Fatshaudi: An Interview
An interview with Fatshaudi.
Madjestic Kasual’s A Mix and The Premieres series are considered by geniuses and culture heads to be the “best” music mix and song premiere series in the world. They are considered by morons and dunces to be the “worst”. This should speak volumes.
It’s time to do A Mix / The Premieres but for interviews. I ask relevant figures and cultural individuals to respond to questions. Some comply. Introducing An Interview: a text-centric series featuring only the best artistes in the world.
An Interview number 9 is with Fatshaudi.
I used to feel like a hate vessel. A flesh-mech to some serrated, yellow-eyed little goblin piloting me from within, directing me to loathing, cynicism, sneering and all-round corrosion of soul. A malicious foreign being at the neuro-panel, something thriving on the biologically implausible quantities of bile and cortisol my frankly underrated internal organs are capable of producing. But that was then. I’m better now. It took heroic levels of courage, but I expelled the inner-mech-pilot-goblin via leaps of personal growth that, in a just world, would be recognised with some sort of plaque or badge or cannon salute.
The music of Rachael Ryan, known to most as Fatshaudi, feels like a spiritual antidote to whatever that thing was. She makes music that’s wide-eyed and generous, music that welcomes the day, embraces the light, and nimbly sidesteps negativity even as it sighs and looks inward. A lust for life runs through songs like ‘Just for Fun’ and ‘Dance All Day’ (both with frequent collaborator and fellow Brisbane resident Luca Rain), while the homespun pop of ‘Slow Motion’ and ‘when i dream’ feel intimate but welcome you into their world.
Her upcoming debut full-length, Feel It All Around You, is a real milestone. It signals the growing maturity of a blessed generation of Australian ‘underground’ artistes — one that’s materialised supremely dope/swag releases in the form of SUS1ER’s Rage Configuration, 3NDLES5’s Ballon d’Or, and Lovefear’s Schema in the last year alone. The album is the product of a tight-knit scene that puts on for its own, with individuals like effective power, other joe, video.loss, Index and Imitation Therapy frequently writing, co-producing, mixing, mastering, cross-pollinating and putting on for one another in a way that is inspiring to voyeuristically gawk at.
How to describe the current object of gawk, aka Fatshaudi’s album? Dream pop, yeah. Bedroom pop, ok. Autotuned steeze with guitars and verb’d out synths and the occasional breakbeat, sure. Beautiful swirling melodies and songs that sound like swooning, yurrrp. I could throw more adjectives or say more genres. But instead I will write: like all her best music, Feel It All Around You sounds like being let in on a secret.
The secret is this: Fatshaudi’s music is good and should be listened to by you.
We pair this An Interview with a premiere of ‘Places You Only See Once’, the album’s opening tune:
Feel It All Around You drops April 25th. It’s possible to pre-order here.
We’re in the board room. It’s a high-pressure scenario. A horde of very important individuals, angel investors, fat cats and big wigs in attexndance. The pre-meeting murmur comes to an expectant hush as you stand at its head. Steely gaze, full body clench, sharp intake of breath. You speak. Words. What are you wearing, and how do you pitch the upcoming Fatshaudi album Feel It All Around You?
Maybe I would wear one of those shirts with the LED lights that respond to sound. I think that would come across well. I'd probably just ask them to go easy on me.
What animal do you relate to most?
The first animal that comes to mind is a rabbit, mostly because I used to eat so many carrots that my skin turned orange.
How would you describe this album to that animal?
I'm not very skilled in this arena so I think I would have to hire a rabbit whisperer. Or maybe I could try telepathy. As a kid I thought my dog and I could read each other's minds.
Describe a formative childhood memory (positive).
Throwing 100s of cream buns leftover from the bakery at hungry cows.
What’s your daily stack? Mine is 2x40mg caffeine/ 2x 3mg zyn / ∞ information / 100 friends / indeterminate quantity of shea butter applied topically. Your stack can be prescription, illegal, supplemental, natural, organic, nutritional, material, immaterial, or some combination of any/all.
Sunlight / coconut water / friends
“Describe your influences” is a hack question that is frankly beneath me. Having said that, what music was in rotation while this album came together?
Chromatics - ‘Twist The Knife’
Have you ever won anything competitively?
When I was in primary school I beat all of the kids at my school in a race which felt pretty awesome.
Most formative show you ever went to?
Hmm.. probably Justin Bieber on his Believe tour in 2013. I was also pretty moved by Chuquimamani-Condori's live set in Brisbane in 2022.
Please detail your experiences first linking the artist SUS1ER. What’s HIS deal?
At the end of 2020, I decided to go to Perth kind of spontaneously after speaking with Felix (SUS1ER) and Dylan (@video.loss) online. They told me about a studio they had set up in an old deli and because I didn't really know many people in Brisbane who were interested in the same music as me I was excited to get involved. I ended up staying in Perth for almost a month, making music, meeting new friends and spending time at the beach. While I was there I made the EP Songs for Humanity with SUS1ER and the songs 'Asunder' with Lovefear and 'Facebook' with Effective Power and Lovefear. It was in Perth that I sang live for the first time at a GarbageTV event, which was something I had never considered doing before. I felt really encouraged and supported by those guys and still feel it today. Felix (Sus1er) is one of my closest friends.
What’s your most recent Shazam?
‘Digital Versicolour’ by Glass Candy
Do you believe in guilty pleasures? What’s something you rock with that people might find unexpected?
People are usually surprised to hear that I follow the rugby league. Mitch (3NDLES5) and I have bonded over this.
Jonatan Leandoer, aka Yung Lean, is an artist considered influential by many. Please detail your experiences collaborating on live versions of his music, performed at the Sydney Opera House.
I still feel so lucky to have had this experience! We had lots of fun together. The band was amazing and it was cool to work with Jonatan to figure out new arrangements of his songs. I think my favourite was our pop-punk version of 'Smirnoff Ice'. We also played a few songs from his album 'Blue Light' with Frederik Valentin which I think ended up influencing my new music. Another highlight was our pre-show workout to the Rocky theme song.
I couldn't have done it without my friend Wooj (Imitation Therapy) who has magical powers and can convert what he hears into sheet music.
Speak to me of the artist Luca Rain, a reclusive and inexplicably not-online figure in the Australian underground scene. What’s his damn deal?
I remember listening to Luca's song 'Perigo' on Soundcloud and assuming that he lived somewhere on the other side of the world. One day I discovered that he lived just around the corner from me and it was an awesome surprise. We started spending pretty much all of our time together and still do. Luca is one of the best people I've met and he has some very amazing unreleased music on his computer that I hope he shares soon.
Was there any music you considered ‘forbidden’ or scary or otherwise off-limits at any point in your life? Did that change? How, why?
This is a spooky question... I kinda hate to share this but the obvious answer for me is Mr Traumatik. The name tells you everything you need to know. Unfortunately this was my first exposure to grime/dnb in school and with no other reference points for the genre it did catch my attention(?) Thankfully it wasn't long until I was introduced to others like Dizzee Rascal and Skepta so I could leave this horrible music behind, but yea it is truly scary and forbidden.
Have you ever met a compulsive liar? Strange behaviour innit? You don’t have to name names, but describe their behaviour? Perhaps one of the more outlandish tales they spun?
Shhhh… you know too much
An Interview Segment: 5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-45-50-55-60-65, etc.
Pitchfork The Music That Made You question format but it’s Madjestic Kasual. Songs/albums from every fifth year of your life that defined your life at that point. 5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-45-50-55-60-65, etc.
5: Missy Higgins - ‘Scar’
10: David Guetta - ‘Titanium’ feat. Sia
Patti Smith - ‘Horses’
Yung Lean - ‘bender++girlfriend’
Chromatics - ‘Shadow’
Fatshaudi: An Interview.
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