The Genesis Project

The link between young Arnhem Land outfit East Journey and veteran Aboriginal band Yothu Yindi is a family one. East Journey's lead singer Rrawun Maymuru is the grandson of Yothu Yindi frontman Mandawuy Yunupingu, who passed away in 2013. The sound of the two bands is very similar, and Maymuru's voice even resembles that of his famous grandfather. So it's no surprise that some of the remaining Yothu Yindi members – bassist Stu Kellaway, keyboardist Buruka Tau and drummer Ben Hakalitz – have been mentoring the younger band, and are now joining forces with them. Rewriting and rearranging some of their material and adding the polished sound of Native American guitarist and producer Steve Salas, the collaborative result owes as much to the anthemic guitar solos of stadium-style rock as it does to the ancient sound of clap sticks and didgeridoo.

Blending English and Yolngu Matha lyrics, the powerful new single ‘Bright Lights Big City’ addresses the cultural chasm between remote coastal Arnhem Land and fast-paced urban centres. The reworked material works best on the tracks ‘Emu’ and ‘Gumik’, with the grounding sound of the yidaki (didgeridoo) melding with flights of screaming guitar. The rock opuses are broken up by short traditional ceremonial pieces, representing the songline stories of ‘Spirit’ and ‘Butterfly’, performed with unadorned vocals, sticks and didgeridoo. The Genesis Project may not be breaking new ground but it's certainly continuing a worthy musical tradition.