Track Focus: MJ O’Neill’s “Heroes (Movements I & II)”

Flora Wong's debut EP has been out in the world for over a month! Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking a little more closely at each of the tracks on the release. We begin with the closing track, “Heroes *(Movements I & II)”, by prolific Brisbane-based composer and producer, MJ O’Neill. 

Watch the video below to hear from Flora about the process of working with an Ableton Set rather than a traditional score, preparing a violin looping performance, and her reflections on the piece. And of course, see and hear snippets of this beautiful work in performance.

MJ writes of the piece, 

In composing Heroes, there were a couple of preoccupations I wanted to explore. Firstly, I wanted to offer some small tribute to the people of Brisbane who have shown such a commitment to saving our planet. Secondly, I wanted to provide a broader sense of historical context to the current protests. Finally, I wanted to capture an emotional tenor that was more complex than simply just hope, fear, anxiety or anger.

The repetition of the piece is meant to harken not just to the protests sampled but to protests that came before and protests that will come in the future. I can remember the Occupy protests of the early 2010s. As we discuss today’s ‘new age of activism’, we often seem to forget that we were enjoying a similarly new age less than ten years ago. Similarly, as we celebrate the victories of the past, we often denigrate the very same behaviour that led to those victories in the present.

I do think peace and prosperity will come. But, I also think the fight for it is eternal. With Heroes, I wanted to capture the curious mix of optimism and resignation that comes with seeking a better world – and celebrate the people who live with that burden and don’t give up.

MJ O’Neill. Image by Barnsley Photography

You can hear more of MJ’s diverse musical output at her bandcamp page. 

Heroes (Movements I & II) is available on Flora Wong’s Geburtstag EP. You can buy it on bandcamp or stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, and the rest.