Main Divide New Zealand Music Compilation VOL. 5
FREE DOWNLOAD
A lot has changed in the world since our first compilation was released back in 2008; one thing that’s remained constant however is the positive effect music has on our lives and society as a whole. It brings us together, lifts our mood, and can provide a sense of euphoria and an altered state at its best.
As with previous volumes, we’ve chosen a selection of quality homegrown tracks we feel represent the current sound of Aotearoa, featuring a mix of established and up-and-coming artists.
Wine and music are two of life’s great pleasures, like two old friends that never tire of each other company.
Special thanks to LOOP for making the compilation possible and to Dylan C for the mixed version.
We hope you enjoy the ride as much as we do!
Featured Artists
Anna Coddington
One of NZ’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Anna is known for her enchanting live performances and voice. Her songwriting prowess which has seen her in the prestigious Silver Scroll songwriting award Top 20 list four times.
She is a regular contributor with Fly My Pretties, has performed at NZ’s top music and arts festivals, and has sung her way around the country on numerous tours. Coddington is one of NZ’s finest live vocalist, also known for her performances with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and The Blackbird Ensemble. Coddington’s latest album, Beams, saw her exploring her place in the world across 10 tracks as a mother, musician, Māori and human being.
After spending long periods of her career shying away from these subjects, Beams saw Coddington tackling them head on and at full speed, with honest abandon, and resulted in multiple nominations at the 2021 Waiata Māori Music Awards and a finalist for the 2021 Taite Music Prize.
Anna Coddington appears courtesy of Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa. Beams taken from the album Beams, available digitally and on CD.
annacoddington.com
facebook.com/AnnaCoddingtonMusic
instagram.com/AnnaCoddington
Flamingo Pier
Serving up euphoric disco hooks, to classic house choruses and forays into Latin funk, balearic and psychedelia - New Zealand collective Flamingo Pier delivered their debut self-titled album in June 2021.
In 2019 and 2020 they released two widely lauded EPs on Soundway Records, garnering support from Maribou State, Tim Sweeney, BBC 6 Music DJs, The Blessed Madonna, and JD Twitch to name a few. But like many artists in the last 12 months, the group had to navigate the unfamiliar territory of intermittent lockdowns to write and record an album in multiple locations across New Zealand, including the famed Roundhead Studios.
The silver lining of this however, was that this was the first time that members Dominic, Brad and Luke were able to create the record in person together instead of collaborating over the internet - because usually at least one of them has been travelling overseas. The self-titled album draws from the band’s wide-ranging taste, as well as what they’ve been playing in order to keep spirits up.
Channelling classic emotive house, to disco, Afro and jazz funk on their debut album, Flamingo Pier cite a wide range of musical influences such as Khruangbin, Roisin Murphy, Peven Everett, house legends Masters at Work and Brazilian artist Tim Maia. This translates into an uplifting but nostalgic current running throughout the album - reflecting on last chances, soul-searching and longing for the carefree days of the dance floor.
Flamingo Pier appear courtesy of Soundway Records. Deeper Soul taken from the album Flamingo Pier, available digitally and on vinyl.
flamingopier.net
facebook.com/FlamingoPier
instagram.com/FlamingoPier
imugi 檜鼠晦
Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland-based imugi 檜鼠晦 is comprised of beatmaker-producer Carl Ruwhiu and songwriter-vocalist Yery Cho.
Their cosmic-scale aesthetics effortlessly complement the duo’s considered thinking around music, culture, and identity. They are recognised in underground music scenes for their poetic stream-of-consciousness music that cleverly navigates the slipstream between an eclectic range of musical influences. Their 2020 sophomore EP Dragonfruit is a dreamy allegory, travelling across a smooth mix of synth-pop, R&B, spoken word, bedroom indie pop all wrapped in a bubble of electronically produced music.
imugi 檜鼠晦 have performed across a plethora of festivals such as St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Rhythm & Vines 2019/2020, Splore 2021 and Flamingo Pier 2021. Their personal achievement was their first highly-acclaimed sold out shows at The Tuning Fork and Meow.
Portals and y u always actin like a fool taken from the EP Dragonfruit, available digitally.
L.A.B
In just five short years, L.A.B have grown into one of the most-popular and busiest acts in New Zealand music. An eclectic mix of reggae, electronic, blues and funk all combine to create a sound entirely their own.
Since their inception, L.A.B have performed at almost every major festival across New Zealand, alongside multiple sold-out headline tours of Australia.
L.A.B appear courtesy of Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa. Operator taken from the album L.A.B IV, available digitally, on CD and vinyl.
labmusic.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/LABmusicNZ
instagram.com/LAB_Music
Leaping Tiger
A trailblazer in the New Zealand alternative landscape, Tāmaki Makaurau electronic producer and bass player Leaping Tiger is a pioneering experimental voice in a new wave of Kiwi artists.
After the release of his debut album Porcelain Orca Whales in 2020 featuring the likes of local legends Church and AP, Disciple Pati, JY Lee and Maxwell Young, Leaping Tiger has been turning heads with his adventurous, slick, and genre-defying sound.
Screw Face taken from the album Porcelain Orca Whales, available digitally.
leapingtiger.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/LeapingTigerSuqqs
instagram.com/Leaping.Tiger
LIPS
Lips is a Silver-scroll award winning 4-piece indie band from Tāmaki Makaurau. Originally formed in Brooklyn, NY, they have performed their art-punk meets synth-pop, lyric driven songs on stages all over the US and Aotearoa.
In July they released their debut full-length album I Don’t Know Why I Do Anything, which they celebrated with a nation-wide tour.
Take My Call taken from the album I Don’t Know Why I Do Anything, available digitally and on vinyl.
lipssongs.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/LipsSongs
instagram.com/LipsSongs
Merk
Merk is the solo project of songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Perkins, which began when Perkins recorded 2016’s Swordfish (winner of Best Debut at the Taite Music Prize). His debut album showcased a knack for melody, based around guitars strummed to catchy perfection. While Swordfish introduced many of the qualities that Merk continues to cultivate, it’s on Infinite Youth that he comes fully into his own.
Merk appear courtesy of Humblebrag Records.
American Parties taken from the album Infinite Youth, available digitally, on CD and vinyl.
merkscoolsongs.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/MerksCoolSongs
instagram.com/MerkPerk
PollyHill
PollyHill is an MC, producer, and filmmaker, based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Her music sits somewhere in the intersections between hip-hop, soundscape, and spoken word. As a producer, she gravitates towards lo-fi cinematic frequencies, as a wordsmith, she pushes word play and speaks from her own experiences.
Thriving in the underground scene, Polly has played some of the country’s biggest festivals including Splore, Rhythm and Vines, Laneway (with Filth AKL) and the Others Way. Her most recent EP Post Humorous (released May 2021) had 4 of its 5 songs chart across various student radio networks for 14 consecutive weeks. Not afraid to call it how she sees it, PollyHill is carving her own lane in the music scene and earning stripes as she does.
Foreward taken from the Greatest Hits EP, available digitally
pollyhill.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/PollyHillxoxo
instagram.com/PollyHillxoxo
Raiza Biza
Making waves from his hometown, Hamilton, New Zealand and maintaining a relatively low key lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle, Rwandan-Kiwi rapper Raiza Biza has hustled a name for himself; built on relentless hard work, passion and perseverance. Building from the ground up, he has generated a worldwide following that has supported over five albums, and collaborations with Oddisee, Sampa The Great, Black Milk Melodownz, REMI, Illbaz, Estere, The Adults and countless other talents.
Raiza has become a stable fixture in the underground hip-hop community of Aotearoa, which has seen him travel the world as an independent artist, bringing a piece of his home and experience to the far outside corners of the globe. With a passion for community and collective knowledge, his socially conscious rap style adds to the conversations of modern life as well as uplift and shape the party.
Family taken from the album A Summer In Retrograde, available digitally.
raizabiza.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/RaizaBizaMusic
instagram.com/RaizaBiza
Ria Hall
Ria Hall is one of the strongest voices in NZ music, with a style and catalogue which show an artist willing to push boundaries. Combining both English and Te Reo Māori vocals, Hall creates epic soundscapes which embrace and challenge multiple genres. Hall’s debut self-titled EP signalled her arrival, winning multiple awards and critical acclaim. This followed with 2017’s release of her debut album Rules of Engagement.
The album showcased Hall’s incredible talent as a vocalist and lyricist, and went to number one in the NZ Top 20 Album Charts upon release. One of the centrepieces of Rules of Engagement, Te Ahi Kai Po, saw Hall take home the APRA Maioha Award for Songwriting Excellence in Te Reo Māori. 2019 saw Hall return to the studio, working on a new reggae-infused album alongside Laughton Kora. Released in early 2020, Manawa Wera saw Hall collaborating with Kora, Troy Kingi, Rob Ruha, Warren Maxwell and more, creating a conscious 1970’s-inspired reggae/soul sound, while maintaining Hall’s unique style.
Described as “everything anyone could want from a new release” and “a strong suite of songs from (an artist) who has truly found her groove”, the album saw Hall further establish herself as a crucial voice in the music scene. The strong reception to Manawa Wera has seen Hall take home the 2020 Waiata Māori Music Award for Best Female Solo Artist, to go alongside nominations for Best Māori Artist and Best Roots Artist at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards, and being named as a finalist for the prestigious Taite Music Prize 2021.
Ria Hall appear courtesy of Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa. History taken from the album Manawa Wera, available digitally and on CD.
riahall.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/RiaHallNZ
instagram.com/RiaHallNZ
RIIKI
Delivering a refreshing blend of elegance meets edge, Raquel Abolins-Reid is
indie-pop act RIIKI. Raised in New Zealand’s creative capital city and aged just 21, RIIKI arrived to the party in 2019 with first singles One Day and ZM-playlisted High Heights, co-produced by Simon Gooding (known for working with global artists such as P!nk, Dua Lipa and Migos).
In 2020 RIIKI followed up with singles Share Your Luv and Good Times, the latter
of which landed her first #1 on the Hot NZ Singles Chart.
Summer Thieves
Known for their ability to start the party with their indie-pop inspired tunes, Summer Thieves have gone from playing Dunedin house parties to some of NZ’s biggest stages. The expanding catalogue has seen their following grow, with 2021 set to bring the release of their second album. Cutting their teeth as a ‘Scarfie’ covers band in NZ’s deep-south, Summer Thieves quickly began performing originals as their fanbase expanded.
After releasing a run of singles, 2017 saw the release of their debut album, Warped, a 12-track journey laced with catchy hooks and hypnotic rhythms. 2020 saw the band return with an extended five-piece lineup, and the release of their anticipated follow-up EP, Bandaids and Lipsticks. The EP saw them expanding their indie sound, incorporating more of a polished-pop feel, while continuing to embrace their party-starting roots. Not wasting any time, the band immediately returned to the studio to begin work on a new full-length album, due late-2021.
Summer Thieves appear courtesy of Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa. Saturday Night taken from the album Paradise Down The Road, available late-2021.
summerthieves.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/SummerThievesNZ
instagram.com/SummerThieves
Team Dynamite
Six years ago Team Dynamite imploded, the consequence of a long-building ‘lack of self-care’. This year they rose from the ashes with the release of their album, Respect The Process, and a redemption tour.
They formed in the late 2000s after aspiring teenage MCs Lucky Lance and Tony Teez decided to take hip hop beyond their weekend freestyle sessions at a local park. An introduction to producer Haz Beats provided the beats they were missing, and suddenly Team Dynamite was a legitimate group, building a reputation for dance-floor friendly hip hop and becoming mainstays of the Young Gifted and Broke collective.
The group released The Demo Tape in 2010, Shepherds Delight in 2014 and Never Again EP in 2015. They’ve collaborated with a who’s who of New Zealand music including Che Fu, @peace, Laughton Kora and Bailey Wiley. Their high energy live show saw the group play major festivals, the opening slot for international acts Methodman and Redman and support to local acts such as Fat Freddy’s Drop and Ladi 6.
Lightning Bolt and Principle taken from the album Respect The Process, available digitally and on vinyl.
teamdynamite.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/OriginalTeamDynamite
instagram.com/OriginalTeamDynamite
Dylan C
From hosting the Loop Sessions weekly residency in the mid 2000s, through the years on radio at Base FM and Music For The People, Dylan C has always championed NZ music in his DJ sets. Striking the right balance between technicality in the mix and an ear for a great tune, Dylan C continues to explore interesting ways to create a unique musical journey with each set he plays.
