June 2023 Mixtape | sounds of supernatural significance
This is the solstice mixtape. We may be unable to stand in a festival field with 250,000 other people this year, unfortunately, but we are having a little Glastonbury of our own in our hearts and souls. Converging those lay lines along Australia's lower east side and sending the sunrise from Stanwell Park to Somerset, for those through-the-night ravers welcoming the midnight sun up in the Stone Circle, high on life and Hot Mulled Energy.
If you know, you know.
Kicking off with a regular contribution by Wollongong's Womp Krew, this flavoursome morsel takes the glory of seminal EDMers Leftfield and charges it with late 90s London d'n'b. If this track Thru Ya Area was played in major dance tent, it would go right off. The talent behind this is PJ, who is just back from Europe's highest festival, Snowbombing, started by Manchester club promoters from the seminal Hacienda, the amazing Eardrum and many other very worthy nights that spawned world class tracks. Check him out here
Teen prodigy from Wollongong is Aodhan and one more from his latest EP, which we began to feature last month. Every track is glorious so we feel we are not doing service by dropping one per mixtape, so go check out the whole thing. Check him out here
Slimjimz make a return with 25 and Adam Newling drops his latest track Ocean. Both worth exploring more of their releases. Check them out here and here
Juddomagic is our wild card. His abstract tunes and reluctance to play the rock game is absolutely our beat. We don't know where he is going on his musical journey but we are going to follow.
The GPC stalking of Lady Lyon continues after a long disappearance from recording while they gig. We are glad to see their former form continues with All Night Temple. Follow them here
Jack Ladder has a wondrous past life. A bit of a legend of the scene with rivers of work under his bridge, we just wanted to salute the guy for not only enduring the fickle world of pop but also to still be delivering those edge-lord goods. Follow him here
Turn over a pebble on the beach and you are bound to find something. Almost invisible to the naked eye is Lochie Brooks. Bedroom noodler, hidden collaborator, George Harrison super-fan...that's all we know apart from a new dreamcore piano infused track called All Of The Things. He has a new track coming out called Under The Gun which you can check out here
We slide in another number from Aodhan because he has too many choons on release at the moment and you need to get on board with this kids groove.
Drenban , AKA Brendan Neville, is surfacing new tracks and we chose 'Bags'. You can follow him here
Plastic Bath bring classic Pacific North West mosh pit energy to the Pacific South East like Sub Pop never happened. We imagine big things, just from this one track. The brilliant Fruit is sure to pack a punch with you too. A MUST follow here and they are playing at Wollongong LaLaLa's on 24th June with tickets here.
Promoters Echo & Salt headlined Bronte Alva at Ryan's in Thirroul this month as she tours her single I Hate Birthdays. Another packed night for the E&S crew as Bronte rocked the venue with this great new track. Follow her here
The Tin Knees are to Wollongong what the B52s are to Athens, Georgia. They may be a fun band but behind it ranks serious musicianship that makes joy look easy to create. Like some kind of mad professor supergroup, we just want to be their road crew. Where do we sign up? Follow them or lose out here
New Order's Peter Hook is probably listening to the new track from Miners and wondering if he'd forgotten he recorded this with Joy Division. Put on your big coats and light a recalcitrant cigarette for the 80s vibe industrial indie of Right Of Way. It's got it all. All hail the Miners here
Brekky Boys prove that Illawarra jazz is an untapped haven of talent as they make their way to the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Lux Trevis are hounds on their heals with this almost guilty pleasure of arousing sounds, with new track Vortex. If you dig Theivery Corporation (and you should be arrested if you don't own at least one of their albums) then Lux is your way to go. Get in the mood here
Jack Willis is the kind of singer/writer that a lot of pop stars wish they were. He holds the kind of natural talent Ronan Keating would chew his arm of for. Belong Together could feature on an album from Dolly to Ed and not sound out of place. We added Fairy Floss Sky too, as this guy is super talented at pulling on heart strings. Send your beloved to him here
Skeng has been putting out tracks for three years but these past few months has been prolific. Broke Boy glides with an East London style vibe in a documentary style of storytelling, right from the centre of the protagonist's real life. We currently have no way to link to this guy, so if this is you, make yourself known and feel the love of the Illawarra.
