Skip to main content
    forgot password
why register?
Black Sesame
+  All Featured Artists 
+  New Tracks 
+  Played on triple j 
Browse By Genre
+ Dance
+ Electronic
+ Hip Hop
+ Indie
+ Metal
+ Pop
+ Punk
+ Rock
+ Roots
A-Z of Unearthed Artists
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U
V W X Y Z #  
artist pic
Black Sesame
Genre: Indie, Electronic
Region: Sydney, NSW
Members: Melissa Cox - vocals, violin Brendan Woithe - programming Cameron Deyell - guitar Cameron Undy - electric bass Phil Stack - acoustic bass Evan Mannell - drums
Sounds Like: Goldfrapp, Hanne Hukkelberg
Artist Website: www.blacksesame.com.au

Black Sesame is vocalist, violinist, songwriter and ex-mathematician, Melissa Cox.

Melissa first began writing songs while she was supposed to be writing her PhD thesis; her supervisor pretended not to notice. She continued to write songs after she had (finally) finished her thesis and begun studying jazz performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music; her composition teacher nodded approvingly. So the music drowned out the maths, and now, as Black Sesame, Melissa has completed her debut album, “brink”, which she expects will be released before the end of 2006.

“brink” paints landscapes of many colours. The jazz influence is present but understated; probably inevitable considering Melissa has performed internationally as a jazz artist (most recently in Japan and China). But as Black Sesame, it's a darker palette that colours her writing, a palette accrued over years of winters in different cities: stark Edinburgh blue, inner-west Sydney grey, pulsating Bristol black...

Outside Black Sesame, violinist-Melissa has performed and recorded with Jenny Morris (NZ), Afro Moses O'Jah (Ghana) and Dominique Fraissard (Australia), with whom she has supported Australian bands such as The Waifs and John Butler Trio.

this artist.
+ contact this artist


reviews

read all reviews »

Angel songs
rating:  5/5
This is a great song. Sexy, delicate and really warm. The layering going on here is divine. Great work.
triplej



Angel songs
rating:  3/5
An electronic sound scape with a very organic, Australian feel. I can hear the Cicadas, I can hear bugs crawling over dead leaves & I can feel the ch...
superuser



Engage me
rating:  3/5
There's a great quality to the voice which is not seen often in female singers. It's so seductive and so scary. The song isn't much but the Shirley M...
superuser



Angel songs
rating:  4/5
What can I say that hasn't been said? It's lovely and warm yet dark and haunting. An incredibly mixed track with some sweet and sexy vocals. A real s...
superuser


more reviews



This project is supported by the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, through its Music Board Section.