The winners of the 2013 J Awards have been announced at a live broadcast from The Cliff Dive in Sydney.
Now in its 9th year, the J Awards honour the very best talent Australia has to offer.
AUSTRALIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Flume
What a twelve months it’s been for Harley Streten aka Flume. The Sydney-based producer pumped out his self-titled debut record last November, impressing us with his combination of judiciously-chosen samples and warbly, shapeshifting production. The self titled album thrives in its ability to keep you on your toes and coming right back for more, delivering pleasing surprises in all waveform sizes. The record is a defining statement of intent from the twenty-two year old, who has quickly established himself at the forefront of a resurgent and highly innovative Australian electronic scene. Flume is not only an artist to watch in coming years, but also as one to admire in the present. We certainly do.
Accepting the award via video message from the UK, Streten said the last 12months had been a wild ride and thanked triple j for being so supportive from day one. He spoke of debuting his live show and the infinity prism at triple j’s One Night Stand in Dubbo earlier this year, and of being nervous to play in front of 18,000 people, but looking back on it he felt it was the perfect way to launch his live show.
UNEARTHED ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Remi
Melbourne emcee Remi has been laying it down since 2010, and over that time has developed a flow that’s effortlessly expressive and pin-pointedly poetic. Collaborating with producer Sensible J, Remi impressed us with chill jam ‘Sangria’ at the start of the year, and then backed it up with boisterous cut ‘Saggin’. The latter is a fast-paced, self-referential jaunt that’s reflective of his entire oeuvre: coolly confident and decidedly fun. He’s supported Danny Brown, MED, and N’fa Jones, and was also a recent addition to the Falls Music and Arts Festival line-up. He’s a young, evolving, forward thinking rapper who’s clearly got the goods.
AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Clubfeet’s ‘Everything You Wanted’
Clubfeet and director Josh Thomas have turned out one hell of a one-shot wonder with ‘Everything You Wanted.’ The video, set in unremarkable suburbia, sees Clubfeet vocalist Sebastian Cohen melting himself into a series of frozen mirror-images as he walks down a very long street. As he progresses, the trickery becomes more impressive and elaborate – so much so that it has already inspired a series of overseas imitations. ‘Everything You Wanted’ is lifted from Clubfeet’s second album Heirs & Graces, which builds on their reputation as exponents of sophisticated, dance-friendly synth-pop. Director Josh Thomas is a member of the Oh Yeah Wow collective and is definitely a name to keep an eye on.
Previous winners of the Australian Album of the Year include: Wolfmother (2005), Hilltop Hoods (2006), The Panics (2007), The Presets (2008), Sarah Blasko (2009), Gotye (2011) and Tame Impala (2010 + 2012).