NO.3 ANNOUNCES 2023 DATES & LINEUP FEATURING NEW SETLIST + NATALIE BASSINGTHWAIGHTE & THANDI PHOENIX AS GUEST VOCALIST ADDITIONS
Following back to back sold out events across Australia and New Zealand, including last fortnight’s synchronised events at Sydney’s spectacular Cockatoo Island and Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Float, SYNTHONY is thrilled to announce its return to Australia this summer with a brand new show: SYNTHONY No.3. Boasting a star studded line up with Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Rogue Traders), Thandi Phoenix, Ilan Kidron (The Potbelleez) et.al, the lavish celebration of dance music continues with a fresh setlist of massive dance tracks performed with a mix of live orchestra, vocalists, instrumentalists, and DJs in what is set to be its biggest and most dynamic lineup to date.
The tour will start outdoors on Friday 17 February at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, as part of the Live at the Bowl summer event series, followed by Perth, returning to RAC Arena on Friday 17 March, before heading back to Brisbane’s Riverstage Amphitheatre on Saturday 25 March, and finishing up at Sydney’s Aware Super Theatre, ICC on Saturday 22 April.
Tickets to SYNTHONY go on sale via www.synthony.com from 10am local time (MEL, BNE, SYD), 11am local time (PER) on Wednesday 16 November, with a SYNTHONY presale live at 9am local time on Tuesday 15 November.
Featuring new music from Disclosure, Eric Prydz, Flume, Calvin Harris, Wilkinson and many more, this is undoubtedly the biggest orchestrated dance party in Australia.
With superstar of the screen and stage, Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Rogue Traders) and emerging soul powerhouse Thandi Phoenix joining the show, SYNTHONY No.3 is also proud to welcome back fan favourite SYNTHONY alumni; Ilan Kidron (The Potbelleez), Cassie McIvor, Greg Gould, Matty O, Mobin Master, and event host, Aroha, with more acts to be announced. And bringing the newest iteration of SYNTHONY to life will be master conductor Sarah-Grace Williams who has established a well-earned reputation as one of the best conductors in the Southern Hemisphere.
“This show is SYNTHONY all grown up, like a coming of age! SYNTHONY no.1 is a bit of a nostalgic trip down memory lane, celebrating 30 years of global dance anthems, SYNTHONY no.2 is a little edgier, we still have a show packed with classics but introduce some more new music as well, and Synthony no.3 takes that one step further – the best of EVERYTHING! I am so incredibly excited to be unleashing Synthony no.3 onto Australian audiences, they are going to love this show!” enthuses conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, who has been with the brand since its Australian inception. “For those who have already seen SYNTHONY 1 & 2, you ain’t seen nothing yet! And for those who have never seen a show – now is the time!”
Excited to join the SYNTHONY family, Natalie Bassingthwaighte says, “It is incredible to be performing again, and in such an amazing format after the Covid Hiatus. There’s nothing better than performing with a live orchestra, especially with the fusion of dance music, electronics and amazing visuals.”
Following a sold-out tour of SYNTHONY No.3 in New Zealand in 2022, a critically acclaimed debut of SYNTHONY and showcase of SYNTHONY No.2 shows across Australia, and a recent blockbuster debut into South East Asia on the revered Marina Bay Float, Singapore – Duco Events is proud to continue the success story of SYNTHONY in Australia, and to deliver fans the hottest orchestrated dance party of 2023.
Offering insight into the event’s impressive trajectory and revealing a little more of what’s to come this year, Duco Events Group General Manager, Randall Nolan says, “SYNTHONY’s global compatibility and dynamic nature allows it to perform anywhere and speak any language through its music, and 2023 is set to be the biggest year yet. On top of the Australian run of shows, SYNTHONY will dive in on festival headline performances (Electric Avenue – Christchurch), launch its very own festival ‘SYNTHONY in THE DOMAIN’ (April 1, 2023), continue its expansion into South East Asia and make appearances at globally recognised sporting events.”
SYNTHONY No.3 will get your heart racing and feed your soul with joy, as it triggers dance memories with reimagined iconic club anthems and future classics.
For more information and to sign up for the SYNTHONY presale, head to www.synthony.com
Check out some footage from the recent 2022 shows.
SYNTHONY NO.3 AUSTRALIAN SHOWS
FRI 17 FEB | SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, MELBOURNE| 18+
Feat. The SYNTHONY Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au
FRI 17 MAR | RAC ARENA, PERTH| 18+
Feat. Perth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au
SAT 25 MAR | RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE| 18+
Feat. Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au
SAT 22 APR | AWARE SUPER THEATRE, ICC, SYDNEY| 18+
Feat. The Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au
COOLIO RELEASES POSTHUMOUS SINGLE ‘DO YOU WANT IT’ FEATURING AUSSIE ARTIST, KATIJA
Unexpectedly marking a posthumous release for one of the most successful rappers of his time, the new single Do You Want It by the legendary Coolio and featuring Australian rap and pop artist Katija is a cheeky yet dominant jam loaded with lashings of vivid sensuality. Having been in motion prior to Coolio’s untimely passing, Do You Want It releases today as previously planned by both Coolio and Katija on October 28; and, by sheer coincidence, the track’s unveiling falls exactly one month since the world lost the pioneering rapper, producer and actor.
Bringing together Aussie rapper Katija’s sharp delivery with Coolio’s trademark flair, Do You Want It was inspired by the music and cheek that Coolio himself was feeling while visiting Australia. Having met Coolio while he was in Melbourne, Katija’s fateful in-person introduction to Coolio at the time inadvertently grew into creative and collaborative magic, with Coolio soon reaching out to Katija to feature on a new song he’d been working on. “It was one of those times in life where the stars just aligned,” shares Katija of meeting and eventually working with Coolio.“I had just started working on my first few singles at Cosmic Bounce Records Studio’s in Brunswick with my talented producer, KB. Coolio was here in Melbourne for the Made In The 90s Tour and he was introduced to the studio by Scorpion Media who had met him behind the scenes at the Bliss N Esso concert where he performed Gangsta’s Paradise in February this year. Coolio had a creative itch to start writing music again, you could see it and feel it in his energy. Coolio said he had been to other studios around Melbourne, yet had never finished a song and said it wasn’t until he walked into CBR that he finally felt at home. It was the night of my video clip shoot for my single Lullaby, and here was Coolio just chilling on the couch hanging out after he’d finished a recording session with KB. Coolio stayed the entire night to hang out with us and even started writing his own verses to my song. Two weeks later Coolio was in another session with KB working on one of the few songs they had started together and he decided Do You Want It needed a female feature artist. As we had already started to develop a relationship, I came by the studio, sat in on the session and then began to put pen to paper and write the female version of his verses as my reply. Before I knew it, I was in the recording booth with Coolio mentoring me on how to execute the lyrics on his track.” KB adds, “Coolio saw something special in Katija before she even stepped into the booth, he’d tried to finish songs with feature artists, but had trouble finding artists who could match his energy, but Katija did just that.”
Boasting sultry horn samples, swaggering beats and oscillating audacious vocals between Coolio and Katija, Do You Want It started life as a beat that instantly connected with Coolio via its fresh and fun 90s inspired sound. Co-written by Coolio and Katija, produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Kristo Beyrouthy, aka kb808 – the creative spark behind the head-turning beat, Do You Want It went on to evolve into its jaunty end result via Coolio and Katija’s unique sonic strengths, with Katija also drawing on her adoration for another iconic rapper for her hypnotic vocal stylings on the new tune, as she explains, “My favourite rapper of all time is Eminem. I was given the nickname Feminem growing up because all I wanted to do when I went to parties or hang out with friends was to show everyone how I can rap any of Eminem’s songs word for word, breath for breath. The beat for Do You Want It was produced by kb808, and instantly Coolio loved it, the writing came so naturally to him, because the sound was familiar to his 90s style music background and influences.”
Harnessing her love of performance and all things creative before going on to study music, dancing and acting, Katija has frequently appeared on stage in musicals and has worked as a professional Brazilian Samba and Go-Go dancer; but her passion and natural ability for rapping has continuously been apparent, with the talented Sunshine Coast-turned-Melbourne-based artist dreaming of life as a rap artist and hip hop dance performer. Temporarily putting her dreams on hold six years ago to support herself and her mother financially, Katija has tirelessly worked behind the scenes over the years to not only bolster her personal and professional pursuits, but also to truly manifest her ultimate creative desires; a fact that also led to her dancing on stage with Coolio in Sydney for the late rapper’s Made in the 90s Festival appearance.
While the world collectively mourned the untimely death of Coolio on September 28 this year, Coolio’s legacy inevitably permeates, from his rise as part of WC and the Maad Circle to his Grammy Award-winning single Gangsta’s Paradise, a giant array of film and television appearances, eight studio albums and global acclaim since first emerging professionally in the late 80s. With Do You Want It planned for release on October 28 well before Coolio’s death, the single was also intended to be the first of many more creative collaborations between Coolio and Katija’s, as Katija reveals, “This release had only just scratched the surface of the adventure we had planned, we set the October release date in July. The peculiar thing about this date is that it falls exactly one month to the day of his passing and we felt we needed to honour what was already set in motion and follow through with the release date as planned, even though the circumstances had changed, it is what Coolio would have wanted.”
A bittersweet last musical gift showcasing Coolio’s incomparable artistic talents, Do You Want It is unapologetically fun and fearless; a modern nod to the rap gods of old alongside an enigmatic showing from a magnetic Aussie artist. “Coolio truly was one of the world’s greatest and most iconic rappers of our time,” Katija concludes. “He paved the way for rap and hip-hop music to break into the pop music scene and opened the door for many of the great hip-hop artists to follow. To be featuring on a song with one of my biggest idols in the hip-hop music scene is absolutely surreal. I am beyond grateful and blessed for the opportunity I had to work with Coolio. Even though our time was sadly cut short, I will cherish the memories of time we spent together and the relationship we built. Now all I can say is I am honoured to be able to share one of his last ever singles with the world and give everyone the special gift of being able to hear Coolio’s iconic voice on a new song one more time.”
EMILY VICTORIA SHARES ETHEREAL NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘HUMMING HEART’
Enter into the lush and mysterious realm of Melbourne multi-instrumentalist Emily Victoria, with her brand new track Humming Heart making its way into the world today. Also accompanied by an immersive and intriguing music video, Humming Heart murmurs with rich instrumentals and effortless charm like a hazy twilight spell.
Inspired by the likes of Hatchie, Kate Bush, Caroline Polachek and The Sundays, Humming Heart is a layered, bold and dreamlike affair, equally warm and beguiling with a retro undertone amidst Emily’s textured vocals. Recorded to tape at Soundpark Studios with producer Nao Anzai, who has previously worked with Mildlife and The Teskey Brothers, Humming Heart hums along with synthesisers and production by Lewis Moody, additional vocal production provided by Hamish Patrick, guitars by Anthony Farrugia, Jacob Long on drums and Sam Clarke on bass, while also contemplating the unknown and existence in general, as Emily explains, “The lyrics for Humming Heart are quite abstract, like the video. It’s ultimately about having curiosity and intrigue, exploring the unknown and encountering the supernatural. It’s also about considering the cause of our existence and trying to make sense of one’s experience”.
The accompanying music video for Humming Heart seamlessly adheres itself to the absorbing and curious nature of the overall track, with Emily teaming up with Jeff Andersen Jnr on directing and editing duties to bring the luminous yet moody clip to life. Featuring Emily and contemporary dancer and artist Nikki Tarling, the clip ultimately evolved from an eccentric idea revolving around limbs into a full-blown narrative, and painstakingly timed lights, as Emily reveals, “Jeff thought of the idea for this video. In its early stages the concept was close up shots of limbs doing peculiar things at different angles, e.g. a pair of hands tidying with a dustpan and shovel. Then Jeff suggested that I act as a cautious hotel manager who sees unusual limbs in rooms with eerie lighting. We both liked there being unity at the end point of the video. The video was so much fun to make! We were a team of six filming the video at St George’s Inn in Thornbury over two nights. It was all very thoughtfully planned, however there were some last-minute changes with the crew, which gave it a very spontaneous feeling! The lighting setup was extensive, thanks to Mike Ridley. We were able to sync the lighting with the rhythm of the song”.
A lover of busy cities, the creative process, Gustav Klimt and the colour red, Emily’s enchanting flair as an artist ultimately stems from her love for life and a constant pursuit to challenge herself, and Humming Heart is a sublime and elegant addition to her ever-evolving journey.
Humming Heart is out today, Thursday November 10.