Draft:Super Massive

Super Massive are an Australian alternative-pop duo formed in 2006 by Glenn Abbott and Malina Hamilton-Smith. Their music is a unique modern dance-rock hybrid that combines elements of electronic dance music, funk, disco, synth-pop, darkwave and rock, British rock, electronic rock and alternative rock.

Formation
Malina Hamilton-Smith had been performing in Glenn Abbott's Machine Gun Fellatio side project, The Bryan Ferrysexual Experience. When both Machine Gun Fellatio and The Bryan Ferrysexual Experience disbanded the duo formed Super Massive after discovering they shared a love of vintage 70's funk and disco and had a common vision of creating a true 50/50 blend of electronic dance music and rock.

The band's name was inspired by shopfront advertising in the city and factory-outlet areas of Sydney around Alexandria and Sydenham and the band's sound, which features multi-layered synthscapes that create a wall of sound.

The songs are written by the core members Glenn Abbott and Malina Hamilton-Smith, and the band performs live as a three or four-piece, with Glenn Abbott on drums, Malina Hamiton-Smith on vocals together with a guitarist and/or bass player. The band's original guitarist Matt Campbell left the band to move to the US, where he formed industrial rock duo Vowws. Original bass player John D. Young died in 2008, shortly after recording the EP. Since then, various friends of the band have recorded with the band and joined the duo for live shows.

Live performances
Super Massive have toured the east coast of Australia multiple times. They have performed at numerous festivals including Woodford Folk Festival 2022/23. Double J and Concrete Playground named Super Massive in their list of highlight bands to see at the festival. , Other festivals they have played include Nightfest at Floriade in Canberra, Cairns Festival Closing Night, BigSound, Surry Hills Festival, Australia Day in The Rocks, Sea Festival Vietnam in Nha Trang and celebrations for the 1000th Anniversary of Hanoi at Rose Hill, Mui Ne.

With a versatile sound that traverses dance, rock and pop, the band has performed alongside a diverse range of acts including Boy and Bear, Def FX, Deborah Conway, Bertie Blackman, Megan Washington, UK DJ Sophie Sugar, Ash Grunwald, BlueJuice, Dappled Cities, The Jezabels, Murray Cook & The Soul Movers and King Tide.

2008: Super Massive EP
Super Massive has released one EP and seven singles. Their self-titled debut EP was released to positive reviews, backed by single Fists In My Pocket, which was described by The Music Network as "More infectious than the plague". The song garnered numerous awards including winning them a MusicOz Award for Best Alternative Artist, and reached number one on various indie charts in Australia including the Triple J Unearthed Dance Chart, the SYN Radio Sweet 16 and the 4ZZZ chart. Fists appeared on the Triple J Funkcast podcast and Super Massive was Unearthed as a Triple J Unearthed Featured Artist. The videoclip received repeat screening on Rage, SYN TV, Songwriters Across Australia on TVS, Channel 31 and Tiscali TV UK.

In March 2009, MX Magazine Sydney put the band on their front cover as "as one of Sydney's best emerging electronic/dance rock bands." A second single from the EP, Late At Night, was Nokia Music Track Of The Week and received a spin from Triple J’s Morning Show with Sarah Howells.

2010–2022: Single releases
Darker, more alternative follow up single, Get Me Out Of My Head topped indie alternative radio charts in 2010, including the US Indiedial Chart, and received repeat community radio and tv play on stations such as 4ZZZ, SYN, Edge Radio, TVS and Radio Metro.

Fourth single Meltwater was released in May 2019. Meltwater debuted on ABC Gold Coast Drive and has had repeat play on commercial rock radio Rebel FM and community radio around Australia, as well as indie airplay in the US, UK, Germany and Mexico.

The band released their fifth single WE’RE TAKING OVER spontaneously on 25 September 2019 after hearing the voices of the children (including Greta Thunberg) who attended the UN summit on 24 Sept 2019 to file a complaint against carbon-polluting countries. Written as an anthem for the environmentally and socially conscious younger generation, the band had intended to release the song as a track on their debut album, but felt compelled to release it immediately in solidarity.

Sixth single Invertebrate was released on 29 May 2020, premiering on themusic.com.au and reaching number 3 on the AMRAP Australian Regional Radio Chart. Their 2021 single I Like It was featured in Rolling Stone as a Song You Need To Know. Tone Deaf described it as a "musical masterclass" in "disco sounds done correctly". Glenn Abbott's former Machine Gun Fellatio bandmate LoveShark (Warrick Leggo) contributed background vocals and appears in the videoclip. The music video for I Like It has screened in official selection at a number of film festivals around the world, including Port Shorts Film Festival in Port Douglas, Australia; Cannes Short Film Festival in France; Vesuvius International Film Festival in Italy, Santiago Horror Film Festival in Chile and the International Sound & Film Music Festival in Croatia, where it was shortlisted for a Crystal Pine Award for Best Music Video.

Artistry
The band creates an electronic dance / rock fusion sound by avoiding looping or using drum machines, instead preferring to record drum parts that are played live or on an electronic drum kit, with synths and sampled instruments played in by hand using an electronic piano midi controller, together with electric guitar and bass that are also played live rather than programmed.

Collaborations
In 2020 the duo collaborated with Murray Cook & The Soul Movers for their disco-infused song Circles Baby, which appeared on the Soul Mover's Evolution album. The official videoclip for the song is a workout clip featuring the original members of The Wiggles. Glenn Abbott produced the song and programmed classic disco orchestration. Malina Hamilton-Smith arranged and sang backing vocals.