STRAWBERRY FIELDS
POSTPONED UNTIL 2021
www.strawberry-fields.com.au
For the first time in 12 years, Strawberry Fields will not be welcoming thousands of patrons to its home venue on the banks of the Murray River in Tocumwal NSW.

The festival has confirmed that due to COVID-19 it is not planning to hold any events until 2021 at the earliest.

Festival Director Tara Medina said the decision was made primarily out of respect for all those who make the event happen.

“After much discussion, we believe this is in the best interests of our fans, our staff, the local community and all the emergency services who support this event. Although we hope the current situation in Victoria improves dramatically in coming months, at the moment it feels inappropriate to consider bringing thousands of people to the region from primarily Melbourne & Sydney.

We want to respect the space, health & wellbeing of the Berrigan Shire as well as the time of local emergency services who are already so busy fighting the pandemic day to day.

Normally our event is announced, and tickets sold out by this time of year. We really waited until the eleventh hour to see if we could work something out – even with a drastically reduced capacity – but we have to come to terms with the reality that it will not be possible until 2021.

Despite the heartbreak, we are seeing this as an important time to reset. Our industry is called “creative” for a reason – if there is anyone who will look for ways to adapt and move forward so that we can continue to inspire & share culture, it’s us.”

The festival will return in 2021, registrations are open via www.strawberry-fields.com.au

TASH SULTANA
ZIGGY ALBERTS
KEV CARMODY
IAN MOSS
HIATUS KAIYOTE
RUSSELL MORRIS
BRIGGS
KIM CHURCHILL
MAMA KIN SPENDER
ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS

And many more to be announced!

Get your tickets on-sale now

Ziggy Alberts will be playing all new material he has been creating in lockdown. “Stoked to be back at Bluesfest 2021! I love this festival and we had such a great time back in 2018. I’m looking forward to coming out strong after some time away from touring. See ya’ll there!” says Ziggy Alberts.

Commenting on the announcement Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM says “There’s a number of all Australian line up announcements to come that includes ‘real’ headliners, Indigenous artists and Blues n Roots artists. We are setting ourselves up to put on another great Bluesfest albeit in a brand new way. There will be challenges, and we expect to be presenting a festival with a lower capacity and potentially outdoors in order to have a safe event. It is sad for us to see that a number of festivals will not go ahead. However, we are working with Government to present a safe event and be part of the return of ‘live’ music in this country. Whilst it is disheartening to hear that Woodford and Port Fairy Folk Festivals feel that the challenge of presenting is something they don’t want to take on right now, and which is totally understandable, it doesn’t mean that events cannot return, and I believe it is important for Bluesfest to be a part of that return and to help lead the way.”

Bluesfest is in regular communications with Government regarding the Bluesfest COVID-19 Safety Plan that has been lodged. Bluesfest look forward to updating everyone very soon with more information regarding their Safety Plan for a COVID-19 safe Bluesfest experience.

This is the first ANNOUNCEMENT OF MAJOR all Australian artists with more to come from Bluesfest.

Brisbane-based artist Benjamin Brown puts the “hip” in hip-hop with his newest light-hearted alternative hip-hop
dance track ‘Datz Money’, now available on all streaming platforms!

This playful collage of sound textures—which consists of heavy noise samples, ranging from a cash register,
waiter’s bell, and a glass of water, blending naturally with smooth, easy-going rhymes—was written, produced,
recorded, mixed, and mastered by Benjamin himself, in just over two days!

The single opens with a catchy phrase: “This is just a quick little something to get the party started!”, as its chorus
rolls like a perfect tune to get one last Tik-tok dance in. Together with a rousing tempo and spirited vocals that
highlight Benjamin’s vibrant precision in rapping, ‘Datz Money’ can easily be the life of the party itself. Benjamin
describes the production of this track as very industrial, as he aimed to make the song out from scratch in one day.
“Stop overthinking it, if the groove is there and the organic feeling is there, then let it live.” – Benjamin Brown

Industrious can be a word to describe Benjamin as an artist, not only for his creativity and speed, but also for his
zeal and enthusiasm in creating music—releasing eight tracks to date during the first half of 2020 alone.
His previous career highlights can attest to his hard work, with his songs previously played on triple j Unearthed and
4zzz. He also opened for Genesis Owusu and performed at Red Bull’s Listen Out Pre-party in 2019, on top of
landing Spotify Editorial Playlists additions on All Aussie Hip Hop and Beats n’ Bars.

Sonically, Benjamin is influenced by the music of BROCKHAMPTON, Anderson .Paak, and Kanye West on
‘Yeezus’, while he considers Outkast, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar and J. Dilla as his hip-hop heroes. Among his
music influences, the song ‘So Far To Go’ by J. Dilla greatly made an impact on him as an artist, as it showed him
how music is an art and manipulation of time.
This rising star has nowhere to go but up, so make sure to follow his socials down below for more updates!

KYLIE MINOGUE
REVEALS INCREDIBLE NEW VIDEO FOR
‘SAY SOMETHING’

The brand new video for Kylie Minogue’s single ‘Say Something’ is out now. The video sees Kylie riding a golden horse through an intergalactic space scene. The kaleidoscopic, other-worldly visual was directed by Sophie Muller, who has previously worked with Beyonce, Bjork, Radiohead, Coldplay, Gwen Stefani and, of course, Kylie herself.

BAKER BOY TRIUMPHANT AT “SPECTACULAR” NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS

COVID closures and pandemic restrictions weren’t enough to dampen the spirits at this year’s National Indigneous Music Awards, with the event going completely virtual for the first time across TV, radio and online, showing the resilience and tenacity of a community intent on celebrating First Nations talent from across our lands. The night’s big winner was Yolngu man Baker Boy who took home trophies for Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Film Clip of the Year for his hit Meditjin. Accepting his award live from Bendigo, Baker Boy offered love for his fellow First Nations artists and thanked his family across Arnhem Land for their belief and support. “Woah, my heart! This is crazy. I honestly didn’t think I could win at all tonight, but I just want to say to all the nominees tonight across all of the categories; you are incredible, you are amazing and I am so proud of you all, my brothers and sisters,” said Baker Boy. “To my family back in Darwin across Arnhem Land, I’m so proud to represent my people and so overwhelmed by the support and success I have achieved rapping in Yolgnu Matha and English.” Other big winners on the night were Archie Roach who won Album Of The Year for ‘Tell Me Why’, Miiesha with New Talent of the Year, KDA Crew for Community Clip of the Year and Rrawun Maymuru and Nick Wales who took out the Indigenous Language Award for Nyapillilngu (Spirit Lady) and Kee’Ahn who won the Archie Roach Foundation Award. The two-hour broadcast was rocked by a last minute host change as NT border closures unfortunately benched one of the intended hosts Stephen Oliver, with the legendary Elaine Crombie joined on the night by NIMA Creative Director Ben Graetz. Opening with a spectacular Welcome to Country and closing with the worldwide premiere studio performance of Midnight Oil’s ‘Gadigal Land’ with Kaleena Briggs, Bunna Lawrie and Dan Sultan, the event stretched over two hours, broadcast on National Indigenous Television (NITV), Facebook, YouTube and Twitter and simulcast across Double J, TEABBA and the National Indigenous Radio Service, creating the largest audience in the event’s history, touching every part of Australia and reaching across the globe. The awards are available to watch now on catch-up on SBS On Demand. There were touching musical tributes from Archie Roach and Emma Donovan as Ruby Hunter was inducted in the NIMA Hall of Fame and an amazing tribute to the Warumpi Band classic ‘My Island Home’ with a must-watch performance from Neil Murray, Christine Anu, Mau Power, Jim Moginie, Rob Hirst and the Malu Gubaw Kazil (Sea Breeze Children) Choir. The new generation of Indigenous talent were also well represented with spectacular live performances from Thelma Plum, Miiesha, Mambali and JK-47, while there were live crosses to Jessica Mauboy, Mitch Tambo and Electric Fields as well as remote communities in Yirrkala and Broome. “I’m extremely proud that while 2020 might have presented its challenges, the National Indigenous Music Awards rose above the noise of this difficult time to present an amazing and uplifting night of First Nations artists,” said Creative Director and host Ben Graetz. “The broadcast has brought the community together in a celebration of resilience and talent. Never before has it been more important to recognise our past, present and future and to come together as one” Whether virtual or in their traditional home under the stars at the Darwin Amphitheatre, the National Indigenous Music Awards will return in 2021 to celebrate what is sure to be another incredible year in music as our First Nations artists continue to lead the way forward.

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS 2020 Artist of the Year: Baker Boy Album of the Year: Archie Roach – Tell Me Why Song of the Year: Baker Boy ft. Jess B – Meditjin New Talent of the Year: Miiesha Film Clip of the Year: Baker Boy ft. Jess B – Meditjin Community Clip of the Year: KDA Crew Indigenous Language Award: Rrawun Maymuru & Nick Wales – Nyapillilngu (Spirit Lady) Triple J Unearthed: JK-47 Hall Of Fame Inductee: Ruby Hunter

Otherworldly LA-based Aussie producer and DJ, Gem has today shared her dreamy new electro pop banger, Malibu, the first taste of her forthcoming EP set for release later this year. The track is accompanied by a suitably contemplative video that gently whisks the viewer through the utopian dreamstate of Gem’s mind.

This stylish, meditative, retro electro track is buoyed by warm synths, chilled 80s-inspired percussion and that wistful vocal. For fans of The 1975, Jessie Ware and LANY, the song was mixed by Grammy winning Serve Courtois (LANY, Sasha Sloan, Loud Luxury) and mastered by multi Grammy award winning Dale Becker (Khalid, Macklemore, RÜFÜS DU SOL). Tuned to 432hz, the frequency known to align oneself with the universe, Gem explains, “This song is my love letter to the universe, written with the intention of manifesting new love and produced in 432hz, I wanted to experiment with the powerful formula of frequency + intention = healing.” Gem contemplates, “What if producers could be the modern day shaman?”

Having lived in LA and made an impressive splash in the entertainment industry for the last year, Gem has revelled in the spotlight playing regular high-profile gigs, including The Emmy Awards pre-party and Pride Festival in Miami and NYC. She recently flew back home to Australia to perform at the Melbourne Grand Prix, but the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which luckily saw her able to hunker down and isolate here in Aus with her family.

Proudly repping Australia, Gem was named one of the top 5 female producers in the world to watch by Showbiz Magazine and she’s been welcomed in to the industry’s inner circle via the Grammy NEXT program as one of the top emerging producers for 2020-2021. Gem insights, “LA has acted as a teacher and mentor to me, the city itself has so many different colours, smells and experiences – the access to inspiration in that wonderful city is vast and plentiful.”

Best known for her electro reinterpretations of 70s classics on her covers album the2070s that peaked at #2 on the iTunes electronic charts and last year saw her nominated for best electronic album and producer of the year at the Independent Music Awards in the US. “It feels like a coming of age in a weird way, to be stepping out from behind the desk and releasing original music that is my own,” Gem explains. “It definitely has a greater sense of vulnerability attached and at the same time it feels like I’m exactly where I need to be, letting my guard down and getting my true music out.”

Created by Hussam Eissa, an emerging digital artist out of Egypt, this 4D video takes viewers on a journey through the wonderland of the inner workings of Gem’s imagination. “The single artwork and video clip is inspired by a vivid dream I had. I was traveling in my bed over the waves of Malibu, constantly searching. The waves lapped at the side of the bed as it rolled gently on the ocean. A whale swam around me and jumped out of the water and dived across the bed while I stayed asleep thinking it was a dream, not realising my thoughts had been so powerful the room had burst open and the bed really was laying on the waves, realising then that being awake can be a simulated dream state if you’re truly living presently from your heart chakra.”

Malibu is out August 5.