Russ Davies is a London based composer and producer who has released a multitude of music under various aliases including Abakus. In his work, he has composed and scored soundtracks for films and this experience has allowed him to imbue his music with both the ambience and the grandeur of cinema.

Far too often, the label of indie is used to denote a particular kind of music. A couple of guitars, some vocals, and perhaps a not overly synthesised keyboard are delivered in an approachable package and passed off as defining what it is to be indie. But, Farmer and the Owl festival in Wollongong showed that this is not what indie can be – far from it.

For her debut body of work, Jofi, aka Josie Mann, a 21-year-old from Sydney, has employed her classical composition training. Combining her love for pop, indie and soul music, Jofi has released two debut singles that highlight her ability as a composer.

If the reputation of Secret Garden was anything to go by, the final edition of this weekend festival would be weird, wonderful and colourful. Secret Garden 2019 delivered that, and so much more.

From Brisbane’s ever efflorescent rock scene, WAAX is modernising the ruthless aggression of punk rock. After hitting the airwaves with ‘Labrador’, the band are looking to make 2019 their biggest year so far.

One of our favourite selectors Luen has been relentlessly building up the Australian electronic scene with her fierce dedication and energetic sets. Between multiple pursuits Luen answered a few of our questions and shared some of the tracks she’s had on high rotation lately.

At the beginning of February, Duke Dumont returned to Los Angeles and played an unforgettable set at the world renowned Exchange nightclub. Finally, the set is available for download via Soundcloud, giving listeners a small glimpse into one of the most rounded and consistent electronic artists of this generation.

Last night over 20,000 Sydneysiders turned up in the rain to protest new NSW live music regulations. Local artists such as Ocean Alley and The Rubens performed at the rally, and festival organisers Michael Chugg and Adelle Robinson delivered speeches demonstrating how the new scheme will have a ripple effect on everyone.

The work which made Brahms’ name, A German Requiem was initially designed to be played with four hands on one instrument; as a piano duet. Assembled by Brahms from Martin Luther’s German translation of the bible, A German Requiem focuses on the biblical passages which reflected Brahms’ personal views on death and spirituality.

Australian Soundcloud DJ Dunni has just begun his new series, “10 Songs and a Bottle of Red”. The series takes a completely different approach to the standard mix formula that is heard on Soundcloud. Gone is the DJ sets or electronic compilation sets and in its place is a much more personal mix. Dunni’s new series is exactly what it sounds like, ten songs that are best accompanied by a bottle of red wine and some calm vibes.

Australian indie-rock duo Little May have undergone a significant change since their 2015 album For The Company. With the departure of the then trio’s bassist Annie Hamilton, their sound has transformed from slow and powerfully emotive rock, influenced by The National, to a new sound of fizzy production, shimmery guitars and thumping drums.

The effect of having a city with restricted opportunities to play music live, and club-focused, electronic music in particular does not just result in the headline grabbing club closure announcements but the slow deterioration of creative opportunities for the sector as a whole.

In a gloriously sweaty Oxford Art Factory last Wednesday night, YouTube-born eclectic pop sensation Clairo floated onto the stage with her air of unwaveringly cool energy and rebellious self-confidence.

Simon Murphy has carved out a place for himself within Melbourne’s electronic scene and earnt back to back spots in the Rainbow Serpent Festival in both 2018 and 2019. This year he played right after his long-time collaborator and good friend J-Slyde, slowing things down as he took control of the Chill Stage

Sydneysiders Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore are two mainstays of Australian music, through Steel’s work in alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson and Littlemore’s contribution to EDM group Pnau. As Empire of the Sun, however, together they have gone down as one of the city’s most successful electronic duos. In celebration of 10 years since their debut album Walking on a Dream reshaped the Australian music scene, they have released ‘Chrysalis’

Spilling down the rolling lawns of Callan Park, out the front of the Sydney College of the Arts, Laneawy festival brought its diverse line-up of international and local acts to Sydney last Sunday, February 3. Taking place in that interim period where any temperature under twenty degrees seems like a distant memory, and with a hot February stretching on ahead, Laneway is emblematic of the summer festival experience.

Sydney duo of Nick Drabble and Stu Turner, better known as Set Mo, have kick started their 2019 with the release of their debut album, Surrender. After more than five years together, they have reached the point where they can release an independent body of work.

British-born artist George Ezra has secured an impressive spot in the music scene, with his dulcet deep bass tones and humble lyrical persona scoring him No. 1 positions in international charts. The every-man’s musician, Ezra has appealed to wide audiences of fans who adore the artist’s ability to evoke feeling through soft and untainted lyrics.

Launched in mid 2018 as a club night for womxn, non binary and lgbtqia+ artists in London, New Scenery has tapped Manchester DJ Clemency to explore dark club sounds for a heavy thirty eight minutes.

As a token of his thanks, in 2014, Mark Alexander-Erber gave each member of the band Moon a small golden robot. Having been unable to find wider support for his ten-year-old son Jagger’s remarkable talent as a drummer, Alexander-Erber brought together two friends to give his son the experience of recording in a studio, and together they put together an album. Today, 

For his second EP, DJ Plead returns to the arrthymic beats and Levantine melodies that garnered him recognition for his first release, and were so successful in continuing to challenge what club music could sound like.

The release of Greta Van Fleet’s debut album was as huge as their classic rock sound. Sweeping the globe, Anthem of the Peaceful Army took this small four-man band from their hometown of Detroit, Michigan to their first world tour.

New Zealand pop duo Broods are back with a brand-new album, Don't Feed The Pop Monster, released on February 1. Following their 2016 album, Conscious, the brother-sister duo were dropped by their record label.

“Hold on to each other, hold on to each other”, Florence Welch implored her audience in the first song of the evening. She had a message to send, and she wasn’t leaving until it’s done.

Melbourne producer David Ylias is self-taught and self-made, making the rounds at some of the city’s best nightclubs. As a personal thank you to his Soundcloud followers, he has started a new mixtape series titled Concrete Jungle. With Volume 1 out, he has hit the ground running with his minimal and progressive techno music.

Dance luminary LO’99 has capped off the long weekend with the release of his latest hit ‘Sometime’. Aired globally on BBC Radio 1, 1xtra and Triple J, LO’99 has enthralled listeners with his signature deep bass and he is ready to turn up in the January heat.

To hear that Secret Garden is hanging up the boots for the last time this year, well, it wasn’t the best way to start off the year. We’ve been dedicated returnees at the festival for the past few years, and it’s safe to say that there is no other festival like it.

French pianist Sebastian Gandera is a rare example of a contemporary musician that eschews generic labels and fuses different eras and styles into a 21st century amalgam. His mixture of classical, romantic, impressionist and modernist composition traditions produces artistic music in the truest sense of the term.

It’s hard to attribute a group’s success to one feature, but this hip-hop quartet from Sydney’s Inner West have broken out through one key asset. Diversity. Whether it’s diversity in their music, gigs or what each member brings to the group, they refuse to fit into any specific mould and it is not only changing the hip-hop scene, but the city around them.

Newcastle born and Melbourne based music producer James Crooks has co-written with artists such as RÜFÜS DU SOL, Bliss N Eso and Thelma Plum. Having spent the past two years channelling his expert song-writing into a singular body of work, his debut EP Blame My Soul boasts six catchy yet varied pop songs.