Here’s one from Melbourne storm trooper Herzeloyde that’ll have you [absolutely bare minimum] nodding your head in the Qantas executive lounge. Wait, what am I doing at the airport? You’re ABOUT TO TAKE OFF SON. Hit play on this thing and see if you’re still seated in two minutes time and if you are then you just don’t get it, you don’t. I’ve been doing big ol’ gangster arms to this thing in my glass cube at work and given the nature of glass (fairly transparent, most of the time) it’s been a statement of intent for the rest of my business day.

So huge thanks to Herzeloyde who has soundtracked my burgeoning office manhood but also provided what would be the ideal track for Danny Brown to rap over. Can you imagine? WELL STOP IMAGINING. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. Here is that exact thing, just a little tasty taste.

He’s a bastion of soundcloud culture so go deep

Really into this new one from Melbourne chap Jamil Zacharia whose session credits run deep through the Wondercore Island / Hiatus Kaiyote clique down here. The Oscar Key Sung interpretation he recorded last year was what announced him but he’s been remarkably quiet since. Magic Snuff Box is the first track from his forthcoming The Soft Tread That Inspires EP and whilst I’d hope that the track was a conceptual piece dedicated to this, I console myself through the sonic quality of things. I’d be remiss if I didn’t go on to say that it really would have been quite a special track though. Nonetheless, it is what it is and that’s a stunningly intricate little spirit quest of a song, something to accompany your next ayahuasca field trip. This reeks like a smoky tent and pitches like heaving ship, and if my imagery hasn’t won you over then nothing damn well will. Respect this.

Oh it’s a free download too.

Pleased to be able to make your Monday morning with a binary offering from Yujen. The three piece have been chipping away down in Melbourne a couple years now and during that time they’ve produced for other acts (see the first track on TEEF’s Imperium In Imperio compilation) and made waves under their own moniker, dropping an EP through Detail Co. that even features the crooning vocals of label co-founder Chet ‘Big Business’ Faker. The track that announced Yujen [to me] those few years ago was called Heirloom and is still a staple of my playlisting behaviours.

That old EP though, that’s the past, fit only for your sound bin (maybe keep a copy though, it’s actually quite good) because I’ve got the future for you right here and its manner of release is near as interesting as the music. Two songs at once might as well be cyanide pill in this world of cut throat soundcloud domination but that’s the sort of artist we’re dealing with here. Yujen are dropping these things into your earbits and flipping death the bird as they dive deep into the industry abyss, ignore all depth warnings and ‘no cannonball’ signage. Among Others is the official name of the release and it’s open ended in that this two-tracker might be the only release under that name but then it’s equally likely that Yujen will release more ‘Others’ throughout the year. Fingers crossed for the latter.

I’m not bold enough to these a departure from the groundwork set down through the EP but it’s a strong development. I’m not sure which of the three members of Yujen is singing on ‘Sanctuary’ but the vocals are far higher in the mix than they’ve ever been on a Yujen track and ‘Avalanche II’ is eight and a half minutes long, eclipsing any other song they’ve released so far, at least in duration. The tracks are immaculately produced, intricate, nuanced and warm on the ear. I hope this isn’t the latest incarnation of Among Others and that Yujen spend this year developing Other upon Other but regardless, if this is where the release ends then I’ll still declare it a success.

The main, most special single from Snowy Nasdaq & Snowy Life’s newjangle2012. Dolewave2015 is my next favourite track from the record, or maybe even my first favourite, but this is the soundcloud single so I’m going to respect the campaign and we’ll run with this. There’s a six track EP out through French (thought decidedly Oz-obsessed) French label Beko Disques and if you enjoyed this track you’ll enjoy the rest too. Snowy is one of the pivotal voices of Melbourne music ecosystem and features in about 26 other bands including at least 4 that are just him under different pseudonyms.

I’ve covered Laurence a couple of times as he released his EPs and records onto bandcamp with a casual indifference. Community radio and Triple J alike (as well as almost all other blogs, really) haven’t paid too much attention but I don’t get the impression that this bothers Laurence all that much. You don’t exactly pick a performance name like Laurence with SEO in mind so it’s probably not an excercise in music business. This first one right here (the fourth from the EP) closes off like any other Mac Demarco Laurence track, all flying runs down the neck of a guitar whilst Laurence husks gently over the track. The Armidale native, singing about small town blues? I’ll take it. He’s all Melbourne now but we weren’t all born with long black in our veins, like yours truly. Melbourne born and bred, this author, with a penchant for warehouse conversions and exposed light-fittings. I know a thing or two about Melbourne, boy, I’ll tell it to you straight. Now there’s a town, Melbourne.

The second one I have for you here is Civic Video Love Song which is a good song for you to listen to and arugably the best song written loosely around Civic Video so far this year. There’s elements from acts like Kurt Vile or LP era Middle East but there’s mostly just a dry warmth that would lend itself beautifull to an inland Australia roadtrip.

Here he is on facebook.