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Music

Seeds & Stems: How Electronica Made Its Way To Sydney

From Severed Heads to Seekae, a look at one of Australia's most favoured subgenres.

In partnership Bose's Sounds of Summer, we take a look at how musical subgenres spread beyond geographical borders in our Seeds & Stems series. Here we take a look at how Electronica went from UK niche to one of Australia's most favoured subgenres.

SEEDS

The term electronica emerged in the late 1990s as a vague descriptor for a broad range of electronic music styles, encompassing all manner of styles that didn't fit into readily established labels such as house. As what was known as electronica made massive inroads to the mainstream, thanks to artists such as Moby with the all-conquering Play, plus experiments by pop superstars such as Madonna, a gulf was carved underneath what electronica represented. With such a wide scope of subgenres represented, the term electronica was dissipated somewhat on a global scale, replaced by the even more meaningless label EDM (electronic dance music) – with subgenres gaining their own solidified set of labels. IDM (intelligent dance music) surfaced as a counterpoint term to EDM, sticking in some circles to describe more abstract compositions that may shy away from finding a home on club dancefloors. The UK became fertile grounds for such acts, with the label 'electronica' again finding favour to describe more intricate productions created by such vanguard acts as Autechre and Boards Of Canada. Established in the UK in the late 1980s, record label Warp gained due reputation as a trusted bastion of electronica artists, its imprint still a stamp of quality to this day.

STEMS

Formed in relative global isolation, pioneering Sydney outfit Severed Heads somehow grew from Australia's pub rock and punk climate in the late 70s and early 80s and flourished with an experimental DIY approach to sound manipulation. Throughout their existence – which continues with live appearances in recent years, including a hand-selected support slot for Gary Numan in 2011 – Severed Heads have always remained outsiders in a sense, even with relative chart success with their more dancefloor-ready singles. Though influential, Severed Heads largely remained an entity to themselves – aligned with no palpable scene or movement in their decades of productivity.

In the mid-2000s, Sydney fostered a community of electronica artists influenced by UK acts such as the aforementioned Autechre and their likeminded contemporaries. Acts such as PVT and Seekae gained prominence with electronica-led compositions, embellished by live drums – and later on in their careers – the addition of live vocals. These acts paved the way for a new generation of producers, including Flume and many of his labelmates at Future Classic, and talented singer-producers such as Elizabeth Rose.

From the influence of Warp records, to the blossoming mid-2000s scene in Sydney, electronica has branched out across Australia as the most alluring genre of choice for many producers setting out on their musical journey. Now most capital cities seem to be harnessing their own unique collectives of electronica artists, with fruitful SoundCloud offerings blossoming from Melbourne to Perth.