It seems Harley Streten is feeling particularly patriotic.
The 22-year-old producer, better known to the music world by his non de plume, Flume, has urged his Aussie contemporaries in the electronic music scene to get behind the burgeoning “Australian sound,” saying that a new wave of artists can kick start a new sonic world invasion.
Currently in the States on tour in the lead-up to his appearance at the first-ever Laneway Detroit this weekend, the Sydneysider made a public call out to a new wave of Australian producers in a Facebook post today, acknowledging just how special independent Aussie music was compared to the rest of the world:
Just wanted to say how proud I am to be a part of Australian Electronic music scene right now, and its not just me.
I’ve been travelling the world for the past 6 months and i’m constantly getting asked in interviews about the “Australian sound” and this new wave of producers.
I never thought much of it, being part of this new wave and all, but after this trip to the USA I’m starting to see it from an outsiders perspective.
Australia, we’ve got something pretty special going on here, we’ve got our own sound, and the worlds starting to take notice.”
As for who Flume namechecks as part of this new wave ‘Australian sound’, well, there’s the “two big dogs leading the charge,” as he puts it. Specifically, Streten’s fellow collaborator and Laneway Detroit lineup chum, Chet Faker, and Perth electronic musician Regan Matthews, aka Ta-Ku.
Flume also plugs the work of L D R U, Kilter, Cosmo’s Midnight, Touch Sensitive, Hayden James, Wave Racer, Willow Beats, George Maple, Motez, in=tonicollision, and Charles Murdoch. “I say we take over like the French did with Electro back in 06,” concludes Flume’s Aussie-promoting post, referencing a similar boom from the mid-oughties in the likes of Justice, Sebastian, and the rest of the Ed Banger label.
As well as offering fans to post their suggestions, a further post sees Flume adding Elizabeth Rose, Yahtzel, Indian Summer, and his What So Not team-mate Emoh Instead to the ‘Australian sound’ roll-call.
Flume has been flying the flag internationally after striking international deals for his self-titled debut in the UK and the US late last year, and he’s been riding high ever since. This year has seen him play major festivals – including Laneway Festival, Golden Plains, and Groovin The Moo – as well as his own headline tour (with support from Chet Faker).
More recently, Flume landed a swag of nominations in the upcoming AIR Awards 2013, tying a lead of five nods in major categories with fellow Sydney-based, internationally-renowned band Jagwar Ma. He’s also set to play next year’s Big Day Out 2014 lineup, and has touted a collaboration with another international tastemaker, Lorde, as well as another potential side-project or EP with Chet Faker.
With that kind of exposure, that emerging list of Aussie electronic artists and producers must be touched Streten took the time to throw the spotlight on them. Enterprising fans have used the surfeit of links from Flume’s original post to put together a Soundcloud playlist of the ‘Australia Sound’ according to Flume, which you can hear below (with regards to Sydney Soundcloud user R.M.)
