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Willaris. K

Willaris. K: Top 5 Field Recording Picks

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Since signing with acclaimed label Astralwerks in October 2019, Willaris. K (Jack McAllister) has released four eclectic singles along the sonic spectrum including “5 O’Clock,” “Past Light,” “Indifferent with Gordi” and “Detatch.”

Showcasing his versatile production abilities across electronica, ambient, melodic-tech and more, his six-track EP Lustre arrives today, April 3, featuring two never before heard songs, “Cobaki Sky” and “Get With My Light (with Tom Snowdon).” Additionally, Willaris further establishes his underground rave chops with the announcement of his forthcoming club EP titled Full Noise due out May 29. Drawing inspiration from late night sets and featuring an impressive lineup of well-regarded creators that have influenced his own sound, Jack teams up with leading Australian electro-pop musician Paul Mac, American rapper and sound designer Waveiq and composer, producer, beatmaker and Seekae founder, George Nicholas (GN).

Lustre includes his recent release, “Indifferent”, featuring Bon Iver and Troye Sivan collaborator Gordi, as well as the Pete Tong and Danny Howard Radio 1 endorsed cut, “5 O’Clock” and his latest uplifting anthemic tune, “Detach”.

Willaris. K’s eclectic body of work has drawn him comparisons to a league of greats like Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, and William Basinski. His previous career as an electrical instrument technician led him to pursue music as he worked in solitude across rural power plants along state borders in Australia, collecting field recordings and turning them into ambient tracks.

It’s with this in mind that we asked Willaris. K to share his top five field recording picks. Enjoy the playlist below.

Jon Hopkins – Abandon Window

All time favourite. I still remember the first time I heard this, I’d just bought Immunity and was listening to it on the plane, this came on as we were taking off and I was blown away by the production/textures. Definitely a formative moment, pretty sure I started piano lessons not long after this. I later heard or read somewhere that the sounds late in the song is a recording of fireworks going off stretched. Madness.

Shlohmo – Ten Days Of Falling

Dark Red is the other record that had a huge influence on me and the music I made in the early days. Had to pick one but the bird samples in this are crazy eerie.

Nicolas Jaar – Three Sides Of Nazareth

This is my favourite Nicolas Jaar track. The track is full of field recordings (middle breakdown especially), the way it comes back in is so fucking sick. Production is so raw and unpredictable.

Jamie xx – All Under One Roof Raving

The sampling on this is crazy. The vocal obviously but there’s so many hidden bits/textures that give it that raw feeling.

Seekae – John Duncan

This song is such a classic. Another song/band that had a huge influence on me when I first start getting into writing music. That vocal sample with the guitar and drum thing fuck me up.

Listen to LUSTRE here
Watch the “COBAKI SKY” Visualizer here

Connect with Willaris. K: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud

Interview: Discovering Australia’s Willaris. K

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Real name Jack McAllister, Willaris. K shared his debut EP Alchemy with the world earlier this year, showcasing a dark and progressive sound that comes to life during his energetic live shows.

His latest two tunes might sound a little familiar to those who have been keeping up with the Australian artist, especially so because he has been playing a version of “Natural Selection” for a while now. As per the usual Willaris. K style, “Natural Selection” is a driving number, somewhere between techno, electro and house, with a constant build throughout that leaves the listener eager for more, while Cobaki Sky (Prequel) seems to allude to something bigger on the horizon, perhaps the much-awaited debut album by a producer whose popularity is on a meteoric rise.

In 2017-18 McAllister played an unrivalled number of festival shows in Australia and NZ with over 25 live sets brimming with his trademark punk-influenced stage presence – all ahead of his international debut at Coachella this past April and debut sold out Australian headline tour. With his debut European festival appearance (Forbidden Fruit) and a landmark set at iconic Berlin club Watergate, the foot is firmly on the gas.

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