Perth producer HWLS will be heading to Byron Bay later this month, hitting up the Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) stage at Splendour In The Grass, but before he makes the journey over to the East Coast, we thought we’d check in with him to see what sort of music they grow up with over there.
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The first CD I purchased was ‘Evil Empire’ by Rage against the Machine. I have an older brother so at the time I would pilfer through his collection and take things that looked interesting so he was eager for me to start my own collection. ‘Evil Empire’ was the first CD I made sure I knew the release date of, where to get it, and to have enough pocket money to pick up a copy when it came time.
Before the release in 1996 I remember watching the ‘Bulls on Parade’ video every Saturday morning on Rage and getting up early enough to make sure I wouldn’t miss it. The clip had so much energy and, being 11 at the time, watching it would turn me into a hyperactive kid running off the walls every week. Being from a small town the only place that would stock copies would be the local Retravision. I got my mum to call and find out ahead of time if there would be copies in store to which she told me they would be in stock around 3-4 weeks away after its release, which was 3 weeks longer then I expected.
Anyway cut to later that week, I got scooped up from school on a Friday afternoon and thought I was just heading home when my mum pulled up in front of Retravision. I was a bit confused then my mum said, “How much pocket money do need to get your CD?” I was like ” WHAT THE @!$@#$%…!!!!” She handed me a few notes and I ran in the shop digging for the CD on the rack. Found the album and took it to the counter to which the store clerk said ” Your mum got a copy put aside here for you earlier in the week.” Then he pulled it out from under the counter packaged with the ‘e’ t-shirt merch that came out with it. I was so amped!
I took it home and listened to it over and over for weeks, the whole album was amazing to me start to end and this big yellow over sized medium ‘e’ shirt was the icing on the cake. I appreciate my mum for doing this for me and for creating an unexpected exciting moment for a kid that just wanted to rage out in the living room. I still have the CD in my collection and I think the shirt is still floating around somewhere in storage.
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What a cool mum!
Here’s a recent remix that HWLS did of ‘Another Earth’ by Elizabeth Rose
If you’re going to Splendour this year, be sure to check in at the RBMA stage from time to time to catch some of the great acts they will have playing there – you can get a full rundown of the line-up here
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