In this Tone Deaf series, a different music director or presenter at some of the finest community stations from around the country get their opportunity to share the best community music discoveries from Amrap.
8CCC’s Benjamin Erin contributes this week with a list of local tracks from community radio you should be listening to right now.
8CCC Community Radio broadcasts on Arrernte Country in Mparntwe/Alice Springs and Warumungu country in Tennant Creek, with a commitment to featuring one-third local and one-third Australian music.
The station just turned 40 and was the first FM station in Central Australia – a new format at the time uniquely suited to bringing new music to the masses.
8CCC has continued to embrace new technologies and media platforms to create connection through music, art and culture, supporting local artists to develop their demos and build audiences that are not limited by a remote location.
Check out Benjamin’s selections below, featuring some of the finest artists from Central Australia, The Barkly Region and the Northern Territory’s thriving music scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMFwEM2SOok
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As Yirrmal gets ready to release his first full-length album later in 2022, a number of singles have dropped with ‘Get Happy’ one that undeniably delivers on its title. A Yolngu man, born in Yirrkala Yirrmal, he now lives in Victoria, but his music and writing capture an essence of life in the Top End.
Yirrmal writes narrative-driven songs that explore the space between cultural worlds. Yirrmal comes from a rich musical heritage with his father, Witiyana Marika, one of the members of Yothu Yindi who introduced Yirrmal to music as a child.
‘Get Happy’ is a call to action – to forget about what ails you and embrace the day. It’s energetic pace and vocal hooks speak to simple joy, and the joy of sharing it.
Midnight Rangers – ‘I Can Decolonise Better Than You’
With their debut EP Out On The Range, the Midnight Rangers have captured some of the essence of their dynamic live performances and distinct sound, which falls somewhere between alt country and synth pop.
Having recently toured the NT to perform in Darwin Fringe alongside Alice Springs band Gurun, and having taken the stage at Blacken Festival, the Midnight Rangers have been building momentum. Their clever and cheeky lyrics will be sung back to them on stage in no time!
Cooperblack – ‘A Void of Light’ (feat. Lindsey Matthews)
Cooperblack is the musical project of Mparntwe-based producer Jez Conlon of Left of Elephant Sound. Cooperblack is a longstanding project with many self-published released and group formations centred around Jez’s song writing and collaborative processes.
‘A Void of Light’ is a recent release recorded in collaboration with Lindsey Mathews, a visual artist and instrumentalist based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. This is a track for deep listening and immersion, featuring blended piano, drones, and ambient acoustic experiments informing a shifting sonic landscape.
Alice Cotton – ‘You Drive a Hilux’
‘You Drive a Hilux’ is a departure from Alice Cotton’s usual approach to songwriting, written as a trivia prize for ABC journos based in Alice Springs. With a few clues to go on and a spontaneous approach, Alice has delivered a song that resonates with NT nostalgia, while capturing a moment in time during COVID lockdowns.
The chorus will make you want to jump in a Hilux and hit the road with a driving warm energy. The track was put together in collaboration with Gormie (Angie McMahon) and Holly Thomas (Quivers) and is Alice Cotton’s second release.
Be sure to check out the lyric video where animator Huni Bolliger has worked with the cover art by Bridget Woods to show a motley crew of camp dogs cruising in the back of a Hilux Ute.
‘Golden’ is the first track on Kris Keogh’s album Processed Harp Works, Volume 3, released on Osaka-based label Muzan Editions.
The whole album is worth a listen to really dig into the world it creates. Beautiful tones and textures shimmer and crackle with Kris’s harp-playing saturated through digital process.
Resin Moon – aka Dave Crowe – is a prolific songwriter and producer with an intricate attention to detail and a passion for vintage synths and hardware. Mixed onto magnetic reel, ‘Minerals’ is a modern alt-pop banger crafted with precision, playful composition, and a powerful vocal performance by Dave.
Resin Moon when performing features Dave Crowe alongside drummer Thomas Jessen-Cox triggering samples and working in live synth to deliver live performances that break the backing track. The ability to masterfully curate and arrange so many elements in service of the song is something that sets Resin Moon apart.
