Joe.Blog

🧑 Joe Hardy (he/him) 📍 Eora

👇 writing and photography, mostly about music and culture

For work, I help teams be amazing. You can hire me.
I'm also the creator and co-founder of SydneyMusic.net

Interests: music, community, how people think, photography, social and environmental impact of tech

Leichhardt Sunset x Current Energies

10 March 2024 @ 17:03
Leichhardt Sunset x Current Energies AE-1 / Fujifilm 400 double exposure

Had a film mishap yesterday which resulted in this fun accident.

First exposure taken somewhere in a neighbourhood street in Leichhardt.

Second exposure is from the absolutely brilliant mini-festival Current Energies, an International Women's Day celebration curated by Mara Schwerdtfeger. Whole lineup was phenomenal. Go check out the artists: Joyce Hinterding, (can't find a link for Szem), Verna Bloom, Holly Conner / ilex, Del Lumanta, Jacqui O'Reilly. Shouts to the incredible Church St Studios for hosting.


Central Park

03 March 2024 @ 19:51
Central Park in Sydney AE-1 / Fujifilm 400

I absolutely made a hash of the angle I took this at, but I really enjoyed the colour and tone of this shot.


Lavurn - (self-titled)

01 March 2024 @ 15:17
Lavurn - (self-titled) album cover Copyright SUMAC

Believe it or not, it's Lavurn Lee's first ever record under his own name. He's previously released under heaps of aliases like the incredible Cassius Select, Guerre, FAKE, as well as a member of the gone-too-soon-but-fondly-remembered hero trio Black Vanilla (or later BV).

Lavurn hit Sydney's radar initially as Guerre (see: River Hymnal, or here's a clip from a 2011 show I put on in a coffee shop in Epping) - and then suddenly he discovered Maschine and tore off in the direction of Cassius Select's immediately club-focused sparse, clipped, dark beat chemistry (go digging, it's worth it)

This is an interesting new spin that alchemises a little of everything Lavurn's done to date, in a fractured, low-lit, contemplative mood. It draws a little of what you might hear from lo-fi experimental folk you'd find on blogs in around 2008, cloud rap, I hear resemblences to the likes of Timothy Duval or Nosaj Thing, or ambience-favouring R&B like Kelela.

I fucking love it, is what I'm saying.

Lavurn is out through the SUMAC record label that was founded by Jon Watts, DJ Plead and T.Morimoto - all of whom came up in the early 2010s Sydney electronic scene and continue to do incredible things wherever in the world they are.


SydneyMusic Is Two Years Old Today

01 March 2024 @ 09:53

Here's what I shared with the project's readers this morning:

🎉 SydneyMusic is 2 years old today

It’s an exciting year for this little project.

This year we’re focused on SydneyMusic’s ongoing operational and financial sustainability, figuring out how we can set it up for viability in the years ahead while staying true to our core principles and goals.

There are heaps of unknowns, but we think this project serves an important function. Working on SMn has transformed my perspective and understanding of Sydney’s creative universe, and I hope it’s been able to do the same for you too.

We are privileged to live amongst a diverse and wonderful cluster of creative subcommunities. I have never been more excited for what’s percolating below the surface across this city.

Our philosophy is that the healthier our grassroots music scenes are, the stronger and more impactful Australia’s music ecosystem will be as a whole. Music needs to be able to thrive in places and spaces that naturally reflect the communities that create it, and we need infrastructure and policy that will enable it to happen anywhere - from living rooms, garages, artist-run spaces, studios and warehouses, all the way through to band rooms, front bars, clubs, theatres, halls, arenas and stadiums.

We’re excited to keep evolving into the future to make SydneyMusic an even more incredible resource that makes it easier for everyone to find a connection with Sydney’s local music and creative community.

Thanks for being a part of the journey!

You can donate to help us cover the project's costs if you wish.


New SydneyMusic Feature: Latest Updates Feed

29 February 2024 @ 12:46

Had fun knocking out a first go at a "Latest Updates" feed for SydneyMusic.net.

Still in beta and not yet linked from the rest of the site - all feedback welcome.