Mistletone

One of Australia’s most esteemed bands, HTRK is the duo of Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang. Owing as much to the unsettling qualities of (David) Lynch and (Lydia) Lunch, mixed with industrial imagery and the surface aesthetics of synth pop, HTRK have struck a chord with fans and critics the world over.

HTRK’s music is layered with enough subtle cultural reference points to attract critical dissection, raw enough to appeal to beer-swilling live crowds, and visceral enough to make sense throbbing out of a club soundsystem. Throw together the core influences of HTRK and you’ll find David Lynch’s unsettling surrealism next to Bill Henson’s industrial landscapes, with Mika Vainio’s minimal compositions alongside the malfunctioning synth-pop of Suicide. It’s a potent concoction.

HTRK formed in Melbourne in 2003 as the trio of vocalist Jonnine Standish, bassist Sean Stewart (d.2010) and guitarist Nigel Yang. After six years in London, Standish and Yang returned to Australia in 2012. They have produced three critically-acclaimed studio albums for electronic labels Ghostly International and Blastfirstpetite, released locally via Mistletone. Collaborators include musician Rowland S. Howard (Marry Me Tonight LP, 2006), artists Pussykrew (Live tour visuals, 2012), artist Laure Prouvost (Poison video, 2013), designers PAGEANT (Capsule collection, 2014) and dance company Chunky Move (Supersense Festival, 2015).

• “HTRK possess an originality and mystery worthy of obsession and scrutiny, for their beautiful and damaged sound is truly, and thankfully, their own” — Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

HTRK will be joined by very special guest, the alchemical Julianna Barwick (USA), whose immersive, ethereal multi-tracked harmonies take listeners to a psychedelic other-world, creating an epic auditory landscape of huge majesty. Once memorably described by Diplo as the sound of “Care Bears making love”, Julianna Barwick’s cleansing frequencies have also been praised by Pitchfork as “among the best and most artful ambient music being made today”. Since her third full-length album, Will, came out on Dead Oceans Records, Julianna Barwick has toured with Sigur Rós, sung with children’s choirs around the world, recorded and performed with the Flaming Lips, recorded Bach’s “Adagio from Concerto In D Minor” on Sony Masterworks, played piano and sang with Yoko Ono and brewed a wasabi beer, Rosabi, with Dogfish Head. Julianna Barwick’s diverse past has also included collaborative albums with Ikue Mori and Helado Negro, a remix commission from Radiohead and her song “Vow” remixed by Diplo. Upcoming Barwick projects include a film score and a music box.