Hugo Race, (The Wreckery, The True Spirit, Fatalists, Dirtmusic…) producer, performer, and songwriter, delivers intense sonic soundscapes that merge rock, folk-roots, experimentalism, and electronica. In the arc of three decades Hugo has left a mercurial trail spanning his many own releases and multiple international collaborations. across studio albums, film, theatre, touring and festivals. In 2016, Hugo’s first book was published by Transit Lounge (Australia), describing some of these adventures entitled Road Series.
Originally from the 1980’s Melbourne post-punk music scene with his band Plays With Marionettes, Hugo was recruited by Nick Cave for his nascent Bad Seeds (1983-84), recording and touring the world, then returning to Melbourne to create his first major band The Wreckery (1985-88). The Wreckery produced several hit independent Australian singles and some ahead-of-their-time albums. In 2023, The Wreckery reformed and recorded a new album Fake is Forever (Helixed/Gusstaff Records).
Hugo’s most recent releases are Fatalists’ Once Upon A Time In Italy (Santeria Records, 2022), the Western Lands/Hum Hum single with Dirtmusic (Glitterbeat Records, 2022), Dishee (Gusstaff Records, 2021) and The True Spirit’s Star Birth / Star Death (Gusstaff Records, 2020).
Forthcoming projects include collaborative albums ‘Speed of the Stars’ with Steve Kilbey (Easy Action Records) and ‘The Vigil’ with Italian producer Gianni Maroccolo (Litfiba/Ala Bianca Records), both recorded at the Italian studio PFMA where Hugo works as a record producer Puccini Floating Music Academy