Mixtape

Mixtape

Titled, Mixtape, this year's annual compilation will be a double CD featuring all the performers involved in this year's FReeZACentral music industry mentoring program.

The FReeZACentral Program, a Victorian Government initiative, is managed by The Push and Mushroom Marketing. Since 2004 around 50 young Victorians aged 18 to 25 have graduated from the program every year. FReeZA Central covers five streams: Performance, Music Business, Technical Production, Marketing &Publicity and Event Management.

Strap on your favourite head-phones and set aside a few hours, because you're in for an awesomely diverse musical journey!

Some of Australia's premier independent music acts include: Skipping Girl Vinegar, The Bedroom Philosopher, House Vs Hurricane, Grand Salvo, The Pictures, Shihad, Ashley Naylor, Angie Hart, Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea, Disaster!, Cola Wars, Mick Thomas, Lloyd Spiegel, The Abandonment and Be'Lakor.

Additionally, a selection of Victoria's best upcoming musical protégés will feature, including, Brighter At Night, 8 Bit Love, John Lingard, Josh Romig, The Red Jane Show, Ellen Kibble, Ennui Breathes Malice, Infected, No Love For Lexi, Since We Kissed, Seconds, Siobhan, Sons of Messengers, Stephen Bowtell Band and Yokey.

Amongst the 30 tracks, Mixtape will feature the new single from 2011 FReeZACentral Mentor Justin Heazlewood a.k.a. The Bedroom Philosopher, titled Leaving My Hairdresser. "I'm sick of people yelling out 'play that tram song' so I want to show that I have more depth to my songwriting range," explains the ever-comedic Heazlewood. "I'm always interested in challenging the paradigm of classic masculinity. I think men are evolving at an exciting rate, and this song shows how comfortable we are with men being as acutely concerned with personal grooming and style as women. I'm proud to be a retro-sexual."

2011 FReeZACentral Mentee John Lingard says: "When I was little I used to make mix-tapes all the time. We would sit by the radio and wait for our favourite songs to come on so we could record them onto cassette tapes. Mix-tapes are all about discovery to me, I still discover new music I love today when my friends take the time to make a compilation CD for me. The gift of new music never gets old. "

Review: Mixtape, from this years FReeZACentral music industry mentoring program offers a diverse genre of music and is sure to have something everyone likes. The packaging, bright and colorful, is inviting and once you have started listening you can't really stop. It is good old-fashioned Australian music but with a folk music, modern twist. The artists on the record are very talented, and I believe that everybody should familiarise themselves with these artists, because they are the future of the Australian music scene.
-Morgan Sutherland