NZ Musician December January 2017

D e c e m b e r / J a n u a r y 2017 VO L . 20

URB

NO.1

AN

FREE

KINGS MADEIRA PAUL CATHRO SACHA VEE THE VERLAINES OPETAIA FOA’I SCUBA DIVA ALBI AND THE WOLVES

SWIDT Free 2017 Wallplanner

2017 NZM Studio & Label Directory

SWIDT

Finalists for both the 2016 Critics Choice Prize and the Urban / Hip Hop Album of the Year Tui at the NZ Music Awards that followed soon after, unassuming Auckland hip hop newcomers SWIDT missed out on both – according to the judging results that is. In what will surely be an unrepeatable turn of events for the televised national music awards, the 2016 Urban / Hip Hop Album award-winner Aaradhna promptly passed her Tui on to SWIDT. Sure the two acts rather awkwardly share the same management, but it was a statement that had right on both sides. Established and admired as a soul artist, Aaradhna shouldn’t have been (or needed to be) entered into an awards category labeled ‘Urban / Hip Hop’, and among those in the running that should the Onehunga-based hip hop crew’s album was a valid place-getter.

(The only trick Aaradhna missed on the night was perhaps an aside of, “See what I did there?”) With an interview locked in ahead of the VNZMA night, but now sprinkled with added spice, NZM’s Felix Mpunga met up with four of the SWIDT six – rappers SPYCC and INF, plus producers Jamal and the internationally hooked-up SmokeyGotBeatz.

a t t u O t h g i a Str O

n a surprisingly foggy afternoon in Onehunga, Auckland, I meet with four of the six individuals who make up SWIDT. Asher Schwencke (Boomer) and Aaryn Orchard (A.Z.A) are not present at Studio 40, a converted warehouse with office spaces, a recording studio and a common area with old school video game machines. Owned by renowned graphic artist Askew and his partner Olivia Laita, it’s a space they call home.

It’s just days after SWIDT (an acronym for ‘see what I did there?’) had been gifted the Tui trophy for NZ Music Awards’ Urban / Hip Hop Album of the Year. Legend already, the award was publicly passed on to them by voted winner Aaradhna, who felt her album ‘Brown Girl’ had been mis-categorised, and that fellow finalists SWIDT rather deserved the award and the recognition. Surprisingly I’m the only one donning a Hawaiian shirt today, the boys not wearing any colourful SWIDT ‘uniforms’ but rather hoodies and caps.

‘SmokeyGotBeatz Presents SWIDT vs Everybody’ is the oddball name of the debut SWIDT album released in May that set the tone for a year of live shows, interviews and award nominations.

Isaiah Libeau, one of the crew’s four producers, is known better as SmokeyGotBeatz – and not just around ‘Stoneyhunga’. With beatmaking credits on albums by leading U.S. rap artists including Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Audio Push and Hit-Boy, by the ripe old age of 22 he seems well on

EV\Z '

his way to being an international hip hop name. Fellow SWIDT producer Jamal Muavae, plus rappers Daniel Latu (SPYCC) and Amon McGoram (INF), take up the other seats in the room.

We’re talking because, on the back of SmokeyGotBeatz’ successes in Los Angeles, their group has attracted management and major label backing, have charted their debut album, gained widespread media and finalist slots in both the (unknown up-and-comers’) Critics Choice Award and the main NZ Music Awards. How does a pretty chilled six-man hip hop crew achieve so much in a year?

In one week their music video for No More Parties in Stoneyhunga, derived from Kanye West’s No More Parties in LA, earned them 20,000+ views, making it the fastest growing NZ hip hop video online for 2016, according to Mai FM. Their debut album ‘SmokeyGotBeatz Presents SWIDT vs Everybody’ spiked into the nation’s Top 40 Album chart at number 11 on release in mid-May, despite little radio exposure and no corresponding singles chart action.

With an evident pride of place they describe their music as honest and unapologetically Onehunga. It is shown through their lyrics, their statement-making Hawaiian shirts and videos which show them traveling around Onehunga, eating pies outside Pennylane Bakery, dancing on the roof of a house and rapping under a motorway bridge.

They wear the fast-gentrifying, harbour-edged suburb – midway

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

between Auckland central and its airport in Mangere – on their sleeves, with hooks such as, “See what I did there, 312 baby, baby,” referencing an Onehunga bus route.

SWIDT’s early stepping stones can be easily traced back to childhood household influences and family members who were musicians. INF remembers writing his first rap verse at just nine, and his first beat, on Fruity Loops, at 11.

“I grew up in a musical household, my brother (Peter Lopes, aka J1) was in a group called R.E.S, Red Eye Society, which was a local rap group, they kind of set the tone for hard core hip hop. That’s how my love for music stemmed.”

Fellow rapper SPYCC gained his musical beginnings through family events.

“We used to go to little festivals on Saturdays and listen to music. I did guitar lessons but I was trash. The only thing I learnt was the intro to Eric Clapton’s Tears In Heaven, and that’s my claim to fame!”

Jamal, who also fills the main DJ duties within SWIDT, found his inspiration from his DJing father.

“The whole music thing started when I was 11. My dad turned the garage into a studio – then we got robbed. I met these guys and they were doing music and I was kind’a DJing, so I helped them do their gigs and started learning Fruity Loops.

Now I use Ableton Live to create and a lot of my beats are sample-based.”

They each attended Onehunga High School,but met at different times.

INF says he met SmokeyGotBeatz out of the womb.

“He’s my sister’s son, my nephew technically – but we just say that we’re brothers because it’s easier.”

As a ‘little brother’ SmokeyGotBeatz would hang around when INF was producing music, quietly looking over his shoulder and learning the ropes.

“I lived on Church St. my whole life, probably like 10 houses away from those two,” says SPYCC. “Boomer [Asher Schwencke], he stays like five houses away from me. So we all just lived in the neighbourhood.”

“When I left school I was hanging out with these guys and partying and clubbing. Then I started getting into music so we just all started meeting up,” adds Jamal.

The six mates have been a crew for several years but weren’t collectivised as SWIDT until 2012.

“We used to make Facebook statuses with puns in them, and at the end just put, ‘See what I did there?’” INF explains. “We did it for ages then kind of turned it into an acronym, and from there it snowballed into this.”

Hip hop, both US and NZ, runs deep and wide through all their lives, but SWIDT’s influences aren’t limited to the genre, psychedelic music gets a mention for instance. “Leisure’s moves (business) are so smooth and well orchestrated.

Josh Fountain is a solid producer and singer,” Jamal says enthusiastically.

“For me one person that inspires me is High Hoops [Jordan Arts], his vibe, his taste in

everything and style and sound. And plus he’s from Onehunga too,” says SPYCC. “Team Dynamite put us on. We came up with them and at one of their album release shows they let us play,” INF adds.

The creative process is evidently as laid-back as they are in person. The way INF describes it sounds like a group of friends having a party in the studio. The environment they usher when creating a track is inclusive and democratic – often hard to come by in more rigidly defined bands and groups.

“Whoever’s making the beats, like Smokey and Jamal, will usually say, ‘Check your emails.’

Then a visit here [Studio 40] and Smokey or Jamal will play the beats here. If we’re feeling it then we’ll get in the zone, have the door open, music loud and just vibe for a while. It’s all off each other’s energies. We usually ask each other how we feel when we hear a certain part of the song. Should we write about this topic or? We just talk about it really. If the vibe is right we go from there,” SPYCC.

With calculated moves, a genuine authenticity and a strong team it’s no wonder SWIDT are considered by many to be the next big thing in NZ hip hop.

“We haven’t had to reach out for help and because we’ve been ourselves. People have reached out to us, because we dress a certain way, we drink where we aren’t supposed to drink, we talk a certain way, we go to interviews and say stupid shit – that’s just how we are,” laughs INF. They caught their first real break when SmokeyGotBeatz gained a production placement with TDE, a powerhouse American record label that’s home to artists Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolBoyQ, Ab-Soul and more…

“I saw [US rapper] Jay Rock tweet Willie B [a fellow American hip hop producer] to send him beats. I saw that tweet and tweeted Jay Rock who sent me his email for me to send him beats. First song I got with Jay Rock didn’t get released for like 2-3 years later. Jay Rock emailed me one day asking for stems, and

“We haven’t had to reach out for help and because we’ve been ourselves. People have reached out to us, because we dress a certain way, we drink where we aren’t supposed to drink, we talk a certain way, we go to interviews and say stupid shit – that’s just how we are.” – INF. The energy they bounce off each other is magnetic, apparent in the room even as I interview them. They share jokes between each question, usually at the expense of someone.

For example when Jamal is asked about his other interests outside of music SPYCC interrupts with “Sleep”, and everyone erupts in laughter in that way siblings and close school friends do. INF and SPYCC seem to run the dialogue but as soon as the subject shifts to production Smokey perks up. In between questions they seem distracted by their phones and upcoming events. They’re are a pretty docile bunch, something you wouldn’t expect from their high energy performances, it might have something to do with the NZMAs just been.

Running such a music crew professionally is no easy feat, and SWIDT have wisely sourced help to run things from various entities.

“We have our manager, Andy Murnane of 1979 Management, Serra Galuvao and Olivia who runs this space (Studio 40) with partner Askew. Andy’s the overall manager but Serra G handles us on a day to day basis,” SPYCC explains.

Murnane has a long-held connection to Universal NZ from back in his Dawn Raid days.

SWIDT opted for a publishing and distribution deal with the major label in May 2016.

“We own the rights to the masters. They just put the music out there, we have full creative control.”

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

usually when artists ask for stems you probably have a placement.

“A couple of days later I got a phone call from TDE and we sorted out contracts and Parental Advisory dropped. I also got credited on Jay Rock’s ‘90059’ album [2015], on the song Easy Bake featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA.” Smokey is credited on both tracks – a combination of Youtube and Spotify streams adds up to over five million at the time of writing.

With a simple tweet SmokeyGotBeatz had unlocked the keys to the hip hop kingdom. It attracted the attention of Murnane (Aaradhna’s manager) who has extensive US hip hop contacts, and helped get him to LA to work directly with TDE and others in April 2015.

“Andy caught wind of it and he got in contact with me. Him and I had a sit down to go through the contracts I was signing. He just asked if I had a manager and knew what I was doing. I said, ‘No’ and Andy asked if I wanted him to be my manager. I agreed and he’s been my manager since April 2015.”

SmokeyGotBeatz’ success attracted attention towards SWIDT, caught the eyes of Redbull Studios and led to the production of an online documentary titled ‘SWIDT vs Everybody’ – a documentation of SmokeyGotBeatz’ early beginnings and his journey. It features appearances from TDE producer Skyhe Hutch along with praising comments from luminary locals P-Money, David Dallas and DJ Sir-Vere.

EV\Z (

There’s a natural enough mystery as to why the album is called what it is. SPYCC quickly demystifies it by explaining that it was really a compilation album.

“The idea was to push the crew off of what was happening around Smokey’s situation and successes.”

‘SmokeyGotBeatz presents SWIDT vs Everybody’ was born out of sessions in Los Angeles and Redbull’s Auckland studios with engineers Ben Lawson and Dan Mawby. The bulk of it was done in LA.

in Auckland SPYCC and INF lost out to Jimmy Mac’s Scuba Diva, despite a stellar performance in which the pair plus Jamal had changed the ambience from a stiff industry event to a party where everyone was suddenly dancing.

This was the first year in which the winner was decided ahead of the awards night, meaning the on-stage chemistry and masterful showmanship of the two emcees was not part of the critics’ judging. Much of the commentary afterwards however hovered around SWIDT. Only two weeks later the full group were

SPYCC is first to describe his thoughts after realising they’d been passed the award.

“I didn’t feel anything, it happened so quickly, it was like, ‘What’s going on?’ and boom we were off the stage. We’re just happy to be part of that history.”

“The most powerful thing about her speech is that she’s not the first person to think that or talk about it,” says SPYCC. “But she’s the first one to stand on that platform, from what I know, and speak her mind so freely, without any fear of the repercussions of the industry or the system. We were so caught off guard because we were thinking, ‘What do we do in this situation?

Do we go up and accept it?’”

“She has that lyric in her song that says, ‘I’m more than hip hop and RnB,” SPYCC continues before INF chimes in.

“What she says in her song Brown Girl about people of colour always being put in a box, in this case she was put into a category which she doesn’t belong. Her music, RnB and soul, was lumped into a hip hop category.”

“Tami Neilson has soulful music and her album would never be placed in the Urbancategory,” Jamal takes up. “Why would you place Aaradhna in that category?”

As Aaradhna said, we need a Soul/ RnB category.”

Many heads in a group can impede productivity but not, it seems, for SWIDT. They clearly intend to build on their collective success as they talk of plans for a SPYCC and INF album release in 2017 – and for that album to be regarded as one of the best NZ has ever produced.

“We’re currently recording demos for an album we want out next year. That’s why we’ve been skipping classes. [INF and JAMAL are currently students MAINZ in Auckland, studying Audio Engineering and Music Production].

We’re lucky to have this space because it allows us to be creative and have the space and time,” says INF. “The main thing I feel like is when Scribe dropped his album ‘Crusader’, that was… I feel like that’s what we wanna be, but better than that. There hasn’t been an album that really made an impact like Scribe’s ‘Crusader’ album, for me personally. We want to make that impact.”

“And definitely making the transition to taking over the world, and being international for our music to be heard,” SPYCC enthusiastically adds.

“We’re really just looking for the perfect album for us. I’m keen to kick off my career on the DJ scene and get gigs on my solo name.

I’ll probably work on my own music, mostly festival music,” says Jamal.

See what they did there? Working together SWIDT have now generated enough local and international attention to allow and empower their individual talents to be brought to the fore. Genius.

“The most powerful thing about Aaradhna’s speech is that she’s not the first person to think that or talk about it. But she’s the first one to stand on that platform, from what I know, and speak her mind so freely, without any fear of the repercussions of the industry or the system. ” – SPYCC “Melrose Sound was the main studio we were working out of and the main engineer there was JP who owns the studio. I recorded Aaradhna, Gxnsta Ridd, Bushwick Bill in L.A,” explains INF remarkably casually.

Released in May through their own imprint SWIDT Ltd, ‘SmokeyGotBeatz vs Everybody’ is reminiscent of West Coast hip hop circa The Chronic by Dr Dre, mixed with some Onehunga swagger. The physical album almost incredibly features appearances from iconic US rappers Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Audio Push MC Eiht, Bushwick Bill and revered producer Hit-Boy, alongside local music heavyweights David Dallas and Aaradhna.

The striking 16-track compilation deservedly earned SWIDT a finalist position in the 2016 Critics Choice Awards – by way of SPYCC and INF. The Critics Choice entry conditions have been shifting in recent years, but you can’t be nominated for the award if you’ve released an album or single that’s appeared on the official NZ Charts. SWIDT’s album crossed that boundary for one week in May, but SPYCC and INF as rap artists had not.

In the three-way final at The Tuning Fork

one of three finalists in the Best Urban / Hip Hop Album category at the 2016 NZ Music Awards. Controversy doesn’t begin to describe what unfurled on the night.

Given the strength of her ‘Brown Girl’ album it was really no surprise that Aaradhna, who has over a decade and several albums moved from being a princess to the country’s queen of R&B and soul, was named as the Tui winner.

What no one could have anticipated was that in her apparent acceptance speech the proudly Samoan/Indian artist would promptly turn down the award, and instead pass it on to SWIDT. Having been pipped as the Critics’ Choice the colourful crew got to mount the stage and collect a Tui instead.

Aaradhna very eloquently and movingly made her case, finishing, “I want to give it to SWIDT because I believe that you guys are the future of hip hop.”

It was a prop that couldn’t have been more public, or more powerful as a propulsion within the local industry. Her protest action even attracted some international press commentary, including the UK’s Daily Mail, Le Huffington Post and Mashable in Australia.

`lJ7gY3SYPp

EV\Z )

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

UIF UVUPSTµ UVUPSJBMT

by Marcel Bellvé

Mixing In The Box – Part 4

P

anning is one of the first concepts people become familiar with when getting into music production. The pan pot (panorama potentiometer) is right there on the channel strip and moving it around probably feels very intuitive. However, there are some idiosyncrasies and misconceptions when it comes to panning which I will attempt to explain and dispel, respectively.

When you pan a sound you distribute its voltage between your left and right speaker, creating a spectrum of width for your mix. Pan a sound left and you hear it on your left. Pan it right and now it’s on your right side.

Pan up… well now it’s in the middle. Simple, right? Well let’s see.

Watt direction?

Have you ever panned an instrument to one side and then wondered why it suddenly lacked power? Damn, better put it back in the middle, right? Wrong.

When you pan a sound to the middle of your mix a voltage is sent equally to both the left and right speakers. Because each speaker is driven by an amplifier, you have double the wattage driving a sound that is panned to the centre than you would have driving a sound that is panned hard to one side (in which case only one amp is driving it).

The general rule of thumb when doubling wattage is that it yields another 3dB (sometimes referred to as the 3dB law). It means that when a sound is panned hard to one side, it will be 3dB quieter than a sound panned to the middle of the mix. So, you may compensate for this with your faders but it is also more than likely that your DAW itself is capable of offsetting this effect – either by turning down the centre image by 3dB or by turning up the sides by 3dB. Have a look through the software’s preferences for these features (may be called Pan Law).

Balance versus pan Some DAWs provide you with a balance pot on a stereo channel rather than a pan pot(s) and there is an important distinction. The difference is that instead of distributing a signal between the left and right buss as a pan would, a balance simply turns one side of the stereo signal down in order to make the other side more prominent. This yields a tilt in balance to the dominant side. It is important to note that when balancing a stereo signal hard to one side, you are essentially losing the other side of the signal! Instead – if you want to move a stereo sound completely to one side – you could try converting the stereo signal to mono and then panning it rather than balancing.

The duplication dupe Too often I’ve seen people duplicate a signal in order to pan one instance left and the other, right. The myth is that this will make it sound wider. While this may have an effect on volume, it does nothing for width. When panned centre, a signal gets split across the left and right mix busses. When duplicating to pan into opposite sides, the signal gets split across the left and right busses.

Same thing… it sounds like it’s in the middle!

Narrow to wide, to wider For a stereo signal it is the difference between its sides that makes it feel wide and the same-ness that gives it centre. If you want to widen a sound, you need to create (or enhance) the differences between the left and right instance. A mono sound is mono because it is a single signal with no point of difference. The mono signal can be widened with any stereo modulation, e.g. tremolo, chorus, phaser, flanger, doubler etc.

Insert such a mono-to-stereo plug-in directly on a mono channel and, presto! Width. This is because you have introduced difference between the out-going left and right versions of the signal. If a source is already stereo you can still do this but, if there is an existing difference between a left and a right side, you can use a stereo widener/enhancer to further increase width. These processor types find the difference between the two sides of signal and turn them up. In extreme cases this can cause the signal to sound wider than your speaker set-up!

And finally…

It is important to note that not everything in a mix should be wide.

Overall width in a mix can be created very effectively by simply panning mono sounds to different positions in the stereo spectrum. This helps to separate between sounds. If everything is wide, then everything will be competing for space across the stereo spectrum, making it difficult to focus on any particular element – especially in a busy/dense mix!

Be careful about which sounds are going to take up all or much of the spectrum and don’t be afraid to hard-pan mono sources; just make sure you have something to counter-balance them with in the adjacent side.

Marcel Bellvé is program co-ordinator at SAE institute and produces electronic music.

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z *

Madeira Her voice first danced its way into our lives during the summer of 2014, when Yumi Zouma’s introductory single The Brae was on heavy rotate across alternative radio airwaves.

Based in Christchurch, Kim Pflaum at the time fronted the Kiwi/global dream-pop trio who all of a sudden were being locally and internationally feted – not least due to touring as support act to Lorde. Surprising many, Kim left the band later that year, determinedly rising again since as a solo entity under the identity of Madeira, proving herself a valued new alt-pop-writing voice. Anna Loveys caught up with Madeira /

In Good Humour?

I

t’s a typical Friday night in St Kevin’s Arcade on Auckland’s K Rd. The usual 20-somethings clumped in groups around the outskirts, voices reverberating around the lively, much-loved inner city cave. Downstairs the Whammy Bar is yet to come alive as Pflaum soundchecks for her show tonight. This will be the second leg of a November homecoming tour, celebrating her five-track debut EP ‘Bad Humors’, digitally released a few months earlier.

On the merch table are two donation boxes “for the animals” and an assortment of t-shirts, vinyl, CDs and shiny metallic postcards for sale.

Her recent few years have been spent travelling the world with music. Kim Pflaum has been making a name for herself among international indie communities, her global fan base growing from NZ to Japan, the US and France, and she clearly has this part of it down to a fine art.

“My friend from Paris said she was in a sushi shop and my song was playing on the sushi train! It’s just amazing with the internet. Anyone can just find your music.”

While self-managed, Kim is signed to US label, Carpark Records (also home to Toro Y Moi, Beach House, Speedy Ortiz and other such creative flames). She admits to being a bit scared of Trump’s America, saying she would like to conquer some of Europe before returning to the land of Kool-Aid and angry Republicans.

Her stunning debut stirs nostalgic elements of hazy ’80s synthesiser beds with thick, danceable bass lines that cut through the synth fog – until the final third element – being the late ’70s to early ’80s disco-inflected drum machines, round off the background to serve Kim’s heart on a sleeve.

“I’d started writing while I was still in Yumi Zouma, because at the time we were working towards an album,” she shares. “I already had songs that I had come up with and sent to the boys, so I wasn’t exactly at zero. I had some ideas.”

Indeed ‘Bad Humors’ seems to possess an air that once breathed through the earlier Yumi Zouma EPs – light, carefree shimmering guitars,

EV\Z +

synths a n d nostalgic production elements. Presented in full form Kim’s voice plays a soulful companion and a light at the darkest of times.

She navigates around a myriad of personal experiences with a neat balance of articulation and artistic creativity.

“I think the hardest thing is editing and stripping it all back. When I write songs, they’re always way too intense, with way too much going on. In the producing stage, I strip heaps out of the track and take it from the bottom up again.

“It was just about finding my new vibe and writing more songs throughout the last year, and going really hard,” she says, stopping what she is doing.“I was going through quite a tough time emotionally, as you could imagine, so some days I would be like, ‘I can’t do anything, I just gotta chill.’ On other days I went really hard and wrote a lot of songs.”

Enigmatic as a performer, she has always had a magical touch when it comes to making melodies. It is her specialty. Combined with the spacious, lush electronic arrangements supporting her gentle but equally lush voice, the vocal melodies, as well as the guitar lines, are the ultimate pay off. Unsurprisingly then, melody is a starting point.

“I find vocal melodies or lyric ideas often when I’m driving my car – it’s when my brain is actively working and dreaming, which is bad because I should be concentrating on driving! I never get angry in traffic because I feel like I’m being productive.”

Luscious melodies over striking chord changes, block chords and synths create the

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

sound garden for her signature vocal style – breathy, calm in execution and very cool.

“It has become a preset – the Kim preset,” she laughs. “It’s just a matter of, I sing it, we put reverb on it, we compress it, add a bit of chorus…”

To help evoke nostalgia in her work Kim digests a wide range of music – though not as much from the ’80s as fans might expect.

“It’s more like rip-off ’80s bands like TØPS, which is a bit shocking. Early ’90s, ’70s… I discovered that kind of genre is what suited my voice the most. I stayed on that trajectory.

When I’m writing I’m not listening to any music and just write what comes naturally.”

Shannon Fowler (aka Tom Lark), a close friend from her hometown of Christchurch, helped produce the EP. “When we go into production, we’ll go back and reference songs – a drum beat from the ’70s or a synth tone from the ’80s. We’ll pick and choose a decade for each instrument.”

Why should we care about artists like Madeira? Like those who have come before her – the St Vincent explorers, the Kate Bush queens, the therapeutic Knowles sisters – the figureheads of innovation and leaders of alternative pop writing – she takes as much from the past as she does from the present, and projects something of the future to us.

She is creating a time-free capsule – a timeless vault of art.

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z ,

Book Review The Dunedin Sound – Some Disenchanted Evening

By Ian Chapman Bateman Publishing, rrp $50

O

ne of the many endearing aspects of Dr Ian Chapman’s book, The Dunedin Sound - Some Disenchanted Evening, is just how much of it is taken up with the very question of whether there is such a thing – or at least, whether or not it’s right to lump the music of widely various acts together into one descriptive hold-all, simply based on their city of origin.

It’s a book that happily challenges its own precept – that the Dunedin Sound is a credible and valid term, allowing both pro and dissenting voices space to argue their point. Despite the widespread (and international) usage of the term there remain those who maintain it is illusory, a cheap option for commentators lacking the skills to discern the differences or accurately describe individual bands’ output.

Chapman is a musician, academic and author of two other music-focused books. A former Otago University student he has been a lecturer in the uni’s Department of Music for the last 14 years. In that role he works alongside some of the key musicians tied to the origins of the term ‘Dunedin Sound’, making him extremely well placed to embark on such a challenging work.

Even given that controversial aspect however, it’s debatable if the Dunedin Sound could sustain general reader interest much beyond the length of a decent university essay – and given the proliferation of tertiary music study options you do wonder that such a thesis / book hasn’t been written before. Yet the author has managed to very easily fill 200 pages in a thoughtfully presented hard-back,

EV\Z -

and even then been obliged to leave out some well remembered bands, and many more individuals who might have expected to have been included.

More importantly though he has found a way, ways actually, to make it interesting, honest, personal, instructive and entertaining.

The main way is by flooding the pages with a huge variety of photos and images, many previously not seen publicly. A scrawled note to Stephen Kilroy from a friend who borrowed his 8-track recorder in 1994 is one good example.

Numerous used set lists, blurry snaphots and handmade gig posters are among others.

Chapman explains the weighting of text to photos by describing himself as a music iconographer – which is to say that he ‘finds the visual imagery of music sometimes as exciting as the music itself’.

Anyone who was there (the work focuses on the years between 1977 and 1992) will likely support his thinking. Interestingly the photos themselves sometimes reveal just how few people were really involved in the earliest definitive period and some of those seminal gigs.

The carefully chosen cover image is of Chris Knox fronting an early The Enemy gig at Beneficiaries Hall in 1978. The Enemy, as with several other acts that get a ‘chapter’, didn’t last long enough to release any official recordings.

The author notes however that they were an inspiration to audience members, ‘among whom were those who would go on to create what collectively came to be known further down the track as ‘the Dunedin Sound’’.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Given space constraints only 17 bands get their own chapter or section, and then it is typically only a single page of text and a neatly presented page of members and discography – followed by several pages of assorted images.

I found myself wishing Chapman had allowed himself more paper to paint pictures with his words. He writes engagingly, striking an efficient balance of academic detail and necessary admiring fandom.

He describes the book variously, but notably as ‘a celebration of 17 great Dunedin acts who collectively achieved something both remarkable and lasting’.

Aside from the forward by fellow lecturer Dr Graeme Downes the artists themselves were deliberately avoided. He left the wider commentary role to a variety of others; artist, archivist, manager, record store owner, international fan, critic, local label owner etc., soliciting personal essays from them and receiving back a variety of comment. There was risk in that and certainly not all necessarily engage, but the breadth of commentary is another strength of this interesting and fun book. s Richard Thorne

The last time Paul Cathro was pictured in NZ Musician it was as a member of Dunedin band Ha The Unclear, who were about to drop their debut album in mid-2014. Recorded not long before they moved north, the band’s off-kilter, darkly humorous tracks and subsequent videos have since earned them regular local gigs and a variety of international plaudits. It turns out that just before leaving Dunedin the bassist also put down the beds of his own album, which, two and a half years later, has plummeted to earth as ‘Head First Into Solid Ground’. Briar Lawry talked with Cathro about his old but new solo offering.

Paul Cathro

Parachute Down I

n some ways, Paul Cathro’s story mimics that of many musicians… local success and popularity leads to seeking broader horizons… leads to the band moving to the country’s music capital in order to maximise opportunities.

But at the same time Paul’s tale is entirely his own. It’s the story of a bassist happy making music with various others, then deciding to take the lead on his own material. A story of an album thrown together at breakneck pace, then messed and mulled over for 30 months, until the time was deemed right to step out of the band shadow and show off his own musical chops.

It’s also the story of a long time Dunedin resident who now calls Auckland home. But it turns out that was not the major upheaval that it may initially have seemed.

“Auckland’s actually been a really easy transition,” Paul muses. “There’ve been a lot of people to pave the way.”

It helps, of course, when you’re moving with purpose. Paul also plays bass in post-Dunedin band Ha The Unclear, along with his singing/ songwriting brother Michael. Previously Brown, they recorded an eponymous EP in 2010, with Ha The Unclear’s debut album dropping in 2014 – about the time that the Cathros and their bandmates shifted northward.

“Dunedin’s a lovely place to be creative – the rent’s a lot cheaper. But you have to tour a lot, otherwise you burn out on all the local venues.”

He’s no stranger to touring, having performed his way around the country on 40-50 date tours with Dunedin psychedelic rockers Alizarin Lizard a few times in the past.

The exhaustion at the end of those epic excursions is something he doesn’t feel the need to repeat anytime soon.

“The financial payoff is great, when it works out… but it’s so exhausting.”

He recorded two records with Alizarin Lizard and had strung together some low budget recordings with friends when playing with Fat Children, another Dunedin act that existed

in the same time space as Ha The Unclear. Plus he’d recorded some of his own songs for an earlier EP, but admits it was something of a shambolic process and he really didn’t know what he was doing.

Still, he had some background to draw upon when creating his debut full-length offering ‘Head First Into Solid Ground’. He also had a particular drive to kick things up a notch, wanting to do something a bit more thought out.

“I took my time – for me, at least rushing never works. I was living where we recorded it, just chipping away at the process when my girlfriend went out.”

That aspect of really living the music creation experience was instrumental to the development of his record’s particular sound.

In contrast the album’s basic tracks were rather quickly thrown down, as legend has it,

just days before he flew north.

‘Head First Into Solid Ground’ was recorded

by David Craig and Louis Smith. Paul sang and played guitar plus percussion. Paul McLennanKissel took on drum duties, with Henry Francis playing guitar, Alex Vaastra on violin and fellow Ha The Unclear member Theo Francis on bass.

The ability to call upon a friendly jazz drummer helped in adding texture. The violin also brings something a little unusual to the mix – and Paul is effusive in his praise of Vaastra.

“He’ll take the backing vocals from the demos and turn it into something new on the violin. I love what he does.”

It was all so fast and crammed together, with “alcohol burnt as fuel”, that while little is remembered, the word ‘ordeal’ is an apt description according to Louis Smith.

“But perhaps the most sensible and carefully thought out part of the process was starting tracking the violin at five in the morning, eyes the widest that exhaustion-narrowed eyes can be, ears fuller than a teacup with a shark in it…”

Francis also joined Paul in the overdubbing process, which mostly took place at (Shakes’/ Alizarin Lizard’s/ex-Verlaines) Chris Milller’s hydroponic farm in Katikati, Bay of Plenty – a step en route to life in the City of Sails – adding to some of the record’s tonality.

The album was then mixed by Andrew Straight (who was in Biff Merchants with Paul), and mastered by Jonathan Pearce. Clearly there was much to-ing and fro-ing even then – Smith’s Bandcamp summary mentioning mixing and re-mixing, mastering and re-mastering.

The very worthwhile result will feel familiar to fans of Ha The Unclear. Paul and Michael share a distinctive family voice and off-kilter sense of humour, and the instruments, even the musicians employed aren’t much different. Paul’s songs are personal, and a lot less existentially kooky than those of his brother.

His lyrical imagery paints an entertaining picture of his (or is it imaginary?) social scene, covering the emotional spectrum.

U"jM3"gG_SY ,"P73"OUY3SO

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z .

GSFTI UBMFOU -VMW +YIZEVVE

“I

joined the talent

competition, and I didn’t get a placing.

I remember vividly when I didn’t hear my name getting called out, and I was crying on my mum’s lap.”

The young Iris Guevarra was only seven years of age, yet heartbroken and crushed at what she thought was the realisation that her dreams could never come true…

But that was 11 years ago, and now Guevarra has gained not only first place in this year’s Smokefreerockquest solo/duo category, but also a life (so far) journeying through music and self-discovery.

Guevarra was singing covers while still young, and then moved into medleys where she discovered how much she enjoyed putting herself into the song. It wasn’t until she won a school talent quest in Year 8 and the principal encouraged her to make her own music, that she began to start songwriting.

“I don’t think I would have started if it wasn’t for him. Then he mentored me for the rest of the year. I was never in class because I was always in his office – but being good!”

However after moving on to Avondale College – a very large, intimidating school – Guevarra’s shy nature stopped her from seriously pursuing anything until a little later on.

“Moving from a Catholic school to a huge high school, I didn’t know where my place was, and then I slowly moved back into it. In year 12 I saw my friend’s band at Rockquest, and I was so angry that I didn’t join that year. So I thought, ‘Okay, next year I’m going to join.’ This year was my first and last opportunity, and I ended up winning!”

In the final Guevarra performed two songs she had written about two of her friends, Leilani and If Looks Could Kill.

“Usually, I always write about my friends, just how they’ve changed my life and made me grateful to be alive. I write about sad things too though, because I don’t think sadness is a bad thing.”

“New Year’s day I had this huge meltdown. I was like, ‘My songs don’t matter, I’m writing about things that don’t mean much to me,’ and ‘I’m making stories up.’ I wanted to change that. It’s been harder, I’ve had a writer’s block because I’ve changed so much. Because of my shy nature, songwriting has always been storytelling, it’s the only way for me to share what’s in my mind.”

Now that Guevarra has finished high school, she hopes to have more time to focus on music while she takes a gap year, working at a vineyard in Gisborne. With a passion for sharing her mind with the world more songwriting remains very much in her future.

“The most important thing about my music is I want to make sure it validates feelings. A lot of people suffering with mental health feel like what they’re feeling is wrong, and I just want to normalise that. I do that through music.”

>"39,SSLY3SOdJ_J`BOj`J3 s 3AM 6EGAR

8SQQ] 2II

G

rowing up in Hawkes Bay, Niuean singer/songwriter Tommy Nee found an escape from his “tough upbringing” through music.

Difficulties faced throughout his life have undoubtedly shaped his sound, with his EP ‘Colorblind’ showcasing a mix of guitar-based, soulful music, matched with a certain lyrical honesty and rawness.

“It’s a feeling… it’s genuine, it comes from places of realness,” 22-year-old Tommy explains. “When I put on a pair of headphones, music was the thing that gave me hope, and made me grasp onto something when there was nothing else to grasp on to in life.”

Despite those troubled beginnings, he has gone on to make a name for himself for his originality and song-writing abilities. Tommy says his recently completed Auckland University music degree has allowed him to analyse music in a whole different way.

“It’s helped me to recognise what’s genuine, what’s accessible… what’s something that will make people want to decipher what you’re taking about.”

His respect for other Polynesian artists is a source of motivation for him and his musical career. Nesian Mystik’s Te Awanui Reeder has been one local legend showing support for Tommy’s catchy tunes and soulful voice.

“Those artists have paved the way… Nesian Mystik, Che Fu, Malcom

EV\Z &%

Lakatani… they’ve inspired me that I can do it too.”

Tommy’s love for music, spanning over a diversity of genres, is evident when listening to ‘Colorblind’. Whether it’s the soulful vibes from Sam Cooke, the pop-rock, guitar-based influence from John Mayer, or his love for rap with “its flow and rhyme schemes”, each of the five songs showcase an interesting amalgamation of his different influences.

“I don’t consciously try to incorporate them, I just let it happen. If you listen to a record for long enough, their style will influence you in some way… you grab something from them and incorporate that into your own song. It’s that feeling you get, an instinct,” he explains.

Tommy frequently expresses a desire to see societal change, particularly in regards to the discrimination people from different races continue to face. He is no stranger to discrimination, and draws on his own past experiences in his music as a way of raising awareness.

“It’s not just about being blind to your race, it’s also about being blind to religion. Wherever you come from… why should we judge the rest of the world according to that? Colorblind is a song written about being pulled over by a policeman in Remuera… I had my warrant, rego, full license… my music calls on that, it’s a big issue in today’s society. My music tries to make people conscious… to stop being blind to the issue, and start being blind to our colours.”

With the release of his EP, and a video for Pick Up The Phone, Tommy is about to undertake a nationwide tour.

“I’m working with the Soulnote Agency. They’ve been helping me to plan and promote my stuff – they believe in it as much as I do. It’s all for the love of music. If I can help someone else out, then that’s my day made.”

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

>"39,SSLY3SOdgSOOnP99Oj`J3 s ,ANA !NDELANE

1SPP] 8LI 'LVSQEXMGW

O

ver the summer of 2014, Molly & The Chromatics started playing covers at house parties.With most of the original line up hailing from Auckland’s North Shore they quickly developed a solid following around Devonport and Takapuna, gigging with other local bands.

“Our first big gig was at The Patriot in Devonport, which was packed because everyone there knows everyone, and wants to support everyone,” reminisces singer Molly Rowlandson.

The band quickly grew tired of playing the same songs and decided to pull together some originals. While Molly and bandmates Tom Taylor (keys), George Edgar (guitar and bass) and drummer Sam Horgan had individually done a bit of writing, this was the first time they had collaborated creatively as a band. With no sole songwriter or lyricist, the writing process for their debut EP ‘Straight Lines’, sounds almost sickeningly seamless.

“It was very very collaborative. Tom wrote the lyrics to Laughing At You, George wrote Clouds… so it’s all part of the mix but we put our own flair into it.”

“We’re all great friends and really have lots of respect for each other,

but are also very democratic about things as well, so no-one’s gonna be a diva. We work really well as a group, it’s awesome.”

Drawing influence from the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote and Erykah Badu, their sound slots well into a current scene where neo soul and jazz fusion styles are making a comeback. Molly’s smoky vocal tone is certainly one contributing factor, but she says they all add a certain flair.

“I sing how I sing. Tom’s got his jazz influence cause he went to jazz school, and then me and George tried to push that into an RnB style.”

‘Straight Lines’ was recorded earlier this year at Devonport studio The Depot, with Morgan Allen. Maintaining a slick and professional social media presence in the lead up, it was released on Bandcamp, Spotify and Itunes on November 11.

Molly explains they wanted to make sure they ticked as many boxes as possible when it came to applying for funding and booking gigs, and “business-driven” drummer Sam has taken on that organisational role.

“If we wanna be able to have a go at pursuing music then we do need to have an image that people take seriously.”

They reckon getting their social media in line helped when it came to booking their upcoming 5pm slot on New Year’s Eve at Rhythm and Vines.

“We were like, ‘Let’s just try and go for everything that we can,’ and RnV was kind’a the goal. I’m a bit nervous… I’m intrigued to see how I’m gonna hold myself on such a big stage. But it should be good.”

With all members currently pursuing various jobs and degrees, Molly accepts that for now they’re best just taking it as it comes.

“For me it’s really important to maintain realness ’cause I think that’s quite a key likeability of our band. We have no façade and we’re just doing what we love and having an awesome time together. So if we continue doing that and people like that then who knows…”

>"39,SSLY3SOdOSMMn"P7gG93G_SO"gJ3`

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z &&

%PFMSR 4PEGI

T

aking its name from a street on the band’s home turf of Dunedin, Albion Place formed in 2011 and currently includes Micah Davis-Rae on guitar and vocals, Hugh Fulton (synthesiser), Tom Kelk on bass and drummer Mackenzie Hollebon.

The band has a dynamic sound which founding / lead member Micah describes as reggae-infused indie rock with a touch of electronica.

Micah cites B.B. King and Leonard Cohen as influences on his work, both within the band and beyond.

“B.B. King wasn’t the best guitarist in the world but he managed to play with such passion that no one else had seen, and Leonard had some of the most authentic lyrics sung in the most raw voice.”

With a first EP released in 2014, the band is now hard at work crafting a new record set for release next year. Sydney-based Australian producer Lyall Moloney has been helping them with the new EP. “We had these songs that we bought to him and we managed

to choose four of them as each showcased a different genre,” Micah explains.

“The first single we dropped in October [Running] was our pop kind of song, and the one we dropped before [Levitate] was the reggae-indie rock one. We’ve got two more songs to release in December or January, then we’re gonna jump on a national tour. From there, we’ll record another album and do another tour.”

A key decision in their second EP’s recording was regarding location.

“We had to decide if we should do it at an expensive studio or could go out to a holiday house in Wanaka and set up a recording studio there, where we’d have no time constraints.”

Deciding to head out into the wild to record, the band found this freedom with time creatively beneficial.

“We did most of the vocals past midnight when you’re really in the vibe.”

Taking some initiative has already paid off for the talented group and Micah is stoked by the support Albion Place has received from a number of people.

“I would have never imagined in a million years that Lyall would be keen to fly over to the South Island to make music with us but the world is so small. As soon as you start reaching out you’re broadening your audience and people are keen to help as they love it too.”

"M,JSPUM"39Y,"P73"OUY3SO s *EAN "ELL

0YOEW +

“I

used to think, ‘if you don’t get anywhere when you’re young with music, you’re not gonna get anywhere. You need to start building a foundation now.’”

Referencing the upcoming release of his ‘Comfort Clouds’ EP, 20-year-old rapper/ producer Lukas (Lukas Martin) has only just started to take music seriously.

‘I’ve had heaps of jobs, played heaps of different sports, and even had heaps of different friends. I’ve never really been able to stick to anything apart from music.”

Currently residing in Hamilton, the Nelson-born rapper is preparing his six-track effort while also working as a teacher-aide.

“I could release it right now, but I really want to build a bit of hype for it. I didn’t want to have an exact date set… but I do want to say either next month, in the middle of the month. If not, definitely at the start of next year.”

Delayed by the addition of some last-minute tracks, Lukas says the EP can only get better from here. Supported already by It’s Late (feat. Fullish), Hollin It Down, and the title track Comfort Clouds, Lukas’ second EP is shaping

EV\Z &'

up to be a further development of his brooding, trap-influenced sound.

It’s Late is a notable highlight, its melancholy piano melody, and re-pitched vocals earning comparisons to contemporary US pop rap.

Lukas produced the EP himself.

“I don’t feel like I can rap unless I’m rapping on my own beats… I feel like rapping on someone else’s beat isn’t me.”

In addition to his first EP, Lukas has a wealth of loose tracks uploaded to his SoundCloud.

“They’re like, when I wasn’t ‘doing’ music, wasn’t really trying to get anywhere with it. Just kind of, like, how I was feeling at the time. My journey in music and the way my music is [themed], it’s kind of dark… You might notice since I’ve been making music over the last couple of months, that stuff’s starting to get more party or better vibes, because everything’s started to work out.”

Those songs are important artifacts of a developing artist, Lukas saying he only really started to take music seriously about six months ago.

“I’d never actually gotten to know myself. From the day you’re born until you turn 18, you always have someone around. But I just isolated myself… I went into this just, weird kind of limbo. I moved to Auckland just before I turned 18… I was like, ‘I don’t even like Nelson, I’ll go to Auckland and get famous.’”

After crashing on a couch for a few months, Lukas moved back home briefly, before landing in Hamilton, finally ready to start his career.

Currently he is also working as a founder and member of the Small Fortunes Crew, a recently established art collective. With them, he aims to host a selection of release parties, following the EP’s publication.

“I’m hoping there’ll be enough buzz or whatever to just kind’a have a couple of release parties… a couple in Auckland and one in Hamilton. I’m pretty sure it’s just gonna be up from here.”

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

>"39,SSLY3SOdMjL"`BOj`J3 s *ACK 7OODBURY

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

Some

!

s it’s the Christmas period, I thought I would do some shameless marketing.

There is a new album, ‘Dunedin Spleen’ from The Verlaines, a Dunedin band with which I play, that’s due for release in the new year. (See the article on page 39.)

My friend and colleague, Graeme Downes has, as always, composed all the material and there is enough of it for a double album. (That option is still being discussed.) Graeme’s music is among the toughest I have ever played in terms of keys and the use of tempo changes and irregular metre, often all in one song!

with Rob Pull BurnsQuote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull Quote Pull 12/8 Quote XmasPull Trickiness!

The extract below looks deceptively simple but the 12/8 time signature and Cb key signature throw a few spanners into the works. Also, I played it on a five string so the Eb’s in the transcription have been taken up an octave so that it can be played

on a four string. The reason for the use of this key is that Graeme wanted his vocal to be in its lowest register, given the gravity of the lyrics. The first bar was the click track count in, so that’s not on the video. You will find the track, AWCWD, on YouTube.

The way I counted it was ‘1e a, 2e a, 3e a, 4e a’ (like ‘123, 223, 323,

423’) in order to get the swing feel that Graeme wanted. You will also notice at the ends of bars 7 and 14 that there is a group of three quavers resembling a triplet.

These groupings are common in 12/8 and you just need to play in the groups of three listed above.

In terms of the notes played, I just played as if I was a fret lower than what would have been written if the notes were not all a semitone flat, and made sure that I didn’t look at the fingerboard. In that way, I just had to look out for the odd incidental passing notes where Graeme introduced some chromaticism. I did make the

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

crotchets longer than they look, given that most are followed by a quaver rest. These slightly longer notes make the bass line flow with the drums more easily than if I had made them shorter and added to the swing feel.

Anyway, look out too for a second video, Church And State, which should be available by the time this issue of NZM is published.

Have a great summer and see you next year. Any guesses about what the title AWCWD stands for?

(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 UK television 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 &(

Albi And The Wolves

Photo: Georgia Schofield

A Pack Of Three

Easily mistaken at first glance as an oddball half-band – an open-mic night kind of unfinished ensemble – Albi And The Wolves typically take little more time than the obligatory count in to convincingly prove otherwise. Somehow the combination of casual electric violin-wielder, retiring hippy-haired upright bass player, and bald-but-bearded, albino acoustic guitarist frontman just… works. And work they sure do, the trio rank right up there in the hardest-working local act department. Sammy Jay Dawson chatted with Pascal Roggen, Micheal Young and Chris Dent around their folk-tastic album debut, ‘One Eye Open’.

3

ince getting together in Auckland in late 2014, Albi And The Wolves have barely given themselves time to lift their foot off of the gas pedal. Along with playing over 50 shows a year the zany folk trio have released three EPs, a handful of singles and videos and now have a freshly minted debut album ‘One Eye Open’ to promote.

Featuring Chris ‘Albi’ Dent (guitar, vocals), Pascal Roggen (violin, vocals), Micheal Young (double bass, vocals), the band has a simple philosophy – no limitations. Opportunities come in any shape or form, so give everything a go.

“As far as we know there’s no folk scene in Auckland,” Chris explains.

“There’s a lot of folk clubs and a hell of a lot of people that enjoy the style, and there are some great folk bands too. What I think has happened is these great bands have just gotten out and started to play in venues that don’t have a folk music reputation. The reaction of which is not, ‘Oh let’s go see this folk band’, rather, ‘Oh, that band at that pub last night was amazing.’ It’s really broadened the genre’s audience here.”

Forgoing any percussion section, Albi And The Wolves pride themselves on their ability to fill the dance-floor using only string instruments. Often sharing a pub or concert bill with rock bands, it’s a self-imposed challenge that night after night helps push the band to its best.

Beyond that, it’s the combination of traditional folk styles, modern indie, soul and pop song structures that set Albi And The Wolves apart from others working the genre.

“I think with the Internet and streaming services available people’s musical tastes have broadened too,” observes Pascal, a classically trained violinist who has over the last two decades performed on stages throughout Asia, Europe and the U.K. “People don’t have the mentality of only liking a single genre of music. It’s less tribal than it used to be.”

EV\Z &)

“I think it all depends on what you label yourself too,” adds Chris. “If you choose to present yourself a certain way you run the risk of people putting you in a box. But if you tell people, this is what we do, check it out, you let people make up their own minds. Just get out and play music for music’s sake.”

Arguably the band’s defining feature is the diversity and experience of its members, each of whom found musical success long before meeting.

Micheal has previously won a Tui award with Auckland bluegrass quartet Wires & Wood. He’s a sound engineer with his own home production studio in Devonport.

Pascal’s jaw-dropping list of concert appearances and collaborations have seen him lend his talents to almost every genre imaginable.

Many will know him from Mio Wada’s Jazz Orchestra. At 25, charismatic frontman Chris is the youngest of the trio. A solo folk artist in his own right, he regularly lends his hand to various side projects, “I met Chris when he was about 14,” Micheal recalls. “I saw him play quite a few times around Auckland and was lucky enough to witness his performance and songwriting skills mature. A couple years ago we had some jams at festivals, with me playing banjo, mandolin and bass.

The bass kind of stuck for this ensemble and I’ve been laying down the grooves for Albi And The Wolves ever since.”

“I met Chris and Micheal through Matt [Owens], the original banjo player in Albi And The Wolves, who has since departed the band to pursue other projects,” Pascal adds.

“We used to play in a band together and when it broke up Matt was keen to kind of reshuffle the line up and lean it towards more traditional folk, but with that twist. Not long after Chris got on board and recommended we give Michael a try.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

“It’d been a long time since I’d played folk music, my first experience as a paid musician was playing Irish folk music in pubs, but my upbringing was playing classical and jazz. My mother was a piano teacher and so I learnt Suzuki method when I was three.”

When I ask Pascal to further describe his musical background Chris almost immediately cuts me off, laughing.

“You’ve opened up a can of worms there!”

Over the next 15 or so minutes Pascal goes into excruciating detail about his time studying south Indian classical music, playing Swiss folk music, Spanish-Jewish, rock, reggae, jazz, classical, African pop, hip-hop, Cuban….

“I’ve played in a crazy amount of genres because I love picking up something new from a different genre,” he explains. “If you limit yourself and cut yourself off to music you won’t think you enjoy, as a musician you’re cheatingyourself out of learning some great stuff.”

“My answer is much shorter,” Chris quips.

“I like a lot of different genres but I’ve always adored traditional folk music, a singer/ songwriter that’s got a great story to tell. I love rock and indie and the new wave of West Coast hip hop too.”

“I became obsessed with the guitar at the age of 18,” Micheal takes up the thread. “I was inspired by the likes of James Taylor, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Joe Walsh, Chet Atkins and the Beatles. I walked away from my career as a computer scientist to pursue a career as a recording engineer, which is the perfect job for me as I get to combine my technical and artistic expertise.

“I started Studio 27A a few years back, which is a studio I run from my own home. In 2011 an album that I engineered, produced and performed on, ‘Over The Moon’ by Wires & Wood, won the Tui award for Best Folk Album of the Year.”

Making the obvious decision to take advantage of Micheal’s talents and facilities, ‘One Eye Open’ was recorded in just one month – a time-frame the trio somehow describe as ‘stupidly long’.

We’re pretty efficient in the studio,” Chris boasts, “We don’t record the whole band, we tend to multi-track, but everything is very raw and un-edited. Pascal likes to improvise a lot, so for some songs we’re left with 15-20 different takes to sift through – but he leaves it up to us to pick which ones we like best. But we don’t go crazy on overdubs, it’s a pretty basic sound we have.”

“Writing-wise,” Pascal adds, “Albi [Chris] usually comes along with the core of a tune and we pull it apart and tighten it back together.

Then we just re-arrange it till we’re all happy with it.”

They have four new songs ready to record and hope to get their next album finished in a much shorter amount of time, but just ahead lies an 18-date tour of NZ over December and January.

They’ve got a heap of folk festivals to play as well as a number of pub gigs, and while it is really album promo time they’re all looking forward to the chance to road test the new songs.

“We want the next record to have 11 songs,”

Chris states. “We want to walk into the studio and have a very firm idea of what we want with the finished product.

“Crazy things do happen when you record, the first track on ‘One Eye Open’, Giants In The Sky features a classical string section that starts and ends the song. That was completely on the spot while recording. We’d been trying to work out an intro and we wanted something a bit shorter, but it actually ended up about three times longer. It’s a strangely effective way to start a folk album – this massive string section which doesn’t really sound anything like traditional folk music. There’s always nice surprises in the studio, so it’s nice to be open to them.”

‘One Eye Open’ holds a nice surprise for fans of The Black Keys with a closing bluegrass-y cover of Lonely Boy. After two years together Albi And The Wolves’ founding philosophy continues to

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

serve them well. Determined to prove that folk is a limitless genre, they’re unique mentality has seen them collaborate with Mt. Eden Dubstep to the tune of some 800,000 YouTube views, as well as a diverse range of artists such as Strangely Arousing and Mark Laurent.

“We always like to say, if you think there’s something we couldn’t pull off, whether it be a gig line-up, a festival that usually wouldn’t receptive to our style or a song arrangement, whatever! I think our challenge is; let’s fucking do it!” Chris finishes.

“We’ve had a ridiculous amount of opportunities from people over the years to do things and there are so many people that are opening doors for artists in Auckland. I feel like a lot of people have really advocated us purely because they like the music and that’s been really crucial to our success!”

"M,J"P7gG9lSMk9`Y3SO

EV\Z &*

GJOEJOH ZPVS WPJDF with Caitlin Smith

Reflections From The Road How Aotearoa Is Perfect For Touring!

I

had the great privilege of recently touring Aotearoa with Arts on Tour and experienced tour veterans The Alpaca Social Club, stretching from Riverton to Kaitaia with 23 gigs in 26 daze! This column aims to offer up reflections on this marvellous adventure: the deflowering of a 45-year old touring virgin!

Try to retain your routine: Eat when you’re hungry rather than when others do.

I ate way more (and more unhealthily) than usual. Honour your own diet and metabolism.

Pig-out on midnight feasts and greasy carbs, but you might well regret it later.

Exercise as much as you can: Sitting in a van for hours on end is not an ideal get-fit regime. I incorporate yoga stretches as part of my vocal warm-up. Walking around the accommodation/venue allows you to check out the environs and engage with a town you’ll be in and out of in a flash! Finding a local swimming pool (if schedule allows) is also a Godsend.

Be yourself onstage: People love you for who you are. The more ‘you’ you can be, the more you’ll stand out and be remembered.

Allow your intuition to guide song selection rather than pandering to perceived audience preferences. Don’t try to present an uber professional version of yourself, when what people want is genuine, authentic, soul to soul connection.

Preserve your voice/pace yourself: Damage can occur through talking loudly to be heard over van stereos/engine, or socialising in noisy venues. Be aware of the bigger picture, e.g. back to back gigs, and excuse yourself from the action. Use twang or go home!

Take good care of yourself: Eat lightly two hours before singing. Get plenty of rest, water, nutritious food, fresh air and ‘you’ time.

Be flexible with the set list: Allow events, demographics, venue and requests to inform song choice. Tailor your songs to the town you’re in… change lyrics (e.g. my song Prayer For A Miracle became Prayer For America in the aftermath of the US election.)

Be secure within your vocal technique: With twang and openness, you can draw from an unlimited well of robust sound. I never felt like I had to hold back because I remained

conscious of where my power was coming from – in inexhaustible supply!

Take a little extra time to sort your onstage sound: Make sure you’ve got the right amount of gain on your mic and levels in the monitor/foldback. Build up profiles of what you need for different rooms; levels of reverb, placement of speakers or monitors.

Don’t compromise, it’s your instrument!

Psychological prep: You’ve got this. Don’t entertain fearful ideas of voice loss. Remain present so you don’t push or force out of panic and desperation.

Energy levels: Keep ‘em appropriate by not over-caffeinating, over-drinking and then running on empty. Excitement and green tea’s my jam.

Don’t put yourself down: I know, I know… it’s the Kiwi way. But audiences didn’t pay good money to see you have an existential crisis.

Make the most of what you’ve got: Not driving because of partial sight meant I was chauffeured. Usually self-conscious and insecure about this, I reframed my ‘special needs’ in the positive: bouncing round the back seat, doing yoga. Self-advocate for accessibility.

Devise and stick with a tested and truly representative set list: Curate your song choice with a strong consciousness of maximal impact, narrative arc, breathing space, genre fluidity, surprise, respect for the community you’re in. Take listeners on a journey.

Never presume to know what an audience wants: They want what you want. I always presume that my audience is smarter and more musically savvy than I, viewing my role as one of ‘story-singer and song-poet’.

Freestyle with between-song banter: remain in the moment (as with stand up, incorporating elements of set-piece AND improvisation). Some fans come to more than one gig and smell a rat when intros are identical each time. Not all songs need explanation. Find the pithiest and most direct way of introducing songs so listeners are pulled into the experience.

Discuss each gig as a band afterwards: Communicate what your needs are.If someone’s playing something you don’t like, tell them. If a

dynamic map of a song isn’t working, change it. Don’t take feedback personally – focus on what best serves the song.

Diplomacy: There’s usually a ‘band leader’ = dominant personality. This doesn’t mean that the preferences and voices of the more quiescent members of the band should be discounted or ignored. Aim for consensus so that there aren’t undercurrents of misrepresentation. Allow for all voices to be heard, valued and appreciated (representing diversity gives audiences more personalities to relate to).

Sound chicken: Spend five or so minutes eradicating unwanted room frequencies. Put a mic in the middle of the room and run pink noise through the PA on your smartphone. Go through each fader of the graphic equalizer to identify and cut runaway feedback.

Rehearse at soundcheck: Getting into the venue early so you’ve time to get back to the accom, eat, warm-up and arrive half an hour prior to playing so you’re not rushed. Run through trouble spots.

Be inclusive: Even if you’re a lone wolf, let others know what you’re up to, so that ‘peoplewho-need-people’ types don’t feel alienated or left out.

Meet your peeps: Spend time working the Merch table. Get to know your people.

Make contact. Spread the love. Stick around.

Get emails. Sign CDs. Press the flesh… Quite a few tears and hugs on this tour… very deep connections felt.

Delegate and share tasks: Loading gear, liaising with venues/accom, organising, promo, sound, information. Make a very detailed itinerary available to everyone from the outset.

Be personally responsible: Keep yourself in good condition. You’ll quickly burn out drinking, smoking, jamming all night long. Easy for me to say ’cause I got clean and sober over eight years ago. But you owe it to your band, your fans and your music to deliver the bikkies.

Tour! It’s the biggest buzz EVER! www.caitlinsmith.com bravecaitlin@gmail.com Fb: caitlinsmithjazz and caitlinsmithmusic

...freshly hatched www.nzmusician.co.nz EV\Z &+

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z &,

HFU ZFS LJU PGG KJNNZ NBD

Throughout 2014 James McDonald performed all across the globe with Lorde, playing not drums but synths and electronics. Late last year Jimmy Mac surfaced back home in Auckland under the guise of Scuba Diva, a “hi-fi alt pop� act. Happily back behind the drums he promptly won the 2016 Critics Choice Award. NZM thanks Ben Barter (Lorde, Kingston, The Wyld) for agreeing to do the GYKO interview honours.

So first up, how did you feel about winning the Critics Choice Prize?

Will it be valuable to you above and beyond NZ On Air’s $10K video funding?

It’s an interesting buzz, the musical sports kind’a thing. But super grateful for it, and it will help us put some new music out for sure. Yeah, gave me a confidence boost, I guess, that my music didn’t sound rubbish.

How did you get into music at a young age?

My parents both played music. Mum was a conductor and music teacher in Singapore. My dad played in a jazz band and a brass band too.

So it was always around. Dad would take me to shows to see drummers coming from overseas. Mum started teaching piano and drums when she moved to NZ and I'd have to go along as a kid. So joined in eventually.

Were there any bands or teachers that you think shaped your playing the most?

Lance Phillip was my drum teacher throughout high school. He's an amazing teacher one of the ones that would make you go away after a lesson and immediately want to sit down on a kit and practice. I had this teacher, Matt Swain, in Paraparaumu. He kind of got me into transcribing Ringo beats and getting more into the drums in a band setting as opposed to a solo instrument, and writing drum parts instead of just playing along to something.

You have a solo project called Scuba Diva and the drums have a very nice specific sound, what was the process of recording those?

Yea I just recorded those with one mic, an SM57 going into a Neve pre-amp a friend let me burrow. I'd read something about a lot of the time in older recordings it was the horns’ mic or just a room mic picking up the drums and was trying to emulate that. I don't really like ‘studio’ sounding drums like Foo Fighters or whatever. I used my Ludwig Vistalite. I like the kick, it doesn’t sound too subby.

What kind of sounds do you look for in a kit and cymbals when recording?

Oh yeah, I like all the K dark stuff. Especially the high-definition ride.

There’s hardly any decay on it and I think that's good in the mix. Especially live, not having some rank washy sound over everything can make a huge difference. I’ve heard some bands play with bad cymbals and really effects the overall sound of the band. It’s quite important.

For Scuba Diva stuff I like the sound of a tighter sounding snare and a bit more of a longer decay in the kick and toms. I usually dampen the snare with a tea towel.

What inspires you musically and what drummers perhaps influence your playing now?

I really like the old drummers like Billy Cobham and Steve Gadd.

Gadd is killer how he plays the simplest stuff but it sounds unbelievable.

I think generally drums sounded cooler in the 1970s – before they got over-processed in mid ’80s studios. I’m into the technology of where drums are headed but still like the simplicity and sound of drummers like Harvey Mason. Right at the moment I have been listening to a lot of ’70s Japanese stuff like Haroumi Hosono and Hiroshi Suzuki.

EV\Z &-

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Mixing-wise I do like the more vintage sound so cutting a lot of the super lows and super highs kind of emulate that to an extent.

Down-sampling and cutting the highs out of the reverb too making the reverb quite dark. I like the sound of spring reverb on drums and percussion.

How did the Lorde job come about for you and what was it like touring at that level?

I knew one of the managers at the time and asked to audition. I originally auditioned on drums – as you know. But you deservingly got the part. Which was embarrassing because I remember telling someone I could “fuck you up on the drums.” Which I also remember somehow made its way back to you. Is this why you’re asking this? But I think because I was using Ableton to trigger the samples then I got the job to do the Ableton side of things from there. Worked out for both of us. Sorry about the rocky start to our relationship. My fault.

How did you cope with the pressure of playing to large audiences like TV and award shows, or big festivals?

Well we always take Rescue Remedy. I don’t know if that helps though. I think just being prepared as much as possible and going over scenarios of possible things that could go wrong and having backups is key for mental peace. But having a bit of nerves is a good thing.

Just means you care about what you’re doing. I think awards shows are the most terrifying. It's usually a room with a lot of musicians and it’s going to be on the internet forever.

I can remember how scared I was playing Splendour in the Grass? There were about 10,000 people and it was like the sixth show with Ella and we’d pretty much just played Galatos. We had all this new gear and our leads that we used to hardwire to each other didn’t reach on the big stage.

But at the same time we’ve played much bigger crowds and I’ve been much less nervous.

Remember that Chanel thing at the MoMA? I remember looking up and seeing Bowie watching. That was messed up. I don’t know if there’s a right way to cope with it. I should meditate. I think it depends what I eat too.

Bananas are good for nerves.

Do you think being a drummer has affected the way you approach your set up for Lorde?

100%. A lot of what I play is pretty percussive.

It’s usually one hand playing a synth part and the other on the drum pads hitting samples.

That seemed the most natural way to approach it, but probably not what a keyboard player would naturally think.

Playing for artists that are really electronic heavy what’s important to you in relating their albums to a live setting?

Yeah it’s different to having a rock band for sure. But I think replicating the sounds well and getting good samples are pretty top priority.

If you don’t have the right sounds I feel like it could lean towards sounding like a covers band.

When an audience hears a sound on an album and then come to a show and they hear that

sound through a big PA there’s an immediate connection. So if those sounds on the album they’ve been listening to don’t translate then I feel like you lose that connection.

Imagine going to see Rihanna and they play Kiss It Better and the guitar tone doesn’t sound like the record – I’d feel so ripped off.

I’ve started being quite a punisher to producers if we can’t get one shot samples of stuff. Like making them take screenshots of the VSTS and effects sends and shit, haha. Just makes things faster when you can see all the parameters and wave shape in front of you.

It’s easier to work out rather than trying to sit down for a day working on some evolving pad or some shit.

Bass sounds are generally pretty easy to replicate but leads and pads can get quite tricky when there’s over three oscillators and multiple filters and mods. It’s not like the ’70s where you could just dial up a sawtooth and go have a jam, haha.

What bands have you seen do the electronic thing live really well?

I like Caribou, they seem to have a cool hybrid going on. LCD Soundsystem are incredible. It’s great they have so many people on stage that can play stuff and use pretty simple sounds that can be replicated on the hardware synths. Those bands that kind of self-produce generally tend to be really good at it. Disclosure are a great example.

How do you think electronic music can be approached better on drums/samples etc. so it’s just not all getting thrown on backing tracks with a live drummer or an out of place shredding guitarist on top for example?

I’m all for how you roll it. Getting the one shots and assigning them to your triggers and SPDS pads. It really kind’a changes the approach on how we look at drumming in this era. So often pop acts just have some choppy drummer playing triplets over the top of a backing track. I personally think that’s a bit lame. It’s cool having the samples and gives you the freedom to change stuff live.

That’s my opinion. I just don’t think shredding is really that impressive and that's not where music is headed. I’m into using technology. It lets us do things that we never could have before. I know there’s some forum dudes that would probably have a different opinion to me on this topic, but all the bands I lov,e for example The Beatles, were taking advantage of modern technology at the time and doing something creative with it and I’m into that mindset. It’s easy to get caught up being all like, “It’s not what it used to be, music isn’t music anymore,” but fuck that.

Have there been drummers you’ve come across overseas who have stuck out to you?

Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint always has interesting parts, but still keeps it simple.

What bands are you most stoked on in NZ right now?

There’s so much good music in NZ at the moment. Bozo, Peach Milk, Kane Strang, Purple Pilgrims…

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z &.

Sweet Distractions

Sacha Vee

Being of mixed heritage has proven a creative blessing for quite a number of our best known music artists. In Sacha Van Beek’s case it was a Dutch one via her father’s parents, and a connection with Trinidad and Tobago on her mother’s side. Exploiting the Netherlands connection has in recent years led to her competing in TV show The Voice of Holland, touring with Poland’s biggest selling hip hop artist and recording at the insistence of her Japanese label. In Christchurch to launch ‘Luminous’, her debut album, Sacha Vee talked with Jennifer Shields.

O

ur story begins in Dubai airport in 2011, with Christchurch soul singer Sacha Van Beek, aka Sacha Vee, on a layover on her way to the Netherlands. She had released her first EP, and while very happy with it and the performance of her band, she was restless.

“This band was playing with every other soul singer in NZ, and I knew I had more sound.

I heard something else that I wanted to give.”

Though born in NZ, Sacha is half-Dutch, and when a friend invited her to the Netherlands, booked some gigs and entered her into The Voice of Holland, she went for it.

But in that delay between flights, Vee got a call asking her to work with Fly My Pretties. “‘Yes! I wanna do Fly My Pretties!’ Do I get back on the plane and go back or do I carry on and do these shows and do this audition?’

I had to do a real quick pros and cons list, and

Photo: Niels vanVeen

EV\Z '%

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

I decided to go to Holland. It takes so much effort to make that decision to move overseas, and I thought I’d only go for a couple of months – my opportunity to get on the world stage.”

She made the first audition for The Voice of Holland, and then the second and third, and all of a sudden found herself on the reality TV show – followed by live shows, singing with Michael Bublé, meeting Lenny Kravitz and Jessie J. Once those initially planned-for two or three months finished, it was hard to leave.

‘Hang on, I don’t wanna move back home yet, I’ve got all these industry contacts,’ she recalls thinking.

A record label was keen but evidently wanted to mould her into the Dutch version of Joss Stone.

“I love Joss Stone, but… a Dutch version?

That’s kind’a cheesy.”

Turning down the sub-par contract offer she ended up in retail, selling jeans, and broke.

“I was on the other side of the world, still getting asked daily for my autograph and photos, and like ‘Are you ever gonna sing again?’”

After a lull period – not wanting to come back home but not knowing how to move forward – she met Dutch producers Killing Skills (Jaap Wiewel, Chris van Rootselaar and Adam Otrowski), and began working with them on some demo tracks. It was the start of a very successful professional relationship.

Killing Skills also work with Polish hip hop superstar O.S.T.R., which proved a foot in the door.

“They took bits of my voice, put a track together, got him to write over it and then called like, ‘Hey Sach, by the way, you’re on the next album.’”

That lucky link has led to Vee appearing on three of O.S.T.R.’s albums, the latest going double platinum and being the biggest selling hip hop album in Poland to date. She’s been touring with him, too.

“It’s the weirdest thing to be in Poland with O.S.T.R. and his crew, because when I go there people know who I am.”

“We were in this van driving around Poland and I had no idea where we’d end up or what was happening because it was all in Polish.

Every now and again I’d get, ‘You alright Sacha?’

‘Yup’, and back to Polish. ‘Okay, we arrive 10 minutes, you ready?’, me doing my makeup in the car, no idea how big it’d be. I knew it’d be anywhere from 5000 up, and we’d have no rehearsals. The whole show’s in Polish, so I had to basically wait in the wings until I figured out my track.

“First show we did, we were metres away from the Ukraine border, right in the middle of all the bombs and all that, that was pretty scary actually.”

When O.S.T.R. called her back for another tour, this time he wanted her to sing some of her own songs in the middle of his set.

Suddenly Sacha Vee found herself performing to crowds of 15,000 or more.

“I’m singing Rising One, Hey Sugar, Heavy Load – that’s his favourite track, he was gonna put that on his album. And it was just so weird.

They rark up the crowd and the Polish audience doesn’t really understand what I’m singing but they’re so into it!”

Amongst all this though, Vee didn’t really have time to work on her solo stuff. Living in Amsterdam, fresh out of a breakup, still being her own manager and agent, frustrated with her label and being really stubborn so not wanting to move home, she was introduced to Percy la Rock (aka I.N.T.) via a 22 Tracks collaboration.

(22 Tracks being a local streaming music forum in the Netherlands.) They clicked immediately, remixing old tracks and working on new ones.

She absolutely gushes about I.N.T. “Real old school hip hop. He’s toured all over the world and had releases on [record labels] Stone’s Throw and Brownswood. Such an incredible guy.”

During a tour stop in Tokyo this year, Vee’s Japanese label Sweet Soul rang, asking to hear some of those new tracks.

“They said, ‘Shit, can we release this? But can this please be a Sacha Vee album?’ and that’s how this whole thing came about. And I was like, ‘Oh, I.N.T., we have this opportunity to release this album in Japan, but it has to be my album. Is that cool?’ and he was like, ‘Oh yeah, of course!’”

‘Luminous’ – produced mostly by I.N.T. and Vee herself, both in the Netherlands (and in various rooms around the world while on tour) with a few guest producers (Wantigga and Moods, both Dutch) – is honest and meaningful, while also upbeat.

“I really wanted to make something that was a bit more upbeat. I’ve been doing a lot of gigs lately where I’ve been incorporating house. So I wanted people to be able to dance and have more of an electronic vibe to my music.”

It tells a personal story that might not be evident without her commentary of each track’s meaning, but the feeling in it is universal – rising from sadness and frustration to triumph and desire. In terms of the NZ scene, she places herself thanks to a comment from P Money, who apparently told her, ‘You’ve got a wicked opportunity because you’re right on that platform between Ladi6 and Hollie Smith.’

The 13-track album’s opener Caught Up speaks about that low period right before she first met I.N.T., just after having hit the big 3-0.

“I’m in this relationship and I don’t wanna be in it. Was I even meant to be in Holland this long? I was thinking I was gonna be in a different place in my life by now.”

First single, Stone Cold, talks about numbness.

“Don’t wanna go back to him, don’t wanna

move forward, like aggh! Stuck in the middle, numb.”

Monday is inspired by Anderson .Paak a U.S artist and producer.Trigger is one of the strongest tracks on the album, a strong reclamation of flirtatious sexuality that sits alongside other strong releases this year like Warpaint’s New Song and October’s Cherry Cola.

Feels Good is about falling in love again – which she notes hasn’t happened yet. Light Of Day acknowledges that even when you’re doing really well, that black cloud of negativity can still persist.

Vee’s own favourite on the album is Music Child, a track she wrote after watching one of the Amy Winehouse movies.

“Just so overwhelmed at the idea of her standing on stage in front of a massive audience – which is where I’d wanna be, having that love from that audience – but her so not wanting to be there. So basically saying, even though us

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

musicians that are trying to get to the top, as much as we wanna be there, remember what it’s like to be there, it’s still fucking hard at the top.”

Music Child also returns to her roots in jazz and soul, after working with hip hop producers for so many years. That’s her plan for her next music.

“Finding that blend again and getting some musicians – jazz school guys – back onto the record. I’m looking forward to writing that neo soul stuff again but also giving that to these Dutch producers and getting them to put some flavour into it.”

Following an exclusive release show in Christchurch, her home town, she plans to let people sit on the music for a few months before touring on it in 2017. Given the season she admits to wanting a NZ Music Award.

“Not a Grammy. Just like, small… that would be incredible.”

`"3G"k99Y3SO

EV\Z '&

I F nc a lu c ili de ti s e s R - eh P e a a g rs e 2 al 7

Studio & Label

Directory

2017

Welcome to NZ Musician’s 17th annual Studio & Label Directory.

The idea of this FREE directory is to help you, the musician, locate recording Studios in your area – and within your budget – so that you can record that gem properly before taking it to one of the many influential, independent record Labels, or making it available to the world online.

The studios have been separated into geographical groupings and include both professional and project-based facilities. The record labels have been listed alphabetically and include the type of music released by the label.

NZ Musician magazine is pleased to be able to provide the many talented

musicians around the country with this comprehensive guide to having their work recorded and released – and don’t forget to send us a couple of copies for review once you have!

This directory is designed to be kept by you as a ready reference and also features on our website, www.nzmusician.co.nz Every effort was made to provide as many studios and labels as possible with the opportunity to be listed in this directory which is an annual feature of the December/January issue of the magazine. If you own a studio or label but are not included, and would like to be in future, please let us know. email: editorial@nzmusician.co.nz

Studios "VDLMBOE

More Core Audio PO Box 15-053, New Lynn, Auckland 0640 Ph: (09) 813 9242, 027 210 2725t Email: sales@morecoreaudio.co.nz Website: www.morecoreaudio.com Fb: www.facebook.com/morecoreaudio Overview: Multi-functional audio facility providing studio recording, audio mastering, band rehearsal space, CD and DVD duplication/replication.

Facilities: 15ft x 17ft control room, 15ft x 19ft live room plus booths. ProTools HD, 32-channel pro control, outboard multitrack and processing. Neumann, AKG, Shure mics. Full PA rig for band rehearsals. Client lounge and kitchen facilities.

Engineer: Jason Backhouse Hourly rate: $80 + gst negotiable Booking contact: Jason

EV\Z ''

Earwig Studios

28 Clarence St, Devonport, Auckland.

Ph: (09) 963 2328 Email: dave@depotsound.co.nz Website: www.depotsound.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/depotsound Studio Manager: Dave Rhodes Overview: Depot Sound offers friendly, professional and affordable recording studios for musicians and artists of all genres. Situated in the laid-back Devonport community close to cafes and the waterfront. Specialising in recording and mixing for bands as well as composing and arranging original music for singer-songwriters. Studio One is set up for high quality multi-track recording of bands, solo artists and community groups. The control room is spacious and comfortable with a live room large enough for live band recordings and an isolation booth if needed. Studio Two is ideal for music production, editing and mixing, and just the right size for singer-songwriter and voiceover recordings.

Equipment: Pro Tools 12, Apogee Symphony, Allen & Heath mixing console, various boutique mic pre amps. Microphones from Lewitt, Gefell, Lauten Audio, AKG, Oktava, Shure, AudioTechnica and more. Check our website for full tech specs.

COB HijY^d AVWZa 9^gZXidgn '%&,

41 Birkenhead Ave, Birkenhead, Auckland PO Box 34705 Birkenhead Ph: (09) 480 2219 M: 027 278 1660 Email: darren@earwig-studios.co.nz Website: www.earwig-studios.co.nz Overview: 24-track analogue studio with reverb chamber, plate and spring reverbs, Neumann U87, tape echoes, valve outboard, Hammond, piano, Rhodes, Leslie speaker, Theremin, various guitar amps.

Facilities: 2� MCI 24-track and Studer 1/2� 2-track outboard includes Focusrite, Urei LA-4 and dbx 160X, Buzz Audio, Lexicon Reverb, TL Audio and more. Fostex D5 DAT recorder, and Tascam CD RW-50CD, Allen and Heath ICE 16-track digital recorder and Soundtracs CM4400 40-channel console.

Engineer: Darren McShane Hourly rate: $60 (engineer and gst incl.)

Booking contact: Darren McShane

Studios RedRoom

Commercial Rd, Helensville, Auckland Ph: (09) 420 4570 Email: matt@redroom.co.nz Website: www.redroom.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/RedRoom-Studios Overview: Anaolgue digital studio, with classic out board. We’re home to the ‘RedRoom Session Radio Show’, and we would love to hear your submissions, for a chance to play on our show.

Facilities: NEOTEC console, Protools, classic mics and outboard, in a creative environment, with backline options.

Engineer: TeMatera ‘Matt’ Smith or approved BYO. Hourly rate: $600 per day plus engineer. Off peak deals available

Revolver Studio 53 Glenbrook-Waiuku Rd, Waiuku (opposite Cornwall Rd) Phone: (09) 235 9730, 021 267 71 43 (George) Email: George.revolverstudios@xtra.co.nz Fb: tinyurl.com/revolvernz Overview: Creative studio in rural setting, aimed to provide best value recording that we can.

Facilities: SSL console, ProTools full HDX, Neve, Studer, Neumann, Yamaha C7 Concert Grand, many collectable instruments and amps.

Hourly rate: We’re happy to discuss and plan each project, tailor-making it to fit your budget. Phone for a no obligation quote, all consultation is free.

Booking contact: George Schoushkoff

Mob: 021 358 577 (MIchelle) or 021 172 4787 (Tyler) Email: studio@therockfactory.net Website: www.therockfactory.net/our-studio Fb: www.facebook.com/RockFactoryProduction Overview: The best quality recording studio for this price in Auckland. We help you with production, recording, mixing, additional orchestration and mastering.

Facilities: Record up to 24 inputs at one time and have as many different instrument tracks as you like in your song. We have ProTools and Logic installed, and we can do multi-track drum editing, effects, compressors, EQ and tuning. Microphone range includes Audio Technica, Sennheiser, Rode, Shure and AKG. Quested and Tannoy monitors, and a 24-channel desk.

Our studio houses quality backline including a Pearl Reference Masterworks drum kit, a Gretsch Renown all maple kit, full set of Turkish handmade Anatolian cymbals, Ziljian A Custom cymbals, Ampeg SVT Classic and SVT-VR bass rigs, Mesa Boogie, Marshall JCM900 and JCM2000 guitar amplifiers, Fender Twin, Hotrod Deville and Deluxe combos, Vox AC30, Roland keyboard amp. Nord Stage 288, Fender 65 Reverb Reissue, Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, and Mesa Boogie 400+ bass head, Roland RD800 keyboard and a Triton Pro-X keyboard.

We can help bands to DIY record themselves with gear choice/ set up, and after you have tracked we can help with mixing and mastering so that you can get a professional result out of your home recording. Mobile on-location recording available for larger performance groups including schools, choirs, jazz and concert bands and orchestras. Live gig recording also available.

Hourly rate: $50+gst with one of our engineers.

Booking contact: Michelle or Tyler

Silverpoint Studios

151 Newton Rd, Newton, Auckland 1010 PO Box 37-949, Parnell, Auckland 1151 Ph: (09) 377 7600 Fax: (09) 358 5410 Email: jeremy@roundheadstudios.com Website: www.roundheadstudios.com Fb: www.facebook.com/RoundheadStudiosNZ Overview: Two individual studio facilities available to cater for all budgets and musicians. Special rates can be arranged for independent musicians.

Facilities: Studio A – World class and perfect for live band tracking.1976 Custom Neve 8088 80-Ch console with Flying Fader Automation, Studer 827 2� 24-track and an ATR 1/2� tape machine, ProTools HD6 48 I/O, Steinway grand piano Studio B – Euphonix CS2000 112-Ch digitally controlled analogue console with total recall automation, ProTools HD3 32 I/O. General: Microphones include Neumann, Coles, Telefunken, Royer, AKG. Outboard by API, Neve, GML, Urei, Alan Smart, Universal Audio, Teletronix and much more. Monitors by Augsberger, Genelec, Dynaudio, Yamaha, Avatone. Steinway grand piano plus various other pianos and keyboards.

House engineers: Scott Seabright Freelance engineers: Jordan Stone, Nick Manders, Nick Poortman, Andrew Buckton. All engineers welcome.

Booking contact: Jeremy McPike

Unit 6, Keith Hay Court, Silverdale, Auckland Ph: (09) 421 0945 Mob: 021 083 89308 Email: enquiries@silverpointstudios.co.nz Website: www.silverpointstudios.co.nz Fb: /silverpointstudiosnz Overview: Silverpoint Studios is a new professional recording studio located just a short distance from Auckland city in Silverdale. With an experienced team and fantastic A-class gear, Silverpoint will take your project to a new level. We have many years experience within the industry, ranging from audio production to radio, from music videos to live sound and more.

We understand the different aspects of recording and music production and will work with you to get the best result possible for your project. Please feel free to look through what services we can offer you and don’t hesitate to contact us about your next project.

Facilities: All our rooms at Silverpoint Studios were designed

by UK producer and Grammy winning engineer Mike Exeter.

Our control room has a fantastic sound for monitoring, mixing and mastering, with a very comfortable layout for long days working in the studio. With air conditioning to keep everyone feeling refreshed, you’ll find a home away from home in our studios. A sophisticated set up allows everyone to see what is going on in the project and in the other rooms of the studio.

Monitoring through the amazing Genelec 8050 monitors and referencing on Avontone Mixcubes means what you hear in the studio will be well represented on your own audio system and your fans’ sound systems.

Engineer: Kane Bennett Hourly Rates: On request Booking Contact: kane@silverpointstudios.co.nz

COB HijY^d AVWZa 9^gZXidgn '%&,

108 – 114 Jervois Road, Herne Bay, Auckland 1011 Ph: (09) 376 2426 or 0800 506 116 Fax: (09) 378 1537 Email: info@stebbing.co.nz Website: www.stebbing.co.nz Fb: facebook.co.nz/stebbingrecording Overview: Stebbing Recording Centre offers clients a full recording, mastering and music manufacturing service. The centre encompasses four purpose-built studios, a CD and DVD manufacturing plant, music labels, a range of postproduction services, media preservation technologies and digitisation – outputting audio and video for both traditional and digital formats.

Studio Facilities: Stebbing studios offer the most unique setting in which to record and output music and audio projects in NZ. Studio one, the centre’s flagship studio is an impressive 120sq metre space that can accommodate all types of recording projects; from solo artists to 50+ piece orchestras. Studio two is a smaller multi-function room that caters to a variety of clients, including small groups, solo artists, TV and radio commercial work, audio post production projects and restoration jobs. Studio three is the centre’s smallest purpose-built recording facility. With a compact two person voice-over booth it provides an ideal space for solo artists and audio post production projects. All studios feature Pro Tools workstations and one and two are paired with Apogee and Mytek converters.

Audio: Stebbing mix and master singles, albums and compilations for a large variety of clients and customers. They are one of few ‘Mastered for iTunes’ Providers in this country and they specialise in optimising music for digital upload. Vinyl and tape mastering and restoration services are also part of what Stebbing can offer.

Media replication: Stebbing Manufacturing Centre is NZ’s only fully-integrated replication plant – with all stages of the DVD and CD manufacturing process carried out on site. Being local; Stebbing are able to offer expert quality control, speedy turnaround times and flexibility; and with all parts of the manufacturing process being carried out under the one roof; clients can rest assured that their job is in only the safest of hands.

Post production services: The Stebbing team also offer a range of expert video and post production services from their fourth studio. These services include: optimisation of video content for output to both traditional and digital mediums, such as: DVD and Blu-ray, iTunes, YouTube, and Spotify; authoring services, video mastering, transcoding, encoding, format conversions and more.

Engineers: Steve McGough, Simon Lynch, Mauro Callejo, Glen Bullen.

Wilde Records Recording Studios 38 Airedale St, Auckland CBD 1010 Ph: (09) 3030 594 M: 021 0341 997 Email: jesse@jessewilde.com Website: www.s38.co.nz Fb: /wilderecordsrecordingstudios Overview: We specialise in recording live bands, vocalists and singer songwriters. We have a huge resource of great session musicians at very competitive rates.

Facilities: 32 channels live recording. Unlimited overdubs.

Five separate rooms for isolating instruments.

Engineer: Jesse Wilde Booking contact: Jesse Wilde

EV\Z '(

Studios The Lab Recording Studio

#BZ PG 1MFOUZ

$FOUSBM /PSUI *TMBOE

The Colour Field Recording Studio

537 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland Ph: 09 623 3930 Mobile: 021 933 999 – Olly Email: the_lab@ihug.co.nz Website: www.labstudio.co.nz Overview: This large, discrete, multi-room space is hidden beneath the Crystal Palace Theatre on Mt Eden Rd, inhabiting what was once the mosthip underground club in Auckland.

Housing an impressive collection of vintage equipment in a liberating, characterful environment, The Lab is a musical playground geared towards unhindered creativity.

Facilities: Custom vintage 53 series Neve, Full ProTools HD with Apogee converters, an extensive selection of vintage tube and classic mics, and the outboard dynamics rack is filled with hardware versions of all your favourite plugins. As for instruments, there is a full range of pretty much everything, including a Hammond organ, grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer A200, Moog Model D, several other vintage synths, and a large collection of guitars, amps and drum kits. The live room, which is large and musically sympathetic, features a polished wooden floor, lamps, rugs and a single malt vibe, all tied together by award winning producer/engineers. Because a studio is nothing without great people running it.

House engineer: Olly Harmer Freelance engineers: Tom Healey, Jol Mulholland Hourly rate: $100 per hour / $1k per day. Rates include gst and house engineer. Negotiable for multi-day sessions and nice people.

Booking contact: Olly Harmer

Auckland Ph: (09) 489 8243 Mob: 021 611 316 Email: info@thesoundroom.co.nz Website: www.thesoundroom.co.nz Overview: Come and record your next project with the friendly and relaxed team at The Sound Room in Auckland.

We specialise in NZ On Air grants. Check out our website for a portfolio and more about the team.

Facilities: Dedicated project studios with Logic, ProTools, Cubase and a huge amount of latest plug-ins, keys, guitars and mics.

Producers: Marshall Smith and Tom Fox Hourly rate: Please call for quote.

Booking contact: Marshall Smith

EV\Z ')

Tauranga Ph: (07) 544 4847 M: 027 6673737 Email: info@fragilecolours.com Website: www.fragilecolours.com Overview: The Colour Field is a comprehensive recording studio offering tracking, mixing and mastering. In addition to this, we can also offer production assistance, arrangement help and have a roster of excellent session musicians available.

Facilities: Samplitude DAW, 24:8 Soundtracs MRX console, Drawmer 1969, Joe Meek, TL Audio Tube and ART tube channels; Drawmer gates, DBX and Drawmer compression; AKG, Shure, Rode, Studio Projects SE and CAD mics; Yamaha C3 grand piano, assorted keyboards and guitars; Focusrite Liquid Mix and assorted UAD/Waves plugins; Trident HG3 monitoring.

Large control room and 54sq m live room, all set in park like grounds.

Engineer: Tim Julian Hourly rate: $60 Booking contact: Tim Julian

11b King Street New Plymouth Ph: (06) 757 4324 or 027 6939393 Website: www.kingstreet.net.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/kingstreetcreative Overview: King Street Recording Studio is configured to work with artists and bands looking to record their music to a high quality. We offer great equipment and a comfortable, creative environment. We are happy to work with projects that are partially home recorded and need to be finished and/or mixed.

We can help you create great tracks and mix professional sounding songs.

Rates: Flexible hourly rates for artists and bands. Most projects with $50/hour. Please contact us for advice and to discuss budgets.

Booking contact: brendan@kingstreet.co.nz

Newsong Studio

11B Macdonald St, Mount Manganui, Tauranga Ph: (07) 808 1226 Email: info@studio11b.co.nz Website: www.studio11b.co.nz Overview: Professional quality recording studio and rehearsal facility with a multi room fully isolated layout. We have a mix of vintage analogue and digital equipment. Relaxed and productive environment fuelled by musical enthusiasm. Just as importantly: We aren’t dicks and we have lots of cool stuff.

Technical Facilities: Live room is a large and lively recording space that has been acoustically treated and soundproofed.

Designed primarily for recording drums it also works really well for recording full bands live. With plenty of space to move and a high stud ceiling, the room lends itself to a large, deep and powerful drum sound. The control room utilises the latest in digital recording equipment and computer technology, as well as some of the best outboard rack gear around.

All of this is built around the jewel in our crown, an original 1983 Trident Series 70 28-channel analogue console. A completely deadened large vocal booth produces a great dry vocal sound which, coupled with some of our high quality vocal mics, really helps to bring vocal performances to life.

There’s a generous amount of outboard gear such as Manley, Empirical Labs, Neve, HCL and Buzz Audio plus a large boutique collection suitable for all recording purposes. We’ve also got a swag of cool amps (think vintage Fender Twin, Matchless C30, Tone King, Swart, Roland JC 120, Reinhardt, Aguilar etc.), an even bigger swag of cool guitars (including but not limited to) high quality Fender Tele and Strat, vintage Gibson, Fender and Ibanez, Dano’s, Rickenbacker, hell, we even have a Teisco Spectrum 5 and a classic old ’66 Gibson EB2 bass that’s thunderous. More pedal effects than is really necessary thanks to someone’s uncontrollable obsession, so we have anything from the expected (Rat, Boss, Pigtronix) to the truly out there (Zvex, Moog, Dr Scientist). To top it all off very nice Korg and Nord keys too. Oh, I almost forgot, also a modest collection of high end drum kits, snares and cymbals. Okay, I’m done, hope we see you soon.

Rates: Contact us for our very competitive rates.

COB HijY^d AVWZa 9^gZXidgn '%&,

Hastings Ph: (06) 876 0889 or 021 575 028 Email: newsong@actrix.co.nz Overview: Located near the city centre, with a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Newsong offers a range of studio services from rock band to classical solo, including equestrian and performance track assembly, production, mixing, mastering and CD duplication as well as live and on-location recording with ProTools. Experienced in the industry since 1990 and committed to excellence.

Facilities: ProTools with a good range of plug ins and synths, Tannoy monitors, AKG, Shure, Audio Technica, Rode and Beyer mics, Roland electric piano, Yamaha synth, electronic drums, Yamaha drum kit, Fender tube guitar amp. Room for all the band, large control room.

Engineer: Aaron Cash Hourly rate: $50 + gst Booking contact: Aaron Cash

84 Lombard Street, Palmerston North Ph/Fax: (06) 359 0120 Email: admin@creativesounds.org.nz Website: www.creativesounds.org.nz Overview: The Stomach is a low cost, community-focused studio with special rates for unsigned bands and experience in recording a wide range of genres, located in the lovely Palmerston North.

Facilities: ProTools HD 10, SSL Alpha VHD, JLM BA4, Genelec monitors, Yamaha 02R96 desk. AKG, Octava, Rode, Shure, Studio Projects microphones. Marshall & Mesa amplifiers & cabs available at no extra cost. Sonor house kit.

Engineer: Nigel Mauchline Manager: Harry Lilley Hourly rate: $20/$30 - un/waged Booking: Phone or email as above

Studios Levin Ph: 021 220 7199 and 021 161 0154 Website: www.tsunamisound.co.nz Email: adele@tmv.co.nz Fb: Tsunami Sound Studios Producer/Engineer: David Trail Contact: Adele McCartney Take a road trip to NZs best live rock studio, where on site accommodation for the whole band is free, the staff are friendly and the spaces roomy and creative. Heaps of client facilites in and out of the studio. Check us out on Facebook.

Technical: Large recording spaces & control room, awesome vintage analogue and digital equipment. Huge tamura console, fully automated Mackie D8B console, 96 dedicated hard disc recording tracks, 128 mixer channels. Avalons, Neumanns, Tannoys, JBLs, Urei, Masses of effects units, 88 note Korg with heaps of MIDI. See our full gear list on our webpage. International producer/engineer with 35 years experience, can offer assistance in all aspects of recording and production, arranging, session musician and song creation. Even for singer/songwriters with no bands. Demos, singles, albums, music videos, film scores. We also offer mastering, engineering tuition, video editing, artwork and template layout. Finish a product right through to mastering or take files away for ongoing projects. Wide range of genres. Easily NZs best recording packages. Making recording affordable & professional with lots of extras. You won’t want to leave. Email Adele or check our site for prices and info.

8FMMJOHUPO Audiosuite The Lindale Tourist Centre, Paraparaumu Ph: 027 4864060 Email: ross@audiosuite.co.nz Website: www. audiosuite.co.nz Overview: Besides recording & mixing, Ross McDermott provides production & arrangement skills second to none for songwriters & bands. Audiosuite, specialising in big warm sounding recordings.

Technical Facilities: Vintage compressors, equalizers, mics & preamps. High resolution A/D conversion. Classic mic collection. 7 metre high wooden main recording room. Great vibe.

Hourly rate: Negotiable Contact/Engineer: Ross McDermott

listening to their needs and understanding their goals.

Facilities: Matrix Digital has a large 2103m live studio and 1263m control room, plus 2 isolation booths. The studio is suitable for all styles of music from Orchestral to Metal and everything in between. The studio is also equipped with a green screen and drapes for corporate video production work and music videos.

Technical: We run a Protools HD system with our new Euphonix System 5-MC console, far and mid-field Tannoy monitors, 5.1 surround monitoring, a large collection of outboard equipment and hi-end studio microphones. Plus we have in-house Drums and Percussion, Bass and Guitar rigs for hire. Also we have an HD broadcast camera and lighting kits.

Recording and Mix Engineer: Phill Adams, Blair Macdonald Facilities Manager: Ellen Buchanan Rates: We offer a range of great deals, including full day and weekend lockout deals. Contact us directly for quotes and any special requirements you may have.

Bookings: ellen@matrixdigital.co.nz or (04) 384 3393

visit that you’ll look forward to for your next project.

Facilities: At The Armoury we have a synergy of hi-end technology and classic vintage studio equipment that is world class. Track or mix on our vintage analogue SSL console, or try a Neve, Pultec, 1176, LA2A, or what about a Slate Raven Mti Touch Screen?

It’s the same with microphones – try a vintage Neumann or AKG or even a Slate VMS. We offer full assistance in making your project a reality from production to musicians, mastering and including mixing your project recorded at home. The Armoury has all the tools. Let’s record.

Hourly rate: Prices start at $75/hour + gst – engineer included. Rehearsal space $50.

Booking contact: studio@thearmoury.co.nz Ph/Txt: 021 777 628

4PVUI *TMBOE Ben Delany Mastering

141 Park Road, Miramar, Wellington Ph: (04) 382 8892 Email: office@munki.co.nz Website: www.munki.co.nz Fb: http://tinyurl.com/munkistudio Overview: Music studio for recording, mixing and boutique analog mastering. Spearheaded by Mike Gibson, who brings 25 years of experience to the show.

Facilities: RLocated inside the Park Road Post Productions complex we have a new dedicated mastering room and access to a number of exciting recording spaces in house and throughout Wellington.

Engineer: Mike Gibson Hourly rate: Please contact us Booking contact: Flo McNeil, flo@munki.co.nz

Christchurch Ph: 021 222 2935 E: hello@bendelany.com W: www.bendelany.com Twitter: @hello_master Overview: Situated in the CBD. Custom large, acoustically designed and treated mastering space.

Technical: Mastering through custom mastering console. Vinyl pre-mastering. Analogue gear by: Cranesong, HCL, BURL, Lavry, BLA, ADAM, Focal, Bettermaker, Dangerous, Mytek, etc.

Producer/engineer/booking: Ben Delany

Clevetown Studio Level 1, 278 Tuam Street, Christchurch 8011 Ph: (03) 372 9506 or 027 253 6001 E: clevetownstudios@gmail.com W: www.clevetownstudios.co.nz Overview: Clevetown Studios is a multi functional music production and music teaching studio. The studio employs 5 music teachers and 2 recording engineers. We also offer production services for musicians looking to expand their creativity.

Technical: 32 channels of recording. A good selection of microphones, amps, instruments. Everything you need to get the job done in a friendly relaxed environment Producer/engineer: Jamie Thomson, Steve Fowler Rate: $60 (excluding gst) Booking contact: Steve

(formerly STL Studios)

Matrix Digital, L1, 25 Hopper St, Wellington 6011 Ph: (04) 384 3393 Email: ellen@matrixdigital.co.nz Website: www.matrixdigital.co.nz Overview: Matrix Digital is Wellington’s best professional recording studio. We have been recording and producing for all styles and genres of music since 1991. Matrix Digital records and produces high quality audio for professional artists who need to deliver or promote their works, using any electronic medium. We achieve this by respecting our clients,

Ground Floor, 8 Holland Street, Te Aro, Wellington.

Viewing by appointment only.

Ph: 021 777628 Email: studio@thearmoury.co.nz Website: www.thearmoury.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/TheArmouryOfficial/ Overview: Now open, a beautifully crafted recording facility in central Wellington dedicated to the craft of sound. We’ve created a sanctuary in the heart of the CBD like no other in NZ. Constructed with artisan attention and planned for over 5 years, The Armoury is both innovative and classic in its bespoke design and fit out for audio production.

The Armoury’s speciality is bringing authenticity to your project and making your message heard, be it a music recording, a voice over or mix for broadcast. Our passion for quality, integrity and reliability make working with us and our facility a

COB HijY^d AVWZa 9^gZXidgn '%&,

1063C Ferry Rd, Ferrymead, Christchurch PO Box 19907, Woolston, Christchurch Ph: (03) 365 7974 Email: kris@orangestudios.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/orangestudioltd Website: www.orangestudios.co.nz Overview: Orange Studio comprises two recording studios – two control rooms, three isolation booths (for instruments such as our Steinway grand piano, drum kits, double bass, vocals etc) and one large live room suitable for choirs, large horn sections, string ensembles, live recorded concerts seating 50.

(Listing continued over page...)

EV\Z '*

Labels (Orange Studios listing continued...)

Technical: Microphones: Neumann U87 x 2, Neumann M147, Neumann U47-FET, Neumann KM184 x 2, AKG C414 x 3, dpa 4006a x 2, Shure KSM32 x 2, Audix scx-one x 3, Rode NT2000, Rode NT2a, Rode NT1a, Rode NT4, Rode NT3 x 2, Rode NT5 x 2, Sennheiser MD421 x 4, Beyer M88 x 2, AKG D112 x 2, Shure SM91, Shure Beta52a, Shure SM57 x 12, Shure SM58 x 6, Shure PG81 x 2, Shure PG56 x 3, Shure PG52, EV RE-20 x 2, Audix D2 x 2, Audix D4, Audix D6, Royer 121,Cascade Fathead x 2, Blue Sparks x 5.

Various DIs from Radial, Whirlwind, Countryman and EWI. Radial JD7 amp splitter and pre-amp. Steinway 9-ft grand. Various guitar amps, bass amps, drums and other instruments available.

Producer/engineer: Thom O’Connor, Michael Bell Booking contact: Kris Finnerty

Riverside Sound Opawa, Christchurch Ph: 027 431 6950 E: info@riversidesound.co.nz W: www.riversidesound.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/RiversideSound Manager/owner: Peter Williams Producer/engineer: Kris Muir Overview: Studio available for hire by freelance engineers for your own band, recording, mixing or mastering. Give Pete a call then come around and try out the live room, while our barista prepares you a coffee. We are happy to create a plan to suit whatever budget you have, including a funding strategy if applicable.

Whether you want to make a demo, record a single or a full album we will provide support and helpful advice through the whole process, as well as recording, mixing and mastering. Voice over for audio books, gaming and video is also available along with jingles and radio advertising. Short recording courses available by request as well as customised Music Therapy sessions.

Whatever your passion is we can provide the skill, knowledge and equipment to produce the result you want. Check out the website for all the technical info and our awesome range of mics, recording and mastering equipment.

Onset Offset

AllGood Absolute Alternative Records PO Box 433, Silverdale, Auckland 536 Queen St, Auckland Ph: (09) 420 4570 Email: info@aaarecords.com Fb: facebook.com/AllGood-Absolute-Alternative-Records Website: www.aaarecords.com Overview: AllGood, Absolute and Alternative! If you have an Alternative edge regardless of genre, are passionate, dedicated, and hardworking‌ then we want to hear from you!

We’re passionate about the success of our artists!

Distribution: Digital and physical Demos: We want to hear from you, send us your links!

97 Dunrobin St, Dunedin Email: fishrider.records@yahoo.com Website: www.fishriderrecords.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/fishriderrecords Twitter: @FishriderNZ Types of music: Literate, melodic underground pop/ postpunk/ no wave etc., mostly on vinyl and distributed worldwide Main acts on label: The Puddle, Opposite Sex, The Shifting Sands, The Prophet Hens, Males, Trick Mammoth, Death & The Maiden, Ăˆlan Vital.

Distribution: Rhythmethod in NZ Only a few releases a year. Not currently looking for new bands or unsolicited demos.

The Sitting Room Lyttelton & Christchurch city Email: tape@thesittingroom.co.nz Fb: facebook.com/thesittingroom Website: www.thesittingroom.co.nz Overview: The Sitting Room has two full studios to choose from.

The Lyttelton studio with views across the harbour and a larger central Christchurch city studio. There is accommodation on-site and more than half of our work is from out-of Christchurch artists.

We are the home of boutique recordings, home-brewed beer, tasty equipment, dudes with beards, wood paneling, fresh ideas, vintage amps, great gear and lots of lamps. Yes sir!

Facilities: A full multi-track analog and digital recording facility with access to different recording spaces. We have a wonderful selection of the best sounding equipment spanning various vintages and brands. Gear: Rather than write a huge list how about we get in touch and you can see for yourself.

Rates: Vary depending on choice of studio, engineer and length of bookings.

Producer/Engineers: Ben Edwards, Steven Marr, Matt Gunn, Josh Petrie. Dry hire also available Some recent artists include: Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson, The Bats, Nadia Reid, Aldous Harding, Delaney Davidson, The Eastern, Doprah, Shunkan, Nakey, Black Fox Trio, Matt Smith, Troy Kingi, The Bads, Julia Jacklin, Eb and Sparrow, Candice Milner, Will Wood, Tom Cunliffe, Kane Strang, Terrible Sons, LA Mitchell, Hopetoun Brown, The Miltones, Pieces of Molly.

EV\Z '+

Move The Crowd Records

PO Box 2764, Christchurch 8140 Ph: 027 617 7995 Email: onsetoffsetrecords@gmail.com, or campbell@onsetoffset.co.nz Website: www.onsetoffsetrecords.co.nz Myspace: www.myspace.com/555791470 Fb: www.facebook.com/onsetoffsetrecords Contact: Campbell McLay or Michael Brathwaite Type of music: Open and inclusive Main acts on label: Sarah Richards, Ritchie Venus, Toerag, The Riptoids, Kinesis, Rachel Grant, VIM, G.O.D., Stack Zowie, Off Tops The Head, The Bottletops, The Sliders, The Strangeloves, Chris Moore and the Krypton Compilation Series.

Demos accepted: Yes

Powertool Records PO Box 15-731, New Lynn, Auckland Ph: (09) 827 7100 Mobile: 027 449 2587 Email: aamaitai@gmail.com Website: www.powertoolrecords.co.nz Contact: Andrew Maitai Types of music: Indie pop Main acts on label: Vorn, Brother Love, Mark Airlie, Matthew Bannister, Joed Out, Gold Medal Famous, Black Wings, Cat and Sock, Transcendental Learning Collective, Nick Raven, Come Down Kid, Mucus Kids, Jordan Reyne, Doubtful Sounds, Psychic Maps, Seeds Of Orbit and Rivers Edge Demos accepted: Yes Distribution: Powertool Records / Yellow Eye

Southbound Distribution Ltd 132 Symonds St, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1010 PO Box 87-395, Meadowbank, Auckland 1742 Contact: Jeffrey Stothers Ph: (09) 578 3664 Fax: (09) 578 3662 Email: jeffrey@southbound.co.nz Website: www.southbound.co.nz Types of music: All genres

Waatea Music PO Box 68885, Newton, Auckland Ph: (09) 374 4542 Email: movethecrowd@live.com Website: www.movethecrowd.co.nz Contact: Aaron Christie Main acts on label: Smashproof, Earth Tiger, Sid Diamond, , Ashley Hughes, Sir T, Cavell Demos accepted: Yes Distribution: Warner Music NZ

COB HijY^d AVWZa 9^gZXidgn '%&,

3-7 Shirley Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland 2025 Ph: (09) 2777 866 Email: info@hustlemanagement.com Website: www.waateamusic.co.nz Facebook: www.facebook.com/waateamusic Twitter: @waateamusic Overview: Waatea Music kaupapa is to support, promote and develop contemporary MÄ ori music, and provide a platform for MÄ ori, and MÄ ori speaking artists as well as other contemporary artists.

Types of music: Maori, reggae, pop, rock, hip hop, RnB, classic Main acts on label: Maaka, Howie Morrison Jnr, Ihi, Abbie, Ray Bishop, Levi Distribution: Woodcut Contact: info@hustlemanagement.com Demos accepted: Yes

Rehearsal Facilities "VDLMBOE

35 Scarborough Tce, Parnell, Auckland Email: info@creativehouse.co.nz Website: www.creativehouse.co.nz Facebook: facebook.com/CreativeHouseNZ Overview: We at Creative House provide premium rehearsal spaces, with friendly, professional staff available to assist in all your rehearsal and recording needs. All rooms are equipped with full PA set up. Creative House is conveniently located in Parnell, Auckland central with ample parking available.

Booking contact: Danny 022 3291690

Earwig Studios

41 Birkenhead Ave, Birkenhead, Auckland PO Box 34705 Birkenhead Ph: (09) 480 2219 M: 027 278 1660 Email: darren@earwig-studios.co.nz Website: www.earwig-studios.co.nz Overview: Full amenities, vocal PA, bass bin, quad box and drum kit available.

Hourly rate: $50 for 3-5h Booking contact: Darren McShane

Stage Sound Ent. Ltd Rehearsal Studio Unit 4 - 77 Porana Rd, Glenfield, Auckland PO Box 102119, North Shore City 0745 Ph: (09) 444 8776 or 0274 857 691 Website: www.soundman.co.nz Email: paul@soundman.co.nz Overview: Modern large studio. Easy ground floor load in. Acoustically treated, Drum riser.

Powerful vocal PA, mics, stands, tape deck, CD player. Backline optional, Phone, fridge, microwave, free tea, coffee. All hours for quiet bands. Evenings and weekends for loud bands.

Hourly rate: $50 open ended week nights. $40 weekend slots.

Booking contact: Bronwyn Johansen

1BMNFSTUPO /UI

8FMMJOHUPO

Should you be here?

84 Lombard Street, Palmerston North Ph/Fax: (06) 359 0120 Email: admin@creativesounds.org.nz Website: www.creativesounds.org.nz Overview: The Stomach is a low cost, community focused music space, with two sound treated rehearsal rooms.

Each room has: Vocal PA (Mackie ProFx12 mixer, 3 x SM58 mics, 2 x QSC KW12 speakers) 2 x 100 watt solid state guitar heads and 4x12 cabinets, 300 watt bass head and 2 x 15 cabinet, digital piano, 2 x electric guitars, a bass and five-piece drum kit with cymbals.

Bring your own drum sticks and guitar leads.

Touring acts - need a secure rehearsal room for the day, and quality equipment? Contact us for more information.

Hourly rate: $5 per hour Booking contacts: Harry Lilley, Nigel Mauchline

If you run a studio,

(Formerly STL Studios) Ground Floor, 8 Holland Street, Te Aro, Wellington. Viewing by appointment only.

Ph: 021 777 628 Email: studio@thearmoury.co.nz Website: www.thearmoury.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/TheArmouryOfficial/ Overview: Now open, a beautifully crafted recording/rehearsing facility in central Wellington dedicated to the craft of sound.

We’ve created a sanctuary in the heart of the CBD like no other in NZ. Constructed with artisan attention and planned for over 5 years, the end result is the acoustics of our live room are perfect for recording and rehearsing. Load in is just meters from the street making a fast hassle free load in/out. We also have a fantastic PA by JBL and with the room being fully air-conditioned, it doesn’t get my better than this. The Armoury offer discrete services for high profile artists.

Hourly rate: $50 per session Booking contact: Call or email, or phone 021 777 628

N Z S E R MUSI DIR V I C E C S E

2017CTORY

Editio

25

n

COB HijY^d AVWZa 9^gZXidgn '%&,

independent label or rehearsal space that you would like to be included in NZM’s online version of this Studio, Label & Rehearsal Facility Directory please contact us here at NZM. dz: (09) 373 2572 via the website ‰‰‰D€Œ ‡…{u{s€Du D€Œ or by email editorial@nzmusician.co.nz

The 2017 NZ Music Services Directory includes categories and listings from the beginning to the end of the music making, performance and marketing spectrum.

Available mid-January from

www.musicnz.co.nz

EV\Z ',

Kings

Six60 and Broods pretty much owned the NZ Singles Chart back in May when an unknown guy calling himself Kings turned up with Don’t Worry Bout It, which entered at #20. After hovering in the bigger numbers for a month the single started a rapid climb that took it to #1 by mid-July. It’s not gone anywhere since, Gold in late August, Platinum by late October and still #1 (half a year and counting) as this issue goes to print. It’s a single phenomenon.

Emma Moss talked to Kings just before his self-titled EP dropped.

W

hile Kingdon Te Itinga ChappleWilson’s Breakthrough Artist of The Year win at the recent NZ Music Awards may have come as a surprise for some – based as it seemed on just one (very) big single – for Kings, it’s just another step on the path – and part of a bigger plan.

“The dream for me, and I’ve shared this a lot, is to get a Grammy and eventually build a school for kids like me who dropped out of school early. That’s the ultimate goal, this is just the pathway to that.”

The next step on his path followed just a week after the VNZMAs with the release of his self-titled debut EP which entered the main album charts at #32.

“Without sounding like I’m mean to the Awards, because I love the Awards, this EP meant a lot more to me than that [Tui]. It was just cool to hold it in my hands.”

Kings sees the EP as a showcase for his portfolio of work. A 2017 album is already in his mind. He’s on a journey of self-revelation and remains true to the idea that people want songs they can connect with, and that come from a place of experience.

Ultimately though, “It’s nothing without family”. Kings keeps a large photo of his daughter in the studio to encourage him through the darkest moments and long hours, freely admitting that his driver is his family. How other people see him is also important.

“I want to be more than ‘that guy’. I want to be a positive influence to the young kids and everything, because there are bigger goals than just me singing and having people taking photos of me.”

But you don’t get to shift more than 30,000 ‘copies’ of a local single in NZ without putting yourself out there and Kings clearly knows plenty about creating and maintaining a social media brand.

“I try my best to stay on it more for other people – the followers. I love connecting with

EV\Z '-

#.- 3 6.118

!$ ' //8 people. I used to wear glasses when I was on stage, I took them off. I don’t drink anymore on stage, I like to look at people, vibe with them and see where we are. I’ve even remembered some people and they tripped out that I’ve remembered them. Like we’ll do a gig and I’ve gone to McDonalds or something after and I’ll be like, “Hey, thanks for coming,” and they’re like, “You remember me?” And I’m like, “Yeah, I saw you, you’re the crazy guy, the drunk crazy guy’ or whatever. I like to do that for people.”

By now it’s well known that Kings has spent a number of years behind the scenes, doing production work on big brand commercials.

Until Don’t Worry Bout It he says he has been known as ‘that producer guy’.

“I wasn’t known as an artist, until last week,” he laughs.

With the skills accumulated from five or six years of music production work Kings determined that he wanted to produce an EP, and an album, by himself – the complete; record, mix and master routine.

“I’ve worked with a lot of people and even in production, doing commercials, you work with a lot of people – voice overs and things like that.

I know how to work with people and it’s fun, but there’s something about this journey that I feel I want to do it by myself for the first time.

“Just so I can show everyone my talents, and then from there I can reach out for collaborations.

I’ve had people reach out and I’ve kind of just kindly declined because… it’s a beautiful thing that they want to be a part of it, but I kind of want to do it. I’m like, ‘Let me do this.’”

He can’t read music, but clearly doesn’t let that hold him back, believing that his music comes from his head, his heart, and of course, a lot of YouTube.

“YouTube has been my teacher!”

Now 27, he says he “physically” dropped out of school at 17.

“But I left mentally when I was probably like 12. My interest in stuff wasn’t in anything I was doing.”

His musical journey did start at school however, trying drums, guitar, bass and piano.

“I can play a lot but I’m not great at anything yet. A jack of all trades and master of none,” he laughs.

He later spent some time at MAINZ, completing a Foundation year course, but moved to Australia with his family before he could finish the Certificate.

The last six years have been a process of learning and refining his art. Kings reckons that between his first laptop and his current one there are more than 500 projects that he’s created

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

and worked on. Of them it’s just the very best six tracks that made it to his EP. And if you’ve heard Don’t Worry Bout It you’ve likely also watched the video he shot himself, on his own phone. Despite missing the deadline for NZ On Air funding, he knew that if he was to get noticed he needed a video, and so the idea was born. He’s a regular one-man production house.

Some of the success of his breakthrough single Kings thinks, stems from the idea of commonality.

“Whether it’s depression or happy times.

It seems like everyone thinks they’re alone in that moment. So, when I wrote the song it was coming from a place of me talking about my childhood, and it was just cool to see how many people had gone through it”.

Having now firmly established himself in our local music scene Kings is finding a whole world has opened for him. The period to the start of 2017 sees him performing at some of NZ’s biggest events, including Electric Coastline, Rhythm and Vines, Homegrown and the Wellington Sevens. All in all, it’s not been a bad year for ‘that producer guy’.

>"39,SSLY3SOd LJPB`Oj`J3Pp

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z '.

Industry

Sifting Through Neil Finn’s Private Universe

Jeremy Ansell with Crowded House’s Neil Finn, Matt Sherrod, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart. Photo: Silke Hartung

Crowded House fans had a September to remember with the announcement that the seven albums the band produced between 1986 and 2010 would soon be re-issued in deluxe editions. Each album has been expanded to include rare and previously unreleased recordings plus a booklet with photos, essays and interviews with frontman Neil Finn and bassist Nick Seymour. Somebody had to do the actual work of unearthing, cleaning, curating, compiling and clearing the demo tracks – and that person was Aucklander Jeremy Ansell. It took him years, literally.

Trevor Reekie spoke to Ansell about the passion and process involved in compiling the finished album packages, which make for a wonderful insight into Neil Finn’s creative private universe.

F

or many year’s Jeremy Ansell has been quietly and methodically researching and cataloguing Neil Finn’s archive of previously unreleased Crowded House live material, home demos and musical curiosities. It’s a project that has required unlimited patience, technical skill and a degree of diplomacy in collaborating with Neil, band members and the label in various territories.

Aftre being shelved a couple of times the final product has now been released, deluxe re-issues of all seven of the band’s albums (including ‘Afterglow’, which was a compilation of B sides and obscurities released in 1999), plus accompanying bonus discs of Ansell’s choice of extra material.

Ansell (that’s him at left above) is currently the Auckland Operations Team Leader at Radio NZ, a role that involves looking after the operators and recording engineers. He’s a hugely experienced audio engineer himself, having worked at RNZ for almost three decades. Home recording has been his hobby ever since he was a child. He claims that he’s been passionate about vinyl records since he was about two years old…

“I’ve always been a music nerd. I used to love hearing stories about the

EV\Z (%

process that musicians went through writing and recording songs and doing home demos.

“Pete Townshend brought out an album in about 1983 called ‘Scoop’ which is one of my favourite things he ever did. It’s a mish mash of 2-track recordings from the ’60s, 8-track recordings from the ’70s and he even had a 24-track in the end at home, along with things he did in the studio.

I always thought, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be amazing one day to put together something like that for an artist?”

Ansell is quick to acknowledge that Neil Finn handed him a gift. A dream job to sift through the archives of an artist he’s always admired. Not only to listen to them, but do his best to transcribe many of the tapes, mix some of them, then edit and compile them into a set of seven albums.

“I’m thrilled that somebody like Neil with so much mana, prestige and talent has placed their trust in me.”

The background to this rather huge project goes back to the late 1990s when Radio NZ started organising a comprehensive Split Enz radio documentary. Ansell was brought in to produce and engineer the series and got to meet Neil Finn. In 1999 Neil passed him a pile of cassettes of Split Enz demos and live recordings to sift through.

The Split Enz project went to air as Enzology in 2005 and Neil evidently liked what Jeremy had done with the tracks he had chosen. He rang to tell Ansell that Capitol was putting together a 20th anniversary box set of Crowded House and asked if he would like to go through his own Crowded House recordings and help select some tracks to include in that.

Despite some initial reservations about the potential workload Ansell agreed. In early 2006 he started going through cassettes, tapes and files in a room at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios – while the place was being built and the Crowdies were recording their ‘Time On Earth’ album.

He would make CD-R reference copies of the tracks he thought were possibilities and Neil would listen to them in his car and make decisions.

Ansell was also working in consultation with Kevin Flaherty, the original producer of the box set at Capitol Records in LA.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Like most prolific artists, he observes that Neil is more concerned with moving forward, so looking back inevitably took a lower priority, though he maintains Neil was always keen to see the release of the deluxe editions – as long as they were done well. Neil delegated the task of approving the ‘live’ tracks that had been chosen to Mark Seymour .

Ansell laughs about the difficulties that led to, but long story short they missed the deadline for the 20th anniversary. Parlophone in the UK released a live CD and DVD edition of the Sydney Opera House gigs, Flaherty left Capitol, Crowded House reformed and the project was shelved for a number of years.

Fast forward to 2012, Michael Bradshaw (ex-MD of BMG and Sony Music NZ) resigned from his job and began co-managing Neil Finn.

Bradshaw suggested Jeremy Ansell become the content manager for the Neil Finn official website. That role escalated into managing the Crowded House and Neil Finn Facebook pages.

Ansell has built up neilfinn.com so that all the albums are streaming on that site as well as a compilation of ‘oddities’, including some demos and B sides (mostly) approved by Neil.

The demos were on all manner of formats, including cassette and 1/4" reels, but hadn’t been notated, so the process began with notation and cleaning them up.

Neil and drummer Paul Hester shopped the Crowded House debut album demos around themselves (pre-management) to score a recording deal. They were recorded primarily in Australia (with a couple in London) when the band was still calling themselves The Mullanes.

Some of these tracks were recorded as audition material when they were looking for a bass player.Eventually it came down to Mark Seymour and Bones Hillman (ex-Swingers – who ended up in Midnight Oil) both contributing bass parts. Bit of history there.

1993’s ‘Together Alone’ album, recorded at Karekare Beach is one of Ansell’s all-time favourite records. By that stage Neil was using an 8-track ¼” reel to reel for his home demo work. Two of the best demos were the composition Blue Smoke (not the old Ruru Karaitiana composition sung by Pixie Williams in 1949) and the demo for Private Universe, which originally had a swing feel and reggae-style guitar. The demo is jaunty and feel good – by the time Youth had worked on it the song became one of the darkest the band had recorded to date.

Crowded House had selected Youth to produce the album because he was so different from anyone they had worked with previously and would challenge them. Neil and Mark both say it was a difficult album to make but remains an album they regard very highly. The stars were definitely in alignment for that album and it’s highly evocative of the very NZ west coast landscape it was recorded in.

Talking about producers,Neil Finn apparently once joked, “Is it just my songs that get twisted beyond all recognition or does it happen to other songwriters?” But Mark Seymour concurs that Neil places the song first and is very open to re-working a song.

Illustrating the point Ansell says the home

demo for Don’t Dream It’s Over sounds complete.

Mitchell Froom, the already acclaimed producer of that eponymous first album, added the Hammond organ solo – something not heard much in 1986 – and took the song not only to a new level but to #2 on the Billboard charts. It’s the song that paid for Roundhead Studios.

Likewise with Something So Strong from the same album. The home demo has a completely different chorus which Froom worked on a lot with Neil during pre-production.

The cassette that contained this material was humorously labelled ‘Holy Fostex Tape’ by somebody who considered it gold. For Ansell the interesting thing about that was that Neil recorded four tracks to make it an instrumental, dubbed them onto a stereo cassette, bounced it back onto the 4-track and then recorded vocals on the other two tracks and mixed that onto another cassette. (Very Beatles-esque).

be singing and could be interpreted as being a bit creepy. The context provided by the Jeremy Ansell-written liner notes clarifies and justifies the song’s inclusion.

Fingers of Love was written while Neil was holidaying in Jamaica, and unsurprisingly involved some local weed. The three versions of that song included on the deluxe set include a version demoed in Jamaica which includes a bit of audio verite with local wildlife in the background. Another includes Youth on the talk-back giving them instructions on arrangement ideas. It’s a sneak peak into how a Neil Finn song develops.

One of the more interesting creative process developments occured when Tim Finn joined Crowded House for the ‘Woodface’ album.

Ansell found many 8-track tapes of them both writing and recording songs that were initially destined for a Finn brothers’ release in 1989.

Some tracks that never got released despite being mixed and completed have been included.

Convent Girls is a song that fans know because there were a couple of live versions released on fan club live CDs. In re-synching the six basic tracks Jeremy discovered that the instrumental had been accidently twisted and folded over, so he had to nervously take the cassette apart, untwist the tape and put it back “The whole time I was thinking, ‘If I muck this up there’s a bit of history lost.’”

He describes Finn as a craftsman who will tinker a lot with a song and if it’s not right will save it for later, sometimes putting it into another song. Left Hand appears about three times in the deluxe sets, each version quite different. There’s a rehearsal take of the song Fall At Your Feet on the ‘Woodface’ deluxe edition with the same chorus, but the verse ended up on Left Hand.

Line up changes and guest contributions are audible in much of the newly released home demos. On the ‘Afterglow’ bonus disc you can hear some of the tracks the band were working on before what would have been the follow up album, ‘Together Alone’.

Demos recorded at York Street in 1995 include a song called Taste Of Something Divine that they worked on with electronic musician Paddy Free. A dark, almost sinister song, it uses samples and was a very different direction for the band.

Some tracks that never got released despite being mixed and completed have been included. Convent Girls is a song that fans know because there were a couple of live versions released on fan club live CDs, and it nearly made the ‘Afterglow’ compilaton in 1999.

“It’s so often been nearly released that Neil thought it actually had been released,” Ansell chuckles.

It’s finally out on the ‘Together Alone’ set, despite Neil’s concerns that the title might be lyrically inappropriate for a middle aged man to

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

The tapes start off with both literally writing line by line, trying things out. Remarkably the brothers had previously only ever collaborated on a couple of Split Enz songs.

There were so many good tracks that most were included on the ‘Woodface’ deluxe edition.

The lovely thing about those demos is that they were recorded with the late Paul Hester on brushes.

Asked if he has a favourite that he considers should have been more than what it ever was Ansell points to a track called Anthem. Recorded at York Street Studios in 1995 it’s included on the ‘Afterglow’ edition.

Jeremy Ansell has done an extraordinary job on what surely was a massive task. It’s taken years. He has curated seven CDs of bonus material, sourced from a variety of technology and cleaned them up, had them approved not only by Neil and the band but also the labels involved, and researched and written comprehensive liner notes. Some invaluable assistance was provided by Peter Green (who runs the fan club and kept a lot of the Crowded House archives) .

Aside from needing to please his employer, Ansell says he kept a close eye on the fan forum, seeing what people were expecting and wanting, and on the whole has given it to them.

“I really appreciate the trust that everybody has had in me and the incredible enthusiasm that a lot of the fans have had.

“Now I think it’s time I gave a bit more time to my family. I’ve learned that I can get very wrapped up in these sorts of things and I always want to do the best job possible.

“I’ve also learned to have patience, because it has been a long process. There are many boxes that have to be ticked but I’ve been left alone just to do my thing for so long.”

EV\Z (&

EV\Z ('

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

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 e. for review (i.

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

ANNA CODDINGTON: Luck/Time

ALBI AND THE WOLVES: One Eye Open

After four years away from the limelight Anna Coddington’s third album feels incredibly accomplished. ‘Luck/Time’ is full of melodic hooks and rhythmic grooves, with an easier and poppier feel than her previous albums. This is exemplified on gems like Falling Fast, with a chorus of wall of sound vocals by Coddington, Julia Deans, Tama Waipara and Cherie Mathieson. Likewise Lantern with its yearning vocals and shuffling, brushed drumbeat courtesy of TPF’s Chris O’Connor, who features on most tracks. There’s much introspection in Coddington’s songs, which could run the risk of over-sentimentality, but she pulls it back from melancholy with musical touches and flourishes, and a more grown-up vibe within her themes and lyrics. Aside from some production assistance from SJD and Jeremy Toy, she has involved some excellent contributors, and musically is having fun. Release Me has an ’80s dancefloor vibe and The Runner (Toy) has a super-catchy electro-pop R&B chorus. However, it’s her 2013 Silver Scroll-finalist song Bird In Hand (Donnelly) that impresses most, with a melodic vocal line and gently rhythmic textures. ‘Luck/Time’ shows a different approach for Anna Coddington, and it has paid off – an exceptional record full of soulful and groove-laden pop, showing her to LiÊ ÀiÊV v `i ÌÊ Ê iÀÊ Ü ÊÃ Ê>ÃÊ>ÊÜÀ ÌiÀÊ> `Ê«iÀv À iÀ°ÊU Amanda Mills

Traditional yet refreshingly modern, Albi And The Wolves’ debut album blends a diverse range of genres including folk, classical, bluegrass, soul, indie-rock, country, blues and gypsy jazz. Whilst Albi’s (Chris Dent – guitar, vocals) brilliantly composed songs are the true star here, it would most certainly be a lesser record if it wasn’t for the contributions of Micheal Young (upright bass, vocals), Pascal Roggen (violin, vocals) and extra Matt Owens’ banjo. Recorded in Auckland at Young’s own Studio 27A, it’s light on overdubs and unnecessary fluff. Giants In The Sky revises the role of violin in the folk song and title track One Eye Open perfectly illustrates the (usually) trio’s ability to create foot stomping tunes without need of a drum kit. Remember Your Name keeps things simple and still produces spell-binding results. Avoid the Mumford And Sons cliché comparison, add a gypsy swing rhythm, a couple of ‘9’ era Damien Rice-style acoustic ballads, a Black Keys’ cover and you’re getting close. Often it’s Roggen’s fiddle playing that allows the songs to shine, being able to push the songs into either break-neck speed or brooding drama. It’s an interesting flair. Paired with Young’s flawless rhythm section the band never fails to do whatever genre justice. Renowned for their live performances, Albi And The Wolves show here that they are capable of the kind of cross-genre contamination Ì >ÌÊ `ÃÊÕ«Ê ÊÀiV À`Ê> `Ê«À ÃiÃÊi ` iÃÃÊÀi Ûi Ì °ÊU 3AMMY *AY $AWSON

LOOKING FOR ALASKA: Looking For Alaska

With a soulful harmony among the two voices, and an undeniably butterfly-inducing romance between the lines of each piece, Looking For Alaska’s Aaron Gott and Amy Maynard exude a warm love in this debut album. Both from Hamiton, they‘ve been working on ‘Looking For Alaska’ for over two years and performing together since 2012. Recorded mostly at Roundhead Studios with Scott Seabright engineering, the album is gorgeous. It’s loving, warm and authentic folk that at times makes you want to sing along and dance with an armful of friends – or sit down in solitude, reminisce and let the music fill you. Take Me With You is a personal favourite, with upbeat, funky rhythms and a harmonious chorus that leaves an unstoppable smile.

Maynard’s cherry voice in Hey You, paired with a delicate chime-like accompaniment is simply irresistible. In the slower ballads like No Love Lost and Wanderers, where producer/mix engineer Regan McKinnon has their voices intertwine, we are given a melancholy dream world to drift away in. Creating a genuine happiness you can hear is Êi>ÃÞÊÌ>Ã ]ÊLÕÌÊ }Ê ÀÊ >Ã >Ê >ÛiÊ >ÃÌiÀi`Ê Ì°ÊU Sam Vegar

DEVILSKIN: Be Like The River

Following up the extreme success of a platinum debut album, any band needs to come up with quality songs for ‘that difficult second album’ in order to solidify a legacy. ‘Be Like The River’ does exactly that. Two years on from the release of ‘We Rise’, Devilkin’s growth as a band and the confidence in their craft is palpable. Pray and F.Y.I highlight the power of the band’s collective songwriting approach.

Mountains provided fans with a single between albums and its inclusion here completes the picture of the band’s journey up to this point. Believe In Me and Voices are epic slices of power metal, while In Black and House 13 expose the darker underbelly of the band’s riff writing that make them unique. With two bonus tracks on the CD version, the inclusion of crowd favourite We Rise is welcome. Vocalist Jennie Skulander’s performance cements her reputation as a powerhouse, both live and in the studio. Producer Clint Murphy deservedly remains in front of the console and helps ensure the translation from live arena to record retains the power and energy this band are renowned for. ‘Be Like The River’ will surely cement itself as another element of Devilskin’s self-perpetuating success. s 3TU %DWARDS EV\Z ()

*/(. +%9 42)/ "ACK &ORTH

First up a bit of clarification: No, this is not our former PM breaking into the music game. This John Key has been on the NZ jazz scene far longer than that John Key has been in politics.

This latest album showcases his piano trio (bassist Matt Fieldes and Jono Sawyer on drums) at their finest. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Larry Killip in his Auckland studio, these 10 original compositions span a variety of moods and modes of jazz. Key digs into dirty blues on Slow Right Down then moves into Brad Mehldau-esqe territory on the next track One Stop Drop. Fieldes and Sawyer provide sensitive accompaniment and support to Key’s piano lines in all the different moods that are created. Guest musician Mike Booth (trumpet and flugelhorn) is an excellent addition and his warm timbre compliments the cohesive sound of the trio.

‘Back & Forth’ is an absolute masterclass in being tight – rhythmically and melodically the musicians are wonderfully in sync with each other, and could surely stop on the proverbial dime if asked. The title track closes out the album with a lilting meditativeness that charms with contrapuntal lines and interplay between Booth and Key, ending with a clever fade that evokes nostalgia of old church halls. Anyone who likes laid-back acoustic jazz will enjoy this confidently relaxed and beautifully presented album from some of New <i> > `½ÃÊÛiÀÞÊv iÊ >ââÊ« >ÞiÀðÊUÊAleisha Ward

(/,,9 #(2)34).! 3WEET

Don’t be put off by the rather twee title, this really is a lovely CD – 16 songs released and recorded in 2016. Holly Christina has been busy in the time since her 2008 debut ‘One Road’ – this her sixth release. Holly is a sweet-voiced, prolific, acoustic popbased artist with a very clear vision. She may not yet be famous, but her songwriting talent is real. The words and music just pour out of her. Every track is suitably embellished with the right amount of instrumentation – mainly just voice and acoustic guitar, but where needed synths, piano, bass guitar, drums... mostly Holly but also Michael Anderson, Paul Ewing and Christian Tjandrawinata. There’s a smattering of popular culture references but otherwise standard subject matter with an intelligent twist, and no repeats. The sassy songwriter has come a long way from the girl who recorded Miss Naive in November 2012 and nearly signed a record deal in the US – deciding the

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

requirements that came with that were not really how she wanted to present her music.

We can definitely consider Holly Christina to be one of our developing hidden homegrown gems. Fans of Fiona Apple, Carole King and other legends will be more than pleasantly Ă&#x192;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;i`°Ă&#x160;U !NIA 'LOWACZ

4(% :/50 3YMBIOTIC

New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Worst Band Name Award 2016â&#x20AC;&#x2122; recipients The Zoup released their debut album in September, and thankfully the content is far better than their name suggests. With quality production from drummer Dave Johnston (Villainy), as well as engineer Matt Keller, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Symbioticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is one of the most sonically comfortable local independent rock records in recent memory. Things kick off right with the title track, a lively tune with great chorus thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easily the best on the album. Vocalist Jaydn De Graaf provides The Zoup with credibility, showing strong melodic awareness and a talent for scansion. Succinct vocal melodies constantly impress. Aided by Dom Mauger on guitar and bassist Tom Chou, the musicianship is eloquent and precise all round, allowing the album to flow smoothly through its 10 tracks. Songs towards the back end, such as Ethos and the acoustic We Should Have Listened, offer more considered instrumentation, developing the overall atmosphere with purpose. A downside is the slight predictability that results from such careful crafting. This, combined with gleaming production, leaves the album lacking the character that would make it special, and more likely to strike a lasting emotional connection with listeners. Regardless, The Zoup have an excellent debut release that should be welcomed by rock enthusiasts. s +ANE 0OWER

4(% (/0+).36),,% '/",).3 0OSTS &ROM 0LANET %ARTH

An interplanetary collaboration, using â&#x20AC;&#x153;clapped out instrumentsâ&#x20AC;?, recorded on old tape decks and outdated software, this extremely quirky album aims to give you value for money by cramming 17 tracks on the disc. Will you make it through to the end? That will depend on whether you can put up with a slightly ramshackle approach, in order to glean the payoff of unfettered creativity. Or perhaps it will depend on whether you think the Hopkinsville Goblins were actually just Great Horned Owls or not. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suspend our disbelief for a minute and wander through the musical ramblings channeled by Alvis Impulsive, the aliensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;agent on Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shall we? Some of the songs are relatively straightforward pop/rock jams, others have all sorts of sound effects, samples and extraneous instruments interjected at certain moments which are presumably intended to take your subconscious on a trip to outer space. Definitely it is hard to tell what is going on a lot of the time, but nevertheless, the sound of a hard-driven tape deck is sonically pleasant to musos of a certain age. If you just relax and let the songs wash over you, you will discover a proto-Hendrixean jam universe taking up residence in your ears, particularly in the wah-inflected Dot On The Horizon. The many interludes and ambient passages make it feel like a Pink Floyd album done on a $20 budget. Fun! s "ING 4URKBY

THE CATTLESTOPS: Dance In The Rain

Nine years since their previous outing, The Cattlestops make up for lost time in their third record. Easy listening with its country rock heart on its sleeve, think reunion era The Eagles.

The bulk of the songs are written by James Cameron (bass / vocals), with support from Andrew London (guitars / vocals). â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dance In The Rainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; grows with repeat listens, due no doubt to the considerable talents of bandmates; Wayne Mason (piano, organ), Ross McDermott (steel guitar) and Lance Phillip on drums. An impressive line up further enhanced by guest appearances from Nick Granville (electric guitar), Colleen Trenwith on fiddle and Natalie Blackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bvs. Me And My Girl starts the disc like a long lost â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s Americana anthem. Elsewhere the slowly-paced Little River Band-esque Everytime I Think Of You, the catchy Down To The River and the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bluesy title track provide highlights. Recorded by Ross McDermott at Audiosuite Studios in Paraparaumu, production credits sit with McDermott and Cameron who keep things natural and simple. The albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resounding success is its easy accessibility, the musiciansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skill at letting good songs speak for themselves without overplaying or overproducing. Relaxed, old school and oft emotional, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dancing In The Rainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; finds a veteran L>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;i`Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;VÂ&#x153;Ă&#x203A;iĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;iÂ&#x2DC;}Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x192;°Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;3AMMY *AY $AWSON

TOMMY NEE: Colorblind EP Niuean-born and Auckland-raised, Tommy Nee is a recent graduate of Auckland Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school of music, and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Colorblindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is his highly polished debut EP. Putting aside any deliberate irony â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or otherwise â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the use of the American spelling in the title, the five-track release appeals first and foremost for its borderless qualities, and the wider inclusiveness of the soulful saccharine pop music contained within.

Nee has a lovely voice, full of subtle emotional nuance, soft in places and rich, full and honey-drenched when called upon to hit some of the higher notes. The Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nB-geared music underpinning that vocal is flawlessly played and produced, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the arrangement, and his ability to craft a distinctly Pasifika-flavoured set of sun-soaked tunes that serves him best here. As hinted at in the title his lyrics donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shy away from important issues, those of race and identity being most prominent. But mostly the message is delivered amid lovingly disguised hooks, which makes it even more compelling. The highlight of these five tracks is the gentle acoustic centrepiece Feel, which is anything but politically motivated.

It showcases Nee as being equally at home when lamenting on matters of the heart. This is a more than promising start for an artist weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll surely hear a lot more from in years to VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;i°Ă&#x160;U -ICHAEL (OLLYWOOD

MYELE MANZANZA /NE0OINT/NE

Myele Manzanzaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sophomore album is a significant statement in the realms of traditional jazz hybrid music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the sub-title â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Live at the Blue Whale Los Angelesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Originally from Wellington, but now based in LA, Manzanza cut his teeth at the NZ School of Music while also playing as part of groups such as Electric Wire Hustle. Accompanied here by Mark de Clive-Lowe (piano/programming), Ben Shepherd (bass), Nia Andrews, Charlie K (vocals) and Quartetto Fantastico (led by Miguel AtwoodFerguson), Manzanza makes sure not to draw attention to his drumming, rather taking a collaborative approach to the creation of the sound worlds presented. 7 Bar Thing begins as a repetitive pulse that continues seamlessly for eight minutes, moving itself around the ensemble, while also bringing it in and out of the foreground. Everybody Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t/A Long Walk steps back to place emphasis on the vocal, but in no way takes a step down in intensity, with a solid driving groove. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;OnePointOneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sees Manzanza take a leading role in terms of direction, but it is in no way a case of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;look at meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The carefully crafted rhythms and grooves that float across this record are not something to ignore, a refreshing taste Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;Â&#x201C;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;vĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x160;}iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;>Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;V>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x152;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;LiĂ&#x160;LÂ?>Â&#x2DC;`°Ă&#x160;U *ESSE !USTIN

JAKE STOKES: Before Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re All Dead EP

With a studio and a live album already released, Brit-born Wellington blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Jake Stokes returns with this five track EP. Stokesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; production knowledge is evident from the first song, with a spacious and shimmering mix presenting the package with class. Three of the tracks are original compositions, with the two covers well chosen and interpreted. Classifieds builds from a clean pop ballad to an aggressive message of rage, complete with guitar solo, while retaining a sparse approach to the instrumental arrangement. Liza Jane is an energised Vince Gill cover that manages to bring something new to the table on an innovative guitar track.

So Long had me questioning why the song was so familiar, until I realised it is Stokesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to write great melodies that resonated. Lee Hazlewoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous song These Boots Are Made For Walkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is given an upbeat treatment that avoids potential clichĂŠs. A deft guitarist, his fluid solos only add to the songs as a whole, and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Before Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re All Deadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x203A;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â?Â&#x2C6;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;>Â?Â&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; >Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x192;½Ă&#x160;`Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;VÂ&#x153;}Ă&#x20AC;>ÂŤÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x17E;°Ă&#x160;U 3TU %DWARDS

:%$ "2//+%3 / 3WEET #ACOPHONY

Zed Brookes has been a substantial figure in the NZ music industry for several decades. A core member of bands such as Step Chant Unit and SchrĂśdingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cat, audio engineer at Tandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Recording Studio and The Zoo in Hamilton, and these days a senior lecturer and HoD at MAINZ in Auckland. His interdisciplinary approach to composition and production, drawing from extremely diverse influences has led to this solo project, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;O Sweet Cacophonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. A large part of this album came out of Zedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MA project

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z (*

about limiting choices to enhance creativity as a solo artist in the recording studio setting.

While primarily a vocal driven, synth-rock endeavour, the album fluently incorporates elements from various disparate styles of music. An excellent example can be heard in Golden (feat. Katerina Theo) integrating elements from uplifting acoustic-pop, synth-pop and rock.

After the energising opener Fly When You’re Falling, the album turns an unexpected corner into Not The Girl You Were (feat. Jan Hellriegel), and while staying accessible in terms of pop music sensibilities, also borrows heavily from glitch, psy-dub and downtempo genres.

Synth-rock instrumental Deus Ex Machina drives hard, as does Last Call, but in an entirely different, upbeat dub manner. Album closer Fever Dreams helps bring the listener back down to earth in a captivating and texturally explorative way, a clever and effective final Ü À`Ê ÊÌ iÊ ÛiÀ>ÀV }Êv À Ê vÊÌ ÃÊÃ >ÀÌÊ> LÕ °ÊUÊ!ABIR -AZUMDAR

4()3 ,)44,% "!$'% 0ASS )T /N %0

Punk pop four-piece This Little Badge hail from New Plymouth and their sound is full of the energy that Taranaki is known for. Vocalist Dave Pope’s U.K twang gives the songs a layer of authenticity that is bolstered by a tight delivery from the band.

Channelling Blur and The Jam in equal measure, ‘Pass It On’ is a short burst of societal observations that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Short choruses and stabbing accents propel opening track Pretend through the remainder of an equally enthusiastic playlist. Meet Me At The Bridge is not to be breezed over with a clever refrain in the chorus that captures attention. The variety of grooves within the potentially repetitive genre reinforces what is good about this release. Downtown, Witsend and That’s All We Need take a straight rock approach while the unusual country twang of Babylon Don is a contrast among the six tracks, with Pope’s vocals holding a common thread between the stylistic range. The online profile presents an accessible image of an outfit worth iÝ« À }°ÊUÊ3TU %DWARDS

2/33 -5,,).3 4HE 0OET !ND 4HE &ISHERMAN

This latest album from Devonport musician Ross Mullins and his band The Snaps, has somehow been 17 years in the making, and marks a return to original compositions for Mullins. For long time fans it’s worth noting that this version of The Snaps is a six-piece featuring Jim Langabeer on alto sax, Markus Fritsch on tenor, guitarist Nigel Gavin, Peter Koopman on bass and backing vocals, Jason Orme on drums and percussion, special guest Caitlin Smith on vocals and Mullins on piano and vocals. Recorded by Olly Harmer at The Lab during in 2014 and ’15 ‘The Poet and the Fisherman’ continues Mullins’ explorations of localised and semi-autobiographical songwriting that flits between jazzy-bluesy almost rock, to folk balladry. There’s even a dash of country here and there (in particular the guitar and drum lines on Family Bible). As expected the group has great interplay, moving with ease between support, sectional and solo work. From groovy opening track The Age Of No Excuses to the meditative title track this album takes listeners on a journey through the NZ of their imagination. The closer is a fun instrumental jam titled Little Ray Of Sunshine (For Trelise) – really the whole album is >ÊÀ>ÞÊ vÊÃÕ Ã iÊqÊÌ ÊLiÊi Þi`Ê ÊÌ iÊ`iV ÊÜ Ì Ê>ÊV `ÊLiÛiÀ>}i°ÊUÊAleisha Ward

%,%#42)# 7)2% (534,% 4HE TH 3KY

Electric Wire Hustle’s third full length record proves an interesting suite of well-produced and beautifully bodied soul/ambient/ electronic difficult-to-define tracks. The minimalist, technical sound we’ve come to expect is carried into ‘The 11th Sky’ from their previous releases. The beauty of EWH’s sparse arrangements is that they are the result of very clear intentions and refined taste/musicianship.

From the opener Go Slow (co-produced by Just Blaze in NYC) it’s clear EWH are capable of pulling off these minimal tracks without sounding lazy, or needing to disguise any lack of musical ability or originality. Interesting drum rythms, heavy (acid-housey) bass, synth and extremely full sounding vocals from frontman Mara TK keep the tracks developing and musically engaging. Golden Ladder (featuring frequent Wellington collaborator Will Ricketts on percussion) and Oh I dabble in unexpected instrumentation, with bookend harp melodies on the former and what sounds like reversed flute playing out at the end of the latter. I Light a Candle is another highlight, an epic track with a fittingly massive orchestral string arrangements mixed in with dance music inspired ryhthms and stuttering

EV\Z (+

vocal samples. Interestingly, the lyrics allude to Aldous Huxley’s dystopian classic Brave New World. EWH’s latest effort sees a collection of expertly produced tracks (that would stand alone as instrumentals) neatly intertwined with great vocals and lyricism that will intrigue listeners with an inclination to minimalist soul, electronic and dance music – com }ÊvÀ Ê>ÊL>ÃiÊ vÊÃÌÀ }ÊÃ }ÜÀ Ì }°ÊUÊ/LLY #LIFTON

MATT JOE GOW: Seven Years

Produced by Andrew Pollock and Matt Joe Gow, ‘Seven Years’ is another notch in the belt of the Kiwi-born, Melbourne-based country rock/folk artist. The album’s 12 tracks vary in tempo and vibe, the modest album cover doing little to prepare you for the weight of Gow’s 48-minute storytelling session. The musical journey has such conviction that it starts to feel as though the stories have been stolen right from your own personal journal entries. ‘Seven Years,’ blends Americana roots with alternative country, blues and folk influences. The songs touch on reminiscent moments in time and lost love. There is intense beauty in the way that its music complements Gow’s southern melodies (‘southern’ being Dunedin of course). The core formula of uncomplicated leisurely paced tunes, lined with stylish harmonies makes it an easy listen.

Singing or humming along is autonomous and beyond your control. High praise is due to the polished musicians within this album and the skill they display in nurturing the feeling within each track. It’s been almost seven years since Gow’s last album, ‘House That Burnt Down’, and feels like a return to the form of his 2009 debut ‘The Messenger’, which coincidentally is where this album takes its title from. Mastering musical and personal growth and maturity over the past seven years is heard loud and clear, testament to those Þi>ÀÃÊLi }Ê Õà V> ÞÊÜi Êëi Ì°ÊU Dee Muir

",!#+ &/8 42)/ 2HYTHM )S 9OUR +ING %0

Mr. Selleck is a groovy classic rock tune with a catchy AC/ DC-style chorus riff and from this point on ‘Rhythm Is Your King’ is entirely convincing. There’s an infectious enthusiasm throughout this debut EP – Christchurch’s Black Fox Trio sound like they are having fun – and aren’t taking themselves too seriously.

Stand out tracks Bit By The Snake and Sookie highlight a talent for composition and melody. The vocals on Sookie in particular showcase the potential Tim Heeringa has, the build-up and lift for the last chorus is goosebump material. Production and recording by the enigmatic Ben Edwards at The Sitting Room is quality, the consideration for genre and attention to individual strengths makes ‘RIYK’ thrive. Likewise, mixing from Alex Harmer and the mastering by Ben Delany suit the band well, offering an ideal representation of their strongest assets. It’s hard not to make comparisons to acts like Queens Of The Stone Age and the aforementioned AC/DC, as there is an element of imitation, but look, that’s where every good band starts. As Black Fox Trio progress I’m sure a unique sound will develop, and this EP is a perfect platform for progression, a compelling release from an iÝV Ì }Ê iÜÊL> `Ê«Õ V }ÊÜi Ê>L ÛiÊÌ i ÀÊÜi } Ì°ÊU +ANE 0OWER

MILES CALDER & THE RUMOURS: Miles Calder & The Rumours

From the opening harmonica/acoustic guitar bars of the first track, through to the haunting notes of the final reprise, this album is a journey of love, and ultimately heartbreak. This is the second release for Miles Calder & The Rumours, an album to build on their 2013 EP ‘The Crossing Over’. While it’s certainly less-country than the first, listening through the album was a little like being in love; cautious to start, moving through to heart open-wide with The Last Time Around, and then the agony of love lost in Southern So Long. They define their music as alt-country, Americana-folk, and that’s apt.

It’s like country going on a date with big band at a steak restaurant in the deep South.

A collaboration that has no doubt been helped by time spent in the US this year. The smoothness of the production engineering by Lee Prebble and guitarist/electronics guy Andrew Moore impresses with seamless, effortless transitions between tracks. There are some stand-out big ballads here that tug at the heart strings and fill you with joy at the same time. A journey to the heart of connection and a delightful listening experience from Li} }ÊÌ Êi `°Ê/ iÊ> LÕ ½ÃÊ£ÎÊÌÀ>V ÃÊ>ÀiÊ ÛiÀÊÜ>ÞÊÌ Êà °ÊU Emma Moss

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

4(% 4(/-!3 "2/4(%23 4HE 4HOMAS "ROTHERS

This self-titled album from Auckland’s (actual) Thomas brothers does more than just ensure the history of brother-based bands producing high-quality indie rock continues. Instrumentally, piano, bass drum and heavy reverb-filled guitar solos dominate each track. Most songs on the album contain an arc in which they build up to an epic loud, defined centre, before slowing to finish. A Little Time, This Trouble I’m In, Keep Holding On and I Can’t Deny It all feel like they belong in the soundtrack to an indie film where everything is going wrong for the lead couple – but they have each other, and that’s enough. It’s difficult to place this album within a defined genre as it spans many. A few tracks do feel a little disjointed, sometimes going from punk to piano to pop to heavy rock all within one song. However, this is never enough to draw attention away from the album as a whole, which has much to offer. The Thomas Brothers have done the bulk of the work on this self-produced album, with Samuel writing and arranging most of the tracks. Mixed by Nic Manders, the quality production is what ties each song together and makes the album work. This is the product of four years of work by four brothers, culminating in an album that contains so much within it, pondering µÕiÃÌ ÃÊ vÊ ÛiÊ> `Ê ÃðÊUÊAmanda Robinson

BONFIRE BABY: Bonfire Baby EP

Even describing themselves as rock/soul/blues/country/pop is deceptive of Bonfire Baby in some ways. There are all those elements but beyond that are other influences, perhaps jazz and indie rock should also be added. First track La Nina is a crunchy guitar, bass and drums workout, almost classical in its construction with elements of Los Lobos style guitar work, think Tex-Mex with the Kiwi crunch of David Kilgour. This EP has a consistent set of surprises in store, the mix-up of stylistic gear changes giving you a journey on the same road but with different scenery. A well-built set, they have a clarity and synergy which is remarkable. Tom Irvine on guitar, Ben Campbell percussion and sax, Matt Shanks on bass, Sophia Fa’Alogo on vocals and Neill McCulloch on drums form one of those bands which make you think they are too clever by half, but in a good way. Dirty Skirt Blues starts with a cunning guitar blues work out that morphs into a Steely Dan-style groove shunting the sax into centre stage. The songs are well thought out, to the point that in a couple of cases I feel they should have been a shade longer. Finisher Turn My Head has some glorious guitar work in the vein of Buffalo Tom or Dinosaur Jr, and let’s be fair, the rhythm section more than hold up their end. That said, across the album Fa’Alogo’s vocals, like the deft touches of saxophone, hit just the right places to lift this work a cut above. s 3TU %DWARDS

TROY KINGI & THE ELECTRIC HAKA BOOGIE: 'UITAR 0ARTY AT 5NCLE S "ACH

After picking up the guitar at an early age and learning how to play a host of other instruments by ear, Troy Kingi formed a band called Toll House with three high school friends. He has formed several more since, including Mongolian Deathworm, Troy Kingi and the Tigers and Full Moon Street, and further developed his skills at MAINZ. He spent the last year working on ‘Guitar Party At Uncle’s Bach’ which has been mostly recorded and mixed at The Sitting Room with Lyttelton Records’ Ben Edwards, plus a few further sessions at The Lab and Kog Studios. The resulting 22-song double album’s production style is raw and unbridled, giving off a personal and honest impression. There’s no fear of space or of leaving elements exposed. At its core this album is a balancing act between soul and rock ideas with occasional tangents into blues and even indie rock. This is most evident in Leg Space, split between funky soul sections with smooth harmonies and abrasive sections of raw, distorted material. Simple but effective instrumentation and arrangements throughout allow for a very natural movement between more traditionally soulful tracks like Can’t Stop Feeling Strange, Apron Strings and Moko and gritty, heavier, riff-driven rock tracks such as Picking Up Speed, Man from Mercury, Oil Spill and Clear Sea Air. Its weakness lies in the indulgent length, inevitably leaving the impression of a lack of discipline to refine it to a best-of core. Dynamic and explorative, this album is unconventional in its inter-stylistic approach, and yet due to the nature of the compositions themselves, somehow familiar. s !ABIR -AZUMDAR

HOPETOUN BROWN: Look So Good

Only a year ago Hopetoun Brown (aka Supergroove’s horn section of Tim Stewart and Nick Atkinson) released their first album which gained a hugely positive response. For their second outing they’ve gone bigger and bolder, recruiting Tami Neilson for two of the best tracks on the album – the storming Hate That I Don’t Love You (written by Stewart and Neilson) and the sultry, authentic St James Infirmary Blues, which features particularly strong and intertwining vocals from the pair who bounce off each other brilliantly. Tami Neilson isn’t the only guest vocalist here either, Marlon Williams providing descending harmony vocals on Let It Show that features a lovely piano figure, and also on Atkinson’s ska-influenced Long Time Ago. Recorded at The Sitting Room in Lyttelton and The Lab in Auckland, ‘Look So Good’ sounds great, each instrument having enough space to pack a punch, especially the horns, which are fundamental to the band’s aesthetic. It’s a short album at only eight tracks, but just as they did on ‘Burning Fuse’ Atkinson and Stewart have created a record that succeeds on pretty much all levels, i>Û }ÊÌ iÊ ÃÌi iÀÊÜ> Ì }Ê Ài°ÊUÊAmanda Mills

ROY IRWIN: Jesus On Fire EP

‘Jesus On Fire’ will make you want to kick off your shoes after a long week, let your hair down and travel back to that infamous NYC venue CBGBs where Roy Irwin surely would’ve been welcomed with open arms. That said, the title track has a distinctly Kiwi feel with harmonies reminiscent of the Muttonbirds and textures of Chris Knox coming through. The jangly guitar tones and dreamy, delayed vocals are a world away from his earlier days in the punk band The Rabble, which formed in 2001. Appropriate to the post-punk/garage style there is a relaxed approach to elements of the production, occasionally the timing falling behind, as in the percussion and double tracking of the vocals on the cover of 1970s folk tune Ballad of the Seasons.

Being a solely written and recorded EP, perhaps the involvement of an attentive producer might have ironed those out to maintain the groove. This doesn’t appear to be an issue in other self-produced tracks from Irwin’s impressive 20-release-strong discography available on Bandcamp. With a total listening duration of under 12 minutes, the five short tracks allow for the song ideas to be offered up without unnecessary repetition, keeping things à ÀÌÊ> `ÊÃÜiiÌ°ÊUÊ#HARLOTTE #RONE

3(/7 -% 7(%2% )4 (5243 3HOW -E 7HERE )T (URTS %0

A duo of Josh Hetherington (once of Thorazine Shuffle) on vocals, keys and guitar, with Ronny Haynes on drums and vocals. The length of this band’s name is inversely proportional to the amount of band members, though they are joined here by some recognisable guests including Hayden Sinclair and Peter Scott on bass, Tom Rodwell on guitars and horns from Finn Scholes and Cameron Allen. The recordings (captured at Roundhead and Auckland Recording Studio) have a great vibe and groove, the duo describing their sound as “swingin’ sass and soul and fingerpoppin’ rock-a-rolla!”

The breathy confident vocal delivery and descending chords on When You’re Down, My Dear channel a bit of an early glam Bowie sound, but in a laid-back way. Other songs have more of a late-night soul-pop feel, propelled by swinging drum beats, overlaid with a peaty layer of electric piano. In general the sound across the eight tracks is introspective, although the lyrics mostly seem to be addressing a (lost?) lover. No More, No More bucks the trend near the end of its duration by kicking in with a brass fanfare, a dash of i>Ì ià iõÕiÊiV iVÌ V à °ÊUÊBing Turkby

ONE WAKA: Dub Sea Voyages

One of the biggest challenges facing any ambitious reggae/dub collective in this small corner of the globe is the lazy tendency to tar the music with the dreaded (no pun) ‘BBQ reggae’ brush.

It has become almost something of a default critics’ starting point, and newcomers especially are tasked to come up with something rather special if they wish to be taken seriously. Christchurch-based seven-piece One Waka just about manage to achieve that on this follow-up to their 2012 debut ‘South

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z (,

Bay Sessions’. ‘Dub Sea Voyages’ seeks to celebrate all things whanau, all things local, and for the most part One Waka’s music avoids the critical traps. There’s a strong focus on identity and place throughout, and each of these songs has its own special variation on less generic reggae forms, thanks in large part to the use of te reo Maori, moteatea (chants), traditional instruments like the koauau (flute), plus a wider sense that having fun is paramount over everything else when it comes to making music. (“We’re living like kings in the Golden Bay.”) The rootsy instrumental JD and the Exodus-referencing Te Tapuae o Uenuku are genuine stand-outs on a 12-track album largely without filler.

Occasionally they do come across as being too earnest, particularly with some of the lyrics (eg. the cliché “simmer down, no need to fuss and fight” on Rockers), and a few tunes would benefit from being shortened a little – a couple catch a second wind which really ` ià ½ÌÊV>ÀÀÞÊÌ i Ê> ÞÜ iÀi°Ê ÕÌÊÌ ÃiÊV « > ÌÃÊ>ÀiÊ À°ÊU -ICHAEL (OLLYWOOD

&,9 -9 02%44)%3 3TRING 4HEORY

The mostly Wellington collective have now released their sixth album since 2004. Recorded in August, live at Paramount Theatre in Wellington and Mercury Theatre in Auckland, this 13-track album is an exploration in creating music that is a living, breathing organism. The list of quality musicians featuring includes the constant part of the ensemble Barnaby Weir, A Girl Named Mo, Bailey Wiley, Ills Winter, Miloux, Ria Hall, Iraia Whakamoe, James Coyle, James Murphy, Laughton Kora, Mike Fabulous, Nigel Patterson, Ryan Prebble and Tiki Taane. This eclectic album seems to transcend genre. Every Mystery features an incredible vocal delivery from Ills Winter supported by a warm bed of guitar. The ambient textures of Something To Hold that seem to build upon each other layer by layer becomes a fully immersive experience.

Hearts features a soulful vocal from Bailey Wiley, with a solid groove sitting underneath, not overplaying, but serving the song. The truth is that to only talk about a couple of songs from this album is quite difficult. ‘String Theory’ seems to have fingers in all sorts of pies, while at the same time feeling like a cohesive body of work, created by musicians who not only know themselves, but also know each other intimately. s *ESSE !USTIN

2%"%, 3/5.$ 2!$)/ 2EGRET .OTHING

‘Hard-hitting Hamilton rock’n’roll’ – hell yeah! It may seem like it would be easy to write and perform high-energy, straightahead rock songs with sing-along choruses, but it’s not as simple as it appears. RSR have nailed it, and the recording from Depot Sound captures the grunt of their sound without burying the vocals. The three-piece of guitarist/singer Jessie James Hanright, bassist Craig Turner and Ashley Goodare on drums have chucked in a few well-timed breakdown sections to make the rest of the riffage even heavier when it reappears. In fact, the six-song album is paced like a good rocking set that would get a venue pumping. The songs are uniformly good, so let’s look at a random example. Tearing Them Down has a mellow intro that leads into big riffs, some great transitions, a punchy, distorted bass solo, and an Offspring-style chorus that you’ll be compelled to sing along with. I could see this trio being billed with a band like Head Like A Hole... oh wait, it seems they’re playing with them this New Year! If you don’t get the chance to see them before then, it might be worth a trip to Mt. Maunganui ­ Õ ÌÊ }Ê Õ Ì> ¶Ê ÃÊÌ >ÌÊÀ } ̶®Êv ÀÊÌ >ÌÊ i°ÊU Bing Turkby

ABIGAIL KNUDSON: Religion EP

Call me Catholic (I used to be), but the sound of Gregorian chants always gets me to sit up and listen, and from the intro to the title track this superb EP delivers. Just three tracks here, but each is an absolute gem. Digitally released, it is vaguely referenced as ‘classical, hip hop, pop’. It is that and more. Not easy listening for the faint of heart – there is gravitas. We are in Florence, Kate Bush, Bat For Lashes, Dead Can Dance territory. Being lazy you could go for a gothic Lorde... but we need more than one female musical saviour. This Dunedin artist has been producing musical gems for not much more than a few years, making this EP an even more absolutely stunning achievement. Religion, Crazy, and I Wear Blue are all are available singly – along with other uniquely special tracks. You need to watch out for Abigail Knudson. She’s totally ëi L ` }°ÊUÊ!NIA 'LOWACZ

EV\Z (-

02).#%33 #(%,3%! !FTERTOUCH

Cover albums can be hit or miss. Get it right and you’re bringing something new to established songs, but get it wrong, and you’ve got an album of disappointments. Princess Chelsea’s (Chelsea Nikkel) third album thankfully falls into the former category, taking songs by artists including Lil’ Chief labelmates The Reduction Agents, Nirvana and The Beatles, and putting a glacial (both temperature and pace) synth-pop pall over them. ‘Aftertouch’ sounds incredibly brittle and fragile in places, though heat is injected here and there. Nikkel’s warm and engaged vocal on Marianne Faithful’s gorgeous Morning Sun is authentic in tone and delivery, and, uh, faithful to the original – a track returned to again and again. James Milne’s Cold Glass Tube is another taking on a warmer tone, using piano as accompaniment and especially lovely with Nikkel’s echo-steeped vocals cooing in the background. Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love is slowed down a touch and spun in a haze of synths to give it a dream-like quality, while Come As You Are is incredibly intricate. Arriving just over a year after her very personal second album ‘The Great Cybernetic Depression’, this is an extension of Nikkel’s sound and aesthetic, with much to like – from the quality of the vocals to the skill of the synth-pop production – but occasionally does feel like style over substance. When the style is this engaging though, is that such a bad thing? s !MANDA -ILLS

MAKESHIFT PARACHUTES: Mr Happy EP

Makeshift Parachutes’ EP lures listeners into an ambient and surreal dream world with its spellbinding creative expression.

Songwriters Sharif O’Connor (guitar/keys) and Daniel O’Connor (bass/vocals) along with drummer Arthur Brewer and Chris McCollum (vocals/guitar), deliver a wealth of layers, vibrations and textures in their innovative sound combinations. Their musical compositions are both honest and refreshing, McCollum’s saintly vocals polishing the album’s poetic lyrics to a T. The time and effort put into creating ‘Mr. Happy’ is evident with its personalised and distinctive indie rock flavour. Although short, the five-track, 21-minute bohemian rhapsody has no shortage of psychedelic waves or lengthy instrumental interludes. The skill of being able to entice and captivate its listeners into another realm is impressive. With track names like The Bug, William Tell All/Poor William, Honey Bee, Golden Weak and Mr. Happy, there are no promises that you will understand what these tracks are about, but the highlight comes when you realise that you love it regardless. This Auckland-based, v ÕÀÃ iÊÃ Õ `Êi>Ã ÞÊLiÊ ÊÞ ÕÀÊ ÃÌÊ vÊL> `ÃÊÌ ÊÃiiÊ ÛiÊ ÊÌ iÊ iÜÊÞi>À°ÊU Dee Muir

MASS SPECTROMETER: Périphérique EP

Founded by Kiwis Michael Canning and Ilmars Gravis in Sheffield in 1999, British avant garde jazz group Mass Spectrometer have released their third recording ‘Périphérique’ on the Ghostjogger label. Recorded by Canning at Czar Street Studios in Leeds, and Piano Recording in Sheffield, mixed by and mastered by Canning and David Whitaker, this atmospheric jazz suite was inspired by “the nightmare that is Ring Road of Paris.” Hence the title. The current iteration of Mass Spectrometer is a sixpiece that’s moved away from their initial guitar riff heavy stylings and into using drums, bass and keys as the base for their compositions and performance. This is not an album that will suit everyone, it’s out there and easily identifiable, hummable melodies are not part of Mass Spectrometer’s current purview. ‘Périphérique’ is a slickly produced EP, but at the same time, it’s perhaps a bit tame for the free-improvisation fans. It is, however, a good introduction for anyone who might want to dip their toe in the atmospheric jazz waters. There are pleasing notes of tension and dissonance (both actual and emotive), but I could wish that they were sustained for longer, and were more layered. A solid outing LÞÊ> Ê ÌiÀiÃÌ }Ê}À Õ«°ÊUÊAleisha Ward

To submit your album or EP for review in Fresh-Cut, please send TWO copies along with a brief bio to NZ Musician, PO Box 99-315, Newmarket, Auckland 1149. It must be available for sale and only CDs provided with completed artwork are forwarded for review.

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

The Verlaines

Delayed Gratification The Verlaines have been a musical force for 35 years (in various guises), and intriguingly currently exist in two versions, one of which is the original trio of Graeme Downes, Jane Dodd and Robbie Yeats. The forthcoming album, ‘Dunedin Spleen’ belongs to the other version of The Verlaines, one that includes a good number of Dr Graeme Downes’ fellow University of Otago music academics. Almost incredibly a double-album, it’s been four years in the making as he reveals to Amanda Mills.

D

r Graeme Downes is a very busy man. It’s the end of the exam period at Otago University and he’s in the middle of a marking frenzy, while also scoring more Dunedin Sound material for next year’s second Tally Ho gig. Add to this putting the final touches on the brand spanking new Verlaines’ album (their 10th), and you start getting a picture of someone incredibly prolific, with an exceptional work ethic.

After recording one album in 2013, then writing and recording another in 2014, Downes, the band’s creative lynchpin, decided to make this next an epic, 21-track double album. In the intervening time, the 2015 Tally Ho concert (more on which later) took over Downes’ life.

“Here we are, trying to get to the end of 2016, now that it’s gone quiet,” he laughs wryly. “I decided on my epitaph: ‘He died of delayed gratification.’”

‘Dunedin Spleen’ follows on from the band’s 2012 ‘Untimely Meditations’ album, with most of the lyrics written around then.

“Each track is usually written in one, two, or three days, and that’s sort of arranging everything… There are a couple of weird ones, like None Of These Chords, the riff of which I actually wrote in 1981. It’s been a pet riff that I just picked up anad played, but it’s so complicated, back then I couldn’t sing anything over it.”

Apart from The Verlaines (Downes, Stephen Small, Darren Stedman, Rob Burns and Tom Healy), others appearing on the album include Libby Hamilton and Shayne Carter on background vocals on Church And State.

“Libby slotted into the gospel mode, and sang three or four different versions of it to replicate a gospel choir,” Downes explains.

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z (.

Carter recorded his bvs in his Auckland home studio, while the remainder of the album was recorded at Otago University’s own Albany Street Studios.

The sound of ‘Dunedin Spleen’ is dense and textured with the production shared

by Downes and Stephen Stedman playing a significant part.

“Man Selling Poems, is incredibly intense… because the scene is so painted into the picture that you’re sitting on a bench on Karangahape Rd… it had to be really busy to compose the vivacity of what the scene is – the cultural diversity of the people, the age diversity.”

The album also has a strong melodic strand, with classical music still at the forefront of Downes’ compositions, providing complex, clever, and intricate elements to his music.

“I started listening to classical music when I was 11, and I’ve never stopped,” he says.

“I’m looking at timelessness... I believe the art of songwriting comes from… you choose the right chord, and the right tempo, and the melody to go with the sentiment of the poetry… that’s when you’ve done something amazing,” he laughs.

“I’ve been trying to work a much more contrapuntal, linear thing, so there are melodies there, but there are ones that happen simultaneously, or there’s imitation between organ and the lead guitar or whatever… it’s purely as an experiment to see what will happen if we do this with rock instruments.”

Other musical influences include what Downes refers to as punk jazz.

“It’s only jazz in so far that it’s got saxophone on some tracks, and it’s a 12/8 shuffle.

In fact, a lot of people say it sounds to them like Louisiana funeral music. It’s much darker… dark, spooky things. The harmony’s very elaborate on AWCWD and Church And State, which are the two most obvious ones.”

The many musical touches on the album – ascending chord patterns, jazzy chords and harmonics, and piano flourishes – he attributes to the fruit of studying.

“I worked on that chord sequence for about a day to get it just right… it’s so purposeful and upward moving that the chords themselves have a beautiful quality. And when it gets to the top, it collapses into the ordinary.”

The Leonard Cohen-reminiscent AWCWD and Church And State are on the timely theme of US elections, yet were written around four years ago.

“Church And State was largely a response to the 2012 election, when Obama beat Romney, and everybody heaved a sigh of relief the guy that looked like everybody’s first husband didn’t get in,” says Downes.

“There were no tears in anybody’s eyes as there were in 2008… I was looking to the next election... that line in AWCWD, ‘situations vacant 2016 awcwd’ – any war criminal will do… The poet's role is the access to the unsayable, and you have a duty if you are able to articulate.”

None Of These Chords articulates another ‘Dunedin Spleen’ theme as he explains.

“As an artist, you kind of go into music, and you start doing stuff, and you play everybody else’s music that you like, and… you just kind of magpie, and you do your thing. And when you die, the chords will rise and scatter to the winds for strange young men to gather and make whatever they will with them.”

However, Downes doesn’t think music is transient.

“I think this music will stick around for a long time, I think it will outlive us, but the… substance, the actual ownership of it is a transcient thing.”

Downes admits having performed the title song a number of times over the past couple of years.

“I’ve succumbed to the gratification, thinking, ‘Bugger it, I’ll just play it by myself if I can’t get the record out!’” he laughs.

The song is observational, a geographical

Dunedin Sound music orchestrated for symphonic performance and (some) operatic voice, and it’s due to this and a number of other factors that it still looms large.

“At some point, you’ve got to think there’s some really influential person somewhere in the music business going to go, ‘What? This is a phenomenon we’ve completely missed?’”

With the resurgence of the Dunedin Sound, does he think the new material some of the other artists are putting out stands up with their earlier works?

“I think Martin’s [‘Silver Bullets’] does, and [Shayne Carter’s]‘Offsider’ does… I think everything that I’ve done for the last what will be four albums… there’s miscalculations and performances perhaps that aren’t as good, but overall, the songwriting stands up to the best ones.”

‘Dunedin Spleen’ will likely be released in the first quarter of 2017, though the band are unlikely to tour it, simply for logistical reasons.

“Problem is it’s a five-piece band. That makes life difficult… I’m exploring doing the songs in different formats… [some songs] I think would be too complicated to actually pull off live - it’s just not good time management to get that through something like Man Selling Poems…

“As an artist, you kind of go into music, and you start doing stuff, and you play everybody else’s music that you like, and… you just kind of magpie, and you do your thing. And when you die, the chords will rise and scatter to the winds for strange young men to gather and make whatever they will with them.” – Graeme Downes

EV\Z )%

reflection on his own life.

“Stand two or three metres north of Dundas Corner dairy, and look south, take a snapshot around 4:45 in late April… The people there are all oblivious of me… it’s a weird kind of being in the world, but not being the world, which is something which goes with getting old.

“It’s also sentimental … ‘cause Shayne [Carter] and I were flatting at 772 Cumberland St and the photos for the ‘Dunedin Double’, and ‘The Verlaines’ were us walking across the North Ground, so it’s kind of like a stocktake of the beginning that led to this. In writing the song I realised that, apart from various short periods, I’ve probably lived a square kilometre from the Dundas corner my entire creative life.”

It’s impossible not to talk about the Dunedin Sound with Graeme Downes. The Verlaines are one of the key bands of the sub-genre, and Downes lectures on the subject. As a keeper of the flame, he’s also re-imagined the music through the Tally Ho concert of early 2015, with another planned for 2017. Tally Ho presents

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

the chord sequence is hard enough work!”

However, another version of the Verlaines could well perform in a town near you as there are currently two incarnations of the band – the original Verlaines (Downes, Jane Dodd and Robbie Yeats) re-formed for two re-issued albums in late 2013.

“It’s a miracle that Jane, Robbie and I ended up all back in Dunedin, and Flying Nun wanted to re-release ‘Juvenalia,’ and ‘Hallelujah’… so why the hell not?”

After 35 years, Graeme Downes is still enamoured with what he does.

“It comes back to that Lou Reed thing: ‘My day’s been better than your year’. Well, that’s how you feel when you get up in the morning in January, and you sit there, and there’s a poem, and then it’s 5 o’clock and you’ve got a finished song, and you push ‘play’ and listen back to it, and you go, ‘That wasn’t there this morning.’ It’s very powerful – it’s a drug!”

gG9k9_M"JP9`Y3SYPp

HVJUBS DPPM HVJUBS DPPM with Kevin Downing

Coping with Pressure and Stress

I

t’s that time again and of course I hope that you have a great Christmas and New Year – and that Father Christmas brings you that new guitar you have been dreaming about. With that possibility in mind it’s good to start thinking about next year in terms of what you want to achieve with your music. Hopefully this article will help you get to a new level.

Many guitar players wonder why they can’t perform under certain types of pressure, then get all stressed over it. There are many different degrees of pressure depending on your level of skill and the level you are playing at. Proper preparation is the key to minimising it all, preparation helps heighten confidence and lower pressure and stress.

Let’s look at each of the different levels you might be at currently, or heading to in the near future.

Playing for yourself. At this level there is not much pressure on you to perform, so there is not much stress. Unfortunately because of this many don’t learn their material very well. A good example of this is a student who practices something, but continually starts and stops all the time, with no continuous flow or time in the music being played.

Playing for your teacher – or just playing in front of someone who is more experienced than you can definitely introduce some pressure.

“I can do this no sweat at home, but when I come to the lesson I can’t,” many students say. The main reason is as above – they simply haven’t put the required time in, or practised effectively to really get the music and techniques required into their brain and fingers.

Playing in front of friends / family. This can be scary for a first timer, but friends are normally very complimentary. You do however need to have the material well learnt so you feel comfortable playing without too much bother. It’s a good idea to play regularly in front of friends and family to gain performing confidence. Even if you only play one or two songs I’m sure they will appreciate it, and your confidence will grow accordingly. However, don’t listen to their advice too much as they really can’t give you valuable opinions on your musicianship unless they are experienced musicians themselves.

Jamming with others. At this level you might feel some extra pressure, especially if you are jamming with players who are a lot more experienced than yourself. One good idea is to find out what those musicians normally jam on and practice that material more thoroughly before going to the session. When jamming it’s normal to encounter music you’re not familiar with. You need to be prepared for this by listening to a vast array of music – easy these days with the likes of Spotify, YouTube, etc.

Busking. Many of my students find busking is a very rewarding thing to do – not only in terms of money, but also testing your skills on audiences you don’t know. Both areas can add pressure and stress if you don’t know what you’re doing – if you’re playing the wrong sort of music for the passing audience it’s likely you won’t get very much cash in your hat. And if you are testing your performance and audience communication with inadequate skill sets you won’t have much success either.

Open mic night performances. These can be very stressful to some because the room is normally full of other musicians, so it really pays to know the material you are going to play much better than the previous level. Meeting and talking to the other performers will help you relax and perform better, and meeting with them will help you understand that they are most probably just as nervous and under pressure as you are.

Performing for small audiences, like those of pubs, clubs, etc. At this level you are normally getting paid for your efforts, which requires you to know your material much better than at prior levels. Knowing your material better and developing the ability to cope with distractions (like cameras in your face, the audience moving about, soundmen around your feet, etc. )will help you succeed at this stage.

Live television. Here the pressure tends to go up again, mainly because there is only one chance to get things right and the audiences are much more critical. You just don’t know who is going to be watching your performance; there could be famous performers, newspaper critics, bloggers etc., out there critiquing the show.

Performing to large audiences – for instance as support act for a town hall gig. By this stage most have either got over stage fright or learnt to cope with the pressure and stress of this type of performance. That said, I know of many who have never got used to the pressure and stress of performing.

Sight-reading gigs – where you don’t know the music to be played very well, or haven’t seen the music score before. These are only for a certain type of player. You need to have sight reading skills up to a very high level and be able to play different styles of music well. You also need to enjoy being in pressure cooker-type situations to come up with parts to suit the music of the moment, and to suit the MD. Performing arenas and stadiums. The dream? Getting to play for 10,000+ people is only for a few. Still, it’s not a bad thing to get your skill level up there because every person I know that plays at this level never ever thought they would be doing that. You can too if you work your way through each level, keep improving and get used to the different levels of pressure and stress.

It’s getting used to the different levels of pressure and stress that hold most people back in advancing their careers in music. Don’t let that happen to you. The easiest way to get ahead is to realise that at each level you have to know your stuff much better than previously, and to get out there and perform at every opportunity you can.

If you have trouble understanding any of this, or need help to get to the next level, seek out the services of a professional guitar teacher.

Kevin Downing is a professional guitarist, teacher, and author. His contact details, along with many other articles and freebies, are on his website at www.guitar.co.nz

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z )&

Opetaia Foa’i New Zealand composers quite possibly have a strong reputation in Disney land, courtesy of Bret Mackenzie’s genius in composing Man or Muppet, for which he famously won the Original Song Oscar at the 2012 Academy Awards. Equally it could just have been the international reputation of his show band and the seven prior albums which won Te Vaka’s Opetaia Foa’i the role of songwriter for Disney’s next-big-thing Polynesian ‘princess’ move Moana. No matter, it was a role of great kudos, a huge personal honour and likely an even bigger challenge. Three years later the film has arrived and NZM asked musician/composer Bobby Kennedy to talk with Opetaia about the experience.

M

y personal journey with music began in 1981 when my mum took me to see, Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark. Even before the film ended I remember having a sense of two things. One, that I wanted be an adventurer travelling all over the world just like Indy, and two, that the combined power of music and film can impact a person unlike any other popular art-form.

I’ll concede that my second point may have been a little too abstract a concept for a 9-year old to grasp but to test this assertion, all you need do is picture the shower scene from Psycho, or when the words, ‘In a galaxy far, far away...’ suddenly cuts to Star Wars.

Leaving Christchurch’s Regent on Worcester Cinema that day, 35 years ago, I vividly recall the feeling of total elation as we made our way across the Square to our bus, dodging imaginary boulders and blow darts along the way. I hummed the Raiders’ theme tune all the way home.

I started taking drum lessons soon after and to this day some of my favourite albums are film scores.

As I went through high school priorities changed. I eventually moved away from the notion of becoming a world famous archaeologist (let’s be honest, my grades forced my hand on that on), but the one constant through the years has been my love of music, and through music, a love of film.

I’ve dabbled in writing music for film over the years, and co-founded The Screen Composers Guild of New Zealand as a way to meet like minded film composers so that we could trade tips and techniques. While on holiday in Samoa recently I received an email from NZ Musician asking if I’d like to interview one of the composers for Disney’s latest animated offering, Moana.

Given that I’m not exactly the target audience for such fare, I’d have to admit I was more excited than I probably should have been. After all, Moana is essentially a kids movie. That the man I was going to be talking to was Opetaia Foa’i, the founder and front man of Te Vaka, made me even more excited.

I first came across Te Vaka’s albums as an assistant manager of a record store in the early 2000s. To be able to sit down in a Skype chat with Opetaia to hear about his journey, and how he came to be working on this massive Hollywood behemoth of a project was nothing short of an honour.

Bobby Kennedy

EV\Z )'

So you were born in Samoa, to a Tokelauan father and Tuvaluan mother. When did you start playing music and you know, get that ‘bug’?

That’s right. They went to school there and that’s where I was born. They brought me to New Zealand in ’65. I was about nine years old then.

I already had the traditional music. I was really lucky to have the Samoan Siva, the Tokelau Fatele and the Tuvalu as well, so the music was always there. I got to really love that and it’s still there. In high school [Kelston Boys High] I got given the Hendrix double album ‘Electric Ladyland’, and that really blew my socks off. From then on it was just, finding other songwriters, like Peter Gabriel, Joan Armatrading, just anything that really hits you know?

When did Te Vaka come about, how old were you when you started the group?

Well I already had children then, and I was in my 30s. It was just one of those things, you know? You do a whole journey and you know all of a sudden something hits just out of the blue. I just felt really inspired to just tell the stories of my ancestors and I’ve been doing that ever since.

What was it like to get that call from Disney for Moana? How had they heard of you and your expertise so to speak?

It was really amazing, especially when they brought me over to LA and I got to find out what it was all about. It was centred on the voyaging and, it was it was like somebody had just sort of laid something in front of me, a huge gift in front of me, and I couldn’t believe it.

I only found out a few months ago how they came to choose me! I’m sure they were others who could have done the job, but I

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

think they just decided that there was some quirkiness in what I do that they fancied. I was glad they did.

You’ve got to realise that throughout the whole thing, story writers were getting replaced so I was getting a bit worried about my position in fact. So I thought,‘Well, if I don’t make it they can just find somebody else, which was fine.’ I found out a couple months ago that they did extensive work where they brought in all the CDs of every artist that does anything Pacific and they went through it – I think a whole team of them – and they finally decided on me. And then I found out they were not going to let me go so, wish I knew that earlier.’ [He laughs.]

Getting a call to do a Disney movie would be a life changer for most musicians. As you say it was sort of like a gift from the gods... that landed in your lap. How has it changed things for you?

Well you do have to realise that if it didn’t align, if they were going to make fun of the culture or not really centre on the voyaging, I wasn’t going to do it. Because I’ve seen other movies that people have tried before and it really annoyed me that, well, I didn’t feel they did it right. So that is really what’s of utmost importance to me. I think about four or five times I should have been sacked because I refused to do things. They ask me to do things and I just said,‘No’, and I thought,‘Oh well, here it goes, that’s it. But each time they managed to call a conference in and then get back on track again. And that made me happy.

I think they found out soon after that I really meant what I said. I was in there because I’ve spent 20 years of my life doing this, and that was a huge grounding for me.

It’s like I didn’t need anybody else to tell me which was the right way of doing this.

I’ve done all my research and I’ve spoken

to all the elders before I actually went out on this 20-odd years that I’ve put into Te Vaka. So I was very confident that what I was doing was actually right.

So with Disney, luckily they managed to say, ‘Oh, okay, let’s readjust this to match what you were doing.’ So I didn’t really look for anybody else’s, approval. I just felt like, ‘Okay, I’ve been doing this for 20-odd years and I’m just going to follow that path through this as much as possible.

There’s a huge investment in money and time in these animated films and with that comes great expectation from audiences who love Disney films. Did you feel that weight of that expectation at all, and did it affect the way you approached the music?

Yes, there was a responsibility that goes with it and I was lucky that John Lasseter the head of Disney, John Musker and Ron Clements, those guys were really supportive. And of course this is not their culture, so when I pointed something out, they were ‘Oh, oh, I see.’ And then they re-adjusted it, you know, so that was awesome...

I went with them to Samoa. It was amazing you know, just to watch them get excited about things. I mean to see people with outside cultures come in and go, ‘Oh wow, that’s how you cook it?’ and things like that,. It excites them.

It’s amazing.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and myself took care of the songs. I was signed on in December 2013 and he was signed on in March 2014 so he came in a bit later. It was just unfortunate though that, we started and then about a month later he got mega stardom...

Yeah, with the Hamilton musical right? So he’s really blowing up right now...

Oh yeah, but we started working together before that happened, you know... You should see the amount of songs they didn’t put in the movie. [He laughs.]

About how many did you have to write?

Oh a lot! Every time the song gets changed...

‘Oh Opetaia, can you just adjust it for these story changes?’ So, yes, so the whole three years has been quite a journey.

Obviously as the script is tweaked the story changes. So how do you approach writing a song based on a moving character that you can’t see in front of you? You haven’t met them so to speak and you don’t really know much about them.

Well, they send me clips. Every time they run a story roughly of course, how it’s going to run, and then they say, ‘Can you do something for that?’

Did you have a different kind of musical approach for each character or different instrumentation? How did you approach that?

It was great having Mark Mancina... musically he understands all that beautifully. And then you’ve got Lin-Manuel whose lyrics are just amazing. And then of course myself. I don’t read music, I write by emotions. So when they

send me a clip I can capture an emotion very very easily, and I can give them three different scenarios of sound and melody lines, and then Mark is able to actually pick out parts that he knows Disney will like. So I don’t actually compromise how I run anything, I just write naturally and luckily Mark can pick parts out, and then Lin can add lyrics or melodies of his own to it.

That sounds like you guys are really tightly collaborating there, but how was that possible? Did you have to move from Sydney to the States?

Yeah, well, it’s only since Lin got famous that he was in demand elsewhere. But before that we used to get together in New York, in Carmel in LA, and anytime we got together it was just like magic. I’m pretty fast and so we got together really quickly... I think Mark mentioned one time we could have written this whole thing, you know 10, 20 times over. If Lin hadn’t been so famous so quickly!

Mark Mancina has got the underscore, all the orchestral stuff that he’s organised and orchestrated. So when do you come in? Did you get the instrumentation for the Polynesian sounds, the textures and timbres?

My two sons are really good log drummers, so a group of us recorded at Warner Brothers where they had this elaborate set up for all of us with log drums and skin drums, and we laid down bits for the movie. Then later on we went back and I took all the vocalists that have ever been on the Te Vaka albums and we recorded the stuff for the score.

That was a lot of fun, because if you could imagine, Mark was in the studio and he went through your piece and would tell you,‘We’ve got this section here, can you just make something up?’ So I would just make up a melody line or a chant and my team would just immediately do it better than I first had it, you know? And those are the parts that ended up in the movie.

Did Disney have any particular parameters that they wanted you to work within?

Oh no, they gave me the freedom to express and to write which was fantastic. I think they soon realised that I couldn’t really operate any other way, and I think it was the general joke that was running… ‘Opetaia, umm, that last piece you sent was really good, but we don’t want to scare the children.’ [He laughs.] So when something was a bit too dark they would say that, and we would have a laugh. I was very lucky that I was given free reign.

It’s been big news that the traditional ‘Disney Princess’ approach has been skipped in this one and that Moana is more of a heroine, which is a first for an animated Disney film.

How how did you deal with that in terms of the musical approach, writing more heroic kind of themes as opposed... is there a love theme?

I preferred that because I hate writing love songs!

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

What are some of the main differences between writing songs for a film and writing songs for an album of traditionally structured songs? I’d imagine they are quite different?

Well I try and stay away from writing things in English you know, because I feel there’s much better people that do that. But I can. I’ve written for Johnny Lingo in English [Opetaia wrote the music for film The Legend of Johnny Lingo that was released in 2003.] For me it’s just finding something that you’re really passionate about and is real, and then expressing it so that it comes from you. It depends on what you put out there as your goal I guess.

So when you are up there receiving your Academy Award for best original song [Opetaia’s laughter inerrupts…] who will you be thanking as an inspiration?

Oh man, that’s way too high for me to look at really so... honestly seeing this movie come out and be happy with it... it’s absolutely mind boggling. I’m just so thrilled, you know, because I know that a lot people who aren’t used to the Pacific culture, it will awaken something – which is what makes me happy.

What are your goals going beyond this? I mean it’s pretty hard to top. Clearly if it’s a success there will be a part two and no doubt you’ll be involved in that. But where to from here for you?

Well actually three years of my life on the movie, this is my first one and it’s probably enough! I think it would be nice just to give someone else a shot. I know that’s what they’re looking at. We were going to release a ‘Best Of Te Vaka’ this year but they asked us if they could release it under the Disney banner. So that’s awesome because I’ve got the ninth album basically all written, so that’s my thing now – just to write the next album. Something different from the usual thing I’ve done, and making something that I’m excited about.

Disney had been accused of cultural appropriation in the past haven’t they, with movies like Pocahontas and Mulan, and various others that had ethnic story elements? How do people like your aunties and uncles talk to you about your role in this film, because obviously none of them have seen it. Are they are as worried as you were initially?

Yeah, because I've spent more than 20 years in this and that was a huge grounding for me.

It's like I didn't need anybody else to tell me which was the right way of doing this. I've done all my research and I've spoken to all the elders before I actually went out on this 20 odd years that I've put into this. So I was very confident that what I was doing was actually right. So with Disney, luckily they managed to say, “Oh, okay lets readjust this to match what you were doing you know”. So I didn't really look for anybody else's, approval. I just felt like okay I've been doing this for 20 odd years and I'm just going to follow that path down this as much as possible.

EV\Z )(

Obituary

Ray Columbus OBE 4/11/1942 – 29/11/2016

For those going out to popular music venues or at home watching TV in the 1970s and ’80s, Ray Columbus was a very familiar figure. A fantastically versatile performer and unusually great Kiwi showman he was a staple of televised entertainment shows, and one of New Zealand’s few real stars of the time. A pop star first maybe, but he far transcended that genre.

Such popular stars can often be impossibly cool and equally impossible, or at least too daunting, for Joe Citizen to talk to. Not so Ray – his enthusiasm for life and music bridged all those kind of artificial boundaries. He was a voracious gig goer himself, often seen out keeping in touch with the latest in music.

Leesa Tilley would have been too young to know of his national icon stature back then, but as an adult had the opportunity to work closely alongside him for more than a decade. She kindly shared this very personal recollection of Ray, the music businessman, mentor and friend, as NZ Musician’s tribute to a true giant (even at five foot six and a half) of the country’s entertainment industry.

EV\Z ))

I

first met Ray about 15 years ago when my company AgentX organised a tour for ZED. The group had been signed to Interscope in the US, a deal Ray had helped broker. Ray was excitedly looking to expand his artist management company ENZED Music Brokers and asked me to 50/50 partner with him in a business he named Ray Columbus Organization.

Our first meeting at Universal Music’s offices in Auckland saw Ray talking and gesturing enthusiastically as he explained how passionate he was about nurturing new talent and, from all my business emails and phone calls and ‘gut instinct’, had formed a favourable impression of me as someone he wanted to mentor.

I’d owned a music store, played in bands, run a venue, tour managed, written about and photographed musicians, worked as an audio engineer, in event management and as a booking agent. Artist management was however something completely new to me and I wasn’t quite sure what was involved, but I knew I wanted to be part of whatever this captivating compelling man, was offering.

Arts management courses, the MMF, IMNZ and MIC didn’t yet exist, but Ray had lobbied governments and anyone that would listen to invest in talent, including me that day.

Our agreement was simple – total honesty, integrity above all things and loyalty. He talked about ethics, equanimity (as being the glue that held bands and business partners together) and it felt like the sun on a chilly day. I was then still recovering from time in the hard side of the industry where things like getting paid could be a challenge, even after a profitable tour.

Ray quickly become like a father to me. He often called me his daughter and was there for all my family events, donating his time to play

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

at my mother’s 70th and to MC my son’s 21st Birthday. We talked every day those first four years and signed a number of fledgling artists including 4Eulogi, Kat Theo, Salisha Taylor, plus some established acts like Tim Beveridge, Annie Crummer and Lucid 3.

I remember him adding a riff to a 4Eulogi song that was as brilliant as Rick Rubin’s addition to Danzig’s Mother. And that song charted, made the NZ On Air Hit Disc and won a Juice Award!

There were tours with Robert Lamb/Chicago and Jeffrey Foskett/The Beach Boys, TV deals, corporate shows, publishing and licensing contracts. He threw me in the deep end and then tossed me a life jacket or fished me out if I started to struggle. It was fun.

One day, I was on a business call and Ray was tap dancing and singing in the lounge with Tim Beveridge and Oska, my dog barking and running around madly. He knew how to make everything fun.

He was a trailblazer, full of charm but also an eccentric individual who could invent the craziest and most brilliant solutions to any problem. But best of all, was the special Ray wisdom, tricks he’d learnt as an experienced music professional and business man and an unwavering belief in you that was so fierce that it rubbed off until you were totally convinced and believed it too…so many things that

changed me and that I will never forget.

Ray loved all types of music and I remember him being excited to hear NZ hip hop like Scribe’s first tracks – he’d been listening to Eminem who he thought could be as influential as Elvis. He sang with rock bands Shaft, Rock N Roll Machine and The Situations at The Kings Arms’ Get a Haircut show and loved having The Mint Chicks cover his music for the RIANZ Music Awards when Ray And The Invaders won the Legacy Award.

In 2007 Ray, his wife Linda and his children Sean and Danielle, took over RD6, a restaurant near Matakana, North Auckland and I took a full time role as a music promoter and publicist (and became engulfed in organising the first Raggamuffin Music Festival).

Ray helped me with The Who concert at North Shore Stadium in 2009 and, although we no longer had time to manage a stable of artists we kept developing business projects – including plans to start a music foundation and after his 2012 health scare, the Cardiovascular Foundation, with Ray as Chairman and myself Secretary. There were other business ideas, some totally removed from music but all involving creativity in bucket loads.

The last four years were tough. He’d ended up in hospital a dozen or more times and even woken to find a priest standing over him giving him the last rites. Ray yelled determinedly, “I’m not dying,” and sent the priest away.

Linda nursed him with love and all sorts of miracle potions and we had a few final outings – the Summer Concert Tour (featuring Pat Benatar and

America), fish’n chips in Orewa and the Count Basie Orchestra concert.

There was a final visit just a week before and one last phone call to say good bye at 3.45am on Monday at the end of November. Then his red coffin in a Catholic church – not a full religious service but surrounded by song and by those that loved him. Ray did things his own way.

Ray Columbus was honest, generous with his time and energy, a passionate advocate for the arts and for artists, patriotic and one of the kindest men I’ve ever known. He had the ego necessary to perform and promote himself and others, but he wasn’t a snob. He took risks, he stood out, was eccentric and had an outrageous sense of humour.

He was a tap dancer, a singer, songwriter, actor, TV star (C’mon, Club Columbus, That’s Country and Happen Inn) and music manager. He won every major award in NZ show business including being the first pop star in the Commonwealth to be awarded a Queen’s OBE. He toured with Roy Orbison, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Gladys Knight, Ben E King, The Hollies and many more and, along with his band, The Invaders, had 14 hit records including, She’s A Mod, the first NZ song to make #1 in Australia. He stylishly modelled himself on James Dean and Elvis and, at his peak, was one of the hottest pop stars around – pursued by Sinatra’s record label in the US alongside David Bowie, and asked to join the Rolling Stones.

But behind the scenes were some of Ray’s greatest achievements for NZ and for the industry. He had a sharp mind and business acumen that served him well as a member of the QE11 Arts Council (Creative NZ where he helped finance Split Enz’ first tour of Australia) and the board of APRA for more than two decades. He organised entertainment for NZ Rugby and managed and mentored acts including Shane, Suzanne Lynch (The Chicks) and ZED. He toured the US and made sure that everyone knew where NZ was and how much talent resided there. He lobbied the NZ government (both sides) for arts funding…and the formation of institutions like the Music Industry Commission. He believed a united industry would be good for everyone…that the arts should work together and share information and that petty competition stopped collective progress. He shared his knowledge and expertise with people like me – basically anyone that he took a liking to – he had no time for those he didn’t like!

Thank you Ray. You believed in us before we believed in ourselves. You were the Modfather and a Godfather to the music industry, a father figure to me and my son, and we are all better off for knowing you. lllY>"39,SSLY3SOd_"n3SMjO,j`Ppde

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z )*

KFSFNZ UPZ PO GPSFJHO TPJM

W

henever someone asks me the punishing question, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What DAW do you use?â&#x20AC;? I can confidently say Ableton Live. The next question usually is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why?â&#x20AC;? My go to response is to say that Live is one of the most forward thinking, future proof DAWs available.

Abletonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forward thinking / future proofing culture was the most outstanding feature at their recent music summit. They call it â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Loopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and I was extremely lucky to be invited by Ableton to attend the event as a guest. I was also asked by Kimbra to perform with her, Daedelus and Lars Horntveth during her presentation.

Loop is a three-day mash up of discussions, panels, performances, presentations, studio sessions and interactive workshops with artists, educators, technologists and creative minds. The A&R manager at Ableton is Berlin-based New Zealander Brigid-Anne Gilbert, who describes the philosophy behind the summit as, â&#x20AC;&#x153;An open space for people to have conversations about what it is to be a music maker in the modern day, and what it could be like to make music in the future.â&#x20AC;?

Some of the performers / artists at Loop this year included Lee Scratch Perry, Deantoni Parks, Suzanne Ciani, Kimbra, DJ Jazzy Jeff, No I.D., Kyoka, Gudrun Gut. For a creative and art driven musician like myself the summit was an energising and inspirational weekend. A reminder that there is a musical world that exists far away from major label pop and that the musical world is full of creative, boundary pushing artists and musical scientists. I came away from the weekend with a new-found spark to create thoughtful, considered art.

Brigid-Anne Gilbert s !RTIST 2ELATIONS -ANAGER FOR !BLETON LIVING IN Berlin, Germany.

What was your role at Loop? As part of the Artist Relations department I had a hand in programming Loop, along with a group of other tech and music experts from Ableton. My role before Loop was to pitch ideas for individual speakers and performers, and help to curate lineups for different formats â&#x20AC;&#x201C; studio session, panel discussion, etc. My role on the actual day was to make sure that the artists attending had the best experience they could and that everyone was where they needed to be.

How would you describe Loop? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summit for music makers. This is not a productfocused event for us at all, and quite a few of the presenters and speakers do not use our products. How do you make music? What tools do you use? How are tools changing? Who is making the tools? How do you find inspiration?

Where do you learn about music? Who do you learn from? What does your live performance look like? These and many other questions we pose through a series of themes we program

EV\Z )+

Ableton Loop Music Summit Berlin, November 4- 6 As with any aspect of overseas travel at some point you are going to bump into a fellow New Zealander and I did that multiple times at Loop, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide that accent no matter how hard you try. Every one of the NZ contingent ended up at the summit for different reasons, the consistent factor being that they are all hardworking and specialists in their realm of music. I thought it would be best if each of them described their experience of Loop.

around, in the hopes that people will connect with us and each other to discuss them.

Were there any specific sessions that blew your mind? The Invisible Jukebox sessions with Gudrun Gut and Morton Subotnick were real highlights for me. Having two extremely well respected and different musicians listen to different music and discuss it with a fantastic moderator was engaging and really inspiring.

Also, the performance from Deantoni Parks completely blew me away. His sound over the huge sound system that was at Funkhaus was insane.

Did you come away from Loop with any new / exciting ideas or outlooks on music you could share? One of the talks I attended was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Learning Institution: New approaches in music educationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and amongst the participants in this particular discussion was fellow Kiwi, Rodi Kirkcaldy. Rodi pulled a quote up in his presentation that said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Greatness is grown, not born,â&#x20AC;? which as a music producer is quite a profound and freeing thought. You are not subject to some abstract â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;talentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that you either have or you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t; rather, you dedicate yourself to your craft and become great through practice and hard work. Perhaps, upon reflection, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as comforting as I thought, haha.

Kimbra Johnson s 3INGER SONGWRITER PRODUCER MUSICIAN LIVING in New York.

What was your reason for attending? I was invited to speak on my process as an artist using technology in the studio and live on the stage. I also did a performance of live improvisation to demonstrate how I like to do spontaneous writing in front of an audience as part of my process to break creative barriers.

How would you describe Loop? I was so

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

encouraged by the sense of community at Loop. There were artists and producers from all over the world who had gathered in Berlin to learn and be inspired by each other. Everyone had a hunger for expanding their skills and all the sessions were so interactive so you always had a chance to speak personally and ask specific questions which made for a really great environment.

Was there any specific session that blew your mind? I really enjoyed the presentation

by Daedalus about sound and space and how the two affect each other. He made me think really differently about how I interact with the space I work or perform in and be sensitive to that at all times. Deantoni Parksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance as Technoself also totally blew my mind.

Did you come away with any exciting ideas or outlooks on music you could share?

I came away with a new appreciation for the use of technology in the live arena. Sometimes the infinite possibilities and never-ending supply of new gear and gadgets can feel overwhelming.

But Loop really encouraged artists to feel liberated by the technology they use and find unique ways to use it as your friend, not as something that can get in the way of your music and connection with the audience. I enjoyed talking about that with other artists who also work to strike that balance in live performance.

how music is a lifelong art-form that involves very serious personal involvement, with the end game ultimately being self satisfaction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; though hopefully you get to share the fruit of your labour with more people than just yourself.

Dylan Wood s 2UNS THE SOUND TEAM AT !BLETON MAKES MUSIC as Herringson. Living in Berlin.

What was your role at Loop? I was involved in the Push 2/Live 9.5 launch at the first Loop last year. This year I went as an attendee so I could soak up all the interesting music and sessions going on.

How would you describe Loop? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely not a trade show, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to those and they can be pretty awful. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more a mix of conference and festival, the day part at the Funkhaus was really like a creative conference with lots of interesting speakers and music and then the night part was shows in venues and clubs, more like a festival.

Were there any specific sessions at Loop that blew your mind? The Copenhagen Laptop orchestra was pretty cool, it was five guys playing on laptops, iPads and machines.

They were set up facing each other right in the middle of the floor of the main hall at the Funkhaus and you could stand right next to them while they played over this massive quadrophonic sound system.

Suzanne Ciani did an awesome improvised Buchla performance, again through the massive quadrophonic rig. That hall just sounds so amazing and she clearly knows the instrument inside out, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really beat the sound of a fantastic analogue synth through a big PA in a room like that. She also spoke really eloquently about her musical history, her approach to live performance and got right into the details of how she uses the Buchla. (If you want to get your head bent look up the MARF or Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator).

The last one would be Lee Scratch Perry. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really on another planet but there is a spiritual thread running through what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saying, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always easy to understand. I got into electronic music through dub so it was inspiring to watch an originator perform and to really soak up some bass on a pristine sound system.

Did you come away with any new ideas or outlooks on music? The whole Loop experience got me pretty hyped to keep working on the improv/dub jam rig Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working on lately, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s based on Live, a DIY monome, Push 2 and Launchcontrol XL for dub mixing. Also I think I need to get my tape delay and spring reverb fixed up!

Brad Carter

Did you come away with any new ideas or outlooks on music? I was really blown away that education had become such a topic of interest in this Loop. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really interested in but I was really enthused that the idea of it being interesting for such a wide range of people! I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a fascinating era for education in creative industries and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be on the forefront of this here in Berlin.

Philippa McIntyre (DJ Philippa) s -USIC PRODUCER $* EDUCATOR ,IVING IN "ERLIN What was your reason for attending Loop? Many and varied. I love Ableton Live and wanted to attend. Also dBs Music Berlin the audio engineering / music production school I teach at has a close relationship with Ableton and used our studios for the Loop workshops at the Funkhaus this year.

How would you describe Loop? Conference with a slice of festival, I guess.

Were there a specific sessions that blew your mind? My favourite performance was Morton Subotnick. To see a synthesis pioneer in his 80s (!) and at the top of his game was inspiring on many levels. The performance was fire. The Moritz von Oswald (Maurizio, Basic Channel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; dub techno pioneer) talk was personally inspiring to me â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he is a humble gentleman. I enjoyed hearing him speak about his creative approach, which can be summed up in the following words: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I listen.â&#x20AC;?

Did you come away with any exciting ideas or outlooks on music you could share?

What I came away with was personal more than anything else. I felt and feel inspired by having seen and interacted with so many musicians from mixed backgrounds. It was also nice to see expressed very clearly over the weekend,

s !RTIST PRODUCER ,IVING IN #ALIFORNIA What was your reason for attending Loop? As someone who recently dove deep into the Ableton world I was super curious to be around other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nerdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; like myself and to soak up all the various aspects of creativity being explored through this medium.

How would you describe Loop? Loop to me felt like an ego-less summit. Everyone was super warm and excited to share and learn from each other... it was a meeting up of all kinds of people somehow affiliated with their use of Ableton, and their desire to push further into its stratosphere...

Were there any specific sessions that blew your mind? Deantoni Parks playing drums with one arm and sampler with the other. The talk that No I.D gave about the music industry. Chagall and her performance with the mi.mu gloves... and Suzanne Ciani's Buchla performance felt like a wonderful meditation beside a literal ocean of sound.

Did you come away with any exciting ideas or outlooks on music you could share with us? Yeah, I came away even more hungry to push myself and my relationship to music and creativity. I'm excited to explore sampling more, and also was encouraged to collaborate more with others and their process.

I actually met some people from Russia, Turkey, UK and US that since Loop I have begun to already do this with. I loved how Loop brought together people from all cultures, countries, faiths, genres, eras, scenes. It truly was rather wonderful, like some kind of sonic dream... and yeah, after it all finished I headed home and felt a pretty even mixture of excitement, as well as that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;post summer camp bluesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feeling, kicking right on in.

Jeremy Toy is an artist and music producer.

He also teaches Electronic Music Performance at MAINZ in Auckland.

Rodi Kirkcaldy s 0RODUCER EDUCATOR SONIC EXPLORER ,IVING IN Berlin.

What was your role / reason for attending Loop? Speaking on a panel discussion.

How would you describe Loop? A really diverse gathering of creators from around the world. It had elements of all three of these things but most of all I found it be a valuable exchange of ideas and opportunity to meet a wide range of people that share a similar passion for sound creation + manipulation.

Were there specific sessions at Loop that blew your mind? Robert Henke's site-specific laser installation plus Q+A session on its development. Suzanne Ciani's hypnotic Buchla 200 performance in quadraphonic sound in the spectacular Funkhaus Saal 1.

COB 9ZXZbWZg$?VcjVgn '%&,

EV\Z ),

/;. /PUJDF #PBSE CLASSIFIEDS 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.

MCA – CD & DVD PRODUCTION CD & DVD Duplication from just $1.50/unit + gst bulk.

We also replicate at full retail quality. Direct to disc printing. Premium card packaging or traditional jewel cases. We do it all. No set up fees on 100 units or more. Online cost estimator at www.morecoreaudio. co.nz Ph 0272102725 / (09) 8139242 sales@ morecoreaudio.co.nz

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 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… is breaking the price barrier with recession busting specials. Your band can stay for free and record at Tsunami – NZ’s best live rock studio for $250p/d for 2 or more days. No hidden extra charges! Easily NZ’s best recording package. Huge sound, in your face mixes, free production advice. 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

DRUM TUITION WITH HANS WESTON Drum lessons with a unique focus toward group performance and songwriting. Wellington. All ages and skills. To book or discuss – please phone Hans, 021 783 417 or email hansweston@gmail.com

RECORDING STUDIO NEWMARKET $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

ALLMUSIC GUITAR TUITION 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), NCAET. www.allmusic.co.nz

EARWIG STUDIOS PA & LIGHT HIRE 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.

Get Noticed Here!

Advertise on NZM’s NOTICE BOARD (see over page) 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)

www.nzmusician.co.nz NZ Musician @nzmusician

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.

NZ Musician readers’ Special Offer:

EV\Z )-

lll#COBjh^X^Vc#Xd#co

Get $10 off your copy of the 2017 (rrp$35)

NZ MUSIC SERVICES DIRECTORY

Just email nzmsd@musicnz.co.nz & ask!

You Like...?

rring It's really pu

www.nzmusician.co.nz

NZ MUSIC S E RV I C E S DIRECTORY 2017

Edition

25