When it comes to electronic music, the sceneheads in Ngunnawal and Ngambri are fiercely patriotic. I’m quick to remind people that icons like Andy Garvey and Tangerine hail from the bush capital, while Zara and dear DJ RUNECORE cut their teeth here. And don’t forget that Moopie once called sideway the best club in Australia (equally memorable is the fact that he did so at Guth’s 21st).

Two creative forces that have propelled this reputation over the past few years have been the collectives Turning Tables and Sunburn. These crews have had the scene on lock, from doofs to club events to their spellbinding turn&burn party at The Vault last year.

It is with much excitement, then, that I get to review the first Stock Grazing project. Stock Grazing is the brainchild of Isaac (Turning Tables) and Rory (Sunburn). Rooted in a deep appreciation for all things experimental and hypnotic, Stock Grazing is sleek, refined and full of promise.

And what better way to start things than Discobasis’ Said the Light? ‘Of Silver and Gold’ is a moody, angular ambient cut that teeters with a digital-age anxiety. It evokes a barrenness, like you’re walking through a deserted metropolis. There is no urgency, there is no forward motion: you are stranded.

We then move into ‘Charlatan’, which adds organic drums into the mix, placing the natural sound design in opposition to the eery mechanical stabs. This sonically mirrors Canberra: never far from the bush nor urban life. ‘Charlatan’ plunges, or rather lowers, us into its depths. There’s nothing charlatanic about this track: its evolution, sound design and mastering are all stunning. It reminds me of the music that A Strange Wedding used to make before he became fixated on mind-bending, wormhole-sending, 170bpm throttlers.

‘Blood Flow’ is a darker progression, heightening the tension with a dissonant feedback noise. Glitches, screeches and reverberating shouts slowly emerge from this wall of sound. The groove gives this track somewhat of a staggering effect, moving like some crazed, wounded cyborg.

Finally is ‘222’, which sees Discobasis joined by fellow Ken Behren, Umki. Texturally, if the other songs were wooden or metallic, then this is aquatic. One can easily visualise the shimmering pools of some hidden cave, where reverberant kicks bounce off the walls before dissolving. The artists leave us with a slow modular retreat. Where to from here? Wherever Discobasis and Stock Grazing may take us. And they can bet that I’ll come willingly.

*Join Discobasis and umki, along with Gillielove and Emmie, for the EP’s launch party at Shadows (formerly sideway) this Saturday (25 January 2025).

★★★½/4

Joe Negrine

24 January 2025