Hand to Earth
Fusing the ancient and the contemporary
"Connects multiple traditions without diluting any… conjures sound worlds that are both grounded and transcendent." The Wire
Fusing the ancient and the contemporary
"Connects multiple traditions without diluting any… conjures sound worlds that are both grounded and transcendent." The Wire
About
In Hand to Earth, Yolŋu song keepers Daniel and David Wilfred recontextualise their 40,000 year old song tradition in a resolutely contemporary setting with three of Australia's most distinctive and influential musicians, Sunny Kim (voice) Peter Knight (trumpet/electronics) and Aviva Endean (clarinets/electronics).
The quintet has released three albums, which have won international praise including an ARIA Award nomination, and performed in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in the world including Barbican Centre London, Lincoln Centre New York, Pierre Boulez Saal (Berlin), Jeonju International Sori Festival (Korea), Luxembourg Philharmonie, and Vancouver Jazz Festival.
Daniel sings in the Wägilak language, and is the keeper of Yolŋu Manikay (songs) from North East Arnhem Land that can be traced back for over 40,000 years. His is the oldest continuously practised music tradition in the world. Together with Sunny he sings of the stars, of fire, and of the cooling rain against the drone of David Wilfred's didgeridoo and atmospheres created by Peter Knight and Aviva Endean who draw on the minimalism of Brian Eno and Jon Hassell to create a setting for these beautifully contrasting voices.
News
8–18 July 2026
Hand to Earth and the Australian Chamber Orchestra come together for a creative development residency in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
11 September 2026
Hand to Earth joins forces with an ACO quartet for an intimate, improvisation-fuelled collaboration at ACO On The Pier, Sydney. Fri 11 Sep, 7:00pm.
Book Tickets →
May 2026
Hand to Earth wins the Inspire Award at the 2026 Asia Pacific Arts Awards, recognising the ensemble's cross-cultural contribution to contemporary music.
September 2025
Hand to Earth performs alongside Shabaka Hutchings at one of the world's great concert halls. Watch the full performance online.
Watch →Recognition
Music
FBi Radio Album of the Week. Four stars in Songlines. Featured in The Wire, The Guardian, Salt Peanuts and more.
"This is one of those albums that stays with you long after it's finished playing." — This Is Darkness
Also available
Press
"A moving meditation on belonging, memory, and continuity — this music connects multiple traditions without diluting any."
"It's elemental and visceral, windswept, punctuated with rustles and chitters. It exists in a space outside of time, yet also feels oddly pragmatic."
"Both traditional and experimental vocals blend seamlessly alongside birdcalls, yidaki, bilma, minimalist instrumentation and ethereal electronics. Simply sublime."
"Breathes with the spirit of the land itself — rising and falling, humming softly, a dance where memory and the present fold into one."
"These songlines will keep resonating, blurring, and vibrating in the listener's mind long after this moving, beautiful album ends."
"Ambient electronics and bass drones anchor First Nations singer Daniel Wilfred's yearning vocalisations, producing six moving tracks that reflect on a search for home."
Live
Hand to Earth and Shabaka — Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin, September 2025
Concerts