Cyclic Defrost

Issue 20 of Cyclic Defrost has just been released. If you frequent some of Sydney's better record stores, you might be lucky enough to pick up a hard copy. Truth be told though, there's something of a dearth of worthwhile articles in this issue. The exception (kind of) is "Sydney and the global networks of contemporary club culture" by Ed Montano, a rather wordy piece that raises some interesting points nonetheless. I particularly like this take on why Sydney is different to Melbourne:

Discussing what it is that makes the Sydney scene unique and different from other scenes elsewhere in Australia and around the world, Seb Chan suggests that it is not so much directly related to the preferences clubbers have for particular types of music, but rather the laws, geographical factors, and meteorological factors that shape the city and the lifestyle of its inhabitants: “It is the geographic specificities of the city [that give the dance scene its unique shape]. Why is Sydney different to Melbourne? Licensing laws, geography, no beaches in Melbourne, shittier weather in Melbourne, or perceived shittier weather in Melbourne, venue spaces, people, demographics, cultural things… Why did a techno scene spring up in Melbourne and die out in Sydney? Why are there more art galleries in Melbourne than in Sydney? Why are there more beachside cafes in Sydney rather than Melbourne? Why does lemon gelato sell more in Sydney than in Melbourne? Sydney is different because it’s got the beach and it’s got the bush close by. People go out more to those kinds of things. They invest less of their time in indoor cultures, like music, art, and books. That would be my blanket statement, which is probably unfounded in many cases, but generally, I would say that Melbourne is an artier city, because there’s not much else to do there. The weather is shit so you’ve got to go out in any case, and you’ll go out when it’s raining. You try putting a club on here and it’s raining, no one comes. Just really simple things like that [make a scene unique].” (Interview, 2005)

Also of interest is The New DIY by Shaun Prescott, a look at people making and releasing their own music "in an age where Ramones and Nirvana shirts are sold at General Pants". I've only had a chance to skim it so far, but I like the cut of his jib.

There's some great stuff to be found in the archives too, including an interview with Burial before anyone knew who he was.