“Austerity?” she bellowed in a less than regal manner. “What is this proletarian concept! I shall hear nothing of it. This court will guzzle on indulgence like swine at the teat… Bring me gateaux, madeleines, cherry- clammed clafoutis, praline, profiteroles and the tortured pride of les révolutionnaires…”
Slick, stylish and undeniably sexy, Australia’s leading boutique electronic music festival, Let Them Eat Cake has earned a steadfast reputation as the place to be on New Year’s Day. For the fourth consecutive year, Cake will once again romp into the New Year of 2016 in the sublime gardens of Werribee Mansion, just 30 minutes from Melbourne. Discerning, sophisticated and forged with an astute aesthetic in mind, Cake is about uncompromising attention to detail, a stellar lineup of both international and local talent and an eclectic smorgasbord of food and art.
In 2016, Let Them Eat Cake promises to expand on its theme of architectural abstract-ism, a commentary on design aesthetics paired with an intelligent, minimalist celebration of electronica, with a soupcon of doof kitsch thrown in for good measure.
A lavish journey through a garden of delight, Cake is of the senses, an outlandish assault on sight, sound, taste, smell and imagination, a dream construct that adorns reality with an ephemeral whimsy.
Âme (GER)
Âme (pronounced “AHM”) is possibly one of the biggest acts performing on the house/techno circuit today, and definitely one of the most popular (they came in at number 3 on Resident Advisor’s 2014 Top DJ poll). They offer glimpses into the future of electronic music through their highly regarded and much in-vogue Innervisions imprint, the label and collective that they run alongside Dixon. It’s also on Innervisions that Âme released the 2005 club track ‘Rej’, a definite contender in the top 10 biggest house tracks of all time, and more recently, their hit remix of Sailor & I’s ‘Turn Around’ which was played across the globe by anyone with a DJ bag. Yes,Âme is no stranger to global success and popularity. Do not miss out on seeing Âme’s Kristian Beyer make his Let them Eat Cake debut. soundcloud.com/ame
Ben UFO (UK)
As one of the co-founders of Hessle Audio, Ben UFO has been responsible, alongside Pearson Sound and Pangaea, for some of the most varied and ground breaking releases of recent years, breaking boundaries between UK genres – dubstep, funky and grime – and a wider array of house, techno and experimental sounds from across the globe. Currently a co-host of one of the most popular shows on Rinse FM, Ben UFO has grown into one of the most respected and skilled selectors on the planet – and he placed at #7 in a Resident Advisor most recent Best DJ poll. There is no doubt that this UK selector is currently one of the globe’s most prominent tastemakers; in fact, listening to a Ben UFO set is like listening to a transmission from the future. soundcloud.com/benufo
Com Truise (USA)
Com Truise is one of the many personas of producer and designer Seth Haley, an admitted synth obsessive, who is the maker of an experimental and bottom heavy style he calls “mid-fi synth-wave, slow-motion funk”. While subliminally informed by both parental record collections and hints of faded electronics product design, Haley’sCom Truise project isn’t just nostalgia capitalization. There are fragments (read: DNA strands) of Joy Division, New Order, and the Cocteau Twins, but it’s like you’re hearing them through the motherboard of a waterlogged Xbox – demented and modern. A Pitchfork darling (‘prodgious’), Com Truise is also a Melbourne favourite with his debut show last year at the Corner selling out in record time. Expect his performance to be filled with the most funked-up, bottom- heavy bass of the day. soundcloud.com/com-truise
Daniel Avery (UK) “In a league of his own” (NME)
Daniel Avery is quietly becoming one of techno’s most sought after acts. Coming from a musical background that takes in rock, drone, shoegaze and more, Avery implements a old-school acid-style to his productions and DJ sets that has seen him become a resident at UK institution, fabric, when he was still relatively unknown. Up until 2013 Avery was one of the UK’s best kept secrets, but his profile exploded after the release of his highly touted debut album, Drone Logic, which received critical acclaim across the board. Now he is set to become a leader of the new school of techno with a sound that draws as much from the past as it does from an interstellar rave in another dimension. The Monday after his sold-out debut Melbourne performance at Brown Alley earlier this year, requests already came flying in for Avery’s return – and we can’t be more thrilled to have one of the world’s most exciting DJs play at Let Them Eat Cake. www.soundcloud.com/danielavery
DJ Tennis (ITA)
Organizing parties and DJ’ing at the tennis club where he used to play as a semi-pro player was just a way to support the costs of his studies, but this need turned out to be a lifelong calling instead, and over the last 5 years DJ Tennis has become one of the busiest touring DJs on the planet, peddling a deep, melancholic techno and house sound that can veer from tough to introspective. But the Italian is probably best known as the leader of the highly popular Life & Death imprint which is home to tracks by artists like Mind Against, Recondite, Tale of Us and Stephan Bodzin, and is also one of the most played labels on the scene. After cracking RA’s top 50 DJs poll last year, it’ safe to say that currently DJ Tennis is riding high. www.soundcloud.com/djtennisdjtennis
Four Tet (UK)
In 100 years time when music historians look back at the most influential electronic music artists of the our generation, you can bet on it that Four Tet AKA Kieran Hebden will be an integral part of that conversation. To date the Englishman has produced 3 albums on the highly regarded Domino Records, and have also collaborated with high profile artists like Thom Yorke, Steve Reich and Neneh Cherry (he produced her 2014 critically acclaimed comeback album ‘Blank Project’). His own Text Records is known for releasing forward-thinking electronic music that is free from the restrain of genre boundaries, and is also responsible for releasing productions from Thom Yorke, Burial, Terror Danjah, Rocketnumbernine, and, of course, Hebden himself. Obtaining commercial appeal, while still managing to be respected by the underground chin strokers, it is safe to say that Four Tet might just be one of the most respected electronic music artists on the planet. www.soundcloud.com/four-tet
Jon Hopkins (UK)
In 2013 Jon Hopkins released his album ‘Immunity’ onto an unsuspecting music community, and instantly got elevated from an unknown soundtrack composer, to a headline electronic music act playing on all the main stages of the world’s most prestigious festivals. To those in the know this was no surprise as Hopkins is an Ivor Novello-nominated composer of film scores, long-term collaborator of Brian Eno andColdplay, and remixer of artists as diverse as David Lynch, Four Tet, Wild Beasts, Nosaj Thing, and Purity Ring. A Jon Hopkins live show is a visual and aural feast, and will be one of the most anticipated performances at Let Them Eat Cake this year. www.soundcloud.com/jonhopkins
Machinedrum (USA)
North Carolina-born artist Travis Stewart AKA Machinedrum has produced and composed over a dozen albums under various aliases since his first independent release in 1999. Covering an astonishing variety of styles through his solo work and collaborative projects (with acts like Sepalcure, JETS and Dream Continuum), Travis delivers his signature on everything he touches; from his 2013 ‘Vapor City’ LPfor Ninja Tune, to his production work for the likes of Azealia Banks, Jamie Liddelland Jesse Boykins II, which has made him widely recognised as a producer’s producer, a pioneer of many styles, and a master of his craft. This will be Machinedrum’s first return to Melbourne in over 3 years. www.soundcloud.com/machinedrum
Motor City Drum Ensemble (GER)
Simultaneously retro and futuristic, German House pioneer Danilo Plessow is possibly the biggest star in today’s contemporary house scene. In 2008 Motor City Drum Ensemble exploded onto the scene with five releases: The now legendaryʻRaw Cutsʼ series on his own MCDE label which to this day still feature within the top 6 of Juno Records’ all-time top selling single charts. MCDE also ranks among the Top 10 all-time charted artists on RA, and his classy remix of NUfrequencyʼs ʻFallen Heroʼ is still number 1 on Resident Advisorʼs all-time charted tracks. MCDE is renowned for his eclectic taste in music and his technical wizardry in producing, both of which have made him a globally profiled DJ and producer who is widely regarded for re-defining house music. It’s been 4 long years since Melbourne last danced to MCDE, but the time has finally arrived for this Berlin house royalty’s return. www.soundcloud.com/mcde-recordings
Seven Davis Jr (USA)
Being brought up on a musical diet which include classic artists like Prince, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, is a big clue into what makes this Ninja Tunes artist tick. In his early production days word about his prodigious talent spread quickly, and before reaching adulthood Seven Davis Jrrejected several major label offers, instead opting to ghostwrite and ghost produce behind the scenes. From 2012 onward SDJ took to the skies touring worldwide, bringing his unique combination of live vocals and occasional live instrumentation to the DJ realm. If you like your house music full of futuristic leftfield soul that is drenched in funk, then join Seven Davis Jr on his journey through the musical universe. www.soundcloud.com/seven-davis-jr
Slum Village (USA)
Detroit might be better known for its rich techno history, but for those in the hip-hop scene, Detroit will always be linked to one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time: Slum Village. Formed in the mid-nineties by influential beat maker, J-Dilla, Slum Village’s first two albums were immediately dubbed classics by industry and fans alike, their unique take on hip-hop widely regarded as changing the face of hip-hop. After the untimely death of founding members J-Dilla and Baatin, the band forged on with members T3 and Young RJ, and this year they released the ‘Yes’ album which featured unreleased beats from J-Dilla, and feature vocals from the likes of De La Soul, Pfife Dawg, Jon Conner, Keely and more. Having toured and worked with acts like Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, John Legend, D’Angelo, Busta Rhymes and many more, Slum Village really is the act that you’re favourite hip-hop artists listen too. Do not miss this rare opportunity to see legitimate hip-hop royalty perform live in Melbourne for the first time in almost 10 years. www.slumvillage.com
The Opiuo Band (NZ)
A Kiwi who now calls Australia home, Opiuo is a chief sufferer of intense musical addiction, spending every spare second creating audible treats and selling out venues across the globe. He’s performed alongside the likes of MC Hammer andBassnectar, and have reached #1 chart positions on Beatport, Addictech, andiTunes. From a one man show equipped with drum machines and synths, all the way to The Opiuo Band amassing a collection of the world’s best musician’s to perform his music 100% live, Opiuo has done it all. His national Australian live tour earlier this year showcased the true musicality of Opiuo, and sold out venues across the country including Billboards in Melbourne. The Opiuo Band’s brand of‘booty-funk’ could just be one of the most fun and infectious live acts in the world today.
Let Them Eat Cake will be running from 11:00am til 10:30pm on New Years Day, tickets are now in fact SOLD OUT but more information is available from www.letthemeatcakenyd.com.au.
