The best bits from Melbourne's Frollen Music Library due in March

Colemine Records is releasing a 'best of' collection of Melbourne's Frollen Music Library's short 'n' sweet sample-ready treats.  

Here's the scoop from Colemine HQ...

001-015’ is a “best of” compilation celebrating the first 15 sample packs made by Australia's Naarm/Melbourne-based Frollen Music Library. Launching in late 2021, the sample house has since been featured in productions by ScHoolboy Q, Leon Thomas, Devin Malik and more.

This 28-track retrospective (out March 28th via Colemine Records) traverses a wide range of styles and moods to appeal to every music enthusiast as well as producers and songwriters alike. Whether it’s bouncing hip hop beats or evocative cinematic etudes, FML’s 3-piece house band, comprising Henry Jenkins, Darvid Thor and Hudson Whitlock have a deep love and respect for many musical styles. FML’s diverse catalogue takes cues from the ‘Third Stream’ composer David Axelrod on their ‘Sharpen Your Axe’ (FML009) pack, as well as drawing upon cinematic themes from 60’s and 70’s Italian film score composers a la Ennio Morricone and Riz Ortolani, as heard on ‘The Fretted Neck’ (FML006). There are 90’s New York boom bap beats found in ‘Golden’ (FML013), as well as synthesiser music inspired by Tonto, which is showcased in the ‘Nina’s Exploding Brain’ (FML014) pack, utilising a locally made synthesiser from Melbourne Instruments.

Jenkins, Thor and Whitlock have been playing in bands and producing music for their local music scene for the last 15 years. Recording and performing with The Cactus Channel, Karate Boogaloo, Mo’Ju, Surprise Chef and many many more. Not only is this brand-new LP a great musical collage worthy of any music library enthusiast, but also functions as a tremendous sampler demonstrating the many styles of FML. Fast, slow, sweet AND sour! 

You can pre-order a copy of the Frollen Music Library compilation 001-015 via Colemine Records right here. Check out a Frollen promotional trailer and the track "Rock Candy" below. 

Ella Thompson releases 70s giallo soundtrack-inspired Domino album

Ella Thompson collaborated with Frollen Music Library to get all the right Piero Piccioni moves for her new Domino album.

Here's the scoop...

Ella Thompson’s Domino is a spooky, bittersweet collection of cinematic soul cuts influenced by 1970s Italian 'giallo' film scores, with luminous vocals that draw a line between 60s icons like Nancy Sinatra and contemporary soul artists like Kadhja Bonet. Ella’s effortless singing and haunting lyrics paint angular pictures in the moody darkness. In her words: “The original instrumental of the song ‘Domino’ is titled ‘Swimming in a cold lake at night’ this kind of sums up the feeling of many of the songs on the record….seeing light in dark places, freedom and anxiety of the unknown, curiosity, never regretting a swim and the euphoria you get when you come out the other end.” 

The sparse production is intentionally cinematic, inspired by the music of 1970s giallo films, particularly by composers like Piero Piccioni but comparable to current artists like Adrian Younge or Bad Bad Not Good in a meditative mood. Minimal but propulsive bass and drums know when to hang back, as they do in the title track and when to step forward as they do in the chugging, deep and funky rhythm section work on the single Never Fight The Way You Feel. Choral vocal textures by Ella’s backing vocalists Rita Stach and Hailey Cramer create deep harmonic backgrounds, sometimes sounding like an epic ensemble of voices, sometimes laying down ethereal and delicate parts, almost imperceptible. Nylon string guitar features prominently, creating hypnotic chordal beds as sparse piano and tuned percussion pick out minimal, evocative melodies. 

All the instrumentation used in Domino was created by Frollen Music Library, a sound library music project by the musicians behind Karate Boogaloo, Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock and Darvid Thor, all long term collaborators and friends of Ella’s. When she heard their take on 1960s and 1970s soundtracks, Ella had an immediate creative response: “My ears lit up when I heard these cinematic melodies, and I couldn’t help but turn them into something else for words and voices.” She recorded all her vocals, and those of her backing singers, with Frollen engineer Henry Jenkins in a two day whirlwind, eschewing perfectionism and striking before the magic of the moment faded. The result is sublime. In Henry’s words: “When I first heard what she had written I was floored. She completely reimagined the instrumental pieces of music we had composed and took them to new heights”. 

Ella has returned to making music under her own name in 2023 after years releasing music with her electro pop duo GL and cult indie band Dorsal Fins. One of Australia’s truly accomplished singers, Ella’s range reaches from art music to cinematic soul, jazz and pop. In addition to her solo project and bands she has been a featured artist for numerous acts most notably, deep funk pioneers The Bamboos and Mark Ronson. Domino is available now through Hopestreet Recordings on Vinyl LP & digital formats. Get a copy via Bandcamp right here. Listen to the title track below.