Parachute Youth

Parachute Youth

Parachute Youth is an Australian electronic duo associated with house, electro and indie. It forms around Matt K. Von and Johnny Castro, with Matt from Sydney and Johnny from Adelaide. The project starts after the two meet in 2010 and decide to make music together after working on their first track, “It Can’t Get Better Than This”.

Formation and early background

Before forming Parachute Youth, Matt K. Von works as an avionics technician in the Air Force, specialising in jet fighters, which informs the group’s name. Johnny Castro plays synthesizers with local act Def Starr and performs at festivals including Big Day Out. He also helps remix “Fences” by Phoenix and is self-taught on guitar chords.

After some months, the pair leave their home cities and girlfriends, sell their cars and move to Paris. They then work with Ajax from Sweat It Out Records, who brings in Sam La More to engineer “Can’t Get Better Than This”.

Breakthrough track

“Can’t Get Better Than This” becomes the group’s breakthrough release and spreads quickly online after being sent to friends. It is played first on Triple J radio in 2012, just after midnight at the start of the year. Its video, directed by Julien Paolini, is filmed in Burkina Faso with local children and gains substantial attention online. Empire of the Sun also share the track, adding to its profile.

Activity and style

The group cites influences including Joy Division, New Order, The Human League, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Moloko, Björk, The Cure and The Stone Roses, while their own sound is described as modern and contemporary. The project is active in club settings in Australia during the period following its breakthrough. In 2014, the act announces that the two members are no longer pursuing Parachute Youth.