Pilerats, Journalist

Up-and-coming UK outfit Goodbye Stranger are crafting some dreamy indie-dance.. Taking influence from the likes of New Order and Australia's own RUFUS, London-based four-piece Goodbye Stranger have sent us a track that seems far more appropriate for the sunny fields of Australian festivals and beaches than the cold, gloomy skies one might generally associate with the British isles. They're already clocking up some big venue and festival appearances in Europe with an indie-dance sound not unlike Australian contemporaries such as the above-mentioned RUFUS, Gold Fields and New Navy. So take in Cave below, and get around these guys as one gets the feeling we could be hearing a lot more from them in the future. Follow Goodbye Strangers: FACEBOOK // TWITTER

Does Michigan have the coolest police force in the world?. There’s not much that could dampen the excitement around the Christmas (/party) season than coming home from a night of festivities and experiencing the dread of seeing flashing lights in your rearview mirror, or buying a bunch of awesome presents for people and then coming out to see a parking ticket on your car. Nobody’s getting their day ruined in Michigan, however – the cops there are pulling people over and asking them if they need help with their Christmas shopping: they find out what gifts the people in their cars still had to buy on their Christmas shopping lists, then radio via their walkie-talkies to a team of shoppers waiting at a nearby department store, who quickly rounded up the items and brought them out to the cops, who are then handing them over to the drivers. The stunt was sponsored and the gifts were paid for by UP TV as a part of their #UpliftSomeone challenge, encouraging people “to do something small to m

Talented underground electronic artists re-imagine each others' tracks.. I know the compilation we should be pushing right now is our own one, but there's another compilation out now, Strain of Origin IV, that I really want to give some love to, as well. It's beats/electronic based, but not for the dancefloor by any stretch - it's altogether more experimental, and darker. Strain of Origin is Australian label Feral Media’s annual compilation series, where they enlist some of the most exciting underground acts from around Australia and ask those acts to submit a track to be remixed, and in turn receive a track from another artist to remix themselves for the release. Last year’s Strain of Origin III was a beauty – some of the works to come out of that became firm favourites, like the spacey, moody, meditative instrumental remix of witch-haus artist ¹fm¹’s track Maise, done by Vacant Lake (the solo project of Berlin / Melbourne artist Beres Jackson). Another great one to come out of that c

The electro-lord throws down another bouncy jam to continue his evolution in 2014.. After jumping back on d-floors in Australia and abroad a couple of months back with new single Don't You Feel, Redial doth return today with another new tune that sees the producer again evolving with his take on future-beat and trap. Work It Down ups the fun after the bass-tastic bombs he threw down on Don't You Feel, and it's already getting plenty of love from the likes of Porter Robinson. We get the feeling this one will be getting plenty of love in the club over the coming warmer months too. Plus it's available for free download - so win, win, win...we all win. Follow Redial: FACEBOOK

Deconstructed dance vanguard Dro Carey steps into wider club circles with a straight-shootin' EP.. Our deconstructed dance hero Dro Carey – otherwise known as Sydney based producer Eugene Ward – has just this week released his new EP, Club Injury Handbook, for Greco-Roman, his first full release since 2013’s Vital Trails EP. Carey’s made a name for himself nationally and internationally for his oddball blend of house and techno; his prior releases on Trilogy Tapes and Opal Tapes are alive with unpredictable but tautly constructed structures and distinctive textures. He most recently teamed up with LA producer Napolian, for a great l’il number, Up Nex, for OneohTrix Point Never’s Software Recordings' awesome MIXWARE free download series, listen to that one here (and have a poke around Napolian’s release Incursio, too - wicked stuff). Dro also produces under the alias Tuff Sherm. This week Dro’s dropping a split 12” vinyl for Templar Sound, the Scope EP, with productions from both his a

Arca makes a f*&ked-up club animal out of Shakira's pop mega-hit.. Before he was one of Kanye West's zeitgest Yeezy producers, before he was manning the boards for FKA Twigs, New York-Venezuelan buzz-producer Arca used to do some mad re-edits of classic R & B jams. I still bump his loopy, pitched-up-vocal take on Aaliyah's Are You Dat Somebody, so I was pretty pleased to see this fun Shakira cover crop up, tailing Arca's recent full length release, Xen.   Arca messes up the pop princess real good, with a bunch of warped samples and glitchy percussion, somehow turning the original Columbian rhythms into a Middle Eastern sounding jam. Arca recently debuted a live show at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, where he performed an hour of original material, singing and dancing against a backdrop of sexual imagery, wearing sequinned, thigh-high boots and a bondage crop top. At the end of the show, he received a standing ovation from none other than audience member Bjork, who he's r

Good shit that's free. Weekend ideas to ease your money pains.. A friend once said to me, "I get nervous when my bank account drops below a $1000." If you're not like this dude i.e. a normal student who tosses up spending their cab money on beers as they reckon they totally walk the eight-kilometres home... then we've got a guide to help you ease your money pains. Consider this on us. (Image: Taylor Radelia)

Play some piano to unlock free Lido tunes!. Off the back of his well-received mix for Diplo & Friends (read / listen HERE), Norwegian producer Lido (whose coming to our Pilerats Christmas party in Perth in a week and a half, woop!) has crafted another special surprise for us.  How good are your piano playing skills? Head to Lido's website lidogotsongs.com, where he's put up a keyboard and a music score: if you can play the correct four notes in succession, you'll unlock a free download to an 11-track mixtape of Lido remixes, including the sought-after STWO remix of Lost, and remixes by Obey City, Alizzz, this one below from Hoodboi, and more. We recently had a nice chat with the young producer, make sure you check it out HERE.   We love you too, Lido.

Perth dude's brilliant Steve Aoki impersonation prank at Stereosonic goes viral..