Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Purchasable with gift card
$2AUD or more
about
A leading figure in Australian electronic music, composer, songwriter, musician and producer, Paul Mac returns with his new single, “Cataplexy” out on Kim Moyes and Mike Callander’s label, Here To Hell.
Built on treated firework recordings by Paul himself, “Cataplexy” represents a new direction Mac is taking in his production, finding unique sounds in previously untouched territory. Cataplexy - described medically as “a sudden & brief loss of voluntary muscle tone triggered by strong emotions such as laughter” -perfectly embodies the feeling of nostalgic elation. Coupling a fast paced BPM with the softness of synthesised key melodies, the track is reminiscent of 90s rave, as indulging trance elements help wash over a feeling of calmness and contentment from start to finish.
Paul Mac’s first release in three years, “Cataplexy” is the first look into his forthcoming album Mesmerism, due out in April 2019. Inspired by his return to Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music in 2016 to begin his doctorate, Mesmerism represents Mac’s abandonment of his musical crutches and compositional safety nets. Mac on his composition process for Mesmerism:
“I began a series of compositions that began outside of my head. No more autobiography, no more pop structures, no more dance remixes. Instead, I would begin with a field recording, a found sound, a mathematical pattern, an inspired speech, or an improvised recording session with an instrumentalist that I loved. I wanted to push the boat out and see what journey it would present. There was no plan, no market and no brand. Just ideas.”
As Australian dance music royalty, Paul Mac has touched every corner of the nation’s scene, with composer, songwriter, musician, sound designer and producer credits under his belt. His debut album 3000 Feet High won him an ARIA for Best Dance Release in 2002, also scoring nominations for Best Male Artist and Engineer of the Year. Alongside his solo career, Mac has worked collaboratively on a number of projects, making up one half of the ARIA winning underground dance pioneers, Itch-E and Scratch-E and member of the DJ duo Stereogamous.
Beyond his solo career, Mac has become a trusted collaborator, having worked with some of Australia’s biggest musical icons including Sia, Kylie Minogue, Ngaiire and Daniel Johns, who he released an album with under the moniker, The Dissociatives. Most recently Mac stepped into a composition role, scoring for Australian film, TV and theatre pieces, including Sydney Theatre Company & Nakkiah Lui’s How To Rule The World and his own theatre show at this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, The Rise and Fall of St George.
Paul Mac has remained an integral member of the progression of electronic and dance music since the 90s. “Cataplexy” represents a shift of Mac’s sonic identity, moving away from structural dance music and wilfully stepping into new, improvised territory. With the Mesmerism release on the horizon, sit back and enjoy Paul Mac’s newest soundscape exhilaration.
This Bandcamp exclusive comes complete with a head-spinning background story (check the album notes) and eerie electronics. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 29, 2023
“Boogie Meets Beatdown” on this epic album from the mole, where ambient interludes lead into sudden and scary dark alleys. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 29, 2023
Madcamp dance music from the Netherlands that is alternately impish and mysterious, vocal clips and synth blips intermindling. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 29, 2023