If synesthesia was a man it would be Leif Podhajsky, the Australian born, London based artist responsible for all the coolest record covers in town. From Tame Impala, Foals, Grimes, The Horrors, Lykke Li, Bonobo, Shabazz Palaces, Sun Araw to Kelis and beyond his distinctively psychedelic masterpieces ensure these albums are covetable beyond what’s on the inside.
In-between visual experiments, he’s ears-deep in the sonic boom and as we wait to see his new work at the Sugar Mountain festival later this moth, we tap into Leif’s favourite noise-in-motion.
Birthday Party – Junk Yard (live, Gotterdammerung 1982)
Nick Cave is probably our finest export. This clip is just so pure, raw and ramshackle and somehow feels really Australian to me.
CAN – Paperhouse
Such a progressive time for music in the post war rubble of Germany. Everything about this is astonishing, the precision but also the way it drifts into your conscious soul and lets you float away.
Black Sabbath – War Pigs (live Paris, 1970)
Yep. Bill Ward on drums just pushed this into another world.
Ata Kak – Daa Nyinaa
Ata Kak is one of those lost gems, a Ghanaian HipLife singer, very low-fi and odd but in the best way. We should also thank Awesome Tapes for finding dope shit like this. This video just seems to suit the song really well.
Captain Beefheart & Magic Band – Sure ’nuff ‘n Yes I do (Midem Festival Cannes, France 1968)
I love a bit of Captain, especially the early stuff you can dance all wobbly with.
Credits
Olivia Drake
sugarmountainfestival.com