the album. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the songwriting and recording process?  I’ve never edited songs as heavily as I did for Dried Flowers. Most of this record was written during a residency at the Banff Centre, where I got to work with lots of heavy hitting Nashville writers as well as many of my peers from across Canada. It was a really vulnerable and educational experience to learn how to be open with others through the writing process - I had never really let others see a work in progress, but at the Banff Centre, that’s all I did. This challenge became a reward (albeit, a trying and painful one at times) as I think I learned SO MUCH about songwriting during my time there. Who did you work with on the album?  John Dinsmore produced, engineered, and mixed the album. The musicians on the album started off with my long time bandmates, Bruce Scavuzzo (bass) and Justin Han (drums). After that, we brought others in to fill out the band - Emily Rockarts (keys) and Alyson McNamara (backing vocals) were fellow songwriters from the Banff Centre and I knew I had to have them on board. The rest of the band were new to me, but I had been following their work for years: Aaron Goldstein (pedal steel), Gord Tough (electric guitars), Rosalyn Dennett (fiddle), and Drew Jurecka (strings and string arrangements). Two of the tracks were done at the Banff Centre, so those were produced by Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Basia Bulat), and featured folks such as Old Man Luedecke, Fats Kaplin, Mike O’Brien, Rebecca Emms (TOVI), and more! This album has the longest credits list I’ve seen, I think. How do you see this record fitting into the Canadian folk rock / Americana canon?  The thing I love best about this genre of music is that it’s just stories followed by more stories - I’m now a part of that ongoing tradition of storytelling. I think this album combines a lot of old and new sounds - some tradition, some non-traditional - I like to be able to contribute in a way that can fit in a lot of different places. Who or what influences your music?  Everything! The tracks on this record all ultimately relate back to me and kind of carry on this theme of growth or self-relization, but there’s tales about relationships, living in Canada, my family, political matters - you name it and I’ve probably been influenced by it somehow. I think the tracks I wrote at the Banff Centre were all very much inspired by being there - I wrote a proper love song there (which I don’t often do) and I’m pretty convinced that only happened because of the beauty surrounding me. Who are you listening to at the moment?  I’ve been beyond obsessed with Maggie Rogers over the past year - I think it’s because of her history in folk and bringing that style of songwriting into a different genre of music. I adore so many of the artists in my scene that have put out new music recently - folks like Danielle Knibbe and Claire Coupland. Like every Canadian songwriter, I’m always listening to Joni Mitchell, and I’ve spent a lot of time listening to Andy Shauf recently too.  What do you like to do away from music?  Well, music seems to take up the vast majority of my time, so when I’m not doing that, I love to do virtually nothing - with others, or just on my own. I love spending time in Hamilton and trying new places throughout the city, as there’s so many new spots opening up all the time. I also see a lot of live music - I go to a lot of shows. It’s rare that I’m not doing something musical. What fuels your creative process?   For the most part, I tend to go through feast or famine with my songwriting. The writing I do is often very project based, so I’ll write an EP or a record, figure it out, record it, tour it, and then start again. You have to want it - to work in this industry. It is both a huge blessing and also such a strange thing to do for a living - it’s such an obscene amount of work and you have to get so used to rejection, so it has to be deep in you to keep going. The fuel behind it is a certain something that I can’t really explain, which sounds so cliche, but it’s so true. Oftentimes, when I’m stressed out or tired, I think “what would it be like if you had a Monday-Friday 9-5 job and weren’t working on music” and then I always come back to wondering what my life would even be if I did that? I can’t think of a time I wasn’t making music in some capacity, so I suppose it’s second nature to keep moving forward. What do you have planned for 2019?  This record is finally going to come out, and I’m going to play a BUNCH of shows. More on that later... Favourite food and place to hangout?  Burritos and barbecue are my favourite foods. I love to hang out with my friends or family, in someone’s house, so that we can chill out and have great conversation (and eat burritos, ha). I spend so much time in noisy places, that the quiet ones are my favourite. Probably my favourite spot to really do that in public is Bampot House of Tea in Toronto, because it feels like you’re in someone’s home.

Gillian Nicola

What is your name and role within Set Mo? We're Nick and Stu and we're the two band members that make up Set Mo. How did you first start playing electronic music? When we both turned 18 and starting going to nightclubs and music festivals we both very quickly feel in love with DJing and then that's how we met a few years later down the track. Your debut album is out now! Where and when did you record? This album was actually written all over the place. Over two years we went on several writing trips to places like country NSW and the Adeliade Hills and then also went to Europe for five weeks were we wrote in Berlin, London and Amsterdam. What influenced the sound and songwriting for the album? Many things! One of the main influences though was actually a lot of the first electronic music we got into as kids. We went back and revisited a lot of the first albums we ever owned and they ended up playing quite a large roll in the direction we took. How do you usually go about writing music? We always right together and if we're working with a vocalist we like them to be in the room when we start song, that way everyone is on the same page. We often just start with a simple idea/mood, build some chords and then go from there. Is the the end result of the album as you expected it to be when you started recording? To be honest I don't think we had a super clear idea of what we wanted it to be like in the end. The album is called Surrender and I part of the meaning behind that was us surrendering to whatever happened. We experimented more than ever before and loved the process and then in turn the end result. Who did you work with during the recording process? The album was a very collaborative process, we wrote with a bunch of musicians and vocalists. We were lucky enough to record with a bunch of artists we call good friends and admire such as Asta, Thandi Phoenix, AJ Wright, Happiness Is Wealth and Woodes. Your single 'Surrender' has received a lot of praise, what do you think it is about Surrender that has made it such a hit? When we wrote Surredner we instantly we're like 'this is the album opener'. There's something about it and the spoken word sample from Brian Eno that really draws you in and makes you want to see where you're about to go. You're heading to Newcastle to play Up Down Festival on March 17, how do you prepare for each live show? We go over the set, iron our all black and all white outfits and then just before going on stage have a shot of tequila. ;) How would you describe your live show? So the live show is currently being built as we speak. Up until now it's always been DJ sets. The live show is going to involve us playing a bunch of synths and mid-controllers on stage and then we're also bringing vocalists with us. We don't want to give away any more than that, you'll just have to come and see it. Which artists are you looking forward to seeing during Up Down Festival? Motez always throws down so that'll be sick. It's also been a while since we saw Kilter play live so looking forward to that. Who are you listening to at the moment? We listen to so much music we actually have Spotify playlist where chuck in a lot of our favs (https://open.spotify.com/user/setmomusic/playlist/1iOqKVL1ATm02hHdGW9Cbk?si=sVhapmylQj2l6wYlmdYw7A) What do you like to do away from music? We love travelling which is handy considering we spend a lot of time touring, we're right into food so whenever go to a new city we hunting for best coffee, burgers, beers, bbq you name it. What do you have planned for 2019? We're working hard on making this live show extra special for you and then we're going to spend a lot of the year on the road touring it. Favourite food and place to hangout? The Dolphin - great food, wine and beer. :)

Set Mo

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Right now I'm based in Cape Town / South Africa for 3 months and the rest of the year I will spend my time in Berlin. Both scenes are super different. in South Africa House is next to Rap the ruling sound, you can hear it on daytime radio, in the supermarket etc… it's pretty much everywhere. There is a ton of interesting producers and DJs that are incredibly talented and hopefully with a bright future. The Berlin scene..well, it's the Berlin scene.. ;) I don't have that feeling that it changed that much in the last years, it's the big famous clubs we all hope that the bouncer has a good day and let us in, and those clubs that are open for 3 days straight where the magic can happen. I'm not that up-to-date on new talent tbh, as I don't go out that much these days. The music scene is just so consistent for such a long time now and I don't think it will change anytime soon. Your third album 'Ocean' is out now, where and when did you record/produce? It all started with a track I worked on 2 years ago and it was in the back of my head for a while and after finishing a single for 'Suol' early in spring last year I was brainstorming with my producer / engineer buddy Tigerskin about doing an album that has a certain vibe / theme. So I spent 3-4 months every Wednesday at his studio and we worked on these tracks together. What programs/equipment/instruments did you use? Cubase as DAW. Tigerskin has great roland collection and tons of other interesting stuff. we used the dx7 by Yamaha in almost every song, it has this great 80s feeling you either love or hate ;). There is a guitar kick in almost every track and analog delays and reverbs for a better atmosphere. What influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Ocean'? Long car trips along beautiful coastal roads, yacht rock and metro area jamming with nightmares on wax back in the smokers delight days. The idea of creating a House album that you can smoke weed to on the beach on a Sunday afternoon, well ..kinda How do you usually go about writing music? It's always different, sometimes I work on ideas on my annual South Africa trips on the hammock and then finish them back in Berlin, sometimes Tigerskin and i just start from scratch in Berlin building a track around a sample. I love to keep it interesting and don't do the same thing over and over again. What did you find most rewarding and challenging during the whole process of putting ‘Ocean' together? Having an idea and 2-3 hours later listening to a ruff jam and thinking: yesss, this is exactly what I wanted it to be like ;) Did you work with anybody else during the recording/creative process for ‘Ocean'? D.Y.A sent me some really nice percussion / drum stems for “Junjung” and some of them ended up in other tracks ( don't tell him ;) ) He is a superb Jazz drummer and I'm a big fan of organic drum sounds. In the original track it was a sample, but it was kind of static, this now has a certain live feel which is exactly how I wanted it to be. How did you first start playing music? I used to rap when i was a kid, 15 years old. Once I started DJing in my early 20s I also wanted to produce tracks of course, so it's been a long journey ever since. What have you been working on recently? I finished a new EP for ‘Suol' and a remix for a well-known classic on classic, both out in April I hope. Who are you listening to at the moment? A lot of LA Rap music like Buddy, Jay Rock etc., lots of early 80 boogie music and lots of new cats like Dijon, Kiefer… What do you like to do away from music? Surfing when I'm in South Africa, spending time with my family and friends as much as possible, exploring new restaurants. What do you have planned for 2019? Taking it easy for sure. The last 10 years have been pretty hectic at times and I'm at a point now in my life where I prefer an easy going lifestyle over DJ gigs, lack of sleep, and travels every weekend. I still love it, don't get me wrong, but it's okay when I do it like 2-3 times a month and not Friday to Monday. and of course working on music as soon as I'm back in Berlin . When and where are you playing next? I have 3 more gigs lined up in South Africa before returning to Berlin, and then going to Istanbul, Nice , Valencia and hopefully other beautiful places. Favourite food and place to hangout? too many ;) I love Mexican food, I could eat Tacos everyday . I love this Taiwanese place called Din Tai Fung that's franchising worldwide now except in Berlin ;) They got great dumplings. I'm always down for a nasty breakfast, the one you just wanna lay down afterwards and look at “fit models “ afterwards posting their food pics on the gram and be like: "girl please..” if you know what I mean . My favourite place to hangout is the one where you have the beach, but also an urban area close, and when it's then surrounded by some nice mountains where you can go hike and it's sunny 320 days of the year, then I'm all yours.

Till Von Sein

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m currently based in Collingwood, Melbourne, and the music scene is amazing. You don’t get the title of ‘Most live music venues per head than any other city in the world’ for nothing ;) You were previously the lead guitarist of Brisbane band 'Tourism' how has the experience been after moving to Melbourne and going solo? It’s been great! In terms of the progression into solo work, I really enjoyed how fast the songwriting can happen. For a band, particularly a band with multiple writers, you know every song is a negotiation. It was lucky that there were no egos in Tourism and we all got along really well, but you know lots of songs that maybe only one person loved might never see the light of day. Being in creative control and really holding yourself accountable is great. I hear that you run a business whilst also pursuing your music, what business do you operate and what's it like juggling the two? Yes! I run a couple - Working on for the last five years, Pitchblak, a start up incubator doing our own software companies or helping other entrepreneurs with their own. Working on right now, Mr Yum, which creates online photo menus for Melbournes best cafes and Restaurants. Working on launching, Rogue, an indie label helping independent musicians get a head start in their career with some of Australias best resources. Juggling business and music is pretty busy, at times it feels like a lot, but hey, thank god for managers haha What have you been working on recently? We’re just pushing my first album, which comes out Feb 22nd and working on the launch show for March 23rd. I’m writing a few demos for the next record but only sporadically. Who are you listening to at the moment? I’ve got Andhim, Bon Iver and The National all on repeat. What do you like to do away from music? Drinking when it’s daytime, a lot. Who or what influences your sound and songwriting? Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Mark Ronson, Tame Impala and Pheonix. Michael Jackson possibly the most across this latest record. How do you usually go about writing music? I always start just with a laptop and Logic - I’m not very poetic, I can’t sit and look at a white piece of paper, the lyrics are always inspired by the sounds. I usually start with a drum beat, or a synth sound, and I’ll play a puzzle game of different sounds and decide where they should go. Then I’ll figure out the melody, do 10 or 15 different melodies, pick which one works best, then the finish off with the lyrics. What do you have planned for 2019? Album release on February 22nd, Album launch at the Grace Darling Hotel in Collingwood March 23rd, writing the next record and hopefully adding a bunch more shows to the calendar. Favourite food and place to hangout? Favourite food, definitely ramen! Best hangout spot is the roof of our old distillery tower office in Collingwood, the nicest view in Melbourne. 

Seattic

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I'm based in Byron Bay. The musicians that also base themselves here are mega inspiring for me. There's some real wizards and witches that live in the hills in the Northern Rivers - it's a special place, maybe I'll become one too in a few decades. It seems the more time I spend here the more people I discover out in the sticks. There's an incredible ukulele player and guitarist Azo Bell, he's probably one of the best ukulele players I've ever seen. Just the other day I had a jam with a great song writer named Ant Beard. Producer Jordan Power is just a lord and for fun the other day I wrote an epic tune with a local legend Vinnie LaDuce. I feel pretty lucky to be surrounded by so much creativity. The talent is endless in this place.   How did you first start playing music? It was passed to me from my Samoan mother and her brothers. I really had no idea it would have such a big affect on my life journey - I'm super grateful for it. My mum showed me how to play ukulele when I was really young. My uncle showed me the guitar and a few other uncles gave me my first log drum when I was four. I was the token musician at all the family parties so they could all sing, dance and party. It really was a team effort. You're about to drop your latest single 'Finally' - what or who influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? I like watching and talking to old people, they have so much experience. All the problems and issues that we face, they have already faced, yet we have built a society that doesn't really respect what they've been through. Nowadays it's shameful and a real drag to get old, and that really sucks. The elders play such a huge role in the life cycle - it's actually a privilege to live life, there are so many people that don't get a chance. The song started with a cool drum beat I just loved to play, then I thought I'd try something different by playing acoustic guitar rather than the usual ukulele. Once those elements were down, the whole thing just flowed together.      Where and when did you record? This was recorded at Yama-Nui Studio nestled on Kiels Mountain on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. My first demo was made in 2016 and it has been tweaked and realised between tours for the past three years. This is a brand new studio built by a very talented and good friend. It's a peaceful place and feels more like a home than a studio. It's been such a busy few years touring that it's really important to me to have a relaxed and comfortable place to create - that's when the magic happens for me at the moment. Who did you work with during the recording/production process? Paulie B (george, The Beautiful Girls) and myself have been working on a bunch of songs since 2016. We work well together and have been on a real journey creating this album - we're so close to finishing now!  What have you been working on recently? We just finished another track last week, and we are putting the final touches on the rest of the album. It's a real fun time at the moment - I've got my full froth happening. You go through all sorts of feels while making albums. The initial excitement, to absolutely hating it and wanting to start again, then you crack a few codes gain some momentum. We're putting the final sprinkles on it now.  You've just come off playing The Beautiful Girls Australian tour, what were some of the highlights and challenges that you experienced on the tour? Playing music outdoors in summer on a cruisey afternoon is always a highlight for me and we had many of those moments over the past few months. It's my perfect setting and I feel lucky to do it. It can be challenging to keep the energy high on the road. I feel like the crowds are changing a little - you see so many phones out there these days. We spend a lot of time creating a performance set with ups and downs, ebb and flow, though it's much harder to keep the focus these days. We all get distracted so easily and immediately check our phones if there's a down or slow moment. I see it during gigs nowadays and I wonder why you'd pay to see a band and spend half the show looking at your small screen. What do you like to do away from music? I like spending time with friends. Hiking. Eating and cooking. Beach time. Darts too, and watering the grass in my undies.     Who are you listening to at the moment? Khruangbin, Carry On by Willy Mason, Bahamas  Any secrets that you care to share? My first and only job (other than music) was at Target. It was at the end of high school and I worked in the CD section. I didn't like the Top 40 CD's they sold so I used to bring in my own CD collection to play through the store. One day I even brought my own recordings in and played them. Someone asked who the artist was, I sheepishly said it was me and gave them the demo CD. I think that disc might have been the first ever Bobby Alu music to get out there.  What do you have planned for 2019? Releasing this new album - should be ready to release into the world in about three months time. Favourite food and place to hangout? Always home cooked food of any kind, and always home!

Bobby Alu

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We’re all from South Manchester, still based here now. The scene is really strong, everyone has a rough idea of the history of house in Manchester but there’s a new wave of young artists and creatives right now that are doing their thing. We have a problem with venues closing here at the moment, so in turn more promoters are using unconventional spaces to throw parties in, which helps keep things diverse. You've recently launched your own label Whippin Records, why did you decide to start Whippin Records? Everything we do we make sure we keep it fully ‘us’. We’ve been working on our sound for a minute now, and we’ve always wanted our own label from the beginning, so we felt like now is a perfect time to create a platform for music from ourselves and other artists that fits that niche. During the start up process of the label, what area's have been most challenging and rewarding? As you can imagine it’s a big trial and error process, but we’ve had some dope advice from some other artists in the scene that have the experience and we feel like we’ve got it down. The most rewarding thing has been the support to be honest. We’ve had a lot of love shown since we announced the launch. We recently had a launch party here in Manchester as well, fully sold out and the energy was crazy. How did the label name come about? Whippin is a term we use for making a track. It was the name of our first solo EP and the title track. It was also our first overall Beatport number 1, and to reach that point so quickly was a massive achievement/milestone for us. We feel like it fits the label perfectly. You've just released your EP 'Wifey' as party of the label launch, what influenced the sound and songwriting for the EP? We just wanted two solid tracks that would set a precedent for the sound and direction of the label. We sat on those tracks for a minute, we knew they’d be the two we’d draw for when we came to set something up. After all the support the tracks got in Ibiza last summer from guys like Jamie Jones and The Martinez Bros it was only right. What other artists are you feeling at the moment? There are a lot of other artists in Manchester that are killing it right now, for example Reme, Renko, AJ Christou, Joseph Edmund etc. You've collaborated with fashion labels GRAMM and Adidas/Foot Locker, how has this fashion connection come about? It’s always been one of our main interests and just became our thing. AK from Gramm has been one of our boys for over 10 years and we’ve been wearing Gramm since the beginning so that link up was only right. We were in talks with Adidas/Footlocker for a while as well, we felt that campaign was right for us. It was dope working with them. We got some more things coming on our side. You have also collaborated with GRAMM on a few collections now, please describe the collaboration process? It’s a back and forth thing. We pool ideas together then decide on what the best fit is for all of us. You have an upcoming Fabric date on March 1 where you will be making your Room 1 debut, how will you prepare for this show and what can we expect? We’ve wanted to play Fabric main room since we were kids so to get the call up is a blessing. We’re going through the vaults atm making sure we’re ready, we’re going in for this. No holds barred. Lastly, what else do you have planned for 2019 that you can share with us? We’ve got some releases coming up on labels that we’ve been aiming for from the start as well as a busy tour schedule over the summer. We’ll be in Ibiza a lot and should be crossing the pond real soon so keep it locked!

Mason Collective

here are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Currently I’m based in Amsterdam but I have a studio not too far from here in Hilversum. Right now the scene is more at the festivals in the Netherlands. What have you been working on recently? Quite a lot actually! There are a few collabs coming up and I'm working on a follow-up of Bug a Boo as well. Your new single 'Bug a Boo' out now! Where and when did you record it? Yes I’m very happy with the release! The vocals were re-recorded early in the last year as it is being released as a cover. It was important to get the ‘feel’ right. I’ve tried quite a few styles as to where the song is now. What influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Bug a Boo’? The song was influenced by a more classic house style from the likes of MK, Freemasons and Booty Luv. As for the songwriting it was based on a sample and an existing song. So not much really. How has the track been received by fans? Really good actually. They can’t get it out of their heads. You just released the official music video which is very funny and has quite a unique storyline. Can you tell us a bit about it? Thanks and I’m very proud of it! I think it is something different. The director Boitelle came with a very funny idea to tell the story of who the real Bug a Boo was in the original Destiny’s Child's music video. And to tell that story in a funny way. You have a 90's influence running through a lot of your productions, please tell us about what it is about this sound that you most enjoy? As a child I grew up with a lot of music from the 90’s. A lot of my favorite songs came from that era. I guess I like to bring back nostalgia. You have a long history with Spinnin' Records, how did this relationship start and what has been the key the relationship lasting all this time? Yes it has been a few years now. At Spinnin’ I have a lot of creative freedom to try different things if I want to. What do you have planned for 2019? More music and shows. Announced on my socials soon. Who are you listening to at the moment? Sometimes I like to listen to something totally different like Smooth Jazz, Soul and R&B. What do you like to do away from music? I like to watch some movies or play games. Sometimes I like to cook. Favourite food and place to hangout? My favorite food is Indonesian and Italian. Favorite place to hangout is home. Or going to the movies with family / friends.

Joe Stone

Thanks again for making it happen. Look forward to doing more! Thanks!! Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Los Angeles, Fairfax area. If Soundcloud rap had a neighborhood it would be right where I live which is cool cause you see the new trends right away but there are a lot of copy cat artists too. How did you first start playing music and what has brought you to this point in your career? I started playing guitar when I was 9 years old, I knew even from that age that all I was going to do was music I just loved it so intensely from the beginning. When I was younger I played in a few different bands then I started rapping later on when I realized that my real passion was writing and storytelling. I’ve tried and failed a million times but I never give up thats whats got me to this point. How would you describe your music? Its a mix of hip hop, punk rock. How do you go about writing music? I try not to think about it I just get in the studio and say whats on my mind keep it authentic, for the more emotional songs I wait to feel really emotional about something then I just sit and write What or who influences your sound? Literally everything how I’m feeling to if I want a song for the crowd to go crazy to. Who are you listening to at the moment? So far gone by drake a lot and the new A boogie wit da hoodie album a lot How did the collaboration with Playboi Carti come about? I met him thru Hit boy who is a good friend of mine in LA I messaged hit boy randomly to see who he was recording with and he mentioned carti. We had just finished a new track that we thought would be perfect for him so I came thru the studio and vibed out first and ended up doing the track. You're currently on tour in Europe with Smokepurpp, what have you found most challenging and rewarding so far? Its challenging to make it to every flight on time lol I miss more flights than anyone. Playing new songs live and seeing kids go crazy to them has been most rewarding for sure. Any secrets that you care to share? Im about to drop some crazy new music that’ll change your life forever What have you been working on recently? I just finished up my first project thats going to be released in the next few months. What do you like to do away from music? I like to watch Austin powers and the matrix over and over again. What do you have planned for 2019? New projects U.S. tour and world domination Favourite food and place to hangout? Italian food 100% and my favorite place to hangout is my room with 10 bad bitches

Jack Bruno

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I live in Palermo, Sicily. A charming and controversial city in the middle of the Mediterranean, source of most of my artistic inspiration. Its art scene is vibrant and growing faster each year, and it’s rich of singer-songwriter who choose very different styles, moods and even languages. It’s like Berlin in the 80’s, but warm and on an Island in the Med. This spring you'll will releasing 'Lights', your new album that was recorded and produced by Dani Castelar (Paolo Nutini/Editors/REM) in Valencia and at Studio Indigo in Palermo - a studio that is fast becoming one of the most popular music hubs in Italy.   Please tell how what influenced the sound and songwriting for 'Lights’? Teamwork at its best. And the team includes my engineer, Francesco Vitaliti, and the band (Carmelo Drago, Donato Di Trapani and Adam Dawson). I can’t believe we’ve been together for such a short time (a couple of weeks) and yet so much on the same wavelength on the choices regarding arrangements and sounds. Everything was so fresh, I would even write the lyrics at the same time as we were tracking the final takes for the songs. The album is made up of 11 love songs, all dealing with empathy, union, betrayal, sex. The colors are shiny and lively though. How did you come to work with Dani Castelar? I hired him for my previous album, “Of Shadows”. I looked up for producers who had made some of my favorite contemporary albums and he was number 1 in the list. Turns out he was the first to answer my email, with the most enthusiasm and will to experiment. Since day one we created a bond that made him one of my best friends and the only producer I want to work with at the moment. What was it like working between the two studios in Valencia and Palermo? We did the most of the band tracking in Valencia, in a country house studio among the orange groves. We were isolated, and that made us do a great job, I guess. Most of the vocals were tracked in Palermo, in a completely different situation, as Indigo Studios are in the historical city center, an area which vibrates with people all day and night, a constant stimulus source. My songs were all about stories around those streets, so it was vital for me to daily alternate the lyrics-writing, the recording takes and the real Palermo life. What programs / equipment did you use to record? You have to ask our producer Dani Castelar and engineer Francesco Vitaliti that regarding. They’ll be happy to answer. How do you usually go about writing music? I only write about my own experiences. Love, loss, happiness, seduction… I don’t have the slightest control over my creative process. As far as I’m concerned, every song could be my last. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to have a healthy long-term relationship with Miss Inspiration. Is the end result of 'Lights' the same as you imagined it to be when you first started the recording process? I was open to anything. I entered the studio with literally no songs, except for a couple of vague harmonic ideas. The flow during the recording was so smooth that today I think this album was meant to be just like it is. There is no other way. You've been touring the USA and Europe, what do you find most challenging and rewarding when touring and is there much of a difference between touring in the US as compared to Europe? I’m very lucky, I always perform in front of audiences that are there to be involved in my world. From country to country, they react in different manners, but I always see this involvement, the aim of my performance is to take the listener out of his/her comfort zone and raise into them the same questions, fears, joys that brought me to write this or that song. I don’t want my music to be relaxing, I want it to be a soul-investigation self-practice though catharsis. I want to inspire tears and laughter, resentment and forgiveness, joy and pain, memories and oblivion. What have you been working on recently? I’m currently planning a book and a record based on Leonard Cohen’s youth, together with my friend and fellow singer-songwriter Dimartino. We’ve worked on something similar regarding Mexican singer Chavela Vargas ("the Latin-American Edith Piaf”…) a couple of years ago.  What do you have planned for 2019? Many gigs to bring the “Lights” tunes around the world. What do you like to do away from music? I love analog photography. I always have my Leica with me during my tours. Who are you listening to at the moment? The latest, amazing album by The Paper Kites, “On The Corner Where You Live”. Favourite food and place to hangout? Pretty easy, I’m Sicilian… Pasta! (I’m a pretty good cook too!)

Fabrizio Cammarata

What is your name and role within the band? My name is Josh Stewart; I guess you could say I am the captain of the ship. As the song-writing/recording component - which is a solo endeavour and exists separately from performing live with my band. I am responsible for all facets of the project, from liaising with booking agents and venues, to recording and promoting each release. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m based on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. The music scene is growing strong here, we’ve got some great festivals in the Maroochy Music & Visual Arts Festival, Caloundra Music Festival, the Big Pineapple Festival, Jungle Love and a bunch of other rad ones popping up every now and then. Venue wise I’d have to give a little shout out to Maroochydore’s Solbar, it won a QMA for venue of the year last year and has been nominated again this year. Well-deserved too because the whole crew absolutely shred. There are always rad bands playing there every single week without fail. Your last two singles ’You Never Made It Easy’ & ‘Wait For You’ have amassed over half a million streams, what do you attribute to the success of these tracks? It definitely required a bit of effort, I made sure I had a great team helping me to try and get each release as successful as possible, and I was very lucky to get some support from the editorial staff at Spotify and Apple Music. I have also been very fortunate to get support from a lot of independent playlist curators and music blogs, which are really vital to getting exposure. The Internet is crazy, if people genuinely like the song it really only takes a handful of blogs and playlist adds for the word to spread. Where and when did you record both tracks? I recorded ‘You Never Made it Easy’ in my home studio (which is where I record 99% of the time), ‘Wait for You’ was demo’d here too but sent to my good pal and producer Elliot Heinrich, who finished it up. What or who influences your sound? If I’m writing a song that has a lot of guitar in it, chances are it’s going to sound a lot like a band from the 2000s. The Killers, the Strokes, the Vines, Interpol… too many years of listening to those bands has shaped my taste, I like my guitars distorted and fuzzy. That said, I have so much music that maybe doesn’t fit High Tropics, but for the sake of this project’s influences let’s go with said bands. How do you usually go about writing music? For me the recording/writing process happen at the same time. It’s a good way to capture any ideas and see if they’re worth pursuing, but in a broader perspective there’s no set way. Sometimes I’ll write and hit a wall, and there’s been quite a few songs I’ve finished by transposing other parts of unfinished songs. Sometimes it’s far easier, like in the case of ‘Feel the Same’, I picked up the guitar and that riff and melody just came flowing out of me. I ended up tracking the skeleton of the song over the next day or two. The band represented Australia at Project Aloft Star Asia Competition 2018, how did this come about? I think I saw a video of ‘Dyso’ (Alex Dyson) advertising the competition. It was pretty straight forward, leave a link to a Soundcloud track or two, they had a judging panel that deliberated the entries, and then voila a few weeks later I got a phone call and wasn’t sure if it was a stitch up. To be honest, we’re still not sure if it actually happened or if it was just a dream. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the competition? There were a number of challenges, the language barrier, free alcohol, little sleep, but that was all offset by the whole experience; the most rewarding of which was having our first international performance and meeting some absolutely amazing people we wouldn’t of got the chance to otherwise. It was a once in a lifetime trip, and Aloft Hotels and UMG took such good care of us, I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity. What have you been working on recently? I’ve been pretty busy on the rollout for this most recent single, sending a lot of emails, reaching out to blogs, playlist curators and radio presenters, organising shows etc. In terms of music though, I’m always tinkering away at something. Who are you listening to at the moment? Sharon Van Etten’s new album Remind Me Tomorrow, and getting very excited for new Cage the Elephant! The band has supported Middle Kids, The Rubens and Birds of Tokyo, huge acts! Do you have a favourite show that you've played? If so which and why? Well our first show we got to support Middle Kids at a sold-out Foundry in Brisbane, it was about as epic a first show as you could get. We were on the same bill as Birds of Tokyo and the Rubens for Caloundra Music Festival, they (the Rubens) actually started playing 15 mins into our set, which coincides perfectly with our audience disappearing half way through. My favourite show would have to be our Aloft Star performance in Seoul, South Korea, because it felt so surreal and was just a magical week. How do you prepare for shows? I try to get a good night sleep the night before and stay as quiet as I can be a few hours leading up to going on stage. We like to have a light rehearsal a couple of nights before to shake the cobwebs off if we haven’t rehearsed in a while. Before hopping on stage, I like a little bit of whiskey for liquid courage ☺. What do you have planned for 2019? New music is imminent! Favourite food and place to hangout? Solbar for their fish and chips, and their diablo ginger beer – it’s so good!

High Tropics

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m based in Toronto, ON and the music scene is vibrant here. There are so many talented wonderful people making ALL kinds of music, it’s hard to get out and see it all. There’s so much going on that it forces everyone to be the top at their game. The community is strong and collaborative, not competitive. How did you first start playing music? I grew up around music and took up piano lessons when I was five. I didn’t start singing until years later... Your first big break came when you and two other young singers formed the group Take 3 (who went gold in Canada via UMC), which lasted a few short years which gave you an education in the music business. What did you learned from this experience? Those years in Take 3 were a whirlwind and we were lucky enough to have a lot of people in our corner helping us along the way. Since we were young and inexperienced, we knew we had to work very hard to knock each performance out of the park. We practiced like crazy. We showed up to gigs, rehearsals, and recording on time. We never wasted an opportunity by phoning anything in. Since we never knew how long our success would last, we valued every moment being on stage or in the studio. I think that was the most important lesson - to remember that each minute spent making music is a gift, and not to take it for granted! You've really delved into 70's funk/soul tunes, why have you decided to take your music in this direction? I’ve always loved the soul singers of the 60s and 70’s. In those classic records there was a message, a raw and honest delivery of the lyrics, there was imperfection and heart. There was pain and joy all mixed up together, and people were really saying something. With my own music, I strive to convey emotion through the singing itself, so perhaps in all those early days of listening to soul records, something about that style stuck with me. For the first time, on this EP, I ventured into 1970’s funk (with tunes like “Baby Wants to Dance” and “Mercy”) and that came from the simple fact that it just felt good. It felt good to write something with a driving dance beat, it feels good every time I get to sing it, and people feel good dancing to it. I also perform often with a horn section, and I wanted to give them an opportunity to go crazy on stage! Who or what influences your sound and songwriting? Inspiration for lyrics almost always come from my experiences with other people. But inspiration for music itself can pop into my head from literally anything - the light in a room, a particular mood, a phrase overheard in conversation, a memory, a dream... I often don't realize a particular moment is a song waiting to happen until I've had some distance from it, but when I look back on my experiences (and especially relationships), that distance allows me to see particular moments through a different lens and I'm able to write about it. How do you usually go about writing music? I have hundreds of voice memos on my phone. Mumblings and melodies, me plucking harmonies out of the air, usually sounding half asleep and mumbled... When I get a song idea I try to record the essence of what inspired me right way, as explicitly as I can, before it disappears. It’s like trying to remember a dream: there’s a small window where it feels fresh and close to my heart, but it’s fleeting. And in order to access that feeling later and draw out the rest of the song, I need to record down everything that surrounds the original idea. Then when I’ve got time to dig in, I’ll sit down at the piano and sort it out. I always feel like the song exists already, and it’s floating just above me, or maybe it’s somewhere inside, and I just have to find it and pull it to the surface. So it’s more a matter of trying out different chords and melodies until I can confidently say “yes that’s right, that’s what it’s meant to be.” When it’s safely jotted down either on paper or digitally, I’ll record a rough demo of it, and I won’t share the song with others until it’s at least at this stage. I need to feel sure that I honoured the original idea before I offer it up for collaboration and change. What have you been working on recently? This new “Heartbeat EP” has been my whole focus lately. Recording and releasing the record has been a complete joy! I just threw a big release show party last week with an 8-piece band to a full house... and can’t wait for the next live show. I’m also working on releasing a wacky and wonderful stop-motion animated video for Heartbeat in the spring! The next project will likely be a Christmas album -- I’ve wanted to do one for so long and I think this is the year! What do you like to do away from music? Baking! I used to make wedding cakes on the side, but I’ve since scaled back! Now I just bake for friends and family - cupcakes, bagels, cookies, bread… doesn’t matter what it is, but it’s my favourite hobby. I get the urge to bake all the time! I also love spending time with Sophie my hilarious Jack Russell terrier... I love to garden, to cook and relax at home whenever I can. What do you have planned for 2019? I’ll tour this EP in the spring, and hopefully record a Christmas album this summer! I’d like to spend as much of the year playing live as possible! I’ll keep writing songs for the next record in between… I’m too excited to sit still these days :) Favourite food and place to hangout? Pizza 100%. I love leftover pizza in the morning with coffee! Or coming home from a late night show and remembering I have a slice of pizza in the fridge. My favourite place to hang out would be in front of a crackling fire with friends at the cottage!

Stacey Kaniuk

What is your name and role within Lime Cordiale? Oliver Leimbach – singer, guitarist and songwriter along with my brother Louis. How did Lime Cordiale form? I played in multiple bands throughout High School and they kept breaking up. After the 4th or so breakup, it was obvious that I had to look elsewhere. Louis had started playing bass and always screamed out vocals around the house so it seemed to make sense to start something with him. We were natural enemies for years before but as brothers grow older, they often start to become friends. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Sydney, Australia. It’s suffering. We’re currently experiencing a “War On Music” between the industry and the government. Festivals are under constant stress with high fees and strong regulations. Venues are closing down due to curfews and noise complaints. But the lovers of music are fighting back and their passion is more exciting than ever. What have you been working on recently? We’ve been working on touring as hard as possible whilst also completing our second album. You're playing Bad Friday’s 10th anniversary on April 19 at Fraser Park, what do you have in store for this show? This festival has had some amazing line-ups in the past. There’s a lot to live up to. It’s a festival that I’ve always wanted to attend but never been around for. We’ll be working to make it bigger than any other Sydney show we’ve ever done. Who are you looking forward to seeing play? DMA’s are always a favourite of ours. We’re incredibly lucky to have Jungle on the lineup - they kill it live. It’ll be great to hang out with Georgia June, who just supported us on our last tour, and they’re a great band. Crocodylus are from our home town so we’ll have to be front and centre for that. How did this show come about for Lime Cordiale? We’ve been nagging to get on the line-up for years so I guess they just gave in. Who are you listening to at the moment? Papooz. I discovered a live performance they did on YouTube for “A Takeaway Show by La Blogotheque”. Papooz are French and they’re absolutely insane. It looks like their second album is about to come out and it’s all I’m looking forward to. What do you have planned for 2019? We’re really trying to finish our album throughout March. We’re driving up north to a farm and have a week to get it in the can. After that, we don’t have a weekend off. We have the second year of our own annual festival called “The Squeeze” happening in June. Then we’re off to Europe for 2 months before our album comes out. Then back to Aus for the Summer. Favourite food and place to hangout? Indian Curry. All the best spots in Sydney. Maya Vegetarian in Surry Hills. Faheem in Enmore. Cheer Factory in Newport. Gurtaj in Collaroy. You gotta go to the good ones.

Lime Cordiale

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’m in Hamburg right now, enjoying the rather grey sky with a warm tea in my hand. I moved here almost 15 years ago. The music scene is actually very good. There’s a lot of networking in between the artists, we have great clubs with even better parties. The Diynamic crew is based in Hamburg and clubs such as Uebel & Gefährlich, PAL, Moloch and Südpol are top spots. How did you first start playing music and especially techno? My first time playing music was at my parent’s house, when I started to record songs from radio shows on to my cassette tapes to cut them together. During that time, I hadn’t a clue about electronic music. I was digging everything – from funk to pop. I even played some tracks during a party in our school. When Afrika Bambaataa came up I Instantly got hooked and wanted to know more about those “weird” sounds and cool beats. Well, my friends at first were rather skeptical when I started to integrate those tracks into my sets but in the end they started dancing as well. Luckily I was able to start DJing at a small club called Metro – which actually still exists. I was playing all the mainstream stuff during peak time but when it got a bit later I played some techno tracks. After a while the crowd got used to techno so we could continue the whole night! What programs/equipment do you use? For my gigs I rely on three Pioneer CDJ 2000 NX2 and prefer a MODEL1 mixer. In the studio I do almost everything within Logic Pro X paired with the plugins from Arturia and Native Instruments – such a great combo! You recently released a stellar remix package of your acclaimed late-2017 LP Propaganda, featuring reworks from Raxon, Fur Coat, Shaded, Shall Ocin, Alex Stein, Olivier Giacomotto, Carlo Ruetz, hatzler, Marc Houle, André Winter, Marco Resmann, Maksim Dark and Distale. Listen HERE (Part 1) & HERE (Part 2). Please describe how the remix package came about and how you ended up working with the different artists: Deciding who should remix which track was not easy. I had some artists on my wishlist and I wanted to include some of the Senso regulars. After a lot of back and forth. Some couldn’t do the remix in the right time frame or wanted another track which I promised to someone else. It really took some time to make everyone, including me. I think the result is a pretty perfect symbiosis of the Senso Sounds veterans such as André Winter, Hatzler and Shaded and new family members like Fur Coat, Olivier Giacamotto, Marco Resmann and Marc Houle – just to name few. Is the end result the same as you had imagined when you first started the project? I’m so happy with the total outcome. The artists put in so much effort to make their very own version of my tracks. André Winter, for example, chose a downtempo electronica track with ‘Momentum’ and he managed to develop a huge club banger, which is climbing the Beatport Techno Top 100 very steep! Who are you listening to at the moment? I rarely listen to music in my free time. As I have to do the A&R work for Senso, listen to promos and of course have my gigs, I have music around all the time and need total silence meanwhile. But if I do, I really love Ghostpoet and Chet Faker. You run Hamburg based techno label Senso Sounds, how and why did you decide to start your own label? I’ve run my own labels since 1995. After Confused Recordings and a great time with Ideal Audio – both based in Bremen – it was time to create something new. I moved to Hamburg, my booking agency ‘Kontrast Artists’ was developing very well during that time. So it was just a logical step create a new label, based in Hamburg around a new team. How do you go about deciding which artists it is that you'll work with? The sound is the key. I mainly created Senso Sounds to give a platform to artists with a very specific sound. For example ‘Maksim Dark’, a young producer from Russia, sent me a demo and I was instantly hooked. He has a very unique but consistent style. By now he’s delivered a few releases on Senso Sounds, even on vinyl, and his reputation within the scene is getting better and better. I’m also happy that I just signed the German duo ‘Hidden Empire’ who’ve just delivered a massive banger. It really doesn’t matter who, or how famous you are – if the sounds fits, you’re in! What do you find most challenging and rewarding with running Senso Sounds? The most challenging is probably to find the right sound. We do get a lot of demos. Between touring, producing and the agency work it’s just sometime hard to listen to all of them. It even happened that I found a killer track but I was just too late, it got signed somewhere else in the meantime. Luckily that’s not the usual case, but it can happen. The best reward is to play a freshly signed demo during a gig and to see that the crowd is going totally mad. Plus giving the young artists an opportunity to push their career and to honor the hard work they put into every beat. You'll be touring Australia in March 2019, what do you have planned for these shows? Four shows in three days, a tight schedule but I can’t wait to be back in Australia. Last year I did a small club tour, which was great and intimate. Now I’m ready to take over the festival stages at Days Like This in Sydney, Circus Paradise Music Festival at Gold Coast and Pitch Music Festival in Moyston. I heard a rumor a club show is also planned in between, we’ll see. What are you looking forward to seeing/doing whilst you're in Aus? As I have a two-year-old son at home the plan usually is: fly in as late as possible, fly out as soon as possible. I’ll take some extra time for this tour though as my oldest boy is coming along so we can spend at least a few days in Sydney and Melbourne together. The last time I found some great street art spots. I will for sure check if I can find some more. While doing that I will for sure end up eating a lot of great food. I really don’t know how the Australians are able to have so much super tasty stuff. You've had a very successful 25 year plus career in techno, how has the techno scene changed since you began till now and where do you see techno going? When I began, the scene, especially in Germany, was very small. We all tried to get those rare import records from the states. We all knew each other, which was great to network and to invite each other to play. Nowadays, everyone could be a DJ, tracks are spread in no time, getting DJ gear is also way more accessible. I mean this in a positive way as it can open a lot of doors as long as someone has talent and passion. The other side is we have DJs popping up everywhere just on the quick hunt for fame even though they don’t feel or understand the culture around electronic music. In these times it’s even more important to stand out, to build your own brand step by step. What do you like to do away from music? I love to go sailing, I used to have a boat in the Baltic Sea. Apart from that I love to travel, explore different cultures off the main path. Generally I’m not the type of person who lays at the beach or pool all day while I’m on vacation. Activities like skiing or experiencing new things are more my cup of tea. It’s important that the mind and body have something different to do than usually, otherwise it’s just to easy to think about all that work that is left on the desk. What do you have planned for 2019? My label Senso Sounds is going to celebrate its 5th anniversary and its 50th release. We are currently working on some special event for that occasion. I’m already in the final stage of the line-up selection for our rooftop pool party during OFF Week in Barcelona and of course I’m hiding in the studio, I’ve just finished another production with my studio mate André Winter. Favourite food and place to hangout? I love the Lebanese food but only in Lebanon itself, for me the best kitchen in the world. When it comes to variety, Australia is the top spot. I’ve never seen so many places with extraordinary food in such a concentration anywhere else. https://twitter.com/OliverHuntemann https://soundcloud.com/oliver-huntemann https://www.facebook.com/OliverHuntemannOFC http://www.huntemann.tv

Oliver Huntemann

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Hey guys, I am based in Krefeld/Germany, it’s a city near Düsseldorf. I was born there and lived my hole life in that city. Our club scene reached much more attention in the early 90’s, but I also had the possibility to get in touch with our well known club Königsburg with the “Katakomben Club” downstairs. That club was the place to be and I had my first contact to techno music there. Today this club doesn’t exist anymore, but I’ve heard about a pretty cool event named my:zik which I came around  for once a month . Artists like Ame, Cinthie, Julien Bracht, Gerd Janson, Chymera, Prosumer just to mention a few have played there. But at least it was especially the Audio Fc Party with Chris Liebing in a club called Meilenstein which gave me an Inspiration to visit more techno events like Loveparade, Pollerwiesen, Tribehouse Partys and Cocoon Events. How and when did you first start playing Techno? Already in the age of 6 I started playing drums and my parents gave me the chance to take lessons with a teacher. But especially listening to my fathers discs was a bright influence in what I listen and work on today. A good friend by my uncle who was a well known dj and producer of acid in the 90’s than gave me first steps in djing and the electronic music scene. He showed me how to play and as the most important criteria he brought me to music which inspires almost decades until today. His feeling for music and the inspiration for spreading vibes to other people by playing timeless music invaded me to find a club where I can do the same. So Dj Plank a father of Acid music had an huge effect on what I do on my own today. PS: thanks for showing me to Labels like Plus8, Planet E, Cocoon and so on. On some point it got out of control when my uncle gave me the opportunity to play some gigs on events he was already in contact and also the support to buy my first Dj stuff. What influenced the sound and production for The Plot? I had more contact to  feeling older tracks because most of the time I’ve heard the older stuff by my father or older friends. It don’t mean that newer once are not that mine but older tracks are like a symphony for me. 😉 A production by Plastikman or Derrick May create a different warm feeling. I tried to combine old and new styles in my EP. For example the acid 303 sound in my Track stixo or the synthy waves in Animo. Everything is coming around again, like in the fashion scene. That’s why I love that music so much. My Manager Andreas Schneider already teached me a lot about music, ambients of it and let me know about the Label The Plot and there fresh published productions. That Label has a unique and fine sense for artists. So we came in contact with Lars from The Plot Music. Who are you listening at the moment? I love the old synthy sounds but as you can see these sounds are straight on its way back. At the moment I love listening to Maceo Plex aka. Maetrik, Anna, Dubfire and Fabio Florido. I think I don’t have to mention that I am also a huge Fan of Collabs 3000, Efdenim, Moritz von Oswald or Richie… because when it’s about them I always find some time for listening. What or who  influences your sound and music? It was Laurent Garnier who captured my sense for music, djing and production. His productions are incomparable. In my opinion he knows how to produce techno anthems back in the days and now and also I saw him around 10 times celebrating his dj-sets. He was the artist who affect all my senses. But there are so much reasons to see some new artists! I love to go out and having some drinks while listen to artists and their sets. Especially in a club called Gewölbe in Cologne where the soundsystem is outstanding. Besides that I am making my apprenticeship in a company which organises their own festival “Luft & Liebe” twice a year. So I have the chance to play and get involved much more with artists and sound. What do you  like to do away from music? I love to meet my friends and have a dinner, lunch or a just a talk  with them. During the week I love to walk through the forrest and the gym. At the Weekend I meet with my friends and listen to some fresh techno. Also when I drive with my bike to work in the summer days. I played Tennis and field hockey in my childhood and today I try to find some time to stay in practice. At least I find my new favor destination Mykonos to have a break. This summer I will recover my batteries there for some days again. What do you have planned for 2019 Focusing more on producing and listen much more to techno music is not everything at all. I think I will try to live more healthy and find more time to do workouts next to the music stuff. But most important is to play more gigs in front of different audiences. And for sure finding to my own sound and sense for electronic music. Favorite food and place to hangout? I am living right next to a forrest and I love to have a walk through it. When it’s about cafés in my city, I definetly hangout most my time at my best friend´s bar/restaurant called Café Kosmopolit. It’s a pretty cool one with great food and a special ambience. One of may favorite clubs is ”Die Nacht” in Mönchengladbach where I am celebrating the release-party of my first EP together with Drumcomplex, Plank and David Rosales.

Max Danberg

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I choose to live with no fixed address due to my creative process and learning of life’s wisdom’s beyond the norm have brought me here. As I type, I am out in Abergowrie—north of Townsville, two hours and surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. I am hanging with Indigenous youth creating and empowering Black voices around making my own music, dance, mind and nature practise. The young fellas hear have got natural rhythm and can really dance and create off that dream’n magic. It’s really special to witness and inspires me also. Your incredible new video for your single 'Thrill of The Chase' — watch HERE is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for Thrill of The Chase? My personal inspiration comes from a number of vocal styles and sounds so I just throw them all into one to express my message and story. As you may notice, I get bored quite easy so with the track constantly changing is purely me wanting change coz it hypes me. With the story I mean it’s mine but I ask that the audience take theirs from it and makes it what they want. Where and when did you record? Quite cool actually, the dingo loves to howl to the full moon. But this was an eclipse I finished this on somewhere in 2018 and then released it on the full moon luna dingo eclipse just gone. This trilogy of songs and visuals is an expression from a part of me I feel that gives me these experiences to watch, listen back and learn from. Kind of like timeline moments to see my own growth and lessons. The art speaks to me like Dream’n with my eyes open. How did the concept for the video come about? I was running with my dog, who very much wanted to chase after rabbits on my nature run, when I was living in Diamond Creek, Melbourne. I always found myself getting frustrated at her for stopping me running on my circuit to call after her to get back on track. One day, I gave in to her idiotic life changing teachings and I ended up on a run after rabbits into the bush. Found myself becoming a little boy again full of so much excitement doing jungle parkour and gaming with myself and her. One day she caught this rabbit and killed it. I was shocked and felt bad coz I was encouraging her. Then I was like “WELL”? Are you going to eat it or just leave it to be nothing and she went for the next rabbit. At this very time, I had come from a relationship where I totally mistaken love for inspiration and became a stepping stone for someone and totally used and abused it felt like at the time. Then I experienced it again pretty much after writing these lyrics back in 2013 it was. Then the same thing happened. Now I have a lesson from that and have found a relationships with strait love and mutual sharing of give and takes so I hope haha. Not that there is anything wrong with being inspired by people but for me there's a look I called Thrill of the Chase that looks like they loving you but they have something different in mind. They after you for pure thrill to use you for their own self pleasures, gains of success in their mind or something. This I'm sure was a reflection for me in past relationships to where I have been that however this lesson defiantly has flipped my script I feel and am noticing in my life. The video represents something similar I guess but obviously it's more made for the trilogy and is a piece that is for you take your interpretation. Who did you work with and how did you go about turning the initial concept into a finished video? I had some stem ideas I had to take to Dave Dog Atkins (Resin Dogs, Hyrdrofunk Records, Wolfmother) in Mullumbimby when I was chilling on the Gold Coast creating for a while. Dave chucked drums on it messed with some of the sound verses, re-did some vocals and mix and mastered it. He’s a legend and a really great friend. I took the video idea of the full Trilogy to Claudia Sangiorgi Delimore in Melbourne and then we took this track to Gumbaynggirr country where I was born (Halfway Creek) with three stunning indigenous dancer and actors—Shae Duncan, Jaymen Blk Cockatoo Drahm and a cinematographer Leroy Button—working with a RED camera named Lucy—haha trust me, she deserves a name—supplied by Dominik Muench. This team took this video out with an idea of direction yet free styled filming and a full wknd with fire, food, nature in a creative arts shed with beds, kitchen, bathroom and big ass dance floor. Claudia then edited it and sent it to Treehouse Productions in Melbourne for that slick colour grade. How does Thrill of The Chase tie in with your grand single / video trilogy / storyline? I would love to hear your comments on the video of what it means to you ??? The firsy song and video is there to and the third is not long away! Ytdingo.com What are you working on at the moment? I am working on my EP, some more videos with an exciting feature and some ideas to tour but really want to tour with the full decked out idea to honour the art so it always takes a little more time and people to know I’m coming! Who are you listening to at the moment? A lot of my own work to get it right for the release and then these young fellas I’m creating with to help get them in their best self. Add them on socials! They are called the SPACE PIKININI’s and coming very soon! What do you have planned for 2019? THE 3RD and FINAL DROP OF THE TRILOGY!, A NEW E.P!, MORE VIDEO’s and some DEBUT SHOWS, TOURS and INTERNATIONAL TRIPS! IM ready! Hope you are? Hit me up? What do you like to do away from music? Spend time with 2 lovely lady's in the tropics, 1 is my dog but she kinda isn’t. Empower youth and give em what I didn't get and wish I did. Surfing is a bonus when Im not in Croc territory aha but taking the roof off and chasing water falls sitting and swimming in silence. Choreographing and creating with artists and touring the world and Down under being in or creating urban based theatre, film, photography, TV shows that friends make. If it aint music its still creating sumn.. Favourite food and place to hangout? I haven’t been back but want to! Its was eating Turtle in the most peaceful honouring way being strait eaten after cooked from in the shell on the beach after being caught with a spear traditionally. It was with some close new friends on Yolngu country Elcho island thanks to Djuki Mala dancers who took me there. To Special! Please include links to socials and website. facebook.com/ytdingo, instagram.com/ytdingomusic, ytdingo.com

YT DiNGO

RedHook

RedHook

https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/naufer

Naufer

Host's debut EP 'Adolescent Content' is out on Monday 18 February.

Host

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Berlin, and it's crazy! How and why did EKORD start? It started as a party in São Paulo in june 2017 and the label was released last year. The idea behind the party and the label is basically to offer and connect a certain variety of sounds in the huge world of electronic music. If you look back and check the guests we had in the party and also the releases of the label, it goes from melodic sounds like Lake People and Dave DK, to House music like Ejeca, and to Techno like Soukie & Windish and Renato Cohen. Thats what we try to do, go from the deepest to the darkest side of emusic. EKORD is known for releasing good music that crosses between genres. EKORD isn't a techno label and is also not a house label, you make bloody good electro beats and release music that sounds good. Why did you choose to approach electro in this way and how has this freedom of electro style enabled EKORD to stand out from other labels? Because every track has its right moment to be played and its boring to stay in the same moment forever. We wanna be there when the dj drop a techno bomb in the club, but we also wanna be there when he spreads love in a sunny day of a nice festival. We don't wanna stand out from any label, we just want to release music that we like and touch as many hearts as possible with those sounds. EKORD has recently released to EP's being Soukie & Windish and Carrot Green. How do you go about choosing artists in with which you would like to work with? Basically i go after artists that i really like and i also like to release new artists. Looking back, in 1 year EKORD released EPs from artists of the Sao Paulo beautiful new generation scene like Nicolas Pera and Mari Herzer. But we also released names that are more known already for their releases in big labels. Carrot Green is constantly in labels like Permanent Vacations or Get Physical, and Soukie & Windish are the heads behind URSL, one of my favorite labels. Does EKORD have any influence on the sound or producing of the EP's released? If so, to which degree? Almost nothing, just final mix details when necessary. What does EKORD look for when releasing music? Music made from the heart. You used to organise amazing events back in Brasil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcHEnS2uc9M&list=PLclHJO0ucU8HAGfe-bjiDFS-U3XiIDDWP what is the electro scene like in Brasil? The scene there is fantastic. I was really divided to choose to move out from Sao Paulo in such a beautiful moment of the scene in the last years. Lot of independent crews making awesome parties, the number of brazilian producers getting known around the globe is growing exponentially. I can definitely say its already one of the biggest scenes in the world. You can confirm that when you see this wave of huge european festivals making their editions in Sao Paulo for the first time out of their hometown in Europe. Will you be hosting EKORD parties in the future where by you'll be able to showcase the EKORD artists? Thats one of our targets for this year. We have really nice releases coming out in the next months and the crew is getting bigger and stronger. Im sure that very soon we will be ready to throw our first showcase in Berlin. What do you like to do away from music? Travelling. And also, Im actually enjoying to learn German in the last months. Who are you listening to at the moment? Bookwood What does 2019 hold for EKORD? Great tunes, great parties! Favourite food and place to hangout? Portuguese and Spanish food. Place to hangout, house parties with friends! Please include links to socials and website. https://soundcloud.com/ekordmusic https://www.facebook.com/ekordmusik/ https://soundcloud.com/johnnydacruz https://www.facebook.com/johnnydacruzmusic/

EKORD Label with Johnny

What is your name and role within Instytut Festival? Artur Wojtczak, I am the spokesperson of INSTYTUT FESTIVAL 2019 MUSIC AND ART, responsible also for the PR and foreign marketing of the brand. How did you first become involved in Instytut Festival and music in general? Club culture has been always an integral part of my life, I started listening to he first acid-house records in the late 80’s when I was at primary school and since then I fell in love with the dance music. I have been an active raver in the 90‘s and… keep on clubbing till today. I am also working as freelance journalist for some music magazines in Poland (Electronic Beats, Noizz, Muno) and also cooperate with some from abroad (Mixmag, Only Techno, Techno Station, Faze). I usually write interviews with DJ’s, reviews of parties and records, promote clubs and events in Poland. Instytut-raves has always been a legend in Poland – they started in the early 00’s. The location is absolutely unique - the high voltage hall is a huge building, where Polish scientists have done their research since the 50’s. Iwona Korzybska, Joanna Wielkopolan found this beautiful brutalist building and started throwing there huge parties which were fundamental in the develepment of the techno scene in our country. In 2016, right before the Autumn edition of Instytut, I was interviewing Iwona Korzybska and she told me that her dream would be to do the next step, to extend the big raves into a festival one day. And: „If you can dream it, you can do it“ ! One year later she announced the very successful first edition of Instytut Festival Music & Art with Nina Kraviz, Marcel Dettman, Chris Liebing and Speedy J.! Yes, she is in fact the real queen of the club scene in Poland! (laugh). And shortly after this iconic interview I have published my first feature about Instytut in Mixmag UK. https://www.facebook.com/technoinstytut/videos/vl.203337693533513/1608585302526010/?type=1 How did the concept for the festival come about? As I explained above: Instytut needed to do the next step seeing „the bigger picture“ of Poland’s rave-market while it is actually the oldest and the most recognizable techno- brand in Poland or even in Eastern Europe. Instytut wanted to create its own festival with an exciting line up, unique location and great party crowd, which stays true to all Instytut’s parties for years ( this event connects the generations of old –school ravers with the young ones who want to feel the spirit of „good old days“) The announcement of it had a huge and totally positive impact on the scene and we received great feedback before and after the festival. This debut immediately put us at the forefront of the festival scene in Poland. Very characteristic for our event was, that we included the elemnt of art into music: the best Polish street-artists, visual artists created their works in the area of the fortress. This year we intend to build the longest street art gallery on the wall of the fortress. Twierdza Modlin (The Citadel of Modlin Fortress), nowadays known as Garnizon Modlin (The Modlin Garrison) is unique on a global scale - the longest building in Europe and the second largest in the world. https://www.facebook.com/technoinstytut/videos/1907991022585435/ The organiser team consist of all females, please tell us how and why them organisers are only female? Instutut was set up by two women, Iwona and Joanna, who are big friends since high-school days. The girls do the whole production of the event, prepare the line-up and fix the bookings. And they do it with love, not only excel-sheets (laugh), having a beautiful rave-history behind them. And now they are putting their motherly love into creating their own global techno-family. The girls are also the creators of the “Techno Is A Lady” project: the new special party with Polish-only female DJ’s (DJanes) will take place on 8th of March (International Women’s Day) in an old cinema in the centre of Warsaw. See you there! Let’s dance, promote Polish DJanes and producers ( An On Bast, T A K A, Mia Twin, Carla Roca etc.) and put a political statement into the rave reminding about the female rights in the society. By the way: we just celebrated the 100th anniversary of political rights of Polish women. What is the music scene like at the moment in Poland? It’s booming! We are absolutely delighted seeing the scene growing. Great clubs like Smolna, Jasna 1, Tama, Sfinks 700, Prozak 2.0 or Szpitalna 1 located in Poland prove, that Polish party-goers love raving. These clubs have brilliant bookings every weekend inviting top artists from all around the world: last year we were able to listen to lots of such great DJ’s like Boris Brejcha, Amelie Lens, Fatboy Slim, Honey Dijon, Dax J or Black Coffee. Techno is still the dominatinig genre, but you can also dance here to garage, gabber or drum’n’bass. On the other side we see lots of DJ’s who establish their own labels or release records worldwide: from Germany to UK, Mexico and US. Polish producers like Catz’N Dogz, VTSS, Olivia, An On Bast, DEAS, SEPT, DUSS, Seb Skalski / Deeplomatik or Holiday 80 are very successful performing in the world’s leading clubs and releasing EP’s and LP’s who top the club charts. https://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/vtss-discwoman-brutaz-demonic-techno-mix/?fbclid=IwAR1shSSPMAGNi-aOEd-LiIz0zzoG_gvBISsF0eNJWtpRtoc8ulDu1W4gUGk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwAZYRolgtk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPKugg5KQMw Warsaw is being touted as 'the new Berlin' do you agree? If so, why? Yes, it is! It looks like Warsaw is going to be“ the next big thing“, the new clubbing destination. It makes no sense to be compared to Berlin – the city that we absolutely love and adore by the way - but Warsaw has ist own identity, ist beautiful shape. Warszawa is centrally located, easily accesible (2 airports available plus many bus connections), with good hotels and chic boutique hostels, You can have here a perfect sightseeing ( starting from classicist parks and palaces up to socialistic buildings and beautiful examples of modernism from the 30‘s!). You can have a delicious dinner here – a really wide range of cousines is available! Warsaw is also „vegan friendly” – the city is the best placed in the world after Berlin and NYC when it comes to vegetarian bars and cafes ( according to the report of „Happy Cow”). And the clubbing scene in Warsaw is definitely worth experiencing. What does „Instytut“ have in store for us? The highlight will be the second edition of our festival in June, we plan also new parties of „Techno Is a Lady“-project, Autumn rave in the Energy Institute and the very special, pretty new project that has been started last year: We Plant A Techno Forest“. Being ecological and taking care of our environment, we will plant about 2000 young trees in May. After that we shall rave in a beautiful village and forest area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPcijcD04E&fbclid=IwAR2ob1DSJuTza7VqiNdyihaWA7P1aCl9_OeIIp4UXiNpuLchgmt3spZ2oEE Who are you listening to at the moment? I do listen to lots of music starting from hip-hop, old-skool house up to techno, actually all day long! (laugh). My favourite music of the moment is: DEAS „No Signal EP” – his new release on Planet Rhythm – this guy from Cracow is Poland’s techno phenomenon having being Pan-Pot’s favourite DJ from our contry, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMQJ1yV-UUA CJ Reign „Dat Is Houzz” – another great garage producer from Poland with his new EP on Pogo House Records - a leading garage house label based in London, run with passion by Martin Depp. https://soundcloud.com/pogo-house-rec/cj-reign-dat-iz-house-part-3-free-download-pogo-house-records As the 3rd one I would name Helena Hauff’s ‘Qualm” album – one of the bst from 2018. And the last but not least: after listening the demo oft he upcoming Catz’N Dogz album I can tell you it’s gonna be a BIG record, full of future anthems and house classics. Are there any acts that you are really excited to see play at Instytut Festival? Definitely Donato Dozzy! He is a brilliant DJ, who performs really seldom. This year he announced just 4 dates only. We are very thankful that he trusted the unique vibe of Instytut! I also recommend Andy Stott, who will petform live in our fortress. Ando f course Richie Hawtin is is justa kind of member of our Instytut-family. How did you go about choosing artists to attend the festival? We follow the world scene very carefully and know very well who is fresh, exciting at the moment. We choose artists, who fit into our concept of the party, which stands for love, freedom and good vibrations. All the ravers that used to attend the parties of Instytut claim they appreciate the very special atmosphere that they feel in the air. Let me tell you, that electronic music fascinated us because we could always hear there something new and different, which inspired us in many aspects of my life. And our line- up is exactly such a promise. Therefore, we invite those artists who have something to say - irrelevant to their experience, popularity or statistics on social media. And this idea is a leading one, because the lineups we create are our common language, which we communicate with the artists that we invite. We just communicate with music. What do you like to do away from music? I hang out in the city (Warsaw) a lot. I chat with friends in lovely cafes, ride my bike to explore the green side of the city, read books ( Zadie Smith is my fav writer!) on the beach at Vistula’s river bank enjoying the sunshine. And come back to the dancefloor of the clubs like Smolna, Luzztro or Jasna 1 every weekend. Dancing is the best possible way to forget everyday-worries and to think positive, enjoy the beautiful world around. Favourite food and place to hangout? I would definitely recommend Bar Pacyfik in the centre of Warsaw; great venue with delicious food from the Pacific area: both for meat lovers and those who went vegan. Fun fact: The bar is established by a girl who stands behind Wixapol SA project - a crew organizing events with gabber and hardcore music – they currently curate their own DJ sets at Rinse.FM

INSTYTUT FESTIVAL

Chus & Ceballos

Chus & Ceballos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlL-1Vdgonw

EMBRZ

Sosefina Fuamoli @ Beehive PR

The Partae chats to Melbourne Music Publicist, Journo and radio all rounder Sose Fuamoli of Beehive PR

Megan Davies

Megan Davies

Bob Sumner

Bob Sumner

The Vasco Era

https://www.facebook.com/theoogars/

The Oogars

Drumcomplex

Drumcomplex

VŌS

VŌS

Armin Van Buuren

Armin Van Buuren

Jeremie Whistler

Jeremie Whistler

The Southern River Band

The Southern River Band

Donnarumma

Donnarumma

Fredfades & Jawn Rice

Fredfades & Jawn Rice

Batts

BATTS

Simon Ashford Collarts

Simon Ashford – Australian College of the Arts AKA Collarts – Head of Animation & VFX

What is your name and role within Twin Dive? My name is Robert. I'm the lead singer-guitarist, chief-songwriter, co-manager and producer for the music videos and above all I hate boasting. My name is Raggi, I am the drummer and the better-looker in this band. Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? Our band is situated in Aarhus Denmark, which recently gets around as the Seattle of the modern day. The city is largely populated by young people, thus has a large artist community, therefore the music here is thriving. There's little to none divisiveness based on genre, if anything you will see the same faces at a metal concert as at a hip hop show. People go for the experience, not a genre and we think it's a good style for an audience. How did Twin Dive start? Having parted with our former bands some time ago, we were both looking for a new gig and then almost naturally found each other. We co-acted in a music video for my former band earlier, which involved a lot of preparation and physical contact, during which Raggi and I became good friends. Starting a band was an obvious move so we did it. How do you usually go about writing music and what or who influences your sound? It's quite organic all of it. I'd normally show up with some skeleton of a song that I made up in my room or during one of my frequent walks, Raggi would drop the drums on it and then it's all down to details, you know, dynamics, phrasing, bars, transitions and what have you. After all of that is done, I'd go into my bubble and take a fukin forever to finish the lyrics. The influences of our sound are quite obvious and we see it as a good thing. Everything reputable that came out from early 90's and onwards is in there, all the grunge, all the british cool, the punk, even the hip hop. Make a hotpot with Nirvana, Kings of Leon, Oasis and QoTSA and garnish it with some modern thinking and originality and there you have it. Who are you listening to at the moment? IDLES was spinning quite heavily for a while along with Flyte, both great fukin bands. The UK, they just got the music sorted, man. Being late into my 20's I've naturally been listening to a lot of the old stuff that shaped me too. Raggi has been hooked on The Acid. The band, not the substance. It used to be both though. What have you been working on lately? We are lucky to work with some of the finest film makers in town, so there's been a lot of making and conceptualizing of music videos. We are also working on an outdoor event where we will play a live soundtrack to a movie being projected onto a huge wall. Sort of like the very early format of film where you had a dude playing piano to a silent movie, but with all the tech and musical upgrades. What do you like to do away from music? We both love a good workout, I do thai boxing, Raggi loves his gym routines. We read whenever we feel like it, averaging to about 4 books a year but our local library is just glorious, so we go and enjoy the big open spaces there quite often. Making money is nice too. Spending it even more so. As is often the case with musicians, we are flirting with the idea of acting in film and are looking into some ideas and making some minor plans. What do you have planned for 2019? Currently we are looking at 4-5 single releases, plenty of gigs in the country and a weekend in the UK, dates of which aren't confirmed yet. Booking for Europe has just started so we will take the gigs as they come. And then that outdoor film-soundtrack event we mentioned above. Favourite food and place to hangout? Robert: I basically run on grapefruit, nuts, cookies, pizza and sandwiches. I'll eat one healthy substantial meal a day in a nearby cantina. The rest is snacking. Everything is a sandwich anyway. I like to hang out in local bars where you can smoke indoors. Luckily, they seem to attract my kind of people and the playlist is great too. I love my friends above all, with them it can be a ditch in a bigger ditch and it will be great. Raggi: I'll eat whatever has been cooked for me. Again, our local library is the bomb. It's got this great view overlooking the ocean, hangout spots, huge comfortable chairs, infinitely high ceilings, gaming consoles and the nicest staff. It's a prime location for dates as well, hands down. You can find photos here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Xxxv0B_pOa1XaI4nhXz6NicIfAl7yuPq?usp=sharing Social media: https://www.facebook.com/twindiveband/ https://www.instagram.com/twindive/

Twin Dive

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