Araabmuzik had a fairly big crowd for the small Red Bull Stage, and given its location outdoors in the sun he did well in holding his audience for the full hour living up to his moniker as the MPC king. Playing mostly techno and dubstep, Araabmuzik seemed a little out of sorts playing in the huge DJ box where his MPC couldn’t even be seen. Nonetheless, it was still what people wanted to hear and he got a huge send off when he finished.

Acts like Mark Ronson, Eddie Halliwell and Hudson Mohawk had the crowd in raptures, but it wasn’t until the appearance of M.I.A. that things were taken to the next level. Hitting the ground running after a short delay with 2005’s ‘Galang’, M.I.A. had the audience in the palm of her hand from the get go. Flanked by a trio of two back-up dancers and a hype woman the stage show frequently resembled a war zone as M.I.A. fought feedback problems, but ultimately overcame it all through sheer power with tracks like ‘Sunshowers’, ‘Bucky Done Gun’, a remixed ‘Bird Flu’ and crowd favorite ‘Paper Planes’ coming off like monsters. M.I.A. has been criticised in some quarters for her political activism, but after an hour of unrelenting intensity its clear that she has a serious message to push, even if that message sometimes gets lost in the noise.

Pulling the pieces together for anything else was always going to be hard, but scores of people still managed to make it to The Chemical Brothers’ DJ set. Exactly what the difference between their DJ set and their regular set is I’m still not sure, but it really doesn’t matter as Ed and Tom flawlessly segued between beats throwing in the occasional hit like ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’. The light show was as epic as ever and the crowd lapped it all up with most staying for the entire two hours despite the temptation of Hot Chip just across the way.

SEAN PEARSON

Mark Ronson’s DJ set went off with a bang – literally – with the Brit producer’s new single opening a performance worthy of the three Grammys that grace his mantle. It was a real mix bag with Bruno Mars, Adele, Missy Elliott, Jay Z, and Ludacris in rotation as well as a tribute to friend and collaborator, the late Amy Winehouse. Helping Ronson out on the vocals was a member of the Business International and Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt.

We then made the short trek over to the Field stage to catch Disclosure’s Aussie debut. The brothers, Guy and Howard Lawrence, opened with ‘Control’ and worked what was a relatively small but appreciative crowd with their funky, electronic beats.
Smouldering before a pulsating orange backdrop and wearing his trademark tribal mask followed SBTRKT who had punters transfixed by his tasty basslines and beautifully delivered vocals.

KIM VLASIC

Kimbra (wearing a multi-coloured dress resembling a pom-pom rainbow jellyfish) kicked off her performance with the jumping all-star track 'Warrior' (featuring A-Trak and Mark Foster). The fans present for this post midday show had chosen the fantastically unedited voice of Kimbra and her colourfully clothed band as a dazzling way to start the festival. Playing tracks from the jazz-inspired electro pop album 'Vows', Kimbra's strong hooks and catchy melodies made the Field Stage crowd dance. Kimbra dropped an unexpected Busta Rhymes chorus line from 'Touch It' and those roaming near the stage joined in the dance.

Hudson Mohawke has received critical acclaim from the likes of Drake and Chris Brown. And like using those names in the same sentence the music started like a fight, thick and ominous. The low-end production beat was built up when Kanye West's 'Mercy' dropped to a riotous crowd. The barrier separating us from Hudson shook under the pressure of the heavy beats. In true hip hop fashion four short-shorted girls booty popped onstage to Kendrick Lamar's 'Backseat Freestyle'. Hudson Mohawke's adaptability to fresh and classic samples showed why the young man is making major moves.

Fake Blood's electro-house DJ set predicted the reactions of the afternoon crowd without flaws. Deep basslines began with a mix of Velvet Green's 'La La Land' chorus 'those little pills'. He set a dark night scene in the daytime. Water bottles were tucked away as the crowd's arms flared and twisted. Fake Blood stood solo in front of expectant ears and ran his game like a professional.

HARRY PATCHETT

After an arduous year of waiting, the time had come again for potentially the most anticipated festival on the SEQ electronic music calendar.

View Photos here

Now in its third year, Manifest has rapidly become one of the most talked about festivals and its easy to see why. With the amount of love organisers Praxis have thrown into this event over the past few years it has come along in leaps and bounds from its hopeful beginnings to the roaring success we witnessed over the weekend.

With an impressive international and equally incredible local line-up of acts from all across the musical universe, the punters in attendance were certainly not left wanting for a variety of incredible music and equally entertaining performance pieces. 

Production-wise Manifest easily shows up festivals twice its size: everything from the decor, a plethora of market and food stalls (thank you to the Ja Joint for one of the best festival meals I have had in years!), amazing performance art, two beautifully-tuned Nexo rigs and an incredibly friendly vibe — the Praxis crew truly deserve more than a thanks and a few hugs for the effort they have put into this party.      

Unfortunately a word limit will not allow me to mention all the amazing acts so I apologise for not being able to mention everyone but the following certainly deserve a mention.

Daily Meds absolutely killed it, throwing down in a style all of their own — super tight rhymes, top notch production and absolutely mean basslines showing that Australian hip hop is certainly in a healthy place right now.

Lotek and the Rebel Hi-Fi & Mista Savona rolled out some of the sweetest dub inspired hip hop I have heard in a long time, obviously heavily influenced by the dancehall movement — both of these acts were certainly some of the more memorable of the day and the crowd responded with many a pair of feet compacting the earth below them.  

A fair bit of time was spent checking out our local talent on the Forest and Chillout stages and special mention goes to ResistoR, Electrocardo, Dusty Fungus and Blatwax for some absolute dancefloor business. Although there were numerous great acts on this stage, I feel that these four brought something truly special to the event and I hope to see them all making more appearances at future Manifests (of which I am certain there shall be many).  

As the night moved on the main stage was in full force with The Mank bringing an incredibly memorable set absolutely dripping with soul. Beautifully put together soulful hip hop vibes with a touch of dub and an incredible vocal performance these guys were close contenders for the set of the weekend, but I do have to save that accolade for the incomparable Mr Bill.

With production values on par with a Dave Tipper show, it truly makes me happy to see this kind of talent pouring from Australian shores. The crowd was absolutely heaving to Bill's incredibly melodic, bass and glitch heavy brand of electronica.

By the time Circuit Bent took to the stage to show off the wonky off-kilter wares of yet another brilliant Australian act both stages were absolutely packed with people for the final sets by Slackbaba and Tranceducer who both delivered killer sessions to polish the night off.

The quiet period post 12pm is certainly an interesting (though I understand required) move at an outdoor party but the Praxis crew had this well under control with a wealth of live performances from some incredibly talented groups and hours of psytrance on a smaller stage bending minds with its custom 5.1 surround sound system.   

At 7am on Sunday the generators were back online and the sound systems were yet again made live with the final day of festivities underway. Local monsters Kosha D, Hydrophonics, Duos and the Pushy Vagrants have forever changed the idea of a wakeup call rolling out some serious basslines straight off the bat.

The Main Stage had switched into psy mode for the remaining sets with Logic Bomb being an absolute standout. Unfortunately a move had to be made back to reality and we reluctantly made the (thankfully) short drive back to Brisbane only to wish I didn't have to wait another 362 days for next year’s event.

Again many thanks to all the promoters, organisers, DJs, market vendors, performers of all shapes and sizes and every person who was just up for a chat and a jam on the dancefloor.  Without any of you the event wouldn't have been the roaring success it was. Big ups to you all!
James ‘Hifire’ Paramor

View Photos here

BIGSOUND should be renamed; big doesn't even come close to describing the scale of this event — even massive is only a little better.

As soon as I set foot in the Valley I could feel the excitement in the air, and I doubt there are few groups of people who know how to get loose better than music industry types after a long day conferencing.

First up were Kingfisha, performing at one of BIGSOUND’s few outdoor venues, Bakery Lane. Despite the sun having only just set a mere two hours prior, Kingfisha's psych-reggae swing was already moving people’s feet. The vibe in the place was perfectly summed up by their keyboardist’s' ‘Meat Is Murder’ shirt — chilled.



Following that, we skipped over to Alhambra to catch Grey Ghost and Gung Ho, the former producing some pretty cool 'post-rap' (as it's apparently called), and the latter playing one of the best sets of the night.



I've seen Gung Ho in the venue a few times before, but on this occasion they really turned up the heat, and their reverb laden, skater-chill, jangle pop shimmered brighter than ever.

Then Electric Playground was the venue, and Millions the band. Millions were obviously conscious of creating an impression, because they're matching black suits were sharp and their performance was particularly focused and impressive — they'd come with a game plan. Their Triple J played songs made an otherwise stagnant crowd sway slightly. But to be honest Millions deserved better — they deserved a crowd like Gizzard...

Undoubtedly the highlight of the night were Melbourne's King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Their psych-rock stomp managed to whip the crowd into a frenzy within minutes of turning their amps on (full volume of course).


An extreme lack of security also enabled the rabid audience to divulge into stage diving.



The night was wild, and tonight promises (threatens) to be even wilder. So it's time to shake off this hangover and get back out to sample what other great, young bands have to offer.
Nash Johnston

I arrived at Electric Playground for the beginning of the first night of BIGSOUND Live and caught the end of Money For Rope before Boy In A Box took to the stage, lead singer and guitarist Tobias Priddle sans shoes; perhaps due to all the beer — the guys admitted to have been drinking since earlier that day.

Shoes or no shoes their energetic pop rock set can be summed up by the slogan across Priddle’s shirt: ‘Shit Fucking Yeah’. The audience immediately recognised the drum and guitar riff into radio hit ‘Moon Comes Up’ and continued dancing into another familiar favourite, ‘On My Mind’.

Having only heard a couple of their tracks I was looking forward to seeing Gung Ho. Instrumentally you cannot fault them, they’re talented musicians and their set was tight. ‘Twin Rays’ was a highlight of the set and their newer songs have a similar blend of surf rock. The performance as a whole though was somewhat lacklustre and the audience wasn’t really getting into it, everyone hung back from the stage until guitarist Michael McAlary encouraged them to move forward.

From there I arrived at The Zoo to an already packed venue for Ball Park Music. “Let’s play some fucking music” were the first words out of Sam Cromack’s mouth before they launched into their opening number.


We were treated to the first live performance of the first song from their new album ‘Museum’, ‘Fence Sitter’, before the band went back in time and played ‘iFly (I Fucking Love You)’, for which Cromack relinquished his guitar and danced like only he can.

Safe to say everyone in that room fucking loved Ball Park Music. You couldn’t wipe the smile off Jennifer Boyce’s face as the crowd sang along to their ridiculously catchy tunes.



The performances from night one were just a sample of some of the great bands Australia has going on and I can’t wait to see what the second night has to offer.
Tara Capel
Photos: Lachlan Douglas & Stephen Sloggett

Splendour In The Grass went back to Byron, and we were there. These are the sets our reviewers can’t stop raving about…

DZ Deathrays set up their own equipment before taking the stage, usually the music industry's tell that the band is yet to make it big. Ironic really, seeing as opening track ‘Cops/Capacity’ had the thousands of punters present behaving like they'd been listening to DZ since their mothers stopped breastfeeding them. The entirety of debut album 'Bloodstreams' pelted from Shane Parson's tormented respiratory system harder than the torrential rain that fell throughout the set. Kind of like Richard Kingsmill's tears.

James Mercer brings The Shins on stage and you realise that every other band you've seen was merely a sound check. It was the band's first opportunity to road test new album 'Port of Morrow', and to Mercer's delight the market testing delivered some pleasing results. The polish that we have come to expect from this outfit was duly applied to renditions of 'Simple Song' and 'The Rifle's Spiral', with 'Australia' also getting a healthy dosage of Mr Sheen.

A question on everyone's lips had been whether Jack White could match the hype that had followed him on the road to Splendour - even for someone like Jack White, tall tales had been told. Yet as his band emerged to play 'Dead Leaves On The Dirty Ground', those lucky enough to have spines immediately felt chills creeping up them. Regardless of your opinion of White's solo album 'Blunderbus', seeing the man perform over a decade's worth of material from a music empire spanning The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather is the equivalent of an auditory pilgrimage. Jack White concluded the set with 'Seven Nation Army', a song that 15,000 people continued to chant long after he'd left the premises.
James Pearson

Playing the penultimate slot on Friday, At the Drive-In were perhaps worthy of closing the night – given how many people seemed to have come solely to see them perform their reunion show. Although the reasons behind why they reformed after so many years may be varied (from re-patching their friendship to money), the band nonetheless put on a searing performance once they hit the stage. Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Jim Ward were especially animated from their opening rendition of ‘Arc Arsenal’ right through to their closing track and success ‘One Armed Scissor’.

Also on a reunion tour of sorts (having gone on a break while Kele Okereke dabbled with electronica), Bloc Party looked to be having a great time on stage. Mixing old crowd favourites and moving through their subsequent albums to include the opening cuts from their new album, ‘Four’, it felt like a celebration for both the crowd and the band.
Colleen Edwards

Even in the midst of winter, The Beautiful Girls warmed the crowd with their smooth, laidback sounds of summer. Favourites on the festival circuit, they were well within their element at Splendour. The tent packed to the brim with love as front man Mat McHugh introduced his fellow band mates through song. “This is our third Splendour and by far the best,” he announced to the crowd. For many, it will be the last gig they see the band perform under The Beautiful Girls name.

As the end of another Splendour bender crept closer it was time to prolong the sadness once more and bring on a third wind as headline act The Smashing Pumpkins took the stage. Five years on since their reformation, and with another album under their belt, the band was in fine form to say the least. They covered a range of older favourites, B-sides, and tracks off their latest offering ‘Oceania’.

Corgan performed a customarily epic guitar solo during ‘Ava Adore’; even during slower songs, they stayed engaged with the audience and maintained a gripping intensity in classic Pumpkins style. Corgan asked the audience if they were feeling alright and after a cheered response he replied, “Don’t fucking lie to me, you’re tired!”

If Corgan is looking to usher in a new era of The Smashing Pumpkins then, judging by Sunday night’s Splendour performance, he’s doing just that. Brace yourselves as the revolution may just be starting all over again.
Liesl D’Rozario

1. Ibiza. If you’re into the electronic music scene this place will be your heaven. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep before you go because that is one thing you will not be getting on this island.

2. Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas! Everybody MUST go to Vegas at least once in their life! There’s entertainment of every kind and places to stay from seedy motels to the grandest five-star hotels in the world. There’s no need to gamble; the entertainment is endless! While you’re there don’t forget to visit the Grand Canyon — breathtaking!

3. San Francisco. This is a truly beautiful place; it’s so classic but still very up to speed. You must go down to Fisherman’s Wharf and get a fresh clam chowder! TO. DIE. FOR! But beware of the seagulls... they’re quadruple the size of ours! You can ride a cable car (tram) almost anywhere through town and hang off the side like in the movies. Or ride a bicycle across the Golden Gate Bridge.  

4. New York City. ‘Sex In The City's and ‘Gossip Girl’s Manhattan is so hectic but in a good way, a travellers dream! In such a small space, it has everything: Central Park, Times Square, Broadway, tall buildings, the BEST shopping, restaurants, hotels, theatre. The one thing I especially loved about New York are all the street performers, they’re all so talented.

5. Venice. One of Europe's most romantic cities. Ride a gondola through the canals lined with beautiful little buildings and magnificent masterpieces, while a man sings ‘That’s Amore’ — just wow! All the food and wine is so traditional and absolutely mouthwatering. This is definitely a place to visit with a partner.

DJ Bliss plays the Hamilton Hotel Saturday July 21.

1. I’ve got lots of memories, some good, some ‘bloody’ good, but I can’t go past the birth of my two kids: Roy and Charlie.

2. Marrying my wife Margaret.

3. Meeting Mark ‘Hammer’ Dixon, my partner in crime and the other bloke on tour with me.

4. Meeting Vic Hislop The Shark Hunter… you can run but you can’t hide!

5. Shooting at Mark Dixon in the bush for target practice, but I actually I didn’t hit him so it shouldn’t be a top memory. Via Con Dios.

Chopper & Hammer’s The Final Chapters tour stops off at the Tempo Hotel July 18, Park Ridge Tavern July 26 and The Arts Centre Gold Coast July 27.

Communications giant Telstra has waded into Australia's music streaming battlefield with their new MOG service. Their ace in the hole? Unmetered streaming and downloading, meaning Telstra customers can listen to as much music as they want without racking up additional data charges.

Following the high profile Australian launches of similar subscription music services Rdio, Spotify and JB Hi-Fi NOW, MOG will offer unlimited, on-demand access to more than 15 million songs (slightly less than Spotify, and considerably more than Rdio and NOW), streamed to their mobile, tablet, computer and select Smart TVs.

A 14-day free trial will be offered, as well as two levels of paid service ($6.99 for desktop/web access and $11.99 for additional mobile access). Unlike Spotify, which offers a free service supported by advertising (ads are removed for subscribers), MOG will be ad-free at all levels.




MOG — which streams at an impressive 320kbps — employs a HTML5 browser-based player, and allows users to download and store music on their phones so it can be accessed even when a data connection is unavailable. The service also includes endless, intuitive playlists based on your listening habits and which artists you 'like' on Facebook. Curated content is also provided via Editor's Picks and Featured Playlists.

While those features will impress, its the removal of data charges — a major downside of other subscription music services — that Telstra thinks will give them a competitive edge. The Age has speculated the deal (which mimics those in place between Spotify and Telia in Sweden, WiMP and Telenor in Norway and Deezer and Orange in France, all of which have led to dominant market share for the streaming providers) could be responsible for a large-scale movement towards the music subscription model in Australia.

MOG has been operating in the US for two years. Reports circulated earlier this year that HTC's Beats Electronics division (run by Dr Dre) was in talks to buy the company. As it stands, MOG's board includes hirsute producer Rick Rubin (of Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer and System Of A Down fame).

The HTC deal hasn't been confirmed, but it could certainly have played a part in Telstra choosing to team with MOG, given the HTC Velocity was the first handset on Telstra's 4G LTE network. The new HTC One XL is exclusive to Telstra in Australia.

It's unclear how much money will flow to the artists whose work is streamed. MOG CEO David Hyman stated last year that royalties paid to artists are "like a black hole" once telcos and record labels take their cut, while Spotify have yet to specify how much of their revenue goes to individual artists (but have confirmed that 70 per cent of it goes to record labels).

In a recent interview with The Global Mail, Kate Miller-Heidke commented that music subscription services are "better than BitTorrent". Artist rights activist David Lowery, however, rightly notes that these services don't exist in a vacuum, and are only able to offer significantly lower royalty rates than iTunes because the true alternative is piracy.

Regardless, streaming looks to be the only way for the music industry to future-proof itself against the tech industry, and it's certainly the best deal for consumers. For Australian consumers, MOG looks to be the best deal of all.

With five super-charged installments under its belt, the Raw series has built a solid reputation for delivering when it comes to the latest club bangers and dance radio crossover smashes.

Returning for its sixth serving of the very freshest selections from one of the nation’s leading dance networks, Raw 2012 delivers another essential collection of sounds that are tearing apart the nation’s dance floors and setting airwaves buzzing including tracks by Tonite Only, Afrojack, Example, Skrillex, Bombs Away, Kaskade, Laurent Wery and more.

With a high impact playlist fuelled by the clubbing landscape’s most compelling offerings, Raw FM has built a fanatical fanbase through its FM network in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Canberra, the NSW Central, North & South Coasts, Albury & other regional areas, and its online and streaming listenership. 

To win one of five copies of Raw 2012, generously provided by Onelove Recordings, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Meals To Eat After A Hectic Clubbing Weekend

1. Lamb Rogan Josh. Curry is a debatable choice after a big weekend, but there’s nothing quite like a hot curry with all the trimmings, shared with friends. It’s not health-conscious, but has bookended many a great weekend.

2. Chicken and prawn laksa. It’s hot, fresh, easy to cook and ultimately comforting.

3. Sashimi. Best enjoyed in a tranquil Japanese restaurant. The fish takes care of the brain while the serenity soothes the other senses.

4. Beef pho. The Vietnamese know a thing or two about soup, and this completely hits the spot after a big weekend, without being too heavy.

5. Mum’s spaghetti bolognese. It could be anything cooked by Mum, really. Sometimes you need familiarity and comfort, and cooking is just that bit too challenging. Where would we be without Mums?

Cosmo Cater plays the Sky Room (under new ownership/ management) this Sunday, May 20 and Sunday June 10.

It’s such a tragedy to lose such a talented artist well before his time. The Beastie Boys were a huge influence on us growing up. They changed the way we looked at sampling and live instrumentation. The hip hop scene has lost a true pioneer and a legend.
Hilltop Hoods

Beastie Boys were a big inspiration for some of us growing up. I remember the 1994 Livid where they imprinted what a hyped show should look like deep into my memory. Berzerkatron (former Herd member) and myself freakishly stalked them back to their hotel and phoned their reception asking to talk to Adam Yauch and their tour manager, eager to give them a dodgy demo of our band. No luck, understandably.
Traksewt (The Herd)

Well, I guess I never got to apologise about my dumbness at the Tibetan Freedom press conference after all. I have to say that even though I never knew him at all I loved a good deal of his work and his dedication to Buddhism and Tibet. I hope his spiritual understanding aided him in his passing. I'm sure he will be missed very much by those closest to him.
Quan (Regurgitator)

MCA was a huge huge part of our musical development and life as a band and his presence in our world will be sadly missed. His energetic expression through his laidback vocal style and distorted basslines were and will always be a true inspiration to us. Love you, MCA.
Ben Ely (Regurgitator)

An originator, a pioneer and a man of many huge talents. A compassionate and active world citizen, and crazy fresh to the very end.
Mantra

Out of all the MCs in the Beastie Boys, MCA was always the raw voice behind it. His husky voice always cut through on every track. Sadly, without him the group will never be complete. He was, and is, a great inspiration for myself and the rest of DWC. He stayed true to his beliefs and creative visions, spoke his mind and stood up for the underdog. It’s an end of an era, and reminds me, especially as an older MC, to keep chasing my dreams and go hard at this, while I am still blessed to be able to do so. RIP to the legendary MCA.
Sereck (Def Wish Cast)

A true inspiration for those of us who represent a past generation. Also, as an emcee of Jewish faith, I've always been proud of that commonality that bound us through bloodlines.
Reason

MCA and the Beastie Boys were true pioneers. As an aspiring young rapper in Australia, the Beastie Boys were fundamental in forging the belief that white rappers could and should be viewed as legitimate artists in an industry that previously viewed white rappers with contempt. They kicked in the door for white hip hoppers and showed the world that if you had something to say and the skill to present it in an interesting way, then race was really irrelevant. RIP MCA.
Jeswon (Thundamentals)

The Beastie Boys were one of the first hip hop groups I ever heard blasting through my older brother's walkman, through our tinny stereo speakers and who I saw on TV as a kid in the late ‘80s. That energy helped get me hooked on hip hop and their reinvention and growth was inspiring. This MCA line made it easier for me to write tracks like 'Subtle Brother' - 'I gotta say a little something that's long overdue, this disrespect to women has got to be through'. RIP MCA. Now I'm gonna turn up the stereo and play 'Sure Shot' and 'Pass The Mic' LOUD!
Rainman

It’s sad to hear the passing of MCA. Musician, hip hop pioneer, humanitarian ... he has been an inspiration to many a band, even if they don’t know it. We were lucky enough to share the same stage with the Beastie Boys a couple of times as Resin Dogs. They were definitely an inspiration to our band. One of my favorite tracks that I did get to hear live was ‘Egg Man’ off the ‘Paul's Boutique’ record. MCA’s lyrics shine through on that tune... Rest In Power, Adam.
DJ Katch

MCA was an inspiration to my generation of rappers coming up. Met him randomly at the buffet breakfast counter of a Gold Coast hotel; he was such a down to earth and seemingly straight up guy. He will be sorely missed by everyone who has been influenced by his music.
Rival MC (Impossible Odds)

When I first played the ‘Licensed To Ill’ tape my brother bought me in the late ‘80s, I was speechless. Throughout his life it became clear that MCA was more than an MC, he was a truly spiritual being, and he will be missed, but his soul's legacy will live on. RIP to the king Adam Yauch. JUST DON'T STOP.
Delta

I guess it's almost trite to say it's a shock and sad news, but it really is. The work he released over the years has been such a massive part of my DJing experience. 'Paul's Boutique' especially has been a staple in my crates for the past 20 years, definitely one of the most classic hip hop albums ever made.
DJ Damage (Terntable Jediz, The Optimen)

WTF? RIP, MCA. MC, bassist, Buddhist, activist, filmmaker and a third of one of the most influential hip hop (and punk, that stuff is the shit) groups ever. Thanx, Adam. Rest.
Laneous (Laneous & The Family Yah)

I first met Sammsonite and DATS back in ‘96, when we would regularly cross paths at weekend house parties and all too commonly stay up drinking until the sun came up, kicking rhymes and talking about music we liked. The Beastie Boys provided some of the strongest featured music as a backdrop to this and whether by intention or not we have taken a lot of inspiration from them as a group. I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to say that The Optimen probably wouldn't have existed if not for the fun-loving, party-rocking approach of MCA and the team to show us how it's done. I was honoured to see them at Riverstage way back when and it still remains a live-show highlight of my life. MCA, Rock Rock On!
Kristoff the Russian (The Optimen)

"I let it flow like a mudslide, when I get on I like to slide and glide." An inspiration. Sir Stewart Wallace forever!
Cutloose

MCA was a true legend and a pioneer. They don't make them like that any more. He will be missed by the hip hop community world wide.
Fluent Form

A benchmark, innovator and king of kings. MCA's contribution and innovation were immense. A pack leader!
Brad Strut

MCA was a pioneer. An inspiration for millions. A humanitarian. A King.
Kel On Earth (Bankrupt Billionaires)

MCA was pretty obviously a big deal to not only hip hop but the music industry as a whole. The Beastie Boys are one of the rare groups that just about anyone you knew growing up loved regardless of their love or hate for hip hop. I'll remember him as the first person that introduced the Free Tibet movement to me and my sister.
Newsense (Broken Tooth Entertainment)

MCA is a true legend that transcends words... he was not only a third of the trio, but also an activist and a producer. When he announced with Ad Rock via YouTube that he had cancer, he seemed optimistic, and not much was heard and I guess we all assumed all would be ok. They then released their last album which was amazing and received a great response... Many proclaimed "The Beasties were back". This news is personally really sad, because as a kid growing up it was all about Run DMC, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Those three groups went together perfectly like the trio of Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D did... We lost a good one. Also as a sidenote, when I went to work the day after MCA's passing, I was having technical issues with my computer. By chance I also had all their albums loaded on the iPhone. Punters nor staff seemed to be phased as I put ‘Paul's Boutique’ on repeat, and I guess we were all reminded about the greatness that was the Beastie Boys. Rest in peace Adam Yauch.
DJ Sheep

I’ve only ever been to two artists’ shows back to back and the Beasties were one of them. Night time overs and the following day all ages on their ‘92 Melbourne tour. Incredible. RIP MCA, my favourite Beastie.
Trem One (Lyrical Commission)

Beastie Boys were a huge part of my younger years and it’s crazy to believe MCA is no longer here. He will be missed and I will be spinning Beasties tracks forever. RIP MCA.
Prophet Rayza

Who doesn't love Beastie Boys? You didn't have to be a hip hop fan to get down to their art at all. The loss of MCA is a major blow to the music scene all around the world. Much respect to a true innovator!
Maundz

MCA and the Beasties provided me with a soundtrack to channel teenage angst and dumb teenage boy humour to the rest of the world via a large Ghetto Blaster carried on my shoulder. Thank god for the Beasties.
DJ Mathmatics

MCA is here to STAY / Rock a funky rhyme in an old school WAY.
Nick One

MCA was a bearded and grimey looking white dude. For him to take the stage in the same era as LL Cool J and Run DMC and be something was inspiring.
Robby Balboa

Always the rawest of the Beasties, Adam Yauch inspired me to be an unshaven white boy into hip hop music. His gravel rhymes were immediately recognisable, he was cool as fuck in the 'So Watcha Want' filmclip, which hit me at a point in my life where I was just starting to properly appreciate hip hop music, and he just had that something extra. Irreplaceably awesome.
Alex Roche (Former Junior Mag Editor)

‘Paul’s Boutique’ changed my world. This news is super-sized fucked up!
Luke Robertson (Former Scene Editor)

For me, MCA's appeal was never about his rhymes. I loved him for what he brought to the culture — not just hip hop culture, but pop culture. The videos he directed for 'Shake Your Rump', 'Intergalactic', 'Make Some Noise' and (especially) 'Body Movin'' were every bit as memorable as Spike Jonze's 'Sabotage' clip, and the indie film distribution company he founded was responsible for game-changing gems like 'The Messenger', 'Exit Through The Gift Shop', '30 Century Man' and 'Meek's Cutoff'. He told us he'd plot and scheme to change the world, and he actually did it.
Rohan Williams (Scene Deputy Editor)