Confrontation is what A.B. Original are and what they stand for, and their upcoming appearance at BIGSOUND may just be the push in the right direction many avid music fans need to hear.

The duo, consisting of NIMA award winning rapper Briggs (Bad Apples Music) and ARIA award winning producer Trials (Funkoars), will be having a no-doubt heated discussion at this year’s panel, and it goes without saying that the pair will be bringing informed but brutally honest opinions on some very charged topics – especially in light of the powerful anti-Australia Day protest song they dropped yesterday with Dan Sultan, titled ‘January 26’.

“We’re subtle like a sledgehammer. Being subtle and humble is what the oppressor wants. And we’re not about that.” says Briggs.

“We’ve been raised to know to second guess the things that have been put in the papers,” adds Trials. “We know it’s not our agenda that they’re really trying to serve.”

The two multi-talented producers, rappers and songwriters have joined forces to “speak for those who can’t say what they wanna say because of their position,” a sentiment already clearly expressed on tracks like ‘2 Black 2 Strong’ and ‘Dead in a Minute’.

“Given the nature of our project, we’re gonna be talking about a lot of Indigenous issues and what that means in music,” Trials explains. “We get to find out these things first hand through our family and the fact we get to bring it to national attention, is something Briggs and I feel that is very, very important.”

While the conference will see a definite focus on the subject of ‘Black Lives Matter’, the frequently off-the-cuff Briggs explains that the pair won’t exactly be reading off a teleprompter. “I kinda prefer not knowing what I’m going to be talking about, I prefer it to be up front and organic.”

Adding some sort of structure to proceedings will be enowned triple j presenter and musician Lindsay McDougall, who will be hosting the discussion. “He’s a great interviewer, very switched on and knows a lot. He’s one of the best at what he does.”

If you want a crash course on current Indigenous matters told through the medium of music and stacks of humour, then A.B. Original is a definite tick for your BIGSOUND schedule – we can guarantee that there won’t be a dull moment when you’re with these two.

Bigsound Key Note Speech

A.B. Original Interview With Lindsay Mcdougall (The Doctor)
Date: Thursday 08 September
Time: 2pm – 3pm

Bigsound Showcase

Date: Thursday 08 September
Venue: The Elephant Hotel (Outdoor Venue)
Time: 09:40pm – 10:10pm

Rolling Stone Live Lounge Show

Date: Friday 29 September
Venue: The Workers Club, Melbourne

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine