Will McClean to release “BOOK OF LIFE / UP”

Wellington hip hop artist Will McClean steps into a new era with the release of his double single “BOOK OF LIFE / UP”, arriving December 5th. 

The project marks the first official release featuring his full live band, building chemistry on stages across New Zealand and turning these songs into crowd favourites long before they were ever recorded. 

“BOOK OF LIFE / UP” bridges jazz-rap, boom bap, and heavy live instrumentation, reflecting the musical identity that has defined McClean’s growth as an artist. After a run of major performances - including Rhythm & Vines, Festival of Lights, and headline shows - the new release marks the beginning of an elevated artistic chapter. 

BOOK OF LIFE 

Suspenseful from the opening, ominous keys, BOOK OF LIFE captures Will’s signature introspection - turning years into lyrical journal entries. 

Fans often note this track with a Rage Against the Machine-like energy at shows, the lyrics and build from the band carrying the weight of the track. 

UP 

Energetic, percussive, and built for the stage. UP has become one of the most requested songs at Will’s shows, known for its explosive drops and feel-good momentum. The studio version finally bottles the live magic seen at gigs. 

Both tracks were recorded at Massey University Wellington and engineered by Arran Cargill-Brown, capturing the raw, energetic feel of Will’s live show.

Allgood Absolute Alternative Records Ltd are proud to announce Album Nine, Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords (2025). Album out November 28th

“MOKOMŌKAI have been one of my favourite homegrown artists for a while now. I was lucky enough to jam on a few tracks from their first two albums, their musicality is top tier - and Manu is definitely the crown jewel, a voice and flow so unique and refreshing he’s found his pocket on the backbeat, off the hit, a one of a kind voice - definitely hard to replicate. My whanaunga from the far north goes hard on this track ‘Hori on a Hoiho’ - a song that summons ancestors an imagery of muskets and war tactics, backed by a sinister guitar/bass riff and downtempo rhythm I couldn’t think of a better way to open the album.” Troy Kingi

 About “Night Lords”

Turning to Hip Hop and RnB, featuring SWIDT, Diggy Dupē, Tom Scott, Melodownz, MokoMokai, and Mā. The record continues Kingi’s practice of deep collaboration and documentation of genre, flexing his producer skills while highlighting the strength and breadth of Aotearoa’s contemporary music scene.  

“In my day to day life, living with two teens and 2 younger avid music listeners I’d say we listen to a lot of hiphop, actually mostly hiphop. 

My kids try school me on the now and I try fumble my way through schooling them on my limited knowledge of 90s hiphop.

From the beginning of my 10/10/10 series I was trying to find a way to insert this genre without it seeming forced or pastiche and I found my in through the albums Blakroc and then later ‘Glorious Game’ by El Michels Affair and Black Thought. I could still be authentic and true to the music and not feel like a phoney through collaboration- bringing people on board that I admire and that live and breathe the genre.

In a somewhat songhubsy format I brought these amazing artists into the studio with me and my band and just let things happen - by the end of each day we had these amazing songs. 

My biggest accomplishment on the album I feel is how cohesive it all is, you have 14 artists all amazing and different in their right yet it all feels cut from the same cloth. I’m super proud of the album and can’t wait to share it.” Troy Kingi 

About Troy Kingi 

Troy is a musician, actor, and storyteller, a man with many hats.  He has undertaken the 10/10/10 series — ten albums, in ten genres, over ten years — an ambitious project that has become one of the most distinctive catalogues in Aotearoa music.  

Each release has explored a new style in depth:  Guitar Party at Uncles Bach (2016) – Indie Garage  Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron (2017) – Psychedelic Space Soul  Holy Colony Burning Acres (2019) – Indigenous Political Roots  The Ghost of Freddie Cesar (2020) – Funk  Black Sea Golden Ladder (2021) – Folk  Year of the Ratbags and their Musty Theme Songs (2022) – 80s Synthpop  Timewasters:  Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings (2023) - Instrumental Soundscape Soul  Leatherman and the Mojave Green (2024) – Desert rock  

The series has earned him multiple awards and nominations: the Taite Music Prize, APRA Silver Scroll, Maioha Award, Aotearoa Music Awards, Māori Music Awards alongside vast collaborations across film, theatre, and television.  

With one album left to complete the cycle, Kingi has created a discography ambitious in scale and significant in its contribution to New Zealand’s musical history.

"It seems surreal to me that we have reached album 9 already, despite the obvious evidence. 

Its been such a whirlwind, of experiences, creative expression, fun, stress, love, loss and expansion. The 10|10|10 series is more than just 10 Genres in 10 years, its  a group of people falling in love creating deep bonds, whanau living and experiencing life, captured by Troys deeply beautiful and personal writing. 

This project is a cyclone with Troy at its core, drawing in incredible artists, film makers, graphic designers, photographers, production teams, all ingredients in the wonderful Melstrom of Troy's creative vision. It has touched so many lives, and I can't wait to see what the coming two years bring... I am confident in one thing... It'll be wild, wonderful and create memories that last a life time". TeMatera Smith.

Mazbou Q & ATU release Movin' Cautious

“Movin’ Cautious” marks a rare collision of two of Aotearoa’s most forward thinking musical minds: Rapper and rhythm theorist Mazbou Q, and prog-metal guitarist/composer ATU. The pair deliver a sound that sits well outside the boundaries of either genre, fusing prog’s razor-edged guitar precision with modern trap-leaning drums and melodic hooks. What's ultimately formed is something that feels like the next evolutionary step of nu-metal.

While most rap and rock collaborations borrow familiar tropes, “Movin’ Cautious” aggressively rewrites the formula altogether. The verses move through alternating and odd time signatures, creating a rhythmic instability that mirrors the track’s central theme: the consequences that inevitably arrive when people speak recklessly, hide behind anonymity, or provoke conflict they aren’t ready to face. Mazbou Q glides across these shifting pulses with an ease that’s become synonymous with his identity as The Rap Scientist. His cadences feel natural and intuitive even as the beat mutates around him, echoing the approach he recently showcased in his viral rap reinterpretation of Dream Theater’s “The Dance of Eternity,” a video that received enthusiastic praise from prog legends Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, Kiko Loureiro, Misha Mansoor, Tosin Abasi, and others.

As the rhythmic tension builds in the verses, the song erupts into soaring 4/4 choruses that provide a clear release.  Mazbou Q’s melodic trap-style vocals cut through with ease, and what might normally feel like a familiar groove lands with far greater impact after the surrounding turbulence. This contrast between structured chaos and anthemic simplicity plays into the song’s narrative: moments of volatility giving way to hard truth. “Movin’ Cautious” reminds listeners that actions have consequences (“What goes around comes back upon us”), and that in a culture where provocation is cheap, accountability can be costly.

ATU’s performance is equally central to the song’s identity. His trademark tonal crispness and dynamic phrasing come through clearly, and his rhythmic, syncopated slapping-style guitar work in the bridge heightens the track’s sense of danger and urgency. It serves as a striking preview of his long-awaited upcoming album, with the rollout set to begin in December. This will be his first major body of work since 2018’s masterful Point of View EP.

“Movin’ Cautious” also lands during a period of strong momentum for Mazbou Q. His third studio album, RAP SCIENCE., arrived in May, with its single “TORQUE.” becoming a Top 5 finalist at the 2025 APRA Silver Scrolls.  The new release arrives just one day ahead of his performance at Auckland’s The Others Way Festival (29 November), followed by appearances at AUM Festival (31 December) and Festival of Lights (2 January).

Blending technical showmanship with bold social commentary, “Movin’ Cautious” is both musically groundbreaking and thematically pointed. This track cuts through the noise of all-too-familiar, eye-roll-inducing descriptions of “genre defying” music and authentically reimagines the collision of two vastly different sonic worlds, embracing complexity without sacrificing impact. Very few rap records have ever taken this approach to time manipulation, and even fewer have managed to pair it with a sound as accessible and engaging as this.

ZOE SCOTT – ‘BURN THE WITCH’

“Burn the Witch” is an ode to femme power and resilience; and how the many archetypes of the feminine have been shamed into silence and submission by the systems that be.

This single sets out to reclaim the title ‘Witch’, and powerfully ruminates on finding strength in the very fire meant to silence you. It tells the story of transformation through pain and sisterhood, questioning the contradictions femmes face existing within patriarchal society.

The track builds from quiet reflection to a sweeping, cinematic crescendo. With layered vocal harmonies, driving percussion, squealing lapsteel and an almost ritualistic intensity, Zoe delivers a performance that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

“Burn the Witch is for the femmes who have been fucked over by the world of man.” Zoe explains. “It’s about their anger, their beauty, their mess. It’s a critique of the masculine, their lust turned hatred. Why do you hate all you want? A contradiction so fraught…”

‘Burn The Witch’ will be released on all streaming platforms on Friday 28th of November 2025, along with an accompanying music video produced by Maison Alma and Mythos Media.

CREDITS

Written by: Zoe Scott
Produced by: Zoe Scott

Vocals & Guitar: Zoe Scott

Lapsteel: Zach Evans

Electric Guitar & Pedal Steel: Dan Kalisher

Bass: Fendy Rizk

Drums: Komang Priatna Suardi

Recorded at: Soma Sound Studios & Taman Bermain Nosstress

Mixed & Mastered by: Kahu Sanson-Burnett

Artwork by: Seb Boyles & Cormac Doyle

Based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Zoe Scott is an indie folk artist whose music plays on the alchemy of vulnerability and power through cinematic storytelling. Her sound moves between intimate and expansive — weaving ethereal harmonies, organic textures, and emotional honesty into lyrics that feel both grounded and transcendent.

Drawing from her travels and most recent creative studies at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University, Zoe crafts music that explores the reclamation of shame, feminine lust, love and violence. Her work resonates with those drawn to emotional vulnerability and atmospheric soundscapes — songs that feel like confession and incantation all at once.

Nic Manders Releases New Single “Walking Slowly”

Aotearoa Music Awards Producer of the Year Nic Manders returns with his new single “Walking Slowly”; a contemplative and immersive track born from a quiet moment amidst the busyness.

The song began unexpectedly at Roundhead Studios, where Manders—minutes before a session—sat down at Neil Finn’s new Steinway piano and captured an unplanned two-minute improvisation.

“Some songs tell you what they need to be,” says Manders. “Walking Slowly” came together through a set of little revelatory moments. I recorded a couple of impromptu chords on the piano, not thinking anything of it. 

Back at his Parachute Music studio, Manders revisited the piano sketch, crafting a beat around it and quickly laying down the first vocal phrase: “walking slowly.”

“It wasn’t until I listened back a few days later that it even dawned on me what I had sung,” he reflects. “Sometimes the subconscious will reveal things you’re not necessarily even aware of, and I felt it was important to listen to that whisper! We’re living in such tumultuous times—globally and internally, and hopefully this is an encouragement to us to breathe, slow down, see the wonder, and find peace within the chaos.”

“Walking Slowly” is available now on all streaming platforms.

Rising stars and celebrated producers band together to honour the music and languages of the Pacific

A ‘who’s who’ of Pasifika artists and music producers have come together on a powerful project  aimed at revitalising the Pacific’s most vulnerable and endangered languages. 

HIVA FOLAU VAKA - Vaka Carrying Music is a legacy project of the Pacific Music Awards Trust,  nurturing the creation of new songs in Pacific languages, as part of the 20th anniversary of the  Pacific Music Awards.  

At the heart of the project is a 22-track compilation album, which celebrates new and original  Pacific music, and honours the languages of Vagahau Niue, Te Gagana Tokelau and Te Reo Māori Kuki ‘Āirani. The album will be released on Friday November 28.

Today sees the release of the first single from the project, ‘Penina He Moana’, by artists Vitinia and Eseta, produced by Vince Harder. The single is an upbeat summer celebratory track, and is  bi-lingual Vagahau Niue and English. 

A compilation album like no other, HIVA FOLAU VAKA features well-known, celebrated artists  such as Maisey Rika and Tipene, as well as exciting emerging acts like Fredwyn, Eseta, Vitinia,  Kitoria, Nayeza, Vox Dawn and Jere Snohh. The artists worked with top tier producers, including  Vince Harder, David Atai, Tenei ‘10A’ Kesha and Christian Mausia to create intergenerational  songs for the whole family, providing the connection for families who may be disconnected from  each other and from their homelands. It beautifully combines multiple languages, traditional to  contemporary genres and an all-ages collective of artists. Most of all, it is an incredible  collection of songs set to become new Pacific classics for the future. 

They include: ‘Tala-Noa’, a waiata in te reo Māori and Gagana Samoa, which was created  during a gathering to pilot the project. Collaborating on ‘Tala-Noa’ were the artists Maisey Rika,  Kas Tha Feelstyle, Tipene, Mo Etc. and Kenzie from Welly, who worked with producer Tenei ‘10A’  Kesha. As the first song completed for HIVA FOLAU VAKA it serves as a collective taonga and  was fittingly performed for the first time, to open the 2024 Pacific Music Awards. 

The creative process for the waiata laid out the blueprint for how the remaining songs were  crafted, using a village approach with gatherings in Auckland and Wellington. 

The songwriting sessions provided the opportunity for local artists to write and record songs in  their own languages - a first time experience for many of the artists and producers involved.  

"As a proud Cook Islander it was an easy yes when asked to be a part of this project. When we  preserve our language, we preserve our identity, our culture, our people. HIVA FOLAU VAKA embodies this ethos," says producer David Atai (Nesian Mystik, Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa). 

“Working on the HIVA FOLAU VAKA album with the PMAs has been one of the most rewarding  experiences of my career. Collaborating with such talented producers, and our emerging artists,  while writing music in Niue, Tokelau, and Cook Island languages allowed me to connect deeper  with these cultures and build great friendships. I found a new love and respect for the  languages, and the process of learning and translating even the smallest phrases opened my  mind to a whole new world of sound. Creating music that brings our Pacific languages to more  ears and hearts is a privilege I cherish. Malo lava le soifua,” says the award-winning artist,  producer and manager, Vince Harder. 

HIVA FOLAU VAKA aims to positively contribute to the revitalisation of Pacific languages, for the  diverse Pacific communities who call Aotearoa home, beginning with the languages that are  endangered and vulnerable.  

Through connecting new and emerging acts with experienced producers, knowledge holders  and professional recording studios, HIVA FOLAU VAKA aims to not only empower and support  those involved, but to spark awareness in others too.  

“My hope is that HIVA FOLAU VAKA will set the standard for more upcoming Pacific artists to 

explore the use of Pacific languages with traditional and contemporary music, rhythms and  beats. Storytelling and narratives through music is inherent in our Pacific cultures and provides  healing, resilience and wellbeing, especially as our young people navigate social issues such as  mental health, disability, domestic and family violence and suicide prevention,” says Fonoti Pati  Umaga (Project Lead - HIVA FOLAU VAKA). 

Revitalising languages is a collective responsibility and requires a collective approach and HIVA  FOLAU VAKA is the Pacific Music Awards Trust’s contribution to this movement.  

“The call to action is to listen to all the songs from the album; find the ones for you to learn – play  on repeat and share it within your family. Then take the chance to learn more of a language  that is important to you.” says Project Manager, Petrina Togi-Sa’ena. 

“We hope HIVA FOLAU VAKA can positively contribute to language revitalisation and for the  album to resonate with our communities here in Aotearoa, the Pacific region and across the  world. Music is a powerful medium that can reach the masses, all ages, diverse communities. It  can be the vehicle that amplifies and sustains our languages and we hope, will contribute to  their survival for many generations to come.” 

dropper - Be a Little Kinder OUT NOW

‘Be A Little Kinder’, the debut album by Pōneke-based alt-rock outfit Dropper, is available now, via Bigpop Records’ boutique label Particle Recordings. 

Musically, Dropper’s songs are cinematic in scope and intimate in feeling. ‘Be a Little Kinder’ draws on the feeling of hopelessness, confusion and being stuck in unhealthy thought patterns. Written collaboratively by Jude Savage and River Hann-Ellen, the album was a creative outlet for the two artists who, after experiencing the highs of performing in a celebrated teenage band, now had to navigate the grief and loss of bandmate and friend, Otis Hill. “It all happened over a very strange time, and the friendships and common focuses got us through. It was [also] my first time doing a full-on collaboration with someone on songwriting”, says Savage. 

Across the album’s eleven tracks, Dropper showcases their ability to take pop melodies and polished songwriting and distort them to the point of becoming agitated; the kind of songwriting reminiscent of the late 90s and early 00s American and New Zealand alternative scenes. “It's angry and frustrated, masked behind happier melodies”. 

This is clearly reflected in the opening and focus track of the album, ‘Anchor’, written as a call to the band to keep moving forward. “I feel like the song captures the feelings of the record really well, which is why it makes sense to go first, a real tone setter”. 

Songs like ‘Through Your Teeth’ observe dislocation and disorientation from the outside looking in, while ‘Pinwheel’, a duet with Lilith Ercolano (Eveline Breaker), showcases a different kind of lyrical tension and tonal contrast. But it’s ‘Breathe Through the Wire’ that defines the record’s emotional heart.

‘Breathe Through The Wire’, a “Frankenstein song of old unused Bleeding Star guitar parts. The song stemmed from the opening riff, which was found after my late friend and collaborator Otis Hill had died. His mum sent me the riff out of the blue, mentioning I should use it for a song. I re-learnt it and started putting together the song by digging up old unfinished songs I had written with Otis. In my eyes, it's almost “the final Bleeding Star song”, a true farewell to a friend and to the record. It's a thank you to Otis. The song lyrically is about not being able to help someone you care for, which seems very fitting.”

“The following track, 'Be A Little Kinder’, closes the record in a 1:20-second blaze of fury. It's almost the encore to the record, with ‘Breathe Through The Wire’ being the true closer”, explains Savage.

Accompanying the release is a visualiser for ‘Anchor’, which captures that push-and-pull energy visually. Edited by Lou Tobin at Bigpop Studios, with footage by Anky Live and Tom Grut (who also graded the video). The visualiser shows the band transitioning from a relaxed showcase set at Wellington’s famous Athfield House to a performance at Auckland’s iconic venue, The Powerstation (opening for UK indie legends Wunderhorse). 

Bringing all of this together, the album was recorded and mixed by River Hann-Ellen and Arran Cargill-Brown at Massey University, and features performances from Flinn Bellam on bass and Walter Martin on drums. “All of these people shaped the album into what it is today, and we couldn't have done it without them”.

Track Listing

1. Anchor

2. Through Your Teeth

3. Pinwheel

4. Is the Worrying Working?

5. You Do You

6. Whatever Works For You

7. Your Face Says it All

8. Didn’t Want to Be Your Light

9. Bleed Out

10. Breathe Through the Wire

11. Be a Little Kinder

Dropper’s music carries both the weight of loss and the urgency of renewal. The project has become a vessel of resilience and an emotional outlet for the band. Savage’s writing, taking inspiration from the likes of Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs), found new strength in Hann-Ellen’s intricate arrangements, merging raw and unfiltered sounds with an alt-y, hardcore-adjacent restlessness. Joined by new members, Dropper has taken final form as: Savage on vocals and guitar, Bellamy (guitar), Walter Martin (drums) and Toby Gracewood-Easther (bass).  

They stand as proof that out of heartbreak can come beauty, power, and a renewed sense of purpose. The friendship between the members, paired with their commitment to the music, strongly carries through in their performances and songwriting. ‘Everyone genuinely really likes each other in the band, which I think shows on stage.’ - Toby Gracewood-Easther  “It’s really refreshing, just a band focusing on something simple -  as Jude would say, to serve the song. We’re not trying to prove anything to each other, it’s really song-based music.” -Walter Martin. 

With this chemistry translating powerfully to a live setting, Dropper have jumped between local stages at San Fran and Meow and some of the nation’s most renowned venues, supporting There’s A Tuesday (NZ), shame (UK), Office Dog (NZ), Twine (AUS), Wunderhorse (UK), and The Lemonheads (USA). Audiences and critics have embraced Dropper’s intensity on the stage: “high energy stage performances punctuated by flawless musicianship and songwriting skills that seem beyond their years,” wrote Daniel O’Brien from MuzicNZ. Dropper will be showcasing the album across several Aotearoa stages this summer, before kicking off in 2026. “We always make sure to give it our all no matter the place or size of the crowd”.

Be A Little Kinder – Album Release Mini Tour

• Wellington – Meow, November 21 (Album release show).

• Whanganui – Porridge Watson, November 28 (supporting Model Home, Yon Loader and Pining Radiata).

• Auckland – The Others Way Festival, November 29 (headlining the all-ages stage).

• Twisted Frequency Music Festival – December 30th to January 3rd.

Looking ahead, 2026 will mark a new chapter for Dropper, with plans already underway for more writing, more touring, and more chances to get their music in front of the people it was made for. Energised by the release of Be A Little Kinder, the band steps into the new year with renewed drive and purpose, ready to keep growing, connecting, and building the world they’ve carved out one show at a time. ‘The music is constant, we’re all going to want to keep playing. I want to be a 70-year-old rocker’ - Jude Savage.

‘Be a Little Kinder’ is out now, through Particle Recordings. Physical CDs and T-shirts are available to purchase via Bandcamp or at Dropper shows alongside the release!

“I hope people can find something to relate to in the lyrics and enjoy the intricate instrumentals. I would love it if someone obsessed over the record as much as I’ve obsessed over other New Zealand bands' records.”  - Jude Savage 

tee. unveils dream, if you please An Alternative R&B confession from a dreamer

Artist and multi-instrumentalist today shares dream, if you please, the second single from a larger body of work quietly taking shape. A tender alternative R&B lament wrapped in electronic soundscapes and emotive haze, the track floats like a dream you can almost touch, blurred at the edges but impossible to forget.

The essence of dream, if you please lives in that dreamlike form: something not quite tangible yet emotionally impossible to let go. It is the feeling that lingers even as memories bend, blur, and fade. This new release is a confession from a dreamer to other dreamers, and an intimate offering for anyone who has ever held onto a moment long after it passed.

The single follows tee.’s debut solo release BURNOUT, shared earlier this year. BURNOUT introduced a powerful alternative-pop moment. dream, if you please leans into a quieter, darker tenderness, revealing another facet of tee.’s evolving sonic identity.

Though emerging as a solo artist, tee. is no stranger to Aotearoa’s music scene. As one half of sibling duo Ersha Island 二沙岛 with Danielle Hao-Aickin, tee. has spent recent years exploring and expanding through collaboration, weaving violin strings, songwriting, and emotion across the duo’s work. This year marks the beginning of both siblings stepping further into their individual expressions while continuing to nurture their shared creative world.

Produced by Carawei, dream, if you please serves as an introduction to tee. in a new light, a glimpse of what is to come in the year ahead. Ethereal, fluid, and emotionally rich, tee. is shaping an artistic universe that promises to surprise, evolve, and quietly captivate.

dream, if you please is not available on all streaming platforms.

CREDITS

Songwriting, Vocals & Violin: Tee Hao-Aickin 郝婷婷 ‘tee.’

Lead Guitar: Carawei Gao

Production, Mixing & Mastering: Carawei Gao

Distributor: Precise Digital 

PR Support: Creative Pwele 

Makeup Artist for Single Art:Elizabeth Creed