Bond Street Bridge is the creation of Auckland-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Sam Prebble. Sam has been playing music for as long as he can remember, and ‘probably before that as well,’ as he puts it. Bond Street Bridge is currently a solo project, but Sam has always played in bands, orchestras and choirs. For the […]
In 2003, on her 22nd birthday, New Zealand singer-songwriter Renee-Louise Carafice was institutionalized at Auckland’s Te Whetu Tawera with severe depression. As a means of coping in this challenging time, Carafice wrote an illustrated book of songs about her experiences, later referring to them as her ‘hospital songs’. While in this difficult time in her […]
Monkey Magic II is a CD and DVD (Monkey TV) showcasing contemporary independent New Zealand music to be released on the 19th May.
10 of the tracks on the CD are from artists signed to genre-defying indie record label Monkey Records including Tim Guy, The Hot Grits, An Emerald City, The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band and […]
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? -you get the heaving, convulsing powerhouse of soul music that is The Hot Grits.
For over five years, The Hot Grits have […]
THE TWILIGHT DRONE is the third instalment in Johannes Contag’s SLEEPYTIME series released on Monkey Records. While the previous releases were music albums, containing hypnotically slow, minimal and at times meditative pieces of instrumental music, THE TWILIGHT DRONE is a musical film. As Contag’s previous SLEEPYTIME releases were an homage to the origins of ambient […]
Since their inception in late 2005, Auckland band An Emerald City have strived for musical experimentation and liberation. Organic instrumentation and sounds of the east meet psychedelia with guitars and violin are at the centre of this original and unique 6 piece.
The summer of 2007/2008 unleashed an array of summer performances that included the likes […]
The sensational Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band have just released their first ep, Danse Macabre. Please buy it so that they can send money some back to their poor families in the old country.
Hailing from the slums and ghettos of Auckland (the Prague of the South), The Benka Boradovsky Bordello band is a highly theatrical musical […]
Hummabyes is Tim’s second album and is a refreshing set of whimsical alt. country flavoured indie-pop songs chock full of charmingly hummable tunes. He recorded it at home with his flatmates, who just happen to be Anika Moa (bass, bvs) and Anna Coddington (drums, bvs), both acclaimed singer/songwriters in their own right.
As well as Anna […]
Luke Hurley is something of a living legend in New Zealand and his Best Of is a collection of eighteen tracks featuring the highlights of his 25 year recording career. This album is essential for any Luke Hurley fan as many of these tracks have not been available for some time and they have been […]
Singer/songwriter Káren Hunter (Kaaren) mined the musical debris and lyrical sediment of the likes of Tom Waits and Rickie Lee Jones collecting inspirations to smash and smooth together while assembling her fourth solo album ‘Rubble’. The 12 rootsy tunes on Rubble reflect Káren’s healthy sense of humour and keen eye for the ironic side of […]
Onelung’s latest album pushes the boundaries of electronic music, as he draws inspiration from a vast range of styles, fusing jazz, funk, soul, classical and blues elements with compelling rhythms and live instrumentation to create his own potent genre-defying mix.
Binary Pop Songs
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Ishta is an exciting, eclectic world music fusion band from Aotearoa/NZ. Featuring sitar, double bass, percussion, flute, sax, guitar, didge and vocals their sound encompasses a diverse range of styles from uptempo ethnic groove to dub/roots to blissful lounge.
Ishta were based in Auckland for three years. During that time their sound evolved into an […]
‘Bright Colours’ is a highly acclaimed debut album from Auckland band Eightfold featuring beautifull, heartfelt acoustic songs and lavish arrangements. The band consists of Chris MacGregor (vocals and guitar), Sam Benge (guitar and bass) and Mariano Mezzeo (percussion).
Bright Colours features special guests Nigel Gavin on bass (Jews Brothers, Nairobi Trio), Kingsley Melhuish on trumpet […]
The Peachy Keen album might not have happened if it wasn’t for the timely appearance of a fairy godmother. While they were playing at The Wellington Fringe they were approached by a German writer who was so impressed she offered them money to record an album. This enabled the band to purchase some […]
Monkey Magic is a sixteen track compilation featuring new and emerging artists on the label compiled by label boss and chief monkey Nigel Braddock. The album encompasses a diverse range of styles from the upbeat electronica of Onelung and Hummel to the more ambient sounds of Dystopia and Sleepytime, acoustic recordings by Peachy Keen and […]
Nu Scientist, by Onelung, delivers a tasty mash up of funky electronic grooves, lazy beats and experimental soundscapes.
On this, his fourth album, Onelung aka New Zealander Kevin Tutt serves up a mouth-watering smorgasbord of rhythms, dipping into a world of leftfield sampled delights. Tunes on offer here are all sample based, and are sourced […]
Johannes Contag’s Sleepytime cycle of albums and performances reaches a new stage with “Sleepytime Vol 2: Schlafwandler”. Completing the arc of alpha-wave inducing ambiences of his first release “you are feeling sleepy”, Johannes’ latest offering explores the idea of aural sleepwalking. His latent soundtracks zoom in on the in-between spaces and afterthoughts of traditional instrumentation […]
Music for Flem is a quirky, atmospheric and beautiful soundtrack for an imaginary movie by guitar virtuoso Nigel Gavin. The instruments used are guitars, basses, frame drums, 5 and 8 string banjos, sheng, flower pot, mandolin, and loops of various combination of the above, played and recorded by Nigel.
Music for Flem Vol. II
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Second album by Hummel aka Andy Cummins continues in the same vein as the his self-titled debut with spoken word, song, samples, live instruments and electronica adding up to a haunting and evocative soundscape.
Reviews
“(mediOCHRE is)…a sonic journey from lo-fi beginnings through spoken-word samples, downbeat electronica, live guitars, gentle songs, and techno-static. It finds its soul […]
Historic live to air performance by Dystopia on Auckland’s bfm. Featuring Liz Maw (spoken word), Josephine (vocals), Shinya (sitar and electric guitar), Rob Croft (precussion) and Nigel Braddock (keyboards) the band produced an electrifying, haunting set to a bemused lunchtime student radio audience.
Hummel is an aural soundscape; a lyrical landscape; words sung and spoken, incurring dynamics; musical contrasts with fluid transitions. A token; a watermark; a collage; a correlation. A simple, textural, tonal montage. Hummel consists of large scapes of downbeat electronica, blended with sparse live acoustic guitar and vocal songs.
These are woven with spoken word and […]
This 14 track (71 minute) cd features New Zealand artists who performed in the ambient zone at The Gathering 2000. The Gathering was NZ’s largest outdoor dance party and was held over four days during New Years from 1997-2002 attracting between up to 10,000 people to one of the most beautiful parts of the country. […]
A blissful album of ambient miniatures by Cloudboy Johannes Contag.
According to Jo, “The first track is the relaxant / sleep-inducer alpha rhythm device; all subsequent tracks are dream states, ranging from blissful and tranquil to restless and frightened, ultimately however resolved to lazy pre-wakeup dozing satisfaction.”
Reviews
“A marvellous work of contemplative simplicity, You Are Feeling Sleepy […]
‘The Wisdom of Insecurity’ by Dystopia combines potent, lyrical storytelling with beautiful and evocative soundscapes consisting of ambient, classical and world influences. This album was the first release on fledgling label Monkey Records in the year 2000 and features spoken word artist Liz Maw reading poetry, label founder Nigel Braddock playing keyboards and Shinya Asakura […]
Onelung’s third album is a heady brew of breakbeat/drum n’ bass and general mix mayhem.
Reviews
“This is a good as most of the international groove-based releases I’ve heard lately, and a good deal more left-field in terms of it’s odd sample choices.” Real Groove
“Flashbacks is well named, as listening to it brings to the forefront memories […]
Sampladelicist Onelung’s second CD of beatstyles, The Electronic Laboratory, uses nothing but samples downloaded from the internet, duly manipulated and messed up with fearless abandon. Originally self-released in 1999 as a CD burn, this album is now available only as a download.
Reviews
“This is a funky driven, drum breaking, beat fest, layed with a plethora […]
