Our replay button is literally broken…
How are we going gang? Things are looking pretty peachy right about now, and bloody hell, the amount of gigs popping up each and every day is bloody mind-boggling. I’m actually off to another gig as I write this badboy, so I won’t waste any more of your time. Five fire tracks by five local acts, coming right up!
Check it below.
LUUDE – ‘Arms’
Gold Coast rocket launcher LUUDE is firing a fucking heat-seeking missile at us with his latest smash ‘Arms,’ awakening the fiery love of drum and bass that exists within us all, whether or not we know it yet. Built upon a thousand little hats that fire off in a frenzied but controlled blitz, the tune revs you up with a boundless energy, capable of manifesting a second, third or one-thousandth wind within even the most drained of souls. It also features some super soulful vocals that perfectly propel you into that mind-bending drop, the warbling horns engaging in a badass call and response with metallic synths that pull you back and forth between oblivion and nirvana.
Imagine an underground rave so red-hot that everyones got their bags packed and are ready to leg it should things go sideways, but LUUDE’s ‘Arms’ is the otherworldly banger that erases all worry from the crowd’s collective mind, the tune viciously pounding over the subs and drawing punters deeper into renegade-bliss. Get a one-way ticket to that rhythmic & bass-heavy escape below.
Boomchild – ‘Cold Shoulder’
Inner west groove-shamans Boomchild are sprinkling funkadelic magic in their multi-layered bop ‘Cold Shoulder’, mixing the palettes of soul, dance and R&B for a zesty collage of auditory thrill. The tune sees the various members of the collective all stepping up to the plate and then some in stellar fashion, and to be honest, are you even surprised? Perched upon a vibrant beat that’s equally parts textured and smooth, the stage is perfectly set for singers Rico and Charbel to blast off with their respective verses, both singers exuding an intoxicating soul right up there with the likes of .Paak and D’Angelo. And of course, the tune features some classic Boomhorns in the mix, doing GOATs like Curtis Mayfield and Miles Davis proud with a new-age bop that has 70s nostalgia streaming from its veins.
The lovely RISSA, Ms Thandi and Maina Doe all make lush appearances as well, blessing the tune with some sultry backup vocals that add the nu-soul slice, the wicked icing that’s not just sublime, but heart-swirling. A tune that listens like a bunch of talented AF best friends sat down for a cruisy Sunday jam (actually, that’s the perfect description for the Boom crew), we’re definitely recommending it for your Wednesday morning inspiration. Get your kickstart below.
MAY-A – ‘Time I Love To Waste’
Indie-rock starlet MAY-A totally bewilders you with sweet vulnerability in ‘Time I Love To Waste,’ caressing our hands and hearts as she soundtracks falling in love in all of its simplicity, ease and heavenly content. Naturally, the Sydney-based badass matches such elixir with fuzzy guitars and gritty vocals, filled to the brim with enough emotion to usher you past whatever heartbreak you may be feeling, right along to the next great love set to light your heart ablaze. Somehow however, she ups the ante and totally blasts through all limits and skies on the chorus, singing her fucking guts out as she reaffirms how bloody head over heals she is for her super lucky crush, with lyrics like I’d let/the girl live right through my wallet/Give her all my things, empty my pockets/She takes me crossroads, far from things I know’ just uplifting you into outer space man.
To say it’s a tune that goes off live would be an understatement-and-a-half (speaking from first-hand experience), prompting punters familiar and foreign to get down and close together some wholesome AF hugs and sways that can only be brought fourth by the aroma of young love. Get a whiff of that wicked scent below.
YIBBY ft. Arno Faraji – ‘Chess Not Checkers’
Hip hop shooting star YIBBY links up with local heavyweight Arno Faraji for a grime-heavy gem in ‘Chess Not Checkers,’ slowing it down with an intricate beat that perfectly allows the two MCs and their respective lyrical gifts to shine. With YIBBY’s lush tone and Faraji’s breezy utterances, the tune sees the two rappers sit on either side of the auditory spectrum, both easily switching from slower and faster cadences with a precision beyond belief; flowing with a fluidity as liquid as water.
Spitting about the need to play the long game and have a strategic mindset, the two MCs set a ‘7 Day Theory’ type vibe that feels just as eery & spine-tingling as Makavelli’s ‘Bomb First’ or ‘Hail Mary,’ with a mad Aussie twist that shows that the local hip hop scene is every bit as raw and cutting edge as anywhere else across the world. Get caught up on the new generation in all of its promise and innovation below.
Godlands – ‘Out My Face’
EDM fire-twirler Godlands shoots a bullet of vivid sonics through our minds in ‘Out My Face,’ bathing in the glory of trap while simultaneously showering us with its otherworldly essence. Led by a hip hop vocal sample, the wizard of the beat crafts a mountain of ravenous, but refined production, each piece perfectly placed and tuned to maximal effect. The accompanying synths glimmer like little acid raindrops as well, striking you with a harsh touch that’s beautifully destructive and galvanising as they fall upon unrelenting drums that propel the tune forward with an archaic ferocity; the type of euphoria that the Adelaide-producer floods dance-floors and mosh pits with whenever she plays live.
It just goes to show what an absolute powerhouse Godlands truly is as both a producer and live performer, perfecting the process of crafting tunes that hit insanely hard when you’re listening to it alone as they do when you’re witnessing it blast through a pair of mammoth subs and speakers live. Let her enthral, invigorate and utterly transport you below.
