arbori:

Arbori is music and dance, in equal measures nostalgic and innovative. I was raised on Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Neil Young and Paul Simon. Men who were entertainers, romancers, vagabonds and my gatekeepers to jazz, folk and dancing. With little concern for the high school social stigmas my mother was smart enough to persistently enrol me in dance class while my father took me guitar shopping and taught me all his favourite songs. Sadly my dance life was repeatedly disappointing. Broken in spirit and tired of the bitchy dance world I did what any 17yr old ex-ballroom dancer would, I started a ska punk band. Which like all ska punk bands ended. I went on to scramble my way through a degree in theology and a diploma in counselling and got a job as a youth worker. Despite the rewards of my work I felt like I had missed my calling. So at 25 I quit my job and went to train fulltime in performing arts being told “we don’t think you will ever be a dancer, but prove us wrong.” Two years later I was in Las Vegas representing Australia at the International Hip Hop Championships. I’d fallen head first into hip hop culture. A white ballroom dancing, ska punk playing, theologian/youth worker trying to get the swagger back he doubted he’d ever had in the first place to lose. Being schooled on popping, locking, new school and break, I was meeting my gatekeepers to all thing dope, buck and fresh. It’s no wonder Arbori’s jazz-folk inspired melodies and R&B influenced beats are like just like drinking tea with your Nanna who is wearing a snap back and a hoodie. People don’t expect jazz folk and hip hop to combine but my dancers are among the best in the country and their diversity and musicality is what sets us apart and makes Arbori make sense. I have been comically (but accurately) coined by friends as 'Justin Timberfolk'. A title I carry with humility and honour. Having shared the stage with the likes of Matt Corby, Stu Larsen, the Falls, and Patrick James, as well as collaborating with a number of award-winning dance acts, Arbori has been noted as “one of Sydney’s most exciting young bands” (Timber and Steel) and “what the Australian music scene is missing” (The Ripe). “A sweet, fragile slice of Australian folk.” Dom Alessio, Triple J “In the Places You Fold is absolutely beautiful” Emma Swift, In the Pines, FBI Radio “Listened to Polar Bear Swim 10 times. I’m Super Impressed.” Elize Strydom, Triple J Being compared to “the finer moments of Wilco, Sufjan Stevens and Broken Social Scene” (The Ripe) and said to be “channeling the likes of Simon & Garfunkel with a modern twist” (The Au, Review), Arbori is captivating some of the world’s best with this unique aesthetic. “Wowza. You are LOVELY. The songs. The movement. Just lovely. And strange. And lovely. "Polar Bear Swim" is exquisite.” Erica Sobol, Dancer Choreographer USA “You could sense the potential movement throughout each key change or progression. An authentic delight.” Chloe Webb, The Au, Review Known for audacious recording projects involving large bands in live environments, Arbori is set to the début EP "Walls" in August 2014. This collection is to date the most comprehensive showcase of the life that has influenced the movement and music of this Renaissance Man. With such a diverse EP and a live show featuring some of Australia's strongest dancers Arbori is set on a trajectory to become one of the country’s most engaging and emotive acts, both live and on record. where indie music and hip hop dance meet #JustinTimberfolk...