Kiwi Music Podcast

Ever since Estère spoke to her grandmother about Carl Jung and his concept of archetypes, the Wellington-based producer knew the direction her next album would take. Fascinated, Estère dedicated herself to creating a record based on Jungian theory, devouring five books and filling six notebooks with ideas, brainstorms and eventually the material that appears on her third masterful record, the concept-album Archetypes. Estère’s Jungian obsession dominated her sleep, creating bizarre dreamtime scenarios featuring encounters with cheetahs in a garden or sea creatures in a flood, while others revolved around delivering life into the universe and the massive task of guardianship over these beings - the instinctive selflessness of motherhood. Other dreams depicted violence and killing of the other; in some, Estère saw herself as a boy or a man. The imagery and meaning in these dreams have been incorporated into the archetypes that are featured on the album. Commenting on her interpretation of Jungian theory, Estère says, "I’ve been heavily influenced by post-Jungian literature which disregards some of the archaic Jungian concepts - particularly the work of esteemed African American psychologist Fanny Brewster."Archetypes  is a departure from the bedroom beats of Estère’s previous two albums. Co-produced with Massive Attack producer, Stew Jackson, each track on the album comes alive through the Wellington-based artist’s deft production. Defying categorisation, her music is a mixture of folk, R&B and electronica, blended in a unique fashion, easily identified as ‘Estère’. Archetypes is the sound of an artist who entirely commits to creative instinct. Album opener ‘Into the Belly of Capricorn’ sets the scene, inviting the listener to close their eyes and be absorbed into Estère’s enchanted narrative. The track is based around the archetype of youth, where Estère meets her own inner child as a separate mythical entity, reminding her of the freedom she felt in early life. Written in the filtered light of the nikau forest on Waiheke Island, where Estère was born, the song captures the essence of those surroundings. “The forest is primeval - when you enter it, your sense of self, time and space are lost and you become absorbed inside its majesty,” explains Estère. Lead single ‘Calculated Risk’ is based around the archetype of suppressing desire. Estère says, "There are age-old myths and archetypes about how women taking risks and being curious about things can literally ruin the world.  Calculated Risk explores how I can be freed from the chains of judgement and failure, opening- up about my feelings, deep desires, and dreams”. Second single ‘Mad About Your Sea’ depicts the addiction archetype, in this case, the idea of feeling addicted to a person, wanting to ‘save’ them, despite them hurting you. ‘Animal Pleasure’ tackles the archetype of female sexuality, exploring Estère’s journey towards recognising her own sexual instinct as a woman and acting upon it without fear or shame. “Mish-mashing folkloric storytelling styles with more personal dialogues enabled me to really dig my teeth into each archetypal theme I wanted to explore”.  Breathing life into narratives that marry the acutely human to the achingly mythic, Estère’s highly-anticipated third...

Its a big day for a band who has had a big year including two #1 singles and plenty of sold-out shows.Joel and Miharo talk about how they have built their audience over the past 4-5 years and what they look forward to in 2021.

Spanning the last 38 years, The Bats have now clocked ten incredible albums; each one seeing the band evolve with new material from the prolific songwriting hand of Robert Scott —and their upcoming Foothills is no exception. Add to that tally the extra singles, b-sides, EPs, compilations and tribute songs they’ve recorded, creating a succinct setlist is a nearly impossible task.Foothills was recorded in Spring 2018 at a country retreat pop-up studio. At that time, 15 songs were captured and immortalised in the Canterbury foothills of the Southern Alps, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Only too well, The Bats know the possibilities, potentialities and sonic vistas that arise when one takes the reins for the recording process in a beautiful place that’s on home turf. Robert Scott, on the making of Foothills has said “Time marches on... finally, we found a gap in our busy lives and chose a week to convene. We found a house that is usually inhabited by ski field workers — Kowai Bush, near Springfield about an hour west of Christchurch and of course nestled in the foothills of the mighty Southern Alps. The songs had been written, demo’d and arranged for some time, but still with a little room for trying things out in the studio. Many carloads arrived at the house, full of amps guitars and recording gear, we set up camp and soon made it feel like home; coloured lights, a log fire, and home cooked meals in the kitchen. We worked fast, and within a few days had all the basic backing tracks done, live together in one room, the way we like to do it - it’s all about ‘the feel’ for songs like ours.”

Much-loved kiwi icons The Phoenix Foundation are back with their first new album in five years, Friend Ship, has just been released.Since their last album Giving Up Our Dreams, they have been writing, recording, touring with a Symphony Orchestra, creating the acclaimed soundtrack for Hunt For The Wilderpeople, building shrines to light, creating scores for VR and producing other bands.

Witness award-winning jazz composer and producer NATHAN HAINES “Songs With My Father”, alongside his father Kevin as they share their love of jazz and their personal journeys through their life in music. Performing on Sunday October 18 at Hopetoun Alpha. "Growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s with Kevin as my Dad meant there was a lot of music in the house. Not only the music he’d been collecting on vinyl since the 1950’s, but the live gigs he played as a sideman to many local and international artists…I took these special times with me and into the world at large when I left New Zealand in 1991. I wouldn’t return to live in New Zealand for over 15 years, but to this day those things I learned with my Dad, the music and the atmosphere, watching performers weave a spell on the audience and experiencing first hand the magic of live music is the legacy my father passed onto me.“Songs With My Father is a chance for us to compare notes on some favourite songs and for me to show a little background in my journey as a musician. I’m sure Dad will have some stories too!”Also joining the lineup is the infamous dawn rave MORNING PEOPLE at Hopetoun Alpha on October 21. MORNING PEOPLE is injecting its unique brand of morning mischief into the 145-year old Hopetoun Alpha. Celebrating all of the good bits about being alive in one of K Road’s most iconic spaces in New Zealand’s second-oldest surviving concrete building. Feel yourself getting smarter as you party, all before 8am on a Wednesday morning! The party will be helmed by George FM daytime host Sin Howard and with bottomless coffee and fruit. #partyfirstworklaterUnique to Elemental AKL, Elemental Nights is an exclusive curated concert series showcasing an impressive line-up of emerging and high-profile local artists.  

The Ghost of Freddie Cesar is Troy Kingi’s fourth installment in his 1O1O1O Series.(10 albums in 10 years in 10 genres).  Brought to life by Troy Kingi & the Clutch, this record is Troy’s most personal work to date; one that invites the listener to share his journey as he combs through recollections of his father who disappeared while driving from Rotorua to Auckland at Christmas time in 2005.  Despite search efforts and sporadic reports of sightings, there has been no reliable trace of Troy’s biological father.

Producer Andrew Spraggon, aka Sola Rosa, begins his next musical chapter with the release of new long player, Chasing The Sun. Easily his most collaborative project to date, Chasing The Sun is an expertly crafted collection of the funk, soul and jazz influences that he’s been known for over his 20-plus year career, while further showcasing some of the best established and emerging musicians the world has to offer. Five years in the making, and honed to perfection, the project was written and recorded between Auckland, London and Sydney and includes a heavy hitting line-up of vocalists and session musicians alongside the core Sola Rosa band. Expect to hear long-time Rosa associate and Streets singer, Kevin Mark Trail, Basement Jaxx’ long-term collaborator Sharlene Hector and genre-defying, rising UK reggae star Kiko Bun alongside London’s singer/songwriter Josh Barry and eclectic Neo-Soul singer Jerome Thomas, British reggae and dub MC vocalist Eva Lazarus, plus up and coming Australian artist Thandi Phoenix. Closer to home, ex-pat Kiwi vocalist Wallace and Aotearoa’s own musical maverick, Troy Kingi add their vocal talents to the mix.

This episode of the Kiwi Music Podcast features The 13th Floor's Marty Duda talking to Moana Maniapoto about her new single Toku Reo featuring Inka Mbing from Taiwan. Toku Reo is a music collaboration with the singer from the Atayal tribe, one of 16 indigenous tribes in Taiwan. Inka defied the taboo on women not singing traditional songs and had been punished – like Māori - for speaking their native language in school. Now she is celebrated for helping keep the language alive. Moana Maniapoto and producer Paddy Free visited Inka and started a conversation with her about the loss of language and its revitalisation in Aotearoa/New Zealand. They recorded the song Tōku Reo, based on the lyrics by Scotty Morrison, sung in Atayal and Māori, both of which belong to the Austronesian language family. Tōku Reo  pays tribute to the language of both cultures and is released worldwide on Friday, September 18th, 2020.

Don McGlashan talks with Marty Duda on the first episode of the Kiwi Music Podcast - presented by 13th Floor and Podcasts NZ.