2023 MUSIC LINEUP
Hermitude (DJ SET)
Ivy Lab
Highly sought-after London outfit, Ivy Lab, collided together in 2012 out of a shared enthusiasm for experimentation in the UK bass music scene. The duo has marked their territory where leftfield bass and halftime meet hip-hop—a neighborhood characterized by the coalescences of both Los Angeles and London. In an effort to further invest in the emergence of their sound, Ivy Lab launched their 20/20 LDN imprint, which houses and supports hip-hop infused abstractions.
Paige Julia is a creature that lives on an island in the South Pacific Ocean that spends her time tinkering with sound machines. Whilst a well-known force in Aotearoa’s underground bass music scene for some time, Paige Julia is now being embraced by the global music community as one of the very profound artists emanating from Aotearoa. She has released music with 1985 Music, Deep Dark & Dangerous, Drum&BassArena, Unchained Recordings, Samsara Beats, MalLabel Music, Forest Biz, Uncomfortable Beats and Totally Roasted as well as a self released album titled “Morphling” that won “Best Electronic Artist” at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards.
Angus Green is a respected name in the UKG re-emergence, with success and support both in Australia and the UK. Whilst his focus is on UKG he also likes to keep his sound diverse, incorporating many styles and genres including house, bass and even hip hop and seamlessly melding them into his sets.
Electronic music producer Beatrice is one of the most exciting multifaceted artists in Australia. She is a songwriter, performer and producer of one of Australia’s most electrifying dance acts, Haiku Hands; a songwriter & producer for award-winning indigenous band Kardajala Kirridarra, and enjoys a flourishing career as a solo artist.
Whilst disco is the thread that keeps Bec's sets together, she hops between pop, hip hop and house and prides herself on her vinyl collection. Choir director and musician Edward has a love for hands-in-the-air house and disco. Together they bring you a mixed bag of dance floor party starters.
Larger than a speeding bullet, louder than a locomotive and able to leap small distances in a single bound, Big Fkn Robots are a 2 piece, artificially intelligent, aural fighting force to be reckoned with... Known for energetic festival sets at Wide Open Space, Esoteric and Burning Seed + more
Billsbry is the musical alias of Eora / Sydney based solo artist, Charlie Billsberry-Fisher.
Showcasing a unique blend of genres, Billsbry uses an electric guitar, loop pedal, sample pad and raw percussion to craft his original songs through multi textured layering.
Cutlery is dj duo Brother Moonbug & Katapult Smith. Long term vinyl collectors and music obsessives. Together they are responsible for the successful Cutlery parties, radio show and a massive 6 WOS Pool Parties. Cutlery sets are a unique eclectic journey for the dance floor. Ready, Set, GO!
A carbon offset, internet frenzied dream of a vacation to all those sweaty clubs and street festivals. “So before you criticize somebody, you find out what he’s all about” Phillip Banks in Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
Don't Thank Me, Spank Me! is a two piece girl odyssey made up of best friends Nitida Atkinson (vocals and guitar) and Esther Henderson (vocals and bass). The duo is influenced by rock-n-roll girl bands from the late 70s, naughties rnb, Elton John and ROMANCE.
Faggot Mafia is an Mparntwe - based, Queer music producer, DJ, MC, performer & filth merchant.
Dj Wrong Banana is a multi-genre DJ based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. Guaranteed to get any crowd up and dancing with their fun, eclectic and thumping energetic beats, a DJ Wrong Banana set is not to be missed!
Eastern Arrernte Band are a group of young, desert reggae artists from Ltyentye Apurte, 80km from Alice Springs. Singing in both English and Eastern Arrernte, their songs revolve around country, culture and social issues experienced in their community.
After his 2021 EP ‘Get Something Going’, welcomed by rotation on RAGE and further bolstered via high rotation nationally on SBS Chill, Eastward’s clutch guitar skill became part of an accolade few Aussies, let alone artists the world-over can claim. The 2021 video game ‘The Artful Escape’ produced by Beethoven & Dinosaur and released through Hollywood heavyweight, Annapurna Interactive, replete with voice-overs from Carl Weathers, Lena Headley, Jason Schwartzman and Mark Strong, won a BAFTA for Artistic Achievement! What makes this win so special, along with many others for Eastward and Beethoven & Dinosaur, is that the game, is the only game in history with more guitar airtime than ‘Guitar Hero’. Eastward’s guitar melodies soar and weave throughout the games’ exciting adventures and has been globally received as an indie psychedelic operatic guitar triumph. Now, BAFTA award winner, Eastward is back with ‘Muted’ a 4 track EP, that is sure to whet the appetite of guitar lovers and fans of psychedelic chill. Mixed and Mastered by the great Spoonbill, the album is texturally rich, compositionally exciting and fi lled with unforgettable melodies, underpinned by an organic chill funkiness
Erin Buku is a unique artist, a heavy hearted soul singer - she traverses the boundaries of synth laden pop, introspective Hip Hop and Neo Soul. Her 2022 release ‘Lessons In Love’ was met with industry support from the likes of Double J, KCRW in LA and BBC Radio in London. In the same year, she also collaborated with legendary New York rapper Talib Kweli (known for his work with Mos Def & Kanye West) on his collaboration ‘Let It Grow’ with Inkswel for the ‘Chasing Infinity’ album. ‘Let It Grow’ also entered the visual realm with an outerwordly animated video from in demand French animator Super Feat. In 2022 Erin toured her debut EP, playing packed shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as notable festival appearances at Wondermountain Festival (Beechworth), Dragonfly Dreaming Festival (Adelaide) & Thelements. Erin Buku’s “Lessons In Love” EP is a luminous five track debut introducing the artist’s signature blend of synth heavy hiphop soul, where chunky production by Erin and her collaborators underpins soulful vocals. Though written at a difficult time in the artist’s life, the EP is consistently optimistic, seeking truth and beauty amongst the chaos of life. Texturally, synthesizers and digital drums dominate the musical landscape while rhodes, muted trumpets and electric bass add organic touches. The result is a spacious, uncluttered sound that takes cues from UK broken beat as much as neo soul and will be of particular interest to fans of Cleo Sol, Jorja Smith and Tiana Khasi.
Eylandt Band is from the community of Angurugu located on remote Groote Eylandt, NT.
FLim FLam is an Australian Musician/DJ/Sound Engineer from Central Australia. He delivers a rhythmic mix of up-tempo jungle, Neuro and Glitch all smashed together in a high paced frantic fashion. With a performance background that range from Extreme Metal to Hip Hop he is sure to deliver the goods.
Heavily focused around big, energetic bass sounds, Gus Heavy is the alias of Naarm/Melbourne producer and DJ, Angus Green. Ranging through a multitude of genres you will hear recurring elements of old school rave pads, stabs and vocals, invoking a sense of excitement, fun and nostalgia.
Five times the average amount of neurodiverse, queer pop/rock leading a joy fuelled revolution.
Fluent as a DJ, producer, drummer and engineer, John Clayton aka HOOVES has had a life long affair with music. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the native New Zealander worked his way through the genres of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and metal, before diving deep into drum & bass in the early 2000s.
The Operatives-founder JPS, and producer and furious drummer HOOVES have been long time compatriots, and years of bubbling in the studio have led to Idle Minds Workshop. A testament to the careers of two dancefloor devastating DJs, their music swerves between bass, footwork, jungle and drum & bass.
Igadi made his initial foray into DJ’ing with a focus on electro house. After he moved to Mparntwe, influenced by the eclectic nature of the local artists, Igadi began his journey away from electro house, crafting his own sound which sits well within techno with melodic nods to progressive.
Inkswel is an award nominated Austalian music producer, DJ, and self confessed music obsessive who has played a robust role in championing underground and cutting edge sounds for the last 20 years.
Jack Whu (they/them) hopes to create a safe space for audiences to explore intimate images and emotions through the use of complex harmonies and textures. Expect to be taken on a journey through multifarious sound waves of glitches, ethereal resolutions and warped microtones performed live on flute.
Jessie May and the Hay Days are an emerging Mpartwe based band. They perform Jessie May's original folk bangas, bringing them to life with a twist. A fusion of country and folk, they will capture your hearts, this side of the Macdonnell ranges. Songs of connection to place, people and love.
Chief of The Operatives, JPS Moving forward from those early days Jerry Poon aka JPS (THE OPERATIVES) has established himself as a DJ, Tour Agent, Promoter, Producer and he is probably most well known as Head Honcho of The Operatives. Few DJs or promoters have changed the shape of Melbourne’s music
Julian Belbachir is a sonic journey that explores the deep roots of North and West Africa.
Born & raised in Tanzania but now calling Mpartnwe home, Katanga Junior is an exciting, charismatic artist who has captivated audiences across the Territory since arriving two years ago. Incorporating hip-hop, reggae, ragga & indie-folk sounds, Katanga is guaranteed to get a crowd moving.
Known for his fearless array of genres from Hip-Hop to Mid-Tempo and Drum & Bass blending in an effortless harmony with styles like Experimental Down tempo and Soulful Roots. Kodiak Kid continues to push new boundaries with each set, crafting an elegantly immersive journey and experience.
Kodivine sings you sideways with soul-hooks over RnB groove. Their songs are honey-smeared political jabs and self-determining war cries. Jazz-school drop-out raised by 90’s vocal harmonies.
Originally hailing from Paris & known for her rich and broad taste, Madame Reve floats from funk, jazz-house, disco-soul, to the melodic sounds of Mali, through the metro of Paris, and back to Australia’s finest music makers.
Around the world and into your brain, vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentalist and looping beatboxing songwriter Mal Webb (B. Ed (music)) sings his songs about all manner of stuff, using all sorts of vocal techniques, guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, trombone, chromatic harmonica and a loop recording pedal called Derek. It’s a lip to lung journey through the physics, physiology and phrivolity of all the sounds a face can make. Sideways yodelling, beatbox, harmonics, throat singing, uvular fluttering, advanced clapping. He’s like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble. Ebulliently eclectic. Nefariously varied. Family fun free from facile frippery.
This is COUNTRY MUSIC from Stolen, Thirsty, Trampled Country. It's for anyone looking for that back down home feeling without knowing exactly what or where or how home might be. Midnight Rangers will bring a rollicking set of country & country-adjacent sonic warfare.
Jake Savona, aka Mista Savona, is a DJ. producer and the mastermind behind Havana Meets Kingston.
Monkey Marcs sound has been likened to Prince Paul meets King Tubby with the bass turned up: hip hop meets dub and future bass. Rayjah45 has been recognised as one of the region’s most electrifying live vocal performers. Vida Sunshyne is Australias finest female dancehall and reggae singer.
Nookz & Villen have been collaborating for the better part of 12 years. The group debuted in 2021, supporting Lil Mase at the Gap View Hotel. Although Nookz & Villen have never released any music officially, one of their tracks 'Real Aboriginal' found its way onto Tik Tok going viral.
Not Jen (fka Dinob1tch) has a unique sound that is bold and diverse along the house > techno spectrum, yet reliably cohesive and distinctive, with a steady undercurrent of dirty (plus splashes of electro and breakbeat for good measure.)
Textured explorations of Deep. Weird. Playful. Moody. Smut.
After forming in 2019, writing and releasing 3 EPs and 2 tours across the NT these 4 desert rats have been in something of a 'Purple Patch'. The band draws influence from classic rock, funk and blast beats, creating a sound that is "...dirty enough for the gutter but clean enough to show your mama"
Rare Earth Hervey Metal are a Ultra Spiritual dynamic Act from the “Patta” Tennant Creek. With over 60 years of combined musical experience, exploration of many stages of crypto heavy sludge prog love. After mind blowing performances at in Alice Springs & TC the hope to take you on the Spaceship
Producer, DJ Ben Safire has performed in cities around the world including London, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Outlook festival, Let it Roll and released music with Noisia, Alix Perez, Dub Phizix, Zed Bias, DLR and many more.
She is Co-Founder of one of Melbourne’s longest running bass nights, ‘Bassline’ and has been an active contributor and supporter of Melbourne’s underground bass music scene and sound system culture for many years. Sam Stacka has supported Internationals like General Levy, DJ Vadim and Mungo's HIFI.
Handcuff them to the planet! Stellar Sea are a cohort of post-punk eco queers with a kink for planetary survival and eyeliner. Their compelling co-lead vocals make them a unique and theatrical act, with melodic bass lines, haunting guitar riffs and dynamic drums infusing their dark, new-wave sound.
Solo Artist Elliott (Kulumindini), Northern Territory
Wollemi: thought once to be extinct, is among a rare breed of dancefloor alchemists’ that has evolved from the undercurrent of early warehouse parties, flourished as parties came out of dark clubs and into the Wide Open Space. Wollemi’s search for the ever elusive perfect bass Om* started in a place of analogue and turntables, through deep canyons of plastic, over hot and dusty dance floors into the Xone4D. You can ask Wollemi to “play us something we can dance to!” But you’ll have to speak up!
Live-looping multi- instrumentalist X A V I A creates evocative, ambient electronic folk. She blends swirling strings, hand made beats, and soaring melodies live on stage, singing to the deep earth, the ocean sky and the universe within, drawing audiences into a vivid song story.