We’ve been vibing on Hydra Fashion Week since we premiered the video for their jangly post-punk single ‘Don’t Stop!” last year. They’ve also released singles “Delete”, SICK (day #132)” and “First Person Shooter”, and most recently, the playful “Total Freefall”. Finally, today, they have released their debut album, Serpent Season One, and to celebrate the release, lead singer, Charlie Teitelbaum has put together a playlist comprising songs from their favourite queer and non-binary artists!
Hydra Fashion Week is led by Charlie (they/them), who is known as ‘Hydra’s Heads’. You might have come across Charlie in the three-piece electronic pop act, Huntly, that has been creating music since 2013.
The twelve-track album is diverse and brilliantly creative. It traverses themes of identity, authorship, cyberfeminism, data repetition, multiplicity, digital landscapes and extinction. These contemporay concepts are juxtaposed with symbolism rooted in serpents, snakes, esoteric mystery, and ancient mythological figures, creating a musical tapestry that seamlessly intertwines the ancient and the modern.
If you are in Melbourne, Hydra Fashion Week will have a launch show at The John Curtin Hotel on Saturday May 11th.
To celebrate the release of Serpent Season One, Charlie has curated a playlist of songs from ten of his favourite queer and non-binary artists 🌈. There are some fabulous tunes here, and great discoveries. Crank it up and give it a play. And then give Serpent Season One a spin.
Barley “Water From Your Eyes”
This song starts in a way that is so addictive to me, there was a few weeks I had it on loop nonstop.
Dream “Perfect Actress”
Perfect Actress are a perfect band from Eora/Sydney, who are obsessed with finding the perfect performance from a perfect actress, but instead they made this perfect song; it’s a dream
Arthur Russell “A Little Lost”
Arthur Russell was a true independent artist in every sense of the word. Without achieving any real success, consistency or industry recognition in his lifetime, Arthur put together a stunning discography all on his own that covers so much stylistic ground with miraculous grace. He is a continuous inspiration and always up-and-coming.
bodies of divine infinite & eternal spirit “song for fear”
Bodies are not so much a band but a collective of spirits and ‘Song For Fear’ is not so much a song but an idea that gets groovy.
Christine and the Queens feat. Caroline Polachek “La vita nuova” (Logic1000 Remix)
I don’t know what they are singing about, but this remix instantly brings me to the edge of the water at dusk, waves lapping lightly to the beat. I actually made a mix about this exact feeling for Pretend Radio you can listen to here.
MikeQ “The Ha Dub Rewerk’d”
Legendary ballroom producer & DJ. Sampled & referenced in Beyonce’s “Renaissance”.
Jennifer Loveless “Pleasure” (Original Vox Mix)
Local producer & DJ jennifer loveless makes one of the sexiest and sensual club tracks ever.
Pikelet “Dear Unimaginables”
One the best songs ever written about gender, could make you cry.
Serpette “Whip!”
I went to the Serpette single launch show for this track, where they absolutely whipped the crowd into a frenzy and I met some of the best elbows of my life that night. At the end of the show they announced you could not listen to the track on Spotify because it was too short to be uploaded. Heaven lasts 47 seconds (and has whip!).
Serpent Season One from Hydra Fashion Week is out now.
You can keep up to date with Hydra Fashion Week on Facebook, Spotify and Instagram.
