AViVA

Years from now someone with more knowledge, patience, and big-picturing thinking than I is going to write the definitive account of just what is going on right now with the explosion of Australia’s electronic scene. This writing will largely be an account of the Future Classics label, who would be wise to swoop up the emerging duo AViVAA.

Aviva Payne and Matais Coulter hail from Sydney and specialize in their own unique brand of deep bass/electro-pop. Live they’re joined by three other musicians, but Payne and Coulter are the principle artists here. This is an important distinction to make, because what sets AViVAA apart from their peers is their insistence on using live instruments. Utilizing the novel concept of making music with actual instruments they’re able to swing between minimalist electronica and darkly bombastic tunes like “Crystaleyes,” which sounds like Lana Del Rey impersonating Lady Gaga on heroin.

Holy shit does this song rule.
While their smooth and polished songs may lead you to believe other wise, AViVAA has been making music for less than two years. Yet they already have a sophisticated sound layered with complexities. Their music plays at dichotomies. Everything can seem perfectly coordinated and OCD-like, but they also like their songs to dance on the edge of chaos. Pulsating and brooding synth are paired with deep bass to create expansive soundscapes for Payne’s lush vocals and harmonies to soar over.

The music of AViVAA strikes a special chord. Each song is like being adrift in a sea of electronica, getting pummeled by the waves. Only you don’t want it stop, you just want to float in this water forever.

AViVAA has a wide range of influences and inspirations including Lana Del Rey, Alt-J, Purity Ring, The Smiths. I find it hard to believe that The xx is not in that grouping, since Payne and Coulter seem to be the Aussie answer of that band, only way, way more caffeinated.

At some point AViVVA are going to want to start charging people for their music, but for now the bulk of their tunes are available for free download over on their Soundcloud page. They’ve got four songs out right now, compiled together they’d make a helluva an EP. Such a move certainly lies in the band’s immediate future.

What happens beyond that I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out. - BitCandy

Crystaleyes” is the newest single from Sydney duo AViVAA, following up the success of their first releases “Reel Me In” and “XX.”

It's female-led electro-pop, but it gets a whole lot darker than you probably expect during the first few moments. The instant the bass enters the picture, followed swiftly by a wicked groove, the atmosphere goes deeper and darker, with an industrial twist.

Aviva Payne's vocals are the standout point for me on this one. With a suggestive huskiness that would be perfect for moody trip hop, she brings a visceral sensuality that lingers for far longer than the track itself.

I love the use of melodic harmonies, adding vocal layers that curl around the synth rhythms. There's something really special about electronic tracks that incorporate string elements, too.

Produced by Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels, Phil Collins) and mastered by Gene Gremaldi (Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga), you know that these guys are in good hands.

Yet another daring addition to the flourishing Australian electronic scene, this is an impressive, catchy track ahead of AViVAA's debut EP which is set to drop in late October. - Indie Shuffle

Sydney duo AViVAA are so xx-like in their minimal, atmospheric instrumentation, they’ve gone and named their second single after the influential late-00s bloomers. That’s a touch unfair given how much else roams round ‘XX’, with Aviva Payne and Matais Coulter expressing intimacy in simple terms (“your touch electrifies me” being a neat chorus lyric that sums up the whole experience). Production enhances it all, with chest-thumping chants and those very xx-like guitar lines interlocking like a secret code to a locked door. - DIY MAG

With songs like "Reel Me In" and "Crystaleyes," Sydney based duo AViVAA are looking to make an impact in the EDM world. Aviva Payne and Matais Coulter comprise the fresh international act, and recently joined AXS for an interview so that we can get to know them better while they continue to tour throughout the year.

Their upcoming schedule consists of "A sweet run of shows, including some festivals, which is always awesome!" they told us via email. "We’re releasing a brand new single we recorded with Lachlan Mitchell, working on a film clip for the single with Jefferton James, and planning to get to America for a United States tour. So keen."

So far, their current calendar consists of just a pair of Australian gigs next month - a performance at the Newton Social Club on April 2, and participation in the Marmalade Skies Festival from April 10 to 12 - but American EDM audiences can enjoy their music, which Aviva and Matais are hoping will be the case as they want to take their act international.

Already having collaborated with producer Mitchell (whose other credits include working with Phil Collins and The Jezebels) and engineer Gene Gremaldi (Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey), they're steadily raising their profile outside of their home country. It's only a matter of time before they're as big over here as they are Down Under.

For those of you who haven't yet made their acquaintance, their sound is "Vibrant. We have a big sound because everything is played live," they explained. "There are no backing tracks. All the electronic sounds are synthesizers and trigger pads."

AViVAA pride themselves on creating a sharp contrast between the human vocals and electronic sounds, so it's unsurprising that their music's primary theme is the dichotomy of control. Their songs explore concepts from spiraling out of control personally to situations in which someone else is the one in control.

Another supporting theme is that of life and death - not literally, but taking the two concepts and personifying them as characters to be played off of each other. The duo are swinging for the fences with their vivid imagery and haunting lyrics.

While EDM music by nature relies in part on technology and manufactured sound, what makes AViVAA distinct is that they're using that engineered material as a complement to the human element, not in place of or to enhance it. They take pride in performing live and in weaving their vocals in and out of the electronic portions. If you're looking for EDM that has a soul, or that isn't just about pushing the right buttons in the correct sequence, this up and coming duo should find its way onto your playlist.

For more on AViVAA, visit their official website. - ASX

AViVAA is back with a techno single titled ‘CrystalEyes’. The single was recorded in Sydney, where the indie-electronic duo, Aviva Payne and Matais Coulter are based . Recorded with producer Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels and Phil Collins) and mastered by Gene Gremaldi whose credentials include Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey, brings an empowering composition highlighting AViVAA’s rich and diverse sound.



400,000 plays on Spotify !

I find the music dark yet vibrant . Kind of reminds me of Enigma when they came to the music scene with a different sound.AViVAA’s fusion of deep bass, vocal harmonies creates sort of a pulsing synth and raw, haunting lyrics . The sound is new and unique . They have composed the tune to create a contrast with the music to make the listener visualize the words with how those words sit with the instrumental sounds.

The duo is set to break into international music industry with this hypnotic single. I cannot wait to review the music video for this song as well - One Avenue TV

Meet AViVAA, an Australian boy/girl duo who hope to take the UK by storm. With Aviva Payne on vocals, and Matais Coulter on everything else, these two 19 year-old musicians are already enjoying plenty of attention in their native Sydney.

They sight London Grammar and The XX as some of their sound-a-likes, and The Smiths and Alt-J as influences. On top of that song title "XX" seems more than just a coincidence, and Aviva even sings the lyrics, “an awesome wave” on "Reel Me In". Think Alt-J meets Lana Del Rey, and you’ll be most of the way there: AViVAA offer laid back, smooth vocal harmonies, mixed with a sound of synth and the odd drop of bass. Their sound places them firmly in the indie-electro field, which is by no means a bad thing.

The aforementioned lead song "Reel Me In" was used by the Rockstar energy brand last year for Australian BMX champion Logan Martin’s end of year video, which currently has just over 185,000 hits on Youtube. This, along with the same track being chosen for a new Australian TV show, is helping the band get their name out there on a wide scale.

"Reel Me In" was released in November 2013, and the band have since embarked on a tour of the east coast of Australia, playing to packed out audiences in Brisbane and Sydney among others. New single "XX" is already experiencing radio interest from what is (probably) Australia’s answer to Radio 1.

AViVAA are doing their best to promote and tour, and who knows where that will lead them. Although, unfortunately, they can’t provide you with a good deal on car insurance. Listen to "Reel Me In" below and find out more about the duo here - DrunkenWerewolf