NZ Musician June/July 2015

VO L . 19

NO.1

J u n e / J u l y 2015

ER WINT

FREE

Qbdjßd!

Nvtjd!Bxbset CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT K.ONE JAKOB ESTHER STEPHENS AND THE MEANS LYSITHEA BILL MORRIS INSTANT FANTASY HEAVY RADIOGLO PRINCESS CHELSEA OPPOSITE SEX BAYKER WELLINGTON CITY SHAKE ’EM ON DOWNERS

Group Review: Five MIDI Controllers

NZ MUSICIAN magazine PO Box 99-315, Newmarket 1149 Auckland New Zealand Phone: (09) 373 2572 Fax: (09) 303 3349 editorial@nzmusician.co.nz

www.nzmusician.co.nz Publisher / Editor: Richard Thorne richard@nzmusician.co.nz

VO L . 19

N O . 1 J u n e / J u l y 2015

24

8

Assistant Editors: Silke Hartung Carl McWilliams editorial@nzmusician.co.nz Advertising: Carl McWilliams Website Contact: web@nzmusician.co.nz Designer: Silke Hartung Pre-Press & Printing: MHP Print Contributors Caitlin Smith, Emily Ford, Poppy Toohill, Jack Woodbury, Tim Hewitt, Finn McLennanElliott, Godfrey de Grut, Martyn Pepperell, Thomas Goss, Karsten Schwardt, Chip Matthews, Jamie McCaskill, David McLaughlin, Sam Carswell, Rob Burns, Trevor Reekie, Amanda Mills, Chloe Cairncross, Campbell Paget, Matt Herrett, Maurice Beckett, Briar Lawry, James Manning, Lisa Crawley, Mark Bell, Kevin Downing, Greta Yeoman, Aleisha Ward, Tim Gruar, Jesse Austin, Huia Hamon, Eddie Dawn-McCurdy, Mohamed Hassan, Ania Glowacz, Chris Dent, Sammy Jay Dawson, John Paul Carroll, Stu Edwards, Michael Hollywood, Alan Brown, Colin Selby NZ Musician magazine is published six times a year.

Available direct by subscription and free through selected outlets.

For advertising or subscription enquiries please contact: editorial@nzmusician.co.nz or phone (09) 373 2572

Contents and design

52

32

14

REGULARS

FEATURES Pacific Music Awards . . .

2

Cairo Knife Fight. . . . . . .

8

K.One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

LESSONS

Finding Your Voice . . . .

6

Fresh Talent. . . . . . . . . .

10

X-Factory . . . . . . . . . . .

13

REVIEWS

Building Blocks . . . . . . .

16

STUDIO: Five MIDI Controllers . .

18

GUITAR: DigiTech Live Harmony . . . . . . . .

52

Esther Stephens And The Means. . . . . . . .

20

Lysithea . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22

Princess Chelsea . . . . . .

24

The Lawful Truth. . . . . .

23

Opposite Sex. . . . . . . . . .

32

Moments Like These. . .

30

Wellington City Shake ’Em On Downers. . . . . . .

39

Fresh Cut . . . . . . . . . . .

34

Bill Morris. . . . . . . . . . . .

42

Postcards From Berlin .

40

Instant Fantasy. . . . . . . .

46

Heavy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48

Out On The Street . . . . .

44

Radioglo . . . . . . . . . . . . .

54

On Foreign Soil . . . . . . .

54

Deep Thinking. . . . . . . .

27

Guitar Cool . . . . . . . . . .

53

Winter once again Footprints long faded Following the path you took – Ghosting, Lysithea p22

COVER

Cydel @ Pacific Music Awards Photograph by Jason Hailes

remain the property of New Zealand Musician.

All rights reserved.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z &

Pacific Music Awards

CELEBRATING TOGETHER Photos: Jason Hailes, Christopher Stott, Murdoch Ngahau

J

uly’s first ever All Black test in Apia will attract a far bigger audience, and long before it is played has already received plenty more media coverage, but it’s hard to imagine a bigger or better night for Pacific music than Auckland’s annual Pacific Music Awards.

Staged inside Manukau’s striking Vodafone Events Centre on Saturday June 13, the 11th Pacific Music Awards saw performances from a variety of the night’s winners and finalists

the night’s big winners proved to be stalwart act Cydel (Pele Nili and Dee Letoa) with three trophies, Smashproof and TJ Taotua with two apiece. Smashproof (Tyree, Deach and Sid Diamond) smashed it with their socially poignant Survivors (featuring Pieter T) winning Best Pacific Song, and its Chris Graham-directed video judged the Best Pacific Music Video.

Singer/guitarist TJ Taotua picked up his first PMA trophies as Best Pacific Gospel Artist and also Best Pacific Male Artist.

“There is a massive opportunity that these awards in the near future could be recognised as the international hub for Pacific artists and music, and I’m very excited about that.” – Pele Nili, Cydel. including Cydel, Team Dynamite, Erakah, TJ Taotua, Sid Diamond, Andrew Faleatua, Maryanne Ito and K. One. There was special tribute paid to Samoan brothers Pene and Amitai Pati and their cousin Moses Mackay, rather better known as operatic trio Sol3 Mio (at the rear above), and a moving Lifetime Achievement tribute to a dozen-odd early Herbs members, acknowledged for their first two albums as pioneers of South Pacific reggae.

Auckland’s Mayor Len Brown has opened proceedings pretty much every year the PMAs have been held in Manukau but was overseas, so the formal welcoming address this year was handled by Councillor Alf Filipaina. MPs Hon Peseta Sam Lotu’iga Carmel Sepuloni, Kris Fa-afoi, Jacinda Adern, Su’a William Sio and Jenny Salesa were among the dignitaries in the audience.

Aside from the two special tribute awards,

EV\Z ' EV\Z '

Veteran urban music duo Cydel have been in the winners’ circle before, back in 2008, but cracked it big time this year with their second album ‘Memoirs Of A Midnight Cowboy’ winning them trophies for being Best Pacific Artist, Best Pacific Group and the night’s big kahuna, the NZ Music Awards’ Tui for Best Pacific Music Album.

Actually, and pardon the cliché, all involved were winners. This is a very different music awards ceremony, a real celebration, and more importantly a family and community-oriented celebration, styled in the loving and sharing nature of the Pacific Island peoples. One of the many nice aspects is that many of the finalist artists literally bring their families, parents and children get to join in, enjoy the show and express their pride. The artists are supportive of each other too, they like the awards and the

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

acknowledgement from the wider community, it means a lot to them.

“We still attend when not nominated as it’s a family night out for us,” confirms Cydel’s Pele Nili (that’s him in the green jacket above). “I constantly encourage especially my non-Poly friends to come along because of the cultural essence they will witness on the night – the warm welcome, hugs galore, the safe family environment – can’t forget the intense humorous shenanigans, and of course the music!

“Celebrating our past and present Pacific artists really should be highlighted as a tourist event to attend because visitors will get an understanding of our way of life in one night.

There is a massive opportunity that these awards in the near future could possibly be recognised as the international hub for Pacific artists and music, and I’m very excited about that.”

Extending the deliberate inclusiveness, this was the second 2015 awards gathering that the finalists (and their families) had attended. Recognising that such events inevitably acknowledge only the few award winners, organisers also stage an earlier finalist announcement ceremony. This April it was held in the theatre of sponsors Manukau Institute of Technology, with Auckland’s mayor there to shake hands and distribute certificates.

Len Brown has long been a prominent supporter of the awards, and a strong advocate in ensuring ongoing Council support, dating back to his time as Mayor of Manukau City.

Indeed he inadvertently (and memorably) brought the PMAs its first real mainstream media coverage, when he suffered a heart attack and collapsed during his opening speech in 2008. It was a moment of drama the organising team remember only too well – but the show must go on as they say, and so it did.

While many of the winners give first thanks to God, not much is sacred in the PMA which

are as much about comic levity as they are honouring the music and musicians. Everyone, it seems, is a comedian – not least the night’s cajoling and unflappably brilliant MC, Yolande Ah Chong. Former Tui winner Kas Futialo (Tha Feelstyle) was one of a hilarious crew of five who provided spoof video inserts from Malosi Pictures ahead of each award. Their DeLoreaninclusive Back To The Future skit that opened proceedings neatly set up the night’s theme of ‘navigating the future’.

14 of the fabulous PMA trophies, designed

by Republik, were presented this year, the evening culminating with the Tui for Best Pacific Album which Cydel proudly took home.

Pele Nili’s off the cuff acceptance speech was fittingly sincere and impressively honest.

“This is probably the greatest day of my life,” he opened, before sketching his own story of poverty, primary school bullying, living in women’s refuge at 10 and going on to being a troubled teenager in the ’90s. (“The most horrific times of my life, but also the most exciting…”) All the while he was writing songs as his own way of coping and escaping.

“I’m gonna say, yes, I deserve this one”, Nili finished to generous applause.

It’s been more than a decade now since the Pacific Music Tui was presented at the main NZ Music Awards ceremony. Back in 2004 RIANZ (since rebranded as Recorded Music NZ) moved to shift a bunch of less TV-friendly genre awards ‘off-site’, looking to find other venues for the presentation of Tuis for country, jazz, folk and Pacific music.

The three genre-based Tui awards have since been presented at established annual festivals held throughout the year – folk in January at the Auckland Folk Festival, jazz over Easter within Tauranga’s annual National Jazz Festival and the country Tui as part of Gore’s week-long NZ Gold Guitar Awards, which coincide annually with Queen’s Birthday weekend.

RIANZ encouraged the Pacific community to consider establishing their own awards and prominent Pacific Islanders within the NZ music industry were first sounded out before a committee was established to consider options.

The first event was presented from an outdoor stage in March 2005 as part of the opening night of Auckland’s famous summer Pasifika Festival.

Tha Feelstyle won three awards that year.

Then an APRA employee, Petrina Togi-Sa’ena was a member of that original comittee, and went on to become a founding trustee of the Pacific Music Awards Trust, which has since organised and staged the annual event.

“It was alright, but we were tagging onto someone else’s event and so the Council and a number of others helped us to move to the venue in Manukau in 2006. There was a lot of discussion, but once it was done there was a sense it was a good thing, and there were enough elements for it to be its own event.

A Samoan/New Zealander, Togi-Sa’ena is quietly spoken and delightfully humble, way too polite to stir things up.

“There is still feeling today about the level of Pacific music representation at the NZMAs. I still have conversations with some artists who don’t like the separation and want the Tui to be part of the main awards, so I don’t think the conversation has gone away.

“The two things that RIANZ said in the day was that those awards didn’t get any pick up by media because there were so many awards.

And I agree that we can provide a highlight on Pacific artists and music by being a separate event, at a different time of the year. There are still a contingent who do well at the NZMAs, but the extra we can add is in the language artists and the more traditional side, which wouldn’t ever fit with those awards.”

She recalls that the Maori Album Tui was also to be ‘shifted out’ at the same time, but that never happened. The irony not lost on her.

“I guess we [Pacific Islanders] are a bit more easy going and so accepted the decision and went with it. RIANZ also said they had too many awards and were trying to trim the programme, and then a year later they added all these new categories!”

Things became more formalised in 2007 with the establishment of the Pacific

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&* COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Music Awards Trust to run the event, secure sponsorship and manage the budget. Three original members; Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua (chairman), Sina Wendt-Moore and Togi-Sa’ena remain as current trustees. Wendt-Moore (pictured speaking below with her fellow trustees behind) was then at Pacific Media Network and these days works with Leadership New Zealand.

Rev Strickson-Pua is a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ, and has been closely associated with our music industry since the 1990s. His son Feleti Strickson-Pua came to public attention with Nesian Mystik but had a long prior musical history including in bands Fa’atasi, Fresh Dialects, EPR and Bowtie Clique alongside various cousins. Strickson-Pua and his wife Linda acted as supportive parents.

“We became involved with creating career pathways, scholarships, small business initiatives, intellectual property rights etc. to assist our families, communities and nations. So over time we were very active and supportive hence when PMA came along we were invited to be part of the kaupapa, thus the mahi.”

Sadly their fellow founding trustee Tom Etuata died two years ago, and Noma Sio has stepped down to avoid any conflict of interest when her husband became a nominated artist.

Presently then there are only three, though new trustees are expected to be formalised later in the year.

“We also have had a consultation advisory board,” explains Togi-Sa’ena, “because that is the thing within Pacific communities – we need to include a variety of opinions. And we do have a number of artists and labels who want to be contribute, but don’t necessarily want to be a [unpaid] trustee. That group is our sounding board – labels, artists, media, business people and so on.”

Last year the Trust staged the 10th anniversary of the standalone PMAs, a truly celebratory occasion. It meant a big step up in moving to the 1200-seat main arena of the Vodafone Events Centre – up until then the awards had been held in the Manukau complex’s Genesis Theatre, which can hold about 700. The plan was to return to the smaller space for 2015 but ‘public pressure’ obliged a rethink.

“Everyone is saying we can’t go back!”

Togi-Sa’ena laughs. “It’s just hard because we have limited resources and budget, and have

EV\Z ( EV\Z (

to manage those. And for us to get a bigger audience in is a challenge too.”

The event is entirely reliant on sponsorship.

Daunting enough at the $60 to $70,000 it consumed in the early years, the production budget has now risen to double that amount, but struggles to keep up with ever increasing costs and quality expectations, further exacerbated by the move to the main arena.

There is by now an extensive ‘family of sponsors’, though not all provide funding.

Among those lending their support from the beginning were the music organisations APRA, RIANZ and the NZ Music Commission, plus the then-Manukau, now-Auckland Council.

The vital naming rights sponsor position has proven rather more problematic with few relevant organisations being able to sustain such an investment for long. Even the most enduring such relationship has been challenged by wider economics.

“That has been hard for us because you do need that high level support. The good one we had was with Pacific Blue,” recalls Togi-Sa’ena.

“Then it was Polynesian Blue, but then they rebranded to Virgin Samoa and so left because of the brand alignment. They are back in again this year as Virgin Australia.”

When Vodafone took over Telstra-Clear the telco also took on branding of the Manukau stadium. Long time backers on the NZ Music Awards, the brand agreed to become the naming right sponsor for the PMA’s 10th celebration. It’s still a ‘trial’ with no future guarantee, but the event was again branded as the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards this year.

Of course mainstream television coverage is still the outcome most coveted by investing sponsors, but remains one of the hardest outcomes for the PMAs to ensure.

Tagata Pasifika have filmed the event each year for broadcast on their TVNZ weekend show, the first few just a highlights package, growing to a half-hour show and for the last few years a one-hour special. They have also been doing AV presentations for the night.

Structural changes at TVNZ mean that 2015 is the first year with the Tagata Pasifika team no longer an in-house production unit, however the status quo has been maintained with the ceremony still broadcast on the TV One show this June. It’s unknown if further changes will occur next year that might make things harder still.

“It has already impacted on the award finances as they could no longer allocate a budget to it this year,” concedes Togi-Sa’ena.

“Tagata Pasifika will be screening the full live performances over summer and they also do live broadcasting online. This will be our third year of live streaming and that’s been a cool thing for us.”

Another notable value-add with Tagata Pasifika’s involvement has been in having the TV show re-broadcast in the Pacific Islands.That quite possibly catalysed the addition of an International category to the ceremony last year. Togi-Sa’ena says it was artists’ pressure that stimulated the new award introduction – Australian acts in particular asking to be included.

“The internationals can only enter that one category. We had set it up with the same criteria

EV\Z )

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

as the NZMA’s, so it is a NZ-resident focused event, but then we felt it was a shame to be turning these others down.”

Describing entry numbers for the Best International Pacific Artist as static with three finalists this year, she admits they have a bit more promotion to do on that. Hawaii-based Samoan/Japanese singer Maryanne Ito performed and proved a popular winner.

There are regular requests to add more categories and awards, a ‘producer’ category being one common suggestion, but with a show that touches three hours the feeling is that the limit has already been reached. And it’s not simply time but the associated costs – trophies, AV, more people, more judging, all requiring more sponsorship.

Aside from recognising the various musical genres, there is of course, also issues created by the one ceremony needing to include elements from seven Polynesian islands; Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Fiji, Tokelau and Tuvalu, as best as it can. Samoan artists almost inevitably dominate. As Togi-Sa’ena points out, they have no control over the list of finalists (which is determined by a secret panel, numbering up to 20, of artists, producers radio DJs and so on), and numerically Samoans are predominant among the NZ population. Performance opportunities are carefully allocated to avoid challenges of bias, and similar care is needed in terms of VIP guests in order to ensure even-handed representation.

Ground-breaking south Auckland producer and musician Phil Fuemana is remembered annually with the presentation of the Phillip Fuemana Most Promising Pacific Artist Award.

Past winners have included Matthew Salapu Faiumu, Sweet & Irie and Cilla, with this year’s trophy going to the sweet-voiced Donell Lewis.

This year’s 11th outing of the PMA took the theme of ‘navigating the future’. Rev Strickson-Pua explains the message.

“We are looking to celebrate and nurture the new era and generation of Pacific music.

This was also reflected in our 2015 finalist list, with our largest number of total finalists, and also highest number (close to half ) of first time finalists. And given we celebrated 10 years last year, 2015 is about looking to the future, a new decade and the new era of music.

“The metaphor of navigating through the oceans of life’s struggles towards our future is pertinent given the large numbers of first time nominees, which also reflects the strength and foundations of previous successful winners.”

Despite the conspicuous growth, wider spread and increased professionalism of the awards ceremony, the aspirations haven’t really changed according to Togi-Sa’ena.

“The core mission for the Trust really remains the same, to celebrate Pacific music and our artists. The big thing for us going forward would be to add in some professional development and further opportunities for artists beyond the event. For instance to be more of a contact point for others and source of opportunity. We literally have money to run the awards and so we’d have to seek more funding for anything like that.”

In fact by many measures there is already

“The PMAs are always a really joyous and heartwarming event, and I know winning a PMA is an incredible honour for the artists that I have worked with. Ultimately that is what counts – giving our Pacific artists the recognition they so richly deserve.”– Adam Holt, chairman, Universal NZ insufficient money to run the PMAs. As well as being a trustee Togi-Sa’ena has the role of production manager, though she is shy about claiming the actual title of ‘director’.

“I put the show together and we have a production team that do all the technical side of it. We are blessed with heaps of great artists, great songs, great music so we’ve always got a really good show.”

Until September last year she was also holding down the fulltime role of Member Services Manager at APRA-AMCOS, leaving her with evenings and weekends to work on the PMAs. She had been part of the organisation for 20 years. Togi-Sa’ena is hopeful that her various other activities in the music industry, which include a partnership with Te Awanui Reeder (Awa) in Soulnote Agency, will mean she can avoid returning to a 40-hour week, begging the question, isn’t she getting paid by the Trust?

‘Umm. Officially I get paid a fee but it will vary, and as I manage the budget, when things need to flex… my [wage] goes first.

Which everyone tells me off for,” she laughs self-admonishingly, “but that’s the reality of what has to happen. We are working on it and that’s one of my big reasons for leaving APRA, so that I could give this more time – to build up the trustees, work on the advisory board and secure more permanent sponsors to help in the running of it.”

She describes feeling like a bit of a domino at times, but is being wholly candid when she says that she loves the artists and loves the award events. It’s a sentiment shared by Strickson-Pua. “Pacific music’s roots in NZ date back nearly 100 years. Pacific music has played a hugely influential role in the NZ music scene and industry and the Pacific Music Awards has a proud tradition of championing the tupulaga – the new generation of artists coming through.

It’s fantastic to see this rich cultural genre continuing to grow with an array of new talent alongside our more established musicians.”

For Togi-Sa’ena the focus for this new decade will be on providing more professional development, encouraging up and coming artists. She sees the trust is an important source information, support and advice about the industry.

“Petrina correctly notes the kaupapa of spiritual, cultural and political praxis,” agrees Strickson-Pua. “It’s also about our aroha, our alofa, our agape to our Pacific artists, our families, our communities and nations, balanced with our cultural and professional commitment to our music industry and Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Pacific music draws one of its strengths

from our strong oratory and performance traditions. We also have that unique musical role of being supporter, educator and mentor.”

Adam Holt, chairman of Universal NZ, served on the awards committee in the first couple of years and says the team had to really fight to get it to a level where it could be sustainable.

“Finding a home for the awards and getting funding was a real challenge, but there was a spirit and a fierce desire to recognise the incredible contribution the Pasifika has made

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

to NZ music. I think it was this spirit and dogged determination from the committee that helped get the awards to where they are today, and I give full credit and enormous respect to Petrina and the PMA committee for what they have achieved.”

U"3J>J3Oj`J3"l"_7`YS_BYPp

EV\Z *

GJOEJOH ZPVS WPJDF with Caitlin Smith

Fray Zing...

Or How To Get The Em-PHA-Sis Right

I

believe the most important element of phrasing is feeling: feeling the pulse, feeling into the ‘one’ to sing (swing) around it, feeling the sentiment and meaning, feeling as it subconsciously informs our breathing, and feeling into the contours of the melody and the effect of the song’s harmonic foundations.

Phrasing is something that, if done well, will be completely unnoticeable. If a singer’s phrasing is out of whack, forced, unnatural or jerky… it’s very obvious. No matter how good the tone or pitch, there’s an awkwardness, a disconnectedness, a tension. Bad phrasing sounds rigid, nonsensical, robotic and soul-less. With good phrasing you completely understand and lyrics and are moved by the emotion of the song (just as the singer is).There’s more syncopation, flexibility, honesty, swing.

Phrasing is inextricably linked with breathing. Long, smooth (legato) phrases will calm and soothe both singer and listener.

Short chopped-up phrases and words will have the opposite effect – and sometimes this is exactly what the subject material requires. In Paul Brady’s The Island verses have split phrases “they say the…. skies of Lebanon are burning / there’s mighty…. cedars bleeding in the heat” replicating anxious breathing and mirroring horrific subject material. In the chorus however, “I want to take you to the Island / and trace your footprints in the sand,” are long, seductive and comforting phrases as the emotion shifts.

When we speak fluently in our mother tongue, phrases tend to be long and the sound continuous.

Listen to people speaking in a language you don’t know. Notice how fast they can talk and how they don’t seem to come up for air? Conversely, notice how many uncomfortable and frustrating gaps occur when you’re speaking a language you’re not fluent in.

Each word is deliberate and the flow and meaning are frequently lost. This demands a great deal of

EV\Z +

patience from the listener.

When we sing we falsely presume that more breath is used than in speech. Not so. Secondly, we tend to pre-emptively panic and become insecure about our breathing (due to this supposed dependence on air), so taking sneaky little alcoholic breaths in the middle of a phrase… sometimes even in the middle of a word! We don’t need to do this (and it sounds like a choir of six year olds singing “A… maaaay… (inhale) zing graaaace”.

See how much of a song you can sing in one breath (I can, for example, usually get to ‘I once was lost…’ in Amazing Grace) and, how much you can speak before you absolutely need to inhale. John Campbell is the sensei master at this.

You sound more like John as you keep talking past the point where you wanted to inhale. This is (sadly rather now, was) no doubt due to his enthusiasm for the topics he wholeheartedly communicates.

Natural phrasing means being as speech-like as possible. It helps to read your lyrics aloud, as if you were reciting poetry. This way we can discern: the most important words (to emphasise, accent and lean into); the pace and meter of the phrase (fast or slow and drawn out); the contour of the phrase (e.g. questions tend to inflect upwards at the end); and the rhythm of delivery (long or short note durations). There’s a melody in every spoken phrase and there’s also a rhythm to it.

Because we sing a written melody we still have tone, timbre and rhythm to play with.

The ONLY way to find out where to breathe, or how to phrase, is to sing the song… repeatedly! Ever sung karaoke when you don’t know the song?

There’s no indication from seeing the words on screen as to when/ how they should be sung/phrased.

Furthermore, you can learn a song inflection by inflection as it is sung by the original artist (or cover), but your own phrasing allows

you to really get inside the story/ narrative.

Phrasing has its own body language.

Body language supposedly constitutes the bulk of communication. Stable ‘front foot’ phrasing stresses the first beat of the bar to denote surety (as with children’s music). Unstable ‘back foot’ phrasing that starts on unstressed beats, gives a feel of confusion/unsettledness. Observe Don McGlashan’s Anchor Me with its rolling ‘lost at sea’ verses contrasting with the more certain anchored emphasis on the ‘one’ in the choruses.

In jazz, phrasing is the first thing we play with. I don’t think I’ve ever

distrust in our sense of rhythm, we destabilise ourselves into not knowing where to come in or how to phrase the lyric. Listen rather than impose. Don’t kill a song by losing its pulse, but don’t let defensiveness freeze you up and over-intellectualise the process either. Bow down in reverence, surrender and humility to the pulse. Feel the one! Walk and sing. Allow your footsteps to provide a click track. Practice to a metronome. (Some people find they distract themselves by externalising the beat with tapping or finger clicking… find what’s best for you.) See the bar lines as a jungle gym you play

You can learn a song inflection by inflection as it is sung by the original artist, but your own phrasing allows you to really get inside the story/narrative. sung a song the same way twice.

We free-up the phrasing not only to personalise, but as a ‘first step’ in learning how to scat. (First play with the rhythm or the words but stick with the melody, then start playing with the melody, remove the words and… shazam! You’re scatting.)

Lean into/give more weight to/accent the most important word(s) in each phrase. Repeatedly speaking the lines for maximal meaning will show you which words are worthy of highlighting.

Accordingly, the rest of the phrase will fall around the important words like folds of fabric on a well draped toga. It’s just as important to not stress an unimportant word as it is to give the important words their glory. (In Cohen’s Famous Blue Raincoat the important words fall on the first beat of the bar. You can strip it back to just being the telegram/haiku version; ‘Four… morning… End… December…’ etc.) Experiment with starting phrases in different parts of the bar. Extend endings too.

Due to apprehension, or

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

around – the stronger your sense of the ‘one’, the more body weight it can support – the more fun.

Playing with phrasing without feeling the ‘one’ is like building a house on liquefaction.

As a rule of thumb, it’s better to be behind the beat than ahead.

We have all the time in the world, just as we can talk really fast. Bill Withers uses two bars in one verse that he sings five syllables over, in the next verse, the same two bars fit 16 syllables, easily. You’ve got wiggle room but needn’t take so many liberties that the song is compromised – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

As songwriters, try not to let clunky phrasing ossify. Iron out the phrasing of a song well before you record, or gig. If you’ve always sung it with dodgy unnatural phrasing, you’ll need enough rote learning practice of the ‘new’ good phrasing to rewrite over the ‘old’ program in order that it becomes second nature. www.facebook.com/caitlinsmithmusic Twitter @BraveCaitlin Caitlin@caitlinsmith.com

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z ,

Cairo Knife Fight

The Band With No

Talking up the ‘Cairo Knife Fight II’ EP back in NZM’s August/September 2011 issue, Nick Gaffaney had this to say to writer Mark Bell. “I think there’s a strong chemistry between Aaron and I that neither of us understand, or even really try to understand. Because we’re extraordinarily different people, we come from opposite ends of the earth really in terms of our upbringing, our lifestyles and attitudes to things, but musically there’s a connection – that we both want exactly the same thing out of the music – and that’s quite rare to find.” Or maybe not… Richard Thorne caught up with the virtuoso Kiwi rock drummer to talk about an EP (‘Isolator’) and album (‘Colossus’) he wrote and recorded with Tokona, and is now touring with new American Fight-partner, highly credentialed LA guitarist George Pajon Jr.

N

Z fans can be forgiven for thinking that Nick Gaffaney’s music vehicle Cairo Knife Fight would never sound (or look) as good as it did when he shared the stage with former Weta guitarist Aaron Tokona. What a marriage made in Kiwi industrial-rock heaven that was, the high intensity tummy rub/head pat-defying drumming of long-haired Gaffaney, alongside the grunty, furious electric guitar of one of our most natural rock lead players. Two men making enough noise for at least four, no hangers-on needed, or wanted.

No doubt many were disappointed when it became apparent that the duo had split. Tokona started appearing in a variety of local projects during 2014 while Gaffaney was mostly absent,

EV\Z -

having hightailed it the States to write with others and reconsider his band’s future.

It could easily have been a long hiatus, or led to the forming of another interim Cairo Knife Fight combo, but the musical gods evidently had other plans. Within weeks of arriving in LA he had hooked up with George Pajon Jr., formerly guitarist and sometime co-writer with will-i–am of the Black Eyed Peas.

Now aged 46, Pajon’s contribution to the wildly successful hip hop/pop act dates back to their second album, ‘Bridging The Gap’, released in 2000. The hook up seems to still surprise him since he grew up listening to the likes of Iron Maiden and Sabbath.

“I never bought a hip hop record in my life, that wasn’t my relationship with Will. I’ve always been a rock’n roll guy. When Will and I met, to that point he was only using hardcore jazz guitar players, which is the sound of the first record. That record didn’t sell anything, so for the next album he was looking to expand his musical vocabulary, and literally our writing started with him asking me a simple question; ‘Do you know how to play Hotel California?’

“That’s how our relationship started, and he went out and bought literally two or 300 rock records, and would ask me if I could play stuff like that. So that was my voice in that band, and I think that was the unique relationship – there was stuff on those records that wasn’t supposed to be there. I was adding stuff that other hip hop groups weren’t doing because that wasn’t my background.

“When the Peas ended on November 23, 2011 I was done playing that kind of music and wanted to go back to my roots.”

In April 2013 Gaffaney was awarded an APRA Professional Development Award (PDA), receiving $12,000 cash to spend on personal development, such as co-writing overseas, further education and the like. It gave him the opportunity to check out LA the following year, a destination his wife was also keen on.

Recording for what was to become ‘Colossus’ was by then already well in train, indeed he and Tokona had felt it was finished in March 2014, when they were in New York mixing with fellow Kiwi Justyn Pilbrow. Subsequent to that the pair talked more about the album’s future, realising there were going to be problems ahead.

“Aaron has a life heading in a different

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Face

direction. His daughter was about to turn 13 and he was needing to be around more, and I was looking to do a lot more travel. When you are forming a band and you are over 30 it’s a different vibe than when you are 19 or 20. Plus he had his own musical ambitions he wanted to focus on as well. I loved writing with him and he is behind this version of the band 100%.

There was no acrimony, there never was, it’s just circumstances.”

Arriving in LA mid-2014 Gaffaney bedded down on the couch of some ex-Auckland music mates Neil Baldock and Ben Knapp, who just happened to be living in the building where Pajon has his own studio. Indeed Pajon had arranged the space for the NZ pair who he had

met previously while recording at Roundhead.

A month later Gaffaney joined them, literally landing in Pajon’s back yard.

“When we met our lives were basically in the same place,” Pajon says. “He’d moved to a whole new place and I was also starting over. I had a project with another singer I was trying to push [Sons of Mariel] and I ran out of money, and just didn’t feel we could have a long term relationship – and that’s when we met.

“I’d told my wife that I needed to find someone who had their own vision. You need to see the end game, 10 years from now. I’ve noticed that in successful people – Will can see 20 years from now.”

Evidently impressed by Gaffaney, Pajon says he stayed up until 4am watching every CKF video he could find.

“I played it for my wife and she said, ‘That’s it, that’s the direction you need to go. You can add to that.’”

The pair soon got together in Pajon’s dojo studio, the chemistry was evident and a new model CKF was born. Simple.

Well, not really so simple, since there was the matter of the already-recorded Aaron Tokona-model album. Oh, and a subsequently recorded EP called ‘Isolator’, planned for release in NZ at the end of January this year.

The EP included explosive single Rezlord, for which video director Karl Lear made one of the most sizzlingly sexual videos that NZ On Air is ever likely to fund. The single and video came out in August last year, making no visible impression on the local charts. Perhaps CKF’s most commercial-sounding track to date, Rezlord also stands out as a highlight of ‘Colossus’, released just four months after the EP. Gaffaney agrees the idea of first dropping an EP, then an album just months later, seemed a strange one when he first heard about it.

The plan came, he says, from Warner NZ, who the band’s Melbourne-based Australia/ NZ manager Tom Larkin had secured the album recording deal with.

“It’s something that Tom said Shihad has done as well. Looking back on it now it was a really good idea. I think the fans that wanted music got their appetite whetted by that.”

Unsurprisingly recording the EP after the album led to some rethinking.

“We thought the album was finished before we did the EP, but in fact it wasn’t, we went back and did more afterwards. Mainly remixing and some re-recording, of vocals in particular.”

Gaffaney says he elected to leave it with Tom Larkin to make the decision whether any tracks on the EP should be added to the album.

“I didn’t have any perspective anymore, so I left it in his hands. And now I can hear the difference. The EP has immediacy and kind of a beauty to it, but the record feels crafted to me.

Not to pretend that I wouldn’t change anything on it, but overall I’m extremely happy with it.”

And what of the public response to Rezlord, and the changing CKF dynamic for that matter?

“You’d be an idiot to make songs like this and expect the same result that someone like Royal

Blood does. This music is a continuum of the ambition that the band started with. If you don’t get the result you can’t blame anyone else.

“Things take longer or shorter than you expect. I tend to think more about the music and the art of it than I do about the career of it, which isn’t necessarily as helpful as it might be. I see where this will end up sounding, I’ve always known what I want to achieve with it, now it’s just a matter of lining up all the dots.”

On the way to play three NZ gigs in support of the album’s May launch, the new CKF duo joined the tour bus of Aussie progressive rock act Karnivool, playing 17 support gigs across the continent. Gaffaney says the tour has been helpful in the dot-lining respect.

“Their fans are notoriously ruthless on support acts, but I didn’t know that and we were getting nothing but love every night.

Four or five nights in I was talking to one of the Karnivool boys about it and he said the response that we were getting was extraordinary. So it made me think that maybe that is an area of the musical world that could work for us, because their audience was indulgent in allowing the length of songs, the twists and turns in expressing what we try to. Rather than, say when we go on the road with Shihad. Their fans are song-based, and while they didn’t hate us, they didn’t necessarily like it either.

“With Karnivool the fans were all in – they were feeling the vibe from the stage, and that comes from them being a Tool-esque kind of band. I’d be happy for the rest of my life to play the sort of places they are playing and do what they are doing. If we could get to the point of playing to 2000 a people a night, who want to listen to you play an eight-minute song, that would be fine. I liked their fans.”

It’s surely a measure of his commitment to the CKF cause. While both are keen to get into his LA studio and write together, he sees merit in playing out the newly released album first.

“By us playing it, it’s a natural progression, I get to put my voice to that era of the band and then we can move to the next stage naturally.

It’s important for me to understand, play and learn that stuff. [Besides] in America no one has heard any of this stuff, so why spend the time writing and recording new stuff when we can just start playing?”

The duo’s public performances only began in March with half a dozen gigs at SXSW in Texas.

Pajon has played the festival many times before and sees it as a very important festival within the industry in America. For Gaffaney it was his second SXSW. He was there in 2012 and says the growth in scale since is marked. They had gigs upstairs and downstairs, and in a container bar.

It rained and there was mud everywhere.

“It is a huge festival now, and they’re trying to cram more into that little city. Maybe I’m just getting too old for lugging all that gear around too.”

“I personally thought it was important for us to do it,” adds Pajon. “I wanted to see what the limitations of this band are. It was important for me to see what the reaction was to this band at South-by, and it was amazing.”

CKF currently have nothing doing deal-wise outside of Australasia, and while Gaffaney confesses to caring little about such things, Pajon is a fan of being with labels.

“They want you to get traction there first. I think everything will fall into place organically, just because of the kind of reaction we’ve been getting from every single show, it’s gonna happen the same way. That’s gonna translate,

“I think everything will fall into place organically, just because of the kind of reaction we’ve been getting from every single show. That’s gonna translate.” – George Pajon Jr. You’d reasonably guess that someone who has spent a decade playing the kind of international rooms and stadiums the Black Eyed Peas filled would see things differently, but Pajon is both sanguine and realistic.

“I don’t know how this band will end up.

I’d be cool with spending the rest of my life playing House of Blues-size venues. I don’t need the success of the Peas. If it comes, great, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to play the music we love, with a passion, and see it translate.”

Anyone who caught one of their NZ album launch gigs, in rooms as small as Auckland’s Whammy Bar, will attest to the fact that the guy is one freaky guitarist. The sounds (including bass solos) he squeezes out of his down-tuned gats and busy (but not over-the-top) pedal board are startling, and his pleasure in being on a tiny sweat-soaked stage, making just as much noise as they possibly can, absolutely evident.

Almost as incredible is Pajon’s willingness to continue playing songs that he had no hand in writing, rather following Aaron Tokona’s parts.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

and if you are patient enough you will get a much better reaction. And absolutely you have to go through a label if you want to reach the masses.”

Always frenetically busy on stage drumming, looping and triggering various other sounds, it’s only been recently that Gaffaney has realised the importance of his singing role.

“I’d never considered myself a singer and now with this band, especially live, I’ve realised that the vocals have to be a lot more important and that I have enough breath to be able to sing.”

Like any new couple they seem to be enjoying learning about each other, and figuring out their band’s possible place in the world.

“I don’t think we’ve got to the nub of the duo thing yet,” says Gaffaney, “it’s still developing.”

The White Stripes, Black Keys and Royal Blood have won over the world as rock duos.

Just maybe this is the version of Cairo Knife Fight that will go the distance.

3"J_SLPJ>9>JBGgY3SO

EV\Z .

GSFTI UBMFOU 8LI 1SSXW

Photo: Sophie Miya-Smith

W

hen The Moots turned up to a recent bFM studio session, drummer Alexandre ‘Zander’ de Reuck found he had nothing to play his drums with. Musical improvisation was needed.

“I forgot my sticks, so I grabbed some [tree] sticks from outside. And it totally worked,” he says. “We had to mute my snare with a towel and we had to try and even out the sound.”

Cue laughter. Gabriel Everett (vocals and guitar), Guy Beca (bass) and Zander have been together for around six years, since the good friends met through the School of Rock, an Auckland band mentoring programme.

They’re now 18- and 19-year olds, with two Smokefreerockquests (including placing second in 2013), several gigs and a debut EP, under their belt. Released in November 2014, the self-produced and self-titled EP took three days of recording at The Lab and The Depot studios, with sound engineer Dave Rhodes.

“The purpose of the EP was to have some material available, that can be used for whatever opportunity that came our way,” Gabriel says.

It is trickled with hints of a relationship breakdown, as in Nothing Has

Changed. ‘We broke up long ago and I moved on because nothing has changed, you’re still the same.’ But Gabriel insists the songs have more meaning to them, dealing with themes like politics, disenfranchisement, religion and substance abuse.

“I figured it was quite funny to write about relationships and love and heartbreak, but that’s not actually what the songs are about. The songs came together as a question of society and culture. We self-titled the EP and it kind of worked out that all the songs are moot points, they’re subject to question and debate.”

While pushing the EP, the guys’ real focus is on their live presence.

Broken windows and body parts are the norm for a Moots crowd, and Gabriel says he loves it when the fans give back some of the energy.

“A lot of our stuff live is driven by the bass and drums. I’m quite hectic and all over the place, so sometimes my guitar doesn’t quite line up, or I decide to stop playing because I jump off stage and put the mic in the crowd.”

“Don’t forget soaking your guitar in blood,”Zander reminds him,prompting the revelation from Gabriel that he has a guitar that’s out to get him.

“Every gig I play, this scar forms on my finger and it just slices open and blood goes everywhere. It helps that the guitar is white, so by the end of the gig it’s usually red.”

The Moots have a largely underage following, and Gabriel says because there weren’t many all-age gigs back in their day they’re doing their best to contribute to the youth scene now.

“The main reason we put on underage gigs is for inclusion and because there wasn’t anything like that before,” he says. “Now, everyone’s keen on going to an underage gig and hanging out with bands their mates are in. Pubs and bars are quite dingy, and it’s just not our vibe.”

lllYgG9OSSg`Y3SO s %MILY &ORD

'MEVER 1G1IIOIR

C

iaran McMeeken came out of rural north Otago, without a musician in the family, so it took a while for him to find music.

“It’s funny, growing up in Arrowtown there’s all this sport and rugby, and I went to intermediate and had to learn an instrument.”

He picked the drums, got put in a class with a bassist and a guitarist, and formed a band.

“I learnt basically everything, and was introduced to a whole bunch of music, by this guitarist.

He introduced me to The Who, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. My parents brought me a little guitar and it just started from there. I’d never played on my own until recently. ” McMeeken released a fantastic debut EP, ‘The Valley’, in December 2014.

He has a sound that borders on pop, bringing with it influences from his youth and touches of folk. Before the EP’s release, he was living in Dunedin.

“I had the best time in Dunedin. It was good for hunkering in and working on your thing, not having to worry about travel or rent prices.

Spent a year and a half working on songs, getting myself to a point where I can live and work as a musician, play regular gigs every week.

“I’ve come from being absolutely paralysed with fear about playing music. I didn’t used to perform because I’d get physically sick. It’s literally just time on stage where I got to this point.”

He worked on ‘The Valley’ with producer Timothy Greenslade.

EV\Z &%

“Tim is naturally a hip hop producer which was an interesting collaboration. I was doing a lot of loop work. In terms of recording we kept it pretty simple. We went down to this farmhouse in the middle of the wops, where I’d written a lot of the songs. We were limited to what we had, which was quite cool.”

This place, below Gore, in the middle of nowhere, influenced McMeeken’s writing and they sought to capture a sense of it on the EP’s title track.

“We emulated what it would have been like if I’d been standing up on one of the mountains and singing out across the valley. We got quite clever with how we used the reverb, it only kicks in after the words have been spoken.”

Moving up to Auckland McMeeken began working with Greg Haver on a second EP. Spending a week in Takapuna’s Bassment rehearsal rooms they did the bulk of the recording. A release date has yet to be set.

“The main reason I wanted to work with Greg was his work on Opshop’s ‘Secondary Planet’. I absolutely loved that album when it came out. I got one of those feelings, gut feelings, that this was the way to go.”

There is a bigger sound to the new recording, noticeable in the latest single Accelerate that earned McMeeken NZ On Air video funding.

“The songs were calling for a bit more. It’s exciting, I do like that there’s a change between the two recordings, and I’d like to think that will continue with each new one.

“I still get nervous, but nerves and excitement are the same thing, so it’s just acknowledging that it is excitement. It’s just about learning to feed off that and really embrace it. This is what this year’s about, just honing in on that live performance, playing as much as I can and being really open when I’m on stage.”

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

e>"39,SSLY3SOd3J"_"PO3O99L9P

s &INN -C,ENNAN %LLIOTT

'SVEP

“A

pparently I came out screaming and was singing before I could talk,” says Coral Pitcher, smiling broadly as she talks about the early stages of her love for music and performing.

While not particularly enjoying learning classical guitar through school, at the same time, she turned to the internet at age eight to learn guitar.

A talent for songwriting soon followed, beginning at 14. Her mother Emmeline Pitcher, who is a seasoned singer and performer herself, continues to provide a strong musical influence.

“Growing up around musicians and in the industry I was always encouraged to follow my dreams, and because of the opportunities that arose through my mum it worked out that I was able to,” Coral reflects.

Remaining based in Hamilton where she was born and raised, the past couple of years have seen Coral travel the length of NZ, quickly garnering attention and establishing a dedicated fan base on the strength of her live shows alone.

Considering her most recent successes, which include raising over $2500 last year for the recording and release of her debut acoustic EP, ‘Don’t Forget To Look At The Beautiful’, and more recent winning of The Audience’s WildCard Making Tracks Grant from NZ On Air in April with her song Shooting You Up, Coral is well aware her fans are the ones who’ve helped get her this far.

“I had a lot of support behind both of these campaigns, everyone was just incredible! From my friends to my family around NZ, they’ve all really helped this next part of my musical journey which I am so thankful for!”

Shooting You Up is a song about love addiction and falling for somebody that you maybe shouldn’t be falling for, she explains.

“It’s really about coming out on the other side and realising that it’s an unhealthy relationship, which I’m sure everyone can relate to!”

The single will be officially released in July with a video to follow.

“My mother and I worked together on a story for the video, which visually explains and is kind of a metaphor for what the song is really about.”

Also currently busy working on her first fully produced EP, titled ‘Living On The Moon’, at Porch Studios, just outside of Hamilton.

“It’s been a lot of work!” Coral beams.

Producing the majority of the songs on the new EP herself, with the creative help from a few friends and numerous session musicians, the songs are collectively written with her mother, who she refers to as “the queen of lyrics”.

A national tour is planned to follow the EP’s release early next year, with the longer goal being to be included on the world’s festival circuits.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

>"39,SSLY3SOd3S_"M`Oj`J3 s 0OPPY 4OOHILL

EV\Z &&

1MG\MPP

R

appers who eschew the image are few and far between, yet Auckland’s fresh-voiced MiCXill is brightly making his way down such an unadorned path, with the release of his new debut ‘Granite’ EP. Perhaps a result of having been exposed to the genre during a brief stint in LA from the ages of one to six, Michael Sapolu says he has

always been immersed in rap.

“I was always interested in cyphers and freestyles from rappers like Canibus, and stuff like Immortal Technique, ’cause of the political thing.

The lyrics in stuff like Jedi Mind Tricks, and overall for rappers like Eminem.

I’ve always been amazed by their talent and expression.”

It’s unsurprising then that after returning to NZ he began rapping, at the young age of 10.

“I always listened to rap so I thought I’d try my hand at it,” recalls MiCXill. “I was absolutely terrible, but went from busting freestyles and rapping to battling other people. A couple of years back, in high school, I don’t wanna boast, but I was quite the monstrous freestyler! I’ve always been hungry and ready to go… so the songwriting came about in high school too. It’s all up in my head, I just have to get it down.”

Micxill is pronounced ‘Mike’s ill’.

“My real name is Michael – pretty common name for a pretty ordinary guy. I figured that if there was a rap version for that name it would surely

be ‘Micxill’. Essentially it’s just a shorter way of saying is ‘Michael is ill’ or ‘dope’ – that’s some generic street chat for you, haha. In this instance Michael is ‘ill’ at the rap game.”

Despite always being keen on developing a career in music, MiCXill stepped aside for a time, due to family’s wishes, studying at the University of Auckland, and graduating with a Bachelor of Law. “The ‘Granite’ EP is stuff from the last two years… I’d write on the train, at night after work (with lots of coffee), wherever the moment struck me.

I got beats from friends and overseas producers and just spent hours in the studio.”

The impressive five-track release is thus a mixtape of his best work over the last two years. Lyrically, it explores his artistic journey, hopes and dreams, with the wittiness and intelligence of a well-versed freestyler: ‘pockets full of hope, walk a tight rope’.

Lead single, Gimme This sees MiCXill demonstrating his lyrical and technical versatility over an up-tempo beat – the vocal hook irresistible.

The following four tracks feature similar vibes, fast-paced (mostly) verse/ chorus rapping over quality synth beats, with Abby Hauraki adding some delightful female bvs on Minute. Get Past (a bonus sixth track available on MiCXill’s SoundCloud) is a sonically darker affair.

“That was actually a last minute throw-in. It’s a good reflection of the old MiCXill. The five songs preceding it are the new MiCXill. But I love Get Past, it’s my favourite track.”

Intent on being influenced by a variety of new musical sources while listening to his faves, MiCXill currently dabbles in the sonicly polar worlds of Queen and Waka Flocka Flame. It’s not only his musical tastes that are growing but his abilities and ambitions too. Recording a debut album is now high on his to-do list.

OJ3mJMMY,"P73"OUY3SO s *ACK 7OODBURY

3XLIVWYR

C

aution, the uplifting music of Othersun may cause happiness.

Formerly from the U.K, Josh Holmes has found new inspiration in New Zealand and he’s not afraid to commit that zest to his music.

Fox, the first single from Othersun’s forthcoming EP is replete with floating synth textures and minimal beats, underscored with weighty sub bass which is made complete by Holmes’ distilled vocals, the sum evoking those elusive moments of beauty and mystery not often found in life. Never Alone is more pop-savvy and luminous, while his Soundcloud demo for Jesus and Peacock Feathers is ambient and textural.

Holmes explores his diverse sound creation and songwriting via the latest digital production techniques, however his origin in music is more earth bound. For the first 10 years of my life he didn’t have a computer at his house and his musical genesis began in the real world, a sardine-packed room of “kids hitting xylophones, being loud” during compulsory music class in England. He seized the opportunity to take music classes further when they became an option, the guitar being his instrument, a choice inspired by the innovative sonics of bands like U2 and producer Brian Eno. In London he played in pop-punk bands, providing valuable live performance experience (now utilised in Othersun’s engaging live show)

EV\Z &'

and an understanding of the music scene at large, but during electronic music creation became a respite. While friends played video games Holmes gravitated towards computer music as his source of relaxation.

“Electronic production is instantly pleasing. In a band you play your one part back to yourself – in electronic music you can play multiple parts and build on them – and then can just sit back and listen straight away… There is an aspect of being a composer, but instantly hearing what you’ve created. You don’t have to wait around for your whole band to get together.”

Needing a break from the hectic and competitive London music scene, he moved to Christchurch with his Kiwi girlfriend in late 2013.

“When we came to NZ it felt like the pressure suddenly lifted and writing music became easy again. I think you can easily get caught up trying to be someone important when you play music in London, which is what made me fed up. Whereas here it just feels natural and I’m just doing it for the enjoyment of making music.”

He describes the sound of Othersun as his own twist of ambient electronic music, with micro samples of real instrumentation broken up so much you can’t describe it as a real instrument.

“I’ve always sampled stuff from the actual bodies of songs, that I’ve previously written in a band situation. Like a guitar sound, but it might be stretched out so it doesn’t sound like a guitar. You take it and reuse it and change it up until it’s unrecognisable. I love the sound of reverb and the sound of delay, it gives you a floating feeling. Even if the bass drum is really aggressive, the reverb gives the sound a lift, like it’s hovering above, and makes it sound separate.”

Fox was actually the first Othersun song he finished, and more tracks are currently being mastered in London with a full Othersun EP planned for later in the year.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

GggU`5dd`SjP73MSj7Y3SOdSgG9_`jP s 4IM (EWITT

Y GBDUPSZ with Godfrey de Grut

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love

T

his is the second time I’ve looked at an UMO song in as many years. Multi-Love’s unconventional design stood out from the moment I heard it by being characteristically quirky on the surface, yet still allowing the listener to peel back the darker undertones on subsequent listens.

Ruban Nielson’s writing process has been discussed in many interviews and this song follows the ‘lyrics last’ method, though as I understand it, the concept for the storyline was intrinsic to the development of the music itself.

Multi-Love kicks off with some truly Michael Nyman-esque keyboard delivery and although the true key centre is obscured until the eighth measure we eventually hear the tonic resolving as Eb minor. Keyboardists love using the black keys so that key signature makes sense from an instrumental standpoint.

Coincidentally this new song is in the same key (thereabouts) as the last UMO song I wrote about, Ffunny Ffriends. That was in F# major (the relative major of Eb minor) and being a guitar-driven song stood out as not being the first key of choice for most as it doesn’t allow for any open string chords to be utilised. The choice of key, I assumed would have been down to the vocal span that Ruban uses, obviously F# major nails the sweet spot in his range!

Interestingly like Ffunny Ffriends, Multi-Love also starts on chord IV,which assists in concealing the home key by setting up a false tonic, the opening chord Ab minor. We only get closure on the key centre after the wonderfully classical

Bb sus 4-3 pushing us to Eb minor. In olden days it used to be common practice to modify the V chord in minor keys to become major and thus create a more satisfying dominant to tonic cadence involving a raised leading note (in this case, D natural). * Structurally we are also thwarted in defining a conventional groove by Nielson’s opening six beat harmonic rhythm, which when coupled by a very UMO trait of stressing unimportant sylLABles, sets up a degree of tension, eerily

reinforced by the developing storyline, fragmented though it is. This tension drives the listener forward in each stanza until they are released by the aforementioned Bb sus 4-3 – Eb minor cadence into a more obvious 4/4 common time groove.

There are only two different sections to

this song, with structural variance leaning on sonic texture rather than a bridge. Each verse (see chart) contains the eponymous opening refrain “Multi-love� and closes with “She wants to be your love� and occurs twice each time before the more commonly phrased eight measure 4/4 ‘chorus’ shifts the focus away from complexity and dissipates the tension.

Even though the chorus is more straightforward it also snags you aurally by tagging on what feels like an extra Ebm to Db oscillation at the tail of the phrase, these extra chords should help define the ‘square’ feeling of the eight measure section, but their repetition so close to one another can trip you up!

One fascinating and subtle device at play, (if subconsciously divined all very well – but if intentional, pure genius) is a lovely inversion of the melodic contour spanning the phrase from measure five where the 4/4 time consolidates to the Bb sus chord (green notes).

The inverted sequence (red notes) occurs at the same structural point in the second half and because each verse utilises the same harmonic progression it manages to set up a clear melodic distinction between the two halves, in an understated sort of way.

In the attached piano roll I have placed the second half of the verse an octave below sounding pitch to get a better perspective on how the melodic contour mirrors itself.

Multi-Love is another extremely engaging construction from UMO’s creator with multiple layers of tension pushing and pulling the listener through a veritable Willy Wonka factory of sonic sweetness. That the underlying saga of a doomed mÊnage à trois has been so candidly (and artfully) woven into what is ostensibly a funky 3:30 pop tune belies the song’s true nature as a bittersweet and deeply cautionary modern fable, rendered beautifully in song. * In major keys the 1st, 4th and 5th degree of the scale (when stacked from the root in diatonic thirds) create major chords, all the rest are minor and the 7th is a doubly dark diminished chord. In the relative minor this changes dramatically with the 3rd, 6th and 7th chords becoming major due to the shift of a minor third down.

Godfrey de Grut is a Silver Scroll co-winner with Che Fu, MD of the 2013 Silver Scrolls and was co-artistic director of Coca Cola Christmas in the Park 2015. He is a freelance writer, arranger and producer, lecturing in popular music studies at the University of Auckland. Follow his musical ramblings @GodfreyDeGrut on Twitter or email godfrey.degrut@gmail.com

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z &(

K.One

Food For Thought In 2010/11 songwriter/rapper Kaleb Vitae (K.One) announced his arrival within our national music industry through a series of Top 40-charting singles recorded with Jason Kerrison (Walking Away) and hip hop dancer-turned singer J. Williams (Night Of Your Life, She’s A Killer, Want To Rule The World).

In 2012 he released his album debut ‘Far From Home’ and toured the country with boy band Titanium on their Come On Home tour. Martyn Pepperell caught up with K.One to background his imminent second album, ‘Out Of Thin Air’.

S

napped up, off the back of an EP of demo recordings, by Illegal Musik, Kaleb Vitae moved from his Masterton home to Auckland and began to aggressively pursue a full-time career in music.

Having spent seven years working as a silviculturist in the forestry industry, Vitae approached songwriting, recording and performing with an iron-clad work ethic.

Coupled with a love of hip hop and RnB that stretched back to listening to Tupac cassette tapes in intermediate, things locked in for him quickly.

Three years on, he sits on the verge of releasing his sophomore album ‘Out Of Thin Air’, the follow up to his 2012 debut, ‘Far From Home’. With this consistently strong new release K.One says he has found his own musical voice.

“I feel like myself on this album,” he explains, sitting across from me in the studio room at Illegal Musik CEO Mark Arona’s home in West Auckland. It’s a Monday morning, and while American neo-soul legend D’Angelo’s latest album plays in the background, K.One and crew are recovering from playing several shows out of town over the weekend.

“There is nothing on this record that isn’t me,” he continues. “I’ve been myself on this record so much, and it just happened. I wasn’t trying.”

EV\Z &)

‘Out of Thin Air’ is framed up by mid-tempo dancefloor beats and guest vocals from the likes of Brooke Duff and Pieter T. Within those confines, K.One presents natural-accented thoughts on his past, present and future.

Stylistically, the album situates him within a similar musical space to that occupied by American rappers Macklemore, Pitbull and Flo-Rida. While he leans on the brand of club grooves and memorable hooks utilised by these commercial figures, Kaleb details his songs with storytelling narratives more closely related to Roc Nation artist J. Cole.

“I relate to J. Cole as much as I related to Tupac,” he enthuses.“I love great rap storytellers like Nas and Saigon. I loved listening to Tupac when I was 12; he made me feel like I was from California. With J.Cole, a lot of his life stories resonate with me. He had a solo mother and hung out with gangsters, but was into school.

I feel like we come from the same place with these stories.”

K.One recorded his first album ‘Far From Home’ with Illegal Musik’s in-house producer

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Inoke Finau (N.O.X) in an intensive 10-day session.

“I just went and laid my rhymes, then left them with N.O.X.” While that experience was successful, with his eyes on a follow up recording it was time to become more involved in the process. Between releases, K.One built himself a small home studio. He spent hours watching YouTube tutorials, and learned how to record demos with Logic Audio.

“N.O.X is a musician and a producer, not a beatmaker,” he explains. “We have to write our songs and bring them to him, and then he builds the music around them.”

Given N.O.X’s approach, the easiest thing to do was find loops and write to those, which in a roundabout way, lead to the new album’s piano-heavy sound.

“I’ve always loved piano, and I’ve always loved intro tracks on hip hop albums and mixtapes,” he reflects.“The start of a lot of J.Cole and Drake albums and mixtapes tends to be piano heavy.

The sound just really appeals to me.”

As a result of this process, K.One ended up writing all of the vocal parts on the album (apart from Pieter T’s feature on I Wanna Tell You). He finds verses quick and easy to pen, and the real heavy lifting happens around the choruses. “Once I have a hook down, the whole song comes together naturally,� he says.

While he admits to moments of trying too hard to please other people in the past, during the creation of ‘Out of Thin Air’ K.One relaxed and sunk into his skin. “I let go and realised I’m cool, and I don’t have to try for the person I thought I needed to be.�

Across its running time, the album places a premium on positivity.

There were two driving forces at work here: fatherhood and settling into a happy home life. K.One has two daughters who live in Masterton with their mother. As they enter their teenage years he’s been looking at music differently. “My daughters are at an impressionable age where they are starting to listen to ignorant commercial rap and RnB. These songs are everywhere in the online age, and it makes me realise that’s not how I want to portray myself or have them look at me. I want to make sure it’s all good.�

Alongside that, his first few years in Auckland were a wild ride he admits, but right now he’s in a stable and happy relationship and surrounded by good friends and family. A few years ago he went on a health and fitness kick that increased his self-confidence and gave him a new window into what his live show could be. “I consider doing shows to be a workout now. I go out there to come off exhausted and drenched in sweat.�

Coupled with that energy, came the writing of verses and chorus which, while rooted in his personal stories and struggles, also serve as a source of inspiration and connection. “I really get a kick out of someone being able to relate one of my lines or songs to their lives. If I can help people, I love it. I get messages from people all the time. It’s huge to me. My music is based on my experiences, and they really resonate with that. I’m rapping in a very NZ way with these songs, and that came naturally, but I also want to teach kids that it’s cool to be from here. It’s all about connection; connection is everything.�

Although N.O.X produced the majority of ‘Out of Thin Air’, it also features one guest production from P-Money. “Working with P-Money was my first time going outside of Illegal Musik for production,� K.One reveals. “He was on it; and we hit it off. He’s a producer, not a beatmaker. I tried to work with a bunch of NZ hip hop producers, but the drive wasn’t there from a lot of people. There were long lapses between communications. Whoever wasn’t keeping up got left behind, but P-Money made it.�

“I’m rapping in a very NZ way with these songs, and that came naturally, but I also want to teach kids that it’s cool to be from here.�

K.One also had some close friends come in and lay down horn and keyboard parts on some of the songs. “I wanted everything to have a really live feel,� he explains. “I was lucky to have some boys who love playing music as much as I do. They were always down to come and play in the studio.�

With a clear understanding of how his album came together and what it’s about, the question still begs itself, why the title? “‘Out Of Thin Air’ stems from something my mother used to say,� K.One laughs. “I would come home from school and ask what was for dinner?

She would always say ‘Thin air’, but come dinner time, there was always something on the table. We didn’t have the most, but there was always a meal. It’s just homage to the whole idea of creating something out of nothing.�

Which is exactly what Kaleb Vitae has been doing, and continues to do with his music. His story is far from over.

>"39,SSLY3SOd Y P9

Advertorial

H

ave you listened to ADAM Audio’s range of professional monitors?

ADAM Audio studio monitors have become well established in prestigious studios all over the world and increasingly also in New Zealand with a reputation for uncompromising accuracy and openness, coupled with sophisticated good looks – and at a realistic price.

Audio engineers, producers, musicians and music lovers all rave about the transparent, highly defined sound and three-dimensional spatial imaging they can trust when monitoring in their professional recording and mastering studios, broadcast and TV stations and home recording studios.

Be warned, the signature ADAM ‘sound’ is not for everyone. There is no flattery or excessive emphasis. Elements in the mix will not be beautified or concealed. What you get is a natural, honest and highly detailed reproduction of the soundscape you have painstakingly created, and want to listen to, and share with your audience and clients.

Advanced Dynamic Audio Monitors (ADAM) was founded in 1999 in Berlin, Germany by physicist Klaus Heinz and electrical engineer Roland Stenz. Their aim was to reproduce audio signals as precisely as possible and with the development of the now legendary X-ART tweeter, ADAM Audio soon became a leading manufacturer of loudspeakers, setting high standards internationally in both the Pro Audio and HiFi market.

So, what is X-ART technology and how is the ADAM ‘sound’ achieved?

The front of the X-ART tweeter is similar to a conventional 1 inch cone tweeter where the visible diaphragm is the acoustically active area. However The X-ART membrane consists of a pleated diaphragm in which the folds compress or expand according to the audio signal applied, rather like the bellows of an accordion. When ‘unfolded’ the X-ART diaphragm becomes considerably larger, creating an acoustically active area 2.5 times larger than its visible sound opening.

This unique feature is the defining element of the ADAM ‘signature sound’ as it enables the best possible reproduction of high frequencies with a nearly flat frequency response reaching up to 50kHz. To allow the X-ART tweeter to realise its full potential the ADAM Audio team also created a new high-frequency power amp with ultra low distortion.

Common to all ADAM monitors, the X-ART tweeters are meticulously handcrafted and tested at ADAM’s manufacturing facility in Berlin. Most of the active electronics in ADAM studio monitors is also made in Berlin, guaranteeing consistently high quality standards.

For recording engineers the SX Series is the professional choice for main monitors designed for larger studios and control rooms.

The AX Series, are very popular nearfield and midfield reference monitors for smaller studios and home recording, The F5 and F7 are specifically designed for the budget conscious home studio market, and ADAM Audio has Subs to suit any size room and musical genre from the SUB7 up to the heart-stopping SUB15.

The complete range includes Multimedia and Home Theatre/ Installation loudspeakers (ARTist and GTC range) high end home entertainment models (Classic and Tensor Series) and of course, professional studio monitors.

Still looking for the perfect match? That elusive, uncomplicated relationship built on trust, honesty, clarity and beauty? Allow yourself to fall under the spell of ADAM Studio Monitors.

To experience the ultimate listening and monitoring experience, make a date with Sound Techniques, NZ’s exclusive ADAM Audio supplier and let your own ears be the judge.

ADAM Monitors on display and more user information available at the Pro Audio Showcase, July 22 & 23. See www.proaudio.co.nz for details.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z &*

CVJMEJOH CMPDLT with Thomas Goss

Cost/Benefit Analyses – Is It Really Worth It?

C

ost/benefit analyses – you’re not alone if those words make your eyes glaze over.

What do cost/benefit whatchmadingies have to do with music anyway?

The fact is that people always weigh the cost of something depending on how much benefit it provides. Should you go to the movies tonight if there isn’t really a film on that you like? What kind of lunch are you in the mood for – and what kind of lunch should you actually eat? Right now, is it worth it to read this article to the very end, or should you turn the page?

The answer to that last question is ‘read this article’ – because those who don’t think about these things have less of a chance of fulfilling their career plans in music.

At the end of last issue’s Building Blocks article (Learning to Say ‘No’), I wrote ‘… you should be asking yourself, every time you’re offered an opportunity, “Is this worth it?” Does the advantage repay your expenditure of time, effort, and artistic reputation?’ The best way to figure this out is to be aware of the costs, but structure your efforts so that the benefits are very clearly defined.

You should never book a gig just to play, as if it were an automatic duty to perform. Always know the reasons why you’re there, and make sure that it’s clear to those you play with and work for as well. If you focus on those reasons, or benefits, then you can keep things moving forward even when they don’t turn out the way you expect. So let’s look at each benefit and weigh the costs against it, rather than the other way around.

Enjoyment I’m putting this first, because it’s something that’s easy to lose sight of when your career starts to get serious. When a legendary musician leaves a successful band fans usually can’t accept the reasons, especially if it was a question of lack of fulfilment. But look at it from the other direction. Just about any other career pays more dependably than music. If personal satisfaction isn’t part of the equation, then there’s nothing left but ego, and you can’t make a career out of that – unless your manager does all the work.

How do you measure cost against enjoyment? In terms of hassle factor. The sheer number of decisions and problems to be solved in playing a single gig are enormous at first, and it’s easy to get buried by them. Players who make it through the initial break-in period of local, and then regional gigging, are those who keep their attitude positive and learn to laugh at complete stuff-ups. Anticipating all the challenges and outsmarting the problems can give you a real sense of pride and satisfaction.

Exposure If you’re a new band, exposure means everything. It’s practically the only thing that matters at first, because if your name doesn’t grow then neither will your band’s following.

Even established bands may constantly worry about this. The stakes always get higher when the audience gets larger.

The real danger that you face at the start of your career is that the promise of exposure can be used to justify nearly any type gig, good or bad. The way around this is to decide what kind of exposure is good for your band. You may completely kill at rock competitions, or maybe you can pick up a bunch of fans playing at a skate park. Of course you’ll make mistakes, but that’s a cost that turns into a benefit if you learn from the experience.

Reputation This is a benefit that’s closely tied to exposure, but it’s not the same thing. Exposure is simply the process by which your identity becomes known. Reputation is how people react to that exposure. You want it to be sterling.

Everything you do to increase the respect you receive builds on your ability to ask more from the world. A band with a great reputation gets the first call, because no one doubts their ability to deliver.

The way to weigh costs here is to make sure that they’re always spent in support of that reputation, and never against it. You get a great reputation by making decisions on behalf of your audience, by helping build a local scene and by creating music that means something to the people who listen. But this type of dedication has its own costs. In building your reputation, you may lose time with family and friends, and fail to give other commitments your best effort.

Income This is the classic double-edged sword.

It takes money to make money, and that’s true from the moment you save up for your first serious gear. If you’re a new act then obviously you’ll need other sources of income just to stay in the game – like a day job, family, and maybe even a credit facility – because you’re not going to make much at first.

Once you do get established the question of pay has a wonderfully clarifying effect on your decisions. If you’re a working band with families to support, or money you need to raise for recording, then you have to book gigs that are worth the effort of rehearsing and performing.

You’ll notice an evolution in your mindset in which you see non-paying gigs as a type of work that doesn’t fit the image of your band or your current goals as performers – even when the monetary factor is removed.

At a paying gig, you can probably expect a certain level of professionalism from the house, as well as the kind of clientele that make for a successful night in which all the benefits above are checked on the list; income, enjoyment, exposure, creativity and reputation.

This last depends on one important skill though – the ability to collect what people owe you. I’ll cover that in the next Building Blocks article: Making Sure You Get Paid.

Everything you do to increase the respect you receive builds on your ability to ask more from the world.

EV\Z &+

Creativity The performing arts are different from all other industries because the product you’re selling is YOU – your ingenuity, inspiration, and sense of showmanship. That means you have to create the part of you that goes on stage. You write the songs, rehearse and present them, and each task involves a chain of creativity that must be solid in order to keep from breaking.

Therefore, the costs involved are those things that work against you; doubts, anxieties, and sensitivity to criticism.

When you put a precious part of your own thoughts and hopes on display, then of course you’re going to take things personally if people don’t react positively. The way forward is actually simple, you learn to deal with it and you try to improve little by little. That’s ‘paying your dues’, and it’s what makes you into a competent, experienced musician. But when egos are fragile then the reactions can be extreme – acting out against the audience and venue management, fighting with band members, even quitting.

Then there’s perfectionism, in which the pursuit of professional polish is taken to ridiculous extremes. You may know bands that practice for months before going on stage, and then perform shows that are musically tight, but very tense and pay little attention to the audience. One legendary example is the band Boston who took nine long years to record their third album. It was finally released to a public that no longer cared for them, or their style.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Thomas Goss is a producer, band coach, and composer/orchestrator with an international clientele that includes Billy Ocean, Melanie C, and Canadian jazz star Nikki Yanofsky. He is Education Composer-In-Residence for Orchestra Wellington, and his online orchestration course is available from macProVideo.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z &,

(SPVQ 3FWJFX

'JWF .*%* $POUSPMMFST

This issue’s multi-love gear review saw SAE Institute’s Recording Arts degree class test five portable and inexpensive MIDI keyboard controllers, all within a very comparable price range – only a few bucks between them – yet offering a surprising variety in their feature sets.

A MIDI keyboard controller has no on-board sound banks, it merely produces MIDI notes and other performance data through a variety of means such as black and white keys, knobs, buttons, sliders and pads, and feeds those via USB (or a 5-pin DIN cable) into the computer where they trigger sounds within software-based synths, samplers or drum machines.

They can, of course, also be connected ‘old school’ to the sound module inside a keyboard or to a hardware synth, with no computer involved. And you can also use them to control faders, knobs, plug-ins and transport functions in a DAW like Logic, ProTools or Ableton. So you can see how useful they can be to have around. Now, let’s get to it.

CME XKey

SAMSON Graphite M25

rrp $149

The Samson Graphite, as with all the other devices on review, is a class-compliant USB bus-powered plug-and-play controller. The Mini-USB port is the only socket you will find, providing both power and MIDI connectivity, which of course is good news when you are on the go with your laptop (or iPad if you have a connector kit), but less useful if you are working with hardware synths and have no access to bus power.

It features 25 velocity-sensitive keys, eight MIDI-assignable rotary encoders, two banks of four assignable trigger pads with aftertouch, five transport controls, a master encoder and seven back-lit function buttons – a rich feature set indeed. You can also download a dedicated editor that enables you to set program and control change functionality via the trigger pads, as well as program and save four global presets.

The Samson has a very contemporary look and is surprisingly lightweight, the second lightest device on review here.

Being a knob-twiddler, and a very rudimentary keyboardist, to put it politely, I found myself enjoying the functionality of this baby straight away. The keys are very responsive, even though way too small for my grown-up fingers. Luckily, I have no playing technique they could get in the way of.

The pitch bend and mod wheels have been replaced by touchsensitive strips that I found a lot of fun sliding my fingertips up and down on, but would probably make any serious player frown, and are most probably not as accurate and responsive as the real thing. Mind you, they won’t easily get damaged in a backpack, either.

I set up the transport functions to control my Logic session via Logic’s Key Commands with no trouble and had fun moving faders and sliders with the rotary controls. If you want to control the transport with MIDI Machine Control (MMC), e.g. in ProTools, you can use the free editor to do so, too. Loading a drum kit, I found the included pads to be the highlight. They are very responsive and playable, even down to aftertouch functionality. That’s quite unexpected in this price range.

The Samson really is a well-thought out product and stands alongside three other compact controllers in its family, with slightly varying feature sets to address different user profiles, that are also worth checking out.

If there is anything detracting from this excellent piece of gear, it’s a slightly flimsy feel of its build quality, compared to some of the other devices on review. However, at this price it does punch a lot a bang in your buck, if you pardon the mixed metaphor, and I would thoroughly recommend it to any knob-twiddling laptop producer.

Playability 7/10 Functionality 9/10 Portability 9/10 Design Quality 7/10

EV\Z &-

rrp $149

When we unpacked the CME XKey, I already knew that this was going to be a tough one. There is a design philosophy at work here that does not easily compare with the other controllers on review. You see, this beautifully crafted, super-sturdy, brushed aluminium personality resembles an Apple computer keyboard more than a MIDI controller keyboard, and should really be called ‘iKey’ or something along those lines. What’s clear is that in achieving this a lot of functional sacrifices were made.

The 25 near-full-size, velocity-sensitive keys with polyphonic aftertouch look like a row of vertical spacebars and even the gaps in between them are consistent with the Apple keyboard look. On the left-hand side are six simple function buttons taking care of octave changes, pitch-bend, modulation and sustain. There is a micro USB socket at the back with an associated power LED that lights up when the keyboard is connected to either a desktop computer, a laptop or an iPad (although as with all the reviewed keyboards, a connector kit is not included). And that’s it! A clear case of form over function one might think, and there are problems here.

Due to the low profile of the board there is no key travel to speak of, and no pivot point for the keys, which makes it almost impossible to play with proper dynamics. There are no wheels or pedals for expression, just unintuitive buttons, and there is no visual feedback as to the controller and octave positions. Functionality in general is kept to the bare minimum, and expressive playing is hard to achieve. However, if you are an untrained player and used to step-inputting your notes this is a very useful approach. And the velocity response curves can be somewhat modified via the free XKey Plus app.

On a massive upside though, this keyboard, with its tiny 618g weight and miniature footprint, literally can go where no keyboard – apart perhaps from the Samson Graphite , if you cram it – will ever be able to comfortably go, into a snug compartment inside your laptop bag, then onto a plane, perhaps into the Amazon rainforest or maybe even into space.

I recently watched an astronaut perform Bowie’s Space Oddity from within a spacecraft and swear I saw him play this keyboard. (Just kiddin’ of course.) But, given that we are comparing apples with oranges, the awarded scores below for the CME are at quite extreme ends, and if you are a producer that likes to travel light and compose on a plane (or spacecraft), you may find that the advantages outweigh the shortcomings, and this beauty might prove to be right up your alley.

Playability 4/10 Functionality 5/10 Portability 10/10 Design Quality 10/10

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

KORG microKey 37 rrp $169

MIDITECH i2 Control 25

rrp $169

Sure, there are no trigger pads or transport controls, but the Miditech i2 isn’t really far behind the first-up reviewed Samson with its own very impressive feature set. This controller has a number of desirable selling points many musicians will appreciate.

The 25 velocity-sensitive keys come in full size and playability was the second best of the reviewed models, with just the right amount of stickiness in the keys, and two very playable wheels for modulation and pitch bend. I wish they had put the wheels to the left where you expect them to be, but inexplicably they wound up above the keyboard.

Next to the wheels you’ll find eight sturdy-looking MIDI-assignable rotary encoders, two buttons for octave changes, a display comprising three 7-segment LEDs, a data entry slider and a MIDI select button. The combination of the latter three enables you to access a whole range of MIDI parameters most typically used in controlling external hardware synths, modules and samplers, such as control and program change, transposition etc. Basically, you could be gigging without a laptop and still manage a host of hardware settings from your controller.

Reinforcing the hardware theme are several other features. On the rear you’ll find a built-in MIDI interface featuring USB, as well as two MIDI Outs of the original DIN type. You are able to connect your hardware synth, sampler or drum machine, and trigger them either from the controller or via your computer. Another welcome addition is a jack for a sustain foot pedal,and a choice of three powering options via a toggle switch – USB bus power, six AA batteries or a mains power supply (purchased separately).

These make this controller independent of USB bus power and so very useful when working without a computer or iPad. Proving that they also target the bedroom producer, Miditech includes download instructions for a range of bundled software bonuses, including EZ Drummer, Amplitube, Poizone and Finale. While Mac users may be dismayed by the inclusion of Windows-only Samplitude Silver, one has to marvel at the additional value thrown in at this price point.

The packaging at first made the Miditech look quaintly dated and somewhat cheap, but as we put it to the test we warmed to it more and more.The design philosophy certainly owes a lot of inspiration to old-school technology, but this controller holds up equally well in a modern producer set up with the added bonuses of road readiness, robustness and versatility. The small price to pay is the larger footprint and the greater weight of 1.5kgs.

Playability 8/10 Functionality 9/10 Portability 6/10 Design Quality 9/10

The Korg name has been with us since the early ’70s and we’ve all come to expect only the best from them, so our expectations for the microKey were obviously high too. There are 37 velocity-sensitive mini keys, which is one octave more than the other keyboards on trial here, as well as the obligatory pitch bend and modulation wheels. In case you want more or fewer octaves Korg make 25-key and 61-key versions as well.

Two multi-coloured backlit buttons indicate the octave shift, from green for one octave, via orange and red all the way to blinking red for four octaves, a nice and very helpful touch.

On the left there are three USB ports, allowing the microKey to connect to a computer as well as act as a USB hub, also really nice and helpful considering the plethora of USB devices we all now have come to rely on. A trade-off seems to be that the controller is drawing more bus power, and thus wouldn’t run off my Apple keyboard ports and would presumably drain laptop and iPad batteries a little faster.

Ah well…

There are no other hardware controls.

However, everything from the keys to the wheels, the buttons and the casing feels sturdy and road-ready. And in fact, the key and wheel action is probably the best of all the keyboards on review. If only I were graced with slimmer ‘micro’ fingers. The action is even more tweakable once you get the freely downloadable Korg Kontrol Editor. While this naturally won’t make the keys bigger, it gives you the ability to customise key velocity curves and wheel assignments.

What really makes this controller stand out from the pack, and proudly beside the Miditech, is the included value. The Korg comes bundled with a collection of the famous Korg M1 sound banks, as well as a bunch of other useful third party software by Toontrack, Propellerhead and Applied Acoustics. You can load these into your favourite DAW – and if you don’t have one, ah well, there is even a download coupon for Ableton Live. Again, pretty incredible at this price!

While the front panel functionality is limited for this controller, and it ain’t the most useful for DAW control, there is a lot to like here. Korg have proven that they can make tasteful, value-laden quality gear while successfully competing with brands of lesser pedigree.

Playability 9/10 Functionality 8/10 Portability 8/10 Design Quality 10/10

ASHTON UMK25

rrp $185

Unpacking the Ashton UMK, also a velocitysensitive full-size 25-key controller, gave us a sensation of deja vú. Its function and form resemble the Miditech we had previously reviewed very closely – so naturally this became the device we tended to compare it to.

It has the same 3-digit 7-segment LED display arrangement, a bunch of MIDI control messages that can be accessed via an Edit button and the associated keys, a data slider to change control values, two buttons that allow you to transpose either in octaves or semitones, and the two mod and pitch bend wheels.

Four MIDI assignable knobs can be assigned to two parameters each, and a bank switch beside them then determines which group of four the knobs currently control. While this is perhaps ergonomically and economically advantageous, it is also one more thing to remember when you use the knobs to operate something.

The Ashton is USB bus-powered, but can also be run off a mains adapter (not supplied).

It features a DIN MIDI Out connector, though this one does not appear to be an interface but rather a parallel output of the USB connection.

It’s nice to have though. And hooray, there is also a jack to connect your sustain pedal to, if you have one.

As already said, the Ashton invited a comparison with the Miditech, being in the same price bracket and sharing its design brief.

On the down side the Ashton keys felt just a bit too springy and weightless, the quality of the knobs and sliders wasn’t the same, and footprint and weight were both larger. However we did prefer the position of the pitch and mod wheels, and the soft buttons felt better too.

The manual promised a few things I could not ascertain, such as changing the velocity response curve of the keys – which I would have welcomed – and the pedal curve. Perhaps this option is reserved for the bigger 49- and 61-key models Ashton also offers.

Overall, this is another MIDI controller that is flexible and versatile, with enough functionality for production and performance. It won’t fit in a laptop bag by a stretch, and is not built for a backpack either so might not be your preferred choice on the go, but will rest solidly on a desktop and offer you a rich set of features to keep your creative juices flowing.

Playability 6/10 Functionality 7/10 Portability 5/10 Design Quality 7/10

Karsten Schwardt is a teacher and Audio Department Leader at SAE Institute, Parnell. SAE Institute offers tertiary qualifications in audio and filmmaking. Karsten can be contacted at k.schwardt@sae.edu.

The gear review was conducted in conjunction with the Bachelor of Recording Arts class of 2015, with special thanks to Pritesh Panchal.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z &.

Esther Stephens and The Means Eighteen months ago NZM reported on the outstanding debut EP (‘The Ends’) from The Means, the Auckland three-piece of Abraham Kunin, Tom Broome and Marika Hodgson. Writer Sam Carswell described them as ‘a kind of super instrumentalist group that ropes in quality female singers to bring out the soul in their electro-jazz arrangements’. Then a member of Funkommunity alongside Hodgson, Esther Stephens featured as one such quality guest vocalist. April 2015 saw the release of an album eponymously titled ‘Esther Stephens and The Means’. Things have clearly changed. Chip Matthews met up with Stephens and Kunin to join the dots.

W

ith the anxious thought of trying to condense the history of a group of prolific musicians – each of whom could take up this article’s word count – at the fore of my mind, I sat down with Esther Stephens and Abraham Kunin to discuss the release of the new self-titled album, ‘Esther Stephens and The Means’, with a sense of anticipation.

While the band in its current incarnation came into being in 2014, the roots of their musical relationships date back a decade.

The four members of the group (alongside

EV\Z '%

Summing

The Parts

vocalist Stephens and Kunin on guitar, the band features the equally monstrous talents of Marika Hodgson on bass and drummer Tom Broome) began their musical liaisons through a variety of bands. Motor City Family Funk, a brilliant Motown-inspired covers act, was one.

It was whilst Stephens and Kunin were in the interestingly named House Of Broken Strings, and flatting together, that songs which would later resurface in recorded form

by The Means featuring Esther Stephens were born. “There were a lot of songs written in that

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

band that we really loved and felt were really strong. Love Me Not, which was released on the first EP, was one of those tunes.”

‘The Ends’ EP she is alluding to was completed when the band were still essentially an instrumental three-piece.

Stephens featured on three tracks (including the fantastic Modern Marvel which also appears on the new album), solidifying the musical relationship between her as vocalist and The Means as band.

Jumping forward to 2014, Stephens was residing in Melbourne, The Means in NZ,

forging careers as individuals and also as a group. Stephens talks of her attempts to get a band up and running in Melbourne, but says it just wasn’t the same.

“I guess the two things ran alongside each other…” Kunin embellishes. “When Esther came over we’d do gigs as her backing band, or vice versa. All of this amounted in a realisation… that we were one band basically, anyways.”

As they chuckle Stephens adds, “… as we always had been!”

They agree that the process of making Esther Stephens and The Means official was something of a fait accompli, a confirmation of their combined musical direction.

“We had done some work to establish ourselves individually, and then brought that thing together… realised that this kind of music we’re making, and this style… the most natural fit for this music is the four of us together,” says Kunin.

The natural fit he talks about can now be heard in LP form via their self-titled album, ‘Esther Stephens and The Means’. Gorgeous opener Cloud Shapes sets the tone for what is to come over the following 45 minutes.

It is hard to categorise; soulful, great pop sensibilities, strong jazzy tones, beats-oriented and more. The sound is warm and each musician gets to showcase their ability, not just as the amazing instrumentalist they are, but also as a collective of friends, creating lush soundscapes for the listener and for one another.

Tracking for the album was done between Auckland’s The Lab, with Olly Harmer, and Black Orange Studio with owner Vivek Gabriel, the overall production duties largely taken care of by the band. With Stephens resident in Australia, and the remaining members also committed to various endeavours, adherence to strict timelines became a necessity; something that in the end galvanized the process as Stephens explains.

“We’ve been more productive since doing things long distance, than we ever were when we lived in the same country!”

“Limitation… is one of the keys to creativity,” Kunin chimes in. “Everyone easily has the ability to create something good if you give them perimeters to do them in, and not much time.”

Adding another layer of time-complexity to the equation, the album was mixed in New York by Kiwi ex-pat, Aaron Nevezie.

“Aaron would be like, ‘The track will be up at this time…’” Stephens gestures. “And then we’d all figure out what time that was in our respective time zones… and we’d get on Messenger, listen to the bounce, and add feedback.”

Mastering was handled by Chris Chetland back in Auckland. The result is an album that seems spacious, with an invitingly warm lower end adding a sense of weight and balance.

With older tracks such as Modern Marvel featuring on the new release, we talk also of the chronology of the album, a timeline that sees this release more as a marker of what the band members have been up to, to this point.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

“This is like a greatest hits, of all the albums we never released,” describes Stephens.

Kunin and I having just traded new tattoodisplays, he adds: “It’s a little like tattoos as well, that what you record, or get as a tattoo, is significant and true to you in that moment.”

The album provides an opportunity for both existing fans as well as the uninitiated to get aboard this musical train. A trip well worth the effort.

>"39,SSLY3SOd `gG9_ g9UG9P` P7 G9 9"P`

EV\Z '&

Photo: Jak West

Lysithea

Long distance metal Lysithea. A small moon of the planet Jupiter, one of Zeus’ lovers in Greek mythology and also the name of a dynamic Dunedin-based death/doom metal duo. ‘Realms’ is the title of Lysithea’s recently finished second album and the digital release has already won them more fans in this remote planet’s metal blogosphere.

Jamie McCaskill talked with instrumentalist Mike Lamb and the death growl-voiced Mike Wilson about keeping it together from a growing distance.

T

he mythologically handled Lysithea was established by Mike Lamb in 2008 as an initially solo instrumental atmospheric metal project. Friend and collaborator Mike Wilson joined in the fun and together they made the move towards a more melodic death/ doom metal sound with a debut 2014 album, ‘The Secret Fate of All Life’.

Quickly selling out of physical copies of that album, the duo soon began work on a second album, ‘Realms’, that has already had some fantastic reviews. American-based metal website Dead Rhetoric gave the digital release an 8/10 rating saying, ‘Lysithea manage to cater to both the doom and melodic death crowds in equal favor with ‘Realms’’.

MikeWilson is now based inWellington,where he studied live sound and event production, while Mike Lamb remains in Dunedin, having finished a degree in science communication.

They manage to work together-apart, creating their next songs’ sound before meeting up for recording, mixing and mastering.

“We both have modest recording set ups

EV\Z ''

but we just flick our tracks back and forth before Mike [Wilson] comes down to Dunedin to record the vocals.”

Both having input in the songwriting, the mix of atmospheric doom metal topped with Wilson’s vocals makes for an energised, pacey sound which takes the listener on an epic journey.

“We like each other’s style and they go pretty well together.”

They each feel their musicality is a lot more mature than when they used to play in metal bands where they would try to fit in as many riffs as they could. So what is doom metal?

“Doom metal is made up of a slow tempo and tends to be long drawn out songs with an emphasis of atmosphere rather than technicality,” explains Wilson. In contrast with death metal which “… is a lot heavier and has more riffs.”

There is also the unmistakable harsh vocal, sometimes called the ‘death growl’. Listening to Wilson talk you can feel the resonance and power that comes from within for his vocals.

“I just thought I’d give it a go and it kind’a worked out well. The last album was my first attempt.”

Lamb started writing music for Lysithea by himself, which was all-instrumental until the new Mike joined in 2012. Rather than trying to put vocals over his old stuff the two created a new sound for Lysithea, fusing death and doom metal together.

‘The two styles were merged by some bands in the early to mid ’90s so that fusion is pretty widespread now,’ one blogger noted. ‘The addition of a vocalist (who also plays guitar) has expanded the band’s sound and songwriting style. Reminiscent of Daylight Dies, Draconian

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

and all those other classic melodic/doom bands out there. Very highly recommended.’

Having been influenced by bands such as My Dying Bride and Katatonia, the two aren’t shy of admitting their appreciation for cheesy melodic music. Both admit to having a secret love of ’80s music.

“If we had the ability we’d probably both be playing extremely cheesy up-tempo music with ridiculous wails, but we just can’t pull it off,” Wilson laughs.

They enjoy listening to metal and that is what they want to play. Both are very motivated so there is no shortage of ambition and passion.

Lamb and his wife are soon moving to Scotland for three years, so their collaboration is going to go from long distance to super-long distance.

“Nothing will change except recording the vocals and mixing and mastering together.”

Physical separation has so far proven to be no major hurdle and the two plan on keeping the music alive as their fan base continues to grow. Already enjoying the feeling of having international fans they plan to make every album bigger and better than the last.

“If an opportunity to play at some metal festival in Europe came up we would jump at it,” reckons Wilson, but with only the two of them in the band they would need to bring in other musicians, such as a drummer and keyboardist, to come close to the sound they create in the studio.

“Recording is a fun and liberating thing to do. You can just do what you want. We both came from playing in live bands so we really hope to have a live show one of these days,” Wilson confesses.

Mn`JgG9"Y,"P73"OUY3SO

UIF MBXGVM USVUI with David McLaughlin

Synchronisation Agreements – Part 2

I

n the last edition of NZ Musician we began a discussion of the key issues to be aware of in music Synchronisation Agreements, with a particular focus on the use of music in film or TV shows. In this Lawful Truth column we’ll continue that discussion and look further at some of the key issues you should be aware of.

Most film or TV producers will seek to have Synchronisation Agreements include a provision that allows for the use of any song contained in any advertising related to the film or TV programme. Although these clauses are fairly standard you should make sure you have a clear understanding of how they provide for your song to be used. For example, if your song was only used as a very minor incidental piece of music in the film or TV programme and you were paid accordingly, then it is not necessarily fair that your song should be used disproportionally in any advertising campaign.

Another related use of music included in a film or TV show may be as part of related merchandise. For example, in video games, apps, toys or novelty items that reproduce short portions of your song or an adaptation of it. Another example may be where lyrics from your song are reproduced on merchandise clothing. If there is not going to be a separate merchandising agreement which will cover such extra uses then you should make sure these details are at least covered in the Synchronisation Agreement.

Another spin off of the inclusion of your music in a film or television show may be that there is a desire to include the song on an official soundtrack release. If this is the case then you should of course receive further payment for such use, and the detail of this should either be incorporated in the Synchronisation Agreement or once again be the subject of a separate agreement.

When it comes to soundtrack albums there are actually a number of specific issues that need to be dealt with, including the way in which royalties due to you from soundtrack sales are to be calculated. However, just bear in mind that if the recorded version of your song used in the soundtrack is one which is already controlled by a record label, then most of the negotiation in respect of the soundtrack will probably be handled directly between the label and the film/TV producers.

Synchronisation Agreements are also involved in situations where someone wants to use your songs in an advert. In these situations the terms of the agreement are going to vary quite a lot from the type of agreement used for film or TV. For example it should be very

clearly specified if this will simply mean them using an existing recording, or if the company making the ad want to re-record the song themselves, which is not uncommon.

In this case you may want to get some indication of the nature of the re-recording before you agree to such use of your music.

It may, for example, mean portraying your song in another style (such as taking a rock song and making a reggae or country version of it), and this may not be something you’d necessarily be happy with.

Another important consideration whenever someone wants to use your song in advertising is whether they may also want to change any of the words to better represent or highlight the product the advert is selling. The nature of any such proposed word change could once again be a key issue that may in fact dissuade you from having your song licensed for such use.

As a final point on Synchronisation Agreements you should also be aware that although generally speaking your permission will be required before your song is used in a TV programme, there are some exceptions to this. If your songs are administered directly by AMCOS, or by AMCOS via your publisher, then there are certain blanket industry agreements in place that allow companies like TVNZ and TV3 to make use of AMCOS-administered songs in certain ways within programmes produced in-house by those companies.

There is an established royalty system in place that will ensure you are paid for any such use, and there are also important limitations on the use that can be made of your songs in such instances. We will be discussing these blanket licenses more specifically in a future Lawful Truth column.

Uses of songs in this way are of course also subject to the user obtaining any other permission that may be required, such as by having in place an appropriate licence from the licensing body Recorded Music NZ if the recording of the song is one which RMNZ have already been given the broadcast rights to administer.

David McLaughlin is a specialist music lawyer with Auckland law firm McLaughlin Law (www. mclaughlinlaw.co.nz). He can be contacted by email at david@mclaughlinlaw.co.nz or on 09 282 4599.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide a general outline of the law on the subject matter. Further professional advice should be sought before any action is taken in relation to the matters described in the article.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z '(

Princess Chelsea

Celestial Apocalypse

‘Well Princess it looks like depression is at least highly creative for you. Happiness sometimes is too distracting :)’ So reads one of the comments on Princess Chelsea’s Facebook page. The comment seems – in a twisted, almost ironic way – to summarise the most recent phase of Chelsea Nikkel’s life.

It packages it neatly into 117 uneasy characters located in the middle of the comments section, beneath a link to an interview. In that interview Nikkel touches briefly on the surreal experiences her project has surrounded her with since the release of her first album in 2011, and her surreal sounding reaction (released to considerably more local fanfare) now, in 2015. Sam Carswell digs considerably deeper into ‘The Great Cybernetic Depression’.

C

EV\Z ')

intimate and personal; the disconnection, the depression, the boredom.

“The song Too Many People is basically me feeling freaked out and agoraphobic, and not wanting to leave the house. But the song is also set in 2023, and about there being too many people in the world. And it references an event that happened 10 years ago – I’m almost referencing an event that’s starting to happen now.”

That event is Nikkel’s forecast slow descent into madness, both for society and herself. She even gave it a name.

“The Great Cybernetic Depression [in the context of the album] is this thing that happens… Me and [video director] Simon Ward put a year on it, 2023. It’s kind’a like a social apocalypse or something. Everyone’s disconnected from each other. I had a pretty weird, bad year in 2014. I was personally... not enjoying myself a lot. So I thought I’d present my feelings of, I guess, ‘being depressed’ as this event.”

The event becomes the central theme of the album as we’re lead through snapshots of Nikkel’s decomposing society. On Is It All Okay? and We Are Strangers we learn about characters who are trying to connect with each other in an environment built on disassociation.

With Too Many People we learn of the overpopulation of the new world, and the boredom and narcissism of its inhabitants. The instrumental Winston Crying On The Bathroom Floor takes us to future childbirth, its uneasy reimagining fitting the subtle Nineteen Eighty-Four tribute in its title.

Finally,on closer AllThe Stars,everything suddenly collides. The snapshots are dragged abruptly back during the climax – their musical and lyrical themes making sudden, jarring appearances – and you realise that you’re listening to Nikkel’s

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Photos: Brad Fafeijta

helsea Nikkel is almost a physical embodiment of her music. Not in an obvious way, but talking to her you get the sense that the juxtaposition of the innocent and the severely dark play out in her head the same ways they do in song.

This is without a doubt the person behind the childlike voice that wrote and sang the lines,‘It’s just a cigarette that I got from Jamie Lee/Well she’s gonna get a smack and I’m gonna give you three’.

Her black humour seems to act as a filter through which she views the world, illustrating what she sees in her writing. Thus, it was only natural that when her world started to turn grey, her writing became a palette of all the experiences that mixed to colour it. Experiences within and without the music industry as the systems unravelled before her eyes; experiences of paranoia, depression and anxiety. All of which happened whilst she was trying to manage tours and promote her music, booking shows and interviews – not to mention actually working on the music itself. It felt to Nikkel like her life was falling apart – and can still feel like that, even now.

“I pretty much hope I don’t get more successful, because I don’t think I’d be able to handle it... I’m not even dealing with minor success that well. I just don’t think I’ll have any friends left. I’ll turn into a real crazy person!”

She laughs it off, as so many creative people do, offering the classic retort: “It’s fine though, it’ll probably make really interesting music.”

With that in mind, it’s not difficult to see how Nikkel could create the album she has.

‘The Great Cybernetic Depression’ deals allegorically with her personal apocalypse in the context of wider society. “A social apocalypse…”, she terms it. What if it’s not her life that’s falling apart?

What if it’s society that’s falling apart? What if, she elected, we set it 10 years in the future and give it synthesisers and stuff?

In removing the narrative enough from her life she is able to inspect and dissect every crack in society, and thus, herself. The album simultaneously deals with broad, societal problems, such as overpopulation and technological advancement, as well as the effect they have on the

rendering of her apocalypse.

‘The sky went dark/And the Earth/it fell/ But the stars/they were still shining bright’ she sings as the song begins to build layer upon layer of her cascading memories. Immediate memories, like 40 minutes of the preceding album, but also deeper memories of the years spent conceiving it. Tough memories.

“It’s a concept album, but the concept is also a metaphor for me having a real shit time,” she explains to me in a less-than-futuristic Kingsland café.

The building blocks of that ‘shit time’ can be loosely traced to 2011 – the year her clever debut ‘Little Golden Book’ album was released, as well as Princess Chelsea’s first international tour. She’s toured internationally every year since but it was the beginning of her unravelling.

“In 2013 I went on tour with Alt-J, and did another European tour. It was pretty difficult when I got back from that tour… I was coming back to NZ pretty fried. I spent pretty much the whole year in the backroom at the Ghetto [the infamous Lil’ Chief flat-turned-studio]; wrote the album and arranged it.” She absorbed herself in her music, the process slowly eating away at her sanity.

“My music project is becoming an entity that I feel is starting to take on a life of its own, and I have to put a lot of my time into it – it’s taking over my life. I haven’t had time in the last year, really, to be a particularly great friend to

any of my friends, or spend a lot of time with my family. I’ve been completely immersed in this thing that’s all about myself. But I just have to… to get it done.”

By the end of 2013 she had four of the album’s tracks. Two of her own, plus two written by others. The first, No Church On Sunday – a song written by her band’s former keys player Jamie Lee Smith (yeah, that one) – describes the challenges of walking away from a religious upbringing, but also acts as an illustration of an

the whole identity of the album. The lyrical and thematic content, but also the arrangement of it – the synthesisers and stuff.”

‘The synthesisers and stuff’ have, it seems, been equally key to the album as the lyrical and thematic content. In trying to look to the future Nikkel found herself being aesthetically inspired by those who had done the same in the past.

“People keep saying ‘retro-futuristic’ about this album, which is definitely true. I’m using a lot of Yamaha DX7 sounds, which was a pretty popular synthesiser in the ’80s, but very of-its-timesounding. I feel like when the synthesiser came out, people were like, ‘Wow, that’s the sound of the future!’, and a lot of musicians, just because of the nature of the instrument, would naturally write songs about it. It inspired them to. They could hear it. So the theme of the album ties in with the sound of the instruments.”

Getting that sound proved an often laborious, painstaking task – one shared with longtime Princess Chelsea production collaborator, Jonathan Bree.

“My recording process is to pretty much demo up a song until it’s around 80% finished, which involves being a real weirdo and writing a melody line and listening to different synthesisers playing it, trying to find the right one... then Jonathan does all the drums. It took us about three months to polish them off. Three

“My music project is becoming an entity that I feel is starting to take on a life of its own – it’s taking over my life.” ungodly society, gradually becoming godless.

The second, and the closest thing the new album has to a centrepiece, is a re-contextualisation of Voom’s (a Lil’ Chief labelmate act) song, We’re So Lost.

Originally a song dealing in a crisis of personal identity, Nikkel – as she does with the whole album – makes the personal societal.

‘Can you see what we’re doing?/There’s so much we’re in danger of losing./We’re so lost,/we’re in danger.’ The words seem to apply to their new context equally as well as the original.

“It’s funny, because that’s the first thing from the album I arranged and put together.

The song, from the start I knew, was definitely going on the album. It pretty much sums up

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z '*

months of very intensive work. Like, ‘Is this kick drum too loud? Let’s listen to it in the car, in the lounge, in the studio. Yes it is. Okay let’s change this kick drum. Alright, let’s listen to it again – in the car, in the lounge, in the studio.

“Okay next song. Is this kick drum too loud?’... You get to a point where it’s dangerous to work that intensively on something, but it’s just our process.”

She admits to being “a little scared” about letting others become involved the music creation process.

“There’s more dilution... That person, just by the nature of what they’re doing, is gonna have creative input, which is a scary thing to give to someone else. I think Jonathan’s the right person though.”

The album was mastered at The Lab where, using an A/B tool, they compared each track with a selection of classic ’80s power ballads, in search of the biggest sound they could get.

“We compared [the tracks] to Phil Collins, Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U, Madonna, Guns’n’Roses’ November Rain, and A-Ha. Always A-Ha. I’ve got a new respect for A-Ha after recording this album. Just how they managed to make something so dense sound so huge.

the live band, (in which Chelsea and Jonathan are augmented by Jonathan Pearce and Jackson Hobbs), left for a two month European tour. Many of the shows have sold out, more signs pointing to Princess Chelsea becoming an international success story. No surprise that it’s difficult for Nikkel to get excited about that.

“It makes me feel weird. Part of the reason I’ve found the last couple of years quite challenging is navigating the music industry and coming to terms with ‘playing the industry game’, while trying to maintain my personal integrity.”

It is a tough thing to do, considering it’s an industry built on classifications and stereotypes.

“I feel like a lot of people almost want you to be adult contemporary, in order to take you seriously. I wonder if I’ll ever get a 5-star review, because I feel like to get one of those you have to present yourself as a ‘real, serious adult’. Whereas a lot of people don’t grasp the fact that you can present yourself in a variety of

“I wonder if I’ll ever get a 5-star review, because I feel like to get one of those you have to present yourself as a ‘real, serious adult’.”

“The less you have going on, the more dynamic space there is for things to sound big. It’s like trying to fit a bunch of things in a suitcase. The less things you have in that suitcase, the bigger those things can be.”

And so they toiled, arranging and re-arranging the suitcase until it fit perfectly.

“For Jonathan, every time we do an album, at the end he’s like, ‘I don’t know if I can do that again’, and I always hope that he gets over it.”

It might be a while before Nikkel finds the time to write another album. Lil’ Chief have partnered with Flying Nun for a worldwide release of ‘The Great Cybernetic Depression’ and days after completing her NZ release tour

EV\Z '+

different ways, but still take on serious themes and be serious about music. Some people don’t get it. But the reason I do it is to make it more startling when people hear songs like this, presented in this context, instead of a more serious folk/guitar-band thing.

“The juxtaposition of the sound and the themes makes it more shocking. But some people don’t get that. They ask, ‘Why are you so childlike and girly? You should really try to grow up and mature with your music and I might take you seriously.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t think you get it.’”

Of course media are disposed to ready criticism as well.

“Some journalists, without realising it, have

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

the tendency to dismiss it just because there’s a female vocal sound. And certainly I’ve had that said to me – via an international radio DJ who’s meant to be a ‘tastemaker’. Which is just wrong.”

It shouldn’t be hard to see how these experiences can be stifling for young artists. It can make them feel like their expression is invalid or misunderstood.

It dismisses years of hard work and it fosters cynicism about the music industry – even cynicism about success in general. Such feelings are what Chelsea Nikkel has been warring with internally for the past three years, and it’s still unclear which army will win. At times, it’s seemed uncertain to her whether she’s heading for a satisfying and healthy career; or gradually descending into her own Great Cybernetic Depression.

She has hope though. That’s the important thing. There’s hope in her friends and hope in her collaborators.

“My friend Brad Fafejta did the artwork. I’ve known him since I was four and he just got it. He took all the photos in 20 minutes... And Simon Ward’s videos. He’s someone I really love collaborating with, because he just gets it too.”

Most importantly, there’s hope through her writing. As we talk she mentions her admiration for the writing of Modern Lovers’ Jonathan Richman.

“His whole ethos was questioning societal change. I reference a few of his lyrics in a couple of songs, talking about the ‘old world’ and the ‘modern world’, just because I love Jonathan Richman so much and it’s quite similar, thematically.”

She comes back to him at the end of our conversation.

“In ‘The Modern Lovers’ album he’s still grasping the idea that the world is moving forward, but in later albums he’s like, ‘Ahh, I kind’a like the new world.’”

I can’t help but feel that ‘The Great Cybernetic Depression’ represents Nikkel’s Modern Lovers’ stage. The frustration, depression, anxiety and heartbreak of coming to terms with her new world, all on paper. It’s out there now. And it leaves the exciting parts of redefining and refocusing her life. Now comes growth. Now comes discovery.

U_JP39``3G9M`9"Y3SYPp

Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote EFFQ UIJOLJOH Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull

XYZ - The

T

he last few Deep Thinking columns have been funk-orientated, so I thought we might get into some prog rock in this

issue.

I have transcribed the opening of YYZ by the Canadian band, Rush. This track comes from their 1981 album ‘Moving Pictures’ and, unlike most of the band’s material, it is an instrumental. YYZ is the international code for Toronto airport, which is the band’s hometown.

I was there a few years ago and kept my YYZ baggage tag. (Okay, I know I’m sad!)

Anyway, the piece opens with two bars of drums followed by a diminished fifth (flat 5) interval played between C and Gb in a 10/8 metre that is actually the Morse code pattern for YYZ. After playing it eight times on strings 1 and 2, the same figure drops an octave for the ninth bar on strings 3 and 4. Therefore, you could use fretting fingers 4 and 3 for the first eight bars and then 2 and 1 for the lower octave.

After a 2/4 bar rest, there is a 4/4 bar that is probably the trickiest in the entire piece. If you follow the tablature, it can be played starting with fretting finger 3 on C natural at fret 8,

with RobPull Burns Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Prog Rock of Rush Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull

string 4 (demisemiquavers – fast!) and then finger 4 on C# at fret 9. In this way, you can then play D# with finger 1 on string 3, E with finger 2 and F# with finger 4. The G# is fretted by finger 1 on string 2, A by finger 2 and B by finger 4. You then slide finger 4 up to fret 11 on string 3 for the C#, which is followed by D#, E, D# on string 1 with fingers 1, 2 and 1.

The final two notes of the bar are, again, played on string 3 at frets 9 and 10 by fingers 2 and 3 – B to C natural, which is paused. The next bar is also in 2/4 metre with an ‘appogiatura’ (squeezed in) B rising to C in the same place before you move downwards through B, G and Gb all around frets 9 and 10 fretted by fingers 1 and 2. Moving back into 4/4 metre, we move up to fret 12 on string 2 for a group of triplet semiquaver Ds that are followed by C natural at fret 10 going back up to D before a downward phrase of C, B, A, G on frets 10, 9, 12 and 10. You then pause with finger 1 on F# at fret 9, string 3, which is followed by D at fret 12, fretted by finger 4.

At this point, the first main section of piece begins. Move down to the lower part of the neck with finger 1 fretting A at fret 2, string 1.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Finger 3 frets F# at fret 4, then frets another A on string 1 with finger 1 before the line moves downwards through F#, F natural and finally ends with a minim E, which has a slight bend (that’s what the wiggly line means). The next bar is similar but moves downwards through C# and C natural before a B, C# and F# phrase, which is again fretted by fingers 1 and 3.

There are several versions of YYZ on Youtube but make sure you check out a live version as well, the band is impressive. I’ll transcribe what follows for the next issue of NZM. Dr. Rob Burns is an Associate Professor in Music at the University of Otago in Dunedin. As a former professional studio bassist in the UK, he performed and recorded with David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Jerry Donahue, Isaac Hayes, Sam and Dave, James Burton, Ian Paice and Jon Lord, Eric Burdon and members of Abba. He played on the soundtracks on many TV shows, such as Red Dwarf, Mr. Bean, Blackadder, Not the Nine O’Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones. Rob is currently a member of Dunedin bands Subject2change and The Verlaines.

EV\Z ',

EV\Z '-

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z '.

NPNFOUT MJLF UIFTF Curated by Trevor Reekie The musical journey that The Clevedonaires took, from the small rural community of Clevedon in the mid-1960s to Australia and later London in the early 1970s, is a story that has re-surfaced with the release of their Record Store Day retrospective album ‘Cleves – The Musical Adventures of The Clevedonaires, Cleves & Bitch’. Bass player and record producer Rob Aickin was a part of that journey, before returning to the southern hemisphere to produce a cluster of seminal Kiwi albums including Th’ Dudes and Hello Sailor at Stebbing Studios, as well as pass on his wealth of experience dealing with the machinations of the music business.

Can you remember who took this photo and what it was intended for?

I don’t have a clue who the photographer was but it was around mid-1973. It was the ‘new look Bitch’ part of a promo shoot done in London, arranged by our newly appointed manager Bill Harman for WEA Records. Prior to that we were your typical cool denim jeans wearers. Bill decided to glam us up visually so as to fit the Bitch image and our new sound. These were the days of Slade and Gary Glitter and visual image was everything, especially if you wanted to make an impact. After all, this was our shot at the big time.

What was your point of entry into the music business ahead of joining The Clevedonaires in 1967?

It all started for me when I joined a newly formed band in Papakura called The Four Quarters. They were experiencing difficulties with their rhythm guitarist and I was invited to audition for them by the drummer Dave Brown, who I worked with as a trainee draftsman for the Post and Telegraph in Papakura. Anyway I got the gig and was immediately promoted to lead vocals as well, not that I was a great singer – I just happened to be better than the rest of them. We were your typical covers band. The Animals were one of our favourites.

We did our first gig, which I think may have been our only gig as support band to The Clevedonaires, and it went off really well. This was the first time that I met them. I had seen them play before at a Manurewa church dance and I thought they were amazing, especially Ron. He was a natural maestro on the guitar. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would soon become a member. But as it turned out Milton, the rhythm guitarist, was about to leave the group to pursue a life of farming and they were on the hunt for a replacement.

In due course I was invited to audition in the old farm shed on the family property out at Clevedon. We all hit it off well and apart from having a compatible nature and competent guitar skills, the fact that I could sing and harmonise was the clinching point – that was one of the group’s strongest assets. Although still a covers band they could copy The Beach Boys, Hollies, Beatles etc well. Close harmonies were a feature of the group and with Gaye’s classical piano background she was able to structure our vocal parts to suit. She was the bass player at this point in time.

What was The Clevedonaires’ creative process and motivation?

I think one of the most important things we did was to rehearse a lot as a band, at least once or twice a week. This is how you really get to know your bandmates and develop into a unit, and it boosts confidence, because we all knew our parts. Naturally the three of them being siblings, living together, with a dedicated place to practice, really made it a lot easier. And unlike many groups, we never had to worry about the business side of life as Bill Brown (that’s Graham, Ron and Gaye’s father), together with Benny Levin, our agent/manager/promoter, did a great job steering us in the right direction. We all had the same goal – to be hugely successful!

When Gaye switched to keyboards (thanks to the invention of the portable Vox Continental electronic organ) and I took over bass duties, I started with Gaye’s Epiphone semi acoustic, short scale/neck bass before eventually buying a Fender Precision bass. Our sound and repertoire changed and we took on a harder, heavier sound – no more Seekers!

The hippy era had arrived and we just moved right along with it. You had

EV\Z (%

Rob Aickin L-R: Ron Brown (guitar), Rob Aickin (bass), Gaye Brown (vocals, keyboards) and Ace Follington (drums).

to give your audience what they wanted in order to keep the momentum up, and back then, all they wanted to hear was the radio and TV hits of the day. We performed at venues like Surfside in Takapuna, and a variety of local town and church halls in the South Auckland region. These dance gigs were well patronised – it’s where all the young people met. Benny Levin Promotions would have posters stuck-up all over the place. You always knew who was playing where. The Clevedonaires became very popular.

We never really had a permanent residency, we moved around a lot and therefore gained more exposure. But of course the best exposure was a weekly television slot on the We Three Show, that made us a household name in NZ. Coupled with some C’mon appearances it gave us nationwide exposure and the drawing power that Benny just lapped up.

How did The Clevedonaires’ early singles work for the band?

Recording on Benny’s Impact Label was a disadvantage in some respects as there was always a very tight budget and therefore time frame. We had to be fully rehearsed then go to the studio and lay down the tracks as quickly as possible – no time for experimentation here.

But nevertheless radio exposure was also very powerful, especially if you could crack the Top 20. There is nothing like hearing a band on the radio or TV then going out to see them perform live. My first recording session with the band was at the NZBC’s Shortland St Studio in Auckland, and the second at Stebbing’s home studio in Herne Bay. I had never been inside a recording studio before. I love electronic stuff and technology, so I thought it was fantastic.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Relocating to Australia in those days was a huge undertaking – what were your expectations and how the reality match?

We virtually had no choice other than relocate to Australia after our tour to Vietnam to entertain the troops got literally ‘bombed out’.

We had already tidied up all our engagements in NZ and were ready to travel, so Benny got busy and got us a gig at the Cooma Hotel in the Snowy Mountain region, south of Sydney.

It was a tough gig. They had us playing all sorts of hours, but it was a starting point. It was also the start of our time as fully professional musos.

Our residency in Cooma was followed by a residency in Sydney at the Yagoona pub.

From there we made some great connections that led to our eventual success in Australia.

Dinah Lee, whom we backed at the pub one night, was instrumental in our joining the Cordon Bleu agency and under their guidance we never looked back. We changed our name to The Cleves, slowly changed our repertoire and all dressed in jeans. It was completely different to what we were used to. Times were changing and we also needed to become more original, particularly with our music.

We began writing songs as a group and were able to do that because we all got along so well.

In the end we became very experimental and developed our own form of progressive rock.

Some if it was and still is quite bizarre! Those actual recordings have become available again today and are well worth checking out. We became a very popular group on the local scene – again TV appearances and radio exposure from our recordings were instrumental in our rise from obscurity to popularity, and once again great management proved to be a vital component for success.

What sort of reaction did The Cleves get coming back to NZ? Had the scene changed?

I don’t think the NZ scene had changed at all in that time, but we had. In fact we had changed dramatically, visually and sound-wise. Gaye now had an M100 Hammond organ complete with Leslie speaker, so we could replicate the sounds of Steppenwolf and Procol Harum etc. You just could not buy these instruments in NZ back then, so it was a jaw-dropper for our fans when they heard and saw us.

We had also ditched our uniforms and stage dress for long hair and jeans, and finally we were a fully professional band, now called The Cleves. That was an extremely successful tour for us, but we were keen to get back to Sydney to start recording.

You later moved on to the UK, renaming the band Bitch. How did you manage to land a new major label deal there so quickly?

We decided that the UK market would be a little easier to crack. Even some American artists were going there for the same reason, but it was do or die, a huge risk. So many before had failed but it was something we all wanted to do, well three of us anyway. Graham our drummer was now married and chose to return to NZ for a life of wedded bliss. For Ron, Gaye and me it was all go. We just needed a new drummer, and we found a ripper in Ace (Adrian) Follington.

We dumped the old name in favour of Bitch in order to grab some attention. We had a new line up, new material and a new look.

We managed to arrange a gig at the famous London venue The Speakeasy, and invited the top record company A&R people to come and check out this hot new Aussie band. They were all impressed and we ended up with a dream contract with WEA Records London.

That resulted in Good Time Coming, our first UK single release. It hit the charts high in most European countries but not in the UK. That was strange. But not as strange as to why it was never even released in Australia or NZ. Maybe it was our name?

way around the studio and he was young and clever. We hit it off like magic. We had a great respect and understanding for each other, so together we made a great production team. All we needed were some great artists, and once we found them we began to make gold!

Some of the songs we were presented with were quite average to start with but Ian and I managed to make then sound fantastic. Some artists, like Dave Dobbyn for example, were just naturals from the start. With every artist or band we worked with we became a part of them while recording, creating in harmony if you like. I think that is the secret. Everyone has their part to play in the big picture.

How did the recording experience differ in the UK for the newly named Bitch?

There are three sides to the recording process: the business side, the production side and the creative side. If one fails they all fail.

Bitch got caught up in a corporate shake up.

The album had been completed so it was the business side that had let us down. Good Time Coming would have been a classic. It was and still is a great sounding track today. In fact British musical outfit UNKLE sampled the riff for their hit Restless. It’s a great track and worth a listen if you haven’t already heard it.

It’s also great to see Bitch/Cleves material now available on vinyl and CD. The music industry can be a harsh place especially in such a huge and competitive market like the UK and Europe, but before the bubble burst we met and played with some great artists. Playing with Alan Price (ex-Animals) in Nice and at the Cannes Film Festival would have to have been the highlights of our time over there. That was an amazing week. Working with Muff Winwood after the band fell apart was where I really saw how a studio works. I spent more time in the control room than in the studio. When you get to see the Pommy recording system, it is no wonder how they get that great music out. It is big business.

The drum sound on Gutter Black was considered quite unique – how did that came to be recorded?

The recording part was standard procedure.

It’s what happened afterwards that created that sound. Whenever we recorded, the separation of the drum components was great, and people like Ian and me, well we live the music. It’s like an obsession if you like. Anyway the next day I arrived at the studio and Ian asked me to check something out. He had fed the snare drum track out through these huge Altec Lansing studio monitors at full blast, placed a mic at the other end of the church-like main studio, and that great sound was the result. Very ingenious.

It sounded just perfect with the rest of the track so I pushed it right up front.

You returned to NZ in 1977, becoming an in-house producer at Stebbing Recording Centre in Auckland?

I had just returned from the UK with my wife Val and I needed a job. One guy owned everything here – which was a big difference.

It’s not corporate. Eldred Stebbing needed some success from his studio and experience and knowledge are the best tools to make that happen. I had them both. It was the beginning of a new career for me so a perfect fit for both of us. In England Ron and I had no choice but to call it quits. We had gone the full distance and then some. I chose NZ because of my family. It was time for a change, but it had to be music. I wanted to have a shot at producing, so I put my heart and soul into it.

You worked with the late Ian Morris on albums that included Murray Grindlay, Th’ Dudes, Hello Sailor, Golden Harvest and commercial jingles.

Apart from Murray Grindlay, hardly any of these artists had been inside a recording studio.

Ian Morris was Eldred’s protégé so he knew his

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

What led you to return to Australia to live?

Family again was the main motivation. My wife had been away for almost 20 years and I was also frustrated and somewhat disappointed with the NZ music industry. I guess we were looking for a new challenge and change of scene. The period of time since moving back to Aussie is another story and I cover all of that in my new e-book The Undertow.

The Cleves actually made a significant impact in Oz. Have you noticed something of a legacy develop there?

Definitely in NZ, but I live in tropical North Qld, Townsville. It’s not far from Mars here and memories seem to stop at AC/DC. I have yet to meet someone who remembers the Cleves up this way. But I do know that an original copy of the Cleves album is one of the most sought after collectors’ albums in Australia. At last report there’s one available in Sydney for $995!

And remember that was recorded in the late ’60s, the days of tape and vinyl and now we are all in our 60s!

What’s the best book about music that you’ve read?

The Undertow by Rob Aickin (itunes.apple.com/nz/book/id989734757) The best advice you ever got was...?

Always be nice to your mother.

EP

Extended Play For the extended version go to

www.nzmusician.co.nz EV\Z (&

Opposite Sex

Before embarking on their about-to-be released sophomore album Opposite Sex had to kill off an album that had been all-but completed under the watch of Dunedin’s international-focused Fishrider Records.

One new track, Supermarket, appeared on the label’s heralded ‘Temporary’ compilation in 2014, bringing the band more local attention than any previous singles. Given the phantasmal title of ‘Hamlet’, the self-released new album features a new version of thge song, a new guitarist, and a new, darker sound the trio are very happy with, as NZM’s regular Dunedin correspondent Amanda Mills discovers.

Gothic and ghostly I

n late 2011, Dunedin’s Opposite Sex released their self-titled debut album, a potent mix of off-kilter songwriting, and what their Bandcamp page describes as ‘an absurdist-logico mix of Euro pop, Beat poetry, and subterranean lo-fi adventuring’.

Three and a half-years later, they are on the verge of releasing their second album, ‘Hamlet’, which turns the band’s sound on its ear, becoming darker and eerie. Suitably named then, but the question hanging in the air remains – does the band still make an absurdistlogico mix of Euro pop, and Beat poetry? New guitarist Reg Norris thinks about it.

“Tim told me that he wrote out a big band bio thing, and… that one line… became the character of Opposite Sex.” When I last talked to the band in early 2012, drummer/vocalist Tim Player, vocalist/bassist Lucy Hunter, and (then) guitarist Fergus Taylor had made an album that proved a critical darling. Gatekeeper Euro music publications Les Inrockuptibles, Uncut and BBC’s Marc Reilly adored it, putting the trio on the northern

hemisphere music map. Since then, significant changes have occurred, and the band killed the sound of their critics’ darling.

“We got a new guitarist, Reggie,” Hunter enthuses, clearly happy with their choice.

“Our old guitarist lived in Hamilton, and… the long distance relationship wasn’t working.

Tim and I were playing as a two-piece for ages, and then we found Reg.” Norris, who relocated to Dunedin from Tasmania in 2013, laughs and counters: “I found you, actually… tracked you down!”

He reveals that he discovered Opposite Sex through his love of George Henderson, via Ian Henderson’s Fishrider Records label.

“I sat at home listening to the record quite a bit, and then just one night at Queens… I said, ‘That’s a nice little album’.”

He started talking to Player and asked if he could jam with them – the rest is, as they say, history. The rejigged trio have played a few NZ shows, but their main focus has been the new self-released album ‘Hamlet’, which is sonically a major departure from their debut.

“I guess I was 22 when I wrote the songs on the first album… I just got more cynical and annoyed with stuff,” Hunter explains of the change. “Also, my brother died… I guess it [influenced my songs]. But, then Reggie’s changed it heaps too.”

Much of the first album is no longer played live as the songs don’t fit the new sound, though a vastly different Master/Slave is their encore, and Mary Lu and A Year On Your Own occasionally appear. Speaking of gigs, Norris has to ponder the question of their place in Dunedin’s live music scene for a minute.

“We’re different to everything else, I don’t know whether that is a good thing, or just a sonic observation. We’ve played music for ages… We’re just…” “… going to seed,” Hunter chimes in.

Opposite Sex have left Fishrider to go it alone, but before they departed, a new track, Supermarket, appeared on the label’s 2014 ‘Temporary’ compilation, recorded during early sessions for their original (since aborted) second album.

Photo: Phoebe Mackenzie

EV\Z ('

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

“We recorded that [album] in 2011,” Hunter says. “It was awful, and we ditched it. We really liked Supermarket, but of course we wanted to do it with Reggie, and do it differently.”

Some may be challenged by the ‘Hamlet’ version, which to my ears has an eerie depth – a darker atmosphere that pervades the entire album.

The biting lyrics to Supermarket have a feminist slant, and Hunter attributes this to reading an article about female docility, which comes through in the line, ‘Do you like my face? It’s called docile by L’Oreal’. Supermarket caught Norris’ attention when he saw Player and Hunter at Chicks Hotel, soon after arriving in Dunedin.

“When you were a two-piece, everything was all drums and bass,” he tells Hunter. “The quiet songs [had] more space, and I think that song has heaps of space.”

‘Hamlet’ is an arresting album title.

“I thought it was funny to name our album after the most important play in the English language, laughs Hunter.“We didn’t set out to write a themed album, but the themes fit… madness, murder, regicide… ghosts too, lots of ghosts.”

The band write and develop the music together, with Hunter primarily writing lyrics to five of the eight tracks, with Player writing and providing vocals to Tasman’s Puke, and the garage-y She Said, and Norris on the noise-punk Regicide. One of the highlights is Oh Ivy, with vocals that develop dramatically, and desperately, as the song continues. Who’s Ivy? “Oh Ivy is an apology song for someone I did something really awful to,” admits Hunter. “I had this idea of an apology song where you’re offering all these things that no one would ever want, that you’d have to be insane to offer.

And, then it got a bit seedy and gross… and then Reg came and put the dirtiest guitar in the whole world on it, and now it’s one of my favourites to play live.”

‘Hamlet’ was recorded by Nick Graham, at Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers in the 2013-’14 summer, and the length of time between tracking and release is a source of disbelief to the band.

“We’re been pretty desperate to get it out,” Hunter laughs.

While the recording was mostly live and took only a couple of days, mixing, adding strings (courtesy of Motoko Kikkawa and Sam Vennell), and mastering by Forbes Williams all took time. The band knew they had something special on their hands, so wanted to get it just right – all they have to do now is decide on a cover.

“It just took us a while to decide that we need to do this now…” Norris clarifies. “We knew it was a pretty good album.

‘Hamlet’ is structured around the core of guitar/bass/drums,but with additional elements creating a sound unlike what they have done before. Discordant (and slightly creepy) strings appear on She Said, and the balladic Complicity and Long Dead Night.

“I can’t remember why we wanted to use strings,” Hunter admits.

Norris thinks it was about vision.

“It was… ‘We can do whatever we want, so

why not just experiment’? Get a few people in, see if they can bring something to the songs.”

The band also incorporated the rickety, slightly out-of-tune piano at Chicks for Complicity, Supermarket and Long Dead Night, enhancing the album’s gothic air.

“The Chicks’ piano is just a bit of a mess, and… we wanted a real piano sound,” Hunter muses. “Sam is a really good double bass player and we’d decided to do one of the piano songs, Complicity, solo... Then, I thought it would sound cool with some gothic bass underneath.”

Gothic is only one way to describe Opposite Sex’s new sound. The music seems more free form, Hunter and Norris describe both their approach and the songs as relaxed, though Norris considers they have a weird urgency in them. There is tension there too, between melody and noise music.

“I think we’re kind of tapping into something, where it’s at that harmonious point… you can still dance to it,” Norris assures me. “It’s still pop

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

music… but there’s that level of chaos… it’s perfect.”

Likely released in July, ‘Hamlet’ will initially be released digitally, and on CD, before the band hopefully tours it around NZ. They are also looking at performing in Australia, and there have been offers to play in America – something for further investigation.

After the very positive press that ‘Opposite Sex’ received, did they feel pressure over recording a second album?

“We did,” Hunter confirms. “That’s why we didn’t record anything for ages… we’re going to use the publicity to try and promote our second album, and see if anyone likes it. We don’t care, we don’t,” she sighs. “We’re happy with the second album, we’re really happy with it.”

SUUS`Jg9`9mYe ,"P73"OUY3SO

EV\Z ((

send esh-Cut, please for review in Fr EP or -315, m 99 bu x al ician, PO Bo To submit your f bio to NZ Mus ie br a only th d wi an g on lable for sale TWO copies al CD must be avai e Th mos). . de nd la no ck for review (i.e.

Newmarket, Au are forwarded k or tw ar ed et CDs with compl

!,!. "2/7. 3ILENT /BSERVER

LUCKY STARS: Don McGlashan Indisputably Don McGlashan, ’Lucky Stars’ could also draw a whole lot of strange comparisons – from Elton John to the Warratahs, Mark Knopfler to Michael Buble, to Crowded House.

Girl, Make Your Own Mind Up makes a strong starting point with great guitar riffs, a catchy chorus and trademark meaningful lyrics. McGlashan demonstrates his versatility with each of the album’s 10 tracks, perhaps best highlighted by the broody Charles Kingford Smith which is powered just by acoustic guitar and love-worn layered vocals. On My Way To You has an easy rolling Warratahs’ feel. Home To The Otherside has some fantastic whiny guitar matching the vocals, while emotively-titled Hold On To Your Loneliness showcases McGlashan’s great harmonies and points to the album’s emotionally vulnerable theme. The Waves Roll On rounds it out in perfect closing style, all dreamy and building and almost Celtic-sounding. McGlashan can, of course, ably handle most instruments, and does so with the multi-instrumental assistance of old mate David Long. Chris O’Connor features on drums and fine new guitarist Tom Rodwell also shared production duties, alongside Roundhead Studios’ engineer/mixer Jordan Stone.

A star-studded cast for an album of intimate jewels. s 'RETA 9EOMAN

#/#/ &!62% )NTRODUCINGx #OCO &AVRE

This is a solid debut album by Wellington vocalist Coco Favre that does a fine job of living up to its title. Accompanied by the Reuben Bradley Trio (Bradley on drums, Ben Wilcock piano/ Rhodes and Rowan Clarke on bass), the Swiss-born Favre charms with a range of jazz standards, both old and new.

Arranged by Bradley and well supported by the trio, her voice has a delicious range of show-style tonalities and inflections, from dark, deep and bluesy, to light and winsome.

Favre further illustrates the range of her different vocal moods and tonal inflections by singing in English, Spanish and French on various tracks, adding another layer of appeal.

The Reuben Bradley Trio are equal partners in this, interweaving interesting and exciting lines and solos without overwhelming her vocals, nor disappearing into the background.

Recorded at various Wellington studios including NZSM, with mixing and mastering by Mike Gibson at Munki Studios, this album has a broad palette and charming tone. A delightful take on popular and enduring jazz standards, with its laid back attitude Coco Favre’s introduction will appeal to listeners unfamiliar with the genre as much as it will >ââÊv> ðÊUÊ!LEISHA 7ARD

'2!(!- #!.$9 (OLDING 5P "ALLOONS %0

Collaborating with German DJ/producer Alle Farben. featuring his Graham Candy’s quirky, gender-bending high range vocals on She Moves earned him a gold record single and a solid signing to major players BMG Rights Management and Berlin’s Crazy Planet Records. ’Holding Up Balloons’ is the first fruit of that new relationship. If you didn’t know it was Candy singing then you’d swear it was a female vocalist behind these sultry, attitude-laced numbers. The title track swings along bright, chirpy, with a slight nod to Euro-pop, the happiest break up song I’ve heard all year. To Kiwis, a rant is full-on stream of consciousness diatribe of bile, but given the Kraut-pop treatment the lyrics somehow become sweeter and more accepting. The most narcotic elements are saved for track three, Addictive Personality, which crawls like a Massive Attack number before stretching itself up to its full bombastic height, like a Shirley Bassey Bond theme at the end of the credits. Clearly, you’ll keep coming back for more. Don’t You Worry is another stab at ’60s lounge reinvented for the techno age, albeit it a little more delicate. This is very much a taster of more quirk to come, and guessing what that will be is open to delightful speculation. s 4IM 'RUAR

EV\Z ()

’Silent Observer’ proves a most appropriate title for this wonderful jazz pianist’s album, the concept of which was to choose a space or environment, and let that dictate the improvisational pieces. Recorded at Auckland’s Town Hall, Alan Brown apparently entered the Concert Chamber room with no preconceived compositional ideas, walking out three hours later with 32 tracks that were subsequently whittled down to an even dozen. As evident on Night, And A Cloudless Day, Brown has added samples and synths post-recording to enhance some tracks. The pieces tend to be quite harmonically rich. Abandoned Fences very explicitly shows his jazz background, while Towards Home develops what is the most visible melody of the album. After being mixed by Brown and recording engineer Paul Streekstra (mastering by Angus McNaughton), this album has become an ethereal soundscape that truly does capture the environment it was recorded in. It is with no doubt that I can say that this instrumental piano album takes me to another place while listening. It’s clear and consistent musical style between tracks helps to create a continuous flow that you cannot escape from until ‘Silent Observer’ is over. s *ESSE !USTIN

!.)+! -/! 1UEEN !T 4HE 4ABLE

Anika Moa’s lyrics reveal her ever-evolving life-story, and if those on her sixth album are anything to go by, she’s had one hell of an emotional year or two. ’Queen At The Table’ is a sophisticated (marriage) breakup album, full of regret, sadness, but also glimpses of new love. Stylistically, it’s an about-face – Moa’s earlier albums were acoustic guitar-based while here the music is electronic – keyboards and beats allowing new sonic textures. Unfamiliar territory, maybe, but Moa inhabits it with ease, her well-judged vocals balancing nicely with synths and beats. Much has been said about this, but the focus should rest with the songs. The glorious, soulful These Lonely Tears I Cry for You is structured beautifully, vocals layered almost orchestrally, while The Only Thing That Matters is pure soul-pop, a gorgeous vocal melody floating above subtle synth washes and drum rhythms. Credit to Moa’s multi-instrumentalist co-writer and producer Jol Mulholland, who moulded the songs around these electronic textures, though familiar touches of guitar are welcome on the title song. It proves a successful artistic evolution for Moa – a musician unafraid to take a chance on the new. s !MANDA -ILLS

2!$)/',/ )N "ETWEEN 4IME

Radioglo’s main protagonists, Gene Bennett (formerly of Rubicon) and Heath Watson (Sour), came together with the intent to jam some acoustic guitar oriented ideas. The band has a flexible line up and ’In Between Time’ features a host of contributions from Shannon Slade, Matt Short, Jonathan Corker, Neil Kulkarni, Justin Bird and Darryn Harkness. The tracks were similarly recorded in a number of studios across Auckland, with final mastering provided by Dave Rhodes.

On Your Own Again defines the album’s sound immediately, electric guitar melodies enveloped in a warm acoustic guitar wrapping, complemented by harmonising vocals. The album’s influences prove as varied as the line up of musicians appearing on it. World Is Turning makes me think The Housemartins have released a new single, while Pusherman and Toner could have been on the last Gomez record. It’s clear the approach to recording was not genre-specific, resulting in a unique collection of songs that are consistent in warmth as they cruise along perfectly in the express lane to accessibility. You could play ’In Between Time’ on repeat at a dinner party without having to worry about any of your guests noticing. There’s no doubt that the songwriting chemistry between Watson and Bennett justified the effort behind this album. s .ICK 4HYME

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

MANALION: Back In The Day

ManaLion is a three-piece who have been spending a lot of time on Australian shores, where this album originates. Their bio is funny and silly, but the album artwork is serious with some mad skills by Radmaxwho. The beautifully produced album is a convincingly rich blend of styles. They describe their styles as ’soul to roots, funk to DnB, gangsta rap to hardcore punk’, which, incredibly, is definitely the vibe of this album. 10 tracks in total, with some te reo Māori in there too. If Salmonella Dub, Kora and Black Seeds had a baby – ManaLion would be it. Their album would be a great musical backdrop for road trips and gatherings with friends as it varies from chill dub through to some rock riffs, which I feel is where most NZ bands are heading – less genre barriers. My only wish for the ManaLion future releases is to hear vocalist Duan & Only let rip and expand over a few octaves. That and some care over the vocal volume in v > Êi` Ì }Ê>ÃÊ ÌÊÌi `ÃÊÌ Ê Õ «Ê Ê iÛi ÃÊvÀ ÊÌÀ>V ÊÌ ÊÌÀ>V °ÊUÊHuia Hamon

SURF CITY: Jekyll Island

In many ways the third album release from Surf City continues where they left off with 2013’s ’We Knew It Was Not Going To Be Like This’ – reverb-heavy guitar riffs over Flying Nun-like pop structures and psychedelic walls of sound. They have developed their sound in the meantime though, combining tighter songwriting with their signature warm ’60s fuzz. There’s enough depth and catchy hooks to provide a good starting point for listeners new to the band. There are overlaps with what Tame Impala are doing, although the production here isn’t nearly as dry or crisp as their Australian neighbours – the overall lo-fi tone much more in keeping with The Clean or other Nun classics. The four-piece consists of singing songwriter Davin Stoddard, guitarist Jamie Kennedy, bassist Mike Ellis and Andy Frost rounding out the rhythm section. ’Jekyll Island’ might be an album that focuses on lyrics and epic guitar layering, but it’s the rhythm section that really carries the music. Ellis and Frost manage to give even the lighter tracks a consistent drive that stops them from getting too watery. While some lean heavily towards slower, shoegaze-y tones, it’s the more upbeat tracks that stand out to me. Hollow Veins has all the sonic complexity of the slower songs but combines it with a danceable energy and more obvious rock’n’roll bounce nicely offsetting the drone. There’s a strong ’60s vibe to the whole album, but for me the highlights are when they mix Pink Floyd atmospherics with some post-rock or even rock-rock. Settle in with it on a sunny afternoon, or in the car for a road trip through the bush. s %DDIE $AWN -C#URDY

5.+./7. -/24!, /2#(%342! -ULTI ,OVE

Ruban Nielson has been quietly taking over the world for the last couple of years. For those waiting on him to drop his third album there’s been months of wondering what form his unique brand of low-fi psych-funk would take next. ’Multi-Love’ is perhaps the natural progression of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s first two self-titled albums, albeit with more purpose and cohesion. It’s dance-y, something its predecessors hinted at, but never fully embraced. The title track and first single remains the darling of the album. It marries Nielson’s love of complex chord progressions and dreamlike lyricism with an improbable groove that is hard to shake. Underneath lies probably his most poignantly emotional narrative, a mystic love story that, as recent interviews have revealed, describes a rollercoaster three-way relationship that stretched his marriage to its brink. It’s hard not to see the rest of the album in this context, whether that was the intention or not. Necessary Evil is Nielson at his most indulgent best. Reminiscent of Bedouin folk, its heavy underwater keyboard riff sounds like it could have come out of the Algerian plains. Drowsy jazz bars fill up the surrounding space for a worthwhile ride into the abyss. Ur Life One Night is very Prince. That’s a good thing. It’s also quite reminiscent of D’Angelo, with minimalist funk riffs and not much else. Stage or Screen is classic UMO, jumpy, dreamy and drum fill-y, but feels a little shallow among its more fleshed out peers. Extreme Wealth and Casual Cruelty is layered with personal anecdotes and loose societal critiques. It also features a surprise saxophone solo, courtesy of Neilson’s dad, who apparently was won over by this album after not hiding the fact he wasn’t a fan of earlier UMO. Can’t Keep Checking My Phone, the second single, is the most upbeat of the lot, and hence the most fun. It’s deceptive complexity is an example of what makes UMO such a captivating listen.For the die hard fans of the band, there’s good and bad news

here. It’s obviously nine more tracks of mad genius-cum-careless-excellence courtesy of Portland-resident Nielson. However, given his more focused, more melodic and less rambly approach to the album, it also means less brazen psychedelic soundscapes that stretch themselves well past the four minute mark. Admittedly it was one of the things that made live performances so enthralling, but let’s wait and see how these new songs translate themselves to the stage before making really brash judgement. As a collective project, ’Multi-Love’ stands as a matured and visual album with a depth and emotional transparency we haven’t seen in the previous UMO albums. It’s also well constructed, melodic and Ü>À ]Ê Ì }Ê>ÌÊ>Ê }iÛ ÌÞÊÌ >ÌÊ ÃÊ ÞÊ ÜÊV }Ê Ì ÊÛ iÜ°ÊUÊMohamed Hassan

4!).4%$ )NTO 4EMPTATION

Seven years it’s been, but that long, painful wait has been worth it. ’Into Temptation’ re-introduces the finest metal band in Aotearoa, and represents the sum of the anguish, fear, depression, determination, anger, passion, patience and ultimately selflessness of Christchurch’s Tainted. Trying to fix broken lives and houses, whilst painstakingly acquiring the necessary funds to bring their unique and cathartic musical vision into lasting form has been a journey – the drive and talent of this extremely tight, focused and professional band cannot be overstated. There is no standing back in the shadows at a Tainted gig and this is a Tainted live show on disc. Lamb Of God provide a good style reference point, and Tainted would easily stand alongside them as world class metal musicians. This is only the third album in the band’s history and it’s no surprise there have been changes since their 2008 gem ’Carved And Created’. Vocalist Slim, the crowning glory of the band, fortunately remains, as do founding members Tim Facoory and Linly Baxter. Recorded mostly at Quicksand Studios in Christchurch with mixing at Modern World Studios in England, the result is impeccable metal. s !NIA 'LOWACZ

'!229 &/22%34%2 !LMA 2OSE

With a steely yet gentle voice that at times reminds me of Johnny Cash or Leonard Cohen, Garry Forrester’s neatly constructed songs and dulcet tones will lull you along his album’s entirety. His lyrics have an aged air, the word choices interesting without being corny or melodramatic. Stories range over a lot of topics and he uses nice rhyme schemes that don’t follow his finger patterns. Koori Man is a hard-hitting ballad about the story of racism in America. It is a very good song. His rhyme and rhythm provides plenty to listen to in an uncomplicated way, the choice of chords, and the mixture of major and minor shapes come together beautifully without being something heard before – despite this being folk music. Choruses build nicely and verses flow down like rivers. The whole album is almost solely performed by Forrester and his guitar, with only small additions of banjo and mandolin. Engineer Thomas Lambert did a great job of capturing the guitar’s dynamic and when other instruments do come in they are not invasive. A lovely, surprisingly complex album well worth a listen. s #HRIS $ENT

4(% " 3)$% "!.$ &AST &ORWARD

Now on their sixth record and with most recent addition Blair Williams (drums) providing some youthful enthusiasm, The B-Side Band get back to doing what they do best. With Paul Parkhouse (vocals, harmonica, saxophone and percussion), Simon Elton (vocals, guitar) and Mike Kirk (guitars) completing the line-up, there’s a real sense that the band aren’t just running the motions, there’s a genuine rejuvenation to be found. Rockabilly at heart but with blues in the soul, songs like The Jazz Police see the band breaking cliche, flirting with more dramatic moods. The Elton penned All For Love, could easily rate amongst their standout moments, whilst Williams’ addition I Like The Way You Do will no doubt be a favourite over summer. Recorded by Nigel Masters and produced by Paul Parkhouse at Boatshed Studios north of Tauranga and mastered by Tim Julian at Colourfield Studio, there are moments where the production value and instrumentation fall short of the mark. The band’s lack of a bass player sees Masters adding acoustic bass on all but two tracks. Thankfully Kirk’s virtuosity goes a long way to cover any of the disc’s shortfalls with brilliantly placed blues homage licks, most notably on the Juke-inspired, Little Walter tribute Little Walter, Big Beats. Fans of rockabilly, country and blues should find something pleasing here, but perhaps not those looking for something that challenges and pushes either genre. s 3AMMY *AY $AWSON

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z (*

JAMIE MCDELL: Ask Me Anything

Jamie McDell is not Taylor Swift. Nor is she Missy Higgins. She is a down-to-earth Kiwi pop/country singer/songwriter, and when judged for its own merits (rather than against any other global phenomenon country/pop stars), ’Ask Me Anything’ is a very good album. While sounding similar to her 2012 debut ’Six Strings And A Sailboat’, there is an obvious musical and emotional progression between the two. With plenty of strong choruses and funky hooks evident on the punchy Crash, This Time and opening single Dumb, it’s actually the bridges that are her strength, as demonstrated with Falling, Back Of My Mind and elsewhere. Produced by Sydney-based Scot Stuart Crichton, the 13-track album shifts regularly from upbeat good times to slower sadder tunes. The soundscape is equally varied in approach, the moody piano backing of Moon Shines Red a prime example. McDell’s voice does sometimes hit the saccharine pop notes and Back Of My Mind, featuring a vocal duet with Thirsty Merc frontman Rai Thistlewayte, proves a pop highlight. Given that her first album won McDell a Pop AlbumTui this one warrants bringing her even more success. s 'RETA 9EOMAN

The Wellington downtempo trio, headed up by Alexander Green, build on the successes of their self-titled first EP with this new five-track wonder. Solitarily home-recorded in Stratford, at the base of Mt Taranaki, Groeni has been billed as UK bass music from a south west Pacific perspective Available as a 12” or digital download, the package is slickly designed – the subtle cover art and design by Video Marsh (Nic Brown) reflects exactly how the music sounds. Moving slowly away from the folk/rock influences that the first EP was rooted in, ‘Hewn’ builds on the electronic aspects. Bringing the dance aspect to the forefront hasn’t just developed the sound of the band, it’s also provided a major leap forward in songwriting. Where on ‘Groeni’ the writing was able to be more conventional, as the slower tempos and pop focus allowed, here the rhythm is king and the songs are better for it. The writing becomes based around developing ideas and motifs that move with the songs in a more natural way. There’s no longer an uneasy anything-can-happen feel of experimentation, instead a confidence in the refinement of ideas and a sound. No more awkward phrasings, no production bending to fit the song. The writing is catchier but loses none of the delicacy and tact that made it interesting. This is the sound of a band finding their voice and hitting their stride. The songs reference each other and interlace through timbre, melody and production – even the artwork and graphics seem to fit elegantly into the master plan, making this an utterly compelling work of electronica. s 3AM #ARSWELL

Featuring members of Streetwise Scarlett and Goodnight Nurse, The Jury and The Saints have been enthusiastically plying their brand of pop-punk, with a shade of hard rock, in Germany of late. This self-titled album offers up plenty of fist pumping anthems to satisfy punk kids the world over. Start Moving is aptly named for the opener, and packed full of shouty, upbeat grooviness. Fever, Freedom Fighter and Make Our Mark outline the big guitar sound achieved by Jesse Smith and Rowan Crowe, as well as a penchant for upbeat, emotionally charged riffing.

Focus features the frenetic drumming of Marty Kroon, which compliments the aggression and gang chants perfectly. Monday Morning is dark, moody, sparsely arranged, until the uplifting chorus, and for those with a taste for some harder rocking to go with the pop punking, Knocking On The Devil’s Door and Bust The Radio provide the vibe, packaged with epic arrangements and delivered with an Alexis On Fire feel. City Lights will please the dance kids, grungey intro drums giving way to some funky computer noises and a good time. At the business end of the album Last Time fills the role of epic ballad, while Brand New pummels away with synth textures and Last Mistake is a poppy fun track with loaded lyrics. Featuring picture perfect production, sweet growly vocals, catchy choruses and relentlessly upbeat arrangements, this is for fans on the rockier side of Paramore, the softer, poppier side of Alexis On Fire, and anyone with a soft spot for well-executed, emotionally charged pop-punk rock. s *OHN 0AUL #ARROLL

'2%%.&/' "RUCE &ARM

Kiwi rock stalwarts Head Like A Hole return with a follow up to 2011’s extremely well received revival ’Blood Will Out’, and it’s everything you’d expect, including a sprinkling of the unexpected. The Great Wall kicks the album off in epic fashion, with stone-grinding guitar tones and thunderous drums underpinning the low drone sound. Creedance is set up by a nefarious groove, before the paint stripping vocals of Booga Beazley come to the fore and the classic HLAH sound resonates throughout the track. Trouble Again and Rotten utilise toothy blues rock riffs, but The Art Of War takes a turn from the tried and true with some unheard sounds and textures, tremolo guitars and a momentous feel. This is a more melodic effort while still retaining the essence of the sound we’ve come to associate with the band, as it revisits the epic tone of The Great Wall. The harmonised lead lines and manic screaming of Maw remind the listener who they were listening to, if there was any doubt, and the syncopated riffing over the 4/4 beat of 7000 Days capitalises on this momentum. Mexico is reminiscent of Butthole Surfers, a sludgey ballad classed up by some dreamy acoustic guitars, and title track Narcocorrido’s descending rock riffs, as well as some out of the box chord choices for the chorus, once again compliment the full drum sound.The Rise and Fall of The Sun is rifftastic with a driving bassline and before you can google what ’Narcocorrido’ means, the album is rounded out by the blues pyschedlia of Sunrise. Captured in the last days of Auckland’s Studio 203 with Andrew Buckton and vocals recorded by Jol Mullholland, this will be rewarding for HLAH fans as it retains the harder edge of ’Blood Will Out’ while adding to it a touch of the unexpected, in a hard rock context. s *OHN 0AUL #ARROLL

EV\Z (+

Nicole Andrews is a self-taught (though you wouldn’t guess it) pianist from Portland, Oregon, now based in Wellington. She has a rich voice in the style of Tori Amos (very much) or Kate Bush, and the comparison is not just paying lip service to any likely influences. Her style is simple, stripped back, but incredibly solid. Less is more as they say, and there is no unnecessary filler on these compositions.

Piano-led songs are embellished on occasion by subtle traditional instruments (guitar, bass etc.), and also cello, viola, violin, e-bowed guitar and harpsichord – all applied judiciously. Recorded and mixed at Wellington’s Surgery Studios by Lee Prebble and mastered at Munki Studios by Mike Gibson, this is a classy recording. The Steinway piano was recorded at the NZ School of Music and it sounds fantastic. Nicole is not only a gifted songwriter with a most pleasant singing voice, but to be so instantly comparable so early to two important and iconic female performers speaks for itself. Hopefully not one to fall under the radar. This lady’s a bit special. s !NIA 'LOWACZ

4(% *529 !.$ 4(% 3!).43 4HE *URY AND 4HE 3AINTS

'2/%.) (EWN %0

(%!$ ,)+% ! (/,% .ARCOCORRIDO

.)#/,% !.$2%73 )N 4HE 3HALLOWS

With two previous digital online releases under their belt, Auckland’s stoner rock unit Greenfog now have their first long player. With 40 minutes of music on offer over only five tracks (actually four plus an interlude), each song is both a journey and a listening investment. If you like your rock moody, slow and spacious this is your band. Vocals are used purely as an effect rather than a lyrical tool, and add to the abstract imagery. The detuned guitars are laden with effects and are the focal point of the now three-piece act’s sound. Their music is about creating atmosphere and live footage of the band confirms alignment between the recording and delivery.

Unfortunately, at times these tracks feel like they are all about the journey, but without a destination. With the darkness of Black Sabbath and the moodiness of Kyuss, Greenfog’s tags of ambient drone and psychedelic rock are bang on. s 3TU %DWARDS

7!)/2! 4E 0UAOTANGA O TE !O

’Te Puaotanga o te Ao’ (’The Dawn of a New Day’) is the debut album of Waiora, featuring taonga puoro performer Horomona Horo and Josh Rogers on guitar. (A possible third band member, percussionist Korey Atama, performs in their live iteration however he is not featured on this album.) Recorded, mixed and mastered by Mike Gibson of Munki Studio in Wellington ’Te Puatanga o te Ao’ fuses traditional Māori and modern sounds into ambient compositions that reflect the natural world. The result is quite hypnotic and it’s fascinating to hear how two instruments (with

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

occasional added voice) can produce such lush soundscapes. Waiora’s aesthetic is a delicate and beautiful symbiosis between the Māori and European aspects of their music, which proves appealing to the ear. Although this is very gently-voiced there are surprising grooves to be found in the melding between classical guitar and taonga puoro. Occasionally Horo and Rogers also slip in sounds that are slightly unexpected (such as the almost Celtic flute lines in the final track He Tangi Mo Ngā Rehe or the blues-funk guitar rhythms in Whanaki Wai), perhaps to make sure the listener is paying attention – I know these moments certainly made me perk up my ears. Given the rave reviews Waiora has been having in Europe I certainly hope we get to hear more of them and soon. s !LEISHA 7ARD

#!2" /. #!2" #ARB ON #ARB

Whatever else there is to love about Carb on Carb’s self-titled debut album, there’s something refreshing and uncomplicated about cramming 10 energetic indie pop tunes into a set lasting little more than 27 minutes. Like some kind of reverse-White Stripes’ chameleon, with a distinctly Kiwi twist in the tail, the Auckland-based duo of Nicole Gaffney (guitar/vocals) and James Stuteley (drums/ vocals) have been making music as Carb on Carb since 2011. After a couple of earlier EP releases and the hugely challenging experience of touring across Asia, this first full album was recorded and produced by James Goldsmith at Munki Studios and The Blue Room in Wellington, before being mastered in Chicago by Carl Saff. It’s maybe no coincidence then that the album is brimming with strong ’90s US college radio reference points. The music comes across as being a little chaotic and ramshackle in parts, and the album’s main themes veer towards the personal – with perennials like relationships, growing up, girl power, and life in Auckland, all appearing in metaphorical bold type across the lyric sheet. More generally, Carb on Carb somehow manage to merge an inherent sense of DIY fun with a slightly darker edge, and the duo’s wider indie aesthetic is never better realised than with Gaffney’s cover art, which complements everything they manage to achieve sonically. A short, sharp, thoroughly invigorating set of songs packaged up with big lashings of down-to-earth charm. s -ICHAEL (OLLYWOOD

-)#(%), 2%)$ 4HE 3TORM

This feels like it could be a late ’80s album, littered with subtle grooves and unobtrusive MIDI accompaniment. Home production has come a long way since then though and with the aid of modern software Reid has taken on a wide array of instruments – as well as the full gamut of roles through to mastering and even artwork design. Personally I am wary of this as this style of music creation can sometimes have tacky results, but for the main part he takes them in his stride, using the tools to create a soft electric aesthetic covering pop, gospel, blues, jazz and rock. To me that means this home producer understands the nature of the music, creating a believable soundscape across the 11 tracks, though it does include some limp keyboard auto-setting moments.

It’s always nice to see NZ artists cover local musicians tracks and he features three tunes, written by Caitlin Smith, Brenda Liddiard and Mark Laurent – the evident link being sight impairment. Smith’s Nature Girl and Reid’s own Electric Liquid Gold are my favourites, the bass groovy with the other instruments adding further interest. s #HRIS $ENT

3!--9 *!9 $!73/. 3ONGS &ROM 3MOKEY -OUNTAIN

Sammy Jay Dawson comes from Springfield, Canterbury, a farming town not well known for its musical pedigree. A student of Christchurch’s jazz school he has been in hard rock bands in the past, but here returns to the sounds of his youth – a blues rock album with shades of country woven through it. It is a well-written, well-recorded album with passionate performances. The album gets off to a strong start with Crazy Kid, jumping straight into bar room blues, before travelling through quieter, slightly more generic country and blues. I’m In The Mood For You picks up the pace again, a slinky blues-rock track that includes some epic guitar soloing. There are a number of slower songs in the second half of the album, but things are re-energised with the funky Hey! Mr Moon. A couple of tracks too long, and perhaps lacking enough variety, I enjoyed the album’s raw energy and exuberance that is missing from many music releases. s !MANDA -ILLS

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z (,

JODY DIREEN: Breaks Out

You could be forgiven for confusing Wanaka’s Jody Direen with another sometime resident, Shania Twain. Her second album is one pure slice of glossy, Tennessee pop. That’s maybe no surprise for a lady who was ’discovered’ by Bear Grylls’ management singing in a South Island bars and whisked off to the big smoke to make it. Indeed Direen really did make this album Nashville and it’s pretty obvious. It’s slick and very professional. Opener Adrenaline is a full slice of Dolly Parton, perfect for the Grand Ol’ Oprey. Mine and Together are more Twain-esque, with plenty of high-heeled swagger. One Way Ticket, Hey Baby and You’re The One are big, bouffy and crash bang glitzy. You can see plenty of Taylor Swift in there too, Danger being the most obvious example. No point arguing that ’Breaks Out’ is too commercial, too brash, or even a little too twee because that’s the point. Hell, she’s even singing with a southern accent – and it works – on the whole. This debuted at #12 in the Official Top 20. Best of all, she is clearly having fun. This is all about big stars on the door and rhinestones on her dress. Direen has surrounded herself with superb musicians and every song is a squeaky clean cut take on honky tonk s 4IM 'RUAR

"%2.)% -C'!.. -ODERN *AZZ !T 7AYSIDE #HAPEL

It’s not often one gets to hear such a rare treat in Australasian jazz as this. Recorded in 1966 in Sydney, this is a glimpse into the compelling music that was being created at a time when so much local jazz was being overlooked for what was happening overseas. However what we have here is ground-breaking, relevant and as important as anything that was coming out of the US at the time. The late Bernie McGann on alto sax is well-known to local jazz aficionados and he’s at his creative peak here, performing an original (Lazy Days), two by Bobby Gebert, Monk’s Rhythm-a-Ning (in which he takes no prisoners) as well as an extended jam on Ornette Coleman’s When Will The Blues Leave. Alongside locals Kim Paterson on trumpet and the late Andy Brown on bass, with American drummer George Neidorf and Bobby Gebert on piano, this is as swinging and vibrant as it gets. Paterson is on fire – wonderful to hear his early playing in such an open and creative context. Sure, the quality isn’t always at a peak – three tunes were salvaged from a cassette owned by Paterson, but this recording captures such a vibrancy that it’s an essential legacy to not only local jazz, but jazz in general. The beautiful retro Blue Note-style vinyl package tops it off. Highly recommended, released by Sarang Bang . s !LAN "ROWN

#)!. ,9.#( !WAY &ROM (ERE %0

Cian Lynch, an Irish singer/songwriter living in Christchurch, is attracted by stories and on this debut EP he spins an engaging tale or two. ’Away From Here’ is a four song taster of Lynch’s talents, and to me, he has a sound reminiscent of Mike Scott from The Waterboys – folk-based and melodic. I hear this on all of the tracks, but the metaphorical Creature Feature stands out with its elegiac string part and dry vocal take. Rooted in folk and singer/songwriter confessionals, he has taken tips from other influences (such as Nick Cave and Glen Hansard) on Sunny Rollins, or The Day The Doctor Died. Lynch’s sound is based around the acoustic guitar, with an occasional piano accompaniment to pick out layers of the music. Jamie Cashmore at Kearney Rhodes Studio in Akaroa recorded the EP, with a number of Christchurch musicians (including Lee Fitzpatrick, Clarissa Chai and Takahiro Kato) aiding a warm sounding recording that highlights the artist’s voice and guitar work. A short, pleasant and intelligent recording with stories that pull you further in with each listen. s !MANDA -ILLS

2/9 0(),,)03 "LUE 'ROOVE

Anyone familiar with ’60s and ’70s British jazz act The Peddlers should be well aware that distinctively voiced keyboardist Roy Phillips is NZ-based. Recorded in Christchurch, his ’Blue Groove’ kicks off in a nostalgic mood. The title track and album opener is a downbeat smoky club flashback to those days and a wonderful reminder as to what made the group great all those years ago. Little has changed regarding Phillips’ maple syrup voiced delivery, some age-added gravel perhaps, but it’s his keyboard virtuosity that truly shines. Laden with strings, double bass, horns, drum EV\Z (-

loops and vocal harmonies, it truly is an expansive listen. There’s lots here for fans of modern fusion to enjoy, Sunset Mornings captures a Latin dance abandon with just a hint of Weather Report, whilst Perfect burns slowly into a dark funk odyssey. Weighing both mellow jazz with upbeat romps it features John Campbell on guitar, Geoff Culverwell (horns), Robyn Stevens and Albert Bennet on bvs. One can assume Phillips’ responsible for the wah-laden double bass lines and swinging drum loops. A recent inclusion in hit TV show Breaking Bad reminded many that The Peddlers were pioneers of their genre. With an ounce of luck ’Blue Groove’ will remind local audiences of the intrigue that is Roy Phillips and how lucky we are to have him on our shores. s 3AMMY *AY $AWSON

4(% 2%-!2+!",%3 3WINGING /N 4HE 'ATE

This album bursts into life from the opening moment in full bluegrass outfit, but it would be a shame to simply label the Auckland band that, there are traces of the country world and magic western swing pieces too. The Remarkables’ laid back sound will pick you up and take you away to a distant saloon or barn dance from days of old. That feel comes a lot from the swagger and relaxedness of each player. Solos dance around melodically while the band takes turns shining or aiding the groove. Somehow, no matter how complicated a break is, it all seems absolutely effortless. Bass and vocals are provided by Garry Trotman, with guitar, vocals and harmonia by Neil Finley. Other instruments are Bryan Christianson’s banjo and fiddle, washboard, mandolin, saw and train whistle by Robbie Lavender. There’s a playfulness in their playing, they were messing with each other when this was recorded – amazingly done in only two days. The production is smooth, light and articulate, so the Fragile Colours Studio engineer Tim Julian really hit the nail on the head. I’ll likely keep running this album over and will certainly look out for them live. s #HRIS $ENT

"),, -/22)3 (INTERLAND

It took a little while to really get into this new one by singer/ songwriter Bill Morris, not because these songs are not instantly likeable. Tales of Westie druggies, desolate houses in the overcast evenings and mining in the red dirt outback of Australia – there’s a clear parallel you can draw right through to some mystical Kiwi Paul Kelly equivalent. Perhaps it was the uncomfortable familiarity on tracks like Hinderland and Ruby In The Dust which emphasise the sheer Kiwi-ness of Morris’ accent, juxtaposed against slick country rhythms and bluesy bar room guitars. Each song is a story or half-travelled road trip. In Gold Light (In the Palms of My Hands) he delivers drugs to the back of a state house. No Vacancy In Heaven is a darklands tale of a lost soul from a motel murder and The Day The Stock Truck Came is a self-explanatory kid’s view of the busiest day on an isolated back country farm. Morris loves to write about the ordinary – like a mother bouncing around a big old house once the coop have flown (Dusty Corner) or arguing over which tape to play on a road trip (Driving Music). His lyrics include some clever lines like, ’There’s an electric fence around my heart going tick, tick, tick in the dark/picking up in the am dial as I go driving through the rib cage of the land’, on the darkly-edged Remnants of Ruminants. While his more upbeat country fare is all very nice it’s this one that really left an appetite for more. s 4IM 'RUAR

!$!- #!24%2 $/!07

This is my favourite kind of hip hop – intelligent rhymes, oldschool loops and samples, attitude, not ’attitude’. Humility in hip hop can make people who claim to hate it sit up and listen, and here is a beautiful example of that sort of poetry put to music. ’DOAPW’ stands for Dreaming Of A Perfect World, and this release is stylish and professional – soul/hip hop/jazz – even mellow dubstep backing – and pertinent lyrics. Though Carter is Invercargill-based, a lot of the album does sound very ’Brooklyn, New York’, but that could just be the vibe... He intends that his music should bring attention to social and political issues within our country, and ultimately even bring change. Produced and recorded by Carter himself, contributions come from Miharo Gregory, Raiza Biza, Sophie Leigh, J R Lee, Myra, Chance Beckett, Overstand and others. My favourite track (among several) is GCSB (“The GCSB wants to spy on me‌â€?), with its very cool Billie Holiday sample. Stunning. s !NIA 'LOWACZ

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Photo: Amanda Senior

Wellington City Shake ’Em On Downers

Just take that streetcar that’s goin’ uptown Formed in 2011, The Wellington City Shake-‘Em-On-Downers play music inspired by classic New Orleans brass bands and the greats of the early jazz and swing era. Having recorded live at Orange Studio in Christchurch earlier this year the septet now have a 12-track album to illustrate their charismatic 1920s and ’30s repertoire, which invariably has audiences up and dancing before they even warm their seats. Chloe Cairncross met up with the capital’s favourite group of swingers.

W

hen I first saw the Wellington City Shake-‘Em-On-Downers perform live at Southern Cross bar a couple of years ago, I knew nothing about them apart from their lengthy but suitably apt name. As a rule, I don’t like to dance – I appreciate live performances with a subtle toe-tap under the table. However, some crazy voodoo came over me that night. I’d only had one drink, but there I was, shimmying away with pretty much every other body packed in the venue.

The band’s unavoidable energy and joy is infectious. Accordionist, Emma Wollum, neatly recognises this.

“I want to instil people with a feeling of second-hand joy, like, ‘Oh god, that looks like so much fun, I want to be doing that!’ and then they will, and that’s great.”

The New Orleans’ swing outfit have a keen sense of the utility of humour, and their affability, especially upon meeting them, exemplifies exactly why this band is now a fixture of the Wellington scene.

Beginning circa 2011, core membership has swollen with time to the steady seven that the group boasts today. Other than Wollum who “… had a proper jazz education at an American high school”, all of the players attended the NZ School of Music.

Their talent and education means that rehearsals are not routinely scheduled, lending a raw and attractive individuality to each performance.

“Every time we play something live it’s usually a different arrangement than what it was the previous night,” says double bassist Robert Henderson. “So [the songs] are all vehicles of improvisation or creative arrangements that

everyone partakes in.”

Sets are generally a half-and-half mishmash of original compositions and standards. The original compositions purposely sound like they are fresh from the 1920/’30s as well, so that they can slip neatly within the playlist.

Songwriting is typically a combined effort as drummer Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa observes “It’s collaborative in a different way because improvisational music requires an input from everyone. It’s up to the composer to provide a vehicle for that self-expression.”

Individual members will turn up to a meeting with the bare bones of a track, fully prepared for the group to augment it.

“It’s never a case of too many cooks. We all bring a bit of seasoning to the overall dish,” says sous-chef Henderson.

The group are well versed in the culture and context of what they do. I hadn’t even thought about the issue of the ‘Dixieland’ epithet but Wollum brings attention to it.

“We’re actually trying to shy away from the Dixieland label because we don’t like the cultural connotations, so we really are more of a New Orleans-style swing band now… we acknowledge it but we aren’t going to glorify it.”

“I don’t want to get in to a big political rant about it,” Schaverien-Kaa adds, “but we are socially aware of the tradition behind our music.

“Jazz is an African-American music and you have to pay respect to that, and having a detailed acknowledgement of that is crucial to playing the music in a truthful way… it’s easy to look back on history like it was this magical time where nothing was going wrong, but a lot of things were going down and this music was a response to that, so we want to acknowledge that.”

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Their music may be delivered with wide grins and engender high spirits, but, historically, it was all a reaction to the bigger, nastier picture.

With this in mind, saxophonist Oscar Laven suggests that the freewheeling attitude of the music means; “You can get drunk to this and dance to it, and realise you are not having a shit time.”

“We are essentially playing club-bangers, they just happen to be from the ’30s,” Wollum concedes wryly.

With pockets of jazz players sparsely populated outside of the city centres, the novelty of this music makes New Zealanders particularly receptive to the band. This means that live ventures are immensely more enjoyable than time in a recording studio.

“Punters go out to have a good time, whether that is to get smashed or to be artistically entertained. Why not cater for both?” asks Henderson.

“A lot of people take themselves way too seriously; they’re just musicians,” Robert Laurent (guitars/banjo) sagely adds.

For now the band want to progress by delving deeper into their particular meld of music, rather than pursuing broader, more various creations. They want to become “more authentic”. They already have the old school Dixie swing, the New Orleans jazz and a bit of rock and roll creeping in – making their brand of entertainment varied as it is. So grab your friends, grab some wine, and put on their version of Cab Calloway’s Reefer Man for an up-tempo raucous good time.

lllY>"39,SSLY3SOd G"L99OSP SlP

EV\Z (.

QPTUDBSET GSPN

Campbell Paget is Bayker, recently added to the Crazy Planet Records/BMG publishing stable, and even more recently a Berlin-resident songwriter. It’s been a whirlwind few years for Bayker as he reveals in telling NZM of his musical journey through the States, to UK and now on to Germany.

Next stop – global fame and fortune.

I

t’s 2007, I’m sitting in class in my second-to-last year at college, knowing I wouldn’t be attending 7th form. My attention span lasted until the teacher turned his back, I don’t recall ever thinking that one day I would be living in Berlin. But I did know that alI I wanted was a career in music, and nothing else! I enrolled in SAE and this would become my final year of college and one of the best decisions I have made. It gave me the production grounding I soon used every day when writing and composing my own music in train stations, airports and Starbucks around the world.

Wanting to explore myself as an artist and the world outside of NZ, I spent the next couple of years working as a labourer during the days and composing music until the early hours of the morning.

When I turned 21 I decided to see where my musical abilities could take me. It was time to go! I sold my car, and anything that I could flick for a quick buck, jacked up a visa and bought my ticket to the Big Apple, New York city.

Having never travelled further overseas than to Aussie, I was told I was in for a shock.

True, staring out the window of my yellow cab at the Manhattan skyline my mind was blown, and also overwhelmed with excitement.

I checked in to a hostel on West 20th which would be my home for the next three weeks until I found permanent digs on West 86th, between West End and Riverside Dr. Around this point I realised that from here on nothing would come of this move, unless I made an effort to initiate and engage in conversation with strangers, because I knew… no one! There was no comfort from an organisation like school, sports or social events where making friends and connections came easy. It was me, a box of Budweiser and a hostel common room.

My time in New York was called short after roughly three months. I met a guy in my building complex that referred me to an LA-based management company. A phone call later they asked me to write a track, which I did that night. I waited until the morning to belt out the vocals, holding a jumper my Nana had knitted over my head to dampen the sound. Next I knew they had me on a plane to the City of Angels to meet up and establish a management relationship.

I instantly became a huge fan of LA – the weather, the lifestyle and most important, In-N-Out Burger! I rented an office from my manager in his building on Hollywood Boulevard, with a 24 hour fitness one block away that I used for showering etc., and a diner next door. It was right in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

Hollywood was surreal, a place I had only ever seen on the

EV\Z )%

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

E channel back home. It is a place where anything goes, and everyone is ‘someone’.

Nevertheless, I loved it. I felt being a Kiwi made it easier to weed out the genuine people and established a great group of friends, a lot of whom were talented Kiwis. My days were filled with writing sessions and learning from those I was rubbing shoulders with. I played acoustic gigs here and there, my favourite being the Viper Room – a bucket list moment for me.

After about a year and a half of dancing around the visa situation and my artistry developing, I felt it was time for a change.

London proved an easy move, very similar to NZ, and full of ex-pats. I would become familiar with snakebites, pub roasts and the infamous Walkabout ex-pat pub. I soon met up with a good friend for a writing session on his visit from Berlin. He encouraged me to come over for a long weekend to establish new connections and get a taste of the German way.

Ironically, I booked the weekend of the Football World Cup Final. Germany would go on to win, so things inevitably got out of hand!

Parties aside, while in Berlin I had the privilege of meeting Matthias Mueller and the crew at Crazy Planet Records. We sat outside in the sun in front of the CPR HQ and listened to a bunch of my tracks.

The response was positive and from here we would keep in touch. A couple of months later I received the best phone call I have ever had, and nine months later I would be sitting in Berlin, pen to paper with a publishing deal from BMG Rights Management and Crazy Planet Records. The first half of my dream has come true, now let’s have the second!

After a beautiful early 2015 summer spent in NZ and what seemed like a week of flying, anticipation was high. I arrived in Berlin to be treated to a hearty meal, some beers and darts to entertain my first night, before the jet lag kicked my ass into next week.

The next few days I roamed around starry eyed, it was like NYC all over again. I indulged in the famous currywurst sausages, schnitzels and oversized ice-cream, strolling parks, memorials in a city where freedom was clearly not taken for granted. Having a beer here and a beer there, it seems like a replacement for coffee. No complaints!

I was given a tour of the beautiful Riverside Studios, and went on to meet some of the producers I am going to work with, and my family at Crazy Planet and BMG. A great bunch of guys who share the same vision as me, discussing the sound and plan for my first

release. This is when it really started to sink in. From here, they teamed me up with one of the biggest producers in Germany, writing new material for myself and other artists. I have also booked my first gig for the Berlin Fashion Trade Show in July. I’m super overwhelmed and excited, ready to start the next chapter on what so far has been an amazing journey!

To all those who have supported me, family back home, and friends around the world who have let me crash their floors and couches, thank you. Come have a beer with me in Berlin, it’s a beautiful place.

Bayker

gJPnj_MY3SOd,"nL9_

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Crazy Planet Records is an independent touring company based in Berlin, who work primarily with NZ artists. www. crazyplanetrecords. com

EV\Z )&

Bill Morris

What Lies Beyond

N

ot long after we talk, South Island songwriter Bill Morris was to perform the title track from his latest album, ‘Hinterland’, at the NZ Country Music Awards in Gore. The song was a finalist for APRA’s Best Country Music Song award, along with offerings from Kaylee Bell,

Jared Porter and Tami Neilson. Morris seems delighted, if a little perplexed by the recognition.

“It’s so great to be held up among those guys. I have no expectations, but I just can’t wait for the show!”

Musically, ‘Hinterland’ – the album – evokes the sweeping Americana landscapes of producer John Egenes’ native southwestern States.

Beautifully picked banjo, mandolin, lap steel and tremolo guitar are the order of the day. It marks a significant move away from his previous release ‘Mud’, a much rougher, almost folk-punk affair.

“Well, ‘Mud’ was pulled together in less than ideal circumstances. I was green. I didn’t know the first thing about recording when I did it,” he says.

“Looking back, there’s a lot that I’d change now, and I wasn’t really happy with my vocals on that record, but I’m still proud of what I achieved with it, and I had to start somewhere.

“For ‘Hinterland’ I leaned heavily on John for his musical input – he’s a talented guy. I toured across the States with him whilst filming Donna Dean for a documentary. [A CreativeNZ funded project that should soon see the light of day.] The influence of that part of the world took a real hold on me. This is my second album. I’m more confident now. I already knew the musicians that I wanted to work with. There were a huge backlog of songs that I wanted to record, so it was really just a case of finding the ones to which I thought John might be able to relate.”

Despite the strong Americana sound, ‘Hinterland’ remains distinctly Antipodean in its subject matter. Morris was raised on a farm in the upper Rakaia valley, in Canterbury’s high country, so there’s little to be surprised about there, but, interestingly, it’s the songwriting traditions of Australia that pique his interest.

“Guys like Paul Kelly and Kev Carmodie – even Nick Cave – they come from a very strong storytelling background. There’s a strong folklore there, and it’s very connected to the land, to the environment. I’m hugely interested in the natural world, so I can relate to that.”

Dunedin-based Morris spends much of his time operating in a journalistic capacity. He’s worked for the last 10 years as a filmmaker, but also as a sometime writer for several magazines, including NZ Geographic.

A natural storyteller, he approaches his songwriting with the observational eye of someone who spends a lot of working time as a fly on the wall. His songs draw your attention to what others might overlook as insignificant details. He takes the time to be descriptive, to set the scene. The first verse of Dusty Corners focuses entirely on the supposedly mundane moment when a woman finds a lost earring behind the couch, developing expertly into a classic story of wasted time and regret.

“I’m interested in the essential DNA that makes up a good story. I love the broad palette of techniques you can use and I want to perfect those techniques. I’m interested in so many of the storytelling methods – photography, filmmaking, writing, but songwriting is really where it’s at for me. When you make a film, you’re constantly having to conform to others’ expectations. With songwriting there’s a freedom to call it as you see it.”

Morris’ songwriting-as-a-craft approach seems to be paying real dividends. He’s garnering glowing reviews overseas. No Depression called him a natural, comparing his skills to those of the likes of John Prine and Al Stewart, even Tom Waits. Regardless of any interest he’s receiving Stateside, he’s in no rush to move away from NZ, having resided in Dunedin for years he relishes the options that the city provides.

“I have so many interests and diversions and I can address them all right here. I can finish writing an article for NZ Geographic on whale evolution, after working with guys at the university, and two minutes up the road I can be heading into the studio to work on my album. It’s a great little enclave of science and creativity.

“I have a circle of talented friends and musicians that I can call upon here and I’m already searching for the next sound I want to put down on record. I’m interested in distilling a pure NZ sound. For now, I just want to release this record and take it around the country, play some house concerts, make some friends and keep connecting with people.”

lllY,JMMOS__J`Y3SYPp

EV\Z )'

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Photo: Steve Ting

A natural storyteller who has made a living as a magazine contributor and filmmaker for the last decade, Dunedin’s Bill Morris well knows how to look beyond the picture in front of him to see the scene beyond – the hinterland if you will. Having grown up on a south Canterbury farm he also has a natural affinity for the land and the wider environment, reflected in the title and contents of his two albums, 2012’s ‘Mud’ and the recently-released ‘Hinterland’. Matt Herrett talked to him about the latter’s unlikely combination of Americana and Aotearoa.

Battle of the Bands’ 20th Milestone

T

he local Battle of the Bands concept dates back even beyond the days of the legendary Kiwi booze barns, but rather like closing time sirens it lost favour as social tastes and drinking habits moved on. In 1995 the concept was revived as an Auckland-based competition by rehearsal studio and indie label owner Andrew Featherstone, and this year it is impressively celebrating its 20th year.

More than 130 acts signed on for the Demon Energy Battle of the Bands in 2015, and since April they have been competing in 59 shows across 11 venues nationwide. Legendary music joints like Auckland’s Kings Arms, The Royal in Palmerston North, The Cabana in Napier, Wellington’s Bodega and Sammy’s in Dunedin are joined by venues in Hamilton, Mt Maunganui, New Plymouth and Christchurch. Over four months each venue hosts a series of heats, (and semi-finals in most cases) leading to a regional final. Judges and audience voting determines each region’s champions, who

then get to represent their region at the two-night national final in Auckland, early August.

“Previous year’s winners have been reggae, funk, rock, metal, pop and alternative bands, so we have a wide range for sure,” says Featherstone.“This year, presumably partly due to the tour of Europe prize, there is a large amount of high calibre bands, although in saying that, every year we have many very good bands. The national finals always feature some amazing talent, but this year, there is a larger number of higher level bands overall.”

The milestone anniversary comes with an up-scaled prize list headed by a 10-date tour of Europe for the 2015 winners. Not quite a free-for-all, the tour kicks off late August in Spain, taking in several more European countries before finishing in Germany for the Oktoberfest celebration. What could be more Kiwi?

The winning band will also get to record a single at Roundhead Studios (where 2014 BOTB winners Strangely Arousing have recently recorded their prize

Industry

single), as well as take home prizes of music gear and the promise of international radio play.

Back in 2004 Featherstone expanded his growing NZ competition into an international event, and by 2007 the renamed World Battle of the Bands was happening in eight countries (NZ, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan and USA), and around 40 cities.

Unsurprisingly things got a little out of control.

“I had my previous label Intergalactic tied in closely with the event at that stage, signing and releasing several of the winners. When record sales started decreasing quite rapidly like many labels I struggled financially, having a fairly big roster of artists and commitments, causing everything to become difficult to continue.”

He’s considering re-launching WBOB, but for now says his focus is on further development of the local event.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

,"ggM9S>gG9I ,"P7`Y3SYPpe

EV\Z )(

OUT ON THE STREET Experiencing the Multi-Love of local industry news, gossip, rumour and guesswork Stage Or Screen UÊ -Ì>}i`Ê ` Õ iÊ >ÌÊ Ì iÊ 6 `>v iÊ Ûi ÌÃÊ i ÌÀiÊ Ê > Õ >Õ]Ê Ì iÊ Óä£xÊ Pacific Music AwardsÊ >ÛiÊ Lii Ê Üi ÊV ÛiÀi`Ê>ÌÊÌ iÊvÀ ÌÊ vÊÌ ÃÊ ÃÃÕi]ÊLÕÌÊ iÀi½ÃÊ>ÊµÕ V Ê ÃÕ >ÀÞÊ vÊÌ iÊ } ̽ÃÊÜ iÀðÊ6iÌiÀ> ÊÕÀL> Ê`Õ Ê Þ`i Ê ÜiÀiÊ > i`Ê iÃÌÊ *>V v VÊ ÀÌ ÃÌÊ >ÃÊ Üi Ê >ÃÊ iÃÌÊ À Õ«]Ê VÀ Ü }Ê Ì ÃiÊ * Ê ÌÀ « iÃÊ vvÊ Ü Ì Ê Ì iÊ /Õ Ê v ÀÊ iÃÌÊ *>V v VÊ Õà VÊ LÕ Êv Àʼ i ÀÃÊ"vÊ Ê ` } ÌÊ ÜL Þ½° - >à «À v½ÃÊ> Ì LÕ Þ }ÊV >ÀÌÊ ÌÊSurvivorsÊÜ ÊÌ iÊ «Ê «ÊÌÀ Ê­V ÛiÀÊ>ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊ vÊ < ½ÃÊ iLÉ >ÀV ÊÓä£{Êi` Ì ®Ê L Ì ÊÌ iÊ iÃÌÊ*>V v VÊ- }Ê> `Ê iÃÌÊ Õà VÊ6 `i Ê>Ü>À`ÃÊ ­Ü Ì Ê` ÀiVÌ ÀÊ À ÃÊ À> > ®°Ê/ Ê/> ÌÕ>Ê« V i`ÊÕ«Ê ÃÊv ÀÃÌÊ ÌÜ Ê Õà VÊ Ü>À`ÃÊ >ÃÊ iÃÌÊ *>V v VÊ > iÊ ÀÌ ÃÌÊ > `Ê iÃÌÊ Ã«i Ê ÀÌ ÃÌÊL>Ãi`Ê Ê ÃÊ> LÕ Ê¼ >} v i`½°Ê/ iÊ iÃÌÊ i > iÊ ÀÌ ÃÌÊÜ>ÃÊ Õ`}i`ÊÌ ÊLiÊ ÀÌ Ê- ÀiÊà }iÀÊ À> > Ê v ÀÊ iÀʼ"À}> Ãi`Ê > Ã½Ê *]Ê> `ÊÌ iÊ ÌiÀ >Ì > Ê ÀÌ ÃÌÊ >Ü>À`Ê Ü>ÃÊ Ü Ê LÞÊ >Ü> > L>Ãi`Ê -> > É >«> iÃiÊ i Ã Õ Êà }iÀÊ >ÀÞ> iÊ Ì °Ê/ iÊ iÃÌÊ*>V v VÊ > }Õ>}iÊ ,iV À` }ÊÌÀ « ÞÊÜi ÌÊÌ Ê- ÕÌ Ê ÕV > `½ÃÊ7 À`Ê vÊ viÊ

ÀÊ v ÀÊ / i iÊ Ê >½ÕÊ Õ>Õ >}>°Ê / iÊ V ÀÊ V à ÃÌÃÊ vÊ ÀiÊÌ > ÊnäÊ i LiÀÃÊLiÌÜii ÊÌ iÊ>}iÃÊ vÊÌ ÀiiÊ> `Ê ÇxÊÞi>ÀðÊ*ÕL VÊÛ ÌiÊ`iÌiÀ i`ÊÌ >ÌÊÌ iÊ*i « i½ÃÊ ViÊ Ü>À`Ê Üi ÌÊ Ì Ê / ÀiiÊ ÕÃiÃÊ Ü Ê Ü iÊ i Ê iÜ ÃÊ ­ < Ê «À É >ÞÊ Óä£x®Ê ÀiVi Ûi`Ê Ì iÊ * «Ê Õi > >Ê Ü>À`Ê >ÃÊ ÃÌÊ *À à }Ê *>V v VÊ ÀÌ ÃÌ°Ê iÀLÃÊ } ÌÊ Ì i ÀÊ ÃiV `Ê L }Ê `ÕÃÌÀÞÊ } }Ê vÊ Ì iÊ Þi>ÀÊ Ü Ì Ê Ì iÊ viÌ iÊ V iÛi i ÌÊ >Ü>À`Ê v ÀÊ Ì i ÀÊ v Õi ViÊ > `Ê ÃÕVViÃÃ]Ê Ã«iV v V> ÞÊÌ i ÀÊv ÀÃÌÊÌÜ ÊÀi i>ÃiÃʼ7 >ÌÃ½Ê iÊ >««i ¶½Ê > `ʼ } ÌÊ"vÊÌ iÊ*>V v V½°Ê UÊ/ iÊ{£ÃÌÊ `Ê Õ Ì>ÀÊ7ii Ê Ê Ài]Ê >ÌiÊ >Þ]ÊLÀ Õ} ÌÊ Ü Ì Ê ÌÊÌ iÊ> Õ Vi i ÌÊ vÊÌÜ Ê vÊÌ iÊÞi>À½ÃÊL }ÊV Õ ÌÀÞÊ Õà VÊ>Ü>À`Ã°Ê ÜÊ>Êv ÕÀ Ì iÊÜ iÀ]Ê/> Ê i à ÊÜ>ÃÊ >}> Ê} Ûi ÊÌ iÊ <Ê Õà VÊ Ü>À`ýÊ/Õ Êv ÀÊBest Country Music AlbumÊ v ÀÊ iÀÊ ¼ Þ > Ìit½Ê > LÕ °Ê - iÊ Ü>ÃÊ Õ«Ê >}> ÃÌÊ vÀ i `ÃÊ > `Ê V >L À>Ì ÀÃÊ i > iÞÊ >Û `Ã Ê > `Ê >À Ê 7 > ÃÊ Ü Ê ÜiÀiÊ >Ìi`Ê v ÀÊ Ì i ÀÊ > LÕ Ê ¼->`Ê ÕÌÊ /ÀÕiÊ 6 Õ iÊ Î½]Ê > `Ê i Ê vv>ÌÌÊ v ÀÊ ÃÊ ¼-Õ«iÀ iÀ iÃÊ > `Ê -V>ÀÞÊ / }ý°Ê i à ½ÃÊ «ÀiÛ ÕÃÊ /Õ Ê

EV\Z ))

Ü ÃÊV> iÊ ÊÓää ]ÊÓä£äÊ> `ÊÓä£Ó]Ê> `Ê vÊV ÕÀÃiÊà iÊ > à ÊÜ ÊÌ iÊÓä£{Ê- ÛiÀÊ-VÀ ÊÜ Ì ÊÌ iÊ> LÕ ½ÃÊ «i }Ê ÌÀ>V ÊWalk (Back Into Your Arms)°Ê i à ÊÜ>ÃÊ> à ÊÕ«Êv ÀÊ Ì iÊBest County Music SongÊÌ Ì iÊv ÀÊYou Lie]ÊV «iÌ }Ê ÊÌ >ÌÊV>Ìi} ÀÞÊÜ Ì Ê Ê ÀÀ ýÊHinterlandÊ­ÃiiÊ«>}iÊ{ή]Ê > `Ê Ì iÊ >Ü>À`Ê Ü iÀÃÊ >Þ iiÊ i Ê > `Ê >Ài`Ê * ÀÌiÀÊ v ÀÊ Ì i ÀÊ`ÕiÌÊPieces°Ê >ÃÌÊÞi>ÀÊ i Ê­« VÌÕÀi`ÊLi ÜÊÜ Ì Ê/> Ê i à ®Ê> à ÊÜ ÊÌ iÊ/Õ Êv ÀÊ iÃÌÊ Õ ÌÀÞÊ Õà VÊ LÕ ° UÊ <Ê Õà VÊ Ì Ê >ÃÊLiV iÊ>ÊL }Ê iÊv ÀÊà > iÀÊ>Ü>À`ÃÊ ViÀi iÃÊ> `Ê ÕV > `¿ÃÊ/Õ }Ê À Ê­« ÕÃÊ>ÊvÕ ÞÊ v ÀiÊ >Ê >®Ê ÃÌi`ÊÌ iÊÓä£xÊMusic Managers AwardsÊ ` >Þ°Ê ÀÃÌÊÌ iÊÜ iÀÊ Ã iÞÊ*>}iÊÌ Ê iÊÌ iÊ > >}iÀÊ vÊÌ iÊ9i>ÀÊ>Ü>À`Êv ÀÊ ÃÊÜ À ÊÜ Ì Ê À `ÃÊ> `Ê «À `ÕViÀÊ i Ê ÌÌ i°Ê / iÊ Ài> Ì À Õ} Ê > >}iÀÊ ÌÀ « ÞÊ Üi ÌÊ Ì Ê V Ê ÜÞiÀÊ > `Ê V Ê Ã ]Ê v ÀÊ Ì i ÀÊ Ü À Ê ÊÀ> à }ÊÌ iÊ«À v iÊ vÊÌ i ÀÊ`> ViÊ Õà VÊ«À iVÌÊ7i À`Ê / }iÌ iÀ°Ê-V ÌÌÊ >V >V > Êà >Ài`Ê iÊÌ iÊ ÌiÀ >Ì > Ê V iÛi i ÌÊ >Ü>À`]Ê v ÀÊ ÃÊ À iÊ Ê Ì iÊ ÃÕVViÃÃÊ vÊ - ÎÊ Ê> `Ê À`i°Ê/ iÊ} L> Ê iÜÃÊÌ >ÌÊ À`iÊ >`Ê> Ài>`ÞÊ ivÌÊ >V >V > ½ÃÊ -> Ê > >}i i ÌÊ LiV> iÊ «ÕL VÊ Ê Ì iÊ`>ÞÃÊv Ü }ÊÌ iÊiÛi Ì°Ê `ÀiÜÊ-«À>}} ÊÀiVi Ûi`Ê Ì iÊ -i v > >}i`Ê ÀÌ ÃÌÊ >Ü>À`Ê v ÀÊ ÃÊ >V iÛi i ÌÃÊ >ÃÊ - >Ê , Ã>]Ê Ü Ê Ü Ê LiÊ Ì ÕÀ }Ê Ì iÊ 1 Ê Ê Õ}ÕÃÌÊ ÃÕ« « ÀÌ }ÊÌ i ÀÊ >ÌiÃÌÊ> LÕ Ê¼ >} iÌ Vý°Ê/ iÊ `i«i `i ÌÊ / ÕÀÊ >Ü>À`Ê Üi ÌÊ Ì Ê > iÃÊ - ÕÌ }>ÌiÊ v ÀÊ Ì iÊ iÛ Ã Ê ¼7iÊ , Ãi½Ê > LÕ Ê Ài i>ÃiÊ Ì ÕÀ°Ê *À `ÕViÀÊ Ài}Ê >ÛiÀÊ «ÀiÃi Ìi`Ê ½ÃÊ V iÛi i ÌÊ Ü>À`ÊÌ Ê >Ì iÊ/ «Ã Ê ÊÀiV } Ì Ê vÊ iÀÊ+Õ À ÞÊ Õà V]ÊÜ V Ê«À Û `iÃÊ ÃÌ VÊ Õà VÊ > >}i i ÌÊ v ÀÊ >Ê À> }iÊ vÊ `i«i `i ÌÊ >ÀÌ ÃÌÃ°Ê Ã>Ê À` Ê> `Ê >ÀÀÞÊ-ÌÕÀ iÊ­« VÌÕÀi`ÊLi Ü®Ê>VVi«Ìi`Ê Ì iÊ iÃÌÊ - > Ê 6i ÕiÊ >Ü>À`Ê v ÀÊ ÕV > `½ÃÊ }ÃÊ À Ã]Ê Ü iÊ i>ÀÊ i } L ÕÀÊ Ì iÊ * ÜiÀÃÌ>Ì Ê Ü>ÃÊ ÀiV i`Ê Ì iÊ iÃÌÊ >À}iÊ 6i ÕiÊ v ÀÊ Ì iÊ Ì À`ÊÌ i°Ê 7 Ì Ê >Ê Ài }Ê vÊ VÀ ÌiÀ >Ê ­«ÀiÛ Õà ÞÊ ÌÊ Ü>ÃÊ v ÀÊ À}> Ã>Ì ÃÊ Þ®Ê Ì iÊ Óä£xÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊ > « ÊÌ Ì iÊÜ>ÃÊ>Ü>À`i`ÊÌ Ê Ài `> Ê - ÞÌ ]Ê <Ê " Ê À½ÃÊ }Ê ÃiÀÛ }Ê <Ê Õà VÊ > >}iÀ°Ê Û `i Ì ÞÊ>ÃÃÕ }ÊÌ >ÌÊ ÌÊÜ>ÃÊ i ÞÊÌ ÊLiÊà iÊ `Ê vÊ i>À ÞÊv>ÀiÜi ÊÀiV } Ì Ê iÊÜ Õ `ÊLiÊÀiVi Û }]Ê- ÞÌ ½ÃÊ Ã«iiV Ê V v À i`Ê ÀÕ ÕÀÃÊ vÊ ÃÊ i ÌÊ ÀiÌ Ài i Ì°Ê Ì Õ} Ê ÌÊÞiÌÊ vÊ `V>À`Ê>}i]Ê iÊ«ÕL V ÞÊ> Õ Vi`Ê iÊÜ Õ `Ê `ii`ÊLiÊ i>Û }Ê <Ê" Ê ÀÊ Ê iLÀÕ>ÀÞÊÓ Ê iÝÌÊÞi>ÀÊqʺ/ iÊ`>ÞÊÌ >ÌÊ` ià ½ÌÊiÝ ÃÌ]»Ê>ÃÊ iÊÌ `ÊÌ iÊ ÃÌ ÞÊÃÕÀ«À Ãi`ÊÀ °Ê-Ì ]Ê ÃÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊ > « Ê>Ü>À`Ê Ü>ÃÊÜ `i ÞÊV à `iÀi`Ê>««À «À >Ìi°

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

UÊ/ iÊ/Õ }Ê À ÊÜ>ÃÊ> à ÊÌ iÊÛi ÕiÊv ÀÊ,iV À`i`Ê Õà VÊ <½ÃÊVi iLÀ>Ì Ê vÊÌ iÊ{äÌ Ê ÛiÀÃ>ÀÞÊ vÊÌ iÊOfficial NZ Top 40 Music ChartsÊ Ê >Þ°Ê£ÈÊ>Ü>À`ÃÊÜiÀiÊ >`iÊ Ì ÊL Ì Ê V> Ê> `Ê ÌiÀ >Ì > Ê>VÌÃÊÌ >ÌÊ >ÛiÊÌ ««i`ÊÌ iÊ > LÕ ÃÊ> `Êà } iÃÊV >ÀÌÃÊ Êv ÕÀÊV>Ìi} À iÃ\Ê ÃÌÊ £Ã]Ê ÃÌÊ V >ÀÌÊ i ÌÀ iÃ]Ê ÃÌÊ Üii ÃÊ Ê Ì iÊ V >ÀÌ]Ê > `Ê ÃÌÊ Üii ÃÊ>ÌÊ £°Ê,iV À`i`Ê Õà VÊ <Ê> à ÊÀi i>Ãi`Ê>Ê Ìi`Ê i` Ì ÊǻʫÀiÃÃi`Ê ÊÀi`ÊÛ Þ ]ÊÜ Ì ÊÃ> iÃÊ«À Vii`ÃÊ} }Ê Ì ÊÌ iÊ <Ê Õà VÊ Õ `>Ì °Ê/ iÊ` ÃVÊvi>ÌÕÀiÃÊ/ Ê/>> i½ÃÊ Always on My Mind]ÊÌ iÊ Ü ÊÌÀ>V ÊÌ >ÌÊëi ÌÊÌ iÊ ÃÌÊ Üii ÃÊ Ê Ì iÊ - } iÃÊ >ÀÌÊ ­xxÊ Üii î]Ê > `Ê -VÀ Li½ÃÊ Stand Up]Ê Ì iÊ Ü Ê Ã } iÊ Ì >ÌÊ Ã«i ÌÊ Ì iÊ ÃÌÊ Üii ÃÊ >ÌÊ £Ê­£ÓÊÜii î°Ê Ì Ê>ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊ` >Ìi`ÊÌ i ÀÊà }ÃÊv ÀÊ Ì iÊ «À iVÌ°Ê Û> >L iÊ Ì À Õ} Ê ÀiV À`Ê ÃÌ ÀiÃÊ v ÀÊ >Ê Ã ÀÌÊ Ì i]Ê V iVÌ ÀÃÊ V> Ê V ÃiÊ LiÌÜii Ê >Ê -VÀ LiÊ ÀÊ />> iÊ V ÛiÀ°Ê Ê Û `i Ê Ì > Ê Þ ÕÊ vÀ Ê iÜÊ "À`iÀÊ «À Ûi`Ê iÊ vÊÌ iÊ } ̽ÃÊ } } ÌÃ]ÊÜ Ì ÊÌ iÊ Ì iÀÊ Ü Ê>VÌÃÊÌ> }Ê iÊ>Ü>À`ÃÊ«À Û }Ê>Êv>ÃV >Ì } ÞÊ Ýi`ÊLÕ V \Ê ÃÌÊ £Ê à } iÃÊ qÊ ii«Ê "LÃiÃÃ Ê ­« VÌÕÀi`Ê >L Ûi®ÆÊ ÃÌÊ Ã } iÃÊV >ÀÌÊi ÌÀ iÃÊqÊ- >`ÆÊ ÃÌÊ £Ê> LÕ ÃÊqÊ >Þ iÞÊ 7iÃÌi À>Ê> `Ê- >`ÆÊ ÃÌÊ> LÕ ÃÊV >ÀÌÊi ÌÀ iÃÊqÊ-« ÌÊ âÆÊ ÃÌÊÜii ÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ> LÕ ÃÊV >ÀÌÊqÊ >ÌÊ Ài``Þ½ÃÊ À «Ê ¼ >Ãi`Ê" Ê Ê/ÀÕiÊ-Ì ÀÞ½ÆÊ ÃÌÊÜii ÃÊ>ÌÊ £Ê vÊÌ iÊ> LÕ ÃÊ V >ÀÌÊqÊ >Þ iÞÊ7iÃÌi À>ʼ*ÕÀi½ UÊ/ iÊv > iÊ vÊ, 1½ÃÊÞi>À ÞÊRoundUpÊL> `ÊV «iÌ Ì Ê Ê À ÃÌV ÕÀV ÊÀiÃÕ Ìi`Ê Ê>ÊÜ Êv ÀÊÌÀ Ê i`Ê*>Àà ÃÊEÊ ÃÊ À i `Ã]Ê>ÊLÀ> `Ê iÜÊ«À iVÌÊÜ Ì Ê*>Àà ÃÊ­ i`ÊEÊ iÀ>]Ê "`ÞÃÃiÞ]Ê ÕÃiÊ "vÊ Õ Ì> ®]Ê ÃiÃÊ , LL ÃÊ ­ ÕÃiÊ "vÊ Õ Ì> ®Ê > `Ê >ÌÌÊ `ÀiÜÃ°Ê / iÊ ÌÀ Ê Li>ÌÊ vi ÜÊÊ v > ÃÌÃÊ i>`Ê ,>ÌÃ]Ê Ê *Õ«]Ê * Ê -Üi>ÌiÀÊ > `Ê >Ü> > Ê > `i ÊÌ ÊÌ iÊv ÀÃÌÊë Ì° UÊ > Ì ½ÃÊ Ü Ê*À Ê Õ ÌÀÞÊ Õà VÊ"À}> Ã>Ì Ê >ÃÊ > Õ Vi`Ê Ì iÊ ÀiLÀ> ` }Ê vÊ ÌÃÊ > Õ> Ê Õà VÊ >Ü>À`ÃÊ iÛi ÌÊ>ÃÊ <ÊqÊCountry Music Awards NZ°Ê vÌiÀÊ>Ê `iV>`iÊ>ÃÊÌ iÊ >Ì > Ê Õ ÌÀÞÊ Õà VÊ Ü>À`Ã]ÊÌ iÊ iÜÊ > iÊ LÀ }ÃÊ Ü Ì Ê ÌÊ vÀiÃ Ê LÀ> ` }Ê > `Ê >Ê iÜÊ ÜiLà ÌiÊ ÜÜÜ°V > â°V ° âÊ Ê / ÃÊ Þi>À½ÃÊ <Ê iÛi ÌÊ Ü Ê i `Ê ÛiÀÊÌÜ Ê } ÌÃÊ>ÌÊ > Ì ½ÃÊ Õ `iÀÃÊ/ i>ÌÀiÊ Ê Õ}ÕÃÌÊ ÇÉn°Ê <ÊÃ>ÞÊÌ iÞÊ>ÀiÊ }ÊÌ ÊiÝ«> `ÊÜ Ì Ê Ì iÀÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊ>V iÛi i ÌÊ>Ü>À`ÃÊ ÊÌ iÊvÕÌÕÀiÊ Ê } ÌÊ vÊÌ iÊ }À Ü }Ê Õ LiÀÊ vÊ Ü ÃÊ>V iÛ }Ê> À« >ÞÊ> `ÊÌ iÊ}À Ü }Ê« «Õ >À ÌÞÊ vÊ ÕÀÊV Õ ÌÀÞÊ>ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊ>LÀ >`°

Can’t Keep Checking My Phone UÊ <Ê" Ê ÀÊ >Õ V i`Ê ÌÃÊ iÜÊ Õà VÊÃÌÀi> }ÊÜiLà ÌiÊ AllTracks.co.nzÊ i>ÀÊÌ iÊÃÌ>ÀÌÊ vÊ <Ê Õà VÊ Ì °Ê }Ê Ì Ê VÀi>ÃiÊÌ iÊ Õ LiÀÊ vÊÃÌÀi> ÃÊ vÊÌÀ>V ÃÊLÞÊ <Ê>ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊ Ê` vviÀi ÌÊ iÊ« >Ìv À Ã]ÊÌ iÊ« ÀÌ> Êà ÌiÊ vviÀÃÊ>ÊÃiÀ iÃÊ vÊ ÃiÛi Ê }i Ài }À Õ«i`Ê « >Þ ÃÌÃ]Ê VÕÀ>Ìi`Ê LÞÊ >Ê ÝÊ vÊ Ã«iV > ÃÌÊÀ>` Ê ÃÊ> `Ê Õà V > Ã°Ê ÌÊEÊ ` iÊqÊLÞÊv À iÀÊ L Ê> `Ê Ü Ê Ê >À ÌÌiÊ,Þ> ÆÊ > ViÊEÊ iVÌÀ VÊqÊ

> Ê ÕÝÊ­ i À}iÊ ®ÆÊ ÊEÊ Õ ÌÀÞÊqÊ À ÃÌV ÕÀV ½ÃÊ , 1ÆÊ «Ê «ÊEÊ, ÊqÊ Ê > V Ê­ >Û>®ÆÊ* «ÊqÊ>ÀÌ ÃÌÊ > iÊ V i ÆÊ ,i}}>iÊ EÊ , ÌÃÊ qÊ >À >LÞÊ 7i ÀÊ ­/ iÊ >V Ê -ii`Ã]Ê ÞÊ ÞÊ *ÀiÌÌ iîÆÊ , V Ê EÊ iÌ> Ê qÊ ÀÞViÊ

>ÃiÞÊ­/ iÊ, V ®°Ê* >Þ ÃÌi`ÊÌÀ>V ÃÊ>ÀiÊ> Ê>Û> >L iÊ Ê 9 ÕÌÕLi]Ê -« Ì vÞÊ > `É ÀÊ - Õ `V Õ`Ê > `Ê Ì iÊ /À>V ÃÊ « ÀÌ> Ê ÃÊ Ê«>ÀÌÊ Ìi `i`ÊÌ ÊLiÊ>ÊÀi `iÀÊv ÀÊ>ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊÌ Ê > iÊÃÕÀiÊÌ iÞÊëÀi>`ÊÌ i ÀÊà }ÃÊ>À Õ `Ê i°Ê UÊ"vÊV ÕÀÃiÊÌ iÊL }Ê iÊ Õà VÊ iÜÃÊ >ÃÊLii Ê «« i½ÃÊ >ÀÀ Û> Ê ÊÌ iÊ Õà VÊÃÌÀi> }ÊÃÕLÃVÀ «Ì Êë>Vi]Êv À > ÞÊ > Õ Vi`Ê Êi>À ÞÊ Õ i°Ê" Ê Õ iÊÎäÊ «« iÊÜ Ê >Õ V Ê ÌÃÊ ÃÌÀi> }ÊÃiÀÛ ViÊApple Music]ÊÜ V ÊÜ Ê V Õ`iÊ i>Ìã]Ê >ÊÓ{ÉÇÊÀ>` ÊÃÌ>Ì ÊvÀ Ìi`ÊLÞÊiÝ «>ÌÊ Ü Ê<> iÊ Üi]Ê Ü Ê ivÌÊÌ iÊ Êi>À iÀÊÌ ÃÊÞi>ÀÊv ÀÊ ÃÊ iÜÊ L>Ãi`Ê À i°Ê «« iÊ«Ài«>Ài`ÊÌ iÊ}À Õ `Êv ÀÊ «« iÊ Õà VÊÜ Ì ÊÌ iÊ «ÕÀV >ÃiÊ vÊ Ì iÊ À ` VÕ Õà ÞÊ ÃÕVViÃÃvÕ Ê i>`« iÊ >Li Ê i>ÌÃÊ LÞÊ ÀiÊ > `Ê >ÃÊ >Ê ÃÕLÃÌ> Ì > Ê LÕ Ì Ê >`Û> Ì>}iÊ ÛiÀÊVÕÀÀi ÌÊ >À iÌÊ i>`iÀÊ-« Ì vÞÊÛ >ÊÌ i ÀÊ Õ `Ài`ÃÊ vÊ ÃÊ vÊ /Õ iÃÊ-Ì ÀiÊVÕÃÌ iÀÃ°Ê }}Ài}>Ìi`Ê«>Þ i ÌÊ ÀiÌÕÀ ÃÊÌ Ê>ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊ> `ÊÜÀ ÌiÀÃÊ>ÀiÊ i ÞÊÌ ÊLiÊà >À ÞÊÃ Ê >ÃÊvÀ Ê-« Ì vÞ]ÊLÕÌÊ`iÌ> ÃÊ>ÀiÊÛ>}Õi°

UÊTrevor Daley]Ê Ü iÀÊ vÊ ÛiÀV>À} ½ÃÊ/ÀiÛ ÀÊ > iÞÊ Õà VÊ 7 À ÃÊ Ü>ÃÊ ÀiV } Ãi`Ê Ê Ì iÊ Óä£xÊ +Õii ½ÃÊ ÀÌ `>ÞÊ ÕÀÃÊ ÃÌ]ÊLiV }Ê> Ê"vv ViÀÊ vÊÌ iÊ <Ê"À`iÀÊ vÊ iÀ ÌÊ ­" < ®°Ê/ÀiÛ ÀÊÃÌ ÊÀÕ ÃÊ- ÕÌ > `½ÃÊ `iÃÌÊ Õà VÊÀiÌ> Ê ÕÌ iÌÊqÊÜ V Ê> Ã Ê >ÞÃÊV > ÃÊÌ ÊLi }ÊÌ iÊÜ À `½ÃÊ ÃÌÊ Ã ÕÌ iÀ Ê Õà VÊà «°Ê Õ ` }Ê i LiÀÊ> `Ê`ÀÕ iÀÊv ÀÊ ÕÃÌ ViÊ iÊ >ÃÊ Lii Ê «>ÀÌÊ vÊ Ì iÊ - ÕÌ > `Ê Õà VÊ ÃVi iÊ Ã ViÊÌ iʽÈäðÊ*Àià `i ÌÊ vÊÌ iÊ V> Ê Õà V > ÃÊV ÕLÊv ÀÊ ÛiÀÊÎäÊÞi>ÀÃ]Ê/ÀiÛ ÀÊVÀi>Ìi`ÊÌ iÊ- ÕÌ > `Ê ÌiÀÌ> iÀÊ vÊ Ì iÊ9i>ÀÊ> `Ê Õà VÊ Ü>À`ÃÊ- ÜÊ> `ÊÜ>ÃÊ `ÕVÌi`Ê Ì Ê Ì iÊ- ÕÌ > `Ê, V Ê> `Ê, Ê > Ê vÊ > iÊ ÊÓääÈ°Ê UÊ6 V> ÃÌÃÊ }ÊÌ ÊÕ«ÊÌ i ÀÊ}> iÊ >ÛiÊÌ iÊ «« ÀÌÕ ÌÞÊ Ì Ê ` Ê > Ê Ìi à ÛiÊ Ã } }Ê Ü À à «Ê Ü Ì Ê 1-Ê Vi iLÀ ÌÞÊ Û V> ÊV >V ÊWendy ParrÊ ÊÌ iÊ >ÃÌÊÜii Ê vÊ Õ Þ°Ê*>ÀÀÊÜ Ê LiÊ`i ÛiÀ }Ê iÀÊV ÕÀÃiÊ>ÌÊÌ iÊ <ÊV> «ÕÃÊ Ê ÕV > `Ê vÀ Ê Õ ÞÊÓx Ó °

Like Acid Rain

UÊ }Ê Ì iÊ > ÞÊ vÊ Ü Ê Õà V > ÃÊ > `Ê Õà VÊ Û `i Ê > iÀÃÊJuice TVÊÌÕÀ i`Ê vvÊ ÌÃÊ Õà VÊÌi iÛ Ã Ê } ÌÃÊ Ê Ì iÊ `` iÊ vÊ <Ê Õà VÊ Ì °Ê"Ü iÀÊ > i Ê7À } ÌÃ Ê Ã> `Ê Ì iÊ `iV Ã Ê Ì Ê L ÌÌ iÊ Õ ViÊ /6Ê >vÌiÀÊ > ÃÌÊ ÌÜ Ê `iV>`iÃÊ vÊ LÀ >`V>ÃÌ }Ê Ü>ÃÊ L>Ãi`Ê Ê Ì iÊ Ài> ÌÞÊ Ì >ÌÊ Õà V ÛiÀÃÊ ÜÊV ÃiÊÌ Ê>VViÃÃÊ Õà VÊÛ >Ê« iÃÊ> `Ê >«Ì «ÃÊ À>Ì iÀÊ Ì > Ê ÌÀ>` Ì > Ê Ìi iÛ Ã ]Ê > `Ê V «ÞÀ } ÌÊ Ü iÀÃÊ> `Ê >Li ÃÊ >ÛiÊ >`iÊv À iÀ ÞÊiÝV Õà ÛiÊV Ìi ÌÊ vÀii ÞÊ>Û> >L iÊÌ ÊV ÃÕ iÀðÊ,i« >V }Ê Õ ViÊ Ê ÌÃÊ- ÞÊ V > i Ê ÃÊ >À>}i]Ê Ü V Ê 7À } ÌÃ Ê `iÃVÀ LiÃÊ >ÃÊ ºoÊ Ì iÊ iÝÌÊ iÛ ÕÌ Ê Ê Þ ÕÌ Ê /6Ê qÊ >VÌ Ê > `Ê >`Ûi ÌÕÀiÊ

i ÌiÀÌ> i ÌÊ Ü Ì Ê >Ê iÀÊ Ã Õ `ÌÀ>V °»Ê Ê iÜÊ i Ì ÌÞÊ V> i`Ê > iÊ /ÀiiÊ i` >Ê >ÃÊ Lii Ê iÃÌ>L à i`Ê Ì Ê LÀ }Ê Ì iÊ >Ì ½ÃÊ >`Ài > iÊ Ã« ÀÌÊ ÛiÀÃÊ Ì iÊ Ó{ ÕÀÊ >VÌ Ê > `Ê>`Ûi ÌÕÀiÊi ÌiÀÌ> i ÌÊV > i °Ê Õ ViÊ/6ÊÃÌ Ê >ÃÊ>Ê `> ÞÊÎäÊ ÕÌiÊà ÌÊ ÊÌ iÊ iÜÊ ÊV > i ÊÜ Ì Ê>Ê ÝÊ vÊ Ü Ê Õà VÊÛ `i ÃÊ> `Ê ÌiÀÛ iÜð UÊ > >}i i ÌÊ « Ãi`ÊV > }iÃÊÌ ÊÌ iÊ >ÌÕÀiÊ> `Ê i }Ì Ê vÊ vÕÌÕÀiÊ iÜÊ Õà VÊ ÀiÛ iÜÃÊ >ÃÊ i`Ê Ì Ê > Ê iÝ `ÕÃÊ LÞÊ Ì ÀiiÊ « «Õ >ÀÊ ListenerÊ Õà VÊ VÀ Ì VÃ°Ê V Ê }iÀ]Ê Ê * V iÞÊ> `Ê À> Ê >ÃÃÊ> ÊÀià } i`Ê Ê «À Ê>vÌiÀÊ i>À }Ê Ì i ÀÊV Õ ÃÊÜ Õ `ÊLiÊ > Ûi`Ê Ê i }Ì ÊÌ ÊxääÊÜ À`Ã]Ê Ü Ì ÊÌ iÊ«>ÞÊ> Ã Ê > Ûi`°Ê ÊÜ >ÌÊÌ iÞÊ`iÃVÀ Li`Ê>ÃÊ> Ê Õ Ì >ÌÕ ÊÌ iÊÌ ÀiiÊÜiÀiÊ>««>Ài Ì ÞÊ>à i`ÊLÞÊÌ iÊ >}> â i½ÃÊ>ÀÌÃÊi` Ì À]Ê >À Ê À >ÌV ]ÊÌ ÊÜÀ ÌiÊ>L ÕÌʺÃÌÕvvÊÌ >ÌÊ Ài>`iÀÃÊ } ÌÊ>VÌÕ> ÞÊÜ> ÌÊÌ ÊLÕÞÊ ÀÊÜ ÊLiÊiÝV Ìi`ÊÌ Ê v `Ê ÕÌÊ>L ÕÌ°»Ê }iÀÊ >`ÊLii Ê>Ê ÃÌi iÀÊ Õà VÊVÀ Ì VÊ v ÀÊÓxÊÞi>ÀÃÊÌ `Ê 1/½ÃÊ >}>â iÊ/iÊ7> >Ê Õ ÊÌ >ÌÊ ÃÊ V Õ ÃÊ Ì >Ìi`Ê º>Ê ` ÃVÕÃÃ Ê vÊ Õà VÊ >ÌÊ Ì iÊ `Ê vÊ iÛi ÊÞ ÕÊ` ½ÌÊÀi>`Ê>L ÕÌÊ« «Õ >ÀÊ Õà VÊ Ê Ì iÀÊ i` >Ê °°°Ê-Ì> ` }ÊL>V Ê> `Ê} Û }Ê>ÊV à `iÀi`ÊÀiÛ iÜÊ ÃÊÜ >ÌÊ Ì iÊ ÃÌi iÀÊ` iÃÊLiÃÌ°»Ê Ê }iÀÊ ÌÊÜ Õ `ÊÃii ° UÊ i } ÌÊ Ê Ì iÊ i>À ÞÊ >ÞÊ > Õ Vi i ÌÊ Ì >ÌÊÊ V « ÃiÀÊ > `Ê ÀÌÃÊ Õ `>Ì Ê >ÕÀi>Ìi]Ê Jack Body]Ê >`ÊLii ÊÃi iVÌi`Ê>ÃÊ>ÊÀiV « i ÌÊ vÊÌ iÊ ÀÌÃÊ Õ `>Ì Ê vÊ <Ê V Ê Ü>À`ÊqÊÌ iÊv ÀÃÌÊV « ÃiÀÊÌ ÊLiÊ > i`Ê> Ê V Ê qÊ Ü>ÃÊ µÕ V ÞÊ Ìi «iÀi`]Ê Ü Ì Ê Ì iÊ ÛiÀÞÊ Ã>`Ê iÜÃÊ vÊ ÃÊ`i>Ì Ê iÃÃÊÌ > Ê>ÊÜii Ê >ÌiÀ°Ê/ iÊ V Ê>Ü>À`Ê >`Ê Lii Ê >`iÊÌ ÊÌ iÊ } ÞÊÀi}>À`i`ÊV « ÃiÀÊ> `ÊÌÕÌ ÀÊ Ê ÃÊ7i }Ì Ê Ã« ViÊLi`°Ê

Looking to secure some multi-issue NZ music love for yourself?

Subscribe to Six great issues of NZM delivered to your door, for just $30!

Name

Address

To subscribe to receive NZM for a year all you have to Email do is fill out this form and send it back to us at PO Box 99-315, Newmarket, Auckland with your $30 cheque made payable to NZ Musician.

Phone If you prefer to pay by direct credit then just let us know by emailing info@nzmusician.co.nz. Simple really, a full year (six issues) of prime NZ music coverage for just $30.COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Enclosed is my cheque for $30.

Payment has been made by directEV\Z )* credit.

Instant Fantasy

Christchurch electronic music artist Gemma Syme recently dropped an ethereal five-track synth/ vocal release she emotively branded ‘The Wet EP’. In asking regular NZM contributor Briar Lawry to interview Syme, who goes by the ‘musical username’ of Instant Fantasy, we thought it opportune to also give coverage to some of the other upcoming Kiwi women in electronic music.

Collective Responsibility R

emember the Björk interview on Pitchfork earlier this year? The one where she called out sexist attitudes around female auteurs in the music industry? That’s right. It’s 2015 and these sorts of attitudes are still pervasive in the music industry worldwide.

Which means it’s no wonder, really, that when it comes to women in electronic music right here in Aotearoa, people scratch their heads a little. But there are some highly talented women across the country changing these perceptions, making intricate beats and beautiful tracks – kicking arse and taking names all the way.

Meet Gemma Syme, the Christchurch-based artist and producer behind Instant Fantasy.

With a sound described as ‘hypnodrone’ or the wonderfully peculiar ‘synth-drone ego-miner’, Instant Fantasy’s debut release ‘The Wet EP’ is a dreamy, carefully woven soundscape across five tracks.

But first, let’s rewind to before Instant Fantasy. Gemma had been involved in a variety

EV\Z )+

of projects across different cities and different genres. To name a few, she’s been a part of Trimasterbate, Feline Groovy, 47 Diamantes and Fantasing (an on-going performance collective from which the name Instant Fantasy evolved).

“I’ve just always made music with people.

I’ve always been an artist.”

Artist is certainly right – as well as making music and working at RDU she is a performance and video artist, with an MFA from Massey.

Clearly a woman of many talents, but when she started creating music under the Instant Fantasy moniker, drumming wasn’t yet one of those.

“It took a while at the beginning,” she admits.

“I had to just chill out with the music, and not try to construct.”

Dedication paid off, though, and in the end, Gemma can say that she did 95% of the instrumentation.

“For this project I just wanted a clean slate.

This sort of electronic stuff was in some ways borne out of necessity – I’m a performer and I wanted to be able to depend on myself.

I didn’t want to have to compromise. And I wanted to solidify myself as a producer.”

Symon Palmer, who plays with Doprah, came in towards the end of the recording process to help finalise the production and add some polish she says. For the rest of the time, it was just Gemma. Frequently featuring her preferred microKORG, she also beefed up her music-making set-up while developing the record.

“I invested in myself – and in some equipment – to confirm with myself that I was serious about making some good music. I’d go through songs and write out different structures.

I’d been working on them for about a year, always saving lyrics on my computer and later compiling lyrics out of different bits.”

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

When composing on her computer, the ‘save as’ function was very freeing.

“It meant I could just go for it,” she laughs.

‘The Wet EP’ is about “… all things surrounding love and breakups.”

‘Wet’ managed to encompass all sorts of related bits – “…tears, sexy stuff – a nice rounding up of things.”

Given Gemma’s background, it is understandable that the cover design was close to her heart – in more ways than one.

“The cover is my boob! I did this photoshoot mimicking Maxine Legroom, who’d been in Playboy.”

She quickly realised that both the original photos and her own shoot were really from a male gaze so had second thoughts.

“I sent them to a friend who agreed. I just thought, ‘I can’t do this, it’s not what I want to be saying.’”

But while editing the photos a wayward mouse caused a serendipitous strike of inspiration.

“I accidentally zoomed in on my boob and realised that it looked like a teardrop.”

With a bit of tweaking and colouration, an object of the male gaze turned into something more abstract, and entirely conceptappropriate.

Which leads us back to that Björk interview, and being a female producer in what is still so often a boys club.

“People do ask me if I produce my own tracks. Last week I was training DJs at RDU, and the guys couldn’t quite come to terms with the fact that a girl knew so much about this stuff.”

Gemma mentions the importance of projects like the Visibility tumblr (femalepressure. tumblr.com), created by female:pressure – a self-described ‘international network of over 1400 female artists from 65 countries in the wider fields of electronic music’. She talks about fellow Kiwi Misfit Mod’s (see brief at right) electronic music workshops for women.

“People have had really weird reactions, like they’re feeling threatened. Getting more women into music isn’t about a takeover, it’s about changing that sort of idea – that’s why altering that cover image was so important.

“It took me ages to call myself a feminist, because I hadn’t faced those huge problems with sexism myself. But we need to get other women to have the confidence to make music.”

JP`g"Pg>"Pg"`nY,"P7I 3"OUY3SO

Maya Payne Maya Payne has had a slightly different past year to most Canterbury teens. In May this year, she opened for Charli XCX. Her track If Only has been featured on Spotify and UK electronic music site UKF. And sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18, NZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talented teen sector really is booming these days. And despite collaboration on her tracks, according to a stuff.co.nz interview, she still drives the songs. In producing Fragile with US engineer and producer Dru Castro, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;she [had] the final say on everything from key, to chord changes and the final mix.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Her first EP is yet to be released, but expectations are high. Check out If Only, either the original or one of the various remixes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and get hype.

O"n"U"nP9Y,"P73"OUY3SO Imugi Described by NME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yes, that NME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answer to FKA Twigsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Imugi are a pair of Aucklanders making some of the catchiest darned sounds around.

Dizzy is an appropriately dizzying and joyful synth-y tune with female vocals that has been making some disproportionately big waves. Consider this. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only track that the duo have released so far, and it has featured on NME, on Radio NZ and any number of local and international blogs.

One blog sums up our feelings on the matter: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;These guys are brand new, and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what they do nextâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. And how.

eJOjBJY,"P73"OUY3SO Misfit Mod â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A musician with a vocal attitude that rivals Kate Bush and Zola Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, says UTR. Wine writer and sound artist Jo Burzynska matched Misfit Mod with a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;soft and silkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pinot noir. Sarah Ann Kelleher, the Misfit Mod herself, describes her genre as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;minimal, electronic, dream popâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

With a full LP under her belt (2013â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Islands & Islandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) and experience with taking Electronic Music Practise for Women workshops, there are all sorts of auditory treats to be experienced â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and possibly tricks and skills to be passed on if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky enough to be at one of her classes.

GggU`5dd`SjP73MSj7Y3SOd`"_"G"PP Flo Wilson Flo Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website describes her as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a composer, performer and vocal artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Under both her own name and her previous alias â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Foxtrotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, she has amassed quite the portfolio. She has toured here and in Australia, played Chronophonium and CALH, performed and written for the NZ School of Dance and exhibited at all manner of galleries.

The music she produces (and performs and mixes and masters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she is a woman of formidable talent) is ambient and exquisite, while still maintaining an experimental edge that keeps things fresh and interesting. All her tracks carry a careful weight about them, whether they are standalone compositions or pieces designed as a foundation for other performances. Whatever youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re listening to from Flo, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be gorgeous.

MSlJM`SPY3SO LTTLE PHNX â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Etheral dream haunted pop,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; claims Lttle Phnxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook. Listening to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pyrexiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; EP, you begin to see exactly what Lttle Phnx, the performing name of Wellingtonian Lucy Beeler, means. The eponymous opening track sets the scene, offering the same sort of sparkly synth-steeped sounds as her 2013 release Luvrs Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Esprit.

Lucy is another artist of many media â&#x20AC;&#x201C; combining her music with a degree in dance and work in visual effects. Music has long been a part of her life, and now her music is a part of other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creations, with her Soundcloud featuring all sorts of remixes and samplings. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always something beautiful about that on-going circle â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like the phoenix itself rising from the ashes.

ggM9UGPmY,"P73"OUY3SO

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

EV\Z ),

Heavy

LIFT WITH CARE

That’s a big name for a small band but Auckland’s Heavy have been doing a great job of living up to it in the last year, culminating recently in the release of an album they’ve named ‘Lock In’. James Manning caught up with the club land duo of Reem Nabhani and Liam Dargaville not long after they had completed a four-date tour to promote the album.

A

fter a string of EP and single releases, Auckland party purveyors Heavy have recently unveiled their debut album, ‘Lock In’. At the time of interview, the pair have just returned from their album release tour, with Ponsonby’s Golden Dawn having hosted the final show.

Beatmaker Liam Dargaville and wordsmith Reem Nabhani beam while recalling the homecoming.

“It’s pretty incredible to have your lyrics shouted back at you, to the point where you’re choking on your own words. It was overwhelming. This whole thing’s been overwhelming,” Reem admits.

Both now in their mid-20s, the pair began performing as Heavy in early 2014, after being offered a slot at Chronophonium. Reem had written in the past and Liam had been playing with beatmaking.

“Luckily, the folk who run Chronophonium are friends of ours and they took our word that our set wasn’t gonna suck,” laughs Liam, swigging from his beer.

They had only a few weeks to write material to fill a 2am set.

“People who are up at that time are going to charge to whatever you throw at them,” he smirks.

Festival antics and supplements aside, the performance left a lasting impression on Reem.

“Even at the state we were in at 2am though, it felt very surreal. It feels good, and that’s what keeps you going.”

From then came the Speak and Superbad singles and the ‘Tasty’ EP, a range of house parties and shows in Auckland and Wellington, a spot on the Laneway bill and now ‘Lock In’. Clocking in at just under 25 minutes, it is a collection of hazy, cut up-bass beats over dusky sound beds, with fragmented scenes and memories both rhymed and spoken on top. Highlights include gnawing bass banger Double Stout, the big-beat and blaze-pride of Kush Mansion, and the frantic, ode to old-school Sega systems called Game-Over.

“Initially it was gonna be like us delving back on those tracks like Superbad, re-recording and releasing them, just because they never went on the EP,” explains Liam.

A combination of wanting to move on from their old material and their admitted short attention spans urged the duo to start from scratch, leaving everything else behind.

“I feel like our EP was like an experiment. I mean, it’s always going to be an experiment, but this is us standing up and getting on our own two feet,” adds Reem.

Written and recorded solely by themselves it was again compiled quickly and acts as a mash of ideas collected while playing live. Those who have seen Heavy perform will understand just how important the live show is to them, and they light up when talking about it.

“I love playing at house parties and playing really sweaty environments. I just love to bro-out with all the people and go really hard,” beams Reem.

Learning how to capture this hype and energy from the live show was an integral part of the recording process. Songwriting duties are shared equally between the two as Liam explains.

“I write a beat, she picks all the good spots and then I rap on the leftovers.”

Reem, recognising the tongue-in-cheek tone, retorts.

“Yeah, sometimes I’m like, ‘Hey, can you add more bass, or make it more crazy?’ I just love bass.”

Lyrics cover a variety of ideas and each verse can vary, from a past experience to something that happened yesterday, or something someone said. Fluidity was a big thing according to Liam. He

EV\Z )-

wanted the album to feel continuous, adding further to the smoky haze underpinning the record. No samples were used, making the release very much their own.

“It sounds like I was using ripped and slowed down samples, but it’s just me singing melodies, and then I’ve cut them up.”

They list Micachu and the Shapes, Career Girls and Childish Gambino as influences, along with their friend Elvin Alfaro who features on the album under the alias LVJ. His deep vocal tone and agile rhymes are an added highlight.

“For me, with raps, it’s not what they say, but the style they rap in, and the way that [the raps] merge from bar to bar,” explains Reem, pointing to Philadelphia-born hip hop artist Bahamadia as another influence.

Heavy had planned to take a break from writing after their album tour, but a few ideas have surfaced since they’ve been back.

“Who knows, maybe we’ll make another album. We’re still fresh and we’ll keep developing our sound, whatever it is,” asserts Liam.

And finally, the weed question. The pair laugh.

“Everyone who asks the weed question is like, ‘What’s the deal?’,” says Liam. “There is no deal man, we smoke pot. And it’s just chill.”

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

gG"g`G9"kn,_SY,"P73"OUY3SO

Industry

Musexpo (April 26-28) & Canadian Music Week (May 1-10) ‘A Kiwi amongst the Kangaroos’ was how currently Melbourne-based songwriter Lisa Crawley introduced this account of her recent time spent attending a pair of major early summer North American music industry extravanganzas, LA’s Musexpo and Toronto’s marathon Canadian Music Week.

O

ver the last few years I’ve regained my publishing rights and become a ‘self managed artist’ once again. When I saw that MUSEXPO 2015 was on in late April in Los Angeles, I decided to attend and book a series of shows in LA, a destination I hadn’t been since a high school trip to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival – and Disneyland.

Run by A&R Worldwide, which NZ On Air’s international programme associated closely with, the annual MUSEXPO features various speakers across different facets of the music industry – management, publishing, festivals, social media etc.

The conference had a bit of a ‘who-knows-who vibe’, and I later found that the various ‘chosen’ acts showcasing had a ‘pay to play’ contract, which explained the extreme variety in musical quality in the evening and lunchtime showcases.

I could sense the desperation with some artists who attended. The conference surely wasn’t cheap and of course you go to meet the right people and introduce yourself. It’s hard, and reinforced for me that it’s very hard to be quietly confident and put yourself out there, without being pesky or annoying.

I took my own approach with networking; befriending the legendary Seymour Stein in the

foyer by sharing a Berocca tablet (I overheard him saying that he was dehydrated), and also by writing handmade business cards as mine had run out – which people seemed to find a memorable approach. Someone said to me recently that ‘nobody uses business cards these days’ – they clearly hadn’t been to MUSEXPO, aka networking city!

Although I didn’t showcase as part of that event, I did a selection of gigs in LA – the first with Santa Barbara, a partially Kiwi band (Nick and Cassie Gaffaney, alongside the incredibly talented Geoff Maddock).

Another gig I was involved with was called Top Tune – a songwriting game show where you have 17 minutes to write a song with a stranger.

I was partnered up with a talented young American artist called Anthony Starbull, and we managed to win the number one spot for the evening! It was a great night. It felt very American, with lots of comedy improvisation and guest songs by entertainers such as Fred Willard [pic at left] – a familiar face for those who have seen the Christopher Guest movies.

The next morning’s gigs had a very different tone – it was the centennial ANZAC memorial service in Los Angeles – a very special morning, and the reception featured performances by Kiwis Greg Johnson, George Vause, Kimbra, myself and a few Australian acts.

Shortly after booking flights to LA earlier in the year, I had noticed Canadian Music Week was on in May. A showcasing festival along the lines of SXSW and the Great Escape, this year’s CMW had a ‘Focus on Australia and New Zealand’ theme. Since I spend a lot of time in both those countries, as well as being a big fan of a lot of Canadian music and having never been to Canada, it made sense to

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

apply. I was thrilled to be accepted and booked to fly to Toronto after the MUSEXPO conference finished.

I had a fair amount of time in Toronto.

Canadian Music Week technically began on May 1, but the conference aspect didn’t begin till May 7, which gave me a chance to catch up on sleep, explore the city and check out some bands.

CMW have what they call ‘concert lotteries’ – you submit your details with the hope of getting a ticket to one of the CMW allocated passes to the larger scale shows. I missed out on these, but bought a ticket to one of my favourite songwriters, Ron Sexsmith. He was performing at Massey Hall – one of Toronto’s most beautiful venues, much different to the Massey Hall I was familiar with in my hometown of West Auckland.

Sexsmith has been titled ‘half man, half melody’ and the concert reinforced why. His beautiful, well-crafted songs were combined with witty banter and a fantastic band. This show was a definite highlight of my trip.

The next few days were predominantly a ‘pub crawl for one’ – me checking out various bands from all over the world, making a few friends here and there and practising my set for my showcases. It turns out the other two bands listed on the website from NZ didn’t end up coming, so I was the token Kiwi performer there amongst what was about to be a swarm of Australians (80+ bands) invading CMW over the next few days.

A day prior to the conference starting I took part in two vocal workshops that were intertwined with CMW. One focused on technicalities of the voice, the other on performance skills. Tamara Beatty, who has worked as a vocal coach on The Voice, took these. Not being a singer who will probably ever do one of these TV shows I still found it interesting, but it was hard to get individual attention as there were numerous participants,

EV\Z ).

and the second seemed to be aimed at people with relatively little experience performing.

Instead of singing my own song, I ended up playing piano for another singer who needed piano backing. I came away with a few useful tips and made a few friends but not sure I would pay the money to do a group session like that again due to the lack of individual attention.

As mentioned earlier, there was a focus on Australian and NZ music for CMW this year. The first day of the conference proper included the ‘Spotlight on New Zealand’ talk. The topic for the seminar was on Export Development. After going to the equivalent Australian talk earlier in the morning, I was interested to see how the two would compare.

The NZ panel was made up of Ben Howe from Flying Nun/Arch Hill Records, Dean Cameron, the Distribution & Member Services manager at Recorded Music NZ; Ian James who is MD of Mushroom Music Publishing (an Australian, but a large number of NZ songwriters are signed to Mushroom); Peter Baker from Rhythmethod and Teresa Patterson from CRS Music Management.

After a few weeks of travelling alone it was great to see some familiar faces. Dylan Pellett of IMNZ moderated the session. Gary Fortune from the NZ Music Commission and Damian Vaughn, CEO of Recorded Music NZ were also there as CMW participants.

The setting of this seminar was a tad unfortunate as it wasn’t a proper meeting room, more a curtained exhibition space. The audience wore headphones to be able to hear what the panelists were saying, which must have been a little frustrating for all involved.

It was great to be reminded of what a talented bunch of people we have in NZ – both on stage and behind the scenes. The small crowd, maybe 40 in all, was made up of various artists and managers from everywhere from Sweden to Australia. A shame there weren’t more people attending, but Dylan and the panelists did a great job in answering the questions they had. The Kiwi speakers were involved in other aspects of CMW. I saw Ben Howe at the festival summit and a few of the others were involved as part of the Mentors Café.

That evening I had my first CMW gig and headed to venue The Painted Lady for the AU Review/Footstomp Music party. I was excited to finally be playing after a week or so since my last show in LA. I was on first and was a tad worried people wouldn’t get there early but I ended up having an amazing crowd, the best part being people who had looked up my music from the CMW program and come along especially to watch. Numerous Australian acts followed, going into the small hours of the morning. It was a great night and very well received.

EV\Z *%

I’m currently living in Melbourne and still making contacts in Australia, so it was great to feel a part of a community at this gig.

Unfortunately there was no NZ showcase as it would have just been me performing!

I attended the festival summit the following day, which is where you sign up/pay to have a place at the table and chat to various festival bookers. They explain what they do, and then each person at the table has about a minute to talk about what they do and ask questions. After 10 minutes the buzzer goes and the promoters switch tables. It’s like musical speed dating I guess. The festivals represented were very eclectic, everything from jazz festivals in Japan to bookers from Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Folk Festivals and more.

Following this I raced off to a gig at The Paddock Tavern, my second show for CMW, where I performed alongside talented Australian artist Caitlin Harnett plus a few UK performers. The night was topped off with the amazing Pinholes, a ’60s influenced rock’n roll band from Singapore. They were great fun – the on stage antics reminding me of a Mint Chicks’ gig.

On the final day of the conference I spent some time at the Sounds Australia Australian BBQ. I then attended the ‘sync summit’, much like the festival one but with music supervisors, publishing representatives and other people in the film/advertising business. I had a good idea of what to expect this time as I’d been to a similar summit earlier at MUSEXPO. It’s good to learn how music supervisors prefer to receive music/ emails etc., and what they’re looking for at the moment. I found this really worthwhile having just come out of my publishing contract and currently representing myself.

I finished the night by attending the Indie Awards, a bit like the NZ Music Awards (without knowing anyone!), and just one of many awards ceremonies of the week in Toronto. A highlight was seeing band Alvvays, who picked up an award for best new act, perform.

The final day of CMW festival itself was an exciting one despite exhaustion. I was off on the Sounds Australia’s Niagara Falls / winery bus trip. The majority of the NZ crew went along too. It was refreshing to get out of the city and the falls are incredible, like nothing I’d seen before. For me, an odd part of Niagara Falls was seeing America on the other side of the falls – very different to how getting from one island to another is back in NZ, a flight or decent ferry ride away.

I finished the night off with sharing stories and dinner with the some of the NZ crew, and ended my trip by a few days later after another gig in LA Angeles before the long flight back to Melbourne.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

lllYMJ`"3_"lM9nY3SOe

Radioglo

The Warm Glow Of Valves One regular criticism of music in this hyper-creative digital era is that too little attention is given to the details, to perfecting recordings, to ensuring a consistency of quality and to the presentation of the finished product. None of which can be leveled at Radioglo, the duo-plus of Aucklanders Heath Watson (right above) and Gene Bennett (at front). Silke Hartung spoke with the pair about their new album ‘In Between Time’.

G

ene Bennett builds “dream guitars” for a living.Once the elfin,pony-tailed guitarist of late ’90s/early 2000s pop punk outfit Rubicon, he has run his Avondale-based luthier business, G-Spot Guitars, for about a decade.

He is also a much-respected guitar tech and a regular aid touring acts on our bigger stages.

It was while in Rubicon that he met fellow guitarist Heath Watson. Perhaps not surprisingly it was over guitar parts, with Heath then working at South Pacific Music. Starting to jam as an acoustic duo called Udro, Italian for ‘I shall hear’, they soon added band members, amps and ditched that odd name for the sake of easier to pronounce Radioglo. As illustrated by their new album artwork, this much more fitting (and aspirational) name is inspired by an early 20th century brand of American deco radios, covered with backlit, stained glass panels.

Officially their first, unofficially their second album (‘Imperfectionism’ funnily never saw release), ‘In Between Time’ came out quietly on Triple A Records in early May, meeting a deservedly warm critical reception. An unassumingly smart album, it had taken them almost five years to finish.

“That’s not Steely Dan long!” Heath quickly counters in jest when challenged to explain the time taken.

Self-recorded across various Auckland studios including Redroom, Bronzewing, Gene’s and Heath’s homes, the late York St Studios and back again at Redroom, it was Gene who took the lead on recording and mixing duties.

“I knew how I wanted it to sound, but didn’t

have the skills yet,” he admits.

Heath, the loud guy foil to Gene’s subdued quiet, interrupts revealing what seems a rather ambitious goal.

“We wanted it to sound something like a modern, sexy version of [Fleetwood Mac’s] ‘Rumours’. That nice black space and the tightness... athough we’re not that much like them, but that sound, that ’70s tape sound. We really love that organic, acoustic guitar buzz in our songs.

“The first EP [2007 release ‘1 Take Wonders’] was really simple with three tracks and a couple of overdubs, but with the second one [‘Batter Up’ we went the whole hog, and had about 15 to 20 tracks per song. Then this one came along, Gene got a new computer and we had more nuts, so some of them actually are up to 38 tracks per song, which is a lot of shit to juggle...

“So we spent quite a lot of time on it, even once the recording was finished –two years ago – just with mastering and EQing. Then we recorded the last two songs at Redroom. On Your Own Again and Dream Loud we recorded live, just adding overdubbed vocals, and that was really fast. We got two songs done in one night! It sounded really fresh and it turns out we didn’t need all those overdubs, we didn’t need five, six, seven, eight acoustic guitars!”

Heath laughs.

“That was the catalyst to go back and get rid of a lot of stuff. At that point the sound of Radioglo really came together,” adds Gene.

The pair make the core of the band, currently joined by drummer Shannon Slade and Rob

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Maskill on bass. Rob only recently joined after a variety of bassists over the years that has included Jonny Corker, Gene’s former bandmate from Rubicon days, and Matt Short who has provided bass for Sola Rosa, The Vietnam War and The Feelers.

Mostly upbeat, without being overly happy, ‘In Between Time’ would make for a great long distance driving album. The melodies show a sensibility for pop music, without being either obvious or strained, and the combined powers of the two on guitars throughout is a true delight.

“Acoustic guitars still hold the guts of the songs,” Gene explains. “And we’re a lot more rock than we admitted for a long time.”

Somewhere between roots rock and alt-country, with hints of ’90s grunge influences, they manage to sound timeless and positively American, bringing the Radioglo name back to mind. The two also share vocal duties through the 13-track album, keeping things interesting.

Opener On Your Own Again with its simple but catchy riff enjoyed some airplay on Hauraki, and they released a self-funded music video for Pusherman in early June. So what’s next?

“We’ve got heaps of songs ready for the next album,” laughs Heath, inadvertently reinforcing the reality that no matter how good ‘In Between Time’ is, and it is very good, Radioglo is likely to remain a hobby band, a secret pleasure for their fans. Which only makes the attention to detail, the quality and consistency of their ‘debut’ album that much more remarkable.

gJPnj_MY3SOd_"7JSBMS

EV\Z *&

3FWJFX

by Mark Bell

DigiTech Live Harmony Vocal Processor

“T

hat’s a cool radio,” says my eight-year-old son as I slide the Digitech Live Performance Intelligent Vocal Harmony Processor out of its box. He inexplicably but rather endearingly loves all things vintage and veteran; cars, planes, trains, ships, his dad… and the mock-vintage trimmings of the Live Harmony have caught his eye.

Despite the evident aesthetic nod to the past, this device is undeniably a product of the present day, with all the attendant processing power that can be brought to bear on the thorny problem of how to create live backing vocals without live backing vocalists.

DigiTech’s Live Harmony really is a clever little box of tricks, and at a very reasonable rrp of $599 it represents a quite affordable solution to creating wide-screen vocal enhancements for soloists and groups alike.

Features include three stomp buttons at the bottom. The first two used for scrolling up or down through 99 very useable factory pre-sets (there are another 99 user-programmable presets), while holding the left button down engages the Looper and sets the length of loop (more on this later), while holding the middle button engages the guitar tuner.

‘Guitar tuner?’ I hear you say. ‘But I thought this was a vocal pedal?’ Well yes, it is, but one you can plug your guitar into, thereby accessing some rather tasty software (MusIQ chord-sensing technology) which senses what chords you are playing and intelligently varies the intervals of the backing vocals to match the key.

The right hand stomp button is an A/B function so you can kick the BVs in and out as required. The device also has a Live Adapt function with built-in microphone, which senses the tempo you are playing at and automatically adjusts the rate of any echo repeats to match – a great hands-free function.

The Gold Channel is a channel strip-style global effect used across all presets.

It has a comprehensive range of effects; Pre-amp Warmth, Noise Gate, Low Cut, Ambience, dbx Compressor, EQ, De-Esser and Pitch Correction. The Set List button allows you to order

EV\Z *'

your pre-sets into easily edited set lists, another function tailored to ease of performance.

Beneath this is the dbx Advanced Feedback Suppression button that delivers what its name implies. The left hand stomp button mentioned before accesses up to 70 seconds of phrase looping, and with the ability to add infinite overdubs there’s a world of creative possibilities on the fly.

There’s also a whole raft of digital effects (over 60) that can be combined to create your own presets, including Pitch/FX, Distortion/ Filter, Voice Doubling, Reverb, Modulation effects (Chorus, Flange etc), Harmony and Delays. There are even Lexicon Reverb and Modulation effects for the guitar, allowing you to travel light if you so desire.

The four silver rotary knobs take care of Harmony Level, Voice 1 and Voice 2 (level), while the fourth allows you to select the key/scale that you want your virtual backing vocalists to work in. The large black rotary knob is for scrolling through the pre-sets, and as mentioned before they are excellent, covering practically every studio vocal effect you could think of and a few more besides. Franciscan monks anyone?

Heartbreak Hotel slapback? Cathedral reverb?

Itchycoo Park flange? It’s all here and all can be modded on the fly and stored to your own preset settings.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Another useful function is the Soundcheck button, whereby a pre-effects vocal loop can be recorded, allowing you to fine-tune and audition your vocal sound and effects without having to sing into the microphone.

The back panel features an Input Gain knob to set the mic’s input level, a clever dual XLR/ ¼ inch stereo jack input for the mic, Guitar In and Guitar Thru ¼ inch inputs. There’s a Ground Lift button for dealing with earthing problems, Left Out and Right Out male XLR connections, a ¼ inch Line Out/Headphone output, a ¼ inch Footswitch input and a USB input for the Preset Management Software, which allows you to save, manage and share your presets with others on your Mac or PC, with the downloadable Vocalist Live Librarian Software.

Pitch shifting technology has been around for a long time now, in the ’80s there were devices like the Eventide harmonizer that cost about as much as a small family car. Of course there has been a great deal of refinement over the years and a corresponding decrease in the outlay required to access these sort of effects.

The thing about the human voice is that it is greatly more complex and nuanced than a guitar or keyboard signal, and for this reason I think the Live Harmony, as its name suggests, is best suited to live applications.

Of course you can record with it and I would suggest it is perfectly adequate for demo sessions, but if you are looking at recording releasequality music there is still no substitute for the real thing. However, if you are something of a backing vocal newbie this is an invaluable tool in picking the right notes to build up two- and three-part harmonies.

In a nutshell the Live Harmony is a brilliant addition to the live performer’s arsenal and will be particularly welcomed by solo singer/ guitarists. Theirs is not an easy gig as there is no let-up – if you stop playing even for a moment there is nothing happening, and so anything which adds an extra dimension to that experience and smoothes the way to a better performance and sound is a valuable commodity indeed.

Digitech have made a device which is packed full of useful features for the live performer. The layout is simple, easy and intuitive to use and the price puts it within the reach of all but the most destitute busker!

HVJUBS DPPM HVJUBS DPPM with Kevin Downing

Playing Guitar and Singing

M

any guitarists have a lot of difficulty with playing guitar and singing together. Although it looks easy when you see a confident performer playing and singing at the same time, it is not all that easy to begin with. Sometimes it is not easy later on in your career either. If you are a singer/ songwriter or guitarist/singer in your band, then what follows will be very valuable for you to understand.

Part of the problem comes down to a thing called multi-tasking or divided attention. These terms describe when you try to perform more than one thing at a time, like our example here of singing while playing guitar. This phenomenon has been researched by psychologists and many other disciplines for many years, and much of the research shows that when humans try to multi-task we never perform as well as we normally can, and often make more mistakes than we normally would on each individual task. Clearly it can take a lot of practice to get comfortable with dividing your attention.

Over the years I have performed this simple experiment with many people, often much to their amazement. Pick a song, play and sing the two parts together while recording yourself. Next, record yourself playing guitar first, then overdub your vocals separately, so you have two tracks. Then put your guitar down and listen to the difference between the two versions – most people are very surprised at the easily heard differences.

When performing the two together, the vocals and the guitar parts can sound rather ordinary, lacking dynamics, expression, emotion, etc. But when separated, the vocals normally have much more dynamics, expression and emotion – and the guitar parts can sound very different as well.

Here are a few exercise tips to help you have more success at playing guitar and singing at the same time.

1.

Start with picking a song that is

within an easy playing ability and tempo for you. If you are a beginner you might want to stick to two-, three-, or maybe four-chord type songs that are reasonably slow. Some familiar examples might be America’s chestnut, Horse With No Name, Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre, or Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.

2.

Make sure you know your chords, fingerpicking, or whatever it is you are going to play really well. There is nothing worse than hearing someone struggle to change from one chord to another – actually there is, not even knowing some of the chords.

7.

If the song has a time signature you are not used to like 6/8, 12/8, 5/4 or similar, you might have to spend a lot of time getting used to that feel.

8.

When attempting to play the song for the first time through it’s best to have the tempo much slower than you are going to perform it.

9.

Once you can perform both parts really well together at the slower tempo, then it is time to begin working it up to the required performance tempo. This is where most people go wrong – they try to play at the performance

3.

If the song has single note lines and chords together, you will need to be careful as many songs like this can be difficult. You might want to give one of the parts to another player.

4.

It is best to separate the two parts.

Practice your guitar part first with a metronome.

Then practice the vocal part separately.

5.

You might need to simplify the strum pattern if you need to. In my observations of many players I have found that guitar players tend to over-play quite a lot. By that I mean they tend to strum a pattern that is far too busy for the song concerned.

6.

You need to memorise both the guitar part and vocals of the song before performing it in front of anyone.

tempo immediately.

Observing professional players you will find that when they sing and play at the same time, most are only playing very simple parts, while leaving the more difficult parts to someone else in the band. Of course, what a professional calls simple and what you call simple might vary considerably. Remember to be patient and that it might take more practice than you thought to be good at singing and playing guitar together, but it is always worthwhile practising.

Kevin Downing is a professional guitarist, teacher and author. His contact details, along with many freebies are on his website at www. guitar.co.nz

Music News Features Latest Videos Reviews Directories Opinions…

www.nzmusician.co.nz COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

NZ Musician @nzmusician EV\Z *(

KBLPC PO GPSFJHO TPJM

Literally fresh from claiming the 2015 Taite Music Prize for their breathtaking come-back post rock album â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Jakob embarked on a European tour that, as much as anything, was a symbolic return after a hugely successful tour there way back in 2008. Circumstances including injuries had forced the band to lay low since, missing tours and meaning that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, their fourth album, had taken eight years to record.

Bassist Maurice Beckett generously penned the following tour diary for NZM.

Brighton, England â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bleach, Friday April 24.

Meeting up with our tour manager/sound engineer James Tulczyn, we then drove from London down to Brighton. Arrived in Brighton early so we took a walk along the pier before loading into the venue and setting up to do sound check. By the time doors opened, we had all fallen asleep backstage, jet lag kicking in.

We went on stage a little worse for wear, but after a few songs the jet lag was forgotten about. We had a good show considering how tired we were, the audience were great and they lifted our spirits. After loading out we headed to our accom.

London â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hoxton Square Bar, Saturday April 25 Morning brought a wet and windy Brighton day. After breakfast we hit the road for London where the nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show was sold out. As soon as we went onstage, it was clear to us that a large percentage of the crowd had waited a long time to see us play live â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15 years in most cases. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gigs like these that make it all worthwhile, and having an audience that were as appreciative as they were tonight is why we do this. This is what its all about. Crazy load out after the show as the venue transformed from post rock show to dance party. A few drinks with some friends from NZ. Luckily our accom was an hour north of London, which saved us from huge hangovers! Thank you London for a special night.

Leeds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Belgrave Music Hall, Sunday April 26 It gets colder the further north we travel but the venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promoter, Adam, showed us the nicest hospitality so far in the UK. Great pizzas and snacks. Adam was very helpful and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do enough for us. A lot of promoters could use some lessons from this guy! Quiet turnout, but all who were there were getting right into it. The support, Band of Hope Union, were great. Unfortunately it was their last ever gig! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure the members will show up in other future projects.

Glasgow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Audio, Monday April 27 As we drove toward Glasgow, the temperature decreased alarmingly.

By the time we got to the venue it was raining heavily and the wind cut right through you. We loaded in and sound checked, then headed to our accom.

A small turnout of around 60 people in a venue the size of Valhalla in Wellington made for an intimate show. At the end of the night there were

EV\Z *)

some pretty pleased people, who were all very thankful we had made the journey to go and play for them. All three of us in the band have either Scottish or Irish roots, so it was a special night.

Travel days â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 28-29 We drove from Glasgow to Newcastle and boarded a ferry bound for Amsterdam. The voyage takes 15 hours. We had two cabins with bunks, a few drinks before it was lights out. We arrived in Amsterdam at 9:30am and headed into the city for food and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;coffeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Amsterdam is an amazing city, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a shame we are not playing here on this tour, hopefully next time.

On we press for Karlsruhe.

Karlsruhe, Germany â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jubex, Thursday April 30 Loaded into the venue we were greeted by loaders and warm hospitality from Chris the promoter for Jubex. We had met him before when we played in Karlsruhe last with ISIS in 2008. He was also one half of the support act, Gravelines, who were really cool. We went on stage to a warm welcome and you could tell it was going to be another special night. A young lady started crying when we played Harmonia, which was very touching. Awesome night!

Freiburg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Haus Der Jugend, Friday May 1 Heading south to Freiburg, the load in was done by the house crew, which was very nice, thank you to them. A small stage and there were a few bugs to iron out during sound check, though no support bands which is great because we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to change over any gear. We played to around 150 people who were all excited to see us play. Another great show. A couple of friends paid us a visit from Luxembourg. So nice to see friends from NZ and a few beers were had whilst the house crew again loaded our gear.

Bulle, Switzerland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ebullution, Saturday May 2 The drive into Bulle was amazing. Beautiful scenery throughout the Swiss alps. The venue is an old theatre, built in 1916 apparently. The acoustics are really nice but the 100dB limit was a first on this tour â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and hopefully the last. Smoking is permitted inside the venue so I take full advantage of it. There was also beer on tap in our dressing room. It was the first ever show for support act Hubris but they were great. Another great show and again in front of a very appreciative audience.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Photos: Maurice Beckett

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UK / European Tour

Travel day, May 3 After an eight hour drive from Bulle to Padova, Italy, it was nice to check into our hotel and get out of the tour van. We all had our own rooms – nice to have your own space and be able to relax without being woken by snoring.

Watched some TV. It is rather weird watching re-runs of Matlock overdubbed in Italian.

Zagreb, Croatia – Mocvara. Monday May 4 Beautiful drive into Croatia. Stopped at the border by the police but all good. Got to the venue, loaded in and sound checked.

The venue is located next to a river and its 25 degrees, awesome! The mixing console looks like something from Dr Who, but it sounds good in front and on stage.

About 100 or so people turned out, not bad for our first time in Zagreb, and on a Monday night. No support again and we had a great gig.

Playing nearly every night makes the band very tight. The audience were awesome. We can’t wait to come back.

Ljubljana, Slovenia – Channel Zero, Tuesday May 5 Chanel Zero is a squat in Ljubljana. It has four different-sized concert halls. The venue we played in has a cap of 220. The room size and layout reminds me of a cross between Valhalla and San Fran in Wellington.

Croatian support act Emphasis are a really good band, and nice guys. Andreas is a very hospitable promoter and the house crew were very helpful with loading and their supply of homegrown cuisine. There was barely enough room to move, and murky stage sound made the gig a little tough. But we got through it and had a good time Innsbruck, Austria – PMK, Wednesday May 6 Innsbruck is a beautiful city, surrounded by mountains covered in snow. Funnily enough though it was warm. The venue is situated underneath a train station and we could hear the trains pass over as we loaded in. The catering was very good, best veggie lasagna I’ve ever tasted, topped off with tiramisu for dessert. Caught up with a friend from Salzburg.

Support Doomina were another great band and nice guys, who are also playing at Dunk! Festival. Our set was received well by the audience but it was very loud and murky

on stage. The promoter said it was so loud that you could no longer hear the trains pass over the venue and apparently you could hear us upstairs on the station platform!

Travel day, May 7 Innsbruck to Streiburg in Germany where we visited Neuschwanstein Castle, which is the castle the Disneyland one is inspired from. It was built from medieval ruins from 1868-1882 in Hohenschwangau, Bavaria. Beautiful place, lots of tourists. Had dinner at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Twin Peaks Bavarian style.

Schnitzel!

Leipzig, Germany – UT Connewitz, Friday May 8 The venue is one of Germany’s oldest surviving movie theaters, it screened its first film on Christmas Day 1912. It’s the biggest we have played so far on this tour and reminds me of the old St James on Queen St. The acoustics were very bright and present, which took a little getting used to, but after that it was a lot of fun.

Another lady started crying during Harmonia, and continued to do so for the rest of the set.

Moving. A guy at the front of the stage wrote ‘Semaphore’ on a piece of paper and placed it on the stage – a very polite way of requesting a song! Great night and we look forward to coming back.

Warsaw, Poland – Hydrozagadka, Saturday May 9 We knew ahead that we have a decent following in Poland, we just didn’t realise how fanatical they are about the band. The audience were right at the front of the stage as we went on and judging by their applause after each song, they were very grateful that we had come to play for them. So were we!

We had so much fun and we smashed hell out of our set. We also added Saint to our encore. We haven’t played that song live in years, so it was a breath of fresh air to play it to our Warsaw fans. A guy sat on the stage in front of the bass drum for the last four or five songs, soaking it up. What an amazing audience tonight, Thank you Warsaw, we love you!

Berlin, Germany– Tiefgrund, Sunday May 10 Our show in Berlin ended up being awesome, but it didn’t start out that way. As we arrived at the venue James our TM/sound guy introduced himself to the house engineer. “Hi I’m James, I mix Jakob,” and was met with, “No, only I mix Jakob.” Apparently they don’t like touring bands bringing their own engineer and messing with their rig. After some exchange of words, and the band saying we will bail on the gig if James is not allowed to mix us, the house guy was quickly replaced with another.

Support act Kasan were massively heavy, my new favourite band. Great show to another very appreciative audience.

COB ?jcZ$?jan '%&*

Jena – Cafe Wagner, Tuesday May 12 Yesterday was our first real day off and not a travel day. Much needed rest was most welcomed. Cafe Wagner is a small venue in Jena, which is also a university town. The glass for Zeiss camera lenses is made in Jena a local tells us. I’ll take their word for it.

Fun show with a fairly decent turnout for somewhere we have never been before. Jason fell off the stage at the end of the set as he went to photo bomb me taking a photo of the audience, misjudged his footing and off the front of the stage he went! Landed on his feet and without injury, but man I laughed so hard!

Zottegem, Belgium – Dunk! Festival, Thursday May 14 Dunk! is held in a small town outside of Zottegem. It hosts only post-rock bands from all over the world and we were lucky enough to co-headline the first day along with Mono from Japan. The main stage is inside a huge tent that holds about 1500 people. A second stage holds around maybe 600.

On arrival we had an interview that was more like a Q+A in front of festival goers in the foodhall, a rather weird experience. Our set on the main stage was an amazing experience. We played to a full house and the sound onstage and FOH was awesome, with a spectacular lighting show. We played a very tight set and had a lot of fun.

After our set it was really nice to sit down and watch Mono play. After headlining this tour, we finally got the chance to be members of the audience and watch a band without having to play after them which was really nice! This is the end of the tour for us and what a great way to end it! Thanks to everyone at Dunk! who were responsible for getting us there. We hope to see you again next year.

lllYK"LS,Y3SYPp

EV\Z ** EV\Z **

/;. /PUJDF #PBSE CLASSIFIEDS SINGING WORKSHOP WITH WENDY PARR

LOCAL MUSICIANS MUSIC LTD

NZ Singing Intensive with New York celebrity vocal coach and Grammy-winning songwriter Wendy Parr, July 25th - 29th 2015 at MAINZ. Don’t miss the artist training event of the year! This one week singing intensive will develop you in all aspects to be a successful artist. Wendy’s clients include A Great Big World, Regina Spektor, Sara Bareilles and she has performed with the likes of Patti Labelle. For more info visit www.stuartclarke.co.nz

Producing CDs for nationwide and international radio airplay. Register your interest shirley@localmusicians. co.nz or call 027 529 5916. Audio and video recording facilities available. www.localmusicians.co.nz

ELLAMY STUDIOS

Professional Guitar Tuition in Acoustic, Electric/Classical Guitar, Music Theory. Weekly classes and casual consultations by appointment. Contact us on 07 834 3469 for more information. Tutor - Stu Edwards. BMA (Music), ATCL, NCAET, OFNL www.allmusic.co.nz

High end mid-sized fully professional recording studio.

Tracking room, vocal booth, cab room and control room all fully acoustically designed by John L Sayers. Vintage Neve Revolver (1073) front end, plate reverbs, vintage U67/87s, Sony C37a, vintage Ludwig 1960s Silver Sparkle and many other quality instruments and mics. Monitoring by Barefoot MM27s (now in almost every famous studio), and 16-channel personal monitor system. Great coffee! $500 plus gst per day. Call Louis on 021 846 680 or louis@ellamy.co.nz

EARWIG STUDIOS PA & LIGHT HIRE

RECORDING STUDIO NEWMARKET

ALLMUSIC GUITAR TUITION

Vocal PA with mics and monitors $135. Mic up rig with engineer $340. Larger rig $450. Lighting also available. See www.earwig-studios.co.nz/pa_hire.htm or phone 027 278 1660

FREE RECORDING Yes, that’s right, professional studio recording for free!

Every month Tsunami Sound (formally TMV) gives away two consecutive days and two single free days!

Three winners drawn each month. Engineer/producer with 35 years experience, free accommodation & awesome gear. Check out www.tmv.co.nz for the deal and details.

BAND REHEARSAL SPACE AVAILABLE A single quality treated space for bands, providing a private rehearsal solution. Includes full PA system, mics, CD player, air-conditioning, etc. Ample parking with easy equipment load in and out. $50/3 hour session, West Auckland. 027 210 2725 / (09) 813 9242 sales@ morecoreaudio.co.nz www.morecoreaudio.co.nz

$50 + gst per hour with engineer or Dry Hire (byo or DIY engineer) weekend special $500 + gst from Fri night to Sun night. Backline Pearl, Gretsch, Fender, Marshall, Vox, Ampeg & Korg. We can record drums for DIY bands, professionally recorded drums makes a huge difference to the final outcome of your recordings.

Call 021 358 577 or therockfactory@gmail.com

CD & DVD DUPLICATION SPECIAL Flat rate pricing on all CD & DVD duplication. Bulk duplicated plain text printed CDs $1.50/unit + gst. Full direct colour duplicated CDs $2.00/unit + gst. Small or large quantities. No set up fees for orders 100 units plus. We can also replicate at full retail quality. 027 210 2725 / (09) 813 9242 sales@morecoreaudio.co.nz, www.morecoreaudio.co.nz

BLUE LOTUS RECORDING STUDIO High-end and demo recordings, mixing and mastering available in central Auckland. $50 per hour includes engineer, drum kit, amps, upright piano. Phone Marc 021 050 1041 or view the studio on Facebook.

HIRE STAGING, PA SOUND, BACKLINE, LIGHTING Vocal PA systems to concert Line array systems for music (bands and DJs), dance or speech. Drum risers to outdoor covered stages, party lights to band show lighting for events from 50 people to 3000 people. Dry Hire (you pick up) or with full technical support where we set up, operate and remove – we can help you with your event. www.therockfactory.net 09 270 9555 or therockfactory@gmail.com

EARWIG STUDIOS 24-TRACK ANALOGUE RECORDING 2 inch MCI 24-track and Studer half inch 2-track.

Soundtracs 44-channel console. Neumann U87 mic, Urei, dbx, Focusrite and Aphex compression.

Chamber and plate reverbs. Leslie speaker, Rhodes, piano, Hammond etc. $60 per hour including gst and engineer. 8 hour day rate $350 inclusive. www. earwig-studios.co.nz or ph 027 278 1660

MONDAY!

EV\Z *+

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Get Noticed Here!

Advertise on NZM’s Notice Board wth a display ad for as little as

$100 + gst in mono, or $180 + gst in full colour Contact editorial@nzmusician.co.nz to book Notice Board space in the next issue.

Two optional ad shapes for the same low price: Notice Board Window like this ad (59mm x 40mm) or Notice Board Strip (122 x 20mm)

RECORDS WANTED Top prices paid for rock, pop, blues, jazz, Kiwi & Flying Nun by PennyLane at 430 Colombo Street, Christchurch. Ph (03) 366 7410. Open 7 days or we can come to you.

ROUNDHEAD STUDIOS’ INDIE RATE Producing a world class recording in New Zealand’s best studio with New Zealand’s best engineers is more do-able than you think. Take advantage of Roundhead's special indie rate for unsigned artists.

Only $1500 + gst for two days including engineer / producer! Contact Jeremy on 09 377 7600 or info@ roundheadstudios.com for more details.

EARWIG STUDIOS REHEARSAL SPACE Earwig Studios is available for 3-5 hour rehearsals for $50. Full amenities, vocal PA, bass bin, quad box and drum kit available. Contact Darren on 027 278 1660 or darren@earwig-studios.co.nz.

TSUNAMI SOUND STUDIOS One of NZ’s premier rock studios specialising in live band recording. High vibe – huge sound. International producer with 35 years experience. Stay on site free.

Enquire now. www.tsunamisound.co.nz

GUITARISTS The Secrets of Successful Practising for Guitarists is a book that will super-charge your progress immediately.

It’s written by Guitar Cool columnist Kevin Downing, and you can get it from his website www.guitar.co.nz

Standard NZM Classified Ads (max 40 words) cost just $30 inc. gst. Optional sizes and features available on request. To place a Classified advert by remote send your ad copy, with cheque (payable to NZ Musician) to: NZ Musician magazine, PO Box 99-315, Newmarket, Auckland 1149. See the Contents page for phone and email contact details.

N Z S E R MUSIC V

ICES DIRECT ORY

Edition