We’re getting closer to the next Eurovision Song Contest, and the Australian public television has internally selected its representatives for Eurovision 2024.
Electric Fields has been chosen to compete in Malmö with the song “One Milkali (One Blood).” The duo, consisting of Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, participated in Australia Decides, the country’s national final for the European contest, in 2019, where they finished in second place. Five years later, they will finally have their chance to participate in Eurovision.
Who are Electric Fields?
Electric Fields is an Australian electronic music duo formed by the vocals of Zaachariaha Fielding and the instrumentation of Michael Ross. The duo combines modern electric-soul music with Aboriginal culture, touching on styles such as pop, soul, and electronic, singing in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, and English. They describe themselves as “two sister brothers,” embracing their queer identity and affectionately referring to each other as Mala (Zaachariaha Fielding, the “little brother”) and Tjutja (Michael Ross, the “big brother”).
The origins of Electric Fields date back to 2011 when Zaachariaha Fielding auditioned for the third season of The X Factor Australia. Two years later, in 2013, Michael Ross auditioned for the fifth season of the same program. Since 2015, the duo has been on their journey together under Electric Fields.
In June 2016, the duo released their debut EP titled Inma. Electric Fields’ music often includes the traditional languages of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people of Zaachariaha, ranging from pop to epic-scale electronic works, to intensely intimate storytelling songs. Their relationship with Eurovision is not new, as in December 2018, they were announced as participants in Australia Decides 2019, the national final of Australia for Eurovision held during those years, with the intention of representing Australia at Eurovision 2019. In May, they were selected to announce the votes of the Australian jury in the final of Eurovision 2019.
«One Milkali (One Blood)» the Australian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Their song, “One Milkali (One Blood),” is composed by both members of the duo and features production by Luke Million and Leon Zervos. It is about their dream of a world where everyone is united. According to the artists: “It’s a disco world against the vast universe, reflecting the kinship we all share with the repetitive patterns of nature.”
In the lyric video, Zaachariaha and Michael strip down to reflect that, without armor, we are all more alike than different. While neon lights shine around them, it shows how we are made of atoms and cosmic dust, in harmony with ourselves, with others, and with the planet.
Lyrics of «One Milkali (One Blood)»
I stand in the eye of the spiral
One of them billion-billions, billion-billions
My soul slips away from its title
One of them billion-billions
And I descend to the centre of the earth
I may be dreaming, but the atoms are awake
Spill the tea on reality and the 0.618
What you gonna do in the real world, Mickey?
What you gonna do when you see?
Milkali (Milkali kutju), milkali
Escape with us to the planets
To the Fleetwood Macs and the Janets
Milkali la while entertaining the gods
One milkali la, milkali la
It’s rainin’ love
One milkali la, milkali la
Wе’re on a gravitron as it tangles (Mmm)
With them billion-billions of our souls and angеls
We kiss and matter dismantles
To see we don’t own the universe
Feel the borders blur, we belong to her
I may be dreamin’, but the atoms are awake
Spill the tea on reality and the 0.618
What you gonna do in the real world, Mickey?
What you gonna do when you see?
Milkali (Milkali kutju), milkali
Escape with us to the planets
To the Fleetwood Macs and the Janets
Milkali la while entertaining the gods
One milkali la, milkali la
It’s rainin’ love
One milkali la, milkali la
While entertaining the gods
One milkali la, milkali la
It’s rainin’ love
One milkali la, milkali la
Milkali (Milkali kutju)
Milkali (Milkali la; Milkali kutju)
Milkali la, one milkali la
It’s rainin’ love
(Milkali la, one milkali la)
(Milkali la) One milkali la
Australia’s participation in Eurovision
Australia made its debut in 2015 with Guy Sebastian, who finished in fifth place with “Tonight Again”. Since then, they have managed to qualify for the final every time except for the year 2021 when they were represented by Montaigne and the song “Technicolour”.
Australia’s participation in 2015 was conceived as a one-year exceptional event, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Eurovision. However, in late 2015, the EBU confirmed Australia’s return and the possibility of their participation becoming permanent in the contest.
The Australian broadcaster SBS first broadcast Eurovision in 1983 and has since aired it continuously due to the festival attracting a large audience.
To date, Dami Im has been Australia’s representative who achieved the best position, after receiving the first position from the jury with the song “Sound of Silence”. However, the televote ranked her second, with the Ukrainian artist Jamala winning first place with the song “1944”, leaving the Australian in second position. In their nine participations to date, the Oceanic country has managed to enter the top 10 three times. The most recent of these achievements was by the group Voyager in the past year 2023 with their song “Promise”, which finished in 9th place with 151 points.