Elefant Traks 25th Anniversary - The Finale

In 1998, Kenny Sabir and a group of multicultural friends came together to launch an independent music label that would reflect their activism and desire to champion the next generation of young Australian artists. With a roster of bold, change-making acts that grew to include the likes of The Herd and Hermitude, Elefant Traks surged to the vanguard of local hip-hop and electronic music, nurturing some of the culture’s most important new artists in the process.

After 25 years, the label is going out on a high, celebrating their legacy with a huge, unmissable night featuring a line-up of their greatest artists, a big backing band and a visual show. Expect all the classics – Hermitude’s 'The Buzz', The Herd’s 'The King is Dead', OKENYO’s 'Woman’s World' – and much, much more.

This very special performance will be the label’s last ever outing, making it a not-to-be-missed highlight of the 2024 Open Season program.

LINE-UP

• The Herd
• Hermitude
• Horrorshow
• Urthboy
• The Last Kinection
• Jimblah
• Sachem
• Jane Tyrrell
• Astronomy Class

Hermitude

For more than two decades, chart-topping production duo Hermitude – comprising multi-instrumentalists Luke Dubs and El Gusto – have crafted hip-hop and electronic music into an electrifying mic that created international waves in clubs and festivals from Sydney to SXSW and Lollapalooza. Their 2015 album Dark Night Sweet Light , led by the irresistible “The Buzz”, debuted at number one, while 2022’s Mirror Mountain saw a return to their electronic roots.

The Herd

One of the defining Australian hip-hop groups of the 21st century, and a band instrumental to the success of Elefant Traks. Sydney’s The Herd broke out with their 2001 single “Scallops”, before dropping a succession of raucous, politically charged tracks – including “77%”, “I Was Only Nineteen” and “The King is Dead” – that rocked the nation. This a rare chance to experience their legendary live performance.

Horrorshow

ARIA-nominated duo Horroshow are Australian hip hop royalty, with a run of top-10 albums, including 2013’s King Amongst Many, a modern classic that tangled with themes of race and identity. Their gold single “Cherry Blossoms” remains an Elefant Traks favourite.

The Last Kinection

Formed in 2006 by Shakaya’s Naomi Wenitong and Local Knowledge’s Joel Wenitong and DJ Jaytee, The Last Kinection are an Indigenous hip hop trio, Joel and Nay descendents of the Gubi Gubi Nation.

Urthboy

A founding member of The Herd and the man at the helm of Elefant Traks for 22 years, Tim Levinson – aka Urthboy – is a multi-ARIA- and Australian Music Prize-nominated rapper, producer and activist with seven solo albums including award winning The Signal and The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat.

Jane Tyrrell

Melbourne-based singer, songwriter and artist Jane Tyrell has been a vocalist for The Herd since joining the band in the mid-aughts. She released her acclaimed solo debut, Echoes in the Aviary, in 2014.

Jimblah

Hailing from the Larrakia Nation in Top End Northern Territory, Jimblah is an Adelaide-based producer, MC and vocalist who has been called one of the freshest and most powerful voices in Australian hip-hop. He is a fearless advocate for indigenous music and rights.

Nardean

Fast-rising Egyptian-Australian singer, songwriter and producer Nardean has captured attention with her silky vocals, poetic lyricism and unique combination of lo-fi hip-hop, alternative R&B and Arabic music.

Sachém

With his indigenous Australian and African American background, emerging spoken-word poet, rapper and singer Sachem brings a unique cultural perspective to his hip-hop sound, which has become a powerful vehicle for social awareness and political transformation. 

This event is presented as part of Open Season - a curated program of music and art running from May to July 2024. Open Season has been supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland’s QASP program, the Strategic Partnerships Fund, and through Live Music Australia – an Australian Government initiative.