Alterwaves Guide to Listen Out 2023
Words by Bailey Marton
At the halfway point of the year, it’s around this time myself and other festivalgoers start turning our attention to the big events that will keep us sustained right through to the end of 2023. The last decade has seen Listen Out has become a benchmark for spring festivals, with its always exciting line-ups that bring out some of the world’s best Rap and R&B artists, world class producers and DJs, and a sprinkling of Australian indie staples and rising star showcases.
So, if you’re looking at this years stacked line-up and you’re unsure who to start building your party around, we’ve got you covered. Here’s Alterwave’s guide to who we’re looking forward to most at Listen Out 2023.
Jpegmafia
Jpegmafia is one of the standout names in the alternative hip-hop world. This is his second time around at listen out, after playing an incredible back-to-back with (Redacted) at the 2019 edition of the festival.
Peggy has only levelled up since, experimenting with sounds and beats to make his music even more distinct, and honing his craft on the mic even further to create a catalogue full of exciting and punchy tracks. His collaborative release this year with Danny Brown, appropriately titled ‘Scaring the H*es’, was the culmination of his evolution into one brilliant project that received huge critical acclaim. Easily one of the most unique and exciting parts of this line-up, Peggy has turned himself into a must-see attraction, and one you won’t want to miss.
Four Tet + Skrillex
Although listed as separate acts in Listen Outs line-up, it’s hard to ignore them as 2 of the 3 acts (minus one Fred Again..) that put on one of the most incredible closing sets that Coachella has seen in a long time, not to mention selling out Madison Square Garden earlier in the year too.
However, whether these two perform together or separately at listen out is irrelevant as the last couple of years has seen both gentlemen revolutionise their live sets and become even more incredible performers than they were previously. If their viral performances earlier in the year are anything to go by, these two are set to put on a hell of a show.
Marc Rebillet
This man is an enigma. That’s it. That’s the whole preview.
Seriously though, if you’ve never seen one of his 5-minute videos on YouTube where he makes one of the zaniest beats you’ve heard and sings absolute nonsense in the most musically talented way imaginable (all in the comfort of his hotel bathrobe), then there’s not much I can say that will do him justice. Rebillet is an act that can only be fully appreciated once you’ve seen him in his element. However, his incredible confidence and unabashed approach to performing is so infectious that you can’t help but enjoy what you’re watching. If there was one person on this line-up who I’d be certain is going to give a memorable performance, it’s Marc Rebillet.
Young Franco
Young Franco has established himself a festival must. The silky house tracks that fill his sets are never not a good time, playing one of the sets of the day at last year’s edition of Spilt Milk on the Gold Coast, a line-up that included some monster names including Flume, Fisher, and Genesis Owusu – Young Franco’s performance that day had claims to top them all.
Whether he’s the first name you put in your itinerary, or a fun pit stop between other acts, don’t sleep on Young Franco.
Kenny Beats
Another producer that was doing the rounds on TikTok after his impressive Coachella set this year. This man has had his fingerprints all over the hip-hop scene for almost a decade now, there’s not a single hip-hop fan that doesn’t have a playlist filled with tracks produced by Mr. Woah Kenny himself.
As a performer however, it’s not his disc jockeying skills that set him apart from the rest, but his impressive ability to turn any setting into a party. It only took Kenny 10 minutes into his boiler room set in Barcelona to put a hole in the venues floor because they just “weren’t ready” for the kind of heat Mr. Beats was bringing. The song selection in his sets is second to none, and Kenny knows it too.
You won’t see him hiding behind a deck all night either, he loves the vibes as much as the crowd does and isn’t afraid to bring a rag with him on stage and rock out. You want to guarantee yourself a party? Kenny is your guy.
1TBSP
1tbsp is the new project from Brisbane/Meanjin’s own Maxwell Byrne, who has already been prolific (and Grammy nominated) under his other moniker Golden Vessel. 1tbsp sees Byrne switching lanes into a completely different sound from the electro-indie vibes he produces under Golden Vessel into a moody-yet-still-energising brand of house and dance music which has also garnered plenty of attention and love over the projects short life span.
Tracks like ‘No Nein’, ‘Pioneer Digital Plastic Sound’ and ‘Sleeves Touch My Elbows’ provide an exciting sound unlike anything else heard on this year’s Listen Out Line-up, and something you do not want to miss
So there you have it, our roundup of some of Alterwave’s most anticipated acts coming to this Listen Out 2023. Of course, these are just some of our favourite picks to get you pumped and thinking about who to hit when planning your itinerary. When there’s so much talent on this line-up, you have to start somewhere right?
BRISBANE | Sat, 23rd September - TICKETS
PERTH | Sun, 24th September – TICKETS
MELBOURNE | Fri, 29th September – TICKETS
SYDNEY | Sat, 30th September – TICKETS