I recently had the great pleasure of meeting up with Simon Segal of UON for a chat. It was a typical gorgeous, warm, autumnal Sunday afternoon in Melbourne. Over coffee and pasta at the iconic Tiamo in Lygon St we talked about his new music project UON and their first single; about his life in music and about the way the music scene in Melbourne has changed so much, and not all for the better.
So who are UON? According to Segal, UON is the product of a group of friends coming together because of a shared joy in playing music. They are Susan Hume(vocals), Belinda Cohen (drums), Simon Segal (synthesizers and production and engineering), Dallas Cosmas (bass & guitars) , Paul Healy (grand piano), MIlton Nomikoudis (vocal wrangling), and Wayne Reynolds (technical wrangling). Each with their own talents and with varied backgrounds and experience this group of artists formed not so much a ‘band as such’ but more of a collective of like minded souls. The benefits of such an approach are obvious as soon as you listen to their first single “Exit”.
They are the latest project to come out of the Prototype Musique stable. For those unfamiliar with their work they are an independent production label based in Melbourne.They are the brainchild of Dallas Cosmas (a talented musician in his own right)and they have produced some wonderfully adventurous and thought provoking artists and music in recent years. With over 25 years experience, Simon Segal is a long time friend and co-conspirator. He has worked as a producer on a significant portion of Cosmas’ back catalogue over many years. UON is just their latest creation.
“Exit” is an extraordinary piece of music. It is more like a sculpture made of sound than a song. Because people seem to rely on such things, if I had to name a genre I would go with electro-pop. But, to be completely honest this song defies any kind of label. It is that rare thing in music these days, it is unique.
This is not a work that has been put together with a particular audience or demographic in mind, it is simply a piece of art that has evolved and developed organically. It isn’t for everyone. It is not cookie cutter, paint by numbers music, so for those who like their music predictable and safe, I suggest you move on.
I have it on good authority that this is just the first salvo from UON with more to come over coming months including an album by the end of the year. Exciting news for lovers of great music. In the meantime keep an eye out for their first single “Exit” which will be available on 23 April 2019 on most of the usual platforms.
Selections from my tower of shame- Jacqueline Lademann 