Espionage feat. Flying Lotus (layer 3), Om Unit, SilentJay, JPS – Brisbane

The Operatives join forces with Earth Frequency Festival, Silo Arts, DRTY SHDWS PRJKT and Dank Morass to present their famed Espionage Series in Brisbane. This time featuring none other than Flying Lotus with his massive Layer 3 audio/visual experience, Om Unit, and Operatives own agents JPS and SilentJay.

Almost needing no introduction is: FLYING LOTUS. In the years since Steven Ellison attended 2003’s Red Bull Music Academy in Melbourne, his cult following in Australia has grown to epic proportions, sparking a revolution in audio-visual performance with LAYER 3 which debuted here at 2013’s inaugural Let Them Eat Cake Festival. Now on version 3.0 he’s set to bring a show that’s never seen before to some of Australia’s most iconic venues – Brisbane’s Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne’s Forum, Sydney Opera House and bespoke Victorial festival Golden Plains.

Over the past four years, OM UNIT has established himself as one of the most consistent and original artists in the electronic sphere. Based in London, the producer first made his mark with a reworking of JOKER’s ‘Digi Design’, getting the blessing of KODE9 for a white label treatment. OM UNIT is the alias of Jim Coles. Producing since his early teens, he started with jungle before graduating via the world of turntablism under the 2TALL moniker and representing the UK in the DMC world DJ championships. The name OM UNIT is defined simply as: the spoken essence of a man on a mission.

Representing some of the finest beats Melbourne has to offer will be OPS Agent’s JPS and SilentJay.

Few DJs or promoters have changed the shape of Melbourne’s music scene quite like JPS (Jerry Poon). His diverse tastes and years as a crate-digging-collector are always on point no matter the crowd, be it art gallery openings or 3am hidden warehouse sets, his ear for the right beat at the right time will always have a dance floor moving.

As a seemingly effortless and imaginative producer, as well as vocalist for future-soul group HIATUS KIAYOTE, Alejandro Jay Abapo’s solo project is SILENTJAY. Having studied Jazz Improvisation at the Victorian College of Arts, he turned his ear for music to production after his uncle, a DJ, gave him his record collection. Alejandro brought his own sampler and combined his talents as a multi-instrumentalist alongside vibrant beats, his own and guest vocals and electronic loops. The result is so organic that each carefully crafted track seems to breathe on it’s own, a natural brand of shoegaze, soul and hip-hop.

2014 celebrates The Operatives: ten years strong.