Live Review: Rebel with a cause: REBEL YELL’s latest single ‘Anti Club Music’

One of Sydney’s most prolific creatives (and verified Purple Sneakers fave) REBEL YELL launched her latest single ‘Anti Club Music’ last week, ahead of her sophomore LP, Fall From Grace, due out in early July.

After a mammoth 2019 that saw appearances at Dark Mofo and Splendour in the Grass and the release of EP ‘Night Drive’, Grace Stevenson’s subversive techno project continues to flourish, playing with her own vulnerabilities through the binaries of hard music and soft, thoughtful ideas. Initially written in the space and solitude of the Blue Mountains, Stevenson brought Antonia Gauci onto the Fall From Grace project to produce and record, alongside Phoebe Twiggs’ mastering, continuing her track record of collaborating with other Sydney DIY artists.

‘Anti Club Music’ adds another artist to the project, with the mysterious R. T. FAX alias of Erin Nortje, and takes a more spacious path to Rebel Yell’s distinctive gritty, visceral textures. Trademark reverberating synths and cool, distant vocals lift alongside a dense yet somehow breathing four-to-the-floor beat, delivering intensity yet composure all at once. Ironically, this track wouldn’t feel out of place in a club environment, however Stevenson’s music has always invited listeners to take a more introspective approach — and ‘Anti Club Music’ is no exception. Whilst the track may be an ode to the organic DIY rave and warehouse spaces that Rebel Yell thrives in, it also encourages listeners to enjoy industrial soundscapes in whatever environment empowers them, perhaps avoiding the pushy tech-house bro and groove laden Sydney club circuit.

If you are yet to delve into the world of REBEL YELL, now’s the time - ‘Anti Club Music’ is a measured but defiant call against conformity and complacency, reminding us that to obey the rules is to miss out on all the fun.

‘Fall From Grace’ is launching through Rice Is Nice Records on July 10th, and is available for preorder on Bandcamp now.

Words by Jessica Negus

LISTEN TO MORE NEW MUSIC HERE

SEE ALSO

REBEL YELL ON HER NEW SINGLE 'NIGHT DRIVE' & HER NEXT LP

REBEL YELL ON MOVING CITIES, SHARING EXPERIENCES & HER 13 YEAR OLD PLAYLIST