Close Counters [NAARM]

Naarm/Melbourne-based Close Counters’ diverse soundscape sits at the crossroads of house, neo-soul, broken beat and disco. Their 2023 Music Victoria Award-winning and Australian Music Prizenominated album, ‘SOULACOASTA II’, is a sample-infused expedition that further secured their spot as one of the top talents in their class, with the duo tirelessly sourcing niche samples from films and records on trips across the globe. The LP was touted by tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Folamour, Jamz Supernova, Jyoty Singh, Jaguar, Tarsza, DJ Mag, Bandcamp, and landed Album Features with Australian stations Double J, 3RRR, PBR and 2SER. Breakout singles from the pack were originally released by Melvo Baptiste’s The Remedy Project, an imprint of Defected Records.

Their collab 'Rollout' with Young Franco featuring UK rappers Scrufizzer and Jay Prince, won over new fans across the globe and was added to the Official Soundtrack for acclaimed video game FIFA 23. In the past year the band have also performed or provided mixes for triple j, 3RRR, Defected Radio, FBi Radio, Soho Radio NYC, Baked, and interviewed on BBC Radio 1Xtra when hotly tipped as their ‘After Dark Discovery’ and ‘EP of the Week’ (‘FLUX’, 2022).

A true live act at heart, the duo expands up to a 7-piece tour-de-force that boasts live-mapped visuals, dancers and featured musicians and vocalists from their wider collective to create the full CC experience. The band recently finished a slew of dates across the UK & EU summer in Netherlands, Belgium and ticked off Defected Croatia along the way.

They’ve continuously sold out their hometown Naarm/Melbourne dates, notching impressive shows at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, sold out dates at 170 Russell, Corner Hotel, The Night Cat, and packed-out rooms across Australia’s east coast. Support duties have flowed from Madlib, Sofi Tukker, Crazy P Soundsystem, Tall Black Guy, to local mates Confidence Man, The Jungle Giants, Motez and Mickey Kojak, betwixt bucket-list festivals Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Let Them Eat Cake, Strawberry Fields, Meredith Music Festival, MONA FOMA, Party in the Paddock and showcasing at BIGSOUND, Electronic Music Conference and three sold-out Melbourne Music Week events.

The aura of uplifting positivity carries through their recorded and live music, into all creative assets, artwork and merchandise, finessed by the band's own Finn Rees, under his PIEWACK monicker. Finn is the driving force behind Close Counters' visual-artistic endeavours, and has created art and video assets for Hiatus Kaiyote, Sampology, 30/70, Mr. Bongo, Nice Guy Records and Groovin' The Moo. In Australia, MTV and RAGE added the clips created by Finn for ‘GET DOWN!’, 'SOMETHING IN MY DRINK' and 'SPEAK IN TRUTH ft. Allysha Joy' to their playlists, with the latter premiered by UK stalwarts Clash Mag. Their recent clip ‘ONLY ONE’, was directed by Allan McConnell of the band.

With a knack for flow and re-inventing Close Counters have also put their unique spin on remixes for PNAU & Bebe Rehxa, Haitus Kaiyote’s own Simon Mavin, Young Franco & Denzel Curry, Tim Shiel and multiple ARIA Award-Winning Genesis Owusu, Bristol-based Elder Island, Aussie-favs Art vs Science, Bag Raiders, 30/70 and ZFEX. Notable support on these flips from Jamie Jones, Laurence Guy, Dam Swindle, Harvey Sutherland, Bugz In The Attic, The Magician, Shy One, Pat Lok and Set Mo.

Collective support on the acts works’ includes spins from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC 6 Music, Worldwide FM, Sirius XM, iHeart Radio, NTS Radio, Rinse FM, KEXP Seattle, Balamii, 1BTN, KCRW, and local frequencies triple j, triple j Unearthed, FBi Radio. Tastemaker outlets NME, XLR8R, Indie Shuffle, Mixmag, EARMILK, DUMMY, KALTBLUT Magazine, plus local’s Pilerats, Purple Sneakers, Music Feeds have all sung the band’s praises.