NOIZEBUNNY
EMELI SANDE
VARIOUS
BOMB SHIZZ RECORDS ELECTROPOP
VIRGIN RECORDS EMI MUSIC AUSTRALIA R&B
CENTRAL STATION RECORDS ELECTRO, HOUSE
YEAR OF THE METAL RABBIT The decidedly industrial sounding electropop presented on Year of the Metal Rabbit has got all the catchy hooks and light hearted song structures of any number of pop princesses around these days, but rides atop scuzzed out industrial-rock driven undercurrents; like Trent Reznor doing music duties for a Britney album, almost. The J-Pop inspired Me Likey is the single and standout on this six track EP, complete with 16 bit game bleeps, oriental sounding tones and a dirty dubstep-ish breakdown. Money Money harks back to beats of mid nineties IDM, but with a lot more colour, while Million Dollar Bit$h is unfortunately a little crass and obvious. With the amount of none-too-subtle innuendo and tongue in cheek lines, it’s curious that Sydney girl Noizebunny opted to censor most of her own expletives, suggesting she may be stuck in the space between pretty pop diva and hardcore bitch. Noizebunny still has a little way to go to nail her niche, but this EP nevertheless manages to throw up a handful of good fun moments. - Danny Silver
OUR VERSION OF EVENTS
WILD NIGHTS 2012
So things kick off with Heaven, which had some air time in clubland with its cool breaks like riff. Emeli’s vocals are just wonderful & I was amazed by the talents of Emeli Sande. She’s a breath of fresh air, in a time where Beyonce’s cache is admittedly waning, just waiting for new contenders to step up to the plate, Emeli Sande may be just what everyone has been waiting for. Her vocals strut across songs ever so nicely, only adding to the atmosphere created with each song. The album has a theme, one that seems to reminisce of good times and bad in the love game. Standouts include Mountains which builds quite nicely towards the bottom end. Breaking the Law provides a nice acoustic break from all the other tracks, showcasing Emeli’s vocals. Read All About It (Part III) almost steals the show, and it’s only a bonus track. So if you like your R&B Soulful beats then check out Emeli Sande as you won’t be disappointed. - Sebastian Martinez
Touted as one of the biggest dance selling compilations in Australia, the Wild series drops another release Wild Nights 2012, recruiting Perth boys Bombs Away, Kronik along with a Mr Worldwide megamix (which is an alias of Pitball). Radio friendly and cheese are the keywords here, with a collection of chart hits and dancefloor bangers littering the tracklist, including Skrillex, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Martin Solveig, Steve Aoki and even a track from Above & Beyond making the cut. Disk one ends with a bang courtesy of DJ Fresh with Louder, before entering the megamix featuring Fatman Scoop, Qwote and Pitball. Megamix number two from Bombs Away and Kronic sets the scene of Electro and House to come, everyone from Spencer & Hill to Afrojack to Hardwell making an appearance on the way to shaking out the dancefloor. Can’t really argue with 45 tracks and 2 megamixes now can you? - Kelvin Colling
GOLDFRAPP THE SINGLES EMI POP Duo Goldfrapp’s The Singles is a career-spanning compilation including tracks from their five critically acclaimed albums. You’d be hard pressed not to find one of your favourite’s on this one, with classics such as Ooh La La, Strict Machine, Train and Ride a Wild Horse. These tracks fall somewhat into the electro-pop category that underpins Goldfrapp’s earlier and probably most popular sound with crunchy synth and dance beats. The rest of the album is split between a more ambient down tempo sound and 1980’s influenced synth pop. Golfrapp’s earlier albums Black Cherry and Supernature carry the majority of her hits, leading her to acclaim and a Grammy nomination for Ooh La La. Although the duo never set out to make dance music as such, it seems that the formula on both these albums is a success. - Sabine Brix
TOM SHOWTIME
ANTHONY CALLEA
ODD FUTURE
HILLTOP HOODS
OBESE HIP HOP
VOX ENTERPRISES DANCE
THE INTERNET R&B ELECTRO
GOLDEN ERA / UNIVERSAL HIP HOP
It has been a hard slog, perhaps even a hard struggle for the musician that is Anthony Callea. Mr Callea is an interesting specimen. He rose to fame in Australian Idol, was adored by millions of Australian girls and also subsequently neglected by the same girls the moment he ‘came out’ of the closet. Whilst he may have been personally liberated, professionally he became damaged. Now Anthony Callea has risen again, slowly through his talented work and the result is Last to Go, which sounds quite promising. The up tempo title dance track is a declaration to the crazy big night out where anything happens, whilst Tangled is one hot mess that you will want to get your ears trapped in, Last Night is very Vegas in attitude, whilst Oh Oh Oh is simple but oh so darn catchy. Sure it is a tad derivative, but Last to Go is very Callea and oh so much fun! - Christopher Anderson-Peters
Troublemakers and all round bad boys OFWGKTA have never shied away from controversy, yet surprisingly splinter act The Internet have released a remarkably low key album. Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians have combined forces to produce Purple Naked Ladies which is intended to be a voluptuously dreamy excursion into experimental electro R&B that casually slinks into soul, free style jazz, lounge and elevator music and cruises at a loose feel good pace. At just 18 years of age Syd Tha Kyd who has written much of this album is shaping up to be one of the more interesting women in hiphop. Openly lesbian she’s strongly railed against claims that OFWGKTA are misogynist and homophobic. The only controversy here is that the video of Cocaine features Syd dumping her overdosing girlfriend at the side of a road, but there is a bleak sad emptiness to Syd’s lyrics that are accompanied by gently bumping electro funk. Joining acts like The Weeknd and THEE Satisfaction, The Internet conspire to move R&B into more experimental waters. - The Sideman
After the huge success of State of the Art, the Hoods have returned and upped the ante with the release of Drinking from the Sun. Definitely their most ambitious album to date, DFTS progressively moves through different styles with ease whilst maintaining their classic sound. The lyrics on offer are tight and mature as always, and perhaps a little more reflective this time ‘round, giving way to an almost darker feel overall. With that said I can’t speak highly enough about the LP’s composition and production, which is polished, layered, complex, and yet simple at the same time. The piano and string section opening sets it up classically, only for the title track to get lifted off its feet by a huge beat that’s sure to get you bouncin’. Add some solid collaborations from Black Thought, Lotek, Chali 2na, and of course with Sia on the track I Love It which has already gone gangbusters, and you’ve got yourself one strong Hip Hop LP, that gets better with every listen. - Christopher J. Stenton
THE JAM THIEF
Aussie moves to England, moves into house of like minded individuals who turn out to be aspiring DJs and producers and like that a love of music exploded. It’s not a unique story but it’s a story backed by the required talent and ear for sound to make it as a musical artist. Whilst perhaps best known as a DJ, this is Showtime’s third releases – first LP – and the maturation as a producer really shows. The samples are well picked, the drums kick at a suitable level and the overall package is a smooth sounding work start to end. Instrumental hip hop, and I’d still call this a hip hop release, is largely overlooked in Australia, but when done well it’s smooth as fuck and can hold its own on a worldwide scale. Think DJ Shadow or Mr Scruff but with enough of a unique sound to see you reach for this release instead of spinning that of a more well known beatsmith for the thousandth time. The lead single will hook you in with its verses from Gift Of Gab and Lotek, but it’s the beats that will have you returning. Quality! - Shane Scott
LAST TO GO (EP)
CALVIN HARRIS FEAT. NE-YO
DRINKING FROM THE SUN
SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA
TIMOMATIC
Unlike it’s namesake this munted hot mess ain’t at all thin in the middle section.
I mean seriously I don’t want to be a hater., but come on seriously this can’t be what passes for R&B in this country. I’m a firm believer that if you can’t meet the enormously massive bar that people like Peter Andre, J-Wess & Stan Walker have set, then you ain’t shit!
CIRCUS AMOUR TEN
RRR STYLIN’ SPECTRUM
DJ MAG TOP TEN
ARIA TOP TEN CLUB
Sometimes You Just Know (Moodymann remix) POLLYN Catch a Star (Dr Dunks lost at sea mix) SEAHAWKS Touch The Sky ( Gerd double G-mix) ALDEN TYRELL ft MIKE DUNN Found What I’m Looking For VINCE WATSON Analog Wheel YETI LANE It’s Not Over HOLY GHOST Following PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND Vision of Estonia UKU KUUT Kingdoms FORT ROMEAU Single Blip (Byetone remix) VCMG
The Tribute Electroniq LUKE EARGOGGLE & JOHAN INKINEN Nothing Compares SPEAK EASY My Roommate DJ Let’s Get it On (Leonard Dstroy Remix) MARVIN GAYE Burnin Groove (Tamba Mix) PEVEN EVERETT Elevate (Earnshaw’s House Mix) ONE51 FT HEIDI VOGEL Phone Baje Na THE BOMBAY ROYALE Borough #5 NEW YORK HOUS’N AUTHORITY Altered Scones ELEPHANT & CASTLE Don’t Turn Around THE BLACK SEEDS
We Are You In The Future MARTYN Knowone LP 2 KNOWONE At Birth JAMES BLAKE Iron Cloud FUNKINEVEN The Downstroke (Deetron Remix) PBR STREETGANG NONONO YOUNG MARCO Love Is The Way THE MOLE Wayne County Hills Cops OMAR S & OO IGNITT Flash Addict SCUBA Crave DEETRON FEAT HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR
In My Mind IVAN GOUGH & FEENIXPAWL FEAT. GEORGI KAY Lights Are Fading JONO FERNANDEZ FEAT. TWIN ATOMS Don’t Look Back TOMMIE SUNSHINE & DISCO FRIES Toulouse NICKY ROMERO Eyes Wide Open DIRTY SOUTH & THOMAS GOLD FEAT. KATE ELSWORTH Everybody Get Up JAM XPRESS & SEANY B Cascade TOMMY TRASH Room For Happiness KASKADE FEAT. SKYLAR GREY Rattle BINGO PLAYERS Internet Friends KNIFE PARTY
GREYHOUND
12.
PURPLE NAKED LADIES
IF LOOKS COULD KILL
REVIEWS
LET’S GO
One word – MASSIVE!
KATY PERRY TOMMIE SUNSHINE’S MEGASIX
What happens when you take six crap songs, give them to a cracker DJ/Producer and get said DJ/Producer to remix them into a seven minute remix. You get six songs stretched out to a seven minute remix of crap.