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MUSIC Tongariro LA Mitchell from up to date with the latest news in Kiwi environment. It’s something he continues Fly My Pretties music – where I meet Richard Setford, aka to do in his Kingsland apartment, even Bannerman. With two albums and an EP after the band split up in August 2012. under his belt, Richie draws inspiration Barefoot, with a cup of coffee in his hand, from movies and writes songs that sound a Dr Dre album in his stereo and a photo like John Steinbeck landscapes. of the Huntly power station hanging on “People talk about how we get some his wall, he reflects upon the fact that, no things last,” he answers when I ask him matter what, in New Zealand artists can’t Nick Johnson from Cut Off Your Hands whether it’s the isolation that makes New take themselves too seriously. Zealand’s music so special. “We have to Nick from Cut Off Your Hands agrees, think for ourselves. Or maybe we are like a adding: “If you act like a star, people are On a musical voyage through New Zealand, Rachele filter. From where we are, we get bits from going to laugh at you.” It’s a surprising here, bits from there and then we got the revelation considering that Cut Off Your Maggiolini discovers what the end of the earth time and the location to work with that. Hands are very popular in the UK and in sounds like, and why. “There’s a certain type of New Zealand the US. music that connects to a really big part of LA Mitchell’s words, Sven’s bare feet and Photography by Roberto Vincitore the culture and that’s the reggae/dub/ Nick’s way of nestling himself on one of the roots music driven mostly from Wellington. trees of Albert Park in Auckland reveal a HE MENTAL MIX TAPE THAT POPS a band, is more of an ever-changing I don’t know why, but I have a feeling discrete but ever-present awareness of into my mind whenever I think collective of artists from all over the that maybe, because of its geographical the surrounding environment. Zealand’s stunningly beautiful landscapes, Tabout the time I spent in New country who meet to play and record situation, it is central to both islands. This Kiwi peculiarity becomes Dudley including Cape Reinga, Milford Sound and Zealand begins with ‘Why Does Love Do songs every couple of years. Always live. And, if you’re travelling through the South Benson’s distinctive feature. Based in Franz Josef Glacier. This To Me’ by the Exponents, a song None of their four albums have been Island, slow journeys through those farm Dunedin but a native of the Canterbury No matter where they live, New Zealand’s repeatedly played at Danny Doolans recorded in a studio, a peculiarity that landscapes and hills, it seems to get along region, this singer-songwriter crafts songs artists are fully aware that they occupy an along Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, makes them intense and bold experiments. very well with reggae/dub/roots music.” connected to Papatuanuku (Mother environment that is isolated and fragile in followed by Liam Finn’s ‘Second Each album is also a unique tale: Fly one sense, yet domineering in another. Chance’, and it always ends with ‘Catch My Pretties III (A Story) focuses on the Every one of them seems so serenely The Light’ by Fly My Pretties. Those need to preserve the environment; while New Zealand’s artists are fully aware that they aware of their place in the world, as if were the songs I came to love in 2007, the newest release, Fly My Pretties IV, occupy an environment that is isolated and fragile they’re living out the Maori proverb ‘land when I lived in Auckland for six months. mixes art, fashion and music to portray is permanent, man disappears’. Back then I knew nothing about the contemporary New Zealand. All together, in one sense, yet domineering in another. connection between these artists and the four albums create a macro-narrative, their homeland. Their songs seemed to where history, the environment and the The same happens with Bannerman’s Earth) and has released two albums: be random tracks on an equally random arts come together to give a humble, music as I drive from Christchurch to Lake The Awakening (2008), “a song cycle GET LISTENING soundtrack. But ultimately, that Kiwi blooming and colorful portrait of the Tekapo and back. His two extremely diverse that weaves together memories of New Selected discography mix tape launched me on a journey into Land of the Long White Cloud. CDs (Dearly Departed and The Dusty Dream Zealand’s colonial past with a personal Fly My Pretties IV – Fly My Pretties New Zealand music – a journey that has After speaking with Mikee and LA Mitchell, Hole) manage to express, in 24 folkish and emotional nostalgia for childhood”; Dearly Departed – Bannerman unveiled a strong relationship between from the cultural hub of K Road I walk along and stripped-bare songs, the variety of and Forest (2010), “that, recorded almost The Awakening / Forest – Dudley Benson Aotearoa and its artists. Great Northern Road and down Bond Street landscapes peculiar to New Zealand. entirely with only the human voice and sung Deadly Summer Sway – The Checks The journey starts in K Road in to end up in Auckland’s second cultural Even rock music seems to be influenced largely in te reo Ma¯ori, tells the stories of Hollow – Cut Off Your Hands Auckland, where, sitting at a table at hub, the hip neighbourhood of Kingsland. by the Kiwi landscape. After 18 months New Zealand’s native birds.” In his music, I’ll Be Lighting / FOMO – Liam Finn Alleluja Café, Mikee Tucker and LA Home to the Kingslander pub, this burb is in England, Sven from The Checks came hip-hop, folk and a cappella mix together to Mitchell introduce me to the world of also the headquarters of Amplifier.co.nz – back to Auckland and discovered it recreate the feeling I experienced several Get Informed Fly My Pretties. The project, rather than the website you want to bookmark to keep was easier to write music in a familiar times when confronted by some of New www.amplifier.co.nz #120 get lost ISSUE #35#36 get in the know When The Mint Chicks supported the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in Auckland, the volume was so high that part of St James theatre collapsed. get in the know When Cut off Your Hands changed their name (from Shaky Hands, because of a clash with a US band) they lost a prebooked gig on a children’s show. ISSUE #36 get lost #121.

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