Monthly Archives: March 2021

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News and Touring

Kaijin Solo New Single Viva La Difference

Kaijin Solo is a contemporary singer/songwriter based on the NSW Central Coast with a blues rock influence.

He has been working and honing his craft for many years with various band line-ups and the plentiful bread and butter busking jobs and pub/club gigs around the coast (most recently at Link and Pin in Woy Woy). With the advent of Covid, Kaijin spent the downtime working on new material which resulted in the recording and release of ‘Drink Deep Lovers’, a classic retro rock single. Kaijin has also been revising earlier materiel throughout the break and has had these two songs remixed and mastered to 2021 standard ready for his first release this year.

Originally recorded as part of the Watch your Head sessions, at Damien Gerard’s Balmain studio. Kaijin played guitars, bass and vocals with Chris Prendergast on drums and backing vocals from Kiersten. The track was later re-mixed by Russell Pilling. Viva La Difference celebrates the change in the atmosphere from a divisive period of black and white/cold war politics to something a bit more together. Rock Bottom speaks to the current punitive economic stinginess in the face of the pandemic from an Australian government that should know better.

Viva La Difference
A Bozz Scaggs influenced up-tempo bluesy/funky tune which is lyrically relevant to todays polarized society. The track features full band backing with Kaijin’s groovy Fender Strat featuring and his vocal driving the song along.

Rock Bottom.
A more up-tempo tune as the B Side to Kaijin Solo’s new release. This has a solid rock backing, prominent electric guitar and some keys to balance out the top line. A catchy chorus using the songs title finishes off this great track.

Viva La Difference March 19th –  via MGM
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News and Touring

The DK Effect release their Debut Single ‘Moving Time’

The DK Effect are an 8-piece original funk, soul and gospel-infused RnB band from Australia’s deep south (Tasmania). Fronted by the powerful yet exquisite vocal and focal trinity (Crystal Campbell, Ruby Austin-Lund and Belle Richardson) the band’s material focuses on storytelling, melody and harmony, and is saturated with the passion and polyrhythmic ‘call and response’ vocal synchronicity of gospel music. The band: Randal Muir (keys), Aleks Folvig (guitar and vocals), Al Tolond (drums), David Johnstone (bass) and Jed Adams (sax) deliver grooves as deep as a freshly pressed 45.

Songwriter, David Johnstone had been content to satisfy his passion for writing and recording in sheltered isolation but following the illness of a close friend he reluctantly acknowledged that life is a ‘one-time only offer’. He began the Mama K project. Mama K and the Big Love release their ‘Blind’ album in 2017. The album received rave reviews including 4.5 stars from the Sydney Moring Herald. At this time David had the amazing good fortune to be introduced to Crystal Campbell. Her innate musicality and perfect interpretation of his ideas took each new song to a soulful new level. They quickly formed an enduring, productive and creative relationship.

Having been born on Kiribati in the South Pacific, Crystal was adopted and raised in Tasmania. She is also an accomplished singer songwriter with soul music running through her veins, and as with the African-American originators of soul, she has a sense of identity, culture, consciousness, pride and an unbreakable bond to her homeland.

Crystal and Ruby were together in an all-female band called The Duchesses and formed a great musical relationship and friendship. Ruby is from Northern Tasmania and completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Songwriting. She is also an accomplished keyboardist and has always had a love for soul music.

Ruby met Belle (also from Northern Tasmania) at the Conservatorium of Music where Belle is currently studying music, specialising in Blues, Funk, RnB and Gospel. As well as The DK Effect, she also sings with the soul band Belle’s Boys.

The vocal trio have an undeniable chemistry that radiates the authentic early soul / funk power and vulnerability of the genres pioneers, which allows them to reflect the full range of emotion and meaning embedded in every lyric and groove of The DK Effect repertoire.

Though the band was originally formed purely as a recording entity, there has been an overwhelmingly positive audience reaction from every DK Effect performance at venues including MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), The Moonah Arts Centre, Kickstart Arts and the iconic Republic Bar, establishing their reputation as an exciting and dynamic live band.

A selection of the band’s material has been captured on their debut recording – ‘Moving Time’, which has been expertly mastered by Grammy Award winning, Dave Darlington (Bass Hit Recording, NYC), and accurately presents their organic and authentic, early funk and soul sound.

Video

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Kilbey kennedy - Jupiter 13 - digital album art
News and Touring

Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy New Album Jupiter 13 Out Now

Triumphant New Album Jupiter 13 out now – first in 4 years for the Kilbey/Kennedy collaboration

Release Dates;
All Platforms and CD Instore March 5

Steve Kilbey from enigmatic rockers The Church, and writer of one of rock music’s greatest songs Under The Milky Way, once again teams up with All India Radio’ s Martin Kennedy to release their sixth album Jupiter 13.

No-one can accuse Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy of sitting around on their backsides. In their decade of working together, they have released five studio albums, half a dozen compilations and three albums of commissioned songs.

Now after a four year break they return with Jupiter 13, an album that takes them to new and unexpected places.

Musically inspired by Pink Floyd, David Bowie with elements of 1990s college rock and shoe-gaze, Jupiter 13 is overflowing with Kilbey’s trademark lyrical genius, taking us all the way from 1960s summer holidays into science fictional flights of fancy.

Working solo as he always does with Kilbey Kennedy projects, Kennedy recorded the music during COVID-19 lockdown in Tasmania early 2020. Then flew to Sydney to spend a few days at Damien Gerard studios to record Kilbey’s vocals. At this point Steve hasn’t heard any of the music, or written any lyrics. It all happens on the fly. It’s the way they’ve always worked. Kilbey’s creativity was on full display during the recording of the album. Kennedy:-

“Steve was on fire with ideas with this album. Creative madness in the best possible way, it was a joy to behold. Musically I think our album draws from the best of our previous albums with elements of Bowie, Bolan, Pink Floyd and a good dose of 1990s shoegaze. Lyrically it is pure unadulterated Steve Kilbey.”

The album was mixed by Andrew Beck (Grinspoon, Mental As Anything, Paul Kelly, Kate Miller Heidke) who brought fresh ears to the project and a vibrant live sound.

“The two Australians’ approaches to music and art seem to have been made for one another. Both are serious artistes in the old school, classical sense. They work in multiple mediums, including poetry, painting, animation, and, of course, music. On a more tangible level, Kennedy’s lush, film-like, downtempo soundscapes were an ideal backdrop for Kilbey’s ageless, arch, silky croon and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. A match made if not in Heaven, then certainly in Nirvana.” – John Bergstrom, Pop Matters

 

Jupiter 13 March 5
CDs Instore via MGM
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