19 March 2010
Unkle Ho
Astronomy Class
Friday 19 March
Tickets are $21.50 and are available through qtix or phone 136 246 (includes booking fee), or at the GoMA box office on the night (subject to availability).
Performances
Unkle Ho (7.30pm)
A Taiwanese–Chinese immigrant to Australia, Unkle Ho (Kaho Cheung) has been writing, producing and performing electronic music since 1996. His productions are combinations of global influences presented with a sample-based hip-hop aesthetic. As a founding member of The Herd, Unkle Ho has contributed to four of the most highly acclaimed hip hop albums — The Herd, An Elefant Never Forgets, The Sun Never Set and Summerland.
In 2005, Unkle Ho released a long awaited solo debut album. Roads to Roma was a globe-trotting audio adventure which dabbled in Bollywood, Algerian Raï, dancehall and, in particular, European gypsy, a passion he developed during travels in Eastern Europe. His second album, Circus Maximus, further explored this fascination with assistance from a motley troupe of live players and a small selection of like-minded vocalists.
After relocating to Jakarta, Indonesia, this truly global musician released the limited-edition Subterranea EP in 2009, which pushed musical boundaries and national borders. Predominantly electronic but still enhanced with live instrumentation and cut-and-paste techniques, Unkle Ho’s sound evolved again. A newly discovered Latin undercurrent, an increased synthesiser presence and vocal samples were introduced along with tubas, trumpets and violins.
Joining Unkle Ho for his live APT Up Late performance will be Senator Jim Shady, who plays trumpet, melodica and theramin.
Astronomy Class (8.30pm)
Astronomy Class explore hip-hop music through their passion for reggae. The trio of MC Ozi Batla and producers Chasm and Sir Robbo debuted their refreshingly dub-flavoured sound with the 2006 album Exit Strategy. Two singles received substantial airplay and subsequent national tours cemented their reputation in Australia.
Sir Robbo unearths dusty reggae records as the source material for the production of Astronomy Class’ music. A collector for 25 years, he has also been a drummer for reggae, dub and hip-hop groups such as The Latenotes, Herman Jasper Situation and Atomic Hifi. He co-founded legendary Sydney event Frigid in 1996 and formed widely acclaimed psychedelic band Tooth, who released several albums between 1996 and 2006. Chasm, formerly an indie guitarist with Ukiyo-e, is now one of the leading hip-hop producers in Australia.
Ozi Batla is one of Australia’s foremost hip-hop MCs, with years of experience on stage at solo shows, band tours, MC battles and festivals. As co-frontman of pioneering Australian group The Herd, he has contributed to four albums and sold out concerts nationwide for almost ten years.
In 2009, Astronomy Class released their second album, Pursuit of Happiness, featuring guests Vida-Sunshyne, The Tongue, Diafrix, Kween G, and Ash Grunwald. The album was recorded and mixed by Mike Burnham of The Heliocentrics, who heightened the Astronomy Class sound with his analogue techniques.
Astronomy Class have carved out a niche in Australian hip-hop ... a unique blend of hip-hop and reggae — contemporary and fresh while still capturing the warmth of the genre. Years of collecting '60s and '70s reggae laid the groundwork for the tunes. (The Age)
Curator's talk
Weekly curator’s floortalks explore artists, projects or places included in APT for the first time.
6.30pm /Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) & Munsudae Art Studio
Lynne Seear, Deputy Director, Curatorial and Collection Development
APT6 Cinema
Promised Lands
6.00pm | Deepa Mehta Earth 1998 (110mins) | Cinema A
APT6 Filmmaker: Takeshi Kitano
8.00pm | Takeshi Kitano Takeshis' 2005 (108mins) | Cinema A
