Conversations In Colour

Conversations In Colour is back with D-D-DUAN IN THE BUILDING! In this episode, I sit down and talk to DUAN (aka Daniel). We talk about his beginnings as a DJ, and how hearing FlyLo Radio for the first time on Grand Theft Auto inspired him to create his very first mixes. DUAN's initial tracks were released on SoundCloud featuring long time friend and singer/songwriter Julia Lostrom. After taking a brief hiatus, DUAN has reentered the music space this year to work alongside fellow musicians Jordan Dennis (Billy Davis, The Operatives), ThatKidMaz, Denzel and PANIA on tracks such as 'Glow Up', 'Boba Tea' and notably, 'Doc Marty'. Tune in as we dissect navigating intergenerational trauma; how breaking his leg has taught DUAN the importance of catching a break; and the direction of CO Radio, a new monthly "hybrid concept celebrating music and mateship", curated by folks from Melbourne's The Listening Collective community.

(Featuring DUAN/Daniel Sun Yuan @prod.duan; recorded and edited by Sarah; covert art by Zachary Patterson @halfcastgoon; beats by DUAN - 'Orange', 'Boba Tea' | Mentions: The Listening Party; Mac (Jay) Mayor; PappaRich)

Emma Ismawi is a visual communicator, social and political disruptor, university lecturer, and as she likes to describe herself, a “unicorn” who does everything! Emma’s had her fair share of ‘climbing the corporate ladder’. Professionally, her portfolio consists of clients from ANZ to Sukin, with one of her more notable gigs being a Studio Manager for one of Australia Post’s design hubs. We talked about Emma’s earlier influences as an art student, from being taught by a graffiti artist and discovering the power of visual communication, to growing up as a third culture kid in a low socio-economic town. She is currently the Lead Designer (and unicorn) for BE. COLLECTIVE CULTURE, a social enterprise that platforms young people within the creative arts space. When Emma isn’t working on a master idea, she also volunteers with ASRC (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre) and SAIL (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning). So how did she go from making political art at college, to designing for big corporations, to realising her calling in creating social change? Well, you’ll just have to sit down, tune it, and give this a good listen. Prepare: we unpack A LOT. (Recorded and edited by Sarah. Art by Zachary Patterson. Beats by LAKEY INSPIRED. Other mentions: Sarah Corbett, Big Ideas, Peter Drewitt, Barbara Kruger, Grace Dlabik, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Abe Nouk)

In this episode, up and coming R&B artist CD (@play.cd) joins us in the studio! You may have seen her performing around Melbourne at open-mic gigs like Let's Vibe. In August 2019, she independently released her first single 'Thank God For Frank Ocean' to positive reception. The song highlights CD's talents as a vocalist and pianist, with features from other talented instrumentalists Sam Cox and Nikodimos, and visual production by Shady Trees. Recently, she performed as a supporting vocalist for Agung Mango at Laneway Festival and Flow Festival. We talked about all things personal: growing up in the western suburbs, musical influences, working with other women, and our thoughts on the current Melbourne 'creative' scene. Join us as we run into some technical (and health) difficulties, and share a whole lotta laughs! (Other mentions: Gaz, Eleftherios, ZK King, Milan Ring, Frank Ocean, Hansika. Recorded, edited and mixed by Sarah. Beat by @officialjaydot. Cover art by @halfcastgoon.)

On this episode, the humble Daisy Nduta joins us in the studio. Daisy's a powerhouse - apart from being a professional audio engineer, she's a perfomer, producer, curator, podcaster and radio host (yes, she can literally just about do anything). In 2019, she won the Young Creatives Award for her show 'Assimilate' as part of Melbourne Fringe, curated 'Live Music Safari' with ALIA Records for Melbourne Music Week and engineered for rapper and poet Tenda McFly's 'Secret Show'. We talked about a lot of vulnerable topics: establishing yourself as an artist, knowing your purpose, learning to let go of the future and how we tend to over-glorify people's hard work. Enjoy y'all! (other mentions: Xander, Jesus and Jollof, Daisy's interview with 3CR)

In the first episode of Conversations In Colour, we are blessed with the presence of the one and only Daniel Elia. As an artist, Daniel's done some pretty cool stuff. Last year, he dropped his self-produced project 'THAMANIYA', appeared on JOY 94.9, 3RRR, Tone Deaf, played multiple gigs from St. Kilda Fest to Groovin The Moo, and recently, had his own headline show at Northcote Social Club. Daniel opens up about his humble beginnings busking on Melbourne streets as a dancer, migrating to Australia at the tender age of thirteen, and the work he's contributed in giving back to the community. Join us as we delve into the man behind the name - Daniel Elia proves to be more than just a rapper from the South-East. (Featuring Daniel Elia @stretchinglikeluffy; mixed by Matt Whyte; original music by Daniel Elia: "WAKE", "OCEANS" (from THAMANIYA),  "I Know It Very Well" (single))