Valtozash, Porcelain Boy & Coldwave Reveal Their Hopes Behind Appearing At BIGSOUND

Ahead of their BIGSOUND showcase events, Kill Your Stereo caught up with 15-piece jazz-metal fusion outfit Valtozash (Brisbane), Adelaide’s abrasive post-punk outfit Coldwave, and Sydney’s synth meets rock duo Porcelain Boy to learn more about their journeys and what they want to take from the Fortitude Valley’s music and conference showcase event.

Valtozash

Elevator pitch: Describe yourself as an artist and your music…

If the Glen Miller Orchestra was run by Till Lindemann from Rammstein, it would sound like Valtozash. It's a 15-piece jazz metal band. The harmony, texture and improvisation of jazz meets the abrasion, energy and brutality of metal. A filthy love child that you can't help but adore.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career so far?

Our latest album release, Boiling Solitude, has received huge purchases/streams nationally and internationally. We supplied a CD shop in Germany. We then made a fantastically fun, tongue-in-cheek film clip for the title track, which got plenty of attention and praise.

Which act(s) are you most excited to see at BIGSOUND and why?

Southeast Desert Metal, for sure! Great sounding, heavy-hitting band.

What do you hope to take away from BIGSOUND 2023?

Discussions with international marketing teams; start planning for Japan and Germany tours. Meet booking agents who can help us seek festivals and touring both nationally and internationally.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2023 and beyond?

We have just released a new film clip called The Gears, in which our members cathartically destroyed a number of instruments. Later in the year, we have a brand new single to release, along with some more shows. Next year, we plan to record our third LP and tour nationally.

Coldwave

Elevator pitch: Describe yourself as an artist and your music…

Coldwave is a post-punk band based on Kaurna Land, Adelaide. Our sound is characterised by booming horns, half-spoken vocal delivery, anxiety-ridden lyrics and a healthy dose of chaos.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career so far?

We had the absolute privilege of opening Adelaide’s Laneway Festival this year, thanks to the support of Triple J Unearthed! It was a wonderfully surreal experience that has really opened up some interesting doors for us. Plus, it’s pretty wild to get to say we played the same lineup as Fontaines DC!

Which act(s) are you most excited to see at BIGSOUND and why?

We’re so keen to see Gut Health - they’re one of the most exciting bands in the country right now. Full Moon Flower Band are incredible, too, and we obviously can’t wait to get along to support all our fellow South Australian artists, including The Empty Threats and Aleksiah!

So proud to see more Adelaide-based acts at BIGSOUND this year - there’s some really interesting music being made in SA right now, and it’s great to see this being celebrated at a national level.

What do you hope to take away from BIGSOUND 2023?

We’re looking forward to making new friends and getting the opportunity to connect with artists and industry humans from all over the country (and the world). We’ve recently kicked off our first national tour - which BIGSOUND is part of - and we’re really enjoying getting outside our comfort zone and playing for new audiences.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2023 and beyond?

We’re continuing our tour throughout September, with dates in Melbourne and our home base, Adelaide, following BIGSOUND. We’re also over the moon to be supporting RVG - one of our favourite bands - for the Adelaide date of their national tour in October.

Beyond that, we’ll get to work on our first album! We’ve really enjoyed pushing the boundaries of our sound on our most recent release, and we’re keen to keep working towards something new and different that challenges us and hopefully our audience. And we can’t wait to get back on the road again in 2024!

Porcelain Boy

Elevator pitch: Describe yourself as an artist and your music…

Creating a mismatched pastiche of punk, indie and club. Crudely (albeit tastefully) bound together by an inner-west understanding of post-irony, Amen breaks, and the recreational (ab)use of dextroamphetamine.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career so far?

Honestly, having the opportunity to work with friends that are stupid talented, producers and artists alike.

And…  Bigsound this year, obviously Huge! We’re gassed for the time of and the time following these performances.  

Which act(s) are you most excited to see at BIGSOUND and why?

Kavi, Behind You, Trophie, Bayang, Cult Shotta, Isaac Puerile, Raave Tapes, Too Birds, and of course, Zheani. I’m sure there’s a few I’ve missed on this list; we’re lucky enough to be friends with artists we’re truly inspired by, so it’s going to be a ball up there seeing them do the thing.

What do you hope to take away from BIGSOUND 2023?

New friends and new additions to the team would be nice. If you’re a manager reading this, come through to the show or @ us for a drink.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2023 and beyond?

More music, more shows. We’re playing our first live Sydney show this weekend. I’d try to plug it, but it’s sold out, so we’re good.  

We’ve got a lot of music we’ve made recently with some of our favourite producers and artists from the city, so we’ll keep dropping that, but honestly, our only concrete plan for the future is to hone our craft, experience the world around us, then scribe it through our music.

Valtozash, Coldwave and Porcelain Boy are appearing at BIGSOUND 2023. You can check out the full showcase schedule here.