Melbourne Art-Rock artist Halfbeak LP release "Innocent Bystander"...ambient punk and electronica

Halfbeak is prolific Melbourne singer-songwriter Tim Gum. From his beginnings in the early 2000's as 3RRR demo of the month-winning “Snowbug” to his most recent EP “Things I Knew”, which was co-produced by fan and APRA award-winning composer Damien Lane, Tim Gum has written and recorded enough quality material to fill 25-plus LP's. “Innocent Bystander” is the first of many planned LP releases and consists entirely of music written in 2019. 

Promotional track “Curvature Of The Spine” is a meditative Sonic Boom-meets-Scott Walker number. The second promotional track “I’ll Be Your One-Way Mirror” is the dark alter-ego of “For The Benefit of Mr. Kite”. Elsewhere, the LP spans electronica, hip hop and art-rock, capturing a broad mix of influences including Kid A, Erik Satie, The Residents, Endtroducing and Blackstar. Lyrically, the LP explores some dark themes. Although decay, destruction, disease and death abound, the work retains the humorous and playful spirit that is core of much of Halfbeak’s backlog. Conceptually, the album comments on the bewildering life choices we sometimes make, and the feeling of powerlessness that some of us feel when the consequences spin out of control.

Genre: Art-Rock, Ambient Punk, Experimental Electronica

Website: www.halfbeak.bandcamp.com

https://youtu.be/Im6fxINFk6k

Melbourne smooth wave indie duo Verbrasco release debut EP k-block...dream like and ethereal sounds

Recently debuting with their DIY EP titled k-block, Melbourne smooth wave indie duo Verbrasco, consisting of two 19 year old Uni students Ethan Bowman and Brody Verhagen, have set out to release a collection of easy listening, spaced out songs with memorable melodies and easy going lyrics. 

Marty's review: Verbrasco's debut EP is a 3-track collection of beautiful, dream like tunes that have a surrounding ethereal quality and a chill effect which is easily accessible and listenable. These guys are unique and original, and certainly have a handle on creating sounds that are conceptual and creative.

stream on Spotify and YouTube

https://youtu.be/y-jMAFYRugQ

Blush'ko reveals soul-infused cut 'Too Late' (ft. J Wils) and announces 'Blush'ko In Love PT.2'

Following soul-infused releases ‘Japanese Hotel’ and ‘Like a Heartbeat’, Macedonian born, Melbourne-based Blush’ko releases ‘Too Late’ (ft. J Wils), the third single off his EP ‘Blush’ko in Love PT.2’. The track, in true Blush’ko-esque style, draws in with its pushing beats backdropped against silky vocals – the result an effortless rhythmic testimonies that dreamily echo and transport us throughout the track.

Speaking on the track himself, Blush’ko says: "We started playing around with the idea of the song being about two people so far away but connected somehow and both trying so hard to make it work. The line 'I promise that I won’t give up' kept rolling through my mind and we built the song around it. I wanted our voices to come together in the pre-chorus because both people in the story felt a great connection and fear from one another.. relying on someone is always extremely hard, but it’s always made easier when you know the feeling is mutual".

Blush’ko continues to own his unique style of smooth, electronic hip hop, a year on from his critically acclaimed debut single 'Another Love' which garnered over a million streams. Intrigue around Blush’ko continues to build, with BBC1 Xtra’s Jams Supernova naming it as one of her top 5 EPs. The musician has further solidified his name in support of Jhene Aiko and SG Lewis on stages around Australia and New Zealand, as well as collaborating with DC rapper Goldlink on his triple j Like a Version performance of ‘Herside Story’ with Billy Davis and The Good Lords.

‘Too Late’ pioneers Blush’ko’s second EP as a continuation on his journey through love, explored by a plush blend of electronic and soul. A kind of production that layers emotion and talent as one further cementing his sound in the current musical climate as one that is set to stand against the rest this 2019.

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Australian dance luminary Lo'99 Enlists Owl Eyes for New Single 'Sometime'

Australian dance luminary LO’99 unleashes his latest offering ‘Sometime’, enlisting friend and triple j favourite Owl Eyes, adding her enchanting vocals to his deep, housey, rolling production.

Sitting perfectly on an afternoon mixtape as it would a late night dance floor, ‘Sometime’ truly is a standout from LO’99. The slow build gives way to his signature deep bass juxtaposing with Owl Eye’s smooth light melodies making for a truly infectious pop dance anthem.

The single also marks the return for Owl Eye’s feature vocals. Previously working on instant hits with Illy and Flight Facilities, she also released her first solo music since 2013 late last year titled ‘On Me’.

‘Sometime’ is the latest from LO’99, with his impressive catalogue of both originals and remixes aired globally on BBC Radio 1, 1xtra and triple j, quickly accumulating into four Beatport #1s in the process. His previous release ‘Take Me Back’ swept the UK club charts, landing at #5, while singles ‘Make Me Feel’, ‘Bizness’ and ‘From the Start ft. Elizabeth Rose’ both topped the ARIA Club Charts.

Successively, LO’s impressive list of remix credits continues to grow from Moby and Royksopp to Peking Duk and AlunaGeorge. Last year he was tapped to remix Fatboy Slim’s ‘Star 69’ for his remix EP ‘Fatboy Slim VS Australia’ which is still receiving love from acclaimed DJs like Claptone, Gorgon City and Kaskade.

LO’99 has just graced the stages of Splendour in The Grass, California’s Nocturnal Wonderland and was amongst a handful of Australian acts invited to play one of the coveted spots at EDC Las Vegas, twice, as well as a 24-date world tour encompassing the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

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Brisbane-based beat maker Machine Age releases enigmatic new single 'Fighting'...experimental electronica

Following the release of his stand-out single Don't Look, Brisbane-based beat-maker Machine Age (Adrian Mauro) has returned with new cut 'Fighting’ – drawn from his forthcoming EP (due March 2018).

A completely self-recorded effort, with additional mixing from Slumberjack and mastering by Andrei Eremin (Chet Faker, Hiatus Kaiyote), 'Fighting' is a fusion of eclectic musical genres and influences. Intricately layered instrumentation builds throughout the song, colliding with synth-laden soundscapes and pattering drumbeats, resulting in his own brand of experimental electronica. Meanwhile, a sense of desperation is encapsulated beautifully by raw, simmering vocals.

Mauro describes the inspiration behind ‘Fighting’ –

“Fighting - When you find yourself paralyzed by your own decisions and wake up asking "How did I get here". The only way to gain clarity is to be kinder to yourself and not repeat the mistakes of the past”.




2017 has seen Machine Age develop a reputation for delivering impressive compositions and incredible live shows, garnering strong support from the likes of triple j, Rolling Stone Australia, Purple Sneakers, Tone Deaf, FBi, 3RRR and the Hype Machine blogging community. The songsmith also recently supported critically acclaimed duo Holy Holy on their 'Paint' tour, alongside writing and recording with the likes of Kuren and Slumberjack.

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Brisbane-based indie-electronic artist, AUSTEN, new single release 'Storm'

Brisbane-based indie-electronic artist, AUSTEN, is excited to reveal her stunning new single ‘Storm’ – produced and recorded by James Angus (Midas.Gold, Carmouflage Rose, Gill Bates).
Taking cues from the likes of Broods, Halsey and Banks, ‘Storm’ is a dark and brooding cut of intricate electronica-pop. Song structure navigates effortlessly as dynamics are harnessed with finesse; flickering in between swirling synths, meticulous percussion, deep moody bass and ethereal vocals.

Stream the single on Soundcloud HERE

AUSTEN describes the motivation behind the track:

“I wrote Storm in one shot which just started with the line ‘I was talking to myself’ - the whole first verse is just exactly what I was doing / feeling before I picked up a pen and started writing. It was the start of me falling for someone and how in that moment everything is so insane and you feel like you’re in the eye of this whirlwind going on around you. All that energy is coming from that person or from the synthesis of you two together. The lyrics just follow my train of thinking and this process of falling for someone and realising how much that person affects you, and I love the metaphor of the song because for me a storm in the distance is thrilling and exciting if you don’t think you’re going to be hurt by it".

Previous singles ‘Faded’ and ‘Darkside’ have been strongly supported by the likes of triple j, Spotify, community radio and online tastemakers Pilerats, Stoney Roads, inthemix and Purple Sneakers. To coincide with the release of ‘Storm’, AUSTEN is currently touring nationally playing to sold-out crowds alongside The Kite String Tangle and Golden Vessel.

Official website: https://www.austenmusic.com/

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Desert Moons unveil melancholy debut single ‘ROUGH TRADE’

NSW Central Coast-based indie-electronic duo, Desert Moons (Brothers Jake and Simon Dobson), have just revealed their self-produced debut single ‘Rough Trade’ - recorded at their home studio.

Combining beautifully crafted organic and electronic instrumentation, ‘Rough Trade’ is a stunning eclectic piece of experimental-electronica that melds themes of dark dream-pop, indie-rock and hip-hop; taking cues from the likes of their staple influences Radiohead, M83 and Daniel Johns.

Stream the track on Soundcloud HERE

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jake Dobson describes the creative process behind ‘Rough Trade’ –

“This track was originally an idea of Simon’s conceived in our home studio. We sent it back and forth to each other over a period of a week, until it became what you hear today. We had a lot of fun with this song. We tend to always produce our favourite works when we’re evenly collaborating. The lyrical theme is an ode to my past struggles with motivation. Writing songs has always been an incredibly therapeutic process and this was certainly no different; ultimately serving as a catharsis.”

Both Jake and Simon have been playing and performing music since an early age. They’ve worked as session musicians in the studio and live, as well as releasing music and touring the world with their bands. Desert Moons is the first project the brothers have collaborated on as a duo and was formed with the intention of exploring song crafting boundaries. They’ve written and recorded over thirty songs, which they plan to roll out over the coming months.

To celebrate the release of their debut track, the group have also announced their maiden performance to take place at Rare Finds #33 held at Oxford Art Factory’s Gallery Bar, Sydney on Friday September 29.

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Indie-Electronic duo Nocturnal Tapes new single single ‘Wake Up’

After announcing the release date for their debut EP ‘Visions IV’ (due August 25), Yamba-based indie-electronic group Nocturnal Tapes offer up another taste of the forthcoming record with new single ‘Wake Up’ – recorded and produced by the duo themselves at their home studio and mixed by Adrian Breakspear (Gang of Youths, Cosmos Midnight, Kučka).

New cut ‘Wake Up’ is an intricate slice of house-infused electronica, taking cues from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads and Kaytranada. Awash with sonic textures, the dream-laden track glides along effortlessly blending organic and electronic instrumentation, and finished off with the soaring and endearing vocals of front man, Harry Suttor.  

Suttor describes the story behind ‘Wake Up’:

“Without getting too dark, the song is about how everything in your life is leading up to the ultimate moment of death; time is a way we all die. So, why are so many of us wasting our lives locked to screens and living in routine?”.


Since their 2016 inception, Nocturnal Tapes have released a slew of tracks strongly embraced by the likes of triple j, Spotify, MTV, ABC’s Rage, community radio and worldwide blogs; which resulted in a top twenty position on the esteemed Hype Machine Now charts.

They’ve traversed the country multiple times sharing stages with Boo Seeka, Bootleg Rascal and Tash Sultana, and performed at boutique festivals Mountain Sounds, Sweaty Palms, House of Voodoo and UTS Summerfest and Winterfest.

Nocturnal Tapes were recently announced as the national support for Luke Million’s national tour in September, which includes shows in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.

"'Wake Up' marks a welcome return".
Indie Shuffle (USA)

"Be warned – you may find yourself publicly breaking into dance".
The Wild Honey Pie (USA)

‘Wake Up’ is now available to stream via Soundcloud

NOCTURNAL TAPES
UPCOMING TOUR DATES

FRI 1 SEP | FAT CONTROLLER, ADELAIDE SA *
SAT 2 SEP | BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE QLD *
FRI 8 SEP | JACK RABBIT SLIMS, PERTH WA *
THU 14 SEP | LISMORE UNI BAR, LISMORE NSW
FRI 15 SEP | OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY NSW *
SAT 16 SEP | HOWLER, MELBOURNE VIC *

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Indie-Electronic songstress Nikkita Ra debut single 'Unity' and stunning video

Sydney-based indie-electronic songstress, Nikkita Ra, has just unveiled her stunning debut single ‘Unity’ and accompanying music video, shot in downtown Las Vegas.

Former front woman of widely loved hip hop-infused rock band, She Rex, Nikkita has now turned her attention to her solo career. Her impressive first offering melds soft, dreamy vocals likened to Lana Del Rey with ambient instrumentation likened to FKA Twigs, resulting in her own brand of atmospheric indie electronica. The hazy, romantic visuals of the accompanying film clip provide the perfect compliment to the track.

Nikkita describes the inspiration behind the single and video:
“The song is about a couple who get lost in a moment of heightened love and hedonism and make a split decision of mistaken love and romance. I have always loved musical storytellers and have never experimented with it before…I think the song and clip also come from a place inside of me that feels we have been taught false ideals by the media about romanticism and this has been to the detriment of real grown up love. Filmed in Vegas, the capital of hedonism and snap romanticism, it has a slight hat tilt to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas or True Romance.”

Nikkita is keeping herself busy in the studio, quietly crafting her debut EP ‘Alexis’ (scheduled for late 2017).

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