AARADHNA STUNS WITH SPECTACULAR VISUALS FOR ‘SHE’
Today, Aaradhna unveils the music video for SHE, her long-awaited return after a 7 year hiatus. An uncompromising, cinematic and beautiful piece of art - SHE speaks to Aaradhna’s spirit and womanhood, with layers that are equal parts darkness and light.
Today, Aaradhna unveils the music video for SHE, her long-awaited return after a 7 year hiatus. An uncompromising, cinematic and beautiful piece of art - SHE speaks to Aaradhna’s spirit and womanhood, with layers that are equal parts darkness and light. The video delivers her music with intensity and instinct, calling out her heritage and taking full ownership of her creativity.
“SHE pays homage to my roots. It’s a reminder that I hold power, a song to never forget what is inside me, my truth, my strength.” - Aaradhna
The epic video is Directed and Produced by award-winning and acclaimed Anahera Parata, who has a long history of highlighting indigenous excellence. Her credits include SWIDT’s Bunga, which won Best Music Video at the AMA Artisan Awards, alongside videos for Louis Baker, Tipene and Yoko-Zuna. Director of Photography and Editor is Brandon Te Moananui.
Reggae Artist Luke Whaanga releases first studio album “Home"
Luke Whaanga releases his first studio album “Home” which showcases his range and powerhouse voice.
Luke Whaanga releases his first studio album “Home” which showcases his range and powerhouse voice.
Luke’s recent heart surgery has led to new reflections, including “That this is only the beginning. As long as my hearts got a beat – so will I". He also adds that this album has been a long time coming and it’s finally here. A whole album with my name on it and it feels so good” says Luke.
Luke’s first album “Home” represents his return to the stage after a five year break. “Home isn’t four walls and a ceiling, it’s a feeling, and Home for me is on a stage” says Luke.
Now an independent artist Luke is looking to spread his wings and explore different types of music. Reggae roots will always be my happy place but I want to see what else I can do. I just want to give it a go. I’ll never know if I don’t try.
Funkedified is the focus track for this Album. The song is intended to bring back some old school. “They don’t make songs like they used to, so I wanted to bring back some funk and soul and put a little jiggle to your wiggle. This song gets you to release your mind and get funkedified” adds Luke.
Luke is well known for his powerhouse vocals and kiwi classics such as Souljah Feeling and Irie Music and his time in Tomorrow People and on NZ Idol. His more recent release success was Ūkaipō/Home, which is nearly at two million streams on Spotify and additionally, an adapted version for this year’s Warriors legendary season which is also included on this Album.
Release date – 10 November 2023 on all DRM digital platforms. Pre-save link https://found.ee/Home-LW
This is the first of many more albums to come. Luke is thankful for the support of his little team and his loyal fans. More Jah.
New Album - "Home" song list
Ūkaipō / Home - An Aotearoa anthem, a call to come home. Hoki mai ki te Ukaipo.
Human Eyes - This song is for all who are struggling and in need of spiritual help. When you hear this waiata just know that there are people here to tautoko you. Music could be the healer and I want people who are struggling during dark times to know that they are not alone.
Funkedified - is about bringing back some old school funk and soul. They don't make songs like they used to so this waiata gets you to release your mind, put a little jiggle in your wiggle and get funkedified. Teaser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00rzfN9c-UQ
Crazy Love - takes you on a ride on a rocket ship that frees your mind in a universe surrounded by feel good music. When the music is good you can feel good enough everywhere. Teaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzoKCjI5YBw
Rize Up - Is about invigorating your inner vibrations to bring more love, more peace and more jah.
Together - created to bring more joy, more connection and more love through music - our universal language. After a few years of being separated by a pandemic, divided by our beliefs, this is a message of hope and unity. It's a gentle reminder that - together - we are stronger.
Miracles - This song appreciates the miracles around us every day. In each moment we are given an opportunity to see every day as more than what we see on the surface level. We are miracles in our own right, along with the experience of life. To see everything as a miracle makes you appreciate everything, and to see everything in its miraculous nature is to experience miracles in the most unsuspecting ways. We are all miracles
Ūkaipō (Warriors version) - Welcome home boys. 2023 - What a year. UP THE WAHS!!!!
Luke Whaanga social media links
· Youtube www.youtube.com/@lukewhaanga
· Facebook www.facebook.com/lukewhaangaartist
· Instagram www.instagram.com/luke.whaanga/
· Tiktok www.tiktok.com/@lukewhaanga
· Website: www.lukewhaanga.co.nz
Theia x TE KAAHU: Girl In A Savage World Up-close-and-personal at Freida Margolis in Auckland
Due to popular demand, Theia is presenting an intimate performance of her critically acclaimed show 'Girl In A Savage World' at Freida Margolis in Grey Lynn, Auckland on Sunday, December 3.
TICKETS HERE
Due to popular demand, Theia is presenting an intimate performance of her critically acclaimed show 'Girl In A Savage World' at Freida Margolis in Grey Lynn, Auckland on Sunday, December 3.
The 'Girl In A Savage World' show, which brings together reimagined songs from Theia's alt-pop catalogue alongside waiata Māori from her award-winning project TE KAAHU, has been touring arts festivals throughout New Zealand.
"An aura of magic lingers in the air in the space vacated by this incredible voice, this musical powerhouse. Not a soul is left untouched. There can be no doubt that the greatest potency comes not from a shout, but from a whisper" - Ambient Light (Hawkes Bay Arts Festival)
There had been no plans to bring the VH1 Storytellers-style show to Tāmaki Makaurau, but the opportunity came up for a small show at the beautiful Freida Margolis. "I had planned to play the last show of the tour in Christchurch but when I got asked to perform at this gorgeous little local venue, I thought it seemed only right that I should present 'Girl In A Savage World' for those in Auckland who weren't able to experience it."
Tickets to Theia x TE KAAHU 'Girl In A Savage World' are extremely limited so get in quick to witness up-close-and-personal this poignant, thought-provoking show that has been stunning audiences across Aotearoa!
Tickets are available through Under the Radar HERE
ZED ARE BACK WITH NEW SINGLE ‘FUTURE YOU’
ZED are back with new music and have delivered their first single ‘Future You' from their forthcoming album, set for release early 2024.
ZED are back with new music and have delivered their first single ‘Future You' from their forthcoming album, set for release early 2024.
Produced by Nic Manders, the uplifting and infectious track shares a reminder to look towards the possibilities and excitement of a future together with someone, whilst also living in the now.
After the decision to get back into the studio shortly after a successful 20 year celebration of their debut album, the band quickly found their ‘old meets new’ sound.
“Future You was probably one of the first true writing collaborations between the whole band, which had paved a new way of working together and set the tone for the remaining tracks we recorded to finish the album,” bassist Ben Campbell explains. “It’s exciting to be making and releasing music with ZED again after a 20 year hiatus, the unique skills and personalities that make up a band dynamic; there’s nothing else quite like it.”
Accompanying the new single is a music video directed and edited by Mikee Carpinter, featuring animation from Lukas Kelly.
Catch ZED live in concert as they hit the road for eight ‘Future You Aotearoa Tour’ shows throughout November and December. Tickets are on sale now from eccles.co.nz.
Made with the support of NZ On Air, ‘Future You’ is out now on all streaming platforms.
Listen to ‘Future You’
Watch the ‘Future You’ Music Video
Tickets to the ‘Future You Aotearoa Tour’
https://eccles.co.nz/zed-future-you-tour
FIND ZED
YAHYAH DELIVERS ELECTRIFYING NEW EP ‘7 LOVERS’
Today, Aotearoa artist YAHYAH releases her new EP ‘7 Lovers’ and heads on her first headlining tour. YAHYAH's signature blend of electronic pop delivers for this dynamic, honest and beautifully curated EP. Featuring already released singles ‘How I’m Feeling RN’ and ‘Sad Girl’, the five-track EP includes three brand new songs; ‘Memories’, ‘7 Lovers’ and ‘Learning’.
Today, Aotearoa artist YAHYAH releases her new EP ‘7 Lovers’ and heads on her first headlining tour.
YAHYAH's signature blend of electronic pop delivers for this dynamic, honest and beautifully curated EP. Featuring already released singles ‘How I’m Feeling RN’ and ‘Sad Girl’, the five-track EP includes three brand new songs; ‘Memories’, ‘7 Lovers’ and ‘Learning’.
Narrating a journey to self-love, the tracks flow through themes of heartbreak, vulnerability and hopefulness. “I love the arc and ebbs and flows of this project,” explains YAH. “My hope is that everyone can find a theme to relate to, and feel comforted that they’re not alone in their own journey.”
The three-date tour heads to Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland over the next week. Tickets are on sale now from undertheradar.co.nz and theincubator.co.nz (Tauranga only).
The release of this EP and tour mark the end of what has been a huge year for the Pop artist, and the start of her next wave that comes with a huge amount of anticipation and promise.
Be immersed into YAHYAH’s catchy melodies, heartfelt lyrics and captivating vocal performances of her new EP. ‘7 Lovers’ is out now, on all streaming platforms.
TOUR DATES
November 10 - Tauranga - The Jam Factory - Tickets HERE
November 11 - Hamilton - Last Place - Tickets HERE
November 17 - Auckland - BIGFAN - Tickets HERE
Listen to ‘7 Lovers’
https://AugustAvenue.lnk.to/YAHYAH-7Lovers
FIND YAHYAH
Icy and ethereal, Frau Knotz releases new wave/synth pop single + video ‘Cellular’
Taranaki electropop artist and producer Frau Knotz (Lauren Nottingham) has today released her third single + video ‘Cellular’; an icy and ethereal synth pop offering, reflecting on the grasp our phones have on our everyday lives.
Taranaki electropop artist and producer Frau Knotz (Lauren Nottingham) has today released her third single + video ‘Cellular’; an icy and ethereal synth pop offering, reflecting on the grasp our phones have on our everyday lives.
In stark contrast to her previous two singles, ‘Cellular’ is a drumless track that sees Frau Knotz at the piano, shapeshifting between electronic experimentation and acoustic texture. With ex London-based producer Sam Johnson at Rhythm Ace Studio and mastering engineer Chris Chetland at Kog Studios, she has created a haunting production that solely uses piano and analog bass as a foundation to highlight her vocal performance with new purity and detail. Drawing inspiration from the basslines of Mick Karn from British 80s new wave band ‘Japan’ and the eerie dystopia of the Blade Runner soundtrack, ‘Cellular’ renders an evocative soundscape.
Frau Knotz’s prickly introspections divulge some of her most vulnerable lyrics to date. The second verse draws you in, almost literally with nothing but a whisper; “there’s a world out there, it lies beneath my thumbs'' followed by a sudden pang of the piano with a grandiose declaration; “we are all icons on a plastic screen”. Lauren explains “After watching the Netflix documentary ‘The Social Dilemma’, I advised my friends on social media that I was going to delete my accounts in 1 week and gave them my cell phone number and email address. Then I completely deleted my Facebook and Instagram for the next 18 months. This song was written during that 18 month hiatus over one Easter weekend; 4 uninterrupted days spent at the piano.”
Previous singles ‘Supernova’ (2022) and ‘Runway of Reality’ (2023) have charted on the Radio Control 99.4FM Top 10, featured on Most FM’s Making Tracks & been playlisted on several community radio stations, with videos premiered on Juice TV & MTV Upload and her second video hitting 1.1k views on YouTube. Her debut headline show during New Zealand Music Month this year drew a crowd of 100 people to The King’s Theatre in Stratford, a tiny town 40 minutes from New Plymouth city. She has just returned from the Wellington Jazz Festival as a featured guest with the Other Futures Big Band.
Completing the triptych of music videos for her first three singles, Frau Knotz collaborated again with videographer Ben D’Ath (Drax Project) for a music video featuring Frau Knotz in a metallic silver bodysuit dancing a bespoke routine choreographed by 15 year-old Taranaki dance prodigy Mizaan Turner. “Mizaan and I were involved in a charity fundraiser called ‘Dancing For Hope’, a local ‘Dancing with the Stars’ show where 12 Taranaki ‘celebrities’ are paired with dancers to create a routine to a New Zealand song of their choice. The show raised funds for Mike King’s I Am Hope charity, along with the Taranaki Retreat” explains Lauren. “Mizaan has created the most beautiful contemporary dance to ‘Cellular’. It’s been very rewarding working with such a talented young person and to collaborate with a dancer for the first time. I’ve loved watching how Mizaan works with Cellular’s lyrics, rhythm and melody, internalising the music to craft our dance.”
With an upcoming 7-track EP to be released early 2024, Frau Knotz invites you on a sonic odyssey as she unveils her unique, retro-futuristic sound and is fast growing as a force to be reckoned with. Make sure you’re following Frau Knotz and stay tuned!
BRIAN BAKER RELEASES NEW SINGLE - “BIG BOOT RUNNING”
Think what would happen if Tom Waits and Jimi Hendrix were hanging out in Electric Ladyland Studios, whispering and laughing at some in joke only they could get.
New Zealand singer-songwriter BRIAN BAKER celebrates the release of his latest single, “Big Boot Running”, produced and recorded at his Kaipara based studio facility.
Think what would happen if Tom Waits and Jimi Hendrix were hanging out in Electric Ladyland Studios, whispering and laughing at some in joke only they could get. Brian continues to dive head first into the unfamiliar artist world he inhabits with this startling result. It’s easier to say what “Big Boot Running” isn’t rather than what it is! It’s like nothing you would hear on radio, not owing a lot to anything vaguely commercial or recognisable but steeped in rawness, dark electric blues and jarring, observational lyrics that describe a world that’s crumbling. This big boot keeps running on…..
Jordyn with a Why, MOHI and choicevaughan team up on soulful summer track ‘Set…Go’
Sonically equal parts sweet, soul and steeze, this track talks to taking the jump into love, finally ready, feeling set, all you gotta do is…go.
Jordyn with a Why, MOHI and choicevaughan release their latest single ‘Set…Go’.
This soulful summer track began in between sessions during a 2022 APRA Songhubs week. The overflow of creative energy, whakawhanaungatanga and good vibes formed the perfect storm for the writing of ‘Set…Go.’. Sonically equal parts sweet, soul and steeze, this track talks to taking the jump into love, finally ready, feeling set, all you gotta do is…go.
The single was funded by NZ On Air Music as part of the ‘New Music Single’ initiative.