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Bannerman EP - Bannerman

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00 -1300

Bannerman is the bastard son of Richard Setford, whose previous love child was the soul funk band One Million Dollars.
Conceived and recorded in the basement bedroom of a Western Springs flat, Bannerman slowly deformed into a collection of songs that were culled to make up this strictly lo-fi 7 track debut.
One mic was used to record half a drum kit, some horns, a whole swag of lonely guitars and some heavy breathing; yet the attention to detail is what raises this cellar dweller to the giddy heights of alternative royalty.
With help from engineers Tom Miskin (Don McGlashan, Anika Moa) and Angus MacNaughton (SJD, Che Fu), the EP was tweaked and polished until it shone like a freshly scrubbed orphan.
Bannerman began in ‘05, but with the continued march of One Million Dollars and sudden appearance of smooth Latin cousin, Batucada Sound Machine, Setford was forced to lock his young offspring in a cupboard for a few years.
The first single, Head Like A River, weaves a forlorn tale of regret and redemption. Strings shimmer through chorus and verse before a howling outro of hand claps and guitars finish off the listener.
This EP is just a taste of things to come - with song books filled to the brim, Bannerman is soon to begin work on a 2nd collection of tunes, with a new single to be produced this winter by Sean James Donnelly (SJD).
In the meantime, be curious, be entranced and be warned, Bannerman is hungry and intends to be fed.

Itâ��s Too Drunk To Be This Early - The Hot Grits

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00 -1300

What do you get if you mix a pound of Fela Kuti’s Afrika 70, two cupfuls of The Meters, 250g of thinly sliced early James Brown and a level dessert spoon of psychedelic rock? Welcome to It’s Too Drunk To Be This Early, the debut album from the heaving, convulsing powerhouse of soul music that is the AK-based The Hot Grits!
For over 5yrs The Hot Grits have been electrifying club dancefloors and festival stages around NZ with an eclectic, take no prisoners approach to soul and afrobeat music. When The Hot Grits hit their stride, the power and sheer soulfulness of their groove unites band and audience in a testament to the power of good music.
The overall Hot Grits sound is funky and deep, but always powerful and never too smooth.
The Hot Grits have shared bills with a diverse array of acts, including Pluto, Goldenhorse, City Newton Bombers, North Shore Pony Club, One Million Dollars, King Kapisi, Greg Johnson, The Sneaks and The Phoenix Foundation

You Are Sound - Magik Johnson

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00 -1300

From late 80’s Manchester clubs heaving to the sounds of The Happy Mondays, New Order and The Smiths, to the peaceful Auckland suburbs chirping with the sounds of native New Zealand birds, DJ/Producer Dick ‘Magik’ Johnson’s life has been a journey in sound. Since making the move from England to New Zealand in the early 2000’s, Magik has made himself at home down under, although his heavy production output means DJs around the world are never short of a piece of Magik to throw in their sets.
It’s from this antipodean sanctuary that Magik’s second album, You Are Sound, has emerged. The album slides with ease from ambient bubblers to banging club tunes, making several diversions along the way and pulling in some of New Zealand’s premier vocal talent (Boh Runga, Paul McLaney, James Dansey of The Sneaks) to help out. Listen for the massive first single ‘East West Connection’, which leaves dancefloors quivering in its tech electro wake. The road to this album has been a busy and bustling one. Since releasing his debut album Cardboard Journey in 2005, Magik hasn’t slowed down. In between a hefty cycling and fishing schedule, Magik joined Darren Emerson’s Underwater roster, and then came the launch of his new digital label Magiktrax, distributed by NRK Music. Other releases of late have included ‘Scanning For Viruses’ on Jesse Roses' Made to Play which came with a remix from Claude Von Stroke, ‘Eastern Lights’ on Nic Fanciulli’s Saved and ‘Asylum Sneaker’ on King Unique's Curfew label, plus remixes for The Crookers, Spektrum, Onionz, The Karoshi Brothers, 33HZ and Bassnectar. All this studio output may lead you to believe Magik doesn’t leave his cosy Auckland studio. On the contrary, he’s out every weekend testing these tunes on dancefloors from Russia to Argentina and most points in between.
It’s a long way from the early days when Magik rocked his own room at the legendary Manchester nightclub The Hacienda. From there an interest in production developed, and before long he was producing tracks for Cream’s Olympic label, New Order’s Pleasure Recordings and Manchester’s Paper Recordings collective. Shortly afterwards, he established Shaboom Records, which developed into one of the worlds most respected dance labels, with releases from artists such as UBU, Joeski & Onionz, Fred Everything, Doc Martin and DJ Sneak. Magik's own music has been released on such influential imprints as Made To Play, Twisted, End Recordings, Saved, Underwater, Paper Recordings, KG Beats and NRK/Honchos. He has completed remixes for Worthy, Ian Pooley, Crazy Penis, DJ Sneak, Joey Negro, Q-Burns, Human League, Neon Heights, Spektrum, Nick Holder, Darko Esser, 33HZ, The Bionics, The Crookers and too many more to list here. All in all, it’s a sound resume, proving that the music loving public well and truly believe in Magik.

The O'Lovelys - The O'Lovelys

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00 -1300

The O’Lovelys are a young Chch-based 3-piece whose music swings from sweet pop to synth based dance tunes to stuttering rhythmic jaunts - though this relative diversity is bound together with their cohesive sound.
The band was initially formed by Laura Lee and Brooke Singer (Ragamuffin Children) in a music class in Chch. They wrote and recorded for 2yrs before adding Matthew Scobie on drums early in 2007 to begin playing live.
Laura Lee, while only a little person, has a wild voice, which captures any listener with intensity and exuberance. Once described as able to throw her voice like a ventriloquist having a tantrum, she will never fail to deliver “that” note.
Brooke Singer plays keys, twisting memorable melodies around the vocal lines with technical brilliance.

Danse Macarbe (CDEP) - Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00 -1300

The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band hail from the slums and ghettos of AK (the Prague of the South), and is led by Benka - singing in Russian, Greek, Serbian, Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, English and more! Danse Macabre is their debut.
A highly theatrical musical group specialising in music of Eastern European, Gypsy and Jewish flavour, along with some Western European influences, with music ranging from old to new, originals to standards, vocal to instrumental - they are remarkable in their ability to get everyone up and dancing, regardless of age, taste, or level of drunkenness.
If references are necessary, they sound like Tom Waits, Shane McGowan and Franz Kafka drunk too much vodka and had a riotous, loose-limbed jam - whilst thinking they were in some 1950s Yugoslavian alehouse.

Moving On (12 Inch Vinyl) - O.G.

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00 -1300

This 12” marks the first vinyl release from Central Records, after 6yrs and 6 albums. Also the first release distributed by Rhythmethod, it’s a 4 taturing Oakley Grenell’svourite pickming Moving On album rack vinyl EP fe fas from his upco! • Son of country legend John Grenell and brother of Shapeshifter drummer Redford, Oakley is the musical force behind The Otautahi Allstars and Departure Lounge bands and also operates the Central Records label.
The title track Moving On has a special place for Oakley, as it contains the only lyrics he penned. The song speaks of the critical end of a relationship and new horizons. It is a song of healing, closure and the dawning of new days.
Mark Vanilau (Departure Lounge and ex-Tribal Lincs) provides the stunning vocals on the track, while this EP also features vocal appearances from Dynamite MC, Wacklar and L.A. Mitchell.

Disco Peril (CD EP) - Kitty Hawk

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00 -1300

Kittyhawk are an Auckland based band that deliver high energypower-pop, dancerock, aka Disco-Punk.
Kittyhawks furious live presence continues to add to its solid fanbase throughout the country.

Sense Got Out - Wayne Mason

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00 -1300

Wayne Mason and his band "The Fallen Angels" will be out and about touring in 2008 to celebrate the launch of their latest CD. 'Sense Got Out' is Mason's third album under his own name and first with his band "The Fallen Angels". The title song "Sense Got Out" was a finalist in the prestigious US based International Songwriting Competition 2006, judged by some of the top musicians in the world.
Mason's songs explore the unloved, the unrequited romance, the tensions and the journey along the way....it's not all about happy endings. And then again, sometimes it is. Songs like "Last Dance (For Dreams and Hopes) and "Centreline", wistful and hopeful, a world full of possbilities. And "Plates" completes the album. It's a restful place, an ending for some, and a beginning for others.

Dark Times - Desperate Measures - Bulletproof

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00 -1300

Quickly following the critically acclaimed album 'Shake The Foundations' (and nominee for Best Electronic Album at the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards), comes Bulletproof's second album 'Dark Times - Desperate Measures'. The album is a journey though the mind of one of drum n bass' most prolific producers, incorporating all of the musical elements that Bulletproof is renowned for; precision production, flawless funk and Bulletproof Drum n Bass, which Jay has seamlessly combined with lyrics courtesy of New Zealand's musical midas, Tiki Taane, and renowned L.A Vocalist / Rapper MC Dino. With lyrical comparisons being likened to that of Rage Against The Machine and Prodigy, 'Dark Times - Desperate Measures' features 12 tracks spanning the genres of Drum n Bass & Dubstep and features artist collaborations with Phace(Germany), Gridlok(USA), Mindscape(Hungary) and Psidream(Canada).

White Sunday 2: The Book Of Mark - Mareko

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00 -1300

Mareko the top ten gold selling solo artist is back with a follow up to his 2003 classic 'White Sunday'. The acclaimed producer & lyricist has crafted a soulful masterpiece big on the R'n'B content and light on the Hip Hop with his brand new album 'White Sunday 2: The Book of Mark.' This time around Mareko has opted for a more homegrown approach producing most of the album himself with the help of talented keys man Heatchild. Though the album still has a sprinkle of international stars with Baby Down (of Brownzville who featured on Soul Food with Mareko & Aaradhna) and platinum producer Emile who also featured on 'White Sunday', Deceptikonz album 'Heavy Rotation' and of late Tyree, Young Sid & Ethical's albums from the MTC camp.
Mareko currently has a #8 hit as a producer on the Horsemen Family hit “Feels Like Magic” Featuring Sweet & Irie and as the CEO of Horsemen Records he currently has the internet going nuts with over 250, 000 views of the song on youtube.com and nearly 1,000,000 people visiting label mate Savage's MySpace page. This new album will continue his proven hit making record and reach fans throughout New Zealand