Producer Spotlight: Maybe by Carmada (Empia Remix)

April 12, 2015 | vinylgarden

If you already love fellow Aussie producers collabing with each other (eg. SAFIA and Peking Duk, Yahtzel and LDRU), then chances are you will love Sydney-sider Empia‘s remix of “Maybe” by Carmada (Yahtzel and LDRU‘s collab). The original track is already a mighty fine tune, but Empia, AKA Carl Elliott, removes some of the intensity in the drops and instead builds up a future bass/trap feel in his remix. It is super danceable, so it gets an instant thumbs up from us:

Head on over to Empia’s soundcloud for a lot more great remixes and some original tracks. He’s even playing at Groovin The Moo in Maitland, so you can catch his no-doubt bouncin’ live set.

By Erin Rooney

Our Winter Favourites Playlist

August 31, 2014 | vinylgarden

Springtime in Australia is just around the corner, and because of this we thought it was an appropriate time to celebrate some of our favourite tracks from this year’s Winter season. Highlighting a mixture of Vinyl Garden featured tunes and some we haven’t shared with you yet, sit back, snuggle up and help us say farewell to Winter 2014.

Tracklist:

By Sophie Henry

Audio

EP Highlights: Mesa by Akouo

July 6, 2014 | vinylgarden

Artist: Akouo
Album: Mesa EP
Hometown: Northern Tasmania, TAS
Genre: Indie Electronic

After seeing Ryan Farrington AKA Akouo support SAFIA on their single tour, he demonstrated to the audience pretty quickly that he’s one to keep a close eye on. Transforming dance floors with his heavy beats, and more importantly, his electrifying energy, one listen to this EP will give you only a snapshot of his talent.

“Last Time” is a perfect example of Akouo’s ability to drop a beat. Listen, and just try not to bounce. Alternatively, if you want to ease into his beat-heavy style of producing, take a look at what he’s done with Flume/George Maple’s “Bring You Down”:

“Not Enough” follows on from this strong start, leading with important vocals but dropping back to bring fluctuating rhythms forward. “Passing Through” and “Seas Roll On” are more restrained tracks, exploring simpler themes and repeating vocal lines.

There is a lot of variety on this EP which can be easy to overlook, exhibiting a number of influences from indie music to soul pop and hip hop.

A solid release from Akouo, but if you want to truly experience his music, catch one of his live shows. Word on the street is that he’ll soon be moving to mainland Australia so there should be many more of those!

By Erin Rooney

Venue Picks: Upstairs Beresford

April 14, 2014 | vinylgarden

The words ‘Upstairs Beresford’ and ‘indie music’ go hand in hand with each other on Sydney’s Inner City nightlife scene. This trendy Surry Hills hang is another one of Justin Hemmes’ Merivale stars, encouraging local bands to ‘take up residency’ at The Beresford, such as Hey Geronimo, Louis London and SAFIA.

The vibe: You’re going to have a fun night. It’s going to be a chilled one, but you’re going to dance to some great tunes and get a really elated kind of feeling from the people around you. And if you want to take a break to hang somewhere, mingle, and chat for a bit, there’s always the downstairs option.

What to drink: They do some killer classic vodka mixes here (ask for a Vodka Sunrise), but they also have a fine selection of cocktails (if not a little pricey), including highlights such as the Salted Butterscotch, Mixed Berry Sling and Poached Pear cocktails. Find the menu to tingle your tastebuds here.

Who you’ll see there: Young professionals and hipster hotties.

When’s best to go: Friday and Saturday nights are usually a sure-fire win at The Beresford for great live music, but it’s also worth knowing that they have $5 Happy Hour on every day from 5-7pm for some nice chilled drinks after work or uni.

Venue in a song: “I’ll Be There” by Hey Geronimo

By Erin Rooney

Gig Review: Elizabeth Rose + SAFIA + Fishing

April 7, 2014 | vinylgarden

The Oxford Art Factory never fails to provide the perfect balance between intimacy and buzz in a crowd, the ingredients of which make for a great Sydney gig. And the audience was certainly in for a treat on Saturday with solid sets from electronic acts Fishing, SAFIA and Elizabeth Rose.

Starting with a pulled back performance by Fishing, the night took on a very chilled atmosphere as everyone had a beer and a good chat. Their simple, dulcet tones made for some very easy listening, adding a touch of danceable beat occasionally, including a stunning performance of “Choy Lin”.

SAFIA Tearing It Down

Then Canberra electronic trio SAFIA graced the stage and pulled together a full crowd to experience a tight performance. Whilst it took a moment or two to adjust their mixing mojo and awaken the relaxed audience, SAFIA produced a standout sound, receiving particularly intense reactions from the crowd to their remix of The Aston Shuffle’s “Tear It Down” and their popular single “Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues”. An energetic and tingling cover of James Vincent McMorrow’s “Cavalier” was also just one unexpected trick up their sleeves.

Elizabeth Rose and her rockin’ light show

Finally, the electric Elizabeth Rose brought her own unique energy to the show with a sporty-stylish getup and her silky smooth tunes. Her echoing vocal effects engaged the crowd as she strutted her stuff with songs such as the catchy “Sensibility” and a fun rendition of Corona’s “Rhythm Of The Night”. Her positive vibes were contagious, naming the gig as the “best one so far” on the tour.

Elizabeth Rose is now wrapping up her tour on the west coast of Australia, and you can also catch SAFIA supporting Lorde in her upcoming Australia tour.

By Erin Rooney