‘This Perfect Day (feat. Amy Taylor)’ – Tropical Fuck Storm
After sharing their paranoia-inducing single ‘Suburbopia’ last month, Melbourne scuzz-punks Tropical Fuck Storm have backed things up with ‘This Perfect Day’, with the two singles slated for a limited release on 7″ vinyl. A faithful tribute to The Saints’ own classic rendition from 1977, ‘This Perfect Day’ sees TFS teaming up with Amyl & The Sniffers’ Amy Taylor and Surfbort’s Sean Powell for one big mish-mash of everything we’re missing about raucous punk music.
Lustre EP – Willaris. K
It’s no secret that Willaris. K is one of Australia’s hottest electronic festival acts, yet Lustre affirms that the Sydney-based producer is much more than just a big tent act. The first of two EPs set for release over the next two months, Lustre gleams in both quiet and chaos, contrasting spacey synths and ambient textures against punishing basslines and techno grooves for a striking six track affair. If you’re into anything that’s reminiscent of Jon Hopkins, you’ll froth over this one.
‘Are Your Friends Alright?’ – Milan Ring
A timely track for a dire time, the slinky ‘Are Your Friends Alright?’ sees Sydney multi-instrumentalist / singer / producer Milan Ring address a sentiment that we should probably be asking a lot more of these days. Pairing an evil bassline with a head-nodding groove and jazzy guitars, Milan Ring’s harmonies on this one are killer, her bars are witty, and the chorus keychange is awesome too. There’s not much to whinge about with this track, that’s for sure.
‘Standards’ – Velvet Bloom
Melbourne has been known as the Australian capital for all things neo-soul for a while now, and Velvet Bloom’s latest track proves that the mantle isn’t going to slip any time soon. Embellished with smokey guitars and an exuberant chorus that makes you want to boogie in the kitchen, ‘Standards’ is as anthemic as it is soulful, and definitely showcases Velvet Bloom’s knack for penning a catchy refrain or two. There’s a lot of talent here!
‘Let’s Talk About Love’ – Rich Valentine
Boasting nine different members and a keen ear for forward-thinking beats and distinctive timbres, West Coast hip-hop collective Rich Valentine might just be the Australian answer to America’s Brockhampton. Interpolating a refrain from Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s ‘All The Stars’ and featuring a distorted bridge which immediately recalls Kanye’s ‘Runaway’ vocoder freakout, ‘Let’s Talk About Love’ showcases an extremely promising direction for the Perth-based group.
Saturn Return EP – Wilsonn
The second release from newly minted Sydney label Soul Modern, Saturn Return is a gooey slice of modern funk and RnB from local talent Wilsonn. With production credits from big names like Christian Rich (Childish Gambino, Drake, Kanye West) and MXXWELL (Ty Dolla $ign, J.Cole), Saturn Return definitely has its glitzy pop moments, but there’s passion tucked into each track, and Wilsonn’s vocal performances demonstrate why he’s been picking up so much international attention as of late.
