Adults vs orchestra

This cool gig is happening 30th January, featuring material off The Adults debut album, and some new pieces - maybe Shayne Carter might preview something off his forthcoming piano-based album... go on, Shayne! When you gonna get another chance to rock out with an orchestra, bro?

Adults meet the APO
Conductor Hamish McKeich; The Adults - Jon Toogood, Julia Deans, Shayne Carter and Steve Bremner, plus Ladi6 and Anika Moa.
"New Zealand supergroup The Adults, led by Shihad bandleader Jon Toogood and featuring Julia Deans from Fur Patrol, are no strangers to collaboration. In this innovative concert in the new acoustics of the Aotea Centre, The Adults join ranks with the APO, adding the power of orchestration to their unmistakable sound.

Alongside hits including ‘Nothing to Lose’, 'A Part of Me' and ‘One Million Ways’, The Adults present new ensemble pieces accompanied by full orchestra, with special guest appearances by Anika Moa and Ladi6.

From meditative and melodic to high-octane drama, this meld of band plus orchestra brings you contemporary New Zealand music at its best."

Ladi6 remixed by Oddisee

Remix of one of my fave cuts off the outstanding album Automatic from Ladi6 (features production by Parks, Wajeed).

Scribe - Crusader X

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Scribe's landmark NZ hiphop album, his debut, The Crusader. Grindin.net has pulled together a fantastic track by  track flashback from the people involved with the record - MCs, producers and all. They talk about how songs like Not Many (orig and remix), and Stand Up came together, it's great reading. Here's an excerpt...

SO NICE FEAT. LADI6 (PRODUCED BY P-MONEY)
Scribe – Probably the most feel good track on the album P-Money did it again with this joint I got this the same time as “My Lady” remix beat. P had just evolved in his beatmaking to a whole other level with this batch. This beat just made me feel good warm and summery. It gave me the same vibe as “Oh Boy” Camron so I went to work straight away. An ode to Hip Hop and my family I talk about my discovery of Hip Hop as a kid going to school and growing up with my cousins in the hood and one of them just happened to be Ladi6.

My brother and I started breakdancing as kids watching Beat Street and that was my introduction to Hip Hop although at the time just thought it was dancing. The last verse namecheck most of my cousins but I have way to many so couldn’t name them all as my Mum has 11 brothers and sisters and my dad 13 but its a family song and I love performing it with Ladi6. 

Also it does have some prophecy as in the 1st verse opens with “Im so hot put me on..this year we number 1..” I still get shit from some cousins who’s name didn’t make the song..it is pretty hard to rhyme fa’ama’atalatolotitasese..lol

P-Money – Scribe and Ladi6 are first cousins. They are really close. There was no way we could complete the album without her vocals on there. This song is pretty much Scribe’s dedication to his whole family. He name drops almost everyone in the third verse. I always thought it was cool that he did that. Including the whole family on the album.

Ladi6 – This album is now an embedded piece of my (our) families history. Malo (MC Scribe) had made some of these verses/songs well known family classics before he had even moved from Christchurch to Auckland to start on his infamous and historic road to record breaking success. He cleverly slaved over them with an eye for detail and an ear for the sincere.

We all moved up to Auckland together living out of our cousins house in South Auckland where Scribe set up shop, bucket bong, black book, pens and a tape player in the laundry room where we would all pack in there day in and out, straining to hear his newest verse, over his latest P-Money instrumental, memorising every last lyric. By the time the album came out most of us cousins knew every damn word to every damn song.

Scribe was kind enough to ask me along to sing backing vocals and perform our own rap jam, ‘Scribe,L.6,’ as part of his BDO Oz tour and around various shows in New Zealand. It was such an incredible learning curve for me as an aspiring artist and musician, an experience I have and will always treasure. Even though “The Crusader” was MC Scribes beginning, it also marked a start to my own journey. Something I will always be grateful to him for.

Read the track by track story in full here.

oh, and I love this snip from Con Psy (now goes by David Dallas) on working on the Not Many remix, his first time in a proper studio...

"I might’ve been the only one who had a car at the time, because I recall after Scribble came through and did his verse we had to hop into my fucked up 94 Civic and go pick up Sav [Savage] and bring him to the studio after his shift finished at the gas station. On a comedic note, later that night I was dropping Scribe off at his cousins house and my car died in the middle of G.I on this busy ass street, [and] without saying a word the bro got out the car and pushed us to the nearest BP LOL… I only met him that day and his single had just hit #1 on the charts yet here he was, no shame, pushing this car through the intersection with traffic beepin' at us etc. LOL, he will forever be the man in my eyes just off that."

Myele Manzanza worldwide

After getting limited release in New Zealand a while back, Myele's debut album has been picked up worldwide by UK label Barely Breaking Even [BBE], and it's out now.

"The driving rhythmical talent behind Electric Wire Hustle steps out from behind the drum kit to release his first solo album ‘One’.

At just 25 years old the musically prolific Myele Manzanza has not only held down the drums as part of New Zealand's Electric Wire Hustle for the past 5 years but has also drummed for many other NZ bands including Olmecha Supreme, Sheba Williams, The Recloose Live Band, The Jonathan Crayford Trio as well as for his father - Sam Manzanza’s Rhythm Africa Band & countless other musical projects.

In 2010 Myele was the only New Zealander selected to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy in London where he picked up a wealth of knowledge & skill from the many other participants from all over the world and expert lecturers such as Flying Lotus, Roots Manuva, Cluster, Moodyman, Dr Peter Zinovieff and DJ Zinc.

The rest of the year was spent living between Berlin & New York & touring with Electric Wire Hustle with laptop in hand. The fertile breeding ground of creativity of these cities provided the seeds of musical inspiration to put together his first album aptly titled ‘One’.

Created primarily in Wellington, New York and Berlin in kitchens, bedrooms, hotel rooms, parks, balconies and backstage ‘One’ draws on many influences and experiences. Rooted in Myele’s musical “first language” of rhythm, the album also expresses his voice as a musician and producer outside of being a drummer which was a key motivation for Myele. "This album was a challenge to myself to broaden my own musical identity as a musician.”

“Myele’s one of the freshest talents to come out of NZ in years - he’s got his own sound, concept and skills that can put him alongside anyone anywhere in the world. one sick, sick talent and I’m always excited to hear what’s coming next.” - Mark de Clive-Lowe (Mashibeats/Tru Thoughts)

Track listing
1.Neighbours Intro
2.Big Space feat. Mark de Clive-Lowe and Bella Kalolo
3.Absent feat. Bella Kalolo
4.Delay
5.Elvin's Brew feat. Mark de Clive-Lowe
6.City Of Atlantis feat. Charlie K and Ladi6
7.On The Move feat. Rachel Fraser (Funkommunity)
8.Everybody Isn't
9.7 Bar Thing feat. Mara TK (Electric wire hustle)
10.Me I Know Him feat. Sam Manzanza and Amenta

Ladi6 interview, Tagata Pasifika

Julien Dyne - 'December' is coming

Third album from Julien Dyne (Opensouls, Ladi6) drops late next month thru Japanese label Wonderful Noise, take a listen. Julien is touring Japan from October 11 -19.

Release dates: vinyl 30th Sep / CD 23rd.Oct

Track listing
1. Fools
2. December feat.Parks
3. Slider
4. Clearing Fog Newnew
5. Real Life feat.She's So Rad
6. Limes
7. Dirty Cristal feat.Mara TK
8. Wood and Brick
9. Tonight feat.DALZIEL
10. Spanlye (interlude)
11. Cron Melody
12. Smilings Skies
13. Kingawesome
14.Thinking Shorter

Here's a great backgrounder on Wonderful Noise and their NZ associations, by NZHerald's Alan Perrott.

Ladi6 - Automatic, out today

Headed off early this morning to Conch Records for the launch event for Ladi6's new album Automatic (produced by Parks and Wajeed), picked up a copy, got Ladi to sign it, AND scored a free coffee. Mean. How was the start of your day?

Ladi 6 - Shine on

New video for the 2nd single off the new album from Ladi 6, produced by Waajeed (Platinum Pied Pipers), recorded in Detroit. Out now, try Bandcamp. Off her third album out later this year, called Automatic.

First single Ikarus dropped back in March. Sounds like it's gonna be a very downtempo album, if the first two singles are any indication.