Ugh. It’s happening again. I’m getting clingy. I never mean to, it’s just that some artists have talent in racks upon racks and what am I meant do about it and who are you tell me what’s right and wrong get off my back I’m doing the best I can. This time it’s Oscar Key Sung whose EPs and work with both Oscar + Martin and Brothers Hand Mirror have been impeccable. I have here the perfect double for you, a combination of two electronic maestros whose tandem output is better than the work of either one alone. Thomas William has provided the original beat via his gorgeous Andromeda before Oscar Key Sung has walked all over the thing with lush vocals and a straightening out of the beat. EVERYONE WINS. It’s the first track from Thomas William’s Deccan Technicolour Remix album which sees the likes of Oscar Key Sung, Option Command, Dro Carey and plenty of other Aussie beatmakers applying their vibez to Thomas William’s already strong record. There’s also this brand new collab between William and Guerre which you’d do well to take heed of.

There’re a few tracks presently on my mind so decisions have had to be made. I’m going to run with an international track to start with, the first cut from Local Natives’ sophomore release. The album will be called Hummingbird and come January you’ll have it in your sweaty yet delicate palms.

Do you like it? What do you think? Lots of reverb? No reverb? I’d love to hear your opinions so please leave them in the comment box below. For one reason or another it’s crucial that you tell me what you think. Don’t bother dwelling on it too deeply, just spew forth your least considered response. Ideally, I’d like to hear that ‘this is not as good as something else’ or that the drumming is ‘sick’. Better still, why don’t you just tell me about your day or CTRL-V whatever you’ve currently got cached on your clipboard. Nothing is beneath me!

Sick drumming though. Breakers is a step up in terms of production but it’s a step back for songwriting with an over-reliance on pretty wails and swelling noise. Don’t get me wrong, I like both those things, but the first LN record had that and more. Still a great track but here’s hoping that this is the radio release from the record.

Sorry about all that before. I actually really like hearing your opinions. You’re alright.

If you’re at all familiar with indie-award-winning-pseudo-literary music blog Sound Doctrine you’ll know that we don’t do a whole bunch of giveaways, because we’re a combination of underfunded and uninspired. Also, there’s not really a ‘we’, it’s just me. Or I, or whatever. Anyway, it’s not that I don’t want to give you good things it’s just you’re better than a free ticket to Busby Marou or a promotional copy of the new Mumford record. So in celebration of getting some cool guy memorabilia made up for myself (see above) I’ve got my hands on a few very, very, very (very) limited edition split EPs by The Middle East / Sleeping In Trains (see below). I’ve got fifteen of these to give away in a week’s time when I’ll physically pulling names out of a literal hate. Maybe a snap back cap, maybe a bowler, this is yet to be decided.

These were first available at their shows about six or seven years back. I got mine when they played a set at Blackstump (I know right!?) and to this day, the four Middle East tracks from this split are #2, #5, #6, #7 in my all-time most played songs. That first set blew my mind just as they did every subsequent time I saw them on stage.

Let’s not underplay the tracks from Sleeping In Trains though. Their side of the split is outrageously good. Sleeping In Trains was the band from which Mark Myers would emerge to join The Middle East (and his own project The Starry Field) so it’s a safe play to assume it’ll be king kong.

THE MIDDLE EAST
1 The Bats and the Brave
2 At Home In Our Convictions
3 The Streets
4 Gold

SLEEPING IN TRAINS
5 Rabbit Hole
6 Tie your Heart
7 Away
8 Cameron
9 Sweet Dreams

Aluka are an a capella three piece straight outta Compton Melbourne who’ve just now released the first track from their debut full length. Think a poppier Mountain Man and you’re probably not far from the truth of it. The track has also been remixed by Oscar Key Sung whose idea of a remix is obviously not far from cover. Obviously it’s killer though, as it is, afterall, Oscar Key Sung. Guy can’t do much wrong as far as I’m concerned and I’m very concerned indeed. I’ve spent the week listening to the new Tame Impala and while I’m knee deep in appreciation for the thing, the jury’s still out on ‘Is it as good as Innerspeaker?’

Probably not. This track from Aluka has been a good interlude from the mind-spiralling Lonerism in that this is a definite, concrete set of sounds without an excess tone to be found. It’s been an even better interlude still from the B.O.B playing over the work loudspeakers. I wish my life was a permanent B.O.B interlude. That’s the dream though, isn’t it?

This week I’ve been listening Melbourne’s Cold Hiker whose wailing Radioheadisms were passionate enough to keep me more than interested for the full duration ‘Phosphenes’ a whole bunch of times. Old mate’s fluid falsetto was the draw card that pushed me through the first listen but the off beat tom hits and swaggering flow were what’s bid me play it through a few more times. Let’s be honest though, there’s more than a little Paranoid Android in there. I’m a man of faith though and I’ve forgiven it in the foreknowledge that this is just the tip of the Cold Hiceberg.

Anyway, has been sitting in my drafts all week and it’s not getting any more significant with each passing day so I’m going to cut this bird free before I strangle it to death. That hour we lost via daylight savings hasn’t done me any favours even if it’s allowed me to witness natural sunlight for the first time in since March. Heavens above.