NZ Musician April May 2017

A p r i l / M a y 2017 VO L . 20

NO.3

2017 Brands & Distributors Directory

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

www.nzmusician.co.nz

VOL.20

N O . 3 A p r i l / M a y 2017

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Publisher / Editor: Richard Thorne richard@nzmusician.co.nz Assistant Editor: Silke Hartung editorial@nzmusician.co.nz Advertising: editorial@nzmusician.co.nz

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Designer: Silke Hartung Pre-Press & Printing: MHP Print

Contributors Sam Vegar, Kevin Downing, Godfrey De Grut, Charlotte Crone, Amanda Mills, Jean Bell, Stu Edwards, Kethaki Masilamani, Jack Woodbury, Alastair Ross, Dan Chisholm, Aabir Mazumdar, Rob Burns, Laura Dooney, Jennifer Shields, Darryl Kirk, Michael Bell, Emma Moss, Joel Thomas, Sophie Mashlan, Ania Glowacz, Bing Turkby, Aleisha Ward, Jesse Austin, Andrew Witty, Briar Lawry, Michael Hollywood, Caitlin Smith, Martyn Pepperell, Thomas Goss, Morgan Allen

NZ Musician magazine is also available online...

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

Contents and design remain the property of New Zealand Musician.

All rights reserved.

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2017 Brands & Distributors Directory p21 REGULARS

FEATURES

LESSONS

Fazerdaze . . . . . . . . . . . .

4

Legal Bandwidth. . . . . .

8

Niko Ne Zna . . . . . . . . . .

9

Fresh Talent . . . . . . . . .

12

David Dallas . . . . . . . . . .

10

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

16

Élan Vital . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

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

36

Clap Clap Riot . . . . . . . . .

18

Finding Your Voice . . . .

41

Sonic Delusion . . . . . . . .

20

Building Blocks . . . . . .

44

The Map Room . . . . . . . .

28

Out On The Street . . . . .

45

Thomas Oliver. . . . . . . . .

33

Ex-Pat Files. . . . . . . . . .

46

Glass Vaults . . . . . . . . . .

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Classified Ads. . . . . . . .

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

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Deep Thinking. . . . . . . .

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REVIEWS Portable PA Systems . .

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Dust is settling on the ground, well that’s just life.

Mirror facing an old man in a young disguise.

Caught me staring, a stranger I don’t recognise.

And all I really want to know is that there’s more than this.

Could it be something better is out there?

Maybe I’m just at the end.

Should it be something better is out there?

I’m just tired of getting old.

Tired Of Getting Old - Clap Clap Riot, p18

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Editorial

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ou have in your hands Issue #172 of NZ Musician. Hardly a resonating numerical milestone to be marked in normal circumstances, but after almost 29 years of publication it is, historically enough, the magazine’s final regular issue.

Don’t panic! As the deeply ironic cover art tribute intends to illustrate, we’re switching up, not switching off. Rather than continue as a bi-monthly print title NZ Musician will henceforth be a digital entity, offering the same content via our recently renovated online platform www.nzmusician.co.nz, but avoiding the increasingly challenging costs of printing and distributing thousands of free copies nationwide.

While we are saying (a very fond) goodbye to print, we are definitely not saying

goodbye to all that regular NZM goodness. Far from it. NZMusician.co.nz will continue to present the wide variety of local music scene content (upcoming and established artist features, industry news, educational columns, reviews and more), with the steroid-enhanced edge of all the magic that the online environment allows.

Writing about music and musical equipment for print consumption has always provided its own kind of special challenges. How do you efficiently convey the difference in sound between two album tracks, two snare drums or two acoustic guitar amp settings? Quite apart from the immediacy of social media, being able to link features directly and simultaneously to matched audio and video content is a publishing upgrade well worth celebrating.

Unveiled late last year, NZM’s new website is designed to showcase a broad range of new digital content including video interviews, live performances, blogs and podcasts. We’re still busily re-loading the many thousands of articles that have been carried over from the previous site’s database but there are plans in place for all of the above – ongoing advertising income permitting of course.

The enduring support of a fairly small number of regular advertisers has allowed NZ Musician magazine to enjoy a life in print far longer than many will have believed possible, outlasting as it has

all other local music titles that flourished around the 1990s.

Many thanks and much respect to those supportive individuals, businesses and organisations that have remained steadfast in their advertising commitments and allowed NZM to get this far. We hope, needless to say, that you will continue that backing online.

That so many smart individuals have essentially volunteered to contribute over the years, generously sharing their time and knowledge, speaks strongly for the value that others have placed on NZ Musician. The current crop of regular columnists; Caitlin Smith, Kevin Downing, Dr Rob Burns, Thomas Goss, Dixon Nacey and Godfrey De Grut (plus Dan Chisholm who offered a new legal column just in time for this farewell issue), all give freely of their musical experience and expertise for the betterment of fellow musicians and NZM readers. They’re wonderfully generous – and all intend to continue providing their columns in the digital future.

As the magazine’s editor since 1989 I feel incredibly fortunate that those who’ve been drawn to work for NZM have largely held a similar belief as to its role, its importance and how best

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it might deliver on that shared intent.

Through a number of different editorial teams we have consistently sought to promote as broad a range of NZ music and musicians as practical, providing a (hopefully) entertaining, diverse, balanced, honest, well-researched and hype-free resource. That will not change going forward.

The first issue of NZ Musician was published back in the dark days of 1988.

It was paste up boards, glue rollers and black & white photos clear-cut with scalpels back then. Technological advances in the three decades since have brought constant changes in our music; how it is made, how it is distributed, how much there is, how it sounds and how it is heard. Technology has similarly proven a boon for print publishing, cutting production costs and increasing flexibility by allowing in-house design.

While it has never been a publishing aspiration to position this magazine at the cutting edge of print design trends – it’s not externally funded and has always been free after all – I’d like to take this opportunity to thank NZM’s numerous graphic designers. Most have been musicians, or at least had strong links to our music scene, and all have gone extra miles to make the magazine as good as possible despite the often poor quality components, blurred artist photos etc.

belief in the value and values of NZM. Like several other wonderful assistant editors before her, Silke embraces the challenge of actively supporting the full breadth of our incredible popular music scene, and has taken a lead in prepping NZ Musician for the next decade.

As a recent public letter of appeal for donations from the publisher of scoop. co.nz plainly illustrates, digital publishing, even for highly visited and reputable NZ sites, is far from a financial panacea for the continual decline in display advertising revenue. NZM has recently signed on with local platform PressPatron which facilitates online readers making one-off donations and regular contributions to their favoured digital publications, making it easy to support the future of journalism.

If you, dear reader, want to help NZM out

at any stage in the future then you will find the ready means to do so on our website. We’d certainly welcome and appreciate it.

At this stage the future is exciting, if a little mysterious. The decision to stop publishing NZ Musician bi-monthly after three decades has been a fairly monumental one, but we’ve been repeatedly encouraged to perhaps keep our hand in with less frequent ’special’ issues. Meantime though, we’d dearly love to have you regularly join us over at www.nzmusician.co.nz where we will continue providing all the same great local music content, only more dynamically.

Richard Thorne Editor/Publisher

Wondering what’s fresh out there?

Actually their greatest challenge has been the editor’s consistent desire to fit as many artist features, with as much information as possible, into the available pages of each issue. Almost every issue has been approached with the intention to allow more white paper, but whenever the decision became one of ’design space’ over including more artist coverage (designer vs editor basically), it was additional content that won the argument.

By a happy coincidence, this issue includes features on two artists who have previously worked here at NZM Towers. Over the years visitors have frequently commented on their surprise at just how small they’ve discovered the NZM office team to be.

Silke Hartung first joined the magazine as its designer in 2010. In the seven years since she has incrementally become more closely involved in the shaping of content, organising of contributors, management of the online presence and development of the magazine’s social media platforms. I’m extremely grateful for her diverse expertise and enthusiastic

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Fazerdaze

Morningside Is Life Amelia Murray is the shy enchantress behind the dreamy fuzz-guitared world of Fazerdaze.

After moving north from Wellington to Auckland to study music she served her uni time playing in bands, alongside some well-known and established players. Deciding it was time to find her own sound Amelia began working on a solo project during her last year of university, introducing herself to the world with the ’Fazerdaze’ EP late in 2014. NZ Music Month 2017 will bring us ’Morningside’, her debut album, and no doubt usher in the next stage of Fazerdaze fanfare. Sam Vegar talked with the burgeoning indie music heroine.

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eleased in October 2014, the ’Fazerdaze’ EP marked Amelia Murray, aka Fazerdaze, out as the hot new local indie darling.

Most of the EP’s five songs had life as alt radio singles, but Jennifer and Treading Lightly in particular revealed a new artist with real crossover potential.

Since then Murray has been busily making a career out of her music. Playing shows in Australia, UK, and attending the Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal late last year, Fazerdaze has begun to win the hearts of similar dreamlike musicians and fans the world over.

Murray was in her last year of studying pop music at the University of Auckland when the idea of starting a project began to form.

“I had been playing in bands my whole teenage life, but I couldn’t quite find one in Auckland, they just kept breaking apart, and I got really tired of having to lean on other people. Also, I couldn’t really quite get the sound in my head. I had this idea and strong sound I wanted, and I just could never quite form it by working with other musicians. I didn’t really know what it was,” she admits.

“It was a lot easier for me to just go home, and with all the time in the world, figure out

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”Wistfully forlorn but beamingly optimistic, Lucky Girl is a fitting way to welcome the sunshine after hard rain.” – Buzzfeed’s 27 New Songs You Need To Hear ”Here’s a perfect burst of swooning, happy-sad bedroom guitar-pop sunshine.” – Gorilla vs Bear

what it was, and just chase that sound. I found that it suited me a lot more, ’cause I’m pretty introverted and quiet, so it was a lot easier for me to be the whole band in my bedroom myself. I actually found it really fulfilling, and it worked with me creatively.”

During her studies Murray had been introduced to new concepts and methods of creating music that have greatly contributed to Fazerdaze’s sound.

“This compulsory paper ended up being life changing for me. It totally introduced me to recording and the concepts of sound. At the time I was not interested, but I made myself show up and tried really hard to grasp all these concepts. It didn’t really make sense at the time, but when I started recording after I finished that paper, everything made sense, and I got it, it clicked! So that paper was really fundamental in doing what I do.”

Her strictly DIY approach to Fazerdaze has been maintained since starting the project.

Now three years in she still writes and develops each song on her own, but performs with a band that currently includes Mark Perkins on guitar and bvs, Elliot Francis on drums and Benjamin Lock playing bass.

Since finishing uni Fazerdaze has been the primary project for Murray, and appropriately the first single released from her new album is the upbeat Lucky Girl – ’I know I’m a lucky, lucky girl…’

“Sometimes it doesn’t quite feel real. I’ve had to become so professional with it [music], otherwise it feels like a little bit like a joke, or like, ’What’s the point?’ I have to put on this professional hat and schedule out my hours, booking sessions with people and myself, and not letting anything get in the way with that!”

Along with 35 other musicians from around the globe she was chosen to attend to attend the Red Bull Music Academy held in Montreal in September and October 2016. The experience brings together musicians all at different stages in their careers to learn and work with each other.

“The whole thing was a party, for me it was kind of overwhelming ’cause I’m not used to that sort of scene, but it was really good. I feel like I was pushed out of my comfort zone. We had some incredible lecturers, like Bjork was there, and Blood Orange!

“It was the first time I really realised that this whole recording thing I’m doing is only something I can do because it’s 2017. Bjork

was talking about how we should make sure we use technology in our art, because it’s really important for artists to give technology a voice rather than technology giving artists a voice – we should always make sure we are in control.

So I think I walked away being way more interested in how I’m using technology.”

After a month of working quite intimately together, lifelong friendships naturally emerge.

“We all formed a special connection, we were all completely in the same boat,” she happily reflects.

In mid-2016 she found management for Fazerdaze with Ashley Sambrooks of newish Melbourne-based music PR and management label Higher Plains – evidently his highest priority signing. Closer to home she’s signed to Flying Nun who will release her debut album ’Morningside’ locally in early May. About then Murray will also embark on a tour around England and Europe.

True to her bedroom project-DIY ethic, construction of Fazerdaze ’Morningside’ was grew through a process of inspiration and learning, though she admits she tried using a studio at the outset.

“At the time I was listening to a lot of the New York scene, like Frankie Cosmo and Eskimo.

A lot of those guys record at home. I think when I listen to their music it made me feel like my work was more real. I really draw from those guys in their approach to making music.

“I did actually try going into a studio. I started off like, ’I’m going to do a studio album’, but I felt like everything was out of reach, I had no connection to the process of it.”

That may change for her sophomore release as she used the mixing process to gain some hands-on studio education.

“I ended up going to Murray Fisher [ex-of Goodshirt], who lived just around the corner to me. I could walk over to his place and we’d do a whole day in mixing. I was there the whole time watching him and learning from him – and also so I could make sure it was being mixed the way I wanted!”

So far Fazerdaze’s music has tended to be quite personal and intimate, and in the process of writing ’Morningside’ Murray drew a lot from personal experiences, not just lyrically but also to create that sound and special connection.

“I wrote this album while I was going through so much stuff, so I feel like it was very personal as a way of me documenting these feelings, almost like how you’d write a diary. I

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feel like that album is that for me, kind of just getting it out of my head. People get it onto paper, and I get it onto songs.

“At the moment it is personal, but I don’t want to pigeonhole myself. One day it would be great to make an instrumental album, or a completely electronic album. But at the time it was really good for me to use the album as a sanctuary and a place to feel safe, maybe to feel some self compassion and to help me understand myself more. It feels like a really selfish thing, but I really hope at least one other person kind of connects to it.”

Whatever career jump it gives her aside, she describes ’Morningside’ as being a really useful album for her to make.

“It helped me get through so much stuff, just to be able to focus on it and have this space where I could completely be myself, as well as be productive. So instead of wallowing in my sadness, I’m making something, and I can give it back to the world.”

With plenty of experiments and interesting new ideas evident the album shows lots of growth since the ’Fazerdaze’ EP, and Murray is optimistic about continuing to develop her music further.

“I really don’t see this album as the be all and end all. I see it way more as like a learning curve and a growing process, the stepping stone to the next thing I make. So I really see it as like an older sister to the EP.” “A lot of what Fazerdaze is, is I get to learn.

The learning is a huge part of it, it’s like inviting people to come watch me learn, come watch me figure it out. It’s not really like this fully-formed project, it’s very much like leaving it open, as in, ’Watch me grow and form’, rather than, ’Here’s the perfectly formed product.’ I’m still figuring it out, and that’s what it’s all about.” >"p9_7"p9Y,"P73"OUY3SO

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HVJUBS DPPM HVJUBS DPPM with Kevin Downing

The Lead Guitar Player’s Role

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n the last issue I wrote about the role of the rhythm guitarist, so this month I will give you some cool ideas to use when you are in the lead guitar role.

Essentially a good guitar player can play a rhythm or lead role with ease depending on what is required for the gig or jam session.

Sometimes you are the only guitarist in the band so you need to do a bit of both, but if you have another guitar or keyboard player

Playing less can mean a lot of things, but here are a few. Don’t play six string chords, cut them down to two or three strings. Strum less vigorously or maybe only play one strum per bar. Play fewer notes in your licks and/or play longer notes in your licks. There are many more, too numerous to mention here.

Creating different parts to complement the others in the band is a lot of fun and can really stretch your imagination. I recommend

then you might find you are more in the lead guitar role.

For this role, you must think very differently to what was discussed in the rhythm guitar role last month. If you haven’t got NZM’s Feb/March issue you can see the rhythm guitar lesson here http://www.guitar.co.nz/free-lessons/ Play less, and what you play needs to compliment the song. Stay out of other instruments’ sonic space and create different parts to what the others are doing.

In a nutshell, staying out of the other instruments’ sonic space means not playing in the same octave range as the others. For example, if a keyboard is playing chords quite low, then you need to think maybe in the mid or higher ranges of your guitar.

listening to all the parts you hear on some of your favourite recordings to get some ideas.

One idea is not to play anything at all – otherwise called a ’tacit’. You quite often hear the lead guitar on recordings not playing anything, especially on Verse 1 or Verse 3.

Another cool thing is to play some simple licks in between the vocals, as can be seen in Excercise 1. The idea here is to keep things very simple with no show off stuff, otherwise the vocalist won’t be happy with you.

Excercise 2 is a bubble part. Quite often the rhythm player is playing a palm-muted lower bubble part as in bar one, so you could add to it by playing a simpler higher one played without the mute as in bar two. Having two different sounds on each guitar really makes this type of

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part come alive. If there is no bubble part in the song you could play both bars.

If your rhythm player is playing power chords on the lower strings, you can play power chords on the higher strings. Power chords on the higher strings sound great if played as arpeggios broken up rhythmically and with a bit of delay, as in Excercise 3.

Playing triads (or double stops) higher up the neck to what the other guitar or keyboard is playing is also a great idea. If one guitar is playing power chords on the 5th and 6th strings then triads like those in Excercise 5 will come in handy and complement what the power chord part is doing. They could be played strummed, arpeggio style, etc.

If the other guitar is playing a triad part like that of Excercise 5 then you could play a part higher up the neck, like that of Example 6. Again, arpeggios broken up rhythmically sound great with this type of part.

Of course, there are many other parts you will hear, but these six different lead guitar parts might just transform your thinking and playing, and they are all very easy to do with a bit of practice. Over the next few months keep your ears open to see if you can hear these parts in your favourite songs. If you have trouble with any of this, it might pay to see a good 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 w w w. g u i t a r. co.nz

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MFHBM CBOEXJEUI with Dan Chisholm

Contract? (Why Not) Get it in Writing – and Signed

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ave you ever been in a bad relationship? When things go south you need to know where you stand –what’s rightfully yours and theirs – so you can move on (and move out) without cutting your record collection and the family pet in half.

Let’s be realistic. While all personal and business partnerships start out with the best intentions, many will not stand the test of time, ending in bitter disputes.

Your music is the most precious asset you will ever have.

So why do I see so many artists make the same simple, yet costly mistake?

If you’re an artist who’s serious about your future, safeguard against disaster before it occurs. All career musicians need appropriate agreements in place from the beginning that clearly outline the terms of engagement with their business partners. Whether it’s band members, managers, producers, labels or any person or company you work alongside, getting this down in writing upfront protects your business and can save you a huge amount of money and drama down the track.

Whether you’ve currently got a draft contract in place or just a verbal ’handshake deal,’ you’d be surprised to learn how the court approaches enforcing your agreement in New Zealand. For those whose bases aren’t yet covered, I hope these tips help you think harder about playing smarter, so you and your music stay safe from the perils of bad relationships.

Surprising Fact 1: Contracts don’t have to be written down to be legally binding The music industry is creative and fast-moving. Business relationships can be made informally ’in the moment’ with artists preferring to work from

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gut instinct rather than insisting on more traditional business arrangements. ’Handshake deals’, verbal agreements and trust-driven work partnerships are common.

But just like that dodgy ex of yours, when the good becomes ugly, not having a formal contractual agreement doesn’t exempt you from having major legal obligations to your business partners. So if you don’t want to get fleeced in the fallout, you’d better get a good agreement in place – or see them in court.

When a handshake deal goes wrong An interesting example of the courts’ take on this was seen in last year’s High Court decision involving Dave Baxter of Avalanche City and his former manager Matthew Coleman. The case revolved around allegations of financial misconduct by the artist against his ex-manager.

The case looked at whether a ’handshake deal’ made between the parties was legally binding.

While they didn’t have a formal signed agreement outlining the terms of their professional relationship, the High Court found that their verbal agreement was legally enforceable.

That’s because following their discussions about the terms of their working relationship, Coleman undertook management duties on behalf of Baxter/Avalanche City that involved collecting income, negotiating deals and organising Baxter’s entertainment industry affairs. In return, Coleman received 20% of Baxter’s revenue.

Therefore, the High Court found that the behaviour of the two parties reflected what had been verbally agreed to.

So why bother getting agreements in writing at all? I’m glad you asked.

Surprising Fact 2: If a verbal agreement gets

contested in court it’s your word against theirs – and the court will make the final decision.

Do you really want all that drama, risk and expense?

While getting terms in writing isn’t mandatory, the test for a court to decide whether to enforce a verbal agreement is an objective one – made all the more complicated when the two sides have different versions of the supposed terms.

If the terms aren’t clearly defined you’re relying on the interpretation of the court.

Needless to say, it’s an extremely risky approach.

Surprising Fact 3: A written contract doesn’t have to be signed to be legally binding.

We know a signature on a contract indicates agreement to its terms, but you might be surprised to learn that an unsigned contract can potentially still be enforced in court. The Baxter and Coleman case also looked at whether an unsigned contract was legally binding.

Prior to their dispute Coleman had realised the verbal deal wasn’t enough. Coleman presented Baxter with a written management agreement and asked him to sign it. Clearly, this was intended to flesh out and take precedence over their verbal understanding. Baxter never got around to signing the agreement, although he gave some vague assurances that it was generally okay.

Interestingly, in their case the High Court concluded the written contract wasn’t binding. Again, this conclusion was reached by looking at the parties’ actions.

For example, Coleman sent repeated emails to Baxter asking for the agreement to be signed.

This indicated Coleman knew the agreement wasn’t final. Despite Baxter stating the contract looked ’good’ in an email, he still wanted to clarify some of

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the terms.

The High Court found that because the written contract wasn’t finalised the original verbal agreement took precedence.

They may have come to the opposite conclusion if the parties’ actions suggested the terms were agreed – for example, if both parties continually referred to having a written agreement in place or expressed an intention to be bound by it.

For the mutual benefit of both sides, music industry agreements should always be in writing and signed with the advice of a music law expert. The terms should be clear with no stone left unturned.

This gives power to both parties and everyone understands their obligations. No matter how friendly the contractual parties may be at the outset, a good contract will always detail what happens if things get ugly.

When these issues are discussed ahead of time, both sides can then relax. And just like in any good marriage, if all goes according to plan, these dispute and termination clauses will never come into play. And you’ll never find yourself broke, in court and fighting over who gets to keep the record collection.

Dan Chisholm is an Associate specialising in music and entertainment law at Trollope & Co Lawyers. Formerly a professional musician himself, Dan supported The Who, Counting Crows, The Cranberries, Ziggy Marley, G Love, Arrested Development and Eddie Grant among others. Having spent a decade in Australia he returned to NZ two years ago. His clients from across Australasia include Tash Sultana, Pierce Brothers, Dallas Frasca, Gold Class, Graeme James, Aeroplane Music Services and Kane Strang.

Email: Dan@tc.legal

Niko Ne Zna

Food For The Dancing Soul A quick Google will tell you that there are as many basic recipes for borsch as there are past and present members of Wellington brass act Niko Ne Zna. Actually far more, even though the capital’s self-titled ’renegade brass bandits’ differ year on year and currently number nine. Charlotte Crone talked with one of the few constants, originator, band manager and soprano saxophone specialist Frankie Curac, ahead of the release of ’Babushka’s Borsch’, his eclectic band’s appetisingly-framed second album.

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iko Ne Zna,the name ofWellington-based Balkan brass band, translates in Croatian to ’nobody knows’.

“Because nobody knows...”, enigmatically explains Frankie Curac, leader and manager of the 9-piece band, who can legitimately claim the language with his own first generation Croatian-Ukrainian heritage.

“When we first started out, one of the main chorus lines was that phrase ’niko ne zna’ and when we were thinking of a band name it kind of stuck.”

His enthusiasm of the culture and musical traditions of the Balkan peninsula in Eastern Europe is shared by the whole band, regardless of where the members come from. The band is made up of a handful of cultures, some from the diverse peninsula, but also British to Japanese-Kiwi. Lead singer and percussionist Nikkie Rich who is originally from USA, sings in several different languages from the area – Greek, Romani-Gypsy, English and Serbo-Croatian.

“The thing is that it’s party music and when you’ve got that party vibe it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. People can hear it and feel it,” muses Frankie.

He remembers hearing the Balkan musical style in the late 1990s from the exposure in the work of Serbian film director Emir Kusturica (Black Cat White Cat, Underground), which heavily features brass bands. The likes of Romania’s Fanfare Ciocalia, legends of Gypsy brass, have recorded and performed a lot of music from the area since the early ’90s.

Ten years ago, when the colourful Wellington band got together for the first time to play, it was as part of a theatre show, the original members having theatrical backgrounds. After the final curtain went down the band felt inspired to keep on playing the songs and started weekly jam sessions.

“It was like a free-for-all, lots of people would come and join. Someone asked us to do a gig and it was crazy instrumentation. I think there were like four drummers and five soprano saxophones, it was crazy. Since then it has evolved and the current band has been pretty solid for the last five years and we’ve gone from strength to strength. It’s kind of an evolution, it started with a drum kit and upright bass but it’s evolved into a traditional brass band.”

The currently regular structure includes nine members: Frankie Curac (saxophone/vocals and band manager); Nikkie Rich (vocals/percussion); Ben Hunt and Daniel Windsor on trumpet; Gareth Thompson-Darling (bass trombone); Kaito Walley (tenor trombone); Simon Grove (sousaphone); Darryn Sigley (snare drum/vocals) and Dayle Jellyman banging the bass drum.

Unsurprisingly the members come from a diverse variety of musical backgrounds, a few strongly rooted in the jazz realm, and everyone contributes to the writing to make the majority of their repertoire original songs. Nikkie praises the collaborative nature of the band.

“The guys are super, super multi-talented! It keeps it fresh as well. Somebody comes along and says, ’Hey, I’ve got the start of a song, what

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do ya reckon?’”

From raucous sing-and shout-alongs about soup as with Babushka’s Borsch, (the title track from the imminent album of the same name), to instrumental numbers with trickster odd-time signatures that keep dancers on their toes, like Falafel Fiesta from their 2013 album ’Renegade Brass Bandits’. Gankino provides an example of the band’s interpretation of a traditional folk piece, recorded countless times around the world and apparently a ’right of passage’ for any band attempting the style.

Niko Ne Zna have becoming festival veterans around NZ and recently enjoyed a trip to Australia to perform their choreographed show at the Castlemaine State Festival.

“It was in an old theatre, similar to the old Harbourlight [Lyttelton] but much bigger – it was just packed!” describes Frankie. “We also played in a little place in Melbourne called Open Studio. That was in Northcote and jammed to the rafters, completely packed. That was a different vibe, but it was also fantastic playing on the floor with everyone. It was our first time in Australia, everyone was buzzing!”

Recorded by James Goldsmith at Blue Barn Studio in Wellington ’Babushka’s Borsch’ is the band’s second album. Frankie explains a bit behind their process for recording a nine-piece brass party band and capturing the bombastic live atmosphere.

“We really wanted to get the vibe of the band playing together. Originally when we were thinking about it, whether we should do individual tracks and layer them, we felt that would take away from the feel of the music, so we all played in one room with partitions, separating as best we could and then took the best takes. We rehearsed a lot and put a lot of PJLSP9pP"Y3SO

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David Dallas

Under The Hood Running hard off the back of his Platinum-selling single Runnin’ and its Gold-charting follow up The Wire, David Dallas had a 2014 to remember. His third album ‘Falling Into Place’ earned him three accolades at the Pacific Music Awards, including Best Male Artist. Following that he got to open the NZ Music Awards ceremony, where he also won two Tuis, one for being judged Best Male Solo Artist and another for the Best Urban / Hip Hop Album. In the years since though he has kept an unusually low profile. Jack Woodbury talked with Dallas about his next step, the newly released ‘Hood Country Club’ album.

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bviously to the public I’ve been gone for ages. But, in my head, I’m like, ‘Nah, I’ve been doing heaps of shit’. It’s just no one’s heard it!’’ laughs David Dallas.

“Once ‘Falling Into Place’ was done, I didn’t take much time to stop. I sort of went back into it as far as writing, and then, obviously no one heard that stuff… I think a lot of it is moodier, darker.”

Dallas’ latest labour of love, ‘Hood Country Club’ was finally liberated late-April. It’s been four years since the Papatoetoe-raised rapper released his last project, and a lot has happened since.

“I got married in 2015, and not long after we put out ‘Falling Into Place’ my father passed away. To be honest, that’s not why it took that long, it just did… A good portion of the album would have been coming out sort of around the time I put out Don’t Rate That, which was late 2015. The album wasn’t far off then, but just the rest of the stuff. It took a long time to put out the last 10%.”

‘Hood Country Club’ sports three singles including Fit In, which sees the Auckland-based rapper condemn peers who sacrifice their authenticity for commercial success. Production for the single was by Melbourne-based Styalz Fuego and Nic M, with added vocals from British newcomer Laurent John. Over a summery beat and catchy dance hook, Dallas blends warm rhythms and timbres with a cold delivery. ‘Sitting on Pitchfork tryn’a figure out / what’s good, what’s hot / showing off to your friends like you’re top notch / last year man you were into pop rock / saying that Drake is a soft-cock / now you at his show with a top-knot.’

Don’t Flinch analyses this sentiment from an alternate angle, focused on a character who criticises Dallas for his pursuit of artistry: ‘Fuck this underground shit, start selling out / fuck this money ‘cause you never know what’s round the corner / fuck being cool, cool doesn’t feed your daughter.’

“Don’t Flinch has kind of amalgamated three stories into one… the majority of that is conversations I’ve had with my friends,” Dallas explains.

“Prior to me doing ‘The Rose Tint’ and Runnin’, and having commercial

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success, they’d be like, ‘Yo man, you’re a good rapper man, who gives a fuck about trying to be cool… like fuck, you need to be on the radio man, make a Pitbull song.’

“My friends with regular jobs, who have got regular lives, they’re just like, ‘Man, you’re struggling out here… To people who don’t care so much, or people who have real life issues like putting food on the table or paying the rent, with the artistic side of music they’re like, ‘Who cares?’’’

Don’t Rate That also shows up on the new album, alongside the previously released Life Is Pt. 2. While Fit In features potently-danceable steel drums, Don’t Rate That is all hardened trap, with skittering hi-hats and sub-bass. It’s demonstrative of the album’s varied sound, more centred on Dallas’ vocals than instrumental consistency. In Don’t Rate That Dallas is also at his most political: ‘Sick of hearing how you hate that / they buying everything that ain’t tax / blame it on the Chinese / say it's foreign buyers / but if a Brit buys up / you don’t bat an eyelid.’

“The Don’t Rate That that people hear is like, the second or third

“You go through phases where you just want to be the best rapper, and you don’t really care about much else.” iteration of that song,’ Dallas admits reinforcing that the recording of ‘Hood Country Club’ in Auckland’s Red Bull Studios over the past few years has been a taxing process. Among other personal challenges reflected in the 13-track effort, Dallas aimed to sharpen his rapping.

“I think I put more focus on the verses. Not to say that I was fucking around with my verses in the past… but you go through phases where you just want to be the best rapper, and you don’t really care about much

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else. It wasn’t necessarily just about kicking the hardest bars, or having a cool flow. With this one, after the last album, I’ve got my head around songwriting… even with the verses I wanted that same focus that I had when I started.”

The album title is also a departure.

In acknowledging his own success Dallas is swift to point to the general quality of NZ music.

“There’s so much music in this country that I’m like, ‘If this was made by an American artist this would be fucking huge.’ All it comes down to, when you’re from a place like this, is tryn’a

/ sold a couple shows out / we ain’t gonna change up a bit / just being famous for nothing ain’t shit / man we made a name off of this!’

Runnin’ has by now been viewed close to four million times on Youtube. Though it’s been a long four years, David Dallas is back.

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“All it comes down to, when you’re from a place like this, is tryn’a align yourselves with the right people… You make stuff that’s outstanding, or stands out some way.”

“With my previous albums I had the album title before I started the record. This one I didn’t have a title, it was gonna be something else until super late in the piece. My friend was talking about starting a clothing company.

He’s pretty much my best mate. And he was describing what he wanted to do with his clothing company… I was like, ‘What sort of shit are you tryn’a make?’ And he was like, ‘You know.’ And I was like ‘You wanna make stuff that’s kind’a like country club-ish, but hood, still street?’ And he was just like, ‘Yeah!’ And I was like, ‘hood country club stuff.’ And I remember when I said that I thought that’d be a cool title for a song.”

Soon after Dallas had a new track recorded.

“When I played my wife the song… she was like, ‘Yeah, cool song… it has to go on the album.’ And then she was like,‘What’s the album title?’ And it was something else, something more generic. She was like, ‘That should be your album title!’”

Not only instrumental in that decision, wife Lani is now a crucial part of his quality control.

“She’s pretty much my first sounding board for anything. I’d play it to her and see what she thinks… If I was to play it to my boys or something, I feel like they’re still gonna try and sugar coat it, they don’t wanna say shit.

Whereas, my wife is gonna be like, ‘Nah, this is wack!’… I can generally gauge how something is from her.”

Following the album’s completion, Dallas took a Chinese vacation, visiting Beijing and Shanghai.

“I’ve never seen scale like in China… you go to a residential area and see the biggest residential block you’ve seen in your life. It’s another one that put things into perspective.

“I took a trip to Japan in 2007, with my mate Nick [Maclaren], he was the other half of Frontline… that was my first trip where I realised I enjoyed travel, and that trip – spending two weeks in Tokyo – kind of opened my eyes to, ‘Oh, you don’t necessarily have to be Adele or something to have a career in music.’”

Despite being arguably less popular than Adele, Dallas is generally regarded as one of this country’s premium hip hop exports. As someone who has gained a genuine commercial foothold overseas he’s a rarity.

“The world’s smaller than ever now, because of the Internet. Everyone can see anything. The distribution barrier’s gone, but now it’s just tryn’a overcome… there’s just so much noise, so much content out there.”

align yourselves with the right people… You make stuff that’s outstanding, or stands out some way. Whether it’s the music, whether it’s your story, whether it’s the visual. Preferably, it’s all of those things.’

Made A Name ends his fourth album with the lyrics, ‘Made the people back home proud

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alu Brigada is quite literally a band of brothers – comprising three Beasley brothers and one close friend. Henry Beasley owns lead guitar and vocals, with brothers Pierre manning the keyboard and Charles on drums. Their friendship with Guy Harrison (bass and vocals) dates back years.

“The first couple of gigs we did just as a three-piece because our youngest brother Pierre was 15, so we couldn’t really get him into bars,” laughs Henry. “When he got old enough to be able to slip through the cracks, we started playing as a four piece.”

Having a band with your brothers makes for an interesting dynamic.

“It’s definitely positive in the sense that I often band lead and it’s usually taken quite well,” Henry reckons. “At the end of the day it means we can be more brutal.”

So far, the four have released just two well-received singles, Weekend and Ricochet.

“Those two singles are probably the poppiest of our tracks and what

I see as an introduction to Balu Brigada. Weekend is about my friend who got pregnant unexpectedly at a young age. That song is kind of me wishing that I could’ve been more helpful, which is the idea of, ‘Hey you could stay at my house for the weekend while I help you sort things out.’

“People are often surprised because its quite an upbeat kind of song so it sounds like it could be about having a shawty over at your crib,” laughs Henry. “But it’s actually a personal little anecdote.”

Having studied pop at the University of Auckland (alongside classmate Amelia Murray), Henry draws inspiration from a range of artists.

“From Tame Impala to Tyler, The Creator and a whole range of genres in between. I grew up as an indie rocker kind of dude listening to Kings of Leon, the Chilies, Nirvana and Muse all those kinds of classic things.

“Then along the way I discovered the Gorillaz, who kind of mixed alt-rock and hip hop elements, which is a mix core to Balu Brigada’s own sound. I think Frank Ocean and Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) are just amazing artists. You can just tell that they’ve put so much into it rather than it being a external force telling them to do this.”

Closer to home it’s acts such as Nikolai, dbldbl, Siobhan Leilani and Yoko-Zuna that have captured Henry’s attention. He wrote and produced most of the music, the process of making, re-making and refining demos a key part of his process, before the songs get fleshed out with the band.

“I’ll listen to a demo like 76 times, and if I can listen to it 76 times in a row I’ll make another demo. Some of my favourite times on earth are when I’m in my car, I’m enjoying the demo and I’ve got a coffee in my hand.”

With a third single dropping in April Balu Brigada are working towards an EP release in June before jumping on tour.

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Auckland-born, Bryony Matthews has been a singer and writer all her life. Still it required leaving her home turf to find the confidence to perform the lyric-based alternative-folk music she’d been writing since her teens.

Naturally shy of the spotlight, Matthews put her inhibitions aside after travelling through London. Sitting in on local gigs, she realised just how much the Kiwi “tall poppy syndrome” had an effected her without her realising it.

“It kind’a struck me how everyone was doing it. Whether they were good or bad, everyone was just doing it, and I realised I’d been holding back.”

Returning to NZ Matthews started making music and the connections that since led her to form her now band. New single Alexander heralds her upcoming album ‘Little Queen’. Inspired by the relationship she’s currently in, Alexander proved easy to write.

“Most of my music is about love or heartbreak,” she laughs. “It’s the

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happiest song on the album and it’s about finding love that is pure and balanced and healthy and growing together in these ways... my classic love song!”

Her album is a happy concoction of vocal harmonies and guitar licks.

Stand out track Gypsy Prince displays Matthews’ vocal prowess and writing at its best. The song was came during her trip of self-discovery.

“That one I wrote in London, hanging out with these musicians. There’s a lot of Gypsy-ish, folk influences and it was written about one of those musicians.”

While ‘Little Queen’ is built up with layers of harmonies, Matthews says her live performances are stripped down and intimate.

“A recorded sound should represent your live sound, but it is a different experience and I my live sound is simpler.”

Her recent festival performance at Christchurch’s Nostalgia proved testament, drawing listeners into a singular, almost-holy, vocal performance.

Studying music at a tertiary level has helped give her the musical collaborations she needed to form her sound.

“I guess it comes from travelling, the lack of roots, but studying at Unitec and MAINZ put me in touch with musicians who’ve had a huge influence on my sound now.”

The album includes the talents of drummer AJ Park and guitarist Adam Hattaway. It has been produced by Dictaphone Blues’ frontman Eddie Castelow, who played a big role in the sound of the album.

“He added so much instrumentation, it’s turned it into its own entity now… I’m so proud of the collaboration, it’s not just my album anymore.”

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amilton grunge/ pop trio-turnedduo Cheshire Grimm are no strangers to adapting to challenges.

With a new EP just landed and guitarist Lora Thompson now based in Melbourne, while bass playing vocalist Kat Waswo is still in Hamilton, the pair have plenty to deal with.

Despite the evident logistical challenges both enthusiasm and productivity seem to have been at a high point for their band.

“When we do get together, we clear our schedules and we are really productive,” Thompson explains.

One upside of having a trans-Tasman membership is that Cheshire Grimm has made solid in roads into the Australian live scene. The Melbourne scene offers an abundance of venues to play, most within an hour’s drive of Thompson’s home.

Excitement about the new EP, ‘Rain Or Shine’, is evident. Pre-production at Hamilton’s Mordecai Records helped craft the songs into a final form that exudes a new level of confidence and polish. The five tracks were recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, under the watchful eyes of engineer Paul Lawrence and experienced producer Ben King. Utilising the studio’s natural ambience as well as the pure sound of a Rickenbacker

bass and Orange guitar amps, is all part of the planning that went into the final product.

“We were very lucky with this one. Getting into Roundhead for the first time and working with Ben King was really good for us,” Thompson enthuses.

The EP shimmers with class and confidence, and highlights the growth of the band’s sound since their formation in mid 2012. With their roots in ’90s grunge, Cheshire Grimm’s enthusiasm to tour has paid dividends resulting in live bills with a range of bands, and this is evident in the band’s invigorated recording performance.

“We’ve been lucky to be on festivals with bands such as Ladi 6, Kora and MC Tali. We also performed with Brendon Thomas & The Vibes who were really original sounding,” Thompson elaborates. “We’ve steered away from the straight grunge sound and gone for a more psychedelic sound.”

Vocalist and lyricist Kat Waswo’s pregnancy with her second child in 2013 was compounded with her having to undergo reconstructive surgery on her wrist, and drummer Dan Yarranton’s resignation.

“We have been through many auditions for drummers and trained three bassists to fill in during 2016. It’s been incredibly exhausting, but through the hard times it’s also been amazingly rewarding,” Waswo reflects on the band’s recent challenges.

Drummer Sam Holdom from Auckland band Skinny Hobos and local Hamilton bass player Dan Reese have been welcomed into the group as live performing members. The road out of the Waikato has been far from straight, but Waswo and Thompson’s approach to their band is nothing short of passionate and professional.

“We are not a gimmick, we are just doing our thing,” Waswo states before Lora Thompson closes with, “Don’t give up, females can do anything!”

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Élan Vital

Dunedin electronic trio Élan Vital make synth-based music that washes all around you in the manner of the waves at St Kilda on a post dance party Sunday. Occasionally the water is calm and warmly familiar, sometimes it sweeps you to a place of future clarity far beyond, or equally perhaps the anxious confusion of a malevolent rip, while at others you are sucked and tumbled right back onto that ’80s/’90s dance floor. Quippy commentators have tagged it ‘gothtronica’ which may help, but, as Vital-ists 2ENEE "ARRANCE, $ANNY "RADY and .IKOLAI 3IM advise NZM’s !MANDA -ILLS, that is not a beach towel they choose to lie on.

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lan Vital are a new name on the local electronica scene, but not so new in Dunedin, where they have been stealthily working on their debut album, a collection of darkwave synth-based dance-pop. Élan Vital’s three members – Renee Barrance (keys/synths/ vocals), Danny Brady (vocals/drum machines/ programming) and Nikolai Sim (bass) – have been familiar faces in the local underground scene, and ‘Shadow Self’ is their first recorded statement as a trio.

All three have a musical history, with instruments and music lessons being a staple of their upbringing. Sim started playing music around the age of 13.

“My dad always had lots of instruments… folk instruments, like bouzoukis and mandolins and guitars. I guess at a certain point I got interested.”

Barrance has a similar tale, starting around the age of 10.

“There was a piano at my grandparents’ house and they kindly paid for piano lessons for four or five years.”

Brady describes himself more like a failed guitarist, saying he was always getting guitar lessons at a young age, but never really stuck to it. However, one guitar teacher, Matty Warmington, opened his eyes to production and sound manipulation.

“He was like, ‘Here’s a four-track, this is how we record a song. We find anything that’s lying around and start banging on a banjo… Let’s

make a song and record it.’ Then I decided that’s what I need, a four-track.”

Each are Dunedinites by choice rather than birth. Sim has lived there since childhood, while Aucklander Barrance and Wellingtonian Brady (who met and bonded earlier in their careers) both moved south after returning from Berlin at different times.

“I came to Dunedin straight after Berlin,” Brady explains. “I felt like I had a strong support network of friends… it was different and a change.”

Barrance’s motivations for moving were partially financial, and she arrived in Dunedin’s None Gallery mid-2015. Brady lived there too and before long Élan Vital was born.

“We started jamming, and then realised it would be great to have bass. So Nikolai joined.”

Their first gig as a trio was in August 2015, and they soon signed to Dunedin’s Fishrider Records.

élan vital – which is ‘life force’ in French. It just resonated… we were doing electronic music, but… we had this human element within it.”

The album title, ‘Shadow Self’, follows on from this.

“Some of it is personal lyrical content, and I guess some of the material is subconscious, coming from dreams and nightmares,” Barrance muses. “Unknowingly, it turns out that ‘shadow self’ is a Carl Jungian term, but we didn’t know that when we coined the title. It also had for me some horror movie references as well, and I’m a big fan of John Carpenter, that kind of stuff, so it… just seemed right.”

A cursory reading of the Jungian concept resonates: the shadow aspect, or shadow self, refers to dark and unknown parts of the personality, which are in contrast to conscious ego or personality.

Stylistic buzzwords appear around the group when describing their approach – ’60s

“We might have Goth influences, but our sound is always shifting… we wouldn’t categorise ourselves within any genre, except we’re into dance music… and we play electronic instruments.” – Renee Barrance

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Barrance reveals the story behind the unlikely choice of name.

“There was a book kicking around None Gallery called Poetics of Space which mentioned a philosopher, Henri Bergson, and his theory of

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garage rock, European synth pop, analogue drum machines, dystopian sci-fi, dream-pop, industrial – all play a part in creating an image of the band. However they all dislike the ‘gothtronica’ tag.

“I’ve never liked that term, because I feel it’s somewhat redundant,” Sim snorts. “I don’t feel like at any point did goths not use electronic instruments, like the synthesiser, keyboards…

Maybe our sound has a Gothic feel to it, but it’s not goth.”

“Also we’re not a goth band!” Barrance laughs. “We might have goth influences, but our sound is always shifting, and taking on a variety… We wouldn’t categorise ourselves

The songs are inspired by a variation of themes. Albtraum (German for nightmare) refers to nightmares and sleep paralysis, while Dreams is darker, part love song, part break-up song. Posession is inspired by the 1984 Sam Neil film, others are less personal.

“Another would be like a hologram, it’s kind of this ’80s, sci-fi sound, you can’t even hear what I’m singing about, because we’re using a vocoder, but I’m actually just talking… as if I’m reading a list about how scientists made holograms.”

That song is Janina, the first track they made a promo video for. A stylish noir short, it was made by Erica Sklenars at None Gallery, and featured styling by former Dunedin fashion designer Julia Palm.

“We actually solidified the way we play that song the day we recorded it, because it was always tough,” admits Sim. “I felt the bassline needed to walk rather than be kind of steady.”

The trio see ‘Shadow Self’ as representative of their diversity, even recording some of their own samples, for instance ocean sounds in Janina that were captured at Tunnel Beach.

“The trains at the beginning… me and Danny sat round Port Chalmers for hours and hours, drinking red wine and waiting for this train. As we got back we saw a train go past,” he laughs.

This authenticity speaks to the band’s aesthetic, and to the human element of their sound.

“You can get the ocean noise perfect, you can get those drums, you can pitch your voice to be on every note… but we’re a band, and we don’t always play perfectly in time, we don’t always sing perfectly,” Sim notes.

“Those imperfections… show we are human, because we aren’t all perfect,” Brady reiterates. Élan Vital are cementing their place in Dunedin’s music scene, and the buzz around ‘Shadow Self’ leaves them happy, though a little bemused about their unofficial status as the city’s ‘next big thing’. However they are still developing their fan base.

“I personally find it awesome to play to new audiences, because we just play to a similar audience, like our friends’ bands,” Barrance smiles. With a tour to follow their late April album release gig the trio are hoping that they will attract new audiences, though Sim reckons that isn’t their end game.

“There’s no real audience to try and capture, you’re just making music… because that’s what you’re doing.”

‘Shadow Self’ is spectral, often chilling, dark sci-fi electronica, thematically dealing with subconscious thought and dream-states. within any genre, except we’re into dance music – and we play electronic instruments.”

The discussion on their sound brings up other interesting perspectives.

“I like… this idea of hauntology, this idea of the future being haunted by a past that never existed,” Sim enthuses. “This idea that we might potentially sound like the past’s vision of the future, kind of this retro-futuristic sound.” Élan Vital have developed their sound and the songs on new instruments over the last year and a half, as Barrance explains.

“When we recorded the album… I was using a couple of ’80s synthesisers [notably a Korg Poly-800] that we no longer use when we play live.”

Because of such equipment changes, Barrance agrees they won’t entirely sound the same as they did during their early days, but the tonalities and the bones of the songs remain.

Their music’s fluidity means they aren’t locked into one particular genre, another reason they object to tags.

“We don’t have one specific genre, that’s why I object to Gothtronica!” Barrance enthuses.

“I’m a keyboard player, I used to play in garage bands, so I’m really inspired by garage music. So for listeners, if we were just to isolate the keys, they’d be like, ‘That’s a garage keyboard riff’!”

‘Shadow Self’ was compiled over the last 18 months since the band’s inception, with tracks recorded at None Gallery in February last year. The band wrote the songs together, with production by Brady and mastering handled by Dunedin legend Forbes Williams.

“A lot of that was written pretty quickly, because Renee and Danny had a show booked before before they had got a live set,” Sim explains. “It became more a live set when I joined... it’s a snapshot of a certain time, because we were still quite fresh.”

Their music has enjoyed some local success, Dreams taking the top spot in Radio One’s Top 11 for five weeks.

‘Shadow Self’ is spectral, often chilling, dark sci-fi electronica, thematically dealing with subconscious thought and dream-states. The album’s sound is also something left-field.

“The way Danny’s mixed it, he’s done an awesome job, but it’s like pretty crazy at points.

The way it uses the stereo spectrum, the vocals are all through, all left and right,” Sim explains.

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Y GBDUPSZ Green Light – Lorde

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t must be challenging for any artist to follow up a successful debut album, let alone a Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum single like Royals.

Prior to the release of Green Light Lorde discussed how she was looking to project her writing differently to reflect a shift to adulthood, whilst retaining her maverick authenticity.

Where Royals may have been a perceptive commentary countering the perennial teen focus on acquiring status and celebrity, Green Light seems on the surface to build a narrative around what might happen when you actually attain some form of nobility. “I realised this is that drunk girl at the party dancing around crying about her ex-boyfriend who everyone thinks is a mess.That’s her tonight, and tomorrow she starts to rebuild,� Lorde has said of her sophomore album’s first single.

Where the ‘Pure Heroine’ era deftly constructed its most powerful moments around cool mid-tempo trappish beats (Royals - 85bpm, Tennis Court - 95bpm, Yellow Flicker Beat - 95bpm, Team - 100bpm), this new single ratchets up the pulse to a scalding 129bpm.

You might not get that speedy impression when first hearing the track since it begins with sparse measure-length piano chords, beginning in the relative minor F#m, followed

by A and D triads. On their own the three-chord progression’s key centre would remain ambiguous were it not for the initial two-note melody oscillating between tonic and leading tone a semitone below.

This uncertainty arises because the chord construction alone would only provide an incomplete note set of five separate pitches; A, C#, D, E, F#. The audience however, requires additional information about the quality of the missing pitch classes to envisage a full seven-note scale, namely the missing G and B. At the very least we need to know whether G is natural or sharp – only then can we aurally pinpoint what the home chord is.

G natural would complete the likely Ionian scale of D major, DEF#GA(B)C# (the Ionian mode is what we find most appealing in the Western harmonic tradition), while a G# would tune our ear to understand that the arrangement of tones and semitones presented in the opening phrases correspond to a different Ionian mode, that of A major, A(B)C#DEF#G#.

Why all this fuss over key centre? Composers utilise the placement of the ‘one chord’ to invite listeners to feel stability at certain points within a song. Instability arises when we are presented by harmonic choices that pull us away from home. Good composers often leverage these feelings by toying with the seductive quality of the tonic chord, playing games of trick-or-treat with its deployment.

Green Light does this cleverly and conclusively, framing A as the key centre by introducing an E chord at the start of the pre-chorus, completing our seven note Ionian A scale. It then dives headlong into what becomes the ’90s-dance-house chorus by introducing a non-diatonic bVII (G chord) borrowed from the

with Godfrey De Grut close neighbour key signature of D. It’s both a startling harmonic shift and coincides superbly with a gear shift in rhythmic density.

The piano-driven harmony utilises a tried and true dotted rhythm to subdivide the measure more acutely (intentionally badly notated for effect as consecutive dotted quavers in the boxed measure below), which provides a heightened feeling of tempo increase. The rhythm itself is actually the fourth ‘mode’ of a Latin bossa clave, which means they are displacing the start of the traditional rhythm to begin on the fourth strike of the usual 2-3 grouping.

This section may at first listen seem like some poorly positioned second pre-chorus concept, but conceptually the arc of the chorus needs a little more time to become gloriously apparent. Within eight measures Lorde has wound her way up from her growly low register to her pure bell tones higher up, engaging a deliciously sweet major 7th F# against the G chord when she sings “’cause honey I’ll come get my things but I can’t let go�.

The new harmonic phrase underlying what soon becomes an expansive call and response section between Lorde and a heavily reverbed gang vocal, “I’m waiting for it, that green light, I want it,� has shifted the chordal colouring to reflect an A mixolydian vibe with a double plagal cadence (bVII – IV – I) resolving to A. To me it feels like she really is taking us to church on this one. There is an abandon in this tune that was not so apparent in more constrained earlier works like Royals. It’s not just the dance vibe and the high tempo either. Lyrically she seems to be presenting a more honest reflection of herself. Instead of playing smart word games and burying her persona behind a mythic ‘team’ of likeminded confederate teenagers she seems to be laying it bare in a more stream of consciousness delivery.

Her melody is less boxed with more opportunity to invite choices of asymmetrical phrasing that even twists around a seemingly playful nautical theme early on (beach, great whites, teeth, bite). Don’t get me wrong, the production is still super slick but to my ear it seems she’s somehow gotten down and dirty (a tad), deftly developing a new approach to communicate musically in a more plebeian manner. It’s a new era and this Green Light, like others around us, simply signifies an instruction to move forward with things.

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

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Dorico is the next-generation scoring application from Steinberg, with a whole new way of working with music notation. Built from the ground up by musicians for musicians, Dorico is like having an intelligent assistant by your side.

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Clap Clap Riot

‘Dull Life’ – hardly an inspirational kind of album title you might think, but then again ‘Parklife’ did Blur no harm back in the mid ’90s. Clap Clap Riot have a strong history of enigmatic release titles. There’s 2008’s introductory EP ‘TV Knows Better’, ‘Counting Spins’ their pop-rockin’ debut album, and then its determinedly indie rock follow up ‘Nobody/Everybody’. Those albums were rather like two sides of a musical coin, the band apparently searching for a best-fitting pocket.

As the core songwriting duo of Stephen Heard and Dave Rowlands tell Richard Thorne, the idea of writing (and mixing) their music for commercial success somehow just doesn’t sit well with them. They’re happier doing it for themselves.

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lap Clap Riot’s 2012 album debut (‘Counting Spins’, produced

by Andrew Buckton) was a regular pop express, stacked with commercial radio singles that lent the three-piece considerable momentum. Their ‘difficult second album’ turned out to indeed be difficult – for airplay at least – the ratio of radio hits to album tracks inverted.

Perhaps seeking critical rather than repeat popular success, ‘Nobody/ Everybody’ was deliberately way more indie rock in nature. Previously too mainstream for alternative radio, mainstream radio found their Kody Nielson-produced new music too alternative. Others may have considered it a mistake, but for Stephen Heard and Dave Rowlands, the band’s songwriting core, it was a deliberate move.

“I think that if we had wanted to make a more financially stable version of the band we know what we should have done,” says Rowlands.

‘Counting Spins’, had a lot of mainstream success on rock radio and we knew that if we wanted to continue that success we needed to follow that up with a similar sounding album.”

“But we decided to go the complete opposite basically,” adds Heard, before Rowlands continues.

“It wasn’t because we decided to make a flip turn for that second album we did with Kody, it was that mix-wise the first record wasn’t an accurate reflection of what we are. We still love the songs, but it was lot bigger than we had anticipated the record to be. It’s not a producer fault, we were part of that process, but we didn’t realise the certain directions it would push us in – and where it would place us.

“The second album is actually closer to our first EP, it’s really the first album that’s the odd one out. If we had wanted to build the band and make money off it we could have mixed all the records in a particular way.

Rock radio and pop radio are after something very special in terms of the mixes they like to hear. ” The title they’ve given their third independently released album, ‘Dull Life’, seems to speak volumes. Well it might if they were somehow dissing themselves, but they’re not. Dull Life is also the track on the album that

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both songwriters identify as being their favourite.

“It’s the most different song we have ever written and it came so easily,” explains frontman/guitarist Heard. “And I think it’s a solid song.”

Across all three albums it stands out because of Heard’s unusual vocal approach. The mostly dawdling track reveals a completely different low register of his voice, one even he didn’t know he had.

“Usually I’m up quite high – a wee bit shouty, really raw – but that one’s definitely honed back to a completely different spot that that I’ve never sung in before.”

Then there’s the song’s lyrical content: ‘Those fantasies might help you out, but reality is bearing down. I think this dull life’s here to stay. Spending my weeks stuck on repeat. It’s another wasted year once again…’

The pair work closely in songsmithing, in this case taking a verse each while penning the chorus together.

“Dave and I shared the lyric writing and so it has two different angles as I see it,” says Heard.“My angle is a situation I was once in where a person I lived with just struggled with living basically. My observations about that worked really well with what Dave put into verse two.”

“My take was similar, but my vision was that you see friends getting into a miserable rut in their lives, where they once followed some sort of passion they used to have,” Rowlands takes over. “At some point they settle and just get on this mundane path and you realise that’s going to be them for the next 20 years. It’s sad to watch as an outsider sometimes.

A lot of people have a great creative talent for instance, but that talent becomes obsolete because they are in some job that pays them better and is a more stable situation. A lot of people do have to make that sort of decision at some point of their lives.”

So has Clap Clap Riot avoided that?

“We all have jobs, but we are all still working on that balance,” Rowlands accepts.“It’s harder now than it was when you were younger because your focus then was more on the band, not stability of your job.”

“Yeah, back then you were just living in the moment, not planning ahead,” agrees Heard. “What Dave was saying about that slump, I’m working full time now and I haven’t written a song since this album was recorded – so I could see me falling into that situation myself. You have to fight against it. So I think it’s quite relatable to us and to others as well.”

With that in mind they chose to give their new album the song’s name.

“It seemed to fit the general theme,” expands Rowlands. “There were a lot of running themes through the record that were along those lines.

Lyrically a lot of the songs deal with growing up and getting older and things that come from that. There are songs that go [differ] from that but it was a prevalent thing I was thinking about at the time.”

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Almost a decade on from their EP debut, recent times have seen Clap Clap Riot playing more all ages gigs than R18 performances, in Auckland at least. That run started after they were asked to play support for The 1975 a few years ago, as Rowlands recalls.

“Normally you assume nobody will pay attention to you – and 99% of the time that’s what happens. We didn’t even know who The 1975 were at that stage, but after just our first song the crowd were in a complete frenzy! I remember being quite shocked, two or three songs in, waiting for it all to simmer down, but it never did.”

“Even walking out on stage these teenagers were going mental,” chimes in Heard. “Some were fainting and needed to be dragged out by the paramedics. It was pretty weird! The bum out thing though was that after that concert we still had to load all our gear into our cars, past all these kids. So we looked quite a lot less cool than we had on stage!”

They figured then that if Clap Clap Riot were ever going to do an all ages gig it should be soon. A month or so later they all but sold out the Old Folks Association hall in Newton.

“There was sweat running down the walls and it was just an awesome show,” Heard laughs.

The band’s online profile exploded after The 1975 gig, but the pair are adamant the newfound teenage fandom didn’t have any impact on their songwriting. As Rowlands explains it they just write songs, there’s no thought about who it will be going out to.

“We always just try to write as good as we can.

We do things that we think will push ourselves as opposed to anything else. I feel like we are growing up and expanding as we go. Definitely maturing and we’re pushing ourselves.”

History attests that they’ve been unafraid to try a new producer with each recording. This time it’s Auckland musician/producer Tom Healy who gets production and mixing credits.

“We met with him early in the process and he just seemed like the right fit,” says Rowlands of the choice. “There’s a lot of diversity in the stuff he’s produced. Stuff like Tiny Ruins is really organic, but he can also do this mega pop thing. He does what he thinks is catering to that band, whereas some producers always produce music that sounds like that producer.

“We both really liked the Popstrangers’ and Salad Boys’ albums he produced as well,” Heard adds. “Both are really good sounding albums.”

Their brief to Healy included an extensive playlist dominated by ’60s and ‘70s tracks – The Byrds, The Clash, Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, William Onyeabor for melodies, some solo Paul McCartney for mix notes.

“We wanted something between our last album and something more produced and shiny,” Rowlands explains. “Alex did a lot of drumming without a skin on the bottom of the toms, a very ’70s sound. We really thought about every track as its own thing, as opposed to one drum sound for the whole record.”

Early last year the band spent five days in The Lab recording the bones of the album’s 11 tracks, returning over following months to add or redo individual parts with Healy.

Recording and mixing wasn’t finished until

May, quite a drawn out process as Heard points out, especially considering their last one was completely recorded in four days.

“People think you can just record an album and release it but you can’t,” Rowlands continues. “The more moving parts involved the longer it takes. There are five of us in the band now [Alex Freer has settled in as the band’s drummer and Anthony Metcalf, formerly of Glass Owls, has joined on keys] so getting those overdubs right needed some ironing out.

With mixing you want to listen to it, then give it at least a week and listen again, then make the call about adjustments. You don’t know how many adjustments you might need.”

Mastering in the US added further delays, disappointing results from the first engineer necessitating a rethink.

“Mastering is normally pretty straightforward and this is the first time we’ve felt it wasn’t right,” says Rowlands. “We had a couple

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of cracks with that first guy before deciding that it wasn’t going to get to where we wanted it to. So then we went to LCM Mastering and the first master from Jared Hirshland was good.”

There are no plans for a CD release – ‘Dull Life’ will be available as digital and vinyl only. As always the new album has some great singalong tracks, however first single Help Me, didn’t bother the charts when released last August.

By now though these guys are pragmatic and accepting. They’ve seen their songs slumber for six months before taking off at radio (Moss Haired Girl and Everyone’s Asleep), and equally have others like Sweet Patricia that, despite getting little radio play, are sung word-for-word by enthusiastic fans at every gig. Life may sometimes be dull, but they have come to know that in the music business it is never predictable.

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Sonic Delusion New Plymouth library might not be the most rock and roll of settings but according to Alastair Ross it provided an ideal location to chat to a relaxed and enthusiastic Andre Manella (aka Sonic Delusion) about his (band’s) latest album, a jauntily diverse, sometimes serious, sometimes flippant excursion titled ‘This Material World’.

S

onic Delusion’s first album ‘+OR-’ was released in 2012. A small cast of rotating band members has orbited around Andre Manella since. As he explains it was a solo gig until he started forming a band around it.

“It’s always going to be a solo thing and a band thing. Sometimes there is a period where I play more with the band and sometimes I play more solo, it totally depends on my situation in life really, you know.

“I’ve been living off music for the last four years, so you always juggle a little bit – make sure I have enough solo gigs to pay my bills.

But I do like playing in a band because you have people on stage with you and it’s a lot more fun, so generally speaking the band is when we do festivals, or we do a launch, but if it’s smaller gigs, or if I am touring in Europe, I just do it solo.”

Having previously toured in Europe twice Manella is heading there again in September when the fourth Sonic Delusion album (out here in April) gets its European release under small Swiss label Ambulance Recordings. When we talk he has only just signed on with Ambulance in the last week.

“So initially it’s a NZ release only, which is a first time for me,” he laughs. “I would normally just release it everywhere, you know!”

While finding a label hasn’t been a career goal, it has come as a welcome and unexpected development “They heard my music online, they came across it on a Swiss website www.

Mx3.ch, where I often upload my music.

It’s a bit like MySpace used to be, that sort of platform. I’d put on the new song Funky and This Material World [the album’s first two tracks] a little while ago. They heard it there and got in touch, liked what I was doing and we’ve been chatting ever since. Now it’s all go, yeah, it’s cool!”

Everything Manella has done previously has been self-funded, displaying a determination familiar to many musicians.

“My gigs fund my trips and I book enough of my own gigs, but luckily now I’ve also got a booking agent in Switzerland. It’s very hard to find one actually because they are quite picky and very busy, but as result I’ve been re-booked for a festival in Germany I played last year, and that pretty much covers my trip over. Then I’ll do another

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A l l Th a t G l i tte r s

three or four weeks on top of that.”

With its striking cover image, juxtaposing a glittering mirror ball with the destruction of a building, and potentially loaded title, his new album suggests a slightly serious conceptual release.

“I guess the theme is ‘this material world’, but not all the songs tie in completely to that. I have been trying to have a positive but cynical spin on environmental damage, rather than being preachy.

“So I wanted to write a positive song that is kind of a cynical, but a happy tune about how we fuck up our world. I kind of just liked it as an album idea, as the theme for the album.

“That’s how the cover came about as well.

I was touring in Switzerland and they were pulling down this great big old hotel – actually it probably wasn’t that old! So I pulled off the highway and took a photo of it and that’s the cover. Obviously we added the disco wrecking ball, that wasn’t real,” he laughs, “but it was just

a funny play on it, destroying our world with our blingy stuff.”

Explaining how he came to play music and where he finds himself creatively now, Andre reveals a serious classical music background.

“Sometimes I ask myself has it helped me, or influenced me, playing the cello for 15-20 years when I was younger and being able to read music? I guess it’s helped me in some ways as I have been around music all my life.

“I started playing the cello when I was about seven, played all throughout all my school years and in a small orchestra. I always wanted to write music and I tried on the cello a few times, but it’s not an instrument for me to write music on. Eventually I’d had enough of playing off the sheet and quit the orchestra and bought myself an acoustic guitar and a Loop Station pretty much at the same time.”

His previous recordings have all been written on the Loop Station, but having recently purchased a synth and electric guitar this one was written on different instruments, providing a lot more variety.

“So this is the first album I didn’t write on the Loop Station and it makes it actually quite tricky now as we have to put it into a live setting and it’s a great challenge. I love it. It’s great trying to get that song into a live moment and it’s not always that simple as I didn’t write the songs particularly for a loop, which means there might be other chord changes in there that are not so easy with the looping. It’s the reverse idea of what I used to do!”

The band version of Sonic Delusion is, he says, almost ready to hit the road.

He notes the importance of not being obsessed with perfection in a live situation.

“We are getting close, probably another couple of weeks anyway. We have to be ready, so once again it’s deadline! With the band we just try and perfect it a little more. I like when the songs are played live that they are different to the album, not completely different so you don’t recognise it, but just an interesting or a slightly different take on it. Being quite spontaneous with the music, in the live environment I can change the song quite a bit without knowing that beforehand,” he laughs.

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New Zealand Musician magazine’s

2017 An absolutely free one-stop resource for musicians and music industry folk wanting to know just who distributes what, of the many and various brands of musical equipment available here in New Zealand. We’ve even designed it so that you can pull these pages out of the magazine and keep them handy!

The first section is the BRANDS Directory. This provides a simple alphabetical listing of brands available and the companies that import and distribute or, in a few cases, manufacture them.

Directory

The second section, our DISTRIBUTORS Directory, provides contact details for most of the major local musical equipment distributors. Please note that the brands listed are only those which the companies are official agents for. In some cases companies also co-distribute other lines which are not listed.

NZM has endeavoured to provide as complete and accurate a listing as possible for our readers. Any omissions reflect that some distributors choose not to take part in this directory or have otherwise failed to provide us with the information requested.

Also online at www.nzmusician.co.nz Brands A-Z A g A -Designs Audio Gear, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g A &F Drums, NZ Rockshops g A B Rosins, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g A bleton Recording Software, Music Link NZ, Akld g A cme Whistles Whistles & Sound Effects, Re-Percussion, Chch g A coustic Image Amplifiers for Acoustic Instruments, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g A dam Audio Professional Monitor Speakers, Sound Techniques, Akld g A dams Concert Percussion, Re-Percussion, Chch g Adams Brass, KBB Music, Akld g A damson Loudspeaker Systems, Direct Imports, Hastings g A dmira Spanish Classical & Flamenco Guitars, MusicWorks, Akld g A EA Ribbon Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A eromic Fitness Instructors Headsets, Edwards Sound Systems, Akld g A guilar Bass Amps, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g A head Armor Drum Bags and Cases, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g A ir Music Technology Plugins, Protel Intnl Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g A kai Audio Interfaces, Samplers & Drum Machines, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g A KG Professional Microphones, Wireless Microphones, Headphones, Broadcast Headsets and Conference System Solutions, Jands Ltd, Akld g A lbert Weber Upright & Grand Pianos, Piano Traders Ltd, Akld g A lbion Guitar and Bass Amplifiers, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld

g A legria Guitars, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g A lesis Recording Audio Interfaces, Electronic Percussion, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g A lhambra Guitarras Spanish-made Nylon String Guitars, Lewis Eady, Akld g A llen Church and Theatre Organs, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g A llen & Heath Mixers, Jansen Professional Audio & Lighting, Akld g A lmansa Classical Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g A lpine Professional Hearing Protection Ear Plugs, MusicWorks, Akld g A LTO Live Sound Reinforcement, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g A ltus Flutes, KBB Music, Akld g A lvarez Acoustic Guitars and Ukuleles, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g A mpeg Bass and Guitar Amplifiers, Music Link NZ, Akld g A mpetronic Assistive Listening Systems and Solutions, Jands Ltd, Akld g A mphenol Audio Connectors, Livesound , Akld g A mphesound Cables, Livesound, Akld g A nalog Alien Guitar Pedals, South Pacific Music, Akld g A ndante Drums UK Pipe Band Drums and Sticks, Re-Percussion, Chch g A ntari Fog Machines, Edwards Sound Systems, Akld g A ntelope Audio HD Audio Clocks, Audio Interfaces, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A ntigua Saxophones, Trumpets, Flutes & Clarinets, KBB Music, Akld g A PI Modular Preamps, EQs & Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A pogee Interfaces for iPad/iPhone/MacOS, Protel Int’nl Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g A pplause Acoustic Guitars, NZ Rockshops

g A rturia, Music Link NZ, Akld g A quarian Drum Heads & Accessories, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g A quila Strings, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g A quila Strings, South Pacific Music, Akld g A ria Guitars & Access., MusicBiz NZ, Akld g A rgosy Console Furniture, Protel Intnl Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g A rioso Pianos, KBB Music, Akld g A rmstrong Flutes, KBB Music, Akld g A roma Tuners and Metronomes, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g A rt & Lutherie Acoustic Guitars, Music Link NZ, Akld g A RT Pro Audio, STL Audio, Wgtn g A shdown (UK) Amplification, South Pacific Music, Akld g A shton Guitars, Amps, Reinforcement, Drums & Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g A ston Microphones Condenser Microphones & Reflection Filters, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A stro Drums & Electronic Drums, South Pacific Music, Akld g A TI Audio Distribution and Utility, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g A udient Analogue Consoles & Mic Pres, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g A udio Technica Headphones, Microphones, Wireless Systems, Direct Imports, Hastings g A udix Microphones, NZ Rockshops g A ugustine Classical Guitar Strings, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g A ulos Recorders, KBB, Akld g A uratone Original Studio Reference Monitors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A urora IPBaseT AV-over-IP & Control Systems, Pacific Audio Visual, Akld g A ustralian Monitor Commercial & Pro AV

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Equipment & Accessories, Hills SVL, Akld g A uviTran Professional Audio Networking Solutions, MusicWorks, Akld g A valon Audio Compressors, Mic Preamps, Studio Equipment, MusicWorks, Akld g A valon Design Pure Class A Signal Processing, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A vantonePro Mixcube Monitors & Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g A vedis Audio 500 Series Mic Pres & EQs, Oceania Audio Sales Ltd, Akld g A venson Audio Condenser Mics & DIs, Oceania Audio Sales Ltd, Akld g A vid Pro Tools, Controllers, Live Sound, Protel International Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g A vid Recording Software and Hardware, ProTools, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g A whi Guitar Straps, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g A XL Electric Guitars and Basses, MusicWorks, Akld g A zumi Flutes, KBB, Akld

B g B &S Brass, KBB Music, Akld g B ach Brass Instruments, KBB Music, Akld g B ad Cat Amplifiers, South Pacific Music, Akld g B adger Guitars, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g B AE Vintage Microphone Preamps/Equalizers, Oceania Audio Sales Ltd, Akld g B -Bird Capos by Best Music, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g B C Rich Guitars, NZ Rockshops g B eale Grand & Upright Pianos, MusicWorks, Akld g B echstein Pianos, Upright & Grand, South Pacific Music, Akld g B elcat Pickups, Amps, Tuners & Effects Pedals, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier

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New Zealand Musician magazine’s

Directory 2017

Brands A-Z continued… g B ernstein Pianos, Upright and Grand, South Pacific Music, Akld g B lackstar, Music NZ, Akld g B lack Swamp Percussion, KBB Music, Akld g B lue Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g B luthner Pianos, South Pacific Music, Akld g B oogie Juice Fingerboard Cleaner, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g B osendorfer Handcrafted Grand Pianos, MusicWorks, Akld g B oomwhackers Percussion, KBB Music, Akld g B osch Commercial PA and Conferencing Systems, Pacific Audio Visual Ltd, Akld g B oss, Music NZ, Akld g B oston Pianos Upright and Grand Pianos, Lewis Eady, Akld g B reedlove, Music NZ, Akld g B ricasti Digital Reverb & Audiophile, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g B SS Audio Digital and Analogue Signal Processing and Programming, Graphic Equalisers, Wall Controllers, Jands Ltd, Akld g B uffet Clarinets,Oboes and Saxophones, KBB Music, Akld g B url Audio D/A A/D Convertors, 500 Series Preamps, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld

C g C AD Audio Microphones, MusicWorks, Akld g C akewalk, Music Link NZ, Akld g C alato (Regal/Road) Drumsticks & Brushes, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g Cameo Lighting, Direct Imports, Hastings g C BI Cables, Connectors, Stage Snakes and Looms, Multicores, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g C edar Audio Restoration, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g C erwin Vega PA Sound Reinforcement, Music Link NZ, Akld g C .G.Conn, KBB Music, Akld g C hameleon Labs Pre-amps & Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g C handler Pre-amps, EQs & Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g C harvel Guitars, Direct Imports, Hastings g C hauvet Professional High Power LED Fixtures, Moving Heads/Washes, LED Video Walls/Screens, Media Servers, MDR Sound & Lighting Ltd, Palmerston North g C hauvet DJ LED Effect Lights & Access., LED Wash Lights, Lasers, DMX Controllers, LED & Lamped Moving Heads, Fog/Bubble/Dry Ice/Haze, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g C hauvet-Trusst Trussing, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g C herry Music Lights and Tuners, South Pacific Music, Akld g C hiayo Wireless Mics, Portable PA, Soundfield, Edwards Sound Systems, Akld g C hristopher Double Basses, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g C larke Tin Whistles, South Pacific Music, Akld g C lear-Com Wired & Wireless Intercom Systems, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g C learsonic Transparent Sound Shields and Portable Isolation Booths, Re-Percussion, Chch g C loud Electronics Commercial Audio Systems, Now Sound Ltd, Akld g C loud Microphones Ribbon Mics and CloudLifter Mic Optimizers, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g C ME X Key Midi Controller Keyboards, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g C nB Cases & Bags, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g C ole Clark Guitars and Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g C oles Ribbon Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g C ommunity Pro Loudspeakers, Hills SVL, Akld g C ooperStands, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g C ordoba Classical/Flamenco Guitars, NZ Rockshops g C ountryman & Assoc. DI Boxes & Miniature Mics, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld

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g C PK Products, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g C rane Song Outboard Equipment, Protel Intnl Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g C rafter Acoustic & Acoustic/Electric Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g C rane Hardware, Music Link NZ, Akld g C remona String Instruments, KBB Music, Akld g C rown Audio Speaker Amplifiers, Signal Processing, Jands, Akld g C rybaby Pedals, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier

D g D ’Addario Strings & Products, Music Link NZ, Akld g D ’Andrea Guitar Picks & Accessories, South Pacific Music, Akld g D ’Andrea Spider Capo, NZ Rockshops g D ’Angelico Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g D aCappo High Quality Micro Microphones and In-Ear Monitors, MusicWorks, Akld g D anelectro Electric Guitars & Pedals, South Pacific Music, Akld g D arco Electric & Bass Guitar Strings, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g D AS Audio Professional Speaker Systems, Edwards Sound Systems Ltd, Akld g D ave Smith Analogue and Digital Synthesizers, South Pacific Music, Akld g D avid Gage Realist Pick-up for Double Bass, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g d B Technologies Pro Audio Equipment, Direct Imports, Hastings g d bx Professional Compressors, Audio Signal Processors, Crossovers, Equalisers, DI Boxes, Cable Testers, Loudspeaker Management Systems, Jands Ltd, Akld g D Drum Electronic and Acoustic Drums and Drum Triggers, MusicWorks, Akld g D DS Antennas, Consumer Electronics, Pro Audio Accessories, Direct Imports, Hastings g D ean Markley Strings, Pickups and Amps, MusicWorks, Akld g D eering Banjos, NZ Rockshops g D iago Guitar Pedal Boards and Power Supplies, Music Link NZ, Akld g D iamond Head Ukuleles, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g D ick Stringed Instruments Accessories, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g D igico, Showtechnix, Tauranga g D igitech Processors & Effect Units, Direct Imports, Hastings g D iMarzio Pickups & Guitar Accessories, NZ Rockshops g D irect Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g D izengoff Audio Vacuum Tube Mic Pres & Vari Mu Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g D PA Microphones, Direct Imports, Hastings g D rawmer Valve, Digital & Conventional Signal Processors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g D r Parts Guitar Accessories, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g D R Strings, NZ Rockshops g D ream Cymbals and Gongs, Re-Percussion, Chch g D unlop Guitar Strings & Access, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g D usty Strings, KBB Music, Akld

E g E .A.R. Earplugs, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g E artec Comms Systems, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g E arthworks Test and HD Installation Mics, Pacific Audio Visual Ltd, Akld g E ast West Plugins, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g E bow Electronic Bows for Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g E clipse Full Colour Laser Range, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g E den Electronics Bass Amplification, MusicBiz NZ, Akld

g E den Electronics Bass Amplification, Livesound Ltd, Akld g E dirol, Music NZ, Akld g E go Sys Sound Cards and Interfaces, MusicWorks, Akld g E lectro-Harmonix Pedals, Valves & Strings, South Pacific Music, Akld g Electro Voice Loudspeakers and Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g E lixir Strings, South Pacific Music, Akld g E MES Pro Studio Monitors, MusicWorks, Akld g E minence Loudspeakers, Livesound, Akld g E mpirical Labs ‘The Distressor’ Compressor, FATSO, Lil Freq EQ and Mike-e, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g E nduro Cases & Bags, NZ Rockshops g E NGL All Valve Guitar Amplifiers & Enclosures, MusicWorks, Akld g E rnie Ball, Music NZ, Akld g E SP Electric Guitars & Basses, NZ Rockshops g E ssex Pianos Upright and Grand Pianos, Lewis Eady, Akld g E urocable, Showtechnix, Tauranga g E vans Drum Heads, Music Link NZ, Akld g E ventide Audio Effects Hardware & Plugins, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g E VH Eddie Van Halen Products, Direct Imports, Hastings g E WI Cable & Multicores, South Pacific Music, Akld g E xplorer Cases, Livesound, Akld

F g F arida Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Lewis Eady, Akld g F BT Self-powered & Passive Loudspeakers, Pacific Audio Visual, Akld g F eadog Whistles/Irish, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g F ender Musical Instruments, Direct Imports, Hastings g F enix Speaker Lifting Towers, Edwards Sound Systems, Akld g F inger Ease String Lubricant, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g F ishman Transducers and Amplifiers, Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g F itness Audio Wireless Mic Systems, Edwards Sound Systems, Akld g F leet Drum Accessories, NZ Rockshops g F loyd Rose Tremolos, MusicWorks, Akld g F MR Audio RNC Compressor, Preamp & Levelling Amp, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g F ocal Professional Monitors handmade in France, KJ Distributors, Hamilton g F ocusrite Audio Interfaces & Recording Hardware, MusicBiz, Akld g F ramus Electric Guitars, NZ Rockshops g F rontRow Audio-over-IP School Bell & PA System, Pacific Audio Visual, Akld g F ull Contact Hardware, NZ Rockshops g F ulltone Pedals, NZ Rockshops g F unk Logic Rack Trays and Rack Filler, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g F unktion-One Professional Soundsystems, Full Funktion Audio, Akld

g G ibson Guitars and Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g G ibson Les Paul Monitors, Music Link NZ, Akld g G igRig Switching Solutions NZ Rockshops g G laesel Violins, Cellos & String Accessories, KBB Music, Akld g G odin Electric Guitars, Music Link, Akld g G olden Age Vintage Preamps, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g G oldtone Banjos, Mandolins, Guitars & Accessories, South Pacific Music, Akld g Gon Bops Percussion, NZ Rockshop Akld g G otoh Guitar Parts, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g G raphtech Nuts, Saddles and Bridge Pins, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g Gravity Stands & accessories, Direct Imports, Hastings g G reg Bennett Guitars & Basses, South Pacific Music, Akld g G retsch Drums, NZ Rockshops g G retsch Guitars, Direct Imports, Hastings g G roove Tubes, Direct Imports, Hastings g G rover Pro-Percussion, Concert Tambourines, Triangles, Woodblocks etc. Re-Percussion, Chch g G rover Guitar & Bass Machine Heads, MusicWorks, Akld g G -Spot Custom Made Guitars & Basses, G-Spot Guitars, Akld

H g H ammond Keyboards, South Pacific Music, Akld g H aosen/Hau Sheng Percussion Instruments Lewis Eady, Akld g H ardcase Drum Cases, NZ Rockshops g H arris Slides, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g H ear Technologies Personal Monitor Systems, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g H eil Sound Dynamic Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g H erco Accessories, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g H ercules Instrument & Mic Stands, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g H H Electronics PA Speakers, Monitors & Amplifiers, MusicWorks, Auckland g H idersine Bows, Rosin & Shoulder Rests, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g H ill Audio Mixers, Zone Control Pre-amps & Amplifiers, Livesound, Akld g H ills Rosin, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g H iwatt All-Valve & Solid State Guitar & Bass Amps & Cabinets, MusicWorks, Akld g H K Audio, Music NZ, Akld g H öfner Violins, Guitars and Basses, KBB Music, Akld g H ohner Harmonicas, Melodicas & Recorders, MusicBiz, Akld g H olton French Horns, KBB Music, Akld g H osa Technology, Music NZ, Akld g H otone Micro Guitar Amps & Effects Pedals, NZ Rockshops g H ot Line Audio Cables, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g Howard Core Strings & Accessories, KBB Music, Akld g H oyer French Horns, KBB Music, Akld g H Q Percussion, Music Link NZ, Akld

G g G 7th Capos, Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g G allien Krueger Bass Amplification, MusicBiz NZ Ltd, Akld g G &L Guitars & Basses, South Pacific Music, Akld g G ator, Music NZ, Akld g G emini DJ Products, South Pacific Music, Akld g G enelec Active Studio Monitors, Protel International Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g G enz-Benz Amplifiers, NZ Rockshops g G eorge L’s Professional Cables, MusicWorks, Akld g G etzen Cornets, Trumpets & Trombones, KBB Music Ltd, Akld g G HS Guitar Strings & Accessories, South Pacific Music Distributors, Akld g G host Modular Pickup Systems, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g G ibraltar Drum Hardware, NZ Rockshops

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I g I banez Guitars, Basses, Acoustics, Effects Pedals, Guitar & Bass Amplifiers, Cables and Bags, MusicWorks, Akld g i Dance Headphone Technology and DJ Products, Direct Imports, Hastings g I K Multimedia Music Creation, Software, Hardware, Direct Imports, Hastings g I lluminarc Architectural LED light fixtures and controllers, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g I nnovative Percussion Drumsticks, Mallets, Brushes, Rods, South Pacific Music, Akld g i Rocker Electronic Drums, Direct Imports, Hastings g I SO Acoustics Speaker Stands, Music Link NZ, Akld

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New Zealand Musician magazine’s

g I talia Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g I TC Audio Commercial PA Equipment for Installations, Edwards, Akld g i Zotope Audio Processing Software, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn

J g J ackson Guitars, Direct Imports, Hastings g Jam Hub Audio Systems, MusicWorks, Akld g J ammpro MI Products, Direct Imports, Hastings g JBL Professional Loudspeakers and Studio Monitors, Jands, Akld g J BL HLA Systems, College Hill Productions, Akld g J DK Mic Pres, EQs & Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g J J Amplifier Tubes, South Pacific Music, Akld g J MI Guitar Amplifiers, MusicWorks, Akld g J oe Meek Voice Channels, Stereo Opto Compressors, Diaphragm Mics, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g J ohnson Acoustic and Classical Guitars, MusicWorks, Akld g J ohnson Violin Shoulder Rests, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g J oyo Audio Products, Amps, Pedals, South Pacific Music, Akld g J uno Reeds Student Brass and Woodwind Reeds, MusicWorks, Akld g J upiter Brass & Woodwind Instruments, KBB Music, Akld g J upiter Professional Brass Instruments, MusicBiz NZ, Akld

K g K & K Transducers, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g K ala & Makala Ukuleles, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g K arina Electric & Acoustic Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g K awai Pianos, KBB Music, Akld g K eeley Effects Pedals, NZ Rockshops g K eilwerth Saxophones, KBB Music, Akld g K emper Profiling Amplifier, MusicWorks, Akld g King Brass, KBB Music, Akld g K ohler & Campbell Acoustic & Digital Pianos, South Pacific Music, Akld g K & M Music, Microphone, Speaker, Instrument Stands, Livesound, Akld g K nabe Upright and Grand Pianos, South Pacific Music, Akld g K org Keyboards, Synthesisers, Guitar Effects, Tuners, Recording, South Pacific Music, Akld g K oyama Ukuleles, NZ Rockshop Akld g K RK Studio Monitors and Headphones, Music Link NZ, Akld g K urzweil Synthesisers, Digital Pianos, Keyboards, South Pacific Music, Akld g K ush Audio Innovative EQs, Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g K v2 Audio Sound Reinforcement, Protel Intnl Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g K .Yairi Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g K yser Capos, Cleaners & Strings, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld

L g L -Acoustics Concert Systems, Hills SVL, Akld g L -Acoustics Sound Systems, College Hill Productions Ltd, Akld g L AG Guitars, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g L akewood Acoustic Guitars, NZ Rockshops g Laney Guitar Amplification & PA, MusicWorks, Akld g L anikai Ukuleles, MusicBiz NZ, Akld

g L a Patrie Acoustic Guitars, Music Link NZ, Akld g L arrivée Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g L aserworld Swiss Laser Lights, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g L atin Percussion, NZ Rockshops g L auten Audio, Microphones, STL Audio, Wgtn g LD Systems Pro Audio, Direct Imports, Hastings g L eblanc Clarinets, KBB Music, Akld g L ectrosonics Inc Radio Microphones, IFB Systems, Sound Techniques, Akld g L ee Oskar Harmonicas, MusicWorks, Akld g L eem Audio Accessories, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g L eslie Tone Cabinets, South Pacific Music, Akld g L evys Leathers Guitar Straps, Bags, MusicWorks, Akld g L ewitt Microphones, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g L exicon Professional Effects Units, Digital Processors, Recording Interfaces, Jands, Akld g L indell Audio Audio Processors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g L ine 6 Guitar Amps, Effects, Guitars and Sound Reinforcement, Music Link NZ, Akld g L ittle Labs Engineers Tools, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g L ivesound Roadcases & Racks, Livesound Ltd, Akld g L M Guitar Straps, Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g L ockit Straps for all Instruments, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g L OOG Guitars, Direct Imports, Hastings g L os Cabos Drumsticks, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g L R Baggs Acoustic Pickups, NZ Rockshops g L ucky 13 Guitar Straps, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g L udwig Drums, NZ Rockshops g L uminex Network Intelligence Showtechnix, Tauranga

M g M -Audio Audio Interfaces, Studio Monitors, Microphones and MIDI Controller Keyboards, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g M ackie Sound Reinforcement, Music Link NZ, Akld g M ahalo Ukuleles & Ukulele Guitars, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g M ajestic Band Percussion Instruments, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g Majestic Concert Percussion, KBB Music, Akld g M anhassett Orchestral Stands and Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g M apex Drums, Hardware and Accessories, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g M arshall Guitar & Bass Amplification, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g M artin Guitars, Strings & Accessories, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g Martin Audio Speaker Systems, Jansen Professional Audio & Lighting, Akld g M aui Xaphoon Pocket Saxophones, South Pacific Music, Akld g M axtone Drums & Accessories, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g M cDSP Processing Plug-Ins, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g M DR Fog Fuel, Bubble Fluids, MDR Sound & Lighting, Palmerston North g M edeli, Music NZ, Akld g M edeli Digital Drums, Keyboards, Pianos, South Pacific Music, Akld g M ee Audio In-ear Monitors, NZ Rockshops g M einl Cymbals and Percussion, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g Meinl Weston Brass, KBB Music, Akld g M esa Boogie Amplifiers, NZ Rockshops g M etric HaloLab Hi-res I/O and Processing, Protel Int’nl Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g M eyer Mouthpieces, KBB Music, Akld g M icrotech Gefell Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld

g M iditech MIDI Keyboards and Audio Interfaces, South Pacific Music, Akld g M ighty Bright Music Lights, South Pacific Music, Akld g M ike Balter Percussion Mallets, Re-Percussion, Chch g M ipro Wireless Mics and PA Systems, Hills SVL, Akld g M i-Si Transducers, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g Mixars DJ Equipment, Direct Imports, Hastings g M ogami Cables, MusicWorks, Akld g M ojave Audio Fet & Tube Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g M ooer Effects Pedals, NZ Rockshops g M oog Analogue Synthesisers and FX, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g M orley Wah Pedals & Effects, MusicWorks, Akld g M orpheus DropTune, Capo & Bomber Pitchshifting Effects, MusicWorks, Akld g M ullard Amplifier Tubes, South Pacific Music, Akld g M uramatsu Flutes, KBB Music, Akld g M usic Nomad Equipment Care, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g M usser Percussion, KBB Music, Akld g MXL Microphones, STL Audio, Wgtn g M XR Pedals, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g M yMix Personal Mixer/Recorder for In-Ear Monitoring, MDR Sound & Lighting, P. North

N g N ative Instruments DJ Gear, Software and Hardware, Music Link NZ, Akld g N ektar MIDI Controller Keyboards, South Pacific Music, Akld g N eotech Straps & Slings, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g N eumann Microphones, Sennheiser, Akld g N ikko Metronomes, MusicWorks, Akld g N ord Electric Piano, Organs, Synths, Drum Synths, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g N ovation USB/MIDI Software Controllers and Keyboards, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g N S Design Electronic Stringed Instruments, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g N ugen Audio Metering & Level Control, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g N umark DJ Mixers, CD/Media Players, DJ Software Controllers, Cartridges & Accessories, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g Nuvo Clarinéo and Flute, KBB Music, Akld g NUX Digital Amps, Pedals, South Pacific Music, Akld

O g O berheim Synthesisers, South Pacific Music, Akld g O dyssey DJ & Hi Tech Road Cases, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g O hana Ukuleles, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g O ktava Condenser & Ribbon Mics, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g O ptogate Microphone Gates, Livesound, Akld g O scar Schmidt Ukuleles, NZ Rockshops g O tto Link Mouthpieces, KBB Music, Akld g O vation Guitars, NZ Rockshops

P g P aiste Cymbals, Sounds, Gongs & Cymbal Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g P alatino Violins, Violas, Cellos, Basses and String Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g P almer Audio Tools and Pro Audio Equipment, MusicWorks, Akld g Palmer Musical Instruments, Direct Imports, Hastings

Directory 2017

g P asgao Wireless Mic Systems, Livesound, Akld g P bone & Ptrumpet, KBB Music, Akld g P earl River Pianos, MusicWorks, Akld g P eace Drums, Direct Imports, Hastings g P earl Drums, Music Link NZ, Akld g P earl Flutes & Piccolos, KBB Music, Akld g P edalTrain Guitar Effect Pedalboards, MusicWorks, Akld g P edalTrain Guitar Effect Pedalboards, South Pacific Music, Akld g P enn-Elcon Roadcase, Speaker Cabinet, Hardware Black Mount Systems, Livesound, Akld g P eterson Tuners Virtual Strobe & Strobostomp Tuners, Re-Percussion, Chch g P hil Jones Bass Amplification, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g P ianoDisc Player Systems, South Pacific Music, Akld g P igtronix Guitar Effects Pedals, NZ Rockshops g P irastro Strings, KBB Music, Akld g P lanet Waves Guitar Accessories, Cables, Straps, Tuners, Music Link NZ, Akld g P latinum Stands, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g P layers Woodwind, Brass Access., Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g P MM Double Basses & Flight Cases, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g P oellman Double Bass, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g P ops Rosins, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g P ower Tech Cables, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g P remier Drums and Percussion, South Pacific Music, Akld g PreSonus Recording, Mixing, Pro Audio, Direct Imports, Hastings g P rim Violin & Cello Strings, South Pacific Music Distributors, Akld g P rinted Music (all publishers), Piano Traders, Akld g P roCo Multicores & Bulk Cable, RAT Distortion Pedals, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g P roel Music Accessories, Jansen Professional Audio & Lighting, Akld g P roMark Drum Sticks, Music Link NZ, Akld g P ropellerhead Recording Software & Hardware, Music Link NZ, Akld g P roRockGear Guitar, Bass and Drum Cases, MusicWorks, Akld g P rotection Drum/Percussion Cases & Bags, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g P RS Guitars, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g Pultech Audio Equalizers, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g P urple Audio 500 Series Preamps and EQs, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g P uresound Drum Access., Music Link NZ, Akld g P yramid Strings for Violin, Cello, Double Bass & Guitar, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld

Q g Q SC Amplifiers, Loudspeakers, Digital & Analogue Signal Processing, Now Sound, Akld g Q ue Audio Microphones, MusicWorks, Akld g Q uest Engineering Loudspeaker Systems & Amplifiers, Livesound, Akld g Q uiklok Stands and Accessories, MusicBiz NZ, Akld

R g R amirez Classical and Flamenco Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g R ampone & Cazzani Saxophones, KBB Music, Akld g R ane DSP, Pacific Audio Visual, Akld g R apco Cables, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g R CF Pro Audio, Direct Imports, Hastings g R ecording King Banjos, Resonator Guitars and Mandolins, MusicWorks, Akld

Also online @ www.nzmusician.co.nz COB 6eg^a$BVn '%&,

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New Zealand Musician magazine’s

K:G=L :G= BLMKB;NMHKL

Directory 2017

Brands A-Z continued… g R eeds Australia Reeds for Clarinets, Saxophones & Access., Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier gR emo, Music NZ, Akld g R evolution Solo Transducers for Double Bass, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g R hythm Tech Percussion, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g R ickenbacker Electric Guitars and Basses, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g R ico, Reserve, Royal, Mitchell Lurie, Hemke, Plasticover & Select Jazz Reeds, Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g R ico Reeds, Music Link NZ, Akld g R iedel RockNet Networked Audio, Protel International Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g R itmuller Pianos, MusicWorks, Akld g R itter Musical Instrument Bags, Direct Imports, Hastings g R ME Audio, Professional Studio Audio Interfaces & Soundcards, MusicWorks, Akld g R ockbag and Rockcase Bag and Cases, NZ Rockshops g R ockboard Pedal Boards & Power Supplies, NZ Rockshops g R ockcable Leads, NZ Rockshops g R ockhouse Mixer Systems for Schools, MusicWorks, Akld g R ockstand Instrument Support, NZ Rockshops g R ocktron Guitar Effects, South Pacific Music, Akld g R oc n Soc Seating for Musicians, Re-Percussion, Chch gR øde, Music NZ, Akld gR oland, Music NZ, Akld g R oli Rise Keyboards & Blocks MIDI Control Surface, Direct Imports, Hastings g R oll Music Stereo Compressor, Folcrum Bus Mixer, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g R ondofile Music Files, KBB Music, Akld g Rotosound Strings, MusicWorks, Akld g R ovner Ligatures, KBB Music, Akld g R oyer Labs Ribbon Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g R upert Neve Designs Pre-amps, Compressors and EQs, STL Audio, Wellington g R ycote Windshields & Microphone Accessories, Sound Techniques, Akld

S g S abian Cymbals, Music Link NZ, Akld g S aga Stringed Instruments (Regal, Rover, Kentucky, Gitane), Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g S amick Guitars, Electronics, Musical Instruments, South Pacific Music, Akld g S amson Technologies Audio & MI Products, Direct Imports, Hastings g S anken Microphones, Sound Techniques, Akld g Sankyo Flutes, KBB Music, Akld g S avarez Classical Strings, Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g S axholder Saxophone Harnesses, KBB Music, Akld g S challer Straplocks, Lyn McAllister Music Ltd, Akld g S checter Electric Guitars, Basses and Acoustics, MusicWorks, Akld g S cherl & Roth Stringed Instruments, KBB Music, Akld g S chertler Amplification, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g S cherzer Trumpets, KBB Music, Akld g S chimmel Pianos, South Pacific Music, Akld g S chilke Trumpets & Cornets, KBB Music, Akld g S choeps Modular Condenser Mics & Accessories, Oceania Audio Sales Ltd, Akld g S chrieber Bassoons, KBB Music, Akld g S cotty Kazoos & Guitar Access, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g S-Digital Consumer Electronics, Direct Imports, Hastings g S eagull Acoustic Guitars, Music Link NZ, Akld g S eiko Tuners & Metronomes, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g S elmer USA Woodwind, Brass & Accessories, KBB Music, Akld g S ennheiser Microphones & Headphones, Sennheiser, Akld g S eydel Germany Harmonicas, Harps, South Pacific Music, Akld

EV\Z ')

g S eymour Duncan Guitar Pickups, Bassline & Antiquity Series, South Pacific Music, Akld g S hadow Pickups and Accessories, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g S hadow Hills HQ Mic Pres, Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g S himro Violins, Cellos, Violas, Double Basses, KBB Music, Akld g S himro Double Basses, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g S GM Professional Lighting, Direct Imports, Hastings g S hubb Capos, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g S hure Microphones, Headphones, Earphones and Mixers, Now Sound, Akld g S igma Guitars, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g S ignal Sender Cables & Audio Access., Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g S imon and Patrick Acoustic Guitars, Music Link NZ, Akld g S IT Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin Strings, South Pacific Music, Akld g S KB MMI, Pro & Camera Cases, Direct Imports, Hastings g S ky Gel Drum Skin Damper Pads, MusicWorks, Akld g S late Media Technologies Raven MTI, VMS Microphones, STL Audio, Wellington g S nark Tuners and Metronomes, South Pacific Music, Akld g S ommer Cable Audio and Video Cables, Livesound, Akld g S onnox Audio Processing Software, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g S onor Drums & Percussion, NZ Rockshops g S oundcraft Digital & Analogue Mixing Consoles, Jands, Akld g S ound Devices Portable Recorders, Mixers, USB Mic Pres, Sound Techniques, Akld g S oundToys Pro-Effects Plug-Ins, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g S ource Audio Effects, NZ Rockshops g S ovtek Amplifier Tubes, South Pacific Music, Akld g S pector Basses, South Pacific Music, Akld g S pectrasonics Virtual Instruments, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g S PL Professional Processing Solutions, Protel Intnl Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g S quier Instruments, Direct Imports, Hastings g S t Antonio Violins, Cellos, Violas, Double Basses, KBB Music, Akld g S tagg Musical Instruments and Accessories, South Pacific Music, Akld g S tanton DJ Equipment, Music Link NZ, Akld g S tedman Steel Pop Screens, Oceania Audio Sales Ltd, Akld g S teinberg Studio Software, Nuendo, Cubase and Audio Interfaces, MusicWorks, Akld g S teinway and Sons Upright and Grand Pianos, Lewis Eady, Akld g S terling, Music NZ, Akld g S trymon Guitar Pedals, South Pacific Music, Akld g S tuder Broadcast and Recording Consoles and Solutions, Jands, Akld g S tudio Devil Amp Modelling Studio Software, MusicWorks, Akld g S tudio Projects Condenser Microphones, Mic Preamps and Accessories, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g S ummit Audio Valve Mic Pre-Amps, Compressors, EQs, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g S uperlux Headphones, Microphones, Audio Acess., South Pacific Music, Akld g S upro Amplifiers & Guitar Effects, NZ Rockshop Akld g S uzuki Musical Instruments, South Pacific Music, Akld g S vetlana Amplifier Tubes, South Pacific Music, Akld g S X Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Banjos, & Harmonicas, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier

T g T akamine Guitars & Basses, NZ Rockshops g T ama Drums, Hardware, Sticks, Bags & Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g T anglewood Guitars, South Pacific Music, Akld g T ascam Professional Recording Equipment, Direct Imports, Hastings g T asker High Quality Cable, Direct Imports, Hastings g T aye Drums & Hardware, South Pacific Music, Akld g T aylor Guitars, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g T chernov Pro Audio Balanced Cable and Speaker Cable, KJ Distributors, Hamilton g T eac Consumer Electronics, Direct Imports, Hastings g T ech 21 Amps & Effects, NZ Rockshops g T oca Percussion, NZ Rockshops g T oft Audio Products, Mixers, Mic Pre-amps, EQs & Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g T om’s Line Mini Effects Pedals, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g T onelux, Recording Consoles And Modules, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g T raveler Guitars, NZ Rockshops g T Rex Boutique Guitar and Bass Effects Pedals, MusicWorks, Akld g T riad Orbit Mic Stands and Accessories, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g T rident Audio Designs Mixers and Studio Monitors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g T rigger Capos, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g T ruetone Effects & Power Solutions, NZ Rockshops g T une-Bot Electronic Drum Tuner, NZ Rockshops g T ung-Sol Tubes, South Pacific Music Akld g Turbosound Sound Reinforcement, Protel Intnl Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g T ycoon Percussion, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier

U g U FIP Cymbals, South Pacific Music, Akld g U ltimate Ears Custom In-Ear Monitors, Acoustix Hearing Ltd, Akld g U ltimate Stands for Speakers, Keyboards and Lighting, MusicWorks, Akld g U ltimate Support Stands, Music Link NZ, Akld g U ltrasone Professional Headphones, Livesound, Akld g U ltrasound Acoustic Amplifiers and DI Boxes, MusicWorks, Auckland g U nderwood Bass Transducers, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g Unirig Towers & Trussing, Direct Imports, Hastings g U niversal Audio Recording Equipment, Music Link NZ, Akld g U nivox Hearing Loop Amps, Pacific Audio Visual, Akld

V g V alencia Classical Guitars, Mandolins & Violins, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g V alley People Compressors and Gates, Oceania Audio Sales Ltd, Akld g V andoren Reeds, MusicWorks, Akld g V anguard Audio Tube Microphones, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g V ater Drumsticks & Access., MusicBiz NZ, Akld g V -DOSC Network Partner, College Hill Productions Ltd, Akld g V eillette Guitars and Basses, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g V ic Firth Drum Sticks, Music Link NZ, Akld g V icoustic Studio Sound Treatment Panels, MusicWorks, Akld g V intage Electric and Acoustic Guitars, MusicBiz NZ, Akld g V iolet Design Microphones, Protel International Technologies Ltd, Akld & Wgtn g V oodoo Labs Effects & Power Solutions, NZ Rockshops g V ox Guitar & Bass Amplifiers, South Pacific Music Distributors, Akld

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W g W aldorf Synthesisers, South Pacific Music Distributors, Akld g W altons Bodhrans, Whistles & Irish Print Music, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g W arm Audio Mic Pre-amps, Compressors and EQs, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g W arwick Basses & Amps, NZ Rockshops g W ashburn Guitars, NZ Rockshops g W aves Audio Processing Software, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g W ay Huge Pedals, Hawkes Bay Agencies, Napier g W azinator Acoustic Stompboxes, NZ Rockshops g W eber Pianos, South Pacific Music Ltd, Akld g W eight Tank Audio Vacuum Tube Compressors, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld g W ekaWire Audio and Installation Cable, Now Sound, Akld g W harfedale Pro Audio Equipment, South Pacific Music, Akld g W . Hoffmann Pianos, South Pacific Music, Akld g W ilson Pick-up for Double Bass, Pete McGregor Music, Akld g W ittner Metronomes, Music & Stringed Instrument Access, KBB, Akld g W ittner Metronomes, Music Stands & Violin Accessories, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g W izard Guitars, Violins & Ukuleles, Piano Traders, Akld g W olf Violin & Viola Shoulder Rests, Lyn McAllister Music, Akld g W under Audio Mics & Preamps, Oceania Audio Sales, Akld

X g X aphoon Pocket Saxophones, South Pacific Music, Akld g X ilica Audio Design Digital Processors for Loudspeakers and Audio Installations, Livesound Ltd, Akld g X ilica Professional High-Performance DSP Systems, MusicWorks, Akld g X otic Pedals, NZ Rockshops g X Vive Wireless Units, Amp Plugs, NZ Rockshops

Y g Y amaha Guitars, Basses, Acoustic & Classical Guitars, Keyboards, Pianos, Synths, PA, Synthesisers, Digital Mixers, Audio interfaces, Drums & Hardware, Brass & Woodwind, Instrument Accessories, MusicWorks, Akld g Y anagisawa Saxophones, KBB Music, Akld

Z g Z axcom Digital Encrypted Wireless/Recording, Protel International Technologies, Akld & Wgtn g Z ildjian Cymbals/Drumsticks, NZ Rockshops g 2 Box Digital Drums, South Pacific Music, Akld

Distributors Listings Lewis Eady

Contact: Edward Castelow Address: 75 Great South Road, Remuera,

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Auckland

Contact: Thomas MĂźller Address: 347 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland 1050 Phone: (09) 520 5648 Fax: (09) 281 3510 Website: www.acoustixhearing.co.nz Email: hearing@acoustixhearing.co.nz

Brands Distributed: Ultimate Ears Custom In-Ear Monitors

Contact: David Neil Address: PO Box 12-834, Penrose, Auckland 1642

Phone: (09) 571 0551 Email: david@edwardsnz.co.nz Website: www.edwardsnz.co.nz Brands Distributed: Aeromic Fitness Instructor Headsets Antari Fog Machines Chiayo Wireless Mics, Portable PA D.A.S Audio Speakers Line array Fenix Speaker Lifting Towers Fitness Audio Wireless Mic Systems

I.T.C Commercial PA Equipment for Installations

Address: PO Box 47 777, Ponsonby, Auckland Phone: (09) 820 4319 Email: contact@collegehill.co.nz Website: www.collegehill.co.nz Brands Distributed: Sales / Installation / Service / Repair JBL HLA Systems L-ACOUSTICS Sound Systems V-DOSC Network Partner

Contact: Peter Glenn (Sales Manager) Address: 16 Wllis Ave, Pukekohe, Auckland Phone: 021 265 4222 Email: peter@fullfunktion.co.nz Website: www.fullfunktion.co.nz Brands Distributed: Funktion-One Professional Audio Speaker Systems (made in England)

Contact: Tim Robertson Address: PO Box 10-7070, Auckland Airport, Auckland Phone: (09) 275 8710 Fax: (09) 275 8790 Email: trobertson@jands.co.nz Website: www.jandsonline.co.nz

Brands Distributed: AKG Professional Microphones, Wireless

Microphones, Headphones, Broadcast Headsets and Conference System Solutions Ampetronic Assistive Listening Systems and Solutions BSS Audio Digital and Analogue Signal Processing and Programming, Graphic Equalisers, Wall Controllers Crown Audio Speaker Amplifiers, Signal Processing dbx Professional Compressors, Audio Signal Processors, Crossovers, Equalisers, DI Boxes, Cable Testers, Loudspeaker Management Systems JBL Professional Loudspeakers and Studio Monitors and Monitor Volume Controllers Lexicon Professional Effects Units, Reverb, Delay, Digital Effects Processors, Recording Interfaces Soundcraft Digital & Analogue Mixing Consoles Studer Broadcast and Recording Consoles and Solutions

Hawkes Bay Agencies

Contact: Brett Dallas, Greer Compston Address: PO Box 72, Hastings, Hawkes Bay Phone: (06) 873 0129 Fax: (06) 878 2760 Email: misales@direct-imports.co.nz Websites: www.directimports.co.nz,

www.reboxed.co.nz, www.fendershop.co.nz

Brands Distributed:

Adamson Loudspeaker Systems Audio Technica Headphones, Microphones, Wireless Systems

Cameo Lighting Charvel Guitars dB Technologies Pro Audio Equipment DDS Antennas, Consumer Electronics, Pro Audio

Accessories Digitech Processors & Effects Units DPA Professional Microphones EVH Eddie Van Halen Products Fender Musical Instruments Gravity Stands & accessories Gretsch Guitars Groove Tubes iDance Headphone Technology and DJ Products iRocker Electronic Drums IK Multimedia Music Creation, Software, Hardware Jackson Guitars Jammpro MI Products LD Systems Pro Audio LOOG Guitars Mixars DJ Equipment Palmer Musical Instruments Peace Drums PreSonus Recording, Mixing, Pro Audio RCF Pro Audio Ritter Musical Instrument Bags Roli Rise Keyboards & Blocks MIDI Control Surface Samson Technologies Audio & MI Products S-Digital Consumer Electronics SGM Professional Lighting SKB MI, Pro & Camera Cases Squier Musical Instruments Tascam Professional Recording Equipment Tasker High Quality Cable Teac Consumer Electronics Unirig Towers & Trussing

Contact: Rob Magnus Address: PO Box 747, Napier Phone: (06) 834 4075 Fax: (06) 834 0552 Email: sales@hba.co.nz Website: www.hba.co.nz Brands Distributed: Aquarian Drum Heads & Access.

Augustine Classical Guitar Strings Badger Guitars Belcat Pickups, Amplifiers, Tuners & Effect Pedals Carson Power Packs CnB Cases & Bags Crybaby Pedals Dr Parts Guitar Accessories Dunlop Guitar Strings & Accessories E.A.R. Earplugs Ghost Modular Pickup Systems Graphtech Nuts, Saddles and Bridgepins Harris Slides Herco Brass and Wind Accessories Hot Line Audio Cables Johnson Violin Shoulder Rests LAG Guitars Leem Audio Accessories Los Cabos Drumsticks Lucky 13 Guitar Straps Mahalo Ukuleles & Ukulele Guitars Maxtone Drums & Accessories MXR Pedals Platinum Stands Power Tech Cables Reeds Australia Reeds for Clarinets,

Saxophones & Accessories Scotty Kazoos & Guitar Accessories Seiko Tuners & Metronomes Shadow Pickups & Accessories Signal Sender Cables & Audio Accessories SX Acoustic, Electric Guitars, Banjos & Harmonicas Trigger Capos Tycoon Percussion Valencia Classical Guitars, Mandolins & Violins Waltons Bodhrans, Whistles & Irish Print Music Way Huge Pedals

KJ Distributors

Contact: Jeff Clark Address: 56 Commerce Street, Hamilton Phone: 021 743 080 Email: sales@kjd.co.nz Website: www.kjd.co.nz, www.focalnz.co.nz Brands Distributed: Focal Professional Monitors Handmade in France

Tchernov Pro Audio Balanced Cable and Speaker Cable

Livesound

Contact: John Carter Address: PO Box 68216, Newton, Auckland Phone: (09) 378 9863 Fax: (09) 378 0542 Email: sales@livesound.co.nz Website: www.livesound.co.nz Brands Distributed: Amphenol Audio Connectors Amphesound Cables Eden Electronics Bass Guitar Amplification Eminence Loudspeaker Components Explorer Cases Waterproof, Dustproof, Military

Spec Cases Hill Audio Mixers, Zoned Control Pre-amps & Amplifiers K&M Stands for Music, Microphones, Speakers, Instruments etc Livesound Roadcases & Racks On Stage Stands Mic, Speaker and Instrument Stands Optogate Automatic Microphone Gates Pasgao Wireless Mic Systems Penn-Elcon Roadcase, Speaker Cabinet Hardware, Black Mount Systems Quest Engineering Loudspeaker Systems and Amplifiers Sommer Cable Audio and Video Cables Ultrasone Professional Headphones Xilica Audio Design Digital Processors for Loudspeakers and Audio Installations

Phone: (09) 524 4119 Email: edward@lewiseady.co.nz Website: www.lewiseady.co.nz Facebook: /lewiseadypage Brands Distributed: Alhambra Guitarras Spanish-made Nylon

String Guitars

Boston Pianos Upright and Grand Pianos Essex Pianos Upright and Grand Pianos Farida Electric and Acoustic Guitars Haosen/Hau Sheng Percussion Instruments Steinway and Sons Upright and Grand Pianos

Contact: Andrew Manning Address: PO Box 90014, Auckland Mail Centre, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142

Phone: (09) 303 4936 Fax: (09) 366 0281 Email: lyn.mcallister@xtra.co.nz Brands Distributed: AB Rosin Alegria Guitars Aquila Strings Aroma Tuners and Metronomes Awhi Guitar Straps Boogie Juice Fingerboard Cleaner Calato (Regal /Road) Drumsticks & Brushes Cooper Stands CPK Products Darco Electric & Bass Guitars Strings

Diamond Head Ukuleles Dick Accessories for Violins, Cellos etc.

Feadog Irish Whistles Finger Ease String Lubricant Fishman Transducers & Amplifiers G7th Capos Gotoh Guitar Parts Hidersine Bows, Rosins & Shoulder Rests Hills Rosin Kala and Makala Ukuleles Kyser Capos, Cleaners & Strings LM Guitar Straps Martin Guitars, Strings & Accessories Mi-Si Transducers Neotech Straps & Slings Ohana Ukuleles Players Woodwind, Brass Accessories Pyramid Strings for Violin, Cello and Guitar Rapco Cables RhythmTech Percussion

Rico, Reserve, Royal, Mitchell Lurie, Hemke, Plasticover & Select Jazz Reeds Saga Stringed Instruments (Regal, Rover,

Kentucky, Gitane) Savarez Classical Strings Schaller Straplocks Shubb Capos Sigma Guitars Tom’s Line Mini Effects Pedals Wittner Metronomes, Music Stands & Violin Accessories Wolf Violin & Viola Shoulder Rests

Online at www.nzmusician.co.nz COB 6eg^a$BVn '%&,

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Distributors continued…

Contact: Brodie Noon, Adrian Dittmer Address: PO Box 7008, 1B Tiki Place, Palmerston North Phone: (06) 355 5073 Fax: (06) 355 5074 Email: sales@mdrlighting.co.nz Website: www.mdrlighting.com

Brands Distributed: CBI Professional Cables, Bulk Cable, Connectors,

Stage Snakes and Looms, Multicores, Custom Cable Solutions Chauvet DJ LED Effect Lights & Accessories, LED Wash Lights & Accessories, Lasers, DMX Controllers, LED & Lamped Moving Heads, Fog/ Bubble/Dry Ice/Haze Machines & Fluids, Stands, Clamps and DMX Cables Chauvet Professional High Power LED Fixtures, Moving Heads/Washes, LED Video Walls/Screens, Media Servers Chauvet-Trusst Pro Trussing Range Eclipse Full Colour Laser Range IIluminarc Architectural LED Lighting Fixtures and Controllers Laserworld Laser Lights, complete Power and Colour Range MDR Fog Fuel, Bubble Fluids MyMix Personal Digital Mixer/Recorder for InEar Monitoring and Personal Mixing

Contact: Jarrad Lee Phone: (09) 270 1334 Email: info@musicbiz.co.nz Website: www.musicbiz.co.nz Brands Distributed:

Ahead Armor Drum Bags and Cases Akai Software MIDI Controllers, Audio Interfaces, Samplers & Drum Machines Alesis Recording Interfaces, Mixing Consoles, Electronic Percussion and MIDI Controllers ALTO Live Sound Reinforcement Aria Acoustic/Electric Guitars & Accessories Avid Recording Software & Hardware, ProTools Azumi Flutes Eden Electronics Pro Bass Amplification Focusrite Audio Interfaces & Recording Hardware Gallien Krueger Bass Amplification Hercules Heavy Duty Instrument and Mic Stands Hohner Harmonicas, Melodicas and Recorders Jupiter Professional Brass instruments Lanikai Ukuleles M-Audio Audio Interfaces, Studio Monitors, Microphones and MIDI Controller Keyboards Majestic Band Percussion Instruments Mapex Drums, Hardware and Accessories Marshall Guitar/Bass Amplification Meinl Percussion and Cymbals Moog Analog Synthesisers and FX Pedals Music Nomad Equipment Care Nord ElectricPiano/Organs/Synths/Drum Synths Novation USB/MIDI Software Controllers & Keyboards NS Design Electronic Stringed Instruments Numark DJ Mixers, CD/Media Players, DJ Software Controllers, Cartridges & Accessories Odyssey DJ & Hi Tech Road Cases Protection Racket Drum/Percussion Cases & Bags PRS Guitars Paul Reed Smith Guitars.

Quiklok Stands and Accessories Taylor Acoustic and Electric Guitars Vater Drumsticks and Accessories Veillette Guitars and Basses Vintage Electric and Acoustic Guitars

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Contact: Wayne McIntyre, Harry Russell Phone: (09) 250 0068 Fax: (09) 259 0069 Email: info@musiclinknz.co.nz Website: www.musiclinknz.co.nz Brands Distributed: Ableton Recording Software Ampeg Bass and Guitar Amplifiers Art & Lutherie Acoustic Guitars

Arturia Cakewalk

Cerwin Vega PA Sound Reinforcement

Crane Hardware D’Addario Strings and Products Diago Pedal Boards and Power Supplies Evans Drum Heads Gibson Les Paul Monitors Godin Electric Guitars

HQ Percussion ISO Acoustics Studio Monitor Stands KRK Studio Monitors La Patrie Acoustic Guitars Line 6 Guitar Amps and Effects, Guitars, Sound Reinforcement Equipment Mackie Sound Reinforcement Equipment Native Instruments DJ gear, Hardware and Software Pearl Drums Planet Waves Guitar Access. Cables, Straps, Tuners ProMark Drumsticks Propellerhead Recording Software & Hardware Puresound Drum Accessories Rico Reeds Sabian Cymbals Seagull Acoustic Guitars Simon & Patrick Acoustic Guitars Stanton DJ Equipment Ultimate Support Stands Universal Audio Recording Equipment Vic Firth Drum Sticks

Music NZ

Contact: Daryl Cogger Phone: (09) 270 4001 Fax: (09) 270 1337 Email: sales@musicnzl.co.nz Website: www.musicnzl.co.nz Brands Distributed: Blackstar oss B Breedlove Edirol Ernie Ball Gator HK Audio Hosa Technology Medeli Remo Røde Roland Sterling

Contact: Andrew McElroy Address: 146-148 Captain Springs Rd, Onehunga, Auckland Phone: (09) 634 0099 Fax: (09) 634 5615 Email: sales@musicworks.co.nz Website: www.musicworks.co.nz

Ultimate Stands for Speakers and Keyboards and Lighting Ultrasound Acoustic Amplifiers and DI Boxes Vandoren Reeds French Woodwind Reeds and Mouthpieces Vicoustic Studio Sound Treatment Panels Xilica High-performance DSP Systems Yamaha Guitars and Basses, Acoustic and Classical, Keyboards, Pianos, PA Equipment, Mixers, Audio Interfaces, Synthesisers, Sound Modules, Drums, Brass, Woodwind, Accessories

Brands Distributed: Admira Handcrafted Spanish Classical and

Flamenco Guitars

Alpine Professional Hearing Protection Ear Plugs Ashton Guitars, Instrument Amplifiers, Sound

Reinforcement, Drums & Accessories AuviTran Professional Audio Networking Solutions Avalon Audio Compression, Mic Preamps, Studio Equipment AXL Electric Guitars and Basses Beale Grand and Upright Pianos Bosendorfer Handcrafted Grand Pianos CAD Audio Microphones Cole Clark Acoustic & Bass Guitars DaCappo High Quality Micro Microphones and In-ear Monitors DDrum Electronic and Acoustic Drum Triggers Dean Markley Guitar, Bass, Mandolin & Banjo Strings, Acoustic Pickups & Amps Ego Sys Sound Cards and Interfaces Electro Voice Loud Speakers and Accessories EMES Professional Studio Monitors ENGL All-Valve Guitar Amplifiers and Cabinets Floyd Rose Tremelos George L’s Professional Cables Gibson Guitars and Accessories Grover Guitar and Bass Machine Heads HH Electronics PA Speakers, Monitors & Amplifiers Hiwatt All-valve Guitar & Bass Amplifiers and Cabinets Ibanez Guitars, Basses, Acoustics, Classical Guitars, Effects Pedals, Guitar & Bass Amplifiers, Cables, Cases, Straps and Bags Jam Hub Audio Systems JMI The Original AC Amplifiers Johnson Acoustic and Classical Guitars Juno Reeds Student Brass and Woodwind Reeds Kemper Profiling Amplifier Laney Guitar Amplification and PA Lee Oskar Harmonicas Levys Leathers Guitar Straps, Bags Manhassett Orchestral Stands and Accessories Mogami Cables Professional Cables Morley Wah Pedals & Effects Morpheus DropTune, Capo and Bomber Pitchshifting Effects Pedals Nikko Metronomes Paiste Cymbals, Sounds, Gongs & Cymbal Accessories Palatino Violins, Violas, Cellos, Basses and String Accessories Palmer Audio Tools and Pro Audio Equipment Pearl River Pianos PedalTrain Guitar Effects Pedalboards ProRockGear Guitar and Bass Cases, Drum Cases Que Audio Microphone Solutions Recording King Banjos, Resonator Guitars and Mandolins Ritmuller Upright and Grand Pianos RME Professional Studio Audio Interfaces and Soundcards Rockhouse Mixer Systems for Schools Rotosound Strings Schecter Electric Guitars, Basses, Acoustics and Basses Sky Gel Drum Skin Damper Pads Steinberg Studio Software, Cubase, Nuendo and Audio Interfaces Studio Devil Amp Modelling Studio Software Tama Drums, Hardware, Sticks, Bags and Accessories T Rex Guitar and Bass Effects Pedals

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Now Sound

Contact: Carl Win, Ali Shannon, Daniel Parks Address: PO Box 201228, Auckland Airport, Manukau 2150 Ph: (09) 913 6212 Email: info@nsl.co.nz Website: www.nsl.co.nz

Brands Distributed: QSC Amplifiers, Loudspeakers, Digital and

Analogue Signal Processing Shure Microphones, Headphones, Mixers Cloud Electronics High Quality Commercial Audio Systems WekaWire Audio and Installation Cable

Contact: Marcel Reinen Address: PO Box 783 Orewa Phone: 09 947 5230 Email: info@pacificav.co.nz Website: www.pacificav.co.nz Brands Distributed: Aurora IPBaseT AV-over-IP & Control Systems Bosch Commercial PA & Conferencing Systems Earthworks Test, Performance & HD Installation Mics

FBT Self-powered & Passive Loudspeakers FrontRow Audio-over-IP School Bell & PA System Rane DSP

Univox Hearing Loop Amps Contact: Pete McGregor Address: 8 Capstan Court, Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland

Phone: (09) 834 8355 Email: pete@bassbass.co.nz Website: www.bassbass.co.nz Brands Distributed: Acoustic Image USA Amplifiers for Acoustic Instruments

Christopher Double Basses David Gage Realist Pickups for Double Bass K & K Transducers for all Instruments Phil Jones Bass Amplification PMM Double Basses & Cases for Double Bass Poellman Double Bass Pops Rosins Revolution Solo Transducers for Double Bass Schertler Amplification Shimro Double Basses Underwood Bass Transducers Wilson Pickups for Double Bass

Oceania Audio Sales

Contact: Nigel Russell Address: PO Box 41085, St Lukes, Auckland.

Phone: (09) 845 7800 Fax: (09) 846 4626 Email: nigel@oceania-audio.co.nz Website: www.oceania-audio.co.nz Brands Distributed: AEA Ribbon Microphones Antelope Audio HD Audio clocks, Audio Interfaces API Modular Preamps, EQs & Compressors

Aston Microphones Condenser Microphones & Reflection Filters Auratone The Original Studio Reference Monitors Avalon Design Pure Class A Signal Processing AvantonePro Electronics Mixcube Monitors, Microphones Avedis Audio 500 Series Mic Pres & EQs Avenson Audio Condensor Mics & DIs BAE Vintage Mic Preamps/Equalizers Blue Microphones Microphones Burl Audio D/A A/D Convertors, 500 Series Preamps Chameleon Labs Preamps and Microphones Chandler Ltd Preamps, EQs and Compressors Clear-Com Wired and Wireless Intercom Systems Cloud Microphones Ribbon Mics and CloudLifter Mic Optimizers Coles Ribbon Mics Countryman & Assoc DI Boxes & Miniature Mics Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones Dizengoff Audio Vacuum Tube Mic Pres & Vari Mu Compressors Drawmer Valve, Digital & Conventional Signal Processors Empirical Labs ‘The Distressor’ Compressor, FATSO, Lil Freq EQ and Mike-e Eventide Effects Hardware & Plugins FMR Audio Compressor, Preamp & Levelling Amp Funk Logic Rack Trays and Rack Filler Golden Age Vintage Preamps Heil Sound Dynamic Microphones JDK Mic Pres, EQs & Compressors Joe Meek Voice Channels, Stereo Opto Compressors, Large and Small Diapragm Mics Kush Audio Innovative EQ’s, Compressors Lindell Audio Audio Processors Microtech Gefell German Microphones Mojave Audio Fet and Tube Microphones Oktava Condenser & Ribbon Mics ProCo Multicores & Bulk Cable, RAT Distortion Pedals Purple Audio 500 Series Preamps and EQs Roll Music Super Stereo Compressor, Folcrum Bus Mixer Royer Labs Ribbon Microphones Schoeps Modular Condenser Mics and Access Shadow Hills HQ Mic Pres, Compressors Stedman Steel Pop Screens Studio Projects Condenser Mics, Mic Preamps and Accessories Summit Audio Valve Mic Preamps, Compressors, EQs Toft Audio Products Mixers, Mic Preamps Tonelux Recording Consoles and Modules Triad-Orbit Mic Stands and Accessories Trident Audio Designs Mixers & Studio Monitors Valley People Compressors and Gates Warm Audio Mic Preamps, Compressors & EQs Weight Tank Audio Vacuum Tube Compressors Wunder Audio Mics & Preamps

Contact: Robert Hancox Address: 19 Edwin St, Mt Eden, Auckland Phone: 0800 505 003 Email: robert@pianotraders.co.nz Website: www.pianotraders.co.nz Brands Distributed: Albert Weber Upright and Grand Pianos Printed Music NZ’s Widest Range Wizard Guitars, Cellos and Ukuleles

Contact: Scott Simpson, Rene Bullinga Address: 15 Walter St, Wellington and 76 Paul Matthews Rd, Auckland

Phone: (04) 801 9494,

(09) 414 0477, (09) 415 3117 Email: sales@protel.co.nz Website: www.protel.co.nz

Brands Distributed: A-Designs Audio Products Air Music Technology Plugins Apogee Interfaces for iPad/iPhone/MacOS Argosy Console Furniture ATI Audio Distribution and Utility Audient Analogue Consoles & Mic Pres Avid Pro Tools, Controllers, Live Sound Bricasti Digital Reverb & Audiophile Cedar Audio Restoration Crane Song Outboard Equipment Eartec Comms Systems East West Plugins Genelec Active Studio Monitors Hear Technologies Personal Monitor Systems iZotope Audio Processing Software Kv2 Audio Sound Reinforcement Lewitt Microphones Little Labs Engineers Tools McDSP Processing Plug-Ins Metric HaloLabs Hi-res I/O and Processing Nugen Audio Metering & Level Control Pultec Audio Equalizers Riedel RockNet Networked Audio Sonnox Audio Processing Software SoundToys Pro Effects Plug-Ins Spectrasonics Virtual Instruments SPL Professional Processing Solutions Turbosound Sound Reinforcement Violet Design Microphones Waves Audio Processing Software Zaxcom Digital Encrypted Wireless/Recording

Contact: Paul Gregory Address: 14 Upland Rd, Christchurch 8025 Phone: (03) 942 3520 Toll Free: 0508 Percussion (737-287) Email: sales@re-percussion.co.nz Website: www.re-percussion.co.nz Brands Direct Marketed: Acme Whistles Whistles & Sound Effects Adams Concert Percussion Andante Drums UK Pipe Band Drums and Sticks

Clearsonic Transparent Sound Shields and Portable Isolation Booths Dream Cymbals and Gongs Grover Pro Percussion Concert Tambourines, Triangles, Woodblocks & Drums Mike Balter Percussion Mallets Peterson Tuners Virtual Strobe & Strobostomp Tuners Roc n Soc Seating for Musicians

Contact: Daniel Rowe Address: Unit A, 26-30 Vestey Drive, Mount Wellington, Auckland 1060

Phone: (09) 580 0489 Fax: (09) 580 0490 Email: sales@sennheiser.co.nz Website: www.sennheiser.co.nz Brands Distributed Neumann Microphones Sennheiser Microphones and Headphones

Contact: Stephen Buckland, Diana Byrami, Tim Riley

Address: Unit 3, 1 Porters Ave, Eden Terrace, Auckland

Phone: (09) 366 1750 Fax: (09) 366 1749 Email: digital@soundtq.co.nz Website: www.soundtq.co.nz Brands Distributed ADAM Audio Professional Monitor Speakers Lectrosonics Inc Radio Mics, IFB Systems Sanken Microphones Sound Devices Portable Recorders, Mixers, USB Mic Pres Rycote Windshields and Mic Accessories

South Pacific Music Distributors Address: PO Box 101-494 North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, Phone: (09) 443 1233 Fax: (09) 443 2529 Email: info@southpacificmusic.co.nz Website: www.southpacificmusic.co.nz

Brands Distributed: Aguilar Bass Amps Albert Weber Pianos & Grand Pianos Albion Guitar and Bass Amplifiers Allen Church and Theatre Organs Almansa Classical Guitars Alvarez Acoustic Guitars and Ukuleles Analog Alien Guitar Pedals Aquila Strings Ashdown (UK) Amplification Astro Drums & Electronic Drums Bad Cat Amplifiers B-Bird Capos by Best Music Bechstein Pianos, Upright & Grand Bernstein Pianos, Upright and Grand Bluthner Pianos Cherry Music Lights and Tuners Clarke Tin Whistles CME X Key MIDI Controller Keyboards Crafter Acoustic & Acoustic/Electric Guitars D’Andrea Guitar Picks & Accessories D’Angelico Guitars Danelectro Electric Guitars & Pedals Dave Smith Analogue and Digital Synthesizers Ebow Electronic Bows for Guitars Electro-Harmonix Pedals, Valves & Strings Elixir Strings EWI Cable & Multicores G&L Guitars & Basses Gemini DJ Products GHS Guitar Strings & Accessories Goldtone Banjos, Mandolins, Guitars, Accessories Greg Bennett Guitars & Basses Hammond Keyboards Italia Guitars Innovative Percussion Drumsticks, Mallets,

Joyo Audio Products, Amps, Pedals etc.

K+M Stands & Accessories Karina Electric & Acoustic Guitars Kohler & Campbell Acoustic & Digital Pianos Knabe Upright and Grand Pianos Korg Keyboards, Synthesisers, Guitar Effects,

Tuners, Recording Kurzweil Synthesisers, Digital Pianos, Keyboards K.Yairi Guitars Larrivée Guitars Leslie Tone Cabinets Lockit Straps for all Instruments Maui Xaphoon Pocket Saxophones Medeli Digital Drums, Keyboards, Pianos Miditech Midi Keyboards and Audio Interfaces Mighty Bright Music Lights Mullard Amplifier Tubes Nektar MiIDI Controller Keyboards NUX Digital Drums, Amps and Pedals Oberheim Synthesizers PedalTrain Guitar Effect Pedalboards PianoDisc Player Systems Premier Drums and Percussion Prim Violin & Cello Strings Ramirez Classical and Flamenco Guitars Rickenbacker Electric Guitars and Basses Rocktron Guitar Effects Samick Guitars, Electronics, Musical Instruments Schimmel Pianos Seydel Germany Harmonicas, Harps Seymour Duncan Guitar Pickups, Bassline & Antiquity Series SIT Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin Strings Snark Tuners and Metronomes Sovtek Amplifier Tubes Spector Basses Stagg Musical Instruments and Accessories Strymon Guitar Pedals Superlux Headphones, Microphones, Audio Accessories Suzuki Musical Instruments Svetlana Amplifier Tubes Tanglewood Guitars Taye Drums & Hardware Tung-Sol Tubes UFIP Cymbals Vox Guitar & Bass Amplifiers W. Hoffmann Pianos Waldorf Synthesizers Weber Pianos Wharfedale Pro Audio Equipment Xaphoon Pocket Saxophones 2 Box Digital Drums

STL Audio Contact: Troy Kelly Address: 8 Holland St, Te Aro Wellington Phone: (04) 801 5602 Email: sales@stlaudio.co.nz Website: www.stlproaudio.co.nz Fb: www.facebook.com/STLAudio/ Brands Distributed: ART Pro Audio Everything Audio Lauten Audio Industry Driven Microphones MXL Microphones Quality Professional Microphones

Rupert Neve Designs Pre-amps, Compressors

and EQs

Slate Media Technologies Raven MTI, VMS Microphones

Brushes

JJ Amplifier Tubes

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The Map Room

Atmospheric Pressures

The musical output of smart Kiwi production duo The Map Room is typically described as ‘atmospheric indie pop’. Clever then that the second album from them should be titled ‘Weatherless’, even if one room-mate, Simon Gooding, lives in the country’s weather capital. Martyn Pepperell talked with Gooding about the new album and their musical umbrella.

W

hen Auckland/Wellington duo The Map Room released their self-titled debut album, back in 2013, their elegant indie-pop songs arrived in the midst of a sea change. After experiencing a golden run in the late 2000s/early 2010s, the artsy indie rock, nu-disco and alt-folk sounds of Grizzly Bear, Metronomy, The National and Radiohead faded into the background. In their place, a boundary-pushing wave of hip hop, RnB and pop releases from the likes of A$AP Rocky, Tyler The Creator, Drake, Beyoncé, James Blake and Lorde took the spotlight.

Ahead of their debut The Map Room’s Brendon Morrow and Simon Gooding drew inspiration from the indie space. In the lead-up to their recently released sophomore album they started to look closer at the turning musical tide.

“I think around the time of our last record, there had been a lot of amazing big indie rock records coming out, and a fair amount of pushing the boundaries regarding styles and sonics,” Simon reflects. “But for me now, I feel the best and most interesting work is coming from people like Solange and Kendrick Lamar in the contemporary hip hop and RnB arena.”

These sort of influences are evident throughout the sleek song structures, ascendant melodies and considered grooves that ripple throughout ‘Weatherless’. Aside from such touches, the album also bubbles with traces of modern electronica, a nod to the duo’s interest in the experimental dance music of contemporary US/UK artists like Caribou, Four Tet and Anohni, while still hanging onto the core indie framework of their debut.

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In the process, they’ve arrived at a location where the freeform vibrancy of live instrumentation and the hypnotic power of programmed grooves fit neatly together as one.

“I think that’s another thing that’s really interesting for me, looking at how these factors can come together,” says Simon.

The term‘freeform’is key as well here because, while their aesthetic has shifted and evolved between releases, the emotional common thread is freedom. Long-standing collaborators and musicians, Simon and Brendon originally met while both studying audio engineering in Australia. Returning to their mutual hometown of Auckland afterwards, they began writing music together and eventually spent a year travelling through South America.

“For me, the trip to South America was quite an important marker in my life, so I refer to it all the time,” admits Simon. “Even though the first album was a snapshot of that time, I think that trip has a lot to answer for in terms of this new record.”

Moving north from Argentina to Colombia the pair were writing music together. Along the way, they played impromptu shows, appeared live on local radio and purchased some beautiful antique guitars.

Working on ‘Weatherless’ Simon found himself looking back on the freedom and excitement of that trip. In tandem with collective and individual assessments of their current situations and anxieties about the future, they began to find a recurring lyrical theme – the struggle to separate oneself from memories of the past and visions of the future, and simply be present in the moment.

With Simon based in Wellington and Brendon living in Auckland, ‘Weatherless’ was democratically created in both cities, recorded in multiple studios.

“I’m up in Auckland for work a lot, so we would workshop songs at Brendon’s house, or in studios around town. He would come down to Wellington to work on music as well.”

The bulk of the tracking was done at The Lab in Auckland, with overdubs tacked on wherever they could get time.

“In a way, the album feels like a travelling beast, that we would pick up and chip away at all over the place,” Simon admits. “It does feel like it’s already covered a lot of ground.”

Both in-demand audio engineers (Simon in music, Brendon in film and TV), they had to write songs, record and play shows in stolen moments when life and work commitments didn’t get in the way. Unlike their first album, this time they brought live session musicians (drummer Andy Keegan and bassist Jared Kahi) into the studio fold at points, to work up arrangements and offer some extra perspective.

“Brendon and I were still charged with the

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creation of the songs and ideas, but having two extra people to bounce everything off was invaluable. They’re amazing players, so it was a no-brainer to have them on the record.”

Between their two albums The Map Room had the opportunity to travel to India and perform at the NH7 Weekender, the largest touring live music festival in that vast country.

“It was amazing to be able to see some of India,” Simon recalls. “We were able to do some exploring between shows, and being able to test new material out in front of large audiences was a huge experience for us.”

Those performances gave a new perspective on what their songs could be, and also provided a compelling reminder of the number of amazing music markets currently developing (or already developed) outside the traditional Western music industry axis.

They’ve again chosen to independently release the album. However where four years ago they might have been chasing newspaper reviews and radio play, this time they’ve been organising music video premieres on blogs and working to secure song placements on prominent Spotify and Apple Music playlists.

“The first record felt like we’d just put it out to our friends and family, but this time we have an established fan base to release to, which is nice.”

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2 Line Array Portable PA Systems

by Morgan Allen

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or the majority of musicians, choosing a portable PA system (or any audio equipment for that matter) is a compromise of performance, function and price.

For this review I’ve been looking at two offerings from long established American PA manufacturer JBL and rather newer German player LD Systems that together highlight this conundrum. The similarities but subtle differences demonstrate how important it is to understand your specific needs before settling on a purchase.

The two units I’ve been lucky enough to trial are LD Systems’ Curv 500 ES, which has a price tag of $2099, and JBL’s Eon One, the rrp for which is just slightly lower at $1999.

Both of these products are designed for

use by solo artists, or small groups on the go.

Musicians who want to be able to carry all their own gear into a venue, set up without fuss, sound great in often awkward spaces, and then pack it all down into their car afterwards.

Equally, of course, they are handily versatile for venues like restaurants, and the likes of community hubs and schools where amplified sound is sometimes needed – but size and storage are an issue.

What sets these two units apart from traditional PA set ups is their use of line array speakers. Concert goers will recognise line arrays as the stack of speakers usually suspended above the stage in a vertical, convex column. They have become the go-to choice for large concerts and arena shows due to their excellent projection of sound over long

distances. However due to their high cost of manufacture, there haven’t been many products taking advantage of this technology outside of festivals and big concerts.

Without delving too much into the science (which any other day of the week I’d happily wax lyrical about), they achieve this by stacking the drivers (or speaker cones) one on top of another in a vertical fashion. This allows each driver to deliver sound towards the audience in a direct, cylindrical fashion, as opposed to traditional speaker enclosures that project in a more spherical direction. Long story short, with a line array you get more volume, more efficiently and you don’t have to blow off someone’s ears at the front of the crowd in order for the punter at the back to hear everything.

So what are they like?

LD Systems Curv 500 ES – rrp $2099 Taking a look first at the LD Curv 500 ES, we are greeted by a 10” powered sub about the same size and weight as a small bass amp (16.5 kg to be precise). Built into the sub are four XLR-combi jacks allowing either microphones or line input devices to be connected.

The first input also features a hi-z switch to plug a bass or guitar directly into the PA, great for acoustic guitarists or bass players who don’t have a DI handy.

We also have a basic high and low shelf EQ available for each channel, an FX level with 16 different presets including reverb, delay and chorus and a level control for either a 3.5mm input from your phone or Bluetooth device.

Lastly we have a master volume control for the sub and the accompanying array. These conveniently and snugly clip into one another and are mounted on top of a black pole that is screwed into the sub itself. The result is an elegant and easy to set up system with a reasonably small footprint.

JBL Eon One – rrp $1999 Similarly, the Eon One also takes shape with a sub and satellite system, although its presentation is slightly different. Rather than mounting the array on a pole, the array is already permanently assembled in one black oblong and can be mounted directly into the sub. It can also be raised higher with two extension pieces, the array then mounting on top of these.

Everything comes tidily packed away in a compartment behind the sub itself. A handle folds down over the top of the array, keeping

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the speakers in place and turning the outer casing of the sub into one carry case. Weighing in at 18.5 kg, the Eon One has two XLR-combi jacks on the sub itself, as well as controls for FX level, a high and low shelf EQ for each channel and TRS and RCA inputs for line devices.

You’ll also find a Bluetooth receiver built into the Eon One, super convenient and ideal for people wanting to play some house music in between sets at a bar or venue. The reverb on the Eon One is somewhat usable although its decay time is fixed and in excess of 4 seconds. Great for a big slow ballad but not so appropriate when you’re after just a little sparkle.

But how do they sound?

In typical line array fashion, both these products have excellent projection that exceeded my own expectations from such small drivers.

Even across a distance of 10 metres both arrays maintained a fairly consistent frequency response with minimal drop in volume.

Listening to them side by side the LD Systems displayed a rather more congested, choked sound compared to the JBL. It had a dense mid range, emphasising the honky, throaty tonality of a vocal. Its bass extension was

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impressive though, especially considering the size of the sub, and didn’t produce any strange resonances or hollow points when amplifying a bass guitar or keyboard.

In contrast the JBL Eon One provided a very bright and clear sound, with a slightly scooped mid-range reminiscent of the sound of modern JBL studio monitors. The sound was more focused with added transient detail compared to the LD Curv and the clearer top end gave the impression of the speakers having a more open tone. Although the same compact size as that of the Curv, I felt the JBL’s sub was able to reproduce frequencies lower and with more power than its counterpart.

Both units achieved similar volumes amplifying vocals before feedback occurred, although the JBL had slightly more headroom.

My take on this is that the JBL’s response was slightly flatter and thus able to provide more gain before feedback occurred. However due to the directional manner in which line arrays project sound it should be noted that both units were considerably more resistant to feedback than a conventional, similarly sized PA system.

Looking at these products side by side from the perspective of musician and venue users the LD Curv has more functionality and flexibility. Some people just want to run an acoustic guitar and vocal in which case the JBL is perfect, but if you’re looking to cater for a few extra mics or instruments, the Curv is going to be a better fit out of the box.

For anyone wanting to run several microphones and an instrument you would have to look at running an external mixer in order to use the JBL, which I feel partly ruins the all-in-one, plug in-and-go convenience of these products.

The LD Curv’s added level control for the sub and variety of reverbs and effects also provides more options to tailor your sound. However the JBL is a clearer, more pleasing unit to listen to and if you aren’t concerned about the number of channels directly available would be a refreshing addition to anyone’s kit.

Being similarly and affordably priced, both of these products are well worthy of consideration for anyone purchasing a flexible and portable PA system. The LD Systems Curv 500 ES is a highly functional unit, whilst JBL’s Eon One offers fewer options but excels in performance and sound quality.

Finding the right fit will ultimately depend on the technical needs and requirements of your music.

Morgan Allen is a recording engineer and producer based at Depot Sound Recording Studio in Auckland (depotsound.co.nz) To get in touch with Morgan directly email: morgan@depotsound.co.nz

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n this issue we are going to look at basslines and drum patterns that have been recorded by two bands described online as ‘progressive’ or ‘extreme’ metal. Whether those are accurate descriptions of them is up to the listener but in the work I’m doing for my new book on progressive rock (shameless marketing!), the term ‘progressive metal’ seems be used quite a lot, along with a term neither band likes – djent.

Both of these tracks use what is called ‘polymetre’ – in other words, while a track is in one seemingly basic time signature, band members play in different times that meet up at various points in a song. The first example comes from Tessaract’s 2015 album ‘Polaris’. It is a rhythmic analysis of what the band plays on the track Cages. The drums’ main part from 1-55, when the bass enters, consists of measures of 16/8, 16/8, and 14/8. From a mathematical perspective, the emphases (in bold) played by the drums are as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 (or 4x3 + 4) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 (or 4x3 + 4) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 (or 2x3 + 2x4) The bass drum best indicates the phrasing. Mathematically, this adds up to same 46 8th notes of the 11/8, 12/8, 11/8, and 12/8 in the guitar part, but with intricate cross phrasing between the two.

The bass follows the same pattern as the drums, linking with the bass drum. From 3-13, while the drums play a steady 12/8 groove until the end of the song, a distorted guitar and bass riff takes over from the clean

Dancers to a Discordant System, From 'Obzen'

guitar part (in 11/8 and 12/8) playing a riff constructed from measures of 15/8, 15/8, 15/8, 15/8 and 12/8. This equals 72 8th notes and corresponds with six 12/8 measures played by the drums. The total number of beats is thus the same – 72 8th notes played by each instrument.

This relationship continues until 4–47 at which point the drums continue in 12/8, whereas the guitar and bass play a distorted figure through 12 measures of 15/8, which equals 180 beats corresponding with 15 bars of 12/8 drums, which also equals 180 beats. Quite a feat of musical mathematics while the vocalist sings across it all! Have a listen on YouTube.

The second example is a track from Meshuggah, Dancers to a Discordant System. On this track, drummer Tomas Haake is basically doubling what the bass player, Dick Lövgren is playing but the i nteresting thing is that, while the metre seems to be a relatively simple 12/8 pattern, the melodic phrasing is constantly displaced meaning the A, B, F, C#, G etc. phrase occurs in different places each time it is played, as well as in different note lengths.

(BTW, the band use eight-string guitars and the five-string bass is tuned a semitone lower than standard tuning, with a bottom string tuned to a middle F to cut through the guitars. I have transcribed this in A to simplify matters.)

I’ve put brackets around the A at the beginning of each of these phrases. The phrases themselves are five bars long, unlike much non–progressive music (or whatever you want to call it, not going there!) that uses multiples of four bar groupings. It is significant that Haake plays a solid four beats to each bar on the hi-hat while the snare and bass drum are as complex (Meshuggah, 2008) as the guitar and bass parts.

This keeps the whole band on track.

Meshuggah were in NZ in March, so I expect that some readers will have seen them. Anyway, have fun trying out some polymetres in your band, it works well in metal and jazz styles, in fact, anything experimental.

Just keep counting until you feel the unusual rhythms as a groove!

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.

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Thomas Oliver

On Life Beyond Mars Despite an already solid and diverse career playing in his own band, providing vocals for drum ’n bass tracks, putting out the first all-instrumental Weissenborn slide-guitar record (2013’s ‘Beneath The Weissenborn’) and most recently winning a major songwriting award, Thomas Oliver tells Laura Dooney that ‘Floating In The Darkness’ feels like his first record.

‘F

loating in the Darkness’, Thomas Oliver’s new release, pulls together the themes of love, and loss and finding your way back again, that run through the 10 songs – but also refers to a subtle cosmic theme – because he likes the metaphor of love and space.

“They’re both so vast and incomprehensible. It’s my first solo album as a singer/songwriter, and the amazing thing about music is you always feel like you’re at the start. I guess if you’re always excited, you’re always somewhere new or somewhere that’s fresh to you.”

Recorded in the main across three Wellington houses, the album features some of the capital’s finest talent. Heavy hitters like Lisa Tomlins and Rhian Sheehan appear, alongside some young musicians Oliver encountered at Whitireia Polytechnic in Porirua, where he guest judges on a panel for performance assessments.

That task allowed him the chance to scout for talent, snapping up hungry and talented musicians to work with him.

Recording at home further meant Oliver had the freedom to be as meticulous as the evident and self-described perfectionist wanted. He describes the space as modest, but says his gear, collected over the past seven or so years, is “…as good as you can get.”

“I'm kind’a drawn to the idea of removing any excuse of it not sounding as good as the music you want it to sound,” he explains.

“If I have gear that’s sort of middle range in terms of quality and it doesn’t sound as good as the shit I’m listening to at the time, then I can blame it on my gear. But if I have the best gear I can get, and it doesn’t sound as good, it’s my fault.

“I like knowing it’s always down to me, I can’t blame it on anything or anyone else. I’m drawn to that and I guess it makes me work harder to make sure it is at that level.”

By the way he talks about his processes and the evident dedication, it’s impossible not to note how hard he works.

“I only really know I’m hard working because people tell me I

am,” he laughs. “I love it, and I love being meticulous. I’m obsessed by details, so I never like to brush over things or make a roundabout effort. When I am into something I like to go in as far as I can… I’m all or nothing.”

This is Oliver’s first album as a singer/songwriter, but he is already well known for the 2013 instrumental album played on his Weissenborn slide guitar that reached far beyond the international slide guitar community, into the mainstream.

“I never imagined I would do something like that, it happened organically. I started going really deep on the Weissenborn, I felt like the instrument hadn’t been explored as much as it could have, or should have. I just went down that rabbit hole and ended up making a whole album of it, which had never been done before.

“It had a really wide appeal which I totally didn’t expect.”

With this album Oliver feels he’s been able to bring together different elements of his career, his different hats of band member, slide guitar player, drum ’n bass vocalist and singer/songwriter.

“I’ve always kept them very separate so as not to confuse people too much. I realise a lot of people who know me as a slide player might see me feature on a drum ’n bass track and think, ‘What the fuck is this?’, which I kind of love. I like the diversity, I wouldn’t want to push it away for the sake of brand concision.

“This album feels like finally I just let go of trying to be lots of separate things and just put them all together, which is part of why it feels so fresh to me. It feels exciting.

It’s not like there’s a drum ’n bass tune in there, because there’s definitely not, but just that the mentality and approaches are all bound together.I play Weissenborn on it, but it’s not all about the Weissenborn, sometimes it’s electronic, sometimes it’s stripped back acoustic. It all works together, but it’s not like I’m trying to be one specific thing.”

The experience was liberating and the result is an album that moves smoothly from the slinky beginning of Tenderly,to a stripped back tale of loss in Budapest Is Beautiful, an atmospheric and glowing Let It Be This One, to Boy,

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a 10-minute tribute to the pains of growing up.

While the album is only just now released, Oliver already snapped up the 2016 Silver Scroll award with early single If I Move To Mars.

Winning the songwriting prize strengthened some connections overseas with the likes of booking agents and publicists, but he adds with a laugh, it hasn’t gone to his head.

“I try not to get too distracted by stuff like that… There are positive and negative things that pull you along, I feel it’s important to know what to let affect you, and what not.”

It did provide a chance for the musician to sit back and reflect on what he’d achieved, to stop and be grateful and proud of all he’d done, something he says he’s terrible at, tending instead to focus on the next step. He’s always been a “progress person”, he says.

“I feel me,as a brand or whatever, is never going to explode.

My strength is in continued refinement and dedication, and I kind’a like that. I don’t intend to stop. I love making music, and I don’t do it for the money or fame, basically everything is just snow-balling. As long as I keep doing what I’m doing, and keep getting better, and as long as it keeps building, then I’m happy.”

Now with a strong set of songs that represent where he’s at, Oliver is keen to take his brand further.

An eight-date tour of NZ comes first, then he’s heading to Australia in June, the States a month later, to do some writing and recording sessions in Nashville, then touring Europe in August and September.

“I’m ready to push it, and be completely behind it. I feel like I now have one concise album that represents me completely. It feels like I’m just starting, and I love that. It’s so amazing to have something that makes you feel at the start all the time.”

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

MISS PEACH & THE TRAVELLIN’ BONES: Sand This is a strong debut blending folk and country with almost gothic-style vocals. Miss Peach’s voice is front and centre of this 12-track album, often dramatic, always memorable, transitioning easily from near operatic to bluesy rockabilly. The Travellin’ Bones bring their own influences of jazz, classical and rock to the songs, creating a sound that is often a little different but catchy and enjoyable. The songwriting has a strong blues influence, almost always narrative-based, with a story to tell.

Miss Vaudeville (‘Eighteen years old and ready to kill. Likes to tie ribbons up in her hair, but be careful boys…’) is a prime example. Actually, vaudeville is also a good descriptor, especially with tracks like 2 Guns and The Ferryman. While most of the tracks sound wonderfully larger-than-life, Oh My Stars feels more intimate, showing off Miss Peach’s strong voice and skilled writing. She has a real talent for combining complex character and narrative with catchy, often repetitive lyrics. It sometimes feels as if her story carries across the album – from Box Of Matches and her plan to burn a town, climaxing in Tombstone as the character faces death, before culminating at the end of the album with Spectacular, with its longing but triumphant refrains. ‘Sand’ is an album that captures your attention and may require multiple listens to comprehend. s *ENNIFER 3HIELDS

4(% "!-"// 4HE "AMBOO Hailing from Oamaru, The Bamboo is Elton Crane on vocals/ guitar and Victoria van der Spek providing violin and keyboards.

The musical palette is limited to just the three instruments, without any form of percussion, which is unusual and certainly brave. Crane’s vocals are very out front, but complementary to and closely tracked by van der Spek’s melodic work. The mostly personal themes are thrown against a picture of society at large. Lyrically and vocally, there are some clever moments, mostly hidden away from the central melodic thrust. I do feel that some form of percussion, however subtle could have helped colour some songs and give the strummed acoustic guitar some back-up, plus act as a counterpoint to allow extra space for rhythmic and melodic choices. Recorded at Soundplus in Oamaru, with Dan Lewis on engineering and mixing duties, the sound is crisp, confident, and well defined. Special mention must be made of the presentation of this CD. The simple cover is very well-designed with intriguing photographic choices that reveal little but invite you to imagine what might be within.

All things considered, this is a record consistent in feel and atmosphere, which is that of a gloomy Sunday, sprinkled with an underlying optimism. s $ARRYL +IRK

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Ceol Manawatu is a Palmerston North folk music collective who, as the title suggests, focus on music (ceol) written in the Manawatu. Now with more than a decade of release history, ‘Till’ is their third album. What caught my attention most about this is the large number of composers featured, which must have contributed to the eclectic variety of instrumentation. That and the fact that the tunes span a full century – from Jane Morrison’s The Four Little Stars In The Blue (1916) to album orchestrator Paul Turner’s Back To Back paean to the All Blacks’ 2015 RWC repeat success. The diversity is tied together by excellent singer/storytellers with distinctly Kiwi accents (with a few instrumental tracks in between). My favourite, Tuesday Session, is an energetic instrumental track about the Celtic Inn in Palmerston North (the local bog which is a key location in the city’s folk scene) featuring pipes and bouzouki. With engineering by the very experienced Neil Maddever, all 12 tracks are interesting in different ways, Üi «iÀv À i`]Ê> `Êi ÌiÀÌ> }Ê Ê>ÊÀi >Ýi`Ê i Ì VÊv Êv>Ã °ÊU -ICHAEL "ELL EV\Z (+

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This second French For Rabbits’ album is an introspective affair, fuelled in evident part by the personal break-up of founders Brooke Singer and John Fitzgerald. Isolation, sadness, and more than a little defiance colour the album, which in places is texturally different to their 2014 album debut ‘Spirits’, although in a similar tone. ‘The Weight Of Melted Snow’ is heavy with emotion. In places the sorrow and contemplation almost drip from the songs. (‘Sadness steals my body, fills my bones.

A careless lark, a heavy moan.’) There is much beauty in the lyrical and musical imagery vocalist and songwriter Singer weaves, in particular on the spectral Feathers & Dreams.

While still firmly rooted in the delicate piano-vocal-band style of their earlier material there are a couple of new directions for the now five-piece. Written by multi-instrumentalist and co-producer Ben Lemi, Bird’s Eye Point Of View is upbeat alt-pop, with scattered rhythms, chiming guitars, and ghostly vocals. The shimmering Your Halo has a more direct vocal style and again uses a scattered rhythm, underscoring the darker lyric. This is the beautiful sound of a heart breaking and mending, and a stunning statement. s !MANDA -ILLS

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Retaining the confidently diverse formula of acoustic grooves, rock riffs and a touch of foreign tongues in their lyrics, Auckland experimental rock trio Midweektonic return with a second album.

The first observation is the minimalistic approach to presentation with a recycled cardboard sleeve – after their debut album was an outstanding package with memorable graphics and artwork. Vocals are shared with drummer Yair Katz taking the majority of singing spots comfortably. The band’s motifs and structures are their secret weapon and provide a running thread across the album, their songs often leaving you with that feeling you’ve heard it before. Guitarist Richard Ingamels shines nowhere more than on the seven-minute-long Broken Window with an extended solo section that channels Carlos Santana’s finest improvisational moments.

Bassist Andrew Burt’s vocal deliveries on Ordinary Man and Forever Just Too Much provide variation in the band’s sound but readily blend into the playlist. The three freely transition to riffing sections and successfully manage to incorporate their wide range of musical ideas into the 10 tracks without detracting from the strength of the songs. With styles ranging from reggae to ballads and indie rock, ‘Innocence Lost’ is a complete package of engaging ideas delivered in a distinctly familiar accent. s 3TU %DWARDS

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‘Weatherless’ is an album that hits you right in the emotions.

There’s no time to soak up the intro as Brendon Morrow and Simon Gooding, aka The Map Room, pull you in from the beginning with their bright vocals and light beats. If summer was looking for a theme song it might very well choose Colour, the opening track. This lays the foundation for an album of riotous pop celebration. For those familiar with All You’ll Ever Find, ‘Weatherless’ will feel like coming home. The tracks carry the same lightness and delicateness, the songs woven together by acoustic guitars, piano and subtle synth touches. It’s an album with a story to tell with an overall message of what feels like hope. Inspired in part by the pair’s South American travels, the album feels like a journey of sorts. The wild, carefree and idealistic first days of summer, peaking in the heat and the gear shift at track six with Dynamo, where the pop pulls back a notch, the remainder of the album signalling a chilling out as though summer is ending. To that end album closer Any Other feels like a lament and a signal of the need to get back to the real world. The piano solo closing out I Don’t Mind allows listeners to catch their breath and appreciate the broadly appealing beautiful music the pair haveÊVÀi>Ìi`°ÊU %MMA -OSS

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Same Name Confusion’s self-titled album is chimey and gleeful indie pop that draws from soulful rhythms and progressions. The instrumentals are tasty, the harmonies charming, and the guitar solos very sweet. Their sound reminds of jangle pop bands like Orange Juice and Auckland’s Polyester. The album is ostensibly performed, recorded and mixed by the elusive Luke and Andrej – no last names provided.

We do know that the mastering by Spiderhands Productions’ Logan Ellis adds a good chunk of colour to the tunes. The mixing indicates a shyness surrounding lyrics/vocals, but a well-deserved confidence towards instrumentation. Like a good hotel on an island resort the guitars tones are clean and luxurious. The drums hold down a solid spine for seemingly drifty breakdowns, and the bass gently paddles the songs along. Keys and synths drive some but are usually thrown in to accent chords or add another layer to cleverly arranged melodies. The lyrics tend to ponder on personal relationships, but the writing is cautious not to get too introspective and emotional. This could be a good thing, the last thing you want when dancing to guitar pop is to break down in tears, but there is definitely room to delve deeper into honesty. ‘Same Name Confusion’ is a fun but solid introduction by a Christchurch duo displaying a strong level of musical intelligence, a laudable design ethos, >˜`ĂŠ>ĂŠÂŤi˜VÂ…>Â˜ĂŒĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠÂŽÂˆÂ?Â?iĂ€ĂŠÂ…ÂœÂœÂŽĂƒÂ°ĂŠU *OEL 4HOMAS

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Paul Gurney has been heavily involved in NZ country-blues rock scenes since the late ’70s and it’s evident that he lives for his music. ‘Shadow Of Love’ sees him headlining his usual power force band to bring together a collection of well-crafted, melancholic love songs. The Desotos (who have two earlier albums to their credit) are Gurney (vocals, guitars), Stuart McIntyre (bass), Ron Stevens (keys) and Michael Burrows on drums. The instrumentation and arrangements of the tracks call out to influential artists such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Emmy Lou Harris and The Eagles, and soaking it in you feel like you could easily be listening to an album from this time.

The production is smooth, simple and stylish, the interplay and balance between all instru-

ments showing an experienced approach from engineer/producer Bob Shepheard, and Steve Garden who mixed and mastered the recordings. Americana definitely showers the entire sound in stars and stripes, from the songwriting and lyrical content as in Highway Of Dreams to the harmonies and vocal performance (albeit with Kiwi twangs providing a bit of familiarity). Raven conjures a curious back story that begs exploration into the life of a self-destructive 18-year-old in Japan. The rocky guitar track fades into a distant outro, repeating the lyrics, ‘Sinner you’d better get ready’, to segue into the final track of the same name, a trad number which is the only cover here. Sinner You’d Better Get Ready brings back the American influence with an a cappella intro and simple banjo and mandolin backing that pays tribute to the traditional gospel song, neatly summing up Gurney and his band’s love of the sound and history. s #HARLOTTE #RONE

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Scotland-based Kiwi acoustic-folk band Madam Tsunami gets its name from Adam Usmani, lead singer, co-writer, guitarist and keys player, who previously released music under his own name and as The Usmani Collective. This 12-track album is very calm and soothing, with seamlessly woven fiddle, soft bass, and steady guitar patterns. There are two instrumental tracks, while the other 10 are decorated with the lyrics and melodies of Usmani and his fiddle-playing wife Coralie.

Recorded in Oxford, England and mixed in Tauranga by Dave Baxter of Avalanche City, this album has seen influence from across the globe. The recording aimed for a professional production, with clarity between instrumental parts, whilst remaining light and cohesive.

And that’s what it delivered, clarity being a particular strength. Self-produced, the writing and instrumentation strike a great balance in volume and complexity, adding texture to the music without taking away from the lyrics or energetic vocal performance. The songs are quickly catchy, with singable melodies and a variety of upbeat and gentle accompaniments. The lyrics span a wide range of topics from the personal and thoughtful Hold Me Close to the confronting, political themes of Plot On The Moon. Aside from being a striking album to listen to, the artwork is breathtaking, and represents the mood of this album brilliantly s 3OPHIE -ASHLAN

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!..! (!7+).3 "OLD "RAVE !ND "EAUTIFUL Some singers are gifted with a voice that has the power to uplift (almost) everybody – irrespective of the song being sung. Anna Hawkins is one such individual. Be it pop, show musical theatre, classical opera, folk, Celtic, her voice enfolds and enhances all musical material that crosses her path. On her third album we are blessed with a set of 12 songs – half originals. They weave seamlessly between renditions of well-known gems such as Angel, Where The Lost Ones Go (with Will Martin), The Sound Of Silence (a sensitive collaboration with sister Lisa Grace Hawkins) and everyone’s favourite Frozen anthem Let It Go. Anna takes us on a gentle, considered journey of classy tunes, putting her own stamp on each. Again teaming up with Polish producer Pawel Zarecki and recording in Warsaw with a significant group of musicians and large string section, the results are taut, restrained, on point. For some, this material is mainstream, I prefer the term universal, or popular – in its purest sense. Highlight originals I Will Rise, What If and Earth Song make this a successful new step for her. As strongly hinted at with the title, Anna views this as her “permission to shine” album – and shine she does! “At the end of the day music is all about connecting,” she opines, and this proves a natural, graceful evolutionary step from performer to songwriter. s !NIA 'LOWACZ

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Christchurch misfit three-piece Tyrannosaurus Wreck don’t muck about when it comes to their aesthetic and sonic blueprint they are working from. Difficult to read logo that would look at home in a slasher movie - check; song titles designed to pack in the tongue-in-cheek gore - check; no ballads, no sissy love songs check; all over inside half an hour - check. With songs referencing Star Wars, The Walking Dead and Duke Nukem and other horror themes, the band, consisting of the aptly named Grunger on guitar and vocals, backed by Dan and Benny on drums and bass respectively, smash out a raw set of garage rock/punk/metal. If comparisons were to be drawn the names that float to the top of the cesspit would include Motörhead and Napalm Death.

The brilliantly titled Slowly Digested Over 1,000 Yrs draws inspiration from Return of the Jedi. Meanwhile Filthy Pig Scum is unlikely to win them any friends in the police force.

The pace set by the band is punishing, no song clocks in over 3.10 and the shortest is a mere 57 seconds. Recorded at Nightshift Studios, the album has a dense feel with guitar and bass locking over enthusiastic drumming. Growling vocals and not entirely straightfaced lyrics bring to mind Christchurch metal legends Human. T’ Wreck are perhaps a little sloppy around the edges, but this juxtaposition of punk waywardness matched with their iÌ> ÉÌ À>à ÊÌi `i V iÃÊ ÃÊ>ÊÃ>Ì ÃvÞ }ÊL i `Ê vÊ}i ÀiðÊU $ARRYL +IRK

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Lake South’s debut album is a well-written dream, carefully produced by Joshua Lynn at Thinkt in Auckland. Lingering synths, dreamy vocal effects and lush backing vocals give it air, while the occasional acoustic guitar or field recordings are among a range of instrumentation and sounds that ground the tracks back in the earthly world. The result is songs that are textured and shimmery, but still relatable and tangible rather than a total dreamscape. Emotions we can relate to give us glimpses into the writer’s perspective.

Almost all instruments are performed by Lake Smith (formerly Urbantramper) himself, with drums by Eddie Crawshaw, vocals and bass by Seamus Maguire, and more bvs from Nadia Reid, Felicity Herbertson and Penelope Esplin. Though Lake South has undeniable international influences this music is unashamedly Kiwi, with NZ accents slicing through the arrangements. He sings about abandoning home to move to the big city, the draining but hopeful nature of love, and living with no money as a result of gentrification. The production themes of combining more natural sounds with detached electronic instrumentation work well with the themes of nature vs. technology. Lake South seems to accept the reality of modern living, but questions if it’s really the way to happiness. In Renters the lyrics hope; ‘I wanna live in it/In the town where I grew up, on this land that I love.’

Songs are well-structured and tend to flow freely as melodies are layered together and the music escalates to a climax. The sound is comparable to M83, Christchurch’s Yumi Zouma > `Ê vvÊ >ÀÌ iâ½ÃÊÃV À }Ê Ê>Ê V >ÃÊ7 ` }Ê,iv Êv °ÊU *OEL 4HOMAS

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Hawkes Bay native Anthony Stretch has had a busy year – touring NZ repeatedly, opening for Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and releasing this confident debut album. A singer/songwriter in the altcountry ilk, his music infuses blues with a little bit of rock’n’roll into the mix, and the album starts off with the suitable roar of Less Rock More Roll. An Elvis-like stomper, it’s the polar opposite to sparse acoustic ballad Outside which later illustrates that Stretch knows when less makes more of an impact.

The raucous, bar-room group backing vocals on Can And Cannot Do are another example of how Stretch and his musicians have taken an over-familiar genre and given it a fresh twist. While ‘Bury All Horses’ is an album that could sound similar to many others in the genre (and occasionally does), passionate performances, spacious production, and melodic kinks elevate the music beyond the norm. Recorded at The Lab with Wayne Bell producing as well as drumming and adding keys, this polished, good-sounding album proves an exercise in spontaneous musicianship – from a talented writer whose career should go from strength to strength. s !MANDA -ILLS

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Julie Lamb has performed with various ensembles as well as her own band. Perhaps a blues singer at heart she obviously relishes a much wider stage and doesn’t rest on her laurels with this release, rather comes out firing on all cylinders. The heart-warmingly overthe-top packaging (a hand-cut pack of cards with lyrics on them, an ‘Ordinary Days’ diorama and bespoke cardboard box cover!) shows the thought, care, fun and enthusiasm put into this album. As the title suggests, the songs address various aspects of modern life – the little moments and situations that shape our lives. ‘When you live in Wellington you wear summer clothes and winter socks,’ tells you where she hails from, a regular performer around the city’s live traps. An a cappella song, sung in the round, in the middle of an MoR bluesy/rock/funk album – a pleasant surprise! Lamb’s singing is top quality and the group of talented musicians she has assembled shine, playing as a tight and sensitive group, never stepping on anyone else’s toes. There are some standout guitar solos from Matt Fitzpatrick and Callum Hazlitt-Black’s bass playing brings life to everything it touches, with basslines that are both solid and melodic. It’s great to hear some funky poprock with good old-fashioned bvs, and horn parts too. A class act made all the better by the iÛ `i ÌÊ iÊ`iÊÛ ÛÀiÊ ÌÊi V>«ÃÕ >ÌiÃÊ> `Ê«À iVÌðÊU "ING 4URKBY

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Down and dirty rock n’ roll is alive and well. Auckland threepiece Ginzu and the Steak Knives have unleashed another beast upon the populace, this time five tracks on a 7” vinyl EP (of 150 copies). The individuals responsible for this vaguely punk/ metal/doom melange are Jonathan Gray on guitar and vocals, Hamish Henderson on bass, and Shepherds Of Cassini’s Omar Al-Hashimi banging the drums. There’s a decent nod to Motorhead as well as a healthy Melvins’ vibe happening, along with the take it or leave it attitude. Recorded at Devonport’s Depot Sound Studios, mixed by Tim Shann, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege and pressed by Zenith Records. A worthy offering of shifty silt and sludge. All over inside nine minutes, the black side and white side provide a handy reminder of whether you’ve already played that one or not! s !NIA 'LOWACZ

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Instrumental music can be a very powerful thing – conveying thoughts and emotions beyond words because the visions are all your own. With this stunning set of soundscapes Wellington’s Hiboux easily cement their place among other more famous ‘post rock’ proponents such as Jakob, Mogwai and God Speed You Black Emperor, et al. Originating in 2013 this first full album comes after last year’s ‘Night Flights’ EP. Following the canon of the dynamic loud/soft aesthetic, Hiboux (pronounced ‘ee-boo’) make it their own with some unexpected guitar sounds and the occasional prog rock flourish. Each track is an epic journey of some length, without overstaying its welcome. The five-piece is Lester Litchfield and Bern Stock on guitars, Duncan Nairn on bass, drummer Declan Bailey and Tom Doesburg on keyboards and synths.

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This is from Karori and sounds amazing. There is subtle, there is powerful, but there’s a palpable controlled restraint that makes it all the more enjoyable because the music shifts easily between sparse and melodic, to heavily layered, to crescendo – without giving in to ‘heavy’ for heaviness’s sake. To a quite long roster of proponents of wandering vocal-less musical odysseys, Hiboux have given us something uniquely their own. As an intro check out their video for closing track Precession°ÊU !NIA 'LOWACZ

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The debut album from Auckland alternative folk trio Tweed is a confection of tight vocal harmonies with warm and raw edges, and imaginative storytelling in 1960s/’70s folk tradition.

(Think Crosbie, Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, etc.)

Recorded and mixed at Roundhead Studios, Jordan Stone does a great job of keeping the purity and clarity of each line intact, while blending them into a mellifluous whole. ‘High Brow Blues’ takes the listener on a journey with each song and through the album as a whole. This reminds me in style to the work of UK folk musicians Seth Lakeman and Eliza Carthy, not so much in specific ideas, but rather the feeling that you’re listening to really good bardic storytelling. The instrumental work by the core trio of Nancy Howie (guitar, bass, tambourine and thumb piano), Steff Werman (mandolin) and Devin Ashton (cajon, drums and other percussion), is strong. Likewise their guests, Sarah Thompson on French horn, Fiona Rouse’s cello and Rowan Uhe on electric guitar work well under the central vocal harmonies of Howie, Werman and Ashton – blending so well that occasionally the instruments seem like another voice. The passion and polish that Tweed brings to their playing is voluble and infectious. s !LEISHA 7ARD

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As well as being a prolific collaborator with artists like Bernie Griffen, Tami Neilson, and Donna Dean, Tony Daunt has in recent years featured in the Auckland folk scene with his own psychobilly rock’n’roll band Swampland. ‘The Gypsy’ is an album of material under his own name – a collection of darkly-toned country songs evoking Nick Cave and Johnny Cash, at least two decades in the writing. ‘The Gypsy’ is steady, with solid performances from all involved. Though entertaining there isn’t enough happening to make this one stand out from the many other alt-country albums that appear regularly. A couple of songs do shine through. The Chris Isaac styling of Gypsy is pretty, with the pedal steel guitar providing a seductive backdrop for strident performance by Daunt, and the rollicking Misery is a riotous Nick Cave-esque stomper, unfortunately let down by occasionally predictable, clichĂŠd rhyming lyrics. ‘The Gypsy’ has clearly been a labour of love for Daunt and his band – the songs have been crafted to present his vision and the performances are solid, but he ends up sounding too similar to Â…ÂˆĂƒĂŠÂˆÂ˜vÂ?Ă•i˜ViĂƒĂŠqĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠÂ?ÂˆĂŒĂŒÂ?iĂŠĂƒiÂ˜ĂƒiĂŠÂœvĂŠÂ…ÂˆĂƒĂŠÂœĂœÂ˜ĂŠĂƒĂŒĂžÂ?iĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠÂ“Ă•ĂƒÂˆV°ÊU !MANDA -ILLS

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From the propulsive opening bars, Wellington’s Nation sets the groove with intent. The four-piece soul/pop unit have as much funk as they do feel. With obvious influence from Jamiroquai and Dirty Loops ‘Nation’ navigates its way through the complex

opening track Fumes with pinpoint accuracy. Any stereotyping of complexity over finesse can quickly be dispelled with the melodic and expressive delivery of Trouble. Composer/ guitarist/singer Miharo Gregory maintains the band’s identity with a distinctive air of kiwiana throughout. The Root Of All Evil digs deep, exploring a more progressive structure, all the while supported by tasteful fills and counter melodies band-wide. Co-writer Hertzog Burger’s syncopated synth lines lead the band through a range of moods, always managing to reach the destination the songs require. Nation offer a fresh sound and unique approach to the soul genre, infusing prog with pop convincingly on this debut EP. Recorded at Organik Music Workz the production of these four songs is crisp and classy.

With two prior tracks available on Bandcamp there is enough here for a taster while we look forward to the band’s first long player. s 3TU %DWARDS

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UK born, now Auckland-based musician Mark Kenington’s debut album is an alt pop/rock work that blends reflective lyrics with an upbeat energy that’s constantly pushing forward. Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by seasoned rock maestro Andrew Buckton the album sounds clean and pristine, perfectly measured for the style. The title track plays with an interesting indie groove before the poetic refrain that is the song’s title in the chorus. Just A Man uses the 6/8 meter to create a lush, washed out chorus, full of soothing texture. Is It Any Wonder is an interesting turning point in the album. Stripping the arrangement back for the rest of the songs creates an almost contemplative pocket, giving space to pause and reflect. Kenington provides naturally bright, upper-register tenor vocals, piano and Rhodes throughout, while Buckton also gets credits for all guitars, bass, keys and more besides. ‘Going Nowhere (Faster Than You)’ is an exciting debut from an accomplished artist we haven’t heard much about yet. Hopefully the promises these songs bring mean there will be more to Vœ“i°ÊU *ESSE !USTIN

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Well-named this album, and Christchurch’s Li’l Chuck is more than just a one-man skiffle machine. He’s a one-man skiffle, jazz, blues, rock and folk machine – but there isn’t enough room to write all of that on the front of his kick drum. The drum kit might be cut down in components, but it keeps good time, and ‘good time’ music is what Li’l Chuck is all about. There’s fabulous harmonica playing, and fantastic guitar playing too, with styles varying across the album to keep things exciting. Dave Thorpe‘s powerful vocals are similarly impressive. It’s astounding that the sound is all generated by Li’l Chuck and no-one else. On Stick It In Your Pipe And Smoke It he comes across as a skiffly Woody Guthrie. Heartache, Heartbreak kicks off with a Sun Studios-style slapbackdrenched wail, then proceeds into more skiffle-centric territory with a whistled lead break, followed by some top-notch harping. There’s tasty slide guitar on display in Whiskey And Ginger, reminiscent of old-school blues greats. Honey Leave Your Porch Light On gives you a blast of effervescent skiffle energy. Not many one-man bands display this level of quality, Li’l Chuck is as rootsy and authentic as an old kauri tree. He’s all the skiffle machine you’ll ever need s "ING 4URKBY

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4(% "!43 4HE $EEP 3ET The latest album from the Bats fits snugly into their back catalogue – and that’s what this album is, snug. It’s well-known how integral this band and Robert Scott have been to NZ music and in ‘The Deep Set’ we find comforting maturity in a confusing time.

Scott’s sound comes through, reflective and nostalgic amongst the quintessential Bats’ sound – despite this album being recorded by Ben Edwards at his Sitting Room Studio in Lyttelton. Themes flick between personal sentimentality and wondering how we got to where we are in the world. There’s subtle allusions to politics, but no outright protest. Rather, Scott’s consistent charming lyrical wit bounces between introversion and vast symbolic imagery. Their sound hasn’t strayed too far for 30-odd years. The atmosphere from the otherworldly backing vocals and fuzzy guitar lines of Kaye Woodward are grounded by consistent bass bursts from Paul Kean. Shut Your Eyes is a highlight, a sweet sombre lullaby with the addition of beautifully haunting melancholic strings. Dissonant, but comforting. Antlers, too is a wistful gem. This album is neither innovative nor controversial, but it is beautiful, contemplative and warm. If you’ve ever i˜Â?ÂœĂži`ĂŠ>ĂŠ >ĂŒĂƒÂ˝ĂŠĂ€iVÂœĂ€`]ĂŠLiĂŠĂƒĂ•Ă€iĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠÂŤÂˆVÂŽĂŠĂŒÂ…ÂˆĂƒĂŠÂœÂ˜iĂŠĂ•ÂŤĂŠ>ĂƒĂŠĂœiÂ?Â?°ÊU !NDREW 7ITTY

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The third album from husband and wife duo Christian and Joyce Bolland sees them exploring a wide range of different musical ideas within the folk genre’s colour palette. Recorded at The Lab with Olly Harmer, the Hong Kong-based Kiwi duo also employed the musicianship of Koya Hisakazu on bass, Hamish West Walker (drums, percussion), Shimna Higgins (fiddle), and Finn Scholes’ trumpet. Joyce and Christian both add vocals and percussion, while also providing keys and guitar respectively.

It’s an energetic mid-tempo romp of meaningful personal and wider societal issues, mostly hanging off Christian’s Glen Hansard-like emotive vocals. Things begin with the boisterous Crosshairs. While the song drives forward throughout the vocal sets the scene for the emotional vulnerability that the album presents. The album’s title track blends jaunty with confrontational, lyrically dark but no doubt very danceable when played live. It’s a neat trick they pull off exceptionally well. The unambiguous Feilding presents a confronting image of a dark religious past, Christian’s own experience of cult life, while the slow build of Sometimes A Soul screams out trying to find love in pain. ‘All Of My Ghosts’ takes the listener on an emotional journey where they may find themselves lost in a world of direct contemplative and reflective thought. s *ESSE !USTIN

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Wellington’s Maple Syrup are on a roll. 14 months after releasing debut EP ‘Ace and Gab’s Honeymoon’ the four-piece now have a first album. ‘Who Is Maple Syrup’ proves an extension on their earlier work, with a slightly broader indie punk/rock’n’roll sound. Guitar hooks throughout provide the album with more of a pop sound than first thought, but it’s thrashy pop with a bite. The songs aren’t often complex but the straightforward approach packs an aural wallop, and hooky melodies and guitar lines sweeten the sound – just listen to Keep Me Sane (Nobody Cares) and try not to hum along. Isla-Mae is an interesting one, a song where the more melodic, ringing verses seem to be aiming for classic AOR rock, before a brash, hooky chorus brings it all back together. The ramshackle Vogue Model is wry, fun and infectious, but in no way frothy. Garage rock in the literal sense – the album was recorded over a weekend in a garage – this holds firmly to their indie rock template with little deviation. While a slightly less dense production style would not go astray, Maple Syrup have made a loud, spontaneous album that would easily fill a dance floor. s !MANDA -ILLS

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Brimming with energy and vigour, Wairarapa jangle popsters Spank are back with an evident sense of confidence and growth from their 2016 debut release ‘Slap-Up And Noblest’. Crazy Life opens this five-track EP with a pounding bass line, up-front drums and Nikki King’s driving, raw-edged vocals delivering a somewhat repetitive chorus. With an edgy tinge of growl the melodies are convincingly earnest. King’s brass contribution turns the sound around at the close of Song For The EV\Z )%

Lost Things and segues perfectly into Passive Aggressive. Recorded in one day at Levin’s Tsunami Sound Studio, the lack of backing vocals and general mix leaves the sound somewhat exposed in places, but there’s no denying the intent in which these songs are delivered. Upbeat tempos are complimented by the poppy guitar fills and cornet lines, the bossa nova groove of Having A Bad Day keeping the stylistic variation moving nicely. With an ode to their place in the world Simple Pleasure (aka The Wairarapa Song) is simply too cheerful not to put a smile on your dial. s 3TU %DWARDS

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When Nadia Reid’s debut album, ‘Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs’, was released, the response was resoundingly positive – not just here but in all kinds of corners of the globe.

It made waves, the kind of gentle waves that you’d happily let wash over you. That was then. ‘Preservation’ is now – and is just as exquisite. At once stirring and soothing, this record is a testament to Reid’s talent as both songwriter and vocalist. Recorded by Ben Edwards at The Sitting Room, accompanied by her base live band of Sam Taylor on guitar and Richie Pickard playing bass, it’s a voyage you want to take in all at once, meandering through the different stories and tempos, swelling and sighing. There’s more traditional folk stylings across many of the tracks – like the title track Preservation, which is a sweeping tune touched with melancholy and hope. ‘I know I will find the one to hold on to,’ Reid sings – folk in its truest form. And then there’s tracks like Te Aro, the longest on the record, which winds into a more ambient, elegantly clattering place. It’s hard not to love a song that opens, ‘I lost myself in Te Aro’, because haven’t we all, at some point or other? Reid’s voice floats above the instrumentation that manages to balance being richly textured without being overly complicated or precious. The go-to comparison for Reid always seems to be Laura Marling – which is not unreasonable. But this is a sophomore album now, and Nadia Reid deserves to be known as her own person. So instead, if you like Marling – or melodic, thoughtful folk in general – you’re probably already listening to Nadia Reid. If not, get ĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠÂ…>˜`ĂƒĂŠÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂź*Ă€iĂƒiÀÛ>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂ˜ÂœĂœĂŠ>˜`ʓ>ÂŽiĂŠĂŒÂ…>ĂŒĂŠVÂ…>˜}i°ÊUĂŠ"RIAR ,AWRY

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A punk-influenced hip hop band with brass – now that’s fresh.

The Auckland act’s debut release was a 5-track vinyl-only 12� called ‘New Low Humans’ in 2014, the single of that name an extremely catchy alternative radio hit. Shoutin’ Preachin’ is now itself a six-piece with Andrew McCormack on vocals, Yves Yang on bass, Hayden Walsh on trumpet, Scott Thomas on sax, Christopher Chatwin-Ward on trombone and Jared Taylor playing drums. They sound a bit like the Beastie Boys or a slowed-down Dub War, with socially-conscious lyrics. The challenge was trying to capture their considerable live energy in a recording, but they need not have worried too much.

There is a total grooving vibe to this EP, and the words express – without shouting or preaching – so I’d call that a result. And you can dance to it. The brass components totally rock. If they were a rock act they’d be Rage Against The Machine s !NIA 'LOWACZ

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Following up on the group’s 2012 album ‘Early’, this follows a similar funky template to that well-received debut. The core group of Baz Suamili, Levani Vosasi and Gmuva again draw upon a hybrid of influences and cultural references to come up with a Pacific-styled variation on old fashioned disco – albeit a slightly more contemporary housed-up version of that genre, cross-pollinated by an assortment of world music vibes and rhythms. There’s a generous helping of psychedelic trip hoppy moments, plenty of soulful harmonies, and frequent use of strings (thanks to guest collaborator Stephen Hussey). Other co-conspirators include Tyra Hammond (bvs) and Isaac Aesili, who added synths and horns, with the whole thing being held together by the sumptuous sticky production techniques of Gmuva. ‘Cosmic Matakau’ is a little slice of dancefloor sunshine in a box, and might just be the perfect antidote to those long winter nights ahead. Close the curtains, dim the lights, turn up the bass, and let yourself glide. s -ICHAEL (OLLYWOOD To find out how to get your new album or EP reviewed, please visit www.nzmusician.co.nz

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Time to Take a Self-esteem Bath

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uch space was left behind in the wake of my last column about the myth of needing self-Confidence to sing.

Listing pitfalls of over and under-confidence didn’t provide strategies of how to grow healthy self-esteem, worth and value. Even if your private communion with music seems enough, self-belief is hell-important for your career, happiness and artistic development.

Hopefully, by the end of this column, we’ll be closer to an accepting, productive, committed and robust sense of self. Let’s call it self-esteem, rather than the ‘c’ word, meaning ‘positive self-regard, a realistic acknowledgment of our talents and value as a person’…

Even the most talented, skilled and successful people suffer great self-doubt. We beat ourselves up because of negative core beliefs and assumptions. “Self-esteem actually has nothing to do with your achievements or with other people. Self-esteem results from… how you see yourself (and) how you treat yourself.” – Margaret Paul It may be easier to think we ‘can’t’ do something, rather than take steps to improve.

(By way of example I consider myself disorganised, but don’t use the many diaries I buy!) Vow to transform and evolve yourself at whatever pace that requires – one step/ action/thought at a time. Allow yourself to really suck and repeatedly get it wrong! Roll around in it. Have fun up-skilling and learn like a mo’-fo’ from your mistakes. (I’ve had nodules twice, a vocal cord cyst surgically removed and psychosomatic voice loss more times than I can remember!)

Clean-up and clear-out unhelpful and destabilising beliefs about yourself and your abilities. Squarely look at what you don’t like, avoid, won’t face, deny, resist, undervalue and run away from in yourself and your world. Now, go to battle as a dragon-slayer!

Acknowledge and tame the ‘dark side’ – destroy disempowering perspectives.

We weren’t born with negative beliefs, we learned them and can choose to keep, or discard them. Find out where your limiting beliefs come from, then reconfigure, reframe, take charge and replace them. Turn shit into fertilizer and grow self-esteem from seed!

Negative beliefs are almost always untrue and never helpful. Feeling insecure is human and shouldn’t be judged or criticised. If listening to other people deflates rather than inspires, remember Theodore Roosevelt’s astute observation – “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Ask if you’ve made yourself a victim in your own narrative? Do you focus too much on outcome and context rather than the song you’re singing/writing? Be warned that your ego will fight back with (supposedly)

rational justifications for your under-function, self-loathing and victimhood. Expect this. Get curious – allow everything to come up without judgment. Write down every reason why you feel you’re not successful and the ways in which you’re dysfunctional. Leave no stone unturned, and prepare to discover ugly-as creepy crawlies under dem rocks. You’ll probably mock this process as pointless naval-gazing… Meh. Whose voice is that you’ve internalised?

I discovered one of my stymieing beliefs in response to being corrected in my pronunciation of ‘Herculean’ by my English

selling records. Other people’s success doesn’t remove opportunities for you – it increases them. Look at your perception of ‘lack’ and the need to compete, replace it with abundance and collaboration.

Increased access to music production and online delivery systems don’t necessarily empower us. We’re silencing ourselves before even trying. This is understandable: Imagine if an art gallery gave away its precious collection… Essentially, that’s what Spotify and free-music streaming does. That hurts.

Celebrate your commitment to making music

“I had enormous self-image problems and very low self-esteem, which I hid behind obsessive writing and performing... I was driven to get through life very quickly. I really felt so utterly inadequate. I thought the work (songwriting, recording, performing) was the only thing of value.” – David Bowie professor father. My inner-voice said, “I’ll never speak again!” We can believe ourselves to be talentless, idiotic and worthless. Such unchecked negative self-talk becomes automatic and disabling. Maybe you’re like this with your voice? Maybe you perceive any correction as proof that you’re fundamentally flawed so it’s pointless trying?

Practice inner bonding. Hold yourself with the greatest compassion and tenderness with regards your responses to circumstances and feedback. Check what you think or say about yourself like, “Everything I do is wrong.”

Invert it. Welcome correction and guidance graciously. Become scientific and technical so you don’t take things ’poisonally’. Fake it ’til you make it – use encouraging, congratulatory and supportive self-talk.

Build and maintain optimistic beliefs about your creative competence, process and value as well as cultivating faith in the system. If you can borrow faith from people who believe in you, please do. Positing my contributions within a larger movement/community or for a heightened purpose, removes a lot of self-doubt.

Focus on the song and the function of that song.

Look at success stories of musicians like you, or close to you. List 100 of your achievements and 101 wishes. Remind yourself of what music does – make it all about her.

Commercialisation in music has increased creative alienation.There isn’t a poetry ‘industry’ as with music. Poets tend to be appreciative and supportive of their peers. The urge to write and recite mostly comes from desire, rather than ‘pleasing an audience’, entertaining or

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in a world that may listen less and less.

Doubt often stems from feeling we are ‘not doing justice’ to our sacred art form. We feel we’re falling short of expectations of what we, or our heroes can deliver. This simply shows you care. Allow for spiritual connection, rituals and embracing new processes. Throw it over to a force greater than yourself. We’re all channeling the same source, so no one’s better or worse once you have command over your instrument.

There’s a pervasive aching silence. We’re not contributing our unique offerings because of seemingly ‘real’ excuses for not singing, performing, writing and creating. What a shame! Why give airtime to banal mediocrity just because they’ve higher self-esteem than you? You might feel too shy, that you aren’t as good a singer/writer as X, Y or Z, have nothing to say, are too tired, old etc. That is bullshit! We need to hear you and what you have to say. No one else gonna do you the way you do you. www.caitlinsmith.com bravecaitlin@gmail.com Fb: caitlinsmithjazz and caitlinsmithmusic

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Glass Vaults

Mutating Musonics Coverage of previous Glass Vaults’ releases in NZ Musician has noted the band members’ propensity for change, AV designer Rowan Pierce saying back in 2015 that he needs a bit of instability to hold his interest. Two years later the Wellington band’s sophomore album finds their music not just changing but mutating. Aabir Mazumdar talked with guitarist/singer Richard Larsen, as well as Pierce and production collaborator Bevan Smith, about ‘The New Happy’, ASMR, harmonizers of choice and manning the Mutronics Mutator.

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he core of Wellington indie pop band Glass Vaults is close friends Richard Larsen and Rowan Pierce. The two met while studying performance design at Massey University, starting the Glass Vaults project in 2010.

Richard says that not only did his uni study help with how they aesthetically portray Glass Vaults and how they approach making music videos, but also with how it has informed his storytelling ability.

“I think that any experience is building upon your skill set and your world view.”

He is keen to point out that Glass Vaults is about more than just Rowan and himself.

“Bevan Smith does a lot of the production and plays live with us, he’s definitely a key member as well. Throughout the years, in different projects, videos and albums, we would pull in different collaborators where we saw fit. So in a way we sort of curate a wider picture of it.”

Other contributors to their forthcoming 2nd album include Daniel Whitaker (synths, vocals and percussion), Ben Bro (aka Benny’s

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Videos - vocals) and drummers Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa and Cory Champion.

Released through independent UK label Melodic, ‘The New Happy’ was recorded in 2015 – just before the previous Glass Vaults album ‘Sojourn’ was released.

“It’s ages isn’t it?’ says Richard about the two years in-between. “It seems like such a long time but it just flies by so quickly.”

Contrastingly the songs from ‘The New Happy’ were recorded over just three days, at Blue Barn Studio in Wellington with engineer Adam Ladley presiding. Guitarist/singer Richard wrote most of the compositions, with other elements such as synth parts and electric percussion written by Rowan, all three taking producer roles as well.

“Some aspects of it are collaborative and need to be collaborative. We played live all together in the studio – the guitars, the drums, the vocals and the bass – then we did most of the synths later in the home studio.

“Once we got the core track then Rowan would have it for however long it takes to put his

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parts in, and then Bevan put his bass lines in. We did another vocal session at some stage too.”

In addition to the composition and recording processes the band brought a particularly meticulous approach to the mixing process.

“Mixing takes us ages. I get really jealous of these folk musicians who seem to be able to just strum out their song and it can be mixed in a week. Ours always takes ages. There’s a lot of back and forth with the production and the production’s an important part for us.”

The album was mixed with the intention of achieving an ASMR inducing sound, an idea spearheaded by Bevan, who Richard says had some really clear ideas about the record production from the get go.

Bevan proposed the idea of working as dry as possible, without reverbs or extensive delays, in response to the music Richard and Rowan were getting into at the time – ’80s New York vibe acts like Tom Tom Club and Grace Jones.

“I just wanted something that was psychedelic and euphoric without using time mod effects, phasers/flangers,” Bevan explains.

“I started messing with transients of sound quite a bit and found that the audio would make me feel prickly when I accentuated certain transients and frequencies. Then I used a lot of tremolo, panning, just being specific with frequencies and which part of the dynamic of the sound was being effected. I messed with room sounds, gated and delayed and mixed low. Most stuff on the album went through an Eventide H3500 [Ultra Harmonizer] or Eventide Orville [Harmonizer] at some point.”

Bevan confirms he spent more than 1,000 hours on the mix process – and loved it.

“I really enjoyed spending time with each element, a week or two with the kicks, then a week with the snare. The vocals were mixed syllable by syllable. I probably spent a month on the basslines. I didn’t want to use any compression – I spent a lot of time trying not to use any plugins at all. There was no reverb on the album for a year until I finally caved in and used some!”

ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is the experience of euphoric sensations that begin at the scalp and travel across the skin

“One of the pieces of equipment I used most on the album was the Mutronics Mutator. It’s a super smooth and creamy stereo filter that gives Richard’s guitar a creamy pulsing vibe.” – Rowan Pierce and down the back of the neck and spine. It is commonly triggered by acoustic or auditory stimuli.

The resulting production is extremely colourful, the production giving as much to the album as the compositions themselves. There was a conscious shift in what the band was trying to achieve sonically. The large, lush, extremely shoegazey sound of ‘Sojourn’ has been replaced with a tighter, dryer sound that focuses less on atmosphere and more on groove.

As Rowan explains it, having a totally dry sound as a base creates its own personal character, and a certain intimacy where all elements have their own weight and signature in the mix. By pulling out the normal atmospherics, like reverbs, he could play with the perceived proximity of things like vocals and percussion.

“One of the pieces of equipment I used most on the album was the Mutronics Mutator. It’s a super smooth and creamy stereo filter that is really simply and efficiently designed with two in-built envelope followers. I had it set up in the recording room while we were recording the album with the full band and had it hooked up to Richard’s guitar.

As we recorded each song I was processing the output of his guitar amp through the Mutator then back out into another Peavey Classic amp I had in front of me. The result gives his guitar track a creamy pulsing vibe along with the groove of the songs. You can hear it all over the record really. I also used it on most of the synths!”

“With this record groove became really important and I started to get really interested in the pop structure as a form,” articulates Richard.

“There’s been this fear with us about this change that’s been happening.

People who like Glass Vaults’ first EP might not like this album.”

Having said that, he gives no indication of preferring compromise.

“Basically, this is a passion project. We’ve got other jobs so this is just fun for us, and we’re just going to do whatever we want really. I feel like I did one thing and did it pretty well and why would I want to do that again?”

With ‘The New Happy’ released in May the band is in the process of scheduling an Australia/NZ tour for later in the year. Dependent on just how the album is received in the UK, they are also considering a tour of Europe.

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CVJMEJOH CMPDLT with Thomas Goss

Stage Trek, Episode 6: In Search Of Club Gigs

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his column has covered club gigs several times in the past, but here I want to focus on three important points that fit nicely into this Stage Trek miniseries. First, finding and booking gigs at local clubs. Second, keeping those gigs fresh – leading to further bookings.

And third, how to make those gigs pay you something worth your time.

How (Not) to Get Started I’ve previously recommended breaking into the local club scene by doing research; going to all the live venues, following bands and seeing how well they do in different places.

That way you’ll know the lay of the land. You’ll also meet people and make connections, and maybe those connections will become allies, business contacts and audience members. The next step is getting to know the managers and seeing how to get booked in each venue.

Some may be happy to give you a break and book you in, often at short notice. But before you sign on for a Wednesday night headlining gig, stop and think things through. Do you have enough of a following to make it work?

Will they show up on that night? Will they pay a cover charge? And how will it look if no one does show up?

You see, the venue will likely be open anyway.

They need something going on most nights of the week to bring in bar custom. Your gig may be a way for them to keep employees busy, but won’t always benefit your band financially.

My advice – don’t take on a headlining gig, especially not on a weeknight, until your band really can fill that room.

Playing Second (or Third) Fiddle The most reward for the least effort is opening for another band or bands. You won’t have to take all the responsibility for bringing a crowd, or take the fall if no one shows up.

Of course, you should prove to the headliners that you have some kind of following, and you should stick around to support them and keep your crowd there to whoop it up. You’ll get some compensation and most importantly be a part of greater things. You can also evaluate your band against the other acts.

The biggest consideration about staying around is that you’ll be there when the door take is counted and divvied up. You may get paid a flat fee or more likely a percentage, but even if your 5-10% only adds up to $20, you should still collect it. Don’t ever give anyone the impression that you don’t care about getting paid. There are already too many people in this world who think quality music shouldn’t have to cost anything.

Clicking With the Clique You can show up with more people, play a better set, and even have the headliners praising your awesomeness – but what really

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matters is if you ’clicked’. Did your music fit in well with the style and energy of the whole evening? Did people get revved up, or did you empty the club? In joining a scene, you’re becoming part of the culture of your audience, and adding to their memories and sense of self.

Don’t be afraid to build on that sense of belonging. Sometimes your own creativity can be heavily influenced by the bands you open for, and the crowd that follows them. If you find yourself writing more in a style that those people enjoy, then don’t beat yourself up for ’selling out’. You can only sell out if you don’t sincerely mean what you’re playing, and you’re just trying to be popular to make more money.

Catching the spirit of your audience in your music can never be selling out if you love playing it. That’s just the reality of the scene; bands that succeed reach out to their audience and grow with it creatively. That’s how art and business work together, and how musicians build careers.

Playing it Forward Once you have a handle on this key factor of audience development and band interconnection you should capitalise on it in human terms, not just financial. Sometimes much larger acts support smaller ones – opening for them but playing down a bit so as not to overwhelm the audience, and then joining the smaller act on stage as guests. Those kinds of gigs have a lot of heart, and become meaningful, even poignant memories for their audiences – especially if the gig was some kind of fundraiser, or farewell on behalf of one of the smaller acts’ musicians who might be facing some challenges.

Being part of a scene like this means learning the ins and outs alongside more experienced bands – how they deal with different venue managers, how much they have to shake the tree to get it to drop their takings, and how they rotate their club appearances. If you’re reading this article, it means that you want to learn how to manage yourself.

Think how much more you’ll learn in alliance with an experienced act. Just be prepared to assume the role of rabbi once your band gets more established, and take a promising band under your wing if they click with you.

Playing the Field and Keeping it Fresh Many great bands owe their start to a single club where their music clicked – like the New York Bowery’s CBGB, or London’s Batcave – but it really takes several venues to make a healthy scene. You may well find your music has different appeal at different clubs. This is because part of the audience is more loyal to the venue than the bands, they feel comfortable in that place and will trust the management to book acts they’ll like.

As you rotate appearances, try to see which

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material interests crowds the most and why – not so you can pander to them, but so you can build creatively on those interests and start creative dialogues. It can be as simple as a song that always gets the staff in a great mood – or maybe a song with a social statement – music instead of conversation.

Playing a variety of venues, audiences and sets will help keep your music fresh. You’ll be more motivated to write new material in response to the feedback you get, improve your chops and your stage presence. There are no guarantees, but I don’t know of any other way to build a following…

Taking it to the Bank Which leads us to our final concern, making some money out of all this effort. Here things get a little more complex, with many factors that can add up to positive or negative cashflow.

The first is simply whether you can get anyone to show up and pay a door charge.

Once again, you have to make an effort to ally with bands who are making money where audiences pay to get in. This is a team effort – unless you are the most popular band at school or something.

Next you have to learn to cut costs and avoid little expenses that add up to big ones.

Things like everyone taking their own cars and paying for downtown parking, running up a big bar tab, or hiring huge amounts of gear that you don’t yet need. If this is a working band, originals or covers, then you need to take home some income, not just pizza money. This is the beauty of sharing expenses with other bands, especially with gear and promotion costs.

The best outcome you can hope for is that the simplest strategy results in the most earnings.

It’s always better to have a leaner act, smaller amounts of gear and shorter set up time. Music that expresses the most emotion and meaning with the fewest artificial ingredients is not only easier to practice and more enjoyable to play, but also makes the most economic sense if you’re trying to go professional. That’s true if you’re a folk band playing acoustic guitars or a synth-pop band with a couple of keyboards and tape delays.

Of course, sometimes stripping things down to the basics is its own kind of gig, and also pays pretty well into the bargain. Find out how as we travel onward in our next episode: Stage Trek, Episode 7: In Search of Cafe/Unplugged Gigs.

Thomas Goss is a producer, band coach, and composer/orchestrator with an international clientele that includes Billy Ocean, Melanie C, and Canadian jazz star Nikki Yanofsky.

You’ll find all the articles in this Stage Trek series online at www.nzmusician.co.nz

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Following time in London where they performed and recorded as Her Make Believe Band, Cy Winstanley and Vanessa McGowan relocated back to Auckland for a few years. After securing the money needed by crowdfunding, in 2013 the pair recorded â&#x20AC;&#x2122;How Red Is Your Bloodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as country-folk duo Tattletale Saints â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brian. The album won the NZ Music Awardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tui for Best Folk Album in 2014. The pair evidently loved the time in the US capital of country, had tasted its blood and wanted more. With itchy feet and general critical acclaim from both local and international music press they returned to Nashville â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this time with one-way tickets. Though they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been a couple for over five years, remarkably their relationship as friends and musicians is still going strong. Both pursuing careers as touring musicians (Vanessa gained a masters degree in jazz bass in Las Vegas in 2007) they released a self-titled sophomore album that displayed a new musical direction in September last year.

Having spent the summer in Aotearoa they are now back Stateside, from where they answered NZMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s questions.

In a practical sense, what were your biggest challenges around the move to Nashville?

Cy: When we arrived and for the first year especially, making ourselves known and identifying ourselves not as foreigners passing through, but [as] permanent residents was tough. Being that music is such a â&#x20AC;&#x2122;who you knowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business, getting seen and known by people took time. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re three years in at the moment, and while we feel more settled thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a ways to go. With moving to any new country thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all the bureaucratic crap which to get set up is nightmare, but you just gotta do it.

We had come over to Nashville a couple years prior to record, had made a few friends and had seen the lay of the land, which made the decision a lot easier. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve moved countries a couple times before, so while the move itself was challenging, logistically it was somewhat familiar.

Vanessa: The month we spent making â&#x20AC;&#x2122;How Red Is Your Bloodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, was a very inspiring time and I think both of us were ready for another change and challenge. Nashville seemed like a great place to pursue Tattletale Saints and careers as touring musicians so we set about working out the logistics, which were definitely a challenge, like Cy mentioned.

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What is it about Nashville that you find so inspiring?

Vanessa: I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just living in a city with such a high density of musicians. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re constantly surrounded by passionate, driven, talented people who are all here trying to forge ahead and make a life through music. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an inspiring energy to be part of and being able to work with people of such a high calibre only pushes us to improve and work hard ourselves.

Cy: To be honest, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t meet very many!

The one Kiwi we randomly bumped into is Jackie Bristow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I heard a kiwi accent in a parking lot outside a club and lo, it was her!

George Jackson is another â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a killer fiddle player whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing the sideman thing. Lots of Aussies, but we need more Kiwis! I saw Marlon Williams and Tami Neilson both perform at the Americana Music Awards in mid-2016 and they killed it.

Do you have other projects/jobs that do you do when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not playing or recording as Tattletale Saints?

Vanessa: Both of us perform with a variety of other pop, Americana and country acts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both in Nashville, doing sessions and also touring throughout the US. Cy has a main gig playing with Aubrie Sellers who is a young garage country artist destined for great things.

He plays lead guitar and sings bvs with her and most recently theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been on tour opening for Miranda Lambert. I work with a variety of artists and bands. Over the next month Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on tour with a bluegrass band The Danberrys, a country singer Michaela Anne and playing a festival with a New York piano pop artist Ron Pope. We both do a lot of diverse work to keep it interesting!

For people who are familiar with â&#x20AC;&#x2122;How Red Is The Bloodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the sound of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tattletale Saintsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is quite different. What sound were you aiming for with this album?

Vanessa: We worked with Josh Kaler for this album â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer who is a good friend of ours here in Nashville. It was a very different experience working with Josh to anything weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done before. In the past weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tracked everything live and aimed to be in the studio for as little time as possible, mostly due to financial constraints.

Josh didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to work that way, so we agreed on a project rate and just took our time over a few months. I enjoyed that style of working because it allowed time to be creative in the studio and really experiment with sounds and arrangements, especially electric guitar tones

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which are definitely are big part of this new album sound.

Cy: I think in the last two years, working more as side players has pushed us in the electric direction more so than before, so naturally we started playing with drums and really embraced the trio sound. For me, it has the space and scope for improv we had in the duo, with the option to be more dynamically varied. The record is fundamentally that approach, with a few additional parts added.

When you first used crowdfunding it was still fairly novel. It must be much harder now that the whole world crowd funds for anything from a new tattoo to paying for lifesaving cancer treatments?

Vanessa: When we crowdfunded our first album we were lucky to have incredibly supported fans who wanted to see us go to Nashville to make the album, and weren’t inundated with other album support requests. I think you’re right in that crowdfunding is much harder now and you’re definitely competing against a huge array of people/organisations also seeking funding through the various online platforms.

We crowdfunded our most recent album too, and though we didn’t raise as much, we were still incredibly lucky to have our fans support it too. Without crowdfunding it’s nearly impossible for independent bands to raise the money needed to record, create and promote an album so, although I think people are a little crowdfunded-out these days, I do think it’s a model that’s here to stay. As far as music-specific projects go, it’s better to view it as pre-selling the album, and try to create interesting, exclusive merch packages to entice people to pre-purchase rather than just wait until it comes out.

You are in the fairly rare position of being able to compare life as a working musician in two major music markets outside of NZ. What are the main pros and cons?

Cy: To me, population and musician density, genre and cost of living are the main things that differ. NZ, as it’s smaller and relatively manageable to live, has great diversity and creativity in the scene, but can prove difficult to make money in original music because of the small amount of musicians. London has almost every genre you can desire and a thriving scene, but until you’re making legit money it’s quite a mission given the size and expense of living.

Nashville is cheap to live, easy to navigate, and there are lots of musicians, which is amazing – it really pushes you to be better as there are so many great artists.

Vanessa: Both of us have some issues with living in the South – given the politics and

heavy religiousness of the region – but we also love the work we’re doing with our band, in the local scene and touring with the various artists we both work with, so even though we miss home, we’ll be here for the foreseeable future anyway. We just got back to Nashville after spending seven weeks touring our new album in Australia and NZ, so right now we’re letting the dust settle a little, focusing on playing gigs around Nashville and continuing our individual side-man work. We’ll be working towards another Tattletale Saints album at some point soon too, though really we’ve just toured the most recent one so there’s a little breathing room with that.

Have you had any wow moments… like running into music superstars on the street?

Vanessa: We see Gillian Welch and David Rawlings out a fair bit. That still blows my mind every time it happens but I’ve learned to at least act like I’m cool and not fan-girling out. I can be a bit oblivious sometimes so I often miss people too. Sturgill Simpson was backstage at one of my gigs last year and I didn’t realise it was him until after he’d left. Iwas busy doing my makeup and didn’t notice the unassuming dude in the ball cap. I met country star Zac Brown at a party once, and he asked if I wanted to come outside to “light this cowboy hat on fire”, to which of course I answered yes!

What’s your visa situation? Got any tips for other people keen to spend extended time in the States?

Vanessa: We’re both here on O1 Artist Visas right now, but we came over on a P1 Band Visa.

At the risk of getting into too much legal talk, basically to work here as a musician you need to be able to prove artistic merit in your home country, as well as a strong need to be in the States (like recording, gigs etc). It’s hard to book shows here through a promoter unless you have a visa, and you can’t get a visa without shows, so you can kind of find yourself stuck in a chicken/egg situation.

We basically got around it by working with another duo, 10 String Symphony, who are Nashville-based and who we met when they came out to NZ on tour the year before we went. We arranged with them to co-bill tours in NZ and the USA, sharing our contacts and making it possible to get the visas we needed.

Cy: Playing famous stages is pretty cool, as is knowing that the Velvet Underground, Roger Miller, or Patsy Cline has been there and in the very green room that you’re drinking bourbon in. I’ve done some massive arena shows which is always amazing, and to me it’s so nuts how gi-normous the productions are – the whole empire of people that work to make an event happen.

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It’s written by Guitar Cool columnist Kevin Downing, and you can get it from his website www.guitar.co.nz

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HANDS-ON ARTIST ADVICE We offer a full range of advice and implementation services for artists needing help to achieve the next stage in their music career. From industry networking, social media and career guidance, design, help with events, hands-on mentoring, websites etc. One-off advice or longer-term support, in person or via Skype.

What do y o u need help with? Phone 09 373 2572 or email editorial@nzmusician.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.

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

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Advertise on NZMusician.co.nz Indie music special available during NZ Music Month - get in touch: editorial@nzmusician.co.nz

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WHEN YOU WANT TO CONNECT WITH NZ’S MUSIC COMMUNITY… ADVERTISE HERE There are plenty of opportunities here for all kinds of advertising: from debut single/video promos to album/EP releases; from gigs to national tours; from new instrument releases to consumer marketing.

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