MARLON

About the Artist

Renowned for his ongoing work with some of Australia’s most revered hip hop royalty, Darwin-hailing singer-songwriter Marlon (a.k.a. Marlon Motlop) has unveiled his debut solo single, the captivating Blood In The Water, also accompanied by a sleek music video as the talented artist looks ahead to the release of his debut album later this year. Opening with a sultry bassline set against the sound of ocean waves, Blood In The Water surges with oscillating swagger, flitting between humid beats, driving pianos and jangly percussion, effortlessly helmed by Marlon’s polished vocals and sparkling hip hop production. Inspired by some of Marlon’s early musical influences, including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Red Hot Chili Peppers, also forged alongside more modern elements of Miguel, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean, Blood In The Water also shines with thought-provoking lyricism, as Marlon explains, “Blood in the Water speaks to the age-old analogy of “out of sight, out of mind” making reference to the human habits of not acknowledging and speaking to things that do not affect us. As humans, many of us walk, play, live in multimillion dollar cities, and walk past homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, and disadvantage. More often than not, it is the disadvantage of my people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that we remain to be silent on, in a system designed to break them.” Penning his debut solo track in a small room in his childhood home, Blood In The Water also saw Marlon join forces with another Australian powerhouse to ultimately let this vulnerable yet passionate song take full flight. “After writing the song on my acoustic guitar in my childhood home in Darwin, I made the call to friend/brother and mentor Daniel Rankine aka Trials, to bring the track to life,” shares Marlon. “We spent one session recording instrumentation/vocals and T turned it into what we have today. He’s a superstar, and for me, he’s the most efficient producer I’ve created with, and allows my concepts/ideas to shine.”