Polito: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

Polito is a collaboration between musicians Robert Downie and Finnian Langham, and dancers Arabella Frahn-Starkie and Hillary Goldsmith.

This mixtape showcases their diverse approach to sound design and helps to build a narrative around the group and what their music means.

Listen and read the interview below:

Please introduce yourself…

Hi! We are Polito. We come in peace.

Who are you, where are you and what are you?

We are musicians Robert Downie and Finnian Langham, and dancers Arabella Frahn-Starkie and Hillary Goldsmith. We live and work in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin nation. We are an interdisciplinary performance collective, exploring the intersection of live electronic music and contemporary dance, and have been collaborating and performing as Polito for nearly seven years now

What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

A lot of our music falls broadly under the spectrum of ‘techno’ but also spans downtempo and ambient(ish). Our recording and performance processes are both heavily rooted in improvisation, and leaning into chaos takes us to all kinds of interesting and varied destinations. Hopefully this mix conveys a sense of that variety. We think there’s also a liveliness which comes from both that, and the connection with movement.

A visual reference would be something like the paintings of Danish artist Asger Jorn. Colourful, spontaneous, confusing, absurd, beautiful.

Where was the mix recorded?

This mix was stitched together in Ableton on the couch in the livingroom of our sharehouse. It’s made entirely of unreleased material, some moments from our debut album ‘Collapse Phase’, and some reworks of older tracks. 100% Pure Polito!

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Sensory deprivation tank. Go deep.

What should we be wearing?

Nothing at all.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

It would be cool to record a mix / perform amidst the enigmatic ruins of an ancient amphitheatre, under a canopy of stars, accompanied by the whispers of history. The blend of historical resonance with the open night sky would create a dialogue between the past and the present, the perfect backdrop for our improvisational interplay of sound and movement. The stone structure would probably emphasise different aspects of the music than we’re used to due to its natural acoustics, as well as provide a unique framing for the dancers’ movements.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Towards the end, there’s an unreleased dub remix of the track ‘Sublunary’ from our first EP, which we think is really beautiful.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Huge fans of Objekt’s Resident Advisor Mix (RA.650). Great idea to do a whole mix of ‘floaty rollers’ (no kicks), and expertly executed. We’ve been pondering doing a whole set like this for a while now.

If you could perform with any artist from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Merce Cunningham and John Cage. They developed the radical (for the time) concept that music and dance could exist independently within the same performance – turn Polito on its head please!

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Good question! We definitely put a lot of thought into both. Generally in our performances we know the start and the end, and everything in the middle is a discovery. But if we had to choose, last impressions are generally lasting impressions.

What were the first and last records you bought?

‘Space Is Only Noise’ by Nicolas Jaar was the first record we ever bought. That was probably the album that first got us really into electronic music. Our cousin showed it to us, and we remember thinking ‘wow this is really cool’.

Most recent purchase was Imogen Cygler’s beautiful debut LP ‘Sometimes Strangers’. The songwriting, production, and storytelling are all out of this world.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

A prawn cracker, the kind that dances on your tongue. Unassuming at first glance, but gradually revealing intricate layers of taste and texture. The playful snap and slight sea-salty tang leaving you with a craving for ‘just one more’.

If it was an animal what would it be?

An axolotl.

Upcoming in the world of…

Got a lot of music in the vault to polish up, and new performance ideas to workshop. Also supporting Unknown Mortal Orchestra on their Australia tour in Feb. Exciting!