Tag: The Potbelleez

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Britney Spears and Beethoven Come Together For Chutney’s “Toxic Moonlight”

I don’t care what you’ve been listening to today; I can confidently say that “Toxic Moonlight,” the latest track from Eora/Sydney-based klezmer punk collective Chutney will be the most surprising thing today. It might even be the most brilliant. The song combines Britney Spears’ pop anthem “Toxic” with Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” and it’s actually fantastic. It doesn’t end there though. The band brings together these seemingly disparate elements with their trademark Eastern European and Middle Eastern flair. And then we’ve got vocals from Ilan Kidron of The Potbelleez on top of that. It’s off the wall, but somehow it works!

“It was 2021 and we had a gig lined up with Ilan,” shared Chutney violinist Ben Adler. “We were in a reprieve between COVID lockdowns so we’d developed a certain nihilism that, in retrospect, was highly conducive to unfettered creativity. I was talking with Ilan about songs he’d like to sing with us, and he observed that the string riff in Toxic sounds “really klezmer” – we only discovered years later that it’s actually a Bollywood sample! Anyway, Ilan’s suggestion was all I needed to klezmer-ify Britney’s song. Something about its darkness and (toxic) romance then led me to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, especially after I realised that importing Beethoven’s descending bassline might open up a whole new set of possibilities for the otherwise pretty harmonically static ‘Toxic’ verses. I sketched up a chart and we tweaked it in rehearsal, at a gig and in the studio into its present form”.

“I was always really impressed with Mark Ronson’s version, and although Toxic had been covered plenty of times, I knew Chutney would translate it really daringly and originally,” Ilan added. “They have an unashamed ability to bend the rules; but somehow it works. This version plays between a dark oceanic void and a western bar fight. There is emotional drama and a dance between tension and release that I love here.”
Take a listen to this. I know it’s going to blow your mind. Chutney will continue bending the rules when they release their next album Ajar on August 6.

Photo credit: Max Goodman

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nat Bass Headlines SYNTHONY Shows Around the Country

When you think of seeing a symphony, you probably imagine a night at the Opera House watching people dressed up to the nines playing classical music, right? But SYNTHONY has changed the game, marrying symphonic sounds with some of the hottest dance music around. Add a host of fantastic performers, and you’ve got the recipe for a fabulous night out.

Now in its third incarnation, SYNTHONY will hit some of the best music venues in the capital cities from February next year. These shows will feature Nat Bassingthwaite, Thandi Phoenix, Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez, Greg Gould, and of course those incredible symphonies taking on music from acts like Disclosure, Eric Prydz, Flume, Daft Punk, and Calvin Harris. Oh, and did I mention the epic light show? It’s like the best dance party you’ll ever attend.

“This show is SYNTHONY all grown up, like a coming of age!” enthused conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, who has been with SYNTHONY since the start. “SYNTHONY no.1 is a bit of a nostalgic trip down memory lane, celebrating 30 years of global dance anthems, SYNTHONY no.2 is a little edgier, we still have a show packed with classics but introduce some more new music as well, and SYNTHONY no.3 takes that one step further – the best of EVERYTHING! I am so incredibly excited to be unleashing Synthony no.3 onto Australian audiences, they are going to love this show! For those who have already seen SYNTHONY 1 and 2, you ain’t seen nothing yet! And for those who have never seen a show – now is the time!”

So what are you waiting for? Tickets are available right now for all these SYTHONY No. 3 shows:

17 February 2023 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Naarm/Melbourne (feat. The SYTHONY Orchestra)
17 March 2023 – RAC Arena, Boorloo/Perth (feat. Perth Symphony Orchestra)
25 March 2023 – Riverstage, Meeanjin/Brisbane (feat. Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra)
22 April 2023 – Aware Super Theatre @ ICC, Eora/Sydney (feat. The Metropolitan Orchestra)

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Potbelleez Say “Hello” Again

Things have been a little quiet on The Potbelleez front since their tracks “Don’t Hold Back” and “Are You With Me” zoomed up the local charts in 2008, but the band hasn’t been sitting idly.

31255, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Wednesday May 27 2009. The Potbelleez at the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Music Awards Nominations at the APRA hHeadquarters in Sydney. REF: APRA270509. Video: PacificCoastNews.com


The Sydney act has been holed up in their Bondi Beach Wonderland studio writing and recording their sophomore album Destination Now. The follow-up to the self-titled debut has been co-produced by the legendary Paul Mac and Justin Shave.

We’ll have to wait until October 22 for the album to drop, but we’ll get an early taste with the release of the first single “Hello.” I’ve already had a listen to this electro-driven floor filler, and it has hit written all over it. Listen out for “Hello” when it hits radio on July 26.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

We Love Sounds, Yes We Do!

The line-up for Sydney’s only winter festival, We Love Sounds, has just been announced. And it’s a doozy, with plenty of global stars and local acts on the bill.

The international acts are headed up by The Bravery, The Beastie Boys’ Mix Master Mike, Utah Saints, Scribe, and Grand National.

They’ll join Aussie artists The Potbelleez, Van She, Kid Kenobi and MC Shureshock, and The Outlaws.

We Love Sounds will hit the Hordern Pavilion on Sunday 8 June. Last year’s event sold out a month in advance, so make sure you gets your from Ticketek when they go on sale tomorrow.

Image source: Foshydog @ Flickr