All posts tagged seeker

  • Rolling Stone story: ‘The Cat Empire and The Key Of Sea’, December 2010

    A story published in the January 2011 issue of Rolling Stone, about the musical collaboration project The Key Of Sea. Click the below image for a closer look, or read the article text underneath.

    The Cat Empire’s Asylum Campaign

    Harry Angus wears a broad smile. “This has been a total headfuck so far,” The Cat Empire’s co-vocalist and trumpet player says. He and his bandmates are nearing the end of a session at Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios. It wouldn’t be a particularly out-of-the-ordinary occurrence, if not for the man with whom they’re recording: an Ethiopian singer named Anbessa Gebrehiwot, who also plays the krar, a lyre-like stringed instrument. The song they’ve spent the last two days rehearsing and recording, “Zero”, was arranged by Gebrehiwot.

    The song’s traditional Ethiopian cadence has proven difficult for The Cat Empire to get their Western minds around. “It’s something really new for us rhythmically,” says lead vocalist and percussionist Felix Riebel. “I feel for Ryan (bass) and Olly (keys) especially, because the phrases are hard and intricate, and don’t make sense in terms of what we’re used to.”

    Written five years ago as “a love song, not a political song”, “Zero” took on another meaning for Anbessa upon seeking asylum in Australia three years ago, reflecting the conditios in which asylum seekers live in Australia: no right to work, no Medicare, no income. “Life is zero when you separate with friends and family,” Anbessa says.

    The song is one of eleven that will form a project dubbed The Key Of Sea; Sarah Blasko, The Vasco Era, Tim Rogers and others also appear on the album, released in November. “We were excited to be a part of this project, because in terms of the issue we’re trying to promote, it’s now or never,” says Angus. “We’re showing people the human face and sound of asylum seekers.”

    The Key Of Sea was founded by human rights advocate Hugh Crosthwaite and Australian Independent Record Labels Association’s General Manager, Nick O’Byrne. “There’s been a lot of negative press and public sentiment around the issue of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants,” says Crosthwaite. “We wanted to do something that would resonate with the man on the street, and we thought that the easiest way to do that would be through rad tunes.”

    For more on The Cat Empire, visit their website. For more on The Key Of Sea, visit their website, or watch the project documentary embedded below.

  • Mess+Noise album review: The Key Of Sea – ‘Volume 1’, December 2010

    An ‘on rotation’ album review for Mess+Noise. Excerpt below.

    Various Artists – The Key Of Sea

    A new compilation sticks up the middle finger at the oft-repeated “stop the boats” refrain, writes ANDREW MCMILLEN.

    This is more than a collection of songs. It’s a middle-finger to the unending dialogue surrounding the hideously offensive phrase “stop the boats”.

    That dog whistle sounded long and loud across the land earlier this year, as politicians and their supporters attempted to shield racist ideals under the guise of protecting national interests in an election year. The Key Of Sea is the compassionate antidote to narrow-minded xenophobia. All proceeds from the sale of the album – which pairs well-known Australian artists with refugee musicians – go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, and Refugees Survivors and Ex Detainees. Its co-founders encourage listeners to “think deep, dig deep, and enjoy a unique musical journey”. It’s an apt disclaimer.

    These 11 narratives are drawn from disparate inspirations. Knowing each song’s genesis only adds to their impact. Urthboy’s collaboration with Group 120, ‘Letters From Jamshed’, has its roots in the MC’s sister trading mail with an asylum seeker named Jamshed, who was being held in the Nairu detention centre. Featuring lyrics taken from Jamshed’s correspondence, the song’s chorus – set among hip-hop beats, a circular nylon-string guitar riff, and Group 120’s choir of sighs – presents the question that lies at the heart of the asylum seeker debate: “Do you mind, if you and I/We share the sky?”. Alongside Blue King Brown and Diafrix’s ‘Streets Are Getting Hot’, it’s the album’s most upbeat track, and among the most memorable.

    For the full review, visit Mess+Noise. For more on The Key Of Sea, visit their website, or watch the project documentary embedded below.

    Elsewhere: a story for Rolling Stone about The Cat Empire’s involvement with The Key Of Sea