The Word on EDM/Dance with Aegipan Samarawickrama [AEGIPAN101@GMAIL.COM]
Greetings, citizens of Pan-berra! (forgive me for that god-awful pun).
Well, well, well… The End-o-Year is here, and with it the last issue of BMA for 2024. As is its want, everything’s getting a little bit more hectic before the holiday season and heading into the New Year.
I don’t claim to know what the future has in store for us, but I can guarantee that I’ll be back in 2025 to keep writing these columns for you.
The last couple of months have been jam-packed with unreal gigs and festivals, but if I had to pick a recent favourite, it would have to be the Spring Beach Party out at Black Mountain Peninsula hosted by Escape Ferocity, RPG, and Soul Jazz.
An incredible job was done setting up three stages from the car park to the lake’s edge. The crowd was full of gorgeous, kind people; every act that took us through the afternoon and into the night absolutely killed it. It was great to see people bringing their kids out for a boogie before the sun set and the party got extra wild, too!
If my words have any weight around these parts, I want to say that I’d be stoked to see more parties like that one, especially at that location. If no one’s willing to chuck another one on down there, I might have to give it a whirl myself, and you can bet your sweet bippy I’d be putting one of my famous puns in the party’s name…how does PANdemonium sound?
We also had another excellent free Royal Rollers gig hosted by the deadset legends at Headz are Rolling, and if I may say so I reckon it was their best yet. The usuals brought some proper heavy sets, and Sydney’s DJ Reload brought it home with a killer headliner.
It was also the first birthday for Squeaky Clean, and their anniversary bash out the back on Verity Lane provided even more entertainment just beyond the back door of Reload Bar. It’s been a good while since I’ve seen the city this so chock full with good people and good vibes. You love to see it.
As usual, I’ll be covering some recent releases and upcoming gigs this month. My calendar’s looking a little light for the first month of 2025, but I’ve got the goss on an extra special Christmas gig and an NYE party that stretches into the first few days of January (if you have the tenacity to seek it out).
New Releases
First up, let’s talk new releases. For some reason, November releases are quite psytech-heavy. Heck… I’m not complaining!
Frisson Records released a remix EP on 26 November containing four fresh takes on Call of the Carnyx by V:Code. The EP features Basam Chemma, Soulphonious, Tophee, and Pann (with two ‘n’s to differentiate between him and yours truly!) rehashing the track in their own inimitable fashion.
This release is a part of Frisson’s endeavour to push out some fresh new sounds and stylistic fusions heading into 2025. Across the four remixes, you’ll find variations on the psytech sound incorporate pagan and ethnic folk elements that they’ve labelled as Ritual Tech.
I, for one, wholeheartedly endorse anyone looking to push musical boundaries. Naturally, I got right into this EP, revelling in how these genres blend together to breathe new life into V: Code’s excellent original track. I’m certain that I will be shouting out new releases from Frisson a lot next year, and I can’t wait to hear what their roster has in store.
Mexican producer and owner of Dark Synths Recordings, Zipacyuhualle, has signed with local label and friends of the column, Soliq Records, to release his two-track EP Deeper.
There’s nothing better than deep bass whomping away under mesmerising beats, but Deeper takes it up several notches and propels the trance-inducing nature of both tracks with frankly intense layers of texture and frequency hovering and shifting just above the beat.
I’m not sure where else you’ll find such a fascinating and complete sonic journey playing across a tight 16 minutes of music.
Just in time for this column’s deadline, Soliq Records also released the follow-up to their Unusual States of Matter V/A series, coming only four months after the first volume dropped.
By now, it should be abundantly clear that Soliq is making a consistent effort to probe and push the boundaries of electronic music.
Here, they’ve given five artists free rein to experiment and explore a diversity of styles to create something unique and distinctive, and I’d say the end result is a smashing success.
I’m all for finding new and exciting ways to step outside boxes.
I went into both compilations blind and did not know what to expect, and I found a lot to love about them, discovering a host of new artists to keep an ear out for. Soliq has been doing the Canberra scene proudly for 18 months since the label came into being. They’ve been throwing parties on the regular, promoting their brand and roster consistently, and pulling in a wealth of talent in the process.
I am always stoked to mention what they’ve been up to when writing these pages. Keep an eye on Soliq’s Linktr.ee for updates.
Gigs Gigs Gigs
Cracking on, let’s look at upcoming gigs. Perhaps to be expected, there is little happening in January while everyone takes some time off to rest and recuperate. But I’m sure I’ll have a lot more info to entice you with for the next issue!
Right out of the gate, I want to quickly (yet sternly) remind you that Stanton Warriors are hitting up Hopscotch from midday to 7pm on Saturday, 21 December with a massive 3 hour set with a stacked line-up of supports. Grab your last min tickets via Moshtix.
That’s going to be a hectic couple of days because…
Local icons, Burley Bassweight, fresh off the back of their first ever Dragon Dreaming set, are throwing their second Naughty List bash the night before at Reload. This one will have some real genre diversity with a line-up featuring Tidy and Samwise from the Headz crew, Zala, Microbial/Manganater, Rascal and, of course, Burley Bassweight themselves.
You’re probably already aware of how much love I have for the Burley crew, and yeah, I’m pretty biased. Gammacel and Cetacean were my introduction to the scene two and a few years ago, and through their gigs, I’ve found not just a lot of new friends but also family. Without Burley Bassweight, I would not have the great pleasure of writing this column for you all.
If you’ve ever been to one of their gigs, you’ll know that family vibe is huge and brimming with love, so if you’re dreading spending Christmas with your rellies this year, come on down to Reload and join our big, bass-loving family. I’ll even give you a hug! Tickets please via Humanitix.
Finally, a New Year’s doof is hosted by RPG Events and Off Tap Productions from 31 December to 3 January.
I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say about this one because RPG’s events are usually smaller and more private, but if you’re in that circle, you can find all the details through the usual channels.
That’s all I can say. Any more, and it’s the snipers…
Beyond EDM
Finally, a few recs outside the EDM umbrella to diversify your listening.
I simply can’t stop listening to Canadian prog metal icon Devin Townsend’s and his latest PowerNerd LP. His most personal record to date, it was written during a recent turbulent period. But doom and gloom it ain’t – there’s a nuanced, uplifting message accompanying the bombastic riffs, soaring synths, and Devy’s signature sonic wall of layered vocals.
Want more prog metal? Opeth released their 14th studio album and their first in five years, The Last Will and Testament, and it’s thoroughly deserving of the acclaim it’s received.
The band bring back deaths growls and heavier riffs not heard since 2008’s Watershed while still utilising elements of prog rock that defined their previous four albums. And, it’s their first concept album since 1999.
I discovered an absolutely rocking local four-piece alt-punk act called Degenerate at the Squeaky Clean anniversary bash. The next day, I delved right into the two EPs they’ve released so far, and I’m low-key in love with their tunes. You can tell who their influences are, but they still keep their sound fresh and original, and somehow they also sound uniquely Canberran in a way that I can’t quite put my finger on.
They put on a hell of a show, too, so if you get the chance to see them live, you best not miss it.
And that’s a wrap for 2024!
Big thanks to the Bossman for the extra word limit, and I hope you forgive my verbosity. I’m on a writing streak this month (more on that next year), and I was simply unable to cram everything into 1300 words.
And an even bigger thanks to YOU for being here and giving feedback, kind words, sending info on gigs and new releases, and being present, beautiful, and bloody fantastic. I am truly honoured.
Writing my own column has been a dream of mine for decades, and giving back to the scene and community is the intoxicating icing on the most delectable cake.
Have yourselves a ripper holiday season, stay safe, party hard, and rest well. Remember to leave out a White Russian and a tray of magic brownies for jolly old Pan-ta Claus (goddamnit, I did it again).
