Today we’re very excited to bring you In Colour, a track from Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra that we’ve been extremely excited to share.
On In Colour Hsu plays all the instrumental himself, ranging from tubular bells and accordions to mbiras, shakuhachis and even ceramic plates used as percussion.
Matt Hsu recorded every instruments on In Colour himself before calling on the talents of three rappers to shed a nuanced light on the multi-cultural experience.
In Colour “proudly explore[s] the nuanced experiences of being mixed-race, growing up in two worlds and shining a light on lesser represented minorities,” says Hsu.
The musician originally recorded the instrumental himself, then put out a public call for vocalists. Eventually he found three immensely talented musicians; Blaq Carrie, Aurora and Mister E.
The song calls on the experiences of each artist, who, one by one, shed light on the multi-cultural conversation from their own perspectives. Together, the trio encourage us to embrace our diversity and blur the lines of definition, accept who you are and use it to make your mark on the world.
“Anything is yours, if you’ve got the stamina,” raps Blaq Carrie, a Brisbane-based, Zimbabwe-born rapper and 2013 winner of triple j Unearthed’s spot at Sprung Festival.
Mister E (real name Elijah Hadfield) is a 19-year-old Brisbane rapper of Samoan heritage, who makes his collaborative debut with the release of In Colour.
Aurora (real name Aurora Liddle-Christie) is a Jamaican and Indigenous multi-disciplinary artist who works across include poetry, performance and music.
The diversity of In Colour reflects Hsu’s upbringing, when he was surrounded with music from around the world.
In Colour is available now.
