Take 5

Joan Wasser is prolific. As a musician, collaborator, and instrumentalist, she’s one of those people who needs to create to feel alive. Her career began in bands like The Dambuilders, before she lobbed in on records from Antony & the Johnsons and found her own voice as Joan as Policewoman.

And what a voice it is; its warm snarl captures everyone who hears it, and it’s the same when she talks. There’s something very magnetic about Joan. Which is why I will always be excited to talk music with her, and heroes. From Nina Simone to James Blake to Rufus Wainwright, this is a beautiful conversation about the love of art, from a great artist herself.

Tony Allen - ‘Go Back [Ft. Damon Albarn]’

Nina Simone - ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’

Krystle Warren & The Faculty - ‘If It Wasn’t For The Lake’

James Blake - ‘Retrograde’

Rufus Wainwright - ‘The Art Teacher'

Yorta Yorta man Briggs is a real renaissance man. We may have met him first as an MC, but in the years since he’s shown his creativity knows no bounds. He’s an actor, a writer, a label head, an author, and one of the funniest people I know.

Briggs grew up in Shepparton in regional Victoria, it’s a big part of his identity. So when the opportunity came up for triple j and Double J to head to Shepp for a weeklong Takeover, Briggs immediately sprung to mind for a Take 5.

Shepp is on the lands of the Yorta Yorta Nation, and home to the largest Indigenous population in regional Victoria. The Briggs family looms large in Shepp, and the opportunity to come back to Adam Briggs’ hometown to hear about his foundations, was too good to miss. From Ice Cube to Ryuichi Sakamato, to The Simpsons, this is a beautiful capture of a true talent.

Ice Cube - 'It Was a Good Day'

The Simpsons - 'Monorail'

Danzig - 'Twist of Cain'

Ryuichi Sakamoto - 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'

Sam Cooke - 'A Change is Gonna Come'

Do you remember, around 15 years ago, when Bat For Lashes first broke onto the scene? This Pakistani-British singer created haunting, dramatic music. She descended from a squash playing dynasty, and her music inhabited an otherworldly quality in the indie music scene.

In 2012 she had a huge hit with “Laura”, and a few months later when she was in Australia to tour, I invited her to Take 5. It was one of those conversations that has always stayed with me; we bonded over these five songs and it left me flying afterward. Which is why I wanted to bring it to the podcast. From James Taylor to a young Laura Mvula, soak up the sounds of song dedications care of Natasha Khan.

James Taylor - 'Fire & Rain'

Bjork - 'One Day'

Tame Impala - 'Music To Walk Home By'

The Cure – 'Mint Car'

Laura Mvula – 'She'

We all know songs hold a lot of power. When they pair with iconic scenes from film and television, they become etched in our memory; and sometimes elevate a piece of music to the stuff of legend. Think Green Day’s 'Good Riddance' in the final moments of Seinfeld, Underworld’s 'Born Slippy' in Trainspotting, 'Don’t Stop Believin’' by Journey, in The Sopranos…

And the person that places these songs in just the right moments, is a music supervisor.

Back in 2012 I asked Gary Calamar to Take 5. He’s a music supervisor for shows like Six Feet Under, True Blood, Dexter, House, and Entourage. He’s the one who has made scenes sing, and brought some truly beautiful sounds to TV and film. It was a conversation I loved then, but has never made it’s way onto the podcast, until now. From Peter Gabriel to Sia, this is a powerful reminder of the magical marriage of sound and vision.

‘Season Of The Witch [Ft. Donovan]’ - Karen Elson

‘Me And The Devil’ - Gil Scott-Heron

‘Cold Wind’ - Arcade Fire

‘My Body Is A Cage’ - Peter Gabriel

‘Breathe Me’ - Sia

Kae Tempest is one of the most powerful voices speaking today. A poet, playwright, author, and musician, they capture their world of South East London and bring it to us. And within that, explore the big themes of the world, and how we deal with it.

They’ve has just released their fourth album; it comes after a period of great change for Kae, who recently came out as trans non-binary and is speaking publicly for the first time about what they’ve really been feeling for most of their life.

Communication and connection is at the heart of this record, so I gave Kae the theme “songs that speak their language”. They embraced it and then some. From wild sounds courtesy of Buffy Saint-Marie to life changing debuts from Jay Electronica, this is a poetic conversation about the power of words.

'God Is Alive Magic Is Afoot' – Buffy Sainte-Marie

'Gatekeeper' – ESKA

'Solstice' – Confucius MC

'Gabriel' – Roy Davis Jr feat. Peven Everett

'Eternal Sunshine' – Jay Electronica

Aldous Harding is one of the most compelling voices of our time. Across three albums she has shapeshifted in every song, her voice bends and changes almost like stepping into a different character, with each story.

Aldous is a spellbinding human in person too; on stage and in other interviews I’ve read and seen. But I learned more about her from this Take 5 than I ever have before. These songs reveal a lot about Aldous, as a performer, as a songwriter, and as an artist. This is one of those conversations where I could frame just about everything she said. From El Perro Del Mar to Nina Simone, this is the voice.

God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get) - El perro del mar

Stars (Live At Casino Montreux, 3rd July 1976)- Nina Simone

Diana - Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence

Houses - Elyse Weinberg

Janitor - Suburban Lawns

Steven Oliver has been lighting up stage and screen for years now. A proud descendent of the Kuku-Yalanji, Waanyi, Gangalidda, Woppaburra, Bundjalung and Biripi peoples, he’s popped up on ABC TV’s Black Comedy. Hosted Faboriginal on SBS. And taken the stage as a poet and a playwright.

His own story has been told in song, in Bigger and Blacker; a cabaret telling of his life. After traveling across the country with the show over the past three years, Steven brings it next to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and I invited him to Take 5.

His show is full of songs he sings, of his own experiences, but I was curious to hear the tunes by others that soundtracked his life. From Mariah to Janet to Yothu Yindi, this is a beautiful conversation about comedy as a messenger and the uplifting power of shakin’ your cheeks.

Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey

It’s Not Right, But It’s OK (Thunderpuss Remix) - Whitney Houston

Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson

Treaty (Filthy Lucre Remix) - Yothu Yindi 

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson

As this episode of the Take 5 happened, everyone is talking about Byron Baes. The first show commissioned for Netflix Australia is a glorious hate watch, full of influencer culture, questions about belonging, and some singular characters.

The woman who commissioned it, is Que Minh Luu, she’s the Head of Content at Netflix Australia and her job is to find stories that are uniquely ours. Que has loved stories her whole life, and told them in shows like The Heights, Frayed, Diary of An Uber Driver, and Harrow.

But Que’s story is just as compelling. A child of Vietnamese refugees who grew up in Sydney’s southwest and went on to nab one of the biggest jobs in TV.

Finding community and connection is central to everything she does, and the core of her Take 5 songs. From Smashing Pumpkins to Missy Elliot, to Dave Dobbin, this is a revealing and beautiful conversation.

Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins

Gossip Folks - Missy Elliot

Tusk - Fleetwood Mac

From Little Things Big Things Grow - Paul Kelly

Slice of Heaven - Dave Dobbin

Remember that time between the mid to late 00’s, when indie and dance clashed, when we scoured Myspace for the most exciting new tunes and remixes, and when the internet met the dancefloor to create one big party community?

Some call it indie dance or electroclash, and some refer to the era as bloghouse; a magical time that gave rise to big names like Diplo, Steve Aoki, Simian Mobile Disco, and Justice. It was post Napster, but before Spotify, and it was the wild west of music.

15 years on, blogger Lina Abascal has captured that scene in her first ever book. Never Be Alone Again tracks the rise and fall of bloghouse. It’s a brilliant read that is as much a fun trip down memory lane, as a document of how this scene reflected a very unique time in music, and gave rise to something massive.

From Crookers remixes, to Justice Vs Simian, and Does it Offend You, Yeah, this will catapult you back to every dance floor and worn out USB of your youth.

My Moon My Man - Feist (Boys Noize Remix)

We Are Rockstars - Does It Offend You, Yeah?

To Protect and Entertain - Busy P ft. Murs (Crookers Remix)

Pro Nails- Kid Sister ft. Kanye West

We Are Your Friends - Justice Vs. Simian

Baltimore duo Beach House have been making epic, beautiful and dreamy music for eight albums. For the latest, they upped the pretty by adding a string section. And Once Twice Melody lands in the world just when we need it most.

I’ve long been a fan of Beach House, and I’ve chatted with them a few times. Every time I do, their insight into the music they make, has me glued to the conversation. And when they talk about the music they love, I’m all in.

Which is why I asked them to Take 5 with their reveries, and share the songs that take them away to another place, a dreamlike space, and give a sense of connection in that realm. From The Durutti Column to Aphex Twin, this is a poetic conversation about how sound can transport you.

The Durutti Column - Sketch For Summer

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream

Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes

Aphex Twin - Xtal

Joe Hisaishi - The Path of the Wind (Instrumental)