Melbourne’s most effervescent music and arts festival, Sugar Mountain, has a super sweet lineup for 2018, with a whole heap of international and local acts decorating the bill.
Big names like Cut Copy, Joey Bada$$, Jamilla Woods, J Hus and Actress are among the mix with local acts Beaches, Body Type and Stella Donnelly joining in for the party. Along with killer tunes, the festival will also host a range of arts performances such as VIA Alice, an audio dance performance, along with other immersive performance and visual art pieces. We’ve broken down the highlights to give you a taste of what’s to come.
Joey Bada$$
The independent hip hop hero from Brooklyn, NY has become a mainstay on the international circuit for his idiosyncratic flow and raw production – harking back to the days of classic rap music with a distinctly contemporary spin.
Track to look out for: ‘Devastated’
Beaches
Melbourne’s own Beaches are bringing their sprawling psych rock to the Sugar Mountain stage, offering up their trancelike live shows that have been finding acclaim across the globe. Their latest record, Second of Spring, is an double album musical odyssey – marking their most ambitious and acclaimed release to date.
Track to look out for: ‘Void’
Cut Copy
The Australian act that needs no introduction. Since blasting on to the scene in 2004 with Bright Like Neon Love, the group have exemplified a new wave of music coming out of our country and spreading across the world. Fifteen years on, they’re still as strong as ever. Sugar Mountain 2018 is your chance to see why.
Track to look out for: ‘Airborne’
Fantastic Man
The solo project of Melbourne-via-Berlin artist Mic Newman, Fantastic Man has crafted a steady stream of blissfully eclectic, sought-after releases and remixes, best known for their imaginative melodic themes and entrancing rhythms. His DJ work moves between ambient new age to tribal rhythms with poise and grace. Definitely one to watch.
Track to look out for: ‘Dreamscape’
Stella Donnelly
Stella Donnelly has well and truly taken over 2017, a fact cemented by her winning Levi’s inaugural BIGSOUND award. With acerbic lyrics and heartwrenching emotion behind some of her most poignat tracks, you can’t afford to miss this one. Her Thrush Metal EP is a standout release from this year, and is well worth listening to before catching her at Sugar Mountain 2018.
Track to look out for: ‘Boys Will Be Boys’
Actress
Studying Detroit techno masters such as Derrick May and Carl Craig, Actress looks to the future with his cutting-edge blend of electronic and organic sounds.
Track to look out for: ‘Falling Rizlas’
Honey Dijon
Fashion icon, activist, beatmaker and so much more – Honey Dijon brings her genre-busting approach to sound to Sugar Mountain 2018 with poise and grace. Bridging the gap between techno, house and disco, Honey Dijon’s presence on the Sugar Mountain lineup marks a coup for underground music lovers throughout Australia.
Essential listening: BBC Radio 1 Mix
