1 Nov 2024
Articles By JamieDenton
SD-2100 - EP Review: SD-2100 vs The World
05 Sep 2023 // review by JamieDenton
Hailing from Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), the multi-talented artist Sam Densem has showcased his versatility across a spectrum of musical genres and styles. Sam's approach to his craft involves crafting distinct packages of music, each with its own unique flavour and character.
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Lester - EP Review: Lost and Found
28 Aug 2023 // review by JamieDenton
Tamaki Makaurau / Auckland-based MC Lester (ex-Round Buddha) is not a new name within Aotearoa New Zealand’s independent music scene. Indeed, Lester has carved a distinct presence for himself since his early releases in 2017.
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Sonic Space Lab - Album Review: Cycles
20 Jul 2022 // review by JamieDenton
Sonic Space Lab is the musical pseudonym of Dunedin-based, Venezuelan composer and sound engineer Luis Rodriguez, who some may know from his guitar work in Dunedin’s Tomahawk Radio. Having spent more than 20 years writing music for television, film, and advertising and collaborating with countless musicians in both musician and producer roles, Luiz Rodriguez turned his hand to Sonic Space Lab (also the name of his studio) in the mid-late 2010’s.
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Arrays - Single Review: Glass Traps
06 Jun 2022 // review by JamieDenton
Auckland-based rock/metal act Arrays is the brainchild and ‘creative sandbox’ of musician/producer JP Carroll (ex-Armed in Advance, and currently also with Swerve City). Having known JP for a number of years, and having followed his career through Stitches, which became Armed in Advance, and then into Arrays and later Swerve City, he has consistently remained a strong creative force, a passionate and prolific producer and performer of music, and possibly kiwi-music’s most genuine, nicest, and most down to earth personalities (albeit one that is loaded with a plethora of terrible puns that he will unleash at any and all opportune moments).
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Speech Act Theory - Single/Video Review: Old Versus New
25 Feb 2022 // review by JamieDenton
Initially conceived of as purely a studio project to fuse electronica with live drums and other instruments, Auckland-based alternative/electronica Speech Act Theory is the brainchild of producer/musician Pete Hickman alongside drummer Ben Bradford. With the project kicking off in the latter end of 2019 — which is probably not the greatest timing, with all the upcoming turmoil and disruption to live music etc.
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Steven Hue - EP Review: Assembly
15 Feb 2022 // review by JamieDenton
At the start of December, I had the opportunity to review the double single Brainstare / Manatorquim by Tasmanian-based ex-pat Kiwi, Steven Hue. At that time, I noted that another three songs would be following shortly, and that, based on the strength of these original two, I was eagerly anticipating what this next batch would have in store.
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Floor Five - EP Review: The Garden
28 Jan 2022 // review by JamieDenton
Indie-pop/rock band Floor Five are relative new-comers on the Kiwi music scene. Following up a couple of previous singles (2020’s Overthinking and 2021’s Strawberry Wine), the Wellington based four-piece’s partially crowd-funded EP The Garden was released just as the country returned to the red light setting of the Covid protection framework.
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Steven Hue - Double Single Review: Brainstare / Mantorquim
06 Dec 2021 // review by JamieDenton
Ex-pat Kiwi now based in Tasmania, Steven Hue may be familiar to many through his previous work as former vocalist and co-writer for popular experimental band Full Code, his stint studying at the Nelson School of Music, or his commission work which has seen him produce work for art installations, short files, and video games. Turning his hand to solo electronic music, Steven has just released a double single of two new tracks: Brainstare and Manatorquim.
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Stray Theories - Album Review: This Light
07 Oct 2021 // review by JamieDenton
Based in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australian musician/composer Micah Templeton-Wolfe has a long, successful history with crafting works that explore rich, lush melodies within vast ambient, cinematic soundscapes. While some of his works have become the soundtracks to independent short films, television and radio commercials, multimedia projects, art installations, and specifically commissioned sound design or compositional pieces, he has also maintained an interest in releasing material as a musical artist.
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Justin Sane - Single Review: You Bout That
10 Jun 2021 // review by JamieDenton
Ex-UK, now Auckland-based DJ/producer, Justin Sanehas a long history in the music industry. He has been releasing music for over 15 years, both within Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK, and has a long list of collaborations with a wide range of artists (including Dane Rumble, Kids in Space, {3Oh!
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House Of Downtown - Album Review: Re-Release
06 May 2021 // review by JamieDenton
Electronica/house music legends House of Downtown return from a near-twenty-year hiatus with a new album entitled Re-Release that revisits, remixes, remasters, and reconceptualises 2001’s critically and commercially successful debut album Release. Having been very familiar with House of Downtown during their original heyday and having spent a lot of time listening to their previous releases (the aforementioned Release and 2003’s Mutha Funkin’ Earth), I was nervously excited to check this new album out.
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House Of Downtown - Single Review: Rise Above (OOJ Remix)
27 Apr 2021 // review by JamieDenton
Auckland-based electronic scene-legends House of Downtown break a near twenty-year hiatus with new single Rise Above (OOJ Remix). Coming from their forthcoming album entitled Re-Release (an album that revisits, remixes, remasters, and re-conceptualises their debut album Release for its twentieth anniversary – my review for that is also coming soon!
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Jadukor - Single Review: King of the Ring
14 Feb 2021 // review by JamieDenton
Originally hailing from Bangladesh, Jadukor (which literally means magician in Bengali) is a global citizen who now calls Aotearoa, New Zealand home. The previous sentence is about all that is known about this mysterious solo act, and that is exactly how he wants it.
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theajsound - theajsound and NEEKOH - Single Review: Minefield
04 Dec 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Collaborations are inherently risky propositions; how will two distinct and strong personalities work together? Will their visions of the output align?
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Sam V - Single Review: Up Up Down
10 Nov 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Earlier this month, Auckland-based hip-hop/R&B artist Sam V dropped his latest single entitled Up Up Down. Continuing his productive and prolific collaboration with producer EDY, Up Up Down retains many of the stylistic qualities and signature sound that was established in Sam V’s previous outputs.
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Hotel Death Star - Single Review: You're Not Jesus
03 Nov 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Bali based Hotel Death Star is a collaborative EDM project between expat singer-songwriter Phil Stoodley (perhaps best known for his solo work and his early rock band Stoods) and Bali-national producer-composer-multi-instrumentalist Andreas Arianto. In contrast to the guitar-based rock and pop that dominated Phil Stoodley’s earlier projects, Hotel Death Star’s first single, You’re Not Jesus, sees the pair dive into electronica, especially deep house territory.
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Banana Mundo - Single Review: Bananas of the World
23 Sep 2020 // review by JamieDenton
The intriguingly named Banana Mundo is an 8-piece musical collective from New Plymouth. Boasting members from around the world, the collective includes musicians from France, Argentina, Venezuela, Switzerland, England, Uruguay, and our own little piece of paradise, Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Reignmaker - EP Review: Demos from Uranus
23 Jul 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Reignmaker, who identify themselves as a "brutal aliencore duo … from the Swamp and from the Hutt", have just released their first two-track EP, entitled Demos from Uranus. With a total run time of just 3-minutes, the EP blasts out of the gate and past the listener as a lightning-bolt of uncontrollable, frenetic, schizophrenic energy.
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Boy Virgo - Single Review: Lock Me Up
08 Jul 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Palmerston North-based Boy Virgo — the pseudonym of singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist Michael Dermer — is a relative newcomer to the New Zealand music scene. Having started releasing his music via Soundcloud in 2018, he released his official debut single to wider platforms in 2019.
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Matt Bizzle - Single Review: Ride
15 Jun 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Auckland based musician/DJ/producer/saxophonist, Matt Bizzle has been active within the New Zealand music scene for many years (including stints with Cornerstone Roots, Strangely Arousing and Jupiter Project among others) before more recently branching out on his own. Through 2018 and 2019, Matt Bizzle has released a number of singles culminating in the most recent release Ride, which also features Emily Rice (Aro).
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Coridian - EP Review: Eldur
13 May 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Auckland-based four-piece alternative rock band Coridian are a name that is, or should be, familiar to many within the New Zealand music scene. Having released two previous EP’s, Coridian are one of the hardest working bands in the country right now.
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Junus Orca - EP Review: One Arm Pack
29 Mar 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Junus Orca’s debut EP, One Arm Pack, is a collection of four dark, ethereal, glacial, and emotive soundscapes. A quick bit of searching identifies Junus Orca to be the alias of Josh Holmes, Christchurch DJ, producer, experimentalist, sonic innovator, and member of Your Indigo.
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CoReZ - Single Review: CTRL
02 Feb 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Auckland-based musician Corey Friedlander has had a long and impressive musical career to date. He has been the drummer/percussionist for some of the best bands to come out of Auckland for a long time.
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The Upbeats - EP Review: No Sleep 'Til... New Zealand
17 Jan 2020 // review by JamieDenton
Wellington-based drum and bass duo, The Upbeats, have been steadily carving out a place for themselves in the dance music scene both in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas. Perhaps because of the increased international gigs coming their way, The Upbeats, in what I assume is a generous and potentially cheeky nod to the Beastie Boys, launched their No Sleep ‘Til… E.
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SOJØURN - EP Review: Summer Tape
17 Dec 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Hailing from the beautiful, sun-drenched, surf-town of Mangawhai, seven-piece “psychedelic surf rock reggae band” Sojøurn have just released their latest Summer Tape EP. Consisting of two tracks Still a Mess and Take a Drive, the Summer Tape EP aims to capture the sounds, feeling, and overall vibe of an Aotearoa summer.
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And$um - Single Review: Tell No Lies
23 Nov 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Earlier this month, Christchurch hip-hop artist And$um dropped Tell No Lies, the first single from his forthcoming debut album. Produced by scene-legend Dera Meelan, this is not your stock-standard approach to hip-hop/rap.
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Stateside Heroes - Album Review: Echoes and Answers
19 Nov 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Stateside Heroes is the neo-soul/hip-hop/downbeat project of drummer, percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, music-scholar, and producer Tom Pierard (Strike, Amygdala) and second-vocalist Cleavelin Manaena-Cook. Released slightly earlier in 2019, their debut album Echoes and Answers feels tailor-made for the forthcoming Kiwi summer.
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Odds & Ends - EP Review: Odds & Ends
14 Nov 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Earlier this year, I was fortuitous enough to have reviewed the debut single Tasty from Auckland-based genre-defying-‘rock’-band Odds & Ends. Having been impressed with the debut single, I was anxious to hear what else this young band had up their sleeves.
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Fanfickk - EP Review: Skull Pocket
07 Nov 2019 // review by JamieDenton
In a much earlier review that I did for another artist, which had included a remixed Fanfickk track, I was taken aback by the vocals. Wonderfully off-kilter delivery, coupled with a luscious range and tone, that voice, Fanfickk’s voice, was quite simply stunning.
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Lee Mvtthews - Album Review: Bones
05 Nov 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Lee Mvtthews, the award-winning Auckland based producer/DJ duo of Graham Matthews and Tom Lee, have been making waves for themselves over the last few years. Self-described as “high energy bass music”, Lee Mvtthews’ debut album, Bones, is solid, slick, lean, hungry, and infectious follow-up to their previous singles and EP.
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Proximity - Double Single Review: Odyssey and Picnic at Midnight
16 Oct 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Fresh-faced talent from Howick College in Auckland’s Eastern suburbs, three-piece rock band Proximity have come out firing on their debut double-single Odyssey and Picnic at Midnight. On these first two tracks, Proximity demonstrate a tight, lean, clear, concise, no-nonsense songwriting maturity that seemingly defies their youth.
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Black Pug - Single Review: My Enemies
11 Oct 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Black Pug, the pseudonym of solo/multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Mo Ackermann, is a one-man punk/rock/metal band from Queenstown. With Mo handling all tracking, singing, and recording duties, the music of Black Pug is a true representation of Mo’s uncompromised vision.
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Tempist Fujit - Single Review: Home
16 Sep 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Hailing from Northland, alternative rock four-piece Tempist Fujit—their name a clever play on the Latin phrase tempus fugit, often translated to “time flies” - have been kicking around for a number of years now. Indeed, they have already released their debut album, Time Flies, in 2018.
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Odds & Ends - Single Review: Tasty
04 Sep 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Tasty, the debut single from Auckland-based rock band Odds & Ends is exactly that. Bursting out of the starting line with a confident, tight, phat, and funky groove, it takes literally seconds before I feel my body moving along with it.
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Investigator - Single Review: I Go Crazy
02 Sep 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Investigator, the pseudonym of Auckland-based singer/songwriter/producer Adrian Drew, has just released I Go Crazy, a collaboration with ex-Fast Crew member Jerome Fortune. This newest single follows up last year’s EP, continuing to highlight an obvious love of retro-infused-rock-guitars, electronic-flourishes, deep-driving-bass, and big-dancey-old-school-hip-hop-inspired beats.
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n1ghtmar3cat - Album Review: n1ghtmar3cat
19 Aug 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Better known as the drummer/backing vocalist of Auckland-based rock band Villainy, Dave Johnson has stepped out from behind the kit with his solo electronic music project entitled n1ghtmar3cat. With its sights firmly set on indie-electronica, n1ghtmar3cat’s eponymous debut album is an ambitious, sonically-rewarding, and highly immersive experience.
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Mema Wilda - Single Review: Blue
08 Aug 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Blue, the debut single from singer-songwriter Mema Wilda is an entrancing and intriguing mixture of highly original, yet hauntingly familiar folk-rock. Mema Wilda is a relatively fresh face on the Auckland live-music scene but she has emerged with a mature sound and approach.
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Makeshift Parachutes - Single Review: Ferrari Gosling
25 Jul 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Originally formed in 2013 after a jam session in Houston, Texas, Auckland-based ‘psych-rock’ four-piece Makeshift Parachutes have just released the first single from their upcoming debut album. The intriguingly entitled Ferrari Gosling, is an infectious, time-and-mind-bending, hook-laden, gem of a track.
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Scalper - Scalper x Cisco - EP Review: Tangiers Sessions
23 Jul 2019 // review by JamieDenton
One of my favourite past-times is ‘crate-digging’, rummaging through the bargain bins for those elusive good albums that sit within. One such day, several years ago, I came across Scalper’s first album Flesh and Bones.
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The Response - Single Review: Tallest Walls
28 Jun 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Christchurch indie-pop duo The Response have launched their latest single; a 3-minute 40-second slice of crisp, catchy, saccharine-sweet, electro-pop. Tallest Walls is a subtle ear-worm of a song, it grows from slender, minimalistic beginnings into a big, hook-laden chorus that will have your head bobbing, and foot tapping.
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The Gemini Effect - Album Review: Bad Alien
21 Jun 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Auckland-based 3-piece alternative-rock band, The Gemini Effect, have dropped their second burst of blues/grunge/classic-rock on their dynamic second album, Bad Alien. Riffy, melodic and highly catchy, Bad Alien is a diverse slice of strangely-familiar yet highly original alt-rock.
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The Snake Behaviour - Album Review: Serpent Psychology
15 Jun 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Christchurch-based rock band The Snake Behaviour have recently released their debut full-length album entitled Serpent Psychology. Having been familiar with the band’s name, but not their music, I was nervously excited to check this out.
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Human Confusion - Single Review: Overwhelmed
07 Jun 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Human Confusion, a Dunedin-based electronica duo, have recently released three separate, distinct, and musically diverse versions of their first single entitled Overwhelmed. Comprised of seasoned musicians Miriam Leslie (Spinster/Fray) and Elenor Rayner (Robots in Love), Human Confusion describe themselves as a “perfect mix of dance-worthy grooves and rich melodies”.
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Kahika - EP Review: Mosaic
27 May 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Based in Auckland, Melbourne, and London, Kahika is a group of three Kiwi musicians, who have just released their most recent EP entitled Mosaic. Tentatively described as acoustic-electronica, Kahika note that the EP was largely written in snow-covered Denmark, and it is these echoes of a secluded, snow-blanketed cottage that reverberate throughout the EP, providing a sense of warmth, comfort, within a white, snowy vastness.
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Leighton Fairlie - EP Review: Distant
07 May 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Loop Recording artist and multi-instrumentalist Leighton Fairlie, who was originally from Mount Maunganui but now based in Auckland, has been busy opening for some of the best NZ dub/roots bands such as Knights of the Dub Table, Salmonella Dub and The Black Seeds. On Distant, his debut EP, Leighton demonstrates an ability to forge a sonically interesting, and coherent sound from a wide range of genres, such as dub, roots, and drum and bass, and proves how well he can stand up next to those bands.
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Cheshire Grimm - Single Review: Shadows
26 Apr 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Originally formed in 2012 as a three-piece alternative-rock band in Hamilton, Cheshire Grimm have released a series of EP's and singles, while completing a number of high-profile gigs and tours (including touring Australia twice), before more recently evolving into a two-piece after the departure of founding bassist/vocalist Kat Waswo. Shadows, the first single released as a two-piece, sees guitarist/vocalist Lora Thompson and drummer Craig Gilliver continue to evolve the trademark Cheshire Grimm sound.
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Neutrikk - EP Review: Neutrikk
24 Apr 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Neutrikk are a relatively new duo from the musical hotbed of Waiheke-Island. Consisting of Nikki Ngatai (Oyawa, Aaron Carpenter & The Revelators) and Lee Catlin (These Automatic Changers, The Solomon Cole Band), Neutrikk have recently released their debut eponymous EP.
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Keepingfaka - Album Review: Digilies
18 Apr 2019 // review by JamieDenton
Information about the background of Keepingfaka is sparse. The official Facebook, YouTube and Spotify pages offer no biographical information, or even the slightest hint of an about section.
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