Out today via Cutters Records, Aussie electronic pioneers Cut Copy have released Oceans Apart – a glimpse of Melbourne’s very own (and very rich) dance music culture.
Over the past decade the band have released four albums, performed over 1,000 global headline tour dates, remixed an insane selection of amazing artists, and run their own dance imprint, Cutters Records.
The reason for now releasing Oceans Apart is as the band’s frontman Dan Whitford explains “we’ve always found deep inspiration in the music of our home city. It’s where Cut Copy started, as just one band in a potent community of unique and likeminded artists. But it also continues to inspire and surprise us, with great new music constantly bubbling to the surface.”
To celebrate the release of Oceans Apart Dan has given us a track by track run down on all the acts and track on this exciting compilation, check it out below.
Knightlife – ‘Don’t Stop’
I’ve always had a soft spot for Knightlife’s music. Perhaps because we share a lot of the same musical interests. This, to me is a perfect combination of vintage Germanic synthesisers, and modern production. Hearing this makes me excited for this new direction in his music.
Andras & Oscar – ‘Music Is My Life’
I’ve really admired both these artists in their own right of a period of years, through different styles and projects. This track is a great synergy of rnb pop, restrained soulful house and atmospheric synths. And let’s not forget a wry aussie sense of humour.
Michael Ozone – ‘Oxygen’
This is the first original piece of music from Ozone for a few years now. But over the past 4 years he’s certainly been one of the most unique dance producers (and dressers) that I know. ‘Oxygen’ feels like a soundtrack to a digital jungle odyssey, all backed by jacking 808 rhythm.
Statue – ‘Statue Theme’
Statue is a new collaborative project between two drummers; Tom Gould from Worlds End Press and Nic Oogjes from NO ZU. Based around a very streamlined palette of sounds, the track winds through layers of various types of percussion; from the cold robotic sounds of drum machines to the visceral energy of the two drummers letting loose on wood blocks, congas, cowbells and dubbed out screams, echoing over the top. Statue is hard to explain in words, except to say it sounds like nothing else I’ve heard before.
Turkish Prison – ‘Overboard’
Turkish Prison is the solo project of Andy Szekeres who is also a founding member of Midnight Juggernauts, and is also one of my long-time favourite artists locally. His solo work takes some of the psychedelic influences we might associate with his band, and melds them with other-worldly percussive rhythms and instrumentation of house and acid.
Ara Koufax – ‘Brenda’
I actually first came across this tune a year ago when Sam Gill (one half of Naysayer and Gilsun) said they were working on some songs under a different title, which ended up being “Ara Koufax”. Brenda is probably one of the more poignant moments on the compilation. As the track opens up and reaches its peak with haunting piano floating to the surface, it’s hard for me not to imagine looking from a high point across a wide-open desert or an expansive sea of water.
Myles Mac – ‘Suburban Odyssey’
Unlike many of the artists on the compilation, this contribution from Myles Mac is actually his debut artist release. Although, without having a back catalogue he is a significant figure in the scene by being part of the internationally renowned podcast series and label, Melbourne Deepcast. Suburban Odyssey is an italo-disco tinged house number that (as the name suggests) is a compelling journey of a track.
Fantastic Man – ‘Robotic Temptation’
Robotic Temptation marks a departure by Mic Newman (aka Fantastic Man) into more esoteric, organic and percussive territory. He has made a strong name for himself in the world of deep house over the past 5 years, with a string of releases for labels like wolf music and let’s play house, but has more recently begun exploring the atmospheric outer reaches of dance music. If this is an indication, exciting things are in store from Fantastic Man.
NO ZU – ‘Raw Vis Vision’
Raw Vis Vision is a track by one of Melbourne’s best-kept secrets, NO ZU. Locally they are notorious for their amazing live performances, stringing out extended onstage jams in the tradition of some of New York’s street dance bands, but with a distinctively Australian aesthetic. 2015 promises to be a big year for them with their second full-length record due for release.
Coober Pedy University Band – ‘Kookaburra’
The story of Kookaburra is about as close as the compilation gets to the heart of Melbourne’s dance music scene. Created by Tornado Wallace and Tom Paxton from Otologic (two partners in the legendary Animals Dancing parties), the track has inadvertently evolved into a cult jam. It started as a humorous demo track designed for a set at Golden Plains festival, and has since grown into the unofficial anthem of Melbourne’s underground dance party scene.
A+O – Take Me
Take Me is perhaps the oldest track on the compilation, having seen it’s release a few years back on US house label Stilove4music. The brainchild of legendary DJs, Ooh Ee and Andee Frost, Take Me represented for me a changing of the guard in Melbourne dance music, moving from the club sound of the mid 2000s, to something new and exciting. It was the first glimpse of a sound that had its roots in classic house and techno but with a newfound energy, and sense of identity, that has come to appeal to a whole new generation of club kids.
Nile Delta – ‘Aether’
Aether is an acid led house jam by the ever-consistent Nile Delta. Over a period of 4 or 5 years, his slow burn classics such as Aztec and Channel has proved invaluable “get out of jail free” cards while DJing both in Australia and in my sets around the world.
Tornado Wallace – ‘Circadia’
Tornado Wallace is arguably the most successful and respected of the current crop of Melbourne’s underground dance producers, with releases on a string of highly respected labels across the globe, most recently on ESP Institute and Beats In Space records. Like many of the tracks on the compilation, circadia shares an obsession with tribal percussion, and atmospheric instrumentation, almost like a new Australian take on the Balearic movement of the acid house era.
Speed Painters – ‘Total Person’
Total Person is one of the most unusual tracks on the compilation. Mastered at Basic Channel’s “Dubplates & Mastering” studio in Berlin, it somehow marries deep house with instrumental brass as if it were the most obvious combination imaginable. It is simultaneously a visceral techno rhythm track and also climaxes to a delicate horn breakdown.
Len Leise – ‘Call of Kati Thanda’
Since being discovered by Mark Barrott (international Feel label boss) Len Leise has been recording extensively across Victoria. On one such recording session in Melbourne I randomly bumped into him. We instantly developed a friendship inspired by each others passion for undiscovered music and it’s creation through weird and unconventional production methods.
Bell Towers – ‘After Party at Jackson’s House’
Bell Towers has recently relocated to London, but has been extremely busy putting out Multiple releases over the last year on labels such as Munich’s Public Posession. Before leaving, he was famous for being organiser of the weird, beautiful and eclectic club night Bamboo Musik. His track “after party at Jacksons house” is (quite literally) a tribute to the place the bamboo musik regulars would migrate to each week at 7am when the club closed.
World’s End Press – ‘Feel City (Outskirts Dub)’
For those that are familiar with Worlds End Press’ previous releases, “feel city (outskirts dub)” would come as a bit of a surprise. For starters it’s instrumental, and doesn’t have any guitars or much live instrumentation. It almost sounds like Zapp’s Roger Troutman on a dark acid trip, but I think this headlong dive into the world of club music bodes well for very interesting next chapter in Worlds End Press’ musical evolution.
Roland Tings – ‘Swimmer’
The arpeggiated synthesiser and piano stylings of “swimmer” provides the ‘yan’, to the ‘yin’ of the sweat-soaked acid jams of his live sets and his recent ‘who U love’ 12”. But that’s the sort of thing that makes him one of the most exciting producers from Melbourne right now. He shows here that he’s equally adept bringing the tempo down, as he is keeping it at fever pitch.
Sleep D – ‘Austral Aura’
I absolutely love this sleep D track, and despite being the slowest on the comp (and the final track), it seems to have been one of the songs that most people have commented on. Having developed a reputation over a long period for holding amazing private raves, and running their own label Butter Sessions, they are a really true example of Melbourne dance music’s DIY spirit.
