Producer and musician Jack Quigley introduces “Dhunkasho”, the launch single from his ambitious Upstream Trilogy project, a genre-defying musical journey that brings together cultures, languages and artists from across the globe.
The Upstream Trilogy is a 27-track collaboration featuring 52 musicians across four continents and eight languages. Described as “Anacho-pop,” the project explores what can happen when cultural and musical borders are dissolved, creating a vibrant space where different sounds, traditions and perspectives meet.
At the heart of “Dhunkasho” is the distinctive voice of Qare The Mask, the Brisbane-based Somali performer whose smooth vocal delivery glides effortlessly across Quigley’s colourful production. Blending elements of disco, psychedelia and Afro-futurism, the track creates an infectious groove that feels both nostalgic and futuristic, constantly shifting between reality and imagination.
The single “Dhunkasho”, meaning “Kissing” in Somali, is inspired by lyrics written by Nadia Faragaab. The song tells a playful story of love, joy and excitement, drawing from a memorable kissing game played on a freeway bridge until a passing car interrupts the moment with a beep of its horn.
That light-hearted romantic energy runs throughout the production. Bubbling synth melodies rise and fall across the track while electro-infused drums shuffle with the energy of shoes moving across a glitter-covered dancefloor. The result is an uplifting, colourful and adventurous piece that captures the spirit of connection at the centre of the Upstream Trilogy.
With “Dhunkasho”, Jack Quigley offers listeners an introduction to a much larger musical universe, one built around collaboration, cultural exchange and the possibilities that emerge when musical boundaries are left behind.
