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Live Review: Missed Calls: Thandi Phoenix, Harvey Sutherland, Tiana Khasi & more

7 March 2019 | 1:17 pm | Caitlin Medcalf

If you haven’t got the memo yet, we at Purple Sneakers love new music. Each week, we’re graced with a tonne of new releases, and sometimes, it’s a little hard for us to keep up. Which is why we’re answering some of our missed calls and passing the line over to you. Below is a stellar bunch of new music that you might have missed over the last week.

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Tiana Khasi - They Call Me

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Exciting news on the TIANA KHASI front - she's been working hard on her debut EP, and we've just been given a second taste of it. Last year, she debuted with her single 'Nuketown', which has garnered support all around the world from the likes of triple jComplex UKBBC1 Xtra and Gilles Peterson. Her debut EP Meghalaya will be coming to us later in the year, with production by Sampology.

'They Call Me' is her latest and shows an entirely different side to her altogether. Sampology lends an oddball percussion sequence, while Khasi croons effortlessly over the top, offering smooth rhythms. The juxtaposition of the clunky racket of off-kilter production, smooth synths and her beautifully deep harmonies makes for an entirely new direction for her. What's she going to bring next?

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Thandi Phoenix - Say It (Feat. Sigma)

Teaming up with UK electronic duo SigmaTHANDI PHOENIX delivers her very apt (and I've gotta say I've been waiting for this very moment) 90's house anthem moment with finesse and intensity. 'Say It' brings out the absolute best in Phoenix, vocally and as a songwriter.

The opening moments of the track see Sigma slowly bring in their signature drum and bass underneath a light house piano that later eventuates into this big room, four-to-the-floor anthem driven by Phoenix's powerfully dominant vocals. In short, it's a damn banger.

The track comes with the news of her EP to drop around mid-2019.

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Milan Ring - Step Back

One woman powerhouse MILAN RING out of Sydney returns with 'Step Back', her first single of 2019. She does everything for this project - singer, songwriter, producer, rapper, multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, mixing and mastering, so it's absolutely no wonder that with as many skills as she has, her sound and vision has never faltered in feeling fully realised.

The track is a beautifully deep one, and through apt production choices, she's really allowed for her raw vocals to shine through. Minimal percussion and her signature way of injecting sultry guitar licks into the soundscape drive this one forward and ultimately leave us wanting to hit play one more time.

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Harvey Sutherland - Something In The Water (Feat. Jace XL)

Returning with his first of the year, HARVEY SUTHERLAND has enlisted the help of Jace XL to deliver 'Something In The Water', a rolling samba number defined by its environmentalist themes. Drawing from the optimism that still manages to persist during these current times of overwhelming environmental crises, Sutherland and Jace XL come together to bring out the best in one another.

With Sutherland's percussive composition driving this one forward, the instrumental is dominated by a legato, warped synth that over the years, has become quite signature for Sutherland as well as a bassline guaranteed to make you move. Jace XL's soulful vocals take command of telling the story, and through his animated inflexions, work in harmony with the instrumental. It's a collaborative match made in heaven, and I can't help but wanting more from the pair after hearing this one.

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George Michelle - Here Right Now (Feat. Gauci)

Sydney's GEORGE MICHELLE has fast become recognisable through his expert ability to continue to churn out these beautifully lasting house jams. He's got a new one out, and he's teamed up with Sydney's Gauci to deliver it. It's an unlikely collaboration, but incredibly, an extremely apt one.

Gauci deliver one of the most memorable vocal lines heard in a while, and when paired up with Michelle's nostalgic dive into crafting these big room house numbers, it's a perfect match. I can guarantee you'll want to keep hitting play on this one again and again.

Of the track, he said “This song is an anthem for when the lights turn on in the club and you're left alone, contemplating what 'that' person in your life means - if it's fleeting, if it's something you want to pursue, if they even want you back; but you know in the end it will work out. Saying less and putting your body first, "if you want to hold me, I'm right here, baby."

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cln - What I Know (Feat. Carl Fox)

Sydney's CLN comes back with a huge new one, 'What I Know', and it sees him teaming up with ex-Porsches member Carl Fox for it. The track comes as the next taste of cln's debut record coming our way shortly too.

This one began to be created in 2016 where both artists attended a writing camp together. The vocal was recorded in the first ten minutes of the session, but cln says it took him a while to get the instrumental just how he wanted it to be. Fast forward to now, and we're hearing 'What I Know' at its best - with Fox's instantly recognisable voice and cln's penchant for injecting as many different sounds and genres in there as he can. There's a light trap beat that continues to drive this one forward, but the breakdown features this beautifully glitchy, video game-esque sequence that becomes the high point of the track.

Photo of Tiana Khasi via Facebook

Photo of Thandi Phoenix via Facebook

Photo of Harvey Sutherland by Lisa Businovski Print Making & Photography

Words by CAITLIN MEDCALF

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