Dumbhead
Bass-heavy live trip-hop with jazz vocals and warped beatmaking
Based in Melbourne, Australia
Dumbhead work at a slow-to-midtempo churn: programmed drums, heavy bass, post-punk guitar and trumpet beneath Billie Raffety’s jazz-trained lead voice and layered chorales. Their newer material also makes room for piano, ambient sampling and violin; live, expect the trio to pull those elements into a less predictable beatmaking framework.
More about Dumbhead
Dumbhead formed in 2023 through Naarm/Melbourne’s jazz scene, after a conversation at a jazz gig connected Maayan Barnatan’s bedroom productions with Billie Raffety’s vocals. They sit near the city’s shadowy HTRK and Acopia lineage, have supported Acopia and Water From Your Eyes, and issued their 2025 self-titled EP through Crossing House.
A story
The White Knuckles shoot ended with its songwriter naked in an abandoned house east of Melbourne, drenched in 15 litres of lube and paint.
Playing
- 2026-11-03 18:30 · Pitchfork Paris · Elysée Montmartre · Elysée Montmartre
Labels
Start here
- Didn't Make The Part / With Stones in my Shoes (B-Sides) (2026) · I OH YOU/Mushroom Music
The newest material: piano, ambient sampling and guest violin stripped to the nerve. - White Knuckles (2026) · Duke Street Records
Post-punk guitar, programmed drums and strings in one compact, tense song.
Worked with
- Maayan Barnatan band member; guitar, bass, instrumentation and production
- Billie Raffety band member; vocals, piano, bass and production
For fans of
Portishead, Massive Attack, Björk, HTRK, AcopiaOfficial links
Pitchfork ParisBandcampSoundCloudInstagramSpotifyYouTubeWebsite
Plan Pitchfork Paris 2026 with Songpot · Ask about Dumbhead in ChatGPT or Claude