Native Tongues 9 Nov 2020

Native Tongues this week has a mix of old and new, plus a live mini throwback mix from guest DJ Seymore.

Featured Artist and Track: Krispy & The Pooch ft. Matt Paull – Drop The Needle (Instrumental)

Starting off the show this week is Krispy & The Pooch. Kriston Batistic (aka Krispy) and Simon Townsend (aka The Pooch) met in the squalor of a decaying student house in a wealthy suburb in Auckland five years ago. The boys have crafted their debut EP, released 3 singles, played gigs around Europe, toured New Zealand (including a festival slot at Christchurch’s Electric Avenue), hosted a successful weekly radio show on Music For The People, and have now released their sophomore EP ‘Drop The Needle’.

Featured Artist and Track: D.Matthews – ‘Sunrise’

Auckland-based Nigerian singer-songwriter, D.Matthews (aka David Matthews as his real name) has curated his own brand of energetic calm Afrobeat/Afropop. Driven by the beats of Africa & energetic motivational rap, D.Matthews is known for his idiosyncratic style and abundant charisma, who aims to inspire listeners through his stimulating lyrics and lively blend of Afrobeat/Afropop & Rap.

Aotearoa was classified as the second (2nd) safest country globally during the time of covid-19. The first to see sunrise, the structure of the hills & valleys cannot be compared with any other country.

The featured track ‘Sunrise’ was purposely made to embrace Aotearoas peacefulness & prominent landscape. Moreover, wiring the beat from the roots of Africa and still taking the lyrics to how the streets of Africa is addressed. Nigeria to be precise.

Featured Artist and Track: Luke-W – ‘Law of Attraction’

Luke-W collabs with Auckland rapper bKIDD on the new song ‘Law of Attraction’. The pair complement each-other’s styles and play off each other in a lively and cohesive way. The song is also produced by Luke-W.

Luke-W says,“this track is my interpretation of the laws of attraction. It’s about how you manifest yourself by the way you think and act, into the person that you eventually become…and all the factors that impact how that plays out.
”The song is another release from his forth coming album‘Timing Is Everything’ due for release at the end of 2020.

Featured Artist and Track: The Woolyboyz – ‘HTown Funk’

The Woolyboyz are two brothers Jayrad and Benji who are originally from Hamilton, currently living in Mount Maunganui. They started recording in a woolshed on their parents farm in Glenview Hamilton, so that’s why they’re called the Woolyboyz. “My parents sold the farm and everything’s all bowled down now but we’re keeping the legacy going.”

Featured Artist and Track: Hans. – ‘Get Money // F&F’

After the success of his last effort ‘Caught Up’, Hans. rounds off the year with his latest single: ‘Get Money // F&F’. Produced by L.A True, the song marks the second collaboration between the two and offers an upbeat jazz infused jam ready for all summer occasions.

Featured Artist and Track: Meg Theron – ‘Crush’

Wellington based singer, rapper, songwriter, producer and musician Meg Theron is releasing her third independent single this year. Off the back of single ‘Away’ released back in May, Meg has been working up a new bop in her bedroom studio. This time round with a fresh, Pop/House influence and juicy bassline.

Meg grew up facing the challenge of finding her sexuality in a society that traditionally suppressed being different. Being one of those stand out kids who didn’t care about being unique also came with added challenges, usually in the form of bullying and online hate. In her later teenage years Meg is learning to embrace what makes her unique and special, and is using that to reach out to others who may be in a similar situation.

CRUSH is a song all about expressing feelings she doesn’t feel she should have, for someone who doesn’t share the same interest, but recognises that those feelings are ok. Meg wrote this song in her feels, when she was overwhelmed with the fact she had feelings she hasn’t had for someone since her ex-girlfriend. Facing the dilemma that this person would likely never feel the same, Meg decided to express that in a song; featuring lyrics like ‘I shouldn’t have a crush on you, and I don’t wanna see it through, but if you wanna change my mind, hit me up anytime’.

Featured Artist and Track: IA – ‘Weherua’

The newly formed Māori music group, IA, is creating a unique genre of music it calls ‘Indigenous Soul’. IA’s songs blend old with new and feature the voices found with traditional Māori instruments/taonga pūoro. The pūoro voices are blended with modern
instruments, ancient poetic writing style and soulful melodies.

Featuring Moetu Smith, Reti Hedley and Turoa Pohatu, the Waikato based band is dedicated to showcasing taonga pūoro and allowing the traditional instruments to be at the centre of its compositions. IA’s debut single, ‘Weherua’ features four different Māori instruments, as well as modern bass and drums. The song includes the voices of the Punga Ihu Uku, Karanga Weka, Tumu Toka and the Pahu Toka.

The lyrics are inspired by an ancient mōteatea/chanted poem and are sung in both Te Reo Māori and English with the goal of showcasing Māori language and traditional instruments to all people. IA wants to create modern music that is accessible to a diverse audience so that more people can enjoy the ancient sounds of the Māori people. They have been discovering new frontiers with traditional instruments by using taonga pūoro as the driving force in their creative process.

Band member, Reti Hedley, says he wants to display the taonga in a new way, ”most Māori instruments are used to create ambient sound effects or sprinkles in a song. We want to reframe how taonga are being used and feature them as the main element in our music.” Reti was raised with the knowledge of taonga pūoro through his late mother, Rangiiria Hedley, who was a prominent taonga pūoro musician and educator. Reti, an established musician in his own right, inherited his mother’s extensive collection of Māori instruments and wants to bring them to light with this new music.

Bass player, Moetu Smith says if we can help keep our culture alive then we have achieved our goal, “my ultimate dream with IA is to inspire our future generations to pick up these instruments and create their own music.” The band’s drummer, Turoa, and bass player, Moetu, have the ultimate goal of putting down their modern instruments and replacing them with traditional percussion and bass instruments to create modern songs accessible to young audiences entirely composed with taonga pūoro.

Featured Artist and Track: Maaka – ‘Karanga’

Reflecting on some of his industry highlights, Maaka Fiso says placing in the top seven finalists for X-Factor NZ in 2013 was the kickstart to his professional musical journey.

From there, he eventually joined Waatea Music in Auckland. Maaka now resides in Wellington so part of his music hustle is returning to Auckland to work on his music – which forms the top priority in his future plans, post-COVID.

Featured Track and Artist: Billy Hoyle – ‘Smiling! ft. N’fa Jones’

As somewhat of a follow up to the “Os Afro Sambas Reworks” project, “Bruxo” is another release inspired by Hoyle’s deep love for Brazilian music. Sampling rich sounds from flutes, Fender Rhodes, guitar and melodica, it fluctuated between being a completely vocal or instrumental-only album throughout the creative process, eventually leading to a mix of the two with contributions from Tom Scott, Cazeaux O.S.L.O & N’fa Jones. The backbone of these pieces is formed by the world-class Myele Manzanza, who played drums on every track, shifting between boom-bap grooves and also flexing his incredible chops. Damian Smith also adds life to this project with various solos and keyboard parts that colour in the instrumental pieces.

Featured Track and Artist: Raiza Biza x REMI ft. Baro – Runner

Raiza Biza teamed up with Melbourne emcee Remi. They have come together to collaborate on an exciting new EP consisting of beats provided by legendary hip-hop producer and rapper Black Milk, titled “Black Hole Sun”.

“Runner” is a high tempo beat driven out an out hip hop track with dynamic production and hooks throughout, and shows why Black Milk is one of hip hop’s most respected producers, and why Remi and Raiza Biza are two of the most exciting emcees coming out of the Southern Hemisphere. The track also features verses from fellow Melbourne rapper Baro. Taken off the “Black Hole Sun” EP produced by Black Milk.

Featured Artist and Track: P-Money – ‘Gamble’

From P-Money’s 2002 album ‘Big Things’

Featured Artist and Track: Young Sid – ‘Too Much Pain’

From Young Sid’s 2007 ‘The Truth’ which was his commercial debut studio album released through Move The Crowd records. The album was the product of Young Sid’s visit to New York City in 2006 where he recorded with credited producer Cochise.

Featured Track and Artist: Ladi6 – Dust

From Ladi6’s 2013 album ‘Automatic’.

Featured Track and Artist – Kulcha – ‘Soul Feeling’

An ultimate throwback, released in 1994. The Sydney based band is a four piece group of Samoan and Maori ancestry. Their self titled debut album was nominated for a 1995 ARIA Award for Best Pop Release Kulcha was nominated for the best new group, and their single “Shaka Jam” was also nominated for the Highest Selling Single.

Featured Artist and Track: MilliMelvz – LOOK@HER

Auckland Producer MilliMelvz has worked with artists such as bKIDD and Poetik.