Concrete Playground

With the innumerable Animal Collective ‘homage’ bands circulating the local live scene, it’s a wonderful and refreshing thing to hear a performer who borrows sounds of now, but uses them to create something engaging and unique. With roots in pop, r&b and atmospheric electronica (think Stereolab and Prefuse 73), Danimals recordings are as fun as they are interesting.

His reverb-soaked summery vocals layered and looped over and over, strong groove rhythms, and playful accents of quirky R&B pop initially hold your attention because of their charm, but the longer you listen the more the nuanced, developed production shines through. The Sydney artist writes music solo but performs live on synthesiser accompanied by three drummers; Julian Sudek from Mercy Arms, Moses Macrae from Good Buddha, and Sherlock’s Daughter drummer Will Russell. See Danimals supporting Shady Lane at their album launch show August 22, or on September 10 at the Hopetoun Hotel