How I rewrote my HUGE Gatsby site in Astro and learned to love it in the process
27/08/2024
If you come here often you might have noticed some changes. On desktop everything is smaller... On mobile it's easier to navigate... Images are higher quality... Everything is faster. Happier. More productive. This is the result of two months laboring in the code mines to move my website from Gatsby to Astro. There aren't really many (or any?) other Gatsby/Astro sites with hundreds of gigabytes of images and... More
What happened in 2023? A belated retrospective
18/03/2024
At the end of 2023 I was feeling pensive and had some spare time thanks to the union movements of the 1900s, so I wrote a bunch of notes for an article summarizing the year. Things like which gigs were especially memorable, venues we'd lost, etc. Then I just didn't write it. But now I'm like actually it's kind of interesting to think back on the year. So... More
Lines of Flight 2023 Belated Retrospective
20/02/2024
Note: This was largely written the day after the festival ended while it was fresh in my mind, as such it's a bit rough and full of wild tangents and run on sentences but I'm posting it here since I think it's an interesting retrospective. A lot of the time the really cool stuff is largely ignored. Society only values the winners in the current mode of production... More
So you want to bootleg live music with a wearable and discreet recording rig which also doubles as hearing protection and doesn't cost that much
17/12/2022
Binaural recording essentially involves using microphones which emulate the human ear as closely as possible. Where a traditional recording will capture sound from an "artificial" perspective, usually via multiple mono sources which are positioned in a virtual "space" with techniques such as panning, binaural recording aims to precisely capture a human's aural perspective. The result is incredibly convincing. In terms of accurately capturing the feeling of being in... More
The cacophonous opening of YOURS
16/12/2022
Anarchist collective space YOURS opened in style with a noisy street parade captured here. The space will be used as a café and venue, as well as anything else the community yearns for outside the bounds of capitalism. ... More
For one night only
14/07/2022
On an average Sunday in April of 2022, an iconic Dunedin venue is resurrected. The venue? Sammy's, built in the 1800s, previously served as a theatre, cinema, and storage facility. It's contemporary musical history began in 1983 when it was purchased by Sam Chin, and became one of many locations fostering a thriving scene later known as the "Dunedin Sound". Back in the present, a relaxed crowd mingle,... More
Micro Four Thirds vs Full Frame: Bigger, more expensive, but is it better?
29/01/2022
For the past five years all of the images and videos taken for dunedinsound.com were taken on this camera. I've driven it hard (77,918 shutter count) and it's served me well, but there are a few areas where I've never really been satisfied. The high ISO performance is my biggest complaint; the image collapses into a smudgy mess above ISO 3200. This is a problem because, as you... More
Spaceland vs The World
14/08/2021
It’s been a winter of discontent for the local music community here in Otepoti. Old grievances which have tormented the scene for decades are bubbling to the surface and erupting. A petition aiming to “Save Dunedin’s live music” through noise control reform accumulated over 1,700 signatures, spurred by clashes between residential inner-city dwellers and musicians/audiences who just want to play/hear music at 10pm on a Friday. Meanwhile, the... More
Keepsakes on bringing his Techno back to Aotearoa
26/07/2021
James Barrett has spent the last few years making a splash in the venerable techno scene of Berlin. Now in COVID ravaged 202X, he’s returned to his homeland and is wasting no time in bringing his brand of dark pounding techno to the ravers of Aotearoa. I caught up with James ahead of his Friday Dunedin party. How long have you been back in New Zealand? We got... More
Kane Strang on burnout and the value of experimentation
2/07/2021
In March this year ex-Dunedinite Kane Strang surprised everyone by quietly dropping an album, his first in four years, without any of the extended industry machinations which usually go with an album release from an established artist. Titled Happy to Perform, it also happens to be an absolute gem, probably my favorite local release of 2021 so far, presenting a sound which feels moody, raw, and altogether unique.... More
Jazz: Coming soon to a loft near you
8/06/2021
If there’s one thing I think we can all agree on here in the Ōtepoti music community, it’s that we’d quite like more spaces to perform and experience music in, which is why it pleases me greatly to see a new initiative intent on giving us exactly that. Dubbed the “Albany Street Jazz Loft”, the project aims to take the unused loft of the Playhouse Theatre and fill... More
Music for people, not profit
6/05/2021
Way back in February of 2020, just before everything turned to custard, New New New hosted its largest lineup of acts to date. The event was called Music for People and featured 11 vastly different acts ranging from hip-hop, experimental noise, grunge, indie rock and more. Now Music for People is about to receive its long overdue sequel, with double the venues, triple the music, and the same... More
The Veils frontman Finn Andrews on why he's bringing back Nux Vomica
24/03/2021
London/NZ based indie band The Veils are touring New Zealand, and for the first time ever they’ll be performing their dark and brooding 2006 sophomore album Nux Vomica in its entirety. I caught up with frontman Finn Andrews, who is gratefully “stuck” in New Zealand, about the tour. What made you decide to revisit this album? It’s a slightly convoluted story. We were invited to play a festival,... More
The Dunedin music community unites over a terrible opinion
13/03/2021
On the 9th of March 2021 a local musician woke up in a rage. "Why don't I get paid more?" he roared, "Why does the public value creme eggs more than me?" The answer, he decided, must be because: * Musicians, specifically Dunedin musicians, are terrible at what they do * Also, these terrible musicians charge the public too little for the privilege of seeing them * And... More
Dave Borrie, ex Bachelorette hopeful and Radio 1 DJ, tells all
20/02/2021
There are two things which get me out of bed in the morning: music and reality TV. It's the drama, it's the humanity, it's the sheer craft which goes into massaging reality until it becomes hyper-real broadcast mythos. There's really nothing else like it. So you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that Dave Borrie, local Radio 1 DJ and Musician, was going to be on... More
Richard Ley-Hamilton on the (sort of) return of Males
10/02/2021
Way back in 2012 Males were a tent pole of the local Indie scene, along with bands like Astro Children, Two Cartoons and Kane Strang. Their catchy single “So High” was thrashed by student radio stations across the nation. Then in 2016, without even a bang or a whimper, they played their last show, before going on an extended hiatus. Lead singer and guitarist Richard Ley-Hamilton headed to... More
2020 was a year
19/12/2020
Did that just happen? It felt like one minute we were expulsing bodily fluids all over each other with wanton abandon, and the next we were avoiding the chip aisle until it was clear enough to maintain two metres of social distance. Yes, as you've probably read a thousand times, 2020 was a strange year, and music was not exempt from the strangeness. As viewed in purely financial... More
Jutland Street: The venue which wasn't a venue
5/12/2020
Around a year ago I wrote about None Gallery. None Gallery was a collaborative art space which hosted art exhibitions and music gigs since 2003. It ended when the building was sold to a property investor. It is now a gym. A few months ago I wrote about The Attic. The Attic was a venue and practice space which was a cornerstone of the indie/alternative scene since 2011.... More
“Music has to go somewhere”: The Attic and the value of practice spaces
10/10/2020
Located at the very top of a three story commercial building on George Street, the venue known as The Attic was the most important place you haven’t heard of. As well as providing a space for artists to practice and record, it hosted gigs from national and international acts such as The Beths, Miss June, Kane Strang, L.A Suffocated. More importantly, it formed the core part of the... More
Tuscoma and the global pandemic
15/08/2020
Wellington blackened post-metal-gaze duo Tuscoma released their highly anticipated second album Discourse in April - only to have their national and global tour cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. I caught up with guitarist and vocalist Kurt Williams to talk about their second attempt at a national tour, but since then COVID has re-emerged and plunged the country into another partial lockdown, forcing them to cancel yet again.... More
Ever wanted to play your entire music library at once? Well now you can!
8/05/2020
Recently, with no gigs to go to, I decided I wanted to hear what every gig recorded so far playing simultaneously would sound like. You can hear that for yourself on Bandcamp. NOW THATS WHAT I CALL EVERY DUNEDINSOUND RECORDING PLAYING AT THE SAME TIME by Dunedinsound If, for some reason, you're interested in doing something similar then read on. IMPORTING HUNDREDS OF MP3 FILES INTO AUDACITY IS... More
Better living online
24/04/2020
After a few weeks of figuring out the new normal, last weekend demonstrated that the local live music scene is anything but dead. It’s just different now, like pretty much everything else. When I arrived at “Better Living, Everyone”, Christchurch’s relatively long running music festival put on by local indie label Melted Icecream, I was sitting in my bedroom in front of my computer screens, RGB room lighting... More
Live music during a global pandemic
4/04/2020
It’s hard to believe just over a week ago I was interviewing a band who were preparing to embark on a national tour, and now we’re living in a world where every step outside our bubbles must be carefully considered. We could all see the storm clouds on the horizon but had no idea how quickly and viciously it would hit. The local live music scene quickly had... More
2019 was a year
31/12/2019
Here we stand, tentatively poised on the cusp of the roaring 20s, the perilous 10s behind us. If this year could be summed up in a single word it would be “change”. First, in May, was the news that New Zealand’s longest running artist run space None Gallery had been sold to a property developer who, as is typical for their ilk, had no interest in supporting the... More
Whiskey and the Wench
16/10/2019
After... by Whiskey and the Wench Whiskey and the Wench are widely regarded as Dunedin’s loudest folk-punk band, with around a decades worth of blistering (sometimes literally) live jams behind them. This Thursday they’ll be adding another one to the pile in the form of a long overdue album release gig! I spoke to Ruth Evans who does accordion and vocals alongside her bandmates on guitar and mandolin... More
Media from Strike for the Climate Dunedin
27/09/2019
Can't make music if there's no planet 🤷... More
Eat the right lunch, eat a Night Lunch
18/09/2019
Known for their intense and enigmatic live performances, Night Lunch have been kicking around the local underground for about a year and have just released their first EP Double Trouble! Double Trouble! by Night Lunch I spoke to the combo of Liams which make up the duo, Liam Dorf Clune and Liam Hoffman, to get the skinny on what they are exactly. How would you describe the music... More
Mild Orange make music which feels right
31/08/2019
Mild Orange shuffled onto the Dunedin scene in early 2017 with a sultry mix of soft indie-rock and a splash of Mockasin creaminess. And then an Ukrainian YouTube music influencer shared their first self-produced single, Some Feeling, and almost overnight their popularity exploded. Now that single has over 12 million plays. Listen to Mild Orange's first album, Foreplay. Back home from a massive European tour, they’re entering the... More
Say goodbye to Battle of the Bands and hello to Bring the Noise
16/08/2019
This year marks the 23rd iteration of OUSA’s Battle of the Bands competition - and it also marks the first (hopefully of many) under the new name "Bring the Noise". To get the low down on the what and the why I spoke to Jason Schroeder, OUSA Events Manager. "Battle of the Bands" vs "Bring the Noise"... What was the reason behind the name change? The name Bring... More
According to these guys you can actually make money off your music
21/07/2019
Thanks to capitalism, making money is an essential part of not starving to death. Unfortunately for most musicians though, converting their immense cultural capital into food on the table is a problem the wondrous free market has yet to fully solve. If it were up to me instead of spending $14.1 billion a year on a non means-tested benefit for one of our wealthiest demographics we’d instead give... More
Goodbye None
26/05/2019
A few weeks ago the art and music community received some sad news: None Gallery had been sold and, since it’s new owners had purchased a cashflow opportunity not an art gallery, the residents had 30 days to collect 16 years of history and get out. None Gallery was founded in 2003 as a collaborative art space. The building on Stafford Street included six huge bedrooms, studio spaces,... More
Welcome to the future
29/04/2019
You might have noticed things are looking a little different. That's because the site has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using superior, more modern technologies which will make it easier to maintain and improve going forward. Aside from this there's also been a few bonus features implemented along the way: * Bold new colour scheme * See all venues on a map! * Artist gigs sorted... More
Lines of Flight 2019 Review: Music on the Fringes
30/03/2019
Lines of Flight opened with a rendition of John Cage’s silent 4’ 33”, both an empty space to symbolise what we’ve lost and the epitome of the idea that any sound can constitute music. This would be the first time the audience were reminded of this idea, but not the last. Later that evening we watched Melbourne’s Is there a hotline? somehow turn an array of musical toys... More
Catching up with Michael Morris
23/03/2019
Until recently Michael Morris was making down and dirty rock n' roll in Dunedin with The River Jesters. He toured both NZ and Australia, released a bunch of records, started a production company... And then last year he moved to Paris and released his first solo album Slow Loris. Slow Loris by Michael Morris NZ I caught up with the man himself while was back in NZ to get the... More
The Shambles - Gone but not forgotten
16/02/2019
Local blonk-pop band The Shambles are parting ways, but they’re not going out without one last tour, one last opportunity to experience the electric energy which had them blazing a trail up and down the festival circuit the last few summers. Their trajectory has been short but very sweet, like a gummy bear or Danny DeVito, but much like a gummy bear (or Danny DeVito) the heavenly flavour... More
Hexis and their insane 80+ show world tour
18/12/2018
Over the past four months Copenhagen-based blackened-hardcore band Hexis have been on the largest tour of their career, and next week they’ll finally be arriving on our shores. The tour has seen them playing non-stop since September everywhere from Sweden to Mongolia to Australia. By the end they’ll have been touring for 93 days, played 81 shows, and visited twelve countries. It’s incredibly impressive and a little bit... More
Blindfolded and Led to the Woods on their strange origins
14/11/2018
I fondly remember the day 16 year old me came home from school, switching on the TV to semi-ironically watch mother of the nation Erin Simpson attempting to capture the young teen demographic, only to be aurally assaulted by a technical death metal band called Blindfolded and Led to the Woods. It seemed like a mistake, yet it kind of didn’t. “The Erin Simpson Show” was for kids,... More
What is Congress of Animals?
7/11/2018
Congress of Animals is what happens when a bunch of NZ’s most prolific and respected musical talent gets together and jams without any particular goal in mind. Included in the group is Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords), Age Pryor (Fly My Pretties, Woolshed Sessions, Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra), Justin Firefly (Fly My Pretties, Woolshed Sessions), Nigel Collins (Flight of the Conchords, Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra) and Ben... More
Exclusive: Destroy All False Metal does not play metal
25/10/2018
Destroy All False Metal might sound like a radical metalhead’s ultimate dictum but it’s actually just a band from Wellington, and tonight they’ll be playing Dunedin. Formed when members of Beatcomber, Goya and Mothers Dearest met up for a spontaneous jam, the (super?) group have been kicking around Wellington’s underground for the past few years. Now they’re bringing their new lineup to the South Island for the first... More
Tech stack rundown
4/10/2018
I thought it might be a good time to write a little rundown of the tech behind dunedinsound.com, partially as a way for me to clarify my reasoning to myself, and partially because it might be interesting to someone. I've tried to make it understandable for anyone as well as offering enough detail to satisfy people who are into this kind of thing. Initial Design When I first... More
Sugarcoated Bullets on AMPED and Numbskull
22/09/2018
AMPED Project concluded again this year with a marathon 6 hour gig at Fifty Gorillas. Fifteen highschool acts played, who had all been coached and nurtured through the project (for free) by Nadia Reid, and who were all also seriously impressive. If this is the future of Dunedin music things are definitely looking good. I spoke to one of the bands who participated, Sugarcoated Bullets. They stand out... More
The mystery of Ben Woods
12/09/2018
It’s hard to know what to expect from Ben Woods Group. So far the only Ben Woods release is one song called “Lozenge” on Melted Icecream’s awesome new compilation of Ōtautahi music, Sickest Smashes from Arson City: Legacy Edition. It’s a sort of fuzzy lo-fi indie-pop type thing which feels just right as it slides down your earholes. I wouldn’t mind a few more of those. Other than... More
The Mentalist Collective are finally releasing an album
5/09/2018
The first time I saw The Mentalist Collective was when they played to a crowd of ten or so at one of ReFuels open mic nights. This was 2014, when ReFuel was still ReFuel and going to gigs there wasn’t cool. The open mic night performances ranged from impassioned singers with acoustic guitars covering Neil Young to the legendary banjo originals of Wolfman Stuey. It was an interesting... More
Talking to Lee Nicolson about his pedals (video)
1/09/2018
In 2011 Lee Nicolson started making guitar pedals. He learnt how to breadboard from a friend, a rudimentary prototyping method which involves poking wires through little holes to build up a circuit. Then he moved onto ironing copper onto printed circuit boards. Seven years later he’s manufacturing pedals which are distributed worldwide, and selling them to the likes of Ryan Adams and Jason Derulo producer Ricky Reed, all... More
The All Seeing Hand on their new album and more
4/08/2018
At the Cook last Friday Wellington based indescribable trio The All Seeing Hand did what they do best. Set to a backdrop of RGB LEDs they transported the audience to a dystopian future of broken systems and syntactical errors. Also in this world was a uniformed commander wearing something reminiscent of an 18th century naval captain, a polyphonic wizard with samplers beneath his palms, and the searing scent... More
Talking to Methchrist
28/07/2018
If you’re feeling a little itchy it could be because Methchrist haven’t played a gig here since January, but that all changes tonight. In a vile ritual of hatred at the Crown Hotel, the solar anus will expand and from its foul depths spew forth a torrent of pure evil into the expectant mouths of the cult elite. There will be no escape, and only the true will... More
Talking Soaked Oats with Soaked Oats
2/07/2018
Dunedinsound: Your press release described you as a "southern stew of Kurt Vile, Mac DeMarco with a good shake of Kevin Morby". If you as a band were a real stew, what would be in it? Oscar: It'd have to be oats I guess. Dunedinsound: Oats in a stew? Oscar: Yeah it thickens it up. Henry: Stringy meat. Like quite a reasonbly poor cut of meat, like a... More
How to organise an all ages gig when all anyone wants to do is sell alcohol
27/06/2018
November last year a bunch of highschoolers decided to gather all of their friends and put on a big gig. They called it the Big Gig and that it was, with eight acts, five hours of music and a massive, enthusiastic crowd who were surprisingly interested in forming conga lines. Next weekend sees the much anticipated return of the Big Gig featuring a different but equally big lineup,... More
Nook & Cranny Music Festival: A music festival in a library? (video)
18/06/2018
With 50 artists performing over six locations and five hours it’s Dunedin’s largest music festival… And it takes place in a library. This mini-documentary explores the festival as it happens and features insights from some of the people involved on why they volunteer their time towards making it a success. ... More
Talking to Julian Temple of Julian Temple Band
31/05/2018
In 2004 Julian Temple Band slipped quietly into the Dunedin music scene as a humble 3-piece. But what was three gradually become four, and now for their sixth album 14 years later they’ve flourished into a mighty six piece with the addition of Richard Ley-Hamilton of Males (and more) on guitar, Steve Marshall of Left or Right on bass and Logan Hampton of Alizarin Lizard on keys. I... More
Death and the Maiden on their new album
30/05/2018
Death and the Maiden’s second album exists in the same shadowy world they created in their self-titled debut but refines it, polishes it down until it’s a smooth black pebble. It’s an enigma, like being at a dance party and realizing part way through you’re actually at some sort of pagan ritual of death. Wisteria by Death And The Maiden It’s been just over a month since the... More
Ed Sheeran cost the city $221,000
12/05/2018
According to an Official Information Act request initiated by dunedinsound.com, the Dunedin City Council spent $221,000 on Ed Sheeran's three day visit to the city. The money was spent on pedestrianising the octagon, entertainment events, and marketing. Most of it came out of existing budgets. The total breakdown of costs is below: | Activity | Activity Costs| Labour | |... More
Talking to Damin McCabe of Jack Berry fame
5/05/2018
Damin McCabe, otherwise known as Jack Berry, assembled a band specifically for OUSA Battle of the Bands 2017 just to play his songs and see what would happen. They ended up winning. It wasn’t a surprise to me despite their band name sounding a lot like a working title... The grooves were tight and bouncy, the songs unbelievably catchy, and Damin’s autotune-enriched vocals added a unique edge. Although,... More
Record Store Day 2018 at Relics (video)
28/04/2018
Twenty years ago if you wanted music you had to leave your house, go to a record store, talk to some people, part with $30 and return with a CD to pop in your discman. But today we have near instant, near free access to most of the last few hundred years of recorded music. So that makes record stores obsolete, right? Well there’s certainly less demand but the... More
How ＳＰＬＡＳＨ ＣＬＵＢ ７ became a meme page (video)
21/04/2018
Way back in 2012 Dunedin local Jamie Dickson started releasing music online. He was inspired by a bubbly, aquatic-themed aesthetic called seapunk, which emerged in online communities such as Tumblr. He called his project SPLASH CLUB 7 after the highly influential 90s pop group S-Club 7. Fast forward to 2018 and SPLASH CLUB 7 has hundreds of thousands of fans from all across the globe. But for those... More
Talking to Julie Dunn of trace/untrace records (video)
7/04/2018
In the first of a video series on cool people doing cool things I spoke to Julie Dunn who runs trace/untrace, a local micro-independent record label to get the lowdown on the sort of operation she's running. Just under a year ago Julie Dunn and Richard Ley-Hamilton decided to start a record label. Their main kaupapa was to support DIY and grassroots efforts within Dunedin. Rather than aspiring towards... More
An evening with Sheep and some expired chips
24/03/2018
Graham Matrix, singer and guitarist for local post-grunge-pop band Sheep, passes around a bag of Sour Cream and Chives potato chips. “These are dated so they might taste a bit funny” he warns. Graham Matrix VS The Entire Galactic Chaos Empire by Sheep They taste fine to me, and apparently also to drummer Tobias Heeringa and keyboardist Josh Bottz, who munch them down eagerly. I first saw Sheep... More
Life in the shadow of the Dunedin sound
10/03/2018
On Tuesday the 27th of February 2018 two masked terrorists committed a heinous act of vandalism. before and after coyote Baying for heretic blood In an expletive-laden video, they recorded themselves graffiting a powerbox displaying The Chills inspired street art and, in doing so, desecrated a sacred altar to the Dunedin Sound. Acolytes retaliated swiftly and violently in comments sections across social media. “Morons! Losers!” they chanted, “Without... More
Bediquette on his new EP
15/12/2017
Bediquette’s new EP YIELD came out about a week ago and it’s good. Really good. YIELD by bediquette Meaty bleeps and bloops shimmy around arrhythmic, danceable beats. Chewy digital textures forge an atmosphere which is both cold and organic, all while soft whispery vocals guide you through the harsh yet beautiful world. It’s an auditory feast. My only complaint is that it’s not long enough. If you haven’t... More
Talking to Karl Leisky about experimental electronic music
18/11/2017
mf/mp are a hot new semi-local label who’ve already made waves with their lathe cut “Sundrian Editions” which feature pairings of experimental electronic musicians from across the country. I talked with Karl Leisky, one of the label’s founders and artists, about their upcoming release event at Toitū and more. Why not give their latest release a spin while you read? sun003 by SL / Fuckault WHAT IS IT? mf/mp is... More
The Rothmans's on their second EP
17/11/2017
On a chilly August night in 2015 I went to a gig at the Robbie Burns pub and had my mind blown by a band called The Rothmans. A.S.L by The Rothmans I was there to support my friends in their pop punk band Slothvegas. By the time they’d finished the pub was empty apart from some old guys guzzling Speights and watching the cricket. Despite that I... More
The L$D Fundraiser Bomb Scare: A retrospective
28/10/2017
In June this year an internationally recognized local sound artist grew tired of asking money for his works and decided to give them away for free. He was inspired by local photographer and musician Lance Strickland who, the month before, had posted his photos around Dunedin for the public to take. This sound artist planned to do something similar with his latest work. The work was a music... More
Vogel Street Party 2017
15/10/2017
Vogel Street Party happened again this year for the third time. Families, students alike (but mostly families) all flocked to the old warehouse precinct to experience music, art, food and more. A sudden thunderstorm hit at around 6:30pm and scared away the weak, but the true Vogel Street Partiers didn't mind hanging out under cover until the weather subsided, or had anticipated meteorological upset and brought umbrellas. Check... More
Talking to Andrew Wilson from Die! Die! Die!
14/10/2017
Prolific post-punkers Die! Die! Die! have released another album, and are returning to Dunedin on Friday for a blistering show at None Gallery. I caught up with Andrew Wilson who’s handled lead vocals and guitar since he formed the band in 2003. CHARM.OFFENSIVE by Die! Die! Die! SO CHARM.OFFENSIVE RELEASED LAST WEEK. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? Yeah, good good good… It’s quite funny when you release a record... More
Sugarcoated Bullets and the new wave of Dunedin bands
4/10/2017
Dunedin’s high schools are pumping out more fizzy bands than ever before, although you might not know it because most venues are bars, and bars don’t allow highschoolers... Luckily we’ve got DIY spaces like The Attic who, next weekend, will be hosting a huge lineup of highschool bands. Not only will it be a hell of a lot of fun, but it'll be a chance for people like... More
Koizilla: Prolific psych-rockers
30/09/2017
For the third time in a year Dunedin’s one and only surfadelic riff monster ‘Koizilla’ is releasing an EP. Clean the Kitchen. end the world by Koizilla This one’s titled ‘Clean the Kitchen. End the World’, a follow up to June’s ‘doomsurfdoom’ and September’s ‘Blunder Brother’. This prolific release schedule brings to mind the Australian psychrock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, possibly not a coincidence since... More
Joining Agent Ewok for a jam session
23/09/2017
We emerged from the tiny practice room on Baldwin Street trembling and sweaty. It wasn’t a warm day, but the doors and windows had to be kept closed otherwise the neighbors would complain about the noise, so it’d gotten hot. Guitarist and vocalist Oscar Francis immediately rolled a cigarette. “It’s a special occasion” he explains. I wasn’t quite sure what the occasion was. Maybe it was the set... More
METHCHRIST discuss their new album and more
15/09/2017
Finally some good news for local fans of war, filth, corruption, torture, scum, obliteration and death. In a ritual of hatred and disdain at Crown Hotel tonight, METHCHRIST will unleash their full-length album “Nomadic War Machine” upon the true followers. If you’re not a member of the cult elite you can still experience the desecration by checking it out on Bandcamp or picking up a cassette. The album... More
Onslaught 13
28/08/2017
By the time you’re reading this it’ll be too late: Onslaught will have begun. Probably the biggest event in Dunedin’s music calendar, the Onslaught punk festival is back for the 13th time and it’s huge. Eighteen bands from all over the country converge on the Crown Hotel to ensure your innards are fully liquified over two nights. If you weren’t there last night you missed out, but luckily... More
William Henry Meung on defining experimental music and more (Video)
5/08/2017
William Henry Meung recently released his latest of many musical projects. A long time member of the Dunedin "experimental" music scene, he spoke to me about how he defines his music, how he ended up where he is artistically, and the role of public art. Rotten Rainbows. side X: Devour the hands. side Y: Spit out the leaves. side Z: Bonus live recording at The Auricle Sonic Arts Gallery.... More
Cath Cocker on the value of public art and more (Video)
4/08/2017
Local artist Cath Cocker recently organized the Nocturnal Projections and Other Small Happenings art event. I spoke to her about why she values public art and some of the challenges she faced along the way. ... More
Astro Children open up about the new album and the state of the Dunedin music scene
2/08/2017
Recently I caught up with Millie from Astro Children to discuss their new album, One Direction, and general feelings on the Dunedin music scene. THIS IS A BORING QUESTION BUT HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC? It might a boring question but I still don't have an answer. Whenever I get asked that I'm like I don't know, it's loud? It's kind of hard as well because our... More
Extended thoughts on L$D Fundraiser and recent events
3/07/2017
On the 16th of June, late on a Friday afternoon, central Dunedin was cordoned off and closed down for what was described as a bomb scare. The police flew down the Bomb Disposal Squad to blow up what turned out to be an audio cassette containing StreetNOISE the latest album by Dunedin musician L$D Fundraiser. After detonating the cassette and discovering it was not in fact a bomb,... More
Dunedin Midwinter Carnival 2017
25/06/2017
Saturday the 24th of June was the shortest day of the year and to celebrate a group of dedicated volunteers supported by the Dunedin City Council turned the octagon into a midwinter themed carnival. This isn't the sort of thing I usually document but it was a beautiful experience and I wanted to share it for anyone who didn't get a chance to go. The sheer amount of people... More
Panasonic G6 to Panasonic G85: Worth the upgrade?
21/06/2017
The Panasonic G6 was the first camera I ever bought back in 2013 and it's been my primary camera ever since. A few weeks ago I bought a G85 to replace it. Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds cameras are often considered "hybrid cameras" which are designed for both video and stills. This holds true for the most part, and compared to other similarly priced cameras they tend to offer... More
