The only live act to be handpicked by Chet Faker to play November’s Ray-Ban and Boiler Room #Campaign4Change event in Melbourne, Harvey Sutherland (aka Mike Katz) gives the knob twitchers a run for their money with his limber celestial funk and self-taught jazz hand improv.
First blipping on the map as Mike Kay of //This Thing//, a collective of likeminded Melbourne electronic musicians, DJs and radio heads, Katz quickly graduated with a solo 12” on lo-fi boogie apex, People’s Potential Unlimited. Feeling that these tracks were better executed demos rather than fully realised works, he wiped the slate keen and reintroduced himself as Harvey Sutherland. This superseding alias has basked in transcontinental appeal, releasing on Motor City Drum Ensemble‘s eponymous label, Athens outpost Echovolt, San Francisco’s Voltaire and homegrown crop Voyage, with many original pressings now fetching absurd prices amongst delirious collectors.
Katz has recently expanded the live Harvey Sutherland sound with the three-piece Bermuda formation, featuring Graeme Pogson and Tamil Rogeon on drums and electric strings respectively. Together these elite players have been recording an extended follow-up to their namesake single. In tandem, Katz is soon due to reveal studio project called Coup d’état, with a self-released EP of lurking mid-tempo techno chuggers on the newly minted CDT Records.
With Chet Faker’s intention of using this homecoming Boiler Room to showcase Melbourne talent, Katz shines a wider spotlight on his motherland, listing nine crucial local artists in his musical orbit.
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Gil Michell “Whimsical Raps” [This Thing Records]
I was involved in a label/artist collective called //This Thing// a few years back (when I was Mike Kay). We did some really amazing stuff like playing at Golden Plains, running parties, doing the DIY label thing. The label still ticks along, but the music that was being made in that period is still incredibly formative and inspirational – none more than Gil Michell, aka Dylan Michel and Trent Gill. I wouldn’t still be doing this if it weren’t for both of those guys. Two beautiful humans, always pushing the boundaries.
Baba-X Sounds of the Concrete Forest Vol. 3 [This Thing Records]
You might know him as Luis CL or one half of Zanzibar Chanel. This Thing put this house/techno-ish tape out when people still thought we were a “beats” label, so I feel it was maybe overlooked at the time. Still slays me. A truly exceptional producer.
Tempo Perdido “Theme From Juan” [Yoruba / Soul Jazz]
A one-off collaboration between legendary Melbourne DJs Rambl and Declan Kelly (aka Research & Development), and James Cecil of Architecture in Helsinki. Their archived e-zine is a great document of Melbourne clubland in the late-Honkytonks era. I love this track, it exists on its own little island.
Kane Ikin Sublunar [12k]
I’m stacking the deck with mates here, but the dusty and dense Sublunar was my first introduction to Kane’s otherworldly sounds. We met through the This Thing mob, and now work together on a techno-not-techno project called Coup d’état.
Inverto Miura / Gunslinger [M-Division Records]
This unassuming cover of Metro Area has been in my DJ bag for a long time. It’s the work of Hanna Silver’s Inverto, an audio-visual space disco experience. Produced by Melbourne DJ mainstay Phil Ransom I believe. The drum sounds are tough as nails! It will never not fill a floor.
Krakatau “Riddells Creek” [Trouble In Mind Records]
James Tom is a talented musician and record collector from Melbourne, now residing in New York. He directed, produced and edited this beautiful short film of his band’s performance of “Riddells Creek” which is the version you hear on the record (Shags Chamberlain on the reels there). Very excited about their forthcoming material, both audio and visual.
Kirkis purple fruit for xray vision. [Independent]
One of my favourite musicians. Chops for days and an amazing songwriter and producer. Still waiting on *the album* but, for now, we have this great collection of microwaved lo-fi fusion.
Inkswel “She Likes Techno” [Boogie Bash]
Prolific producer, dynamite DJ and a hugely inspirational force for the boogie. Adelaide-born, but a man of the cosmos – even his dog is called Sun Ra. I’ve started many a set with those twinkly cymbals.
The Bamboos Live At No Standing, Revolver Upstairs [Bamboo Shack]
This shit should be heritage-listed. My favourite band as a younger lad, this is them at their finest. Grayson! Farrugia! Barnett! (that’s Shannon, not Courtney). Slickest outfits, heaviest breaks. Talk about inspiration – I hired their current drummer for my band.
– Harvey Sutherland plays live with Bermuda for the Ray-Ban and Boiler Room #Campaign4Change event in Melbourne on November 10. Head here to win tix –
