New Zealand expatriates, Chloë Lewer and Elliott McKee are the indie-folk musical duo, ‘Charity Children Berlin’. After moving to Germany mid 2011, without speaking a dribble of German, they started busking around Berlin, as they couldn’t get any jobs and music was the only profession they could hold down. With their endearing, intimate style, they have managed to build up quite a following during summer from their busking sessions, most notably at the Mauerpark markets on Sundays. Their ukulele-driven sound also features harmonica, melodian, xylophone, hand percussion and anything else small enough to fit in their suitcase when they go busking. However, what really sets Charity Children Berlin apart from other acts in a similar vein are Chloe’s beautiful, ethereal vocals and their poetic, whimsical lyrics.

They are currently recording their debut album in their lounge in their apartment in Kreuzberg, Berlin. Anthem For All the Dead Dogs is their first video.

Rats, the second single from Bond Street Bridge’s sophomore album Spring Summer Awesome Winter , is a disturbing track. Driven by distorted analogue synthesizers and clicking lighters, washed in waves of static, the chanting, mimalist vocal and the ambient soundscape recall the sitting in the rain on the kerb outside a club at four a.m, trying to decide whether to go back inside and dance or call it and go home: It happens to us all.

The video is a black-and-white stop-motion animation which Sam put together with a cast of ceramic owls, bug-eyed rabbits, a flirtatious monkey and a mean-eyed dinosaur. If the song is about sitting outside in the rain, hearing the bass through the wall and obsessively flicking a lighter, the video is what is going on inside the club. Owls dance, monkeys spin, and everybody gets eaten by the dinosaur. Most people who see the video report feeling as though they have experienced mild concussion.

Video for the second single from Chris Hurn’s debut album “Too Busy Dreamin” filmed during his album release tour around New Zealand in March 2011 by Aaron Ly.

When you write a track called “Ping Pong” and the beat is made up of ping pong ball sounds, then it’s probably a good idea to release a video that stars Factories’ Matt and Sean playing ping pong! Filmed by Factories’ graphic designer Sarah James, and painstakingly edited by Matt, the video was shot in Christchurch’s own pragmatically named “Table Tennis Stadium”, then sliced and slivered to smithereens and synced to the beat.

From Factories’ debut ep “Operator’s Services Handbook”.

Now We Are 28 is the new single and video from Bond Street Bridge.

This song is about getting older – older than Percy Shelley, older than Kurt Cobain, older than the illustrious roll-call of bright and doomed artists who made it to 27 and checked out.  It’s about hoping that maybe there’s more to life than looking at things and trying new drinks, but suspecting that there maybe there’s not. It’s about remembering fast cars and the feeling of being ready for whatever, and it’s about the feeling you get when it slips away, and you have to start going to bed before midnight or getting up in the morning will be even more of a pain in the ass.  For all that, though, it’s got a spring in its step and a sparkle to it.

Now We Are 28 is accompanied by a web-only video shot (and edited) by Monkey Records’ boss Nigel Braddock on a rather basic camera while touring with Bond Street Bridge and Tim Guy through Germany, France, Switzerland and the UK between July and September 2010. Says Nigel, “It’s more or less just a montage of images and impressions from the tour in no particular order but I guess you could say it’s also a journey of the main character from the cities to the countryside with recurring images of wind turbines, fire, rampaging farmyard animals and driving – lots of driving…”

Now We Are 28 was the first single to be released from Bond Street Bridge’s sophomore album Spring Summer Awesome Winter.

Whatcha Got is the first single from Chris Hurn’s debut album “Too Busy Dreamin” to be released early March 2011.

First impressions are everything; and there was a responsibility to not only properly encapsulate the essence of the song but to also properly introduce Chris Hurn in a simple and uniquely personal way.

Inspired by the song’s indelibly upbeat nature and its unique musical cues, director Aaron Ly felt nothing was more fitting than the image of a lemonade stand in the middle of nowhere. The idea was originally conceived during a random (but colourful) conversation with a friend about what it meant to make ones own money as a kid, than today as a young adult. Recounting the sight of seeing some kids set up a lemonade stand, during the drive back from Wainuiomata a week ago, director Aaron Ly immediately felt he had found the perfect fit for the song. The striking image and notion of a lemonade stand evoked the director’s own memories of youthful ambition and endeavours, and felt others would immediately relate. “I wanted to revisit the feeling of working towards something not for the result, but for that anticipation and what that feeling carries. As we grow older we lose sight of that.”

Coming from a film background, Aaron Ly was compelled to tell a simple and subtle story and thread the universal themes of Chris Hurn’s song and infuse it with his own vision of a travelling musician setting up his own lemonade stand in the idyllic heart of rural New Zealand. The musician sets up the lemonade stand in order to fuel his own ambitions and endeavours, only to realise and appreciate he doesn’t have to do it alone. And that there is more he has yet to discover closer to home.

The making of the ‘Whatcha Got’ music video was shot as quickly as it was conceived. Shot in Whiteman’s Valley, Upper Hutt ‘Whatcha Got’ was a no-budget production, shot over a couple afternoons with a small dedicated cast and crew of six. The video was shot in high definition to capture the glorious sunshine and the beautiful rural landscape.

The result is a whimsical and entertaining music video that disarmingly introduces Chris Hurn’s presence into the music scene.

Aaron Ly is a passionate twenty-one year old filmmaker, who is starting his own freelance film and video company called 3by5 Productions in Wellington. Mainly from a film background, this is Aaron’s first ever music video that he has ever directed, shot and edited. He is proud of the effort and absolutely honoured to have been asked to make it.

Distant Dreams and Morning Stars is the first music video from John White’s new album “Inkadies“. Made by Louise Clifton.

Niko Ne Zna are New Zealand’s very own Balkan Gypsy brass extravaganza. Formed in Wellington five years ago, the band has been stunning audiences ever since with their exuberant, dynamic performances.Comprising trumpet, saxophone, accordion, trombone, sousaphone, drums and percussion, Niko Ne Zna are a truly authentic ensemble. They can roam while playing, and enchant the audience into dancing, singing, clapping and stomping all night long. The band consists of some of Wellington’s finest instrumentalists who come from a wide array of musical backgrounds that unite together to produce a cocktail that will make your ears rise to attention and your feet move in a frenzy. Their music is high energy with dark undertones and sexy gypsy style. Niko Ne Zna are a world class act with exotic tunes, fantastic grooves and exciting solos.

The band have played extensively in Wellington with performances at The Wellington Fringe Festival, International Jazz Festival, Cuba Street Carnival, Wellington Summer City Festival to name a few and have been a staple of the Wellington music scene with regular performances all over city.

SUMONE PRODUCTIONS presents the epic music video for Polkapocalyptic featuring The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band. Filmed in Berlin 2009. Written produced and directed by Nathan Taare and Dylan Bakker. Music from The Benkas debut album ‘Polkapocalypse‘.

A psychedelic Afro-Soul explosion in 12 parts, The Hot Grits cover the stylistic ground between deep Funk, Soul and Afrobeat. From Meters-style struts superfast deep funk assaults to churning Afrobeat Soul. This music is designed to hit you in your soul, your face and your dancing equipment. My Rites is the third single (and video) from The Hot Grits’ debut album ‘It’s Too Drunk To Be This Early‘.