Rapper, writer, actor, artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Joel Ma is recognised as a unique voice in the Australia music scene. Founder of the seminal alt-rap group TZU, after four successful albums, he embarked on a solo career under the moniker Joelistics that opened up a new lane in Australian hip hop.
In 2014, co-wrote and performed in the theatre show, In Between Two, which has toured extensively across Australia. In addition, as a producer and co-writer, he has worked with internationally acclaimed artists such as Haiku Hands and Mojo Juju and he continues to experiment with long form musical works under Film School Collective and The Yellow Peril Symphony.
Here, he talks with Peril Chair, Eleanor Jackson, about his work, Nostromo, as a part of a collaborative series of interviews for Red Dirt Poetry Festival.
Released in 2014 on the Blue Volume, Nostromo is a deeply personal account of loss and memory. Acoustic versions of the track can be found in three parts, here, here and here.
Please note, this interview contains some coarse language and discussion of mental health, drug use and suicide.
Joel Ma Nostromo Interview from Peril Magazine on Vimeo.
