Monthly Feature by Tim Gruar.
Kia Ora, Ambient whanau. Welcome to 2022! Here’s hoping it’ll be a good one. Yeah, I know – it all started so well. We had such optimism as the temperature started rising. The calendar was bursting with live gigs, school was out and we were overdue to Party! And then, that-which-must-not-be-named struck again! RRRR!
I blame Santa, myself. Did he go through MIQ before he headlined on the 25th? Did he wait the mandatory time before the night of the big delivery? Probably didn’t wait the mandatory time before heading to R&A for his Summer doof-fix, either.
Omicron has put the damper on many of the summer concerts, festivals and the like. Less opportunities to mosh in the pits, sweat it out, get up and get down with the people. Less opportunities for us at Ambient to body swerve around rockers and rollers, while taking close ups of guitar shredding, amp strutting and crowd surfing. Even less chances to swipe the gaffer-taped set list or try to bribe the roadies for a discarded drumstick. Sigh. But what can you do?
Well, chin up. While cameras and note pads sit idle on the table for most of the crew it gives us writers at Ambient more time to spin the discs and dive deep into music. So, without much ado we are announcing we’ll be running a regular monthly column surveying and reviewing some of the freshest releases to drop across our desks. Starting… Now!
We’ll feature some short reviews, links, videos and info for a selection of new drops from upcoming and established artists. We can’t promise to cover every genre or every release, but we’ll do our best to give you a good mix of new sounds for you discerning earbuds.
Now, enough of the blah, blah. Here’s your February slice of fresh soundings…
Laikipia – ‘Elephant Man’
Not the troubled Kenyan state but a new colab with a world music viewpoint. If there was a genre category called ‘unclassifiable’ then this quirky, innovative trans-Atlantic twosome would be the first thing you flick to. British singer/songwriter Xander Rawlins and LA based producer Taylor Harrison fancy themselves as the new Enigma, mixing chanting, world music and techno on their debut album ‘All Hail Hyperon’.
This song, ‘Elephant Man’ is layered in meaning, with references to ecology and ethical living but utterly down on the dance floor, too. The whole album has an air of digital hippy-ness about it, summed up best on this new release.
Justine Ó Gadhra-Sharp – ‘Red Room’
The first release from Justine Ó Gadhra-Sharp’s new EP ‘Sídhe’ (pronounced “shee”), which has just dropped but has been years in the making. As the former singer with dark, experimental Kiwi projects like The Gael, Flinch, Pulchritude, DiS and Artemisia, she’s no stranger to this netherworld world.
Red Room is a track with a dark agenda, blending moody, brooding lyrics with dark electronica, mixing in smatterings of exfoliating guitar… this is seriously good folks.
In fact, this is a pure 20th century styled dark-end banger. No surprise when you learn that the original recording was made back in the early 2000’s in Tītīrangi, Auckland, alongside her long-time collaborator and drummer Iva Treskon (Artemisia, Pulchritude). The ‘Sídhe’ recordings, as they are dubbed, were rescued from obscurity at Molière Recording in the Capital and given a bit of a spruce up by engineer/musician Bryan Tabuteau (Crash-Scan, Узб96, Radar Angel, Nullity) and then at Tamaki Makaurau’s VET Labs by producer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Wood (The Mercy Cage, The Altar, Melody Fallen).
‘Red Room’ and the EP ‘Sídhe’ by Justine Ó Gadhra-Sharp can be found on Bandcamp.
Luke Collins – First Time
Originally trained as a classical violist, American musician Luke Collins ditched the scene in the mid-2000’s for a more lucrative lifestyle as an investment analyst in San Francisco. Financially stable, yet still not fulfilled, he returned to music in 2019, venturing down to LA on the weekends to crash in with studio session friends and budding songwriters, persuading anyone he could find to collaborate with him on his own material. Now based in Los Angeles, Collins is back in music full time – producing, songwriting, and composing string arrangements for others in between his own gigs.
‘First Time’ is his second single – a bright, infectious radio friendly number that sounds good in the car and on the dance floor. After a recent road trip with my tweens I figure this one would slip in nicely between ‘Portugal. The Man’, ‘Sia’ and ‘Dua Lipa’. The smatterings of techno and upbeat bright vibes will cheer you up no end, especially if the only ‘club’ you can attend these days is in your lounge or bedroom. Check out more on Luke Collins at https://www.lukeplaysmusic.com/
Kendall Elise – ‘Your Mamma Won’t Like Me’
This single actually dropped last year but we like it enough to mention it here. Papakura based Country/Blues artist Elise is desperately trying to get her album release tour for ‘Let The Night In’ (on which this cut appears) off the ground despite hampering Covid restrictions. And if the Red Light turns Orange in mid-March that might actually happen!
For now, we can all get our blues groove on with this rip-snortin’ Alan Myles’ styled honky tonk. Guitar and drums carry a stompin’ bad girl rockabilly boaster. Short-skirts, foul mouth and loud music! It plays up the typical ‘wrong side of the tracks’ badass bogan cliche. Ok, it’s not original, but still fun. Tongue firmly planted in cheek.
But this is just one side of this very talented lady. For Elise’s wider palette, also check out the sweet swing of ‘Honest Hand’ and the brooding ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ on the new album. ‘Let the Night In’ swings between ’60s pop, soul and ‘Nashville’ and even features a few moments of classy chanteuse drama. Worth hunting down, this one. Find out more on her website or Bandcamp.
Emily Muli – ‘Break’
A new single from 2021’s Phillip Fuemana Most Promising Pacific Artist (Pacific Music Awards), Auckland singer-songwriter Emily Muli is proud of her Tongan heritage. That can be seen on her prizewinning release ‘Self Care’, which she adapted from a song by her grandfather. She’s also helped out Aaradhna on stage and sung on Tommy Nees ‘Colorbind’ album plus her own sparkling debut ‘Rhythm & Truth’ which received funding from NZ On Air Music‘s inaugural New Music Pasifika round in February 2019.
This latest track, ‘Break’, seems so appropriate given the hard time her mother country is going through right now. The groove is sweet Pasifika R’n’B but the lyrics are near heart breaking, as she grapples with feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed – ‘Say yes to everything, then regret the choice you made… always in a rush… need to catch a break” The song is universal. It could as easily apply to Covid as to teenage angst or any other modern day crisis. She understands, lets us know – it’s ok.
The Linda Lindas – ‘Growing Up’
LA-based, all-female punk group The Linda Lindas release the title track from their new disc ‘Growing Up’ (out digitally on April 8 digitally and on ‘physical formats’ in early June). This joyous and raucous candy-coated friendship fest was penned by the band’s vocalist/guitarist Lucia and comes with a nifty ‘cat’ video directed by Humberto Leon (co-founder of fashion brand Opening Ceremony and owner of Los Angeles restaurant CHIFA) which he shot completely on his iPhone. This is truly inspiration to jump around on your bed shouting AT THE TOP OF YOUR VOICE.
Mousey – ‘My Hands Are Made of Glass’
Ōtautahi/Christchurch-based artist Mousey (aka Sarena Close) is putting out a new album, ‘My Friends’ next month. ’My Hands Are Made of Glass’ which follows the hugely popular lead single ‘The Bench.’
It layers Mousey’s ethereal vocal style across an eerie, haunting arrangement of strings provided by by Lyttelton-based violinist Anita Clark. The song also benefits from the eerie, drum machine aesthetic provided by Christchurch lo-fi pop specialist Pickle Darling. Mousey’s poetry feels like the perfect accompaniment to French For Rabbit’s recent introverted album (‘The Overflow’) exploring, once again, the desire to hide away from the world. “I love people so much,” she says in her press release, “but sometimes I hurt them, and it makes me want to lock myself away so I can’t hurt anyone anymore.” Sometimes we all feel like that.
Generous Thieves – ‘Morning Light’
When you think of reggae and dub, Canada doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But this Vancouver based three-piece produce the goods. ‘Morning Light’ is the first release from their debut five-song ep ‘The Severity of Where We’re Going’ which dropped during the worst of the lockdown period last year. It blends a pleasing worldview offering of reggae, hip-hop and even a smattering of gospel, all made at a time when live music was impossible in their home country. On the EP they collaborate with JUNO award winning rapper/keyboardist Devon Martin, producer/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Conroy and reggae vocalist/guitarist Sugah Candiah.
The trio originally formed out of a one-off writing session but quickly morphed into a full-time enterprise. eventually developing into a full-fledged band. The group focuses their energies on a wide range of global and local topics such as racial inequality issues in Vancouver, stagnant wages, employment rights and influences from the local punk scene.
The Black Seeds – ‘Bring The Sun!”
Festival faves The Black Seeds may have been grounded by recent events but that hasn’t stopped their enthusiasm. This cruisy horn led number was written by co-frontman Daniel Weetman during an extended ‘classic Covid colab’ session. Inspiration came from Weetman’s own situation. “My eldest son lives in Sydney,” he says in the press release, “and due to the Covid restrictions with travel I started to wonder and worry about when I would see him again. We keep in contact a lot over video calls and when we speak it is for hours…”
So, the song’s a conversation about the challenges of modern parenting, focusing on themes of love, resilience and togetherness. Something we all crave these days.
The song was initially made on Weetman’s phone, then spruced up on Pro Tools during Auckland’s second lockdown and finessed during a “week-long marathon Zoom session that had everyone sending in their tracks and giving their feedback”.
Also check the video (directed by Garth Badger for Thievery Studio), which is a light take on how we’ve all moved to being online citizens during these pandemic years, playing with the new trends like virtual meetings, cat videos, watching gigs that stream and attending work in our PJ’s.
Vietnam – ‘Where is my Happiness’
This month’s blast from the past comes from post punk indie rockers Vietnam, who were originally active between 1981-85. They reformed in 2017 and have been collecting together material for their new album ‘This Quiet Room’ which finally saw daylight in late January of this year. Now based between Sydney and Wellington, they remain faithful to their roots with moody Kiwi indie jangle rock, nods to Joy Division and other 80’s UK alt bands, but with a more mature and confident approach, befitting of their years.
The title of the disarming ballad ‘Where is My Happiness’ implies a dark brooder. It begins like something 80’s Aussie darlings The Church would bring with a slow lurking introduction seeping in before building up to a full jangle.
The current line up – founding members Shane Te Kawenata Bradbrook (vocals) and Adrian Workman (primarily bass/synth) are joined by former Wainuiomata college-mate Geoff Lerwell (keys), drummer Joe Neufeld and duel guitarists Cranston Brecht and Barn Coren provides a fuller sound than could be achieved by the original foursome. The album fills in much of the colour book, and this single is a great introduction for new listeners.
‘This Quiet Room’ is available as a limited release clear vinyl and other formats via Bandcamp.
Forenzics – ‘Chances Are’
Finally, in the ‘there’s life in the old horse yet’ category, Tim Finn and Eddie Raynor have been quietly cutting up old ENZ tracks, swapping samples and using them to inspire for material for their forthcoming colab album ‘Shades and Echoes’ (due this month). The whole project was a Covid special featuring dial-in contributions from Noel Crombie, vocals from Megan Washington and guitars from Phil Manzanera.
The idea has been lurking deep in Tim’s brain since 1976, when Brian Eno dropped in on a recording session for the Enz’s ‘Second Thoughts’ album at Basing Street Studios, London. Listening to a section of ‘Walking Down A Road’ Eno suggested that should be reworked into something bigger and better. 40 plus years later that germ of an idea finally came to fruition and like an artist painting over an old canvas the duo revisited sections of their old material and repurposed them.
Raynor has also been busy with an instrumental project (‘Double Life’) with Mark Dennison (sax, flute, clarinet), Adrian Stuckey (guitars) and percussionist Patrick Kuhtze. Music from the ‘Double Life’ sessions and the Enz samples were bounced backwards and forwards as Tim added vocals and lyrics, covering a broad brush of subjects, styles and topics. And the sum of the parts will become the new album.
So, whanau, there we have it. The first Singles Club for the year. We’ve tried to add a bit of everything. But, as is the way, we always miss something, so we’d be keen to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Have you heard a new track this month that needs to be bought to our attention? Tell us all about it in the comments below, and we’ll see you all with another instalment next month!
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