Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra's ‘Welcome To The Neighbourhood’ Is A Powerful Music Moment
Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra. Photo supplied.
Matt Hsu‘s Obscure Orchestra have created something truly impactful with their new single Welcome To The Neighbourhood. Matt Hsu’s one-person orchestra has highlighted some of Australia’s most important voices. The song is a showcase of First Nations, refugee, immigrant and gender diverse artists. It sounds both chaotic and meticulously organised - as some of the best pieces of music do.
The track features the voices of Solchld, Anisa Nandaula, Naavikaran, Nima Doostkhah, Cieavash Arean and Mira and Amer Thabet. Each artist speaks about their experience with refugee rights and racial injustice. The song is a powerful reminder of the real impact that current world events are having - both on an individual level, and society-wide. It’s often too easy to exist in a bubble. It's important to venture outside our understanding of the world and experience society through a different lens.
As he does with his other music, Matt plays nearly all the instruments on the track. What is most impressive about Welcome To The Neighbourhood (and there’s a lot to admire) is Matt’s ability to understand how to elevate those around him. I’m always sceptical of one-person bands because there can be a tendency to create insular music. Welcome To The Neighbourhood feels like a community in a song - it’s a warm embrace.
Every moment of Welcome To The Neighbourhood has an important message. There is a visceral energy radiating from the vocals of each artist. You’ll want to give Welcome To Your Neighbourhood your full attention. It feels like what results from having a room full of creative, brilliant people - no element of is forced. Instead, it seems to flow forth, imbued with an energy that’s palpable, but hard to harness. You can almost reach out and touch it - but Matt Hsu has worked out how to get it into his records.
Music can often be classed as disposable or insignificant, and indeed sometimes it can be. It’s not often that a song comes along and makes you deeply think about your place in the world, and the impact you have on those around you. Listening to Welcome To The Neighbourhood, I’m extremely conscious that the song’s tale isn’t mine to tell, but instead, I need to listen. I’m a white, straight male - I need to shut up and listen. Sometimes, that’s the most useful thing someone can do.
It’s a reminder of how powerful amplifying voices that don’t always get heard can be, and why it is so crucial we all do so, always. Not doing so is a failure to ourselves, those around us, and the music community at large. More can always be done to ensure that music, and society at large is a welcoming place for all - not just those that have traditionally been embraced by the music industry.
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Check out Welcome To The Neighbourhood below. I hope this song gets seen and heard by the right people, and I hope to hear a lot more music from Matt Hsu going forward. This is truly a work of art and should be celebrated as such. Please listen to Welcome To The Neighbourhood and listen to what the featured artists are saying. There’s a lot more to be done to change society - so let’s get to work.