Soundscape Festival Sydney @ Factory Theatre

Soundscape Festival Sydney
Factory Theatre
Sydney, AUS
December 17, 2016

After a successful debut in 2015, Soundscape Festival was back for the second time in 2016, serving up a massive day of tunes and chills in Sydney’s inner west.

After debuting as an intimate festival at the Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney, Soundscape has progressively up-scaled and took hold of the purpose built, multi-venue that comprises Marrickville’s Factory Theatre this time around, bringing together Australia’s most talented new bands, DJs, and producers.

The sunny December incarnation of the Soundscape Festival included: The Lulu Raes, who served up a mélange of catchy melodies smothered in soulful dance and punk tinged with an omnipresent Oasis / Beatles influence; Tora, an Australian electronic band dedicated to the new-age genre they refer to us Chillwave, a blend of ambient harmonies, layered rhythms and pulsing soundscapes; Moses Gunn Collective, a 5-piece glam-psych-disco band from Brisbane, who with their recent release add some brooding strokes to their previously dreamy oeuvre; Human Movement, comprised of Sydney-based dance duo Blake Gilray and Edward Macdonald emitting their minimalistic, dark vibes with emotive elements; Juan du Sol, who is well known among dance music circles for his role as one third of RÜFÜS, who carpet bombed the dance floor with dark synths, driving kicks and eerie vocal loops.

The Ruminaters, took the young hopefuls on a chaotic, fuzzed out, wild ride and Winston Surfshirt, spread what they have trademarked as “mellifluous Psychedelic Sex Funk Soul”, and the laid back surfer Robbie Lowe and permanent fixture at Sydney’s underground party – Sweetchilli - conjured his own signature broth of late 80ies acid / hip house & rap tunes behind the decks.
The South of Sydney sent The Kava Kings, an outfit that brought a loose mash up of Gypsy, Rock, Reggae and Dub and Adi Toohey brought her own bag of wax spanning house, disco, funk and soul, collected from international record crate digging expeditions. Strange Associates delivered the appropriate soundtrack for the sunny afternoon with their house music mixed with dreamy vocals, which they have come to refer to as “provocative house”, which did not fail to elicit the desired crowd response.

With having nurtured local talent since its inception and with most acts having become established and successful, it will be interesting to see what Soundscape Festival will grow to in 2017.

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Photos by KAVV