https://www.rrr.org.au/subscriber-giveaways/michael-beach-big-black-plumeCloses 10 August 2025, 11 pm
Win a copy of Big Black Plume AOTW
Big Black Plume is the fifth album from Melbourne-based, California-born musician Michael Beach. The nine tracks cover intimate folk songs and sprawling psychedelic pieces, connected by what Beach calls a "propulsive cosmic pulse." Influences range from the melodic sensibilities of Bill Fay, the minimalist approaches of Tony Conrad and Terry Riley, and the garage rock energy of label mates on Poison City and Goner Records.
Beach built the album around collaboration, bringing together key figures from the experimental scene. Dirty Three guitarist Mick Turner and Tropical xxx Storm's Gareth Liddiard anchor the sessions, with Liddiard also co-producing. The Necks' Lloyd Swanton plays upright bass alongside electric bassist Nick Brown, whilst drummers Joe Talia, Utrillo Kushner, and Peter Warden create rhythmic layers that shift throughout the album. Maddy Macfarlane's saxophone work and backing vocals from Leah Senior, Fiona Kitschin, and Sarah Gilsenan round out the ensemble. Beach himself handles piano, guitar, synthesisers, bass, and vocals, grounding the record with his distinctive songwriting.
Thematically, Beach reflects on environmental destruction and human connection. "I was wrestling with the beauty and intensity of the natural world and coming to grips with the...destruction of it," he explains. These concerns also shape the music's structure - pristine passages give way to distorted sections, and pastoral melodies dissolve into feedback. The results are compelling, offering immediate hooks and revealing additional layers with repeat listens.
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