A weekly crate of new prog, fusion and the fringes, dug out of the week’s music writing.
The living line: Melbourne to Auckland
Seventh edition: Aus/NZ living scene — psych-festival energy, modern-jazz collectives, NZ art-pop, plus two 1975-76 roots. Harvest bounded by bot-walled press sites; Subway AU tag + catalog-verified editorial picks. — ed.
Aus / NZ
What Melbourne/Sydney/Auckland are releasing now: psych-festival culture and jazz-fusion collectives.
Who is making this now
This is not a survey of 'Australian music'. It is a snapshot of a living network: bands and bandleaders who are shipping records now, with festival circuits, small labels and shared players tying Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland together.
The edition opens loud — Orchestra of Spheres' 'Hypercube' and three post-punk cuts — then runs the prog-metal and neo-prog middle (Teramaze, Vanishing Point, Circles, Anubis, Hemina), a modern-jazz plateau, big instrumental arcs from We Lost The Sea, sleepmakeswaves, Kerretta and Jakob, and a dusk sequence that lands on two 1970s roots and Tiny Ruins' hush.
BANDS IN THIS EDITION
- Orchestra of Spheres
- Avantdale Bowling Club
- We Lost The Sea
- sleepmakeswaves
- Jakob
- Teramaze
- Anubis
- The Vampires
- Barney McAll
- Andrea Keller
- Jonathan Crayford
- Myele Manzanza
- lovemenot
- Mermaidens
- Tiny Ruins
- Sebastian Hardie
- Cybotron
LABELS / COLLECTIVES
- Room 40 (Brisbane)
- Flightless (Melbourne)
- Record Kicks (AU/NZ roster)
- Sound Explorers (NZ)
- Aeroplane (Melbourne)
CITIES / PLACES
- Melbourne
- Sydney
- Brisbane
- Wellington
- Auckland
- Napier
PICK
PICK
Orchestra Of SpheresHypercube
Orchestra Of Spheres — Hypercube, Wellington cosmic-psych collective; 'Hypercube' is the scene's live-festival energy in miniature. (scene lane).
lovemenotAs Above...
lovemenot — As Above..., Melbourne math-rock trio, reviewed by The Progressive Subway for 'Strike !! Between the Teeth'. (scene lane).
ORBO.R.B.
ORB — O.R.B., Brisbane retro-psych band riding Australia's psych-festival circuit. (scene lane).
Nice BiscuitCandle
Nice Biscuit — Candle, Brisbane twin-guitar psych outfit, part of the current AU psych wave. (scene lane).
Avantdale Bowling ClubF(r)iends
Avantdale Bowling Club — F(r)iends, Auckland jazz-rap ensemble led by Tom Scott; the NZ scene's crossover flagship. (scene lane).
Lord EchoThe Sweetest Meditation
Lord Echo — The Sweetest Meditation, Wellington producer; dub-jazz hybridity from the Echo Chamber label orbit. (scene lane).
Black Sea of TreesCult of the Sun
Black Sea of Trees — Cult of the Sun, Melbourne atmospheric prog act, Subway-reviewed 'Cult of the Sun'. (scene lane).
MermaidensPerfect Body
Mermaidens — Perfect Body, Wellington shoegaze-leaning duo on the NZ underground circuit. (scene lane).
Hans PucketEczema
Hans Pucket — Eczema, Wellington indie-rock trio with sly art-pop hooks. (scene lane).
Sheep, Dog & WolfAblutophobia
Sheep, Dog & Wolf — Ablutophobia, Auckland multi-instrumentalist Daniel McBride; chamber-pop layering. (scene lane).
Tiny RuinsHow Much
Tiny Ruins — How Much, Auckland art-folk project of Hollie Fullbrook; quiet close to the arc. (scene lane).
TeramazeAre We Soldiers
Teramaze — Are We Soldiers, Melbourne prog-metal veterans; 'Are We Soldiers' shows the melodic side of the AU scene. (core-prog lane).
Vanishing PointDistant Is the Sun
Vanishing Point — Distant Is the Sun, Sydney prog-metal band; 'Distant Is the Sun' is their widescreen statement. (core-prog lane).
CirclesArrival
Circles — Arrival, Melbourne prog-metal act blending clean choruses with heavy riffing. (core-prog lane).
GrowthUnder The Under
Growth — Under The Under, Australian prog-metal band, Subway-reviewed for 'Under the Under'. (fringe lane).
AnubisHitchhiking to Byzantium
Anubis — Hitchhiking to Byzantium, Sydney neo-prog band in the classic 70s tradition. (core-prog lane).
Sebastian HardieFour Moments Pt.4 - Everything Is Real
Sebastian Hardie — Four Moments Pt.4 - Everything Is Real, Australia's first symphonic-prog band; 'Four Moments' (1975) is the local root record. (archive lane).
We Lost The SeaThe Last Dive of David Shaw
We Lost The Sea — The Last Dive of David Shaw, Sydney post-metal band; 'The Last Dive of David Shaw' is a modern instrumental epic. (fringe lane).
sleepmakeswavesMade of Breath Only
sleepmakeswaves — Made of Breath Only, Sydney post-rock; 'Made of Breath Only' title track is their live centrepiece. (fringe lane).
KerrettaShepherds Thread
Kerretta — Shepherds Thread, Auckland instrumental post-metal with a dark, patient build. (fringe lane).
JakobMalachite
Jakob — Malachite, Napier post-rock trio; NZ's answer to slow-burning instrumental crescendo. (fringe lane).
Rhian SheehanThe Absence of You
Rhian Sheehan — The Absence of You, Wellington composer; ambient post-rock and score work. (fringe lane).
Barney McAllPrecious Energy - Homage to Leon Thomas and Pharoah Sanders
Barney McAll — Precious Energy - Homage to Leon Thomas and Pharoah Sanders, Melbourne-based pianist (via NYC); 'Precious Energy' is his homage to Leon Thomas and Pharoah Sanders. (jazz-fusion lane).
These New South WhalesCholesterol Heart (God Bless Ya)
These New South Whales — Cholesterol Heart (God Bless Ya), Sydney post-punk outfit pressing hard post-punk with 2020s urgency. (fringe lane).
Pinch PointsReasons to Be Anxious
Pinch Points — Reasons to Be Anxious, Melbourne anxiety-funk post-punk; 'Reasons to Be Anxious' is their thesis statement. (fringe lane).
Cable TiesPerfect Client
Cable Ties — Perfect Client, Melbourne three-piece; big-riff post-punk with political teeth. (fringe lane).
Myele ManzanzaTwo Chords & the Truth
Myele Manzanza — Two Chords & the Truth, NZ-born, London-based drummer; 'Two Chords & the Truth' continues his jazz-funk line. (jazz-fusion lane).
HeminaThe Only Way
Hemina — The Only Way, Sydney progressive-pop quartet with dense vocal arranging. (core-prog lane).
ToehiderToad Hirer
Toehider — Toad Hirer, Melbourne one-man prog-pop project of Mike Mills; playful and virtuosic. (wildcard lane).
Andrea KellerReflection
Andrea Keller — Reflection, Melbourne pianist and scene-builder; a pillar of AU modern jazz composition. (jazz-fusion lane).
Jonathan CrayfordEast West
Jonathan Crayford — East West, Auckland pianist; 'East West' carries NZ jazz's modal thread. (jazz-fusion lane).
The VampiresWest Mass
The Vampires — West Mass, Sydney jazz quartet blending surf-rock skronk and modern jazz. (jazz-fusion lane).
HachikuI'll Probably Be Asleep
Hachiku — I'll Probably Be Asleep, Melbourne dream-pop project of Anika Ostendorf. (fringe lane).
Yumi ZoumaIn Camera
Yumi Zouma — In Camera, Christchurch-formed dream-pop band; 'In Camera' is their shimmer mode. (fringe lane).
Tami NeilsonCareless Woman
Tami Neilson — Careless Woman, Auckland-based soul/country belter; 'Careless Woman' is a vintage-mode gem. (wildcard lane).
CybotronArrakis
Cybotron — Arrakis, Australian 1970s synth-prog pioneers; 'Arrakis' is proto-electronic prog history. (archive lane).