Big Window meets Red Bull Music Academy: A conversation with Joel Farland and Alice Ivy

Last Wednesday, popular Hindley St nightclub Big Window – known for their Miss Jackson Saturdays and SON Fridays – hosted ‘In Conversation with Joel Farland and Alice Ivy’, an exclusive, once-off event presented by Red Bull Music Academy.

The event was an intimate and informative session hosted by the notable Joel Farland, one of Australia’s leading musical directors, producers and drummers, and Alice Ivy, an incredibly talented soul/electro artist from Melbourne. With red bull vodkas and cocktails on the flow, guests sat down to an evening of good music, good drinks and good vibes.

The normally dark and mysterious Big Window had been decorated with plants, bringing life to the niche venue, with a retro black-and-white checkered dancefloor being transformed into a space for conversation. Chairs and stools lined the floor, facing a flat screen and some DJ gear, where the hosts were to sit and chat to the crowd of music enthusiasts and Red Bull drinkers.

In conversation with Joel Farland and Alice Ivy at Big Window Bar and Studio.

In conversation with Joel Farland and Alice Ivy at Big Window Bar and Studio.

Joel and Alice were undoubtedly a charismatic duo, both sharing an unmistakable passion for the music industry. We learnt so much from the both of them; Alice was approachable and humorous as she shed light on her experiences in music, while Joel was technical and precise, breaking down his career path in a way that truly opened our eyes and our mind.

It was super cool to see Alice Ivy perform live in such an up-close-and-personal environment, too. Using Ableton software and hardware, she played us one of her first ever releases and a few of her other songs, all of which were totally fitted to the vibe of Big Window, especially her big hit ‘Somebody Get Me A Drink’ (song name says it all, really). Soulful, mesmerising and kitsch-y are just a few of the words we’d use to describe her mix of funky samples. Her down-to-earth demeanour also had us invested in every point she made, and we were particularly interested in hearing about how she worked hard to make her way up in the difficult world of music.

Alice Ivy breaking down her music production processes.

Alice Ivy breaking down her music production processes.

Adelaide was so lucky to have this event, and they couldn’t have picked a more suitable venue than Big Window. At one point, we were actually told that Joel and Alice had been incessantly pushing back the start time of the event because they were utilising Big Window’s music equipment in the downstairs studio to trying to finish a song they were creating together – pretty cool, hey?

To learn more about Red Bull Music Academy, follow the link here.

 

Images: Life Without Andy by Georgina Solomon

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