One of our most eclectic lineups yet…

Well, 2022 has been a bit crazy so far eh? It’s definitely not the start to the year we were expecting, but alas, that’s life in the age of a pandemic. Thankfully, our local artists are continuing to charge forward, each and every week dropping fire tunes for our listening pleasure. And this week is no different, with all corners of the genre expanse jammed into five newly-released tracks. And so, we won’t waste any time. Five fire tracks by local artists, coming right up.

dameeeela (Brisbane/Meeanjin) – ‘The Shake Up’ ft. Tjaka

Yuggera woman dameeeela crafts a techno bomb with her debut single ‘The Shake Up’ ft. Tjaka, the producer, DJ and radio host evoking the spirit of Detroit Techno with her first entry into the music scene.

The track makes use of of frenetic drum patterns and warbling synths, the meld of textures providing a riveting sonic backdrop for Tjaka’s chant-like vocals. The brothers’ utterances buzz around the track with an almost-religious execution, further adding to the immersion of the overall track. It’s definitely a lover-letter to the origins of club music, breadcrumbs of Detroit techno and those who came before dameeeela alive and well in the track’s four minute runtime.

Want to take a trip into the history of techno while getting a sneak peak of where it’s ultimately heading? dameela’s ‘The Shake Up’ ft. Tjaka is well-equipped to be your guide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Y8Oy-V1rc

Jarrod Jeremiah (Perth/Mooroo) – ‘CHILLI CHIPS’

Burgeoning funk-lord Jarrod Jeremiah drops plenty of silk and steeze with his latest single ‘CHILLI CHIPS’, the multi-instrumentalist songwriter slowing things down for a ballad about, you guessed it: chilli chips.

The sonics for the groove are filled with swanky goodness, rolling piano lines and soulful bass lines colliding against jazzy horns. It’s the type of track you’d expect to hear in some jazzy underground bar, but with a new-age flavouring that’s feels fresh and innovative. The sonic canvas is set for Jeremiah’s vocals to flourish on top of the textures, but contrary to what you’d expect, they almost mesh together, the overall arrangement of the tune consequently listening as a singular mass of groove.

Long story short, old mate just might’ve crafted the coolest love-letter to snacking in recent memory. Treat your palette with some ‘CHILLI CHIPS’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRkgL5YvSQk

Dantè Knows (Sydney/Eora) – ‘MercY’

New York-via-Sydney MC Dantè Knows brings plenty of heat and rigour in his debut EP Phase One, the debut effort from the Brooklyn-born export filled with intensity, vulnerability and innovation. ‘MercY’ however is undoubtedly a stand-out of the five track-effort, and it’s consequently getting our affections today.

Crafted with frequent Dantè Knows collaborator Tasker, the track melds psychedelic rock and hip hop seamlessly. Grungey guitar lines form the basis of the track, upon which Dante’s haunting vocals alternate between rapping and singing. The added harmonies and distortion in the pre-chorus really adds to the explosive nature of the heater, listening as a culmination of Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the Kid Cudi-featuring Kids See Ghosts. In other words, a hip hop lover’s dream.

There’s a reason why Dantè is one of Eora’s go-to rhymers. Dig into ‘Mercy’ and the rest of the Phase One EP below.

Charley (Sydney/Eora) – ‘I Suck At Being Lonely’

Power-pop starlet continues on the path of self-confessional balladry she embarked upon in her last single ‘Arizona’, venturing further into herself with one of her most intimate offerings yet, ‘I Suck At Being Lonely.’

Accompanied by a gentle piano, the track really lets Charley’s vocal tone and lyricism shine, confessional lines like “I wish I knew then/how the story ends” tugging on the heartstrings with waves of vulnerability. The end of the tune sees all of the emotion reach a peak, and with the perfectly-timed introduction of ethereal strings and harmonies, the track reaches a climax of feeling.

Uptempo heaters, confessional ballads and everything in between, it seems like Charley can well and truly do it all. Have a slice of her most personal tune yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4l0ugcgO2A

Julius Black – ‘Together We Go Down in the Dark’

Aussie-born Kiwi Julius Black serves up a breakup anthem in his nostalgic-bop ‘Together We Go Down in the Dark,’ the lead single of his sophomore EP of the same name (out today) rife with indie-sensibility and intricacy.

The midtempo offering sees the Kiwi muso craft a sonic exploration of the addiction inherent to infatuation, outlining all the highs and soul-crushing lows that result when you get hooked on a former flame. It’s not all doom and gloom however, with the accompanying musical textures being tinged with a light-hearted euphoria, the type that results when you’re able to look back on a past relationship without letting it tear you to pieces.

The tune definitely stands on it’s own as a single and as an emotional highpoint of the Together We Go Down in the Dark EP as a whole. Dig into the sophomore offering yourself this Friday morning: