James Howard – Marrow

Part rave, part ritual — James Howard’s new album Marrow confronts the dominant cultural narratives in a time of active and ongoing colonisation. Originally conceived as a soundtrack to the Australian Dance Theatre production of the same name, Howard revisited the raw audio material and has crafted a thrilling musical journey that cuts to the core of the First Nations Australian experience. Sculpted with the medium of vinyl in mind, the record’s first side is an inhalation of bated breath. Industrial techno rhythms and droning ambience paint a vivid soundscape of mechanistic oppression. Flipping the record over provides the offering of release. An exhalation of layered voices, hints of melodicism, and space for healing, ceremony and reconciliation. Released on clear vinyl, Marrow continues in the tradition of Australian electronic music making while carving out new pathways for First Nations storytelling.