LIVE MIX: Massive THANK YOU to everyone who came down and partied with us last Sunday, here is the first live recording. Our resident chiropractor & vibe-creator, DJ Phil Toke laying down an all-vinyl warm-up disco & funk mix, filling the dancefloor for our special guest Marcel Vogel last Sunday, April 23 from 3:30 – 5:00pm
Hey Legends, VENUE DETAILS have been EMAILED to all ticket holders (please check spam, junk, promotions) folders for details. (especially if you have a g mail account).
If you have a ticket & yet to receive details, please email us with your booking details to soulofsydney@gmail.com.
Set Times 2:00 Krystel Diola 3:30 Phil Toke 5:00 MARCEL VOGEL
Here is a mix from the archives, 10 years ago we were lucky enough to have Amsterdam disco don, label boss & all round good dude for his first Sydney show ever closing out STEPHEN ALLKINS’s B’DAY jam.
This was the live recording of the day, features a dope eclectic mix of FUNK, SOUL, DISCO, a touch of global sounds & even some SOULFUL HOUSE for good measure. Dropping a very eclectic mix of FUNK, DISCO, SOULFUL HOUSE & even some Arabic joints while we danced in the open air in one of the coolest spots we have been lucky enough to use (under the highway)
Track List : 1. MAHOGANY – RIDE ON THE RHYTHM 2. CONVERSION – LETS DO IT 3. FONDA RAE – OVER LIGHT A FAT RAT 4. CHEMISE – SHE CANT LOVE YOU 5. NORMAN CONNORS – STAY WITH ME 6. AL KENT – YES I DO (REMIX) 7. BECKIE BELL – MUSIC MADNESS 8. STARGARD – WEAR IT OUT 9. KINKY FOXX – SO DIFFERENT 10. PRINCE EROTIC CITY (REMIX) 11. ABC – THE LOOK OF LOVE 12. STARGAZE – YOU CANT HAVE IT 13. VENUE DODSON – SHINING 14. GEORGE DUKE – BRAZILIAN LOVE AFFAIR 15. INCOGNITO – SUMMER ENDED 16. UNKNOWN – UNKNOWN 17. PEVEN EVERETT – FEELIN WHO YOU AREA 18. LAMAR THOMAS – FEEL SO GOOD INSIDE (EDIT) 19. ERIC ROBERSON – CHANGE FOR ME 20. WOMACK & WOMACK – LIFES JUST A BALLGAME (REMIX) 21. AFEFE IKU & OVEOUS – MIRROR DANCE (REMIX) 22. PEVEN EVERETT – PUT YOUR BACK IN IT. 23. THE GAFF – HIGH LIFE 24. ISABEELE BAZIN CO TOURNE 25. DEVIN DARE – JESUS IS ALRIGHT 26. HOU’Z NEEGROZ – HOW DO YOU LUV A BLACK WOMAN 27. SISTER SLEDGE – THINKING OF YOU 28. SILVER CONNECTION – FLY ROBIN FLY
HAPPY EASTER, we hope you are enjoying time with loved ones on this special period.
Here is a little music treat from our special guest. An EASTER SUNDAY GOSPEL-inspired SOUL & FUNK vinyl mix hand-picked by our special guest Marcel Vogel, put together with love a couple of years ago featuring a 2-hour spiritual selection of uplifting goodness we all need in our lives.
We are honoured to announce we will be playing at MADE IN REDFERN showcase at 107 PROJECTS warehouse/gallery space on Saturday as part of the REDFERN STREET FESTIVAL on Sat 11 March for this free family-friendly street-wide festival
Music by DJ JOHNNY BONES & a feature show by JAH TUNG & positive party vibes by DANCEKOOL fam.
Our good friend DIOLA is curating this dope free live music showcase as part of Powerhouse Late series next Thursday featuring LADI6 & A.GIRL along with DJ support from DIOLA, KIMINZA, KRISTELLE, MARTY & EDSEVEN.
We are excited to announce DIOLA presents “Thinking About You Vol.2” as part of the Powerhouse Late program on Thursday 9th of March! This extraordinary show will feature New Zealand’s iconic experimental soul outfit LADI6 and the remarkable Western Sydney emerging artist A.GIRL – both with their live bands delivering an unforgettable night of world-class musicianship!
After an 8-year hiatus, LADI6 is bringing their genre-bending energy back to Sydney. This is a triumphant occasion for not only the Polynesian community who’ve been fervently looking forward to their return but also all hip-hop and boundary-pushing soul community in Australia! The music scene has evolved over time with A.GIRL steering the charge.
Gemma Navarrete is a Chilean x Italian singer-songstress hailing from Western Sydney. She is known for her concise, poetic lyricism and RnB/pop-infused tunes that reflect the clunky transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Drawing inspiration from Kali Uchis , Ariana Grande , and Omar Apollo, the songstress intends to create a refreshingly new sound that evokes a sense of nostalgia and youth.
Forget radio play versions of their songs. It’s the extended EXTENDED edit. One night only. Bring your Familia/Aiga/Kāinga/Whānau.
Local selectors Hina Haze, Kiminza, Marty, Kristelle and Edseven B2B DIOLA unleash a captivating mix of electronic soul, r&b, hip hop, amapiano, afrobeats, jazzy broken beats and house music throughout the night.
“Thinking About You Vol.2” is back with a new mindset and stories of new beginnings. This edition is all about letting go of what was and standing strong in honouring what is meant for you. What does this mean? Stories to be revealed soon by a series of artists sharing their definitions of honour, courage, love and more…
FREE ENTRY 500 Harris Street, Ultimo 5pm – 9pm
This event is happening on Gadigal Land and we pay our respects to the traditional custodians both past, present and emerging. Always Was Always Will Be Aboriginal Land.
HOUSEKEEPING: ALL Are Welcome! Disability access available should patrons need it. Please contact the Powerhouse Museum for specific accessibility needs.
PH: (02) 9217 – 0111
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LADI6 As a vocalist, MC and truth-teller, the consistent evolution of Ladi6 has firmly cemented her as New Zealand’s undisputed Queen of Hip-hop/Soul and R&B.
Taking shape in different forms over the years, Ladi6 today is the group project of vocalist Ladi and a trio of accomplished Kiwi producers including her husband, Parks.
Born and raised in Christchurch, it was a year-long family move to Tanzania that awoke Ladi’s songwriting and calling to perform. This led to the formation of her first group, the all-female Sheelahroc meaning “Women Are The Strength”, created with the aim to serve as an example for women in the traditionally male-dominated world of Hip-Hop. Short-lived but truly incandescent, the group were pioneers in NZ music, with up to 8 members – all of different nationalities – at their peak.
With sold out tours and supports including international acts The Roots , De La Soul and 50cent, a new direction with a desire to explore more experimental production and storytelling began to unfold and is the now household name that is LADI6.
The band released Time Is Not Much , the debut album co-produced by Mu ( Fat Freddy’s Drop ), which introduced a series of future soul classics to the NZ vernacular, hit a Top 5 chart position and led to them being picked up by leading London indie BBE. Their follow-up LP, The Liberation Of… was released in 2010, co-produced with Blumentopf’s Sebastian Weiss, bringing to life the platinum-selling single and certified NZ classic “ Like Water ”.
In 2013, Ladi and Parks decamped to Detroit’s Studio A, where they collaborated with Detroit Hip-Hop royalty, Waajeed , who joined Executive Producer Parks at the helm on LP, Automatic , with lead single “ Ikarus ” confirming beyond doubt, the versatility of Ladi6 and their un-willingness to rest on what could otherwise be considered rather impressive laurels.
Maintaining standards that demand they push their creativity led to the birth of 2015’s Alpha Sessions ; re-imagining the studio in a live context, and then fully improvising the performance without any kind of sonic safety net. For Ladi6 it has become a vital component in the songwriting process, clearly transporting them to their creative boundaries and beyond, which is evident on 2017’s Royal Blue 3000 EP with disruptive delights like ” Guru “, and ” Royal Blue “.
With a catalogue that marks a woman whose only comfortable taking risks, the inspiring live show that Ladi6 brings is no exception to this rule. Taking the stage with a decade of world touring under her belt, her ability to connect and uplift her audience is where she thrives as a frontwoman. Following tours across NZ, Australia and Europe with the likes of Erykah Badu, Jhene Aiko, Digable Planets and Fat Freddys Drop, it was supporting Gil Scott-Heron on his final UK and European tour prior to his passing – taking the stage before him at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall – that stands as a career highlight.
Signing to Australia’s Soul Has No Tempo for management, the formidable domination of Ladi6 continues.
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A.GIRL
From the underground Hip hop/RnB scene of Western Sydney A.GIRL has emerged into national recognition with a swag of raw talent, attention-grabbing moments of musical brilliance and a sing-rap style uniquely hers. Raised in Australia, A.GIRL also proudly owns her Maori heritage.
A.GIRL is the family nickname given to this 22-year-old artist – real name Hinenuiterangi Tairua. After the release of just three tracks she was the Winner of Next Big Thing at the FBi Awards, winner of triple j Unearthed’s festival slot at Listen Out, was tipped as a rising star by UK’s Wonderland Mag and listed as “one to watch” by Ticketmaster.
A.GIRL’s sound is rooted in r&b and soul but more recently she has flexed her rap skills with acclaimed feature performances on triple j’s LIKE A VERSION, triple j’s Bars Of Steel, and Red Bull 64 Bars which solidified herself as an MC with a unifying message ripe for the age we live in – celebrating cultural, racial & gender diversity with outspoken inclusion.
Late last year, A.GIRL dropped a track with a drill-flavoured sound, ‘We Them Boyz’ featuring Jaecy and she featured on a west-coast Cali track ‘Ride or Die’ with Sydney Yungins. Her latest release ‘Getting Older’ keeps her iconic R&B flow with a sing style rap uniquely hers. The crisp, upbeat track has you winding down your car windows, turning up the bass and feeling those nostalgic vibes. The track received playlisting and radio programing support and added to rotation on triple j and CADA.
A.GIRL featured on triple j’ LIKE A VERSION early March and was tipped by host Ebony Boadu as her “favourite Like A Version ever!” A.GIRL is also proving to be a favourite on Australia’s live hip hop circuit that is emerging from lockdown: on tour with Aussie grime icon Chillinit on his SOLD OUT national tour; supported the billion-streaming break-out rapper Masked Wolf; was the only artist hand- picked by Baz Lurhmann to perform at the ELVIS premiere afterparty for Vogue Australia; and SOLD OUT her very own headline show at Sydney Opera House on May 29th as part of VIVID Festival.
Big things ahead for this gifted superstar.
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GEMMA NAVARRETE
Gemma Navarrete is a Chilean x Italian singer-songstress hailing from Western Sydney. She is known for her concise, poetic lyricism and RnB/pop-infused tunes that reflect the clunky transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Drawing inspiration from Kali Uchis , Ariana Grande , and Omar Apollo, the songstress intends to create a refreshingly new sound that evokes a sense of nostalgia and youth.
Back in 2009 we connected with JAH TUNG when we were putting together a mixtape with Sydney-based music, he sent us some music he was working on which we have had on heavy rotation since. We connected again a few years later at gigs & slowly watched him grow in his craft as a musician & artist making dope home-grown Reggae & Roots based music.
It has been great to hear his new musical projects like this one, this is a hot new release from his new album. DIGITAL DEGENERATION released this week & the lead single from his new album will be out later this year.
“Digital Degeneration, was born from my realisation that, rather than running from the digital sound I was limited to, by means of my recording equipment and software, I should embrace the abilities of the digital tools and simply balance it with a few analogue recordings and samples where necessary. The title track, Digital Degeneration, is a commentary on a society moving towards an unnatural, dystopian future, […covering creation with dem synthetic imitation].”
Digital Degeneration lyrics: VERSE 1: Sometimes this world don’t seem real, more like a simulation It’s not a stage show, but it’s always on screen Everyone’s too scared to feel, they just want stimulation To me it’s a nightmare, but to you it’s a dream
CHORUS: New innovation Raising a digital degeneration Covering creation With dem synthetic imitation World domination Look at this digital degeneration Is this the age of information Or android infiltration?
VERSE 2: The battle is technologic, we enemy don’t possess sentience Make-no-sense, nor take-no-logic, artificial intelligence See now, dem a move with negligence No reverence, no remembrance It’s a remote control which manipulates and commands dem temperament Social media Hashtag #LIES Every element of we life is monopolized Fibonacci and phi Much stronger than Wi-Fi A could a weh dem go do or try That sacred geometry can’t die
CHORUS: New innovation Raising a digital degeneration Covering creation With dem synthetic imitation World domination Look at this digital degeneration Modern day communication Can’t change where we came from
VERSE 3: Feel like me living in a cartoon world, everybody think things perfect Gwaan like it all make sense, I man confused and perplexed Cell mates with cell phones, imprisoned in perspex A life without connection is worthless Progress is great but balance much greater Look how dem prostitute dem own Mother Nature So while you occupied stacking your paper I man is banking seeds so me can plant dem later
CHORUS: New innovation Raising a digital degeneration Covering creation With dem synthetic imitation World domination Look at this digital degeneration Is this the age of information Or cyborg infiltration?
DJ MEEM doing it large at SOUL OF SYDNEY NYD JAM featuring a special came guest spot by our brother JAH TUNG around 40 mins in to help celebrate the start of 2023.
60 mins + of FUNK, SOUL< DISCO & some REGGAE VIBES.
About MEEM: DJ Meem is a respected DJ from Sydney, Australia. With a mammoth music collection, Meems musical tastes are nothing short of diverse. His interest in all genres of music makes for dynamic and broad-reaching DJ sets. A love of Funk music (in all its forms) is the backbone of many DJ sets, although aside from Funk you may also hear Soul, Disco, Boogie, Hip Hop, Beats, Reggae, Rock, African, Jazz, Calypso, Tropical, Ska, Rhythm n Blues, Swing, Jump Blues & Re-edits. In short Meem weaves ingenious DJ sets that span from incredible vintage music through to new release Hip Hop and Beats. His sets are praised for diversity, flow and fun. Meem has a genuine approach to playing the music he loves.
Meem has DJ’d widely across Australia and has held numerous Sydney residencies, some of which include The Opera Bar, Newtown Hotel, Tokyo Sing Song, Miss Peaches, The Vic On The Park, Ching-a-lings, The Bearded Tit, The Loft, Tonic Lounge, Marble Bar and The Arthouse. For many years he has performed as resident DJ at The Famous Speigeltent as part of The Sydney Festival, and has also supported both Thievery Corporation and Tom Findlay (Groove Armada). Outside of Australia he has DJ’d in European Countries such as Croatia, Hungry and The UK, and has also played in the US in both San Fran and L.A.
Man this immensely talented dude doesn’t get enough props if you ask us, we’ve been fans of Dom Diaz for years & every now and then we get a sweet reminder of just how dope he is & how mad some of our home-grown talents is.
Last weekend was one of those moments, we made a very rare trim to Cronulla for Sunday breakfast & a swim. On the stroll back from the beach we heard the sweet sound of trumpets by the water only to find DOM DIAZ doing a live loop pedal set outside in the courtyard of NEXT DOOR bar/restaurant overlooking the water. We were lucky enough to catch up with Dom up close doing a solo live set reworking all kinds of Soul & R&B joints & some of his original songs looping everything beat-box, trumpet, guitar, singing & laying down some freestyle raps.
If you are ever in the area be sure to check the place out, especially when they have some live stuff. No doubt their booker knows what’s up.
Dom Diaz is an explosive wave of upbeat Reggae and Latin rhythms, doused in thick Funk syrup that’s sole purpose is to make you move and be moved. His performance style and infectious vibe engage the audience to kindle their inner animal, forget their inhibitions and completely let go. Concerned only with providing a musical journey for everyone, Dom Diaz has navigated to a specific progressive sound – a potent hybrid of psychedelia, deep dub and feel-good Hip-Hop. It’s a sound that urges to be heard live with elements of electronica and organic roots to induce you into a trance and fuel your inner creative fire. Trumpet in hand Dom Diaz and his multi-instrumental compadres will command space and time and bring unlimited energy to the stage.
Sydney is getter a heavy dose of DISCO legends this month, we just heard that our good friends at GROOVE SCOOTER & ELECTRONIC MUSIC LIFE are hosting pioneering NYC DJ NICKY SIANO at a free gig this Saturday night at TIVA (68 King St Sydney CBD) with local support from BOOGIE MONSTER, JAMES LOCKSMITH, PARIS GROOVE SCOOTER & more.
We still have some very fond memories of seeing him at a SHE PARTY many years ago playing a very special NYE Disco set to bring in the new year over 10 years ago.
We will be down there enjoying the music, taking DJ notes & having a boogie, we highly recommend this night out for anyone who is into proper disco heat that hardly gets played here. Nicky Siano is one our main DJ influences & he is one of the reasons we are into disco.
As the founder of Manhattan’s legendary club The Gallery and an original resident DJ of the notorious Studio 54 (where he was playing when Bianca Jagger entered on a white horse), Nicky Siano is a bonafide queer disco legend. Together with David Mancuso‘s Loft and Paradise Garage, Nicky Siano’s Gallery was one of the three most influential underground disco clubs in New York during the ’70s. The Gallery is also where Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles learnt their craft watching and listening to Nicky Siano’s every move in the DJ booth. Sometimes Siano would step outside the DJ booth to put on drag-not-drag performances, channelling everyone from Diana Ross to the Statue Of Liberty. The Gallery was also an important launchpad for future stars, including Grace Jones who made her debut at the club. After The Gallery closed in 1977, Siano turned his hand to producing music, most famously forming Dinosaur – along with a young Arthur Russell – and releasing the groundbreaking Kiss Me Again on Sire Records featuring David Byrne on guitar shortly before Byrne launched the group that would make him a household name, Talking Heads. Later Siano would spend 15 years working in the queer community helping people with AIDS, before returning to his music career where he continued to produce music, DJ around the globe and direct the documentary Nicky Siano: Love Is The Message: A Night At The Gallery which Groovescooter premiered in Sydney back in 2012. Saturday Feb 4th is a rare chance for Sydneysiders to experience the disco / house pioneer for one night only.