I’ve been checking out Laid Back radio for quite a while and got asked to write a few little articles for their blog, this is the first of a series of posts about beat culture in NZ and some of the underground beat makers and producers makin a few waves here at the moment. I’m trying to get in to a little more writing so really appreciate the support from the whole Laid Back crew.

For the first one I had to do a little interview with my man St Liquor-ish as we just finished the  mix on his new tracks and, well, I think his tracks are steppin outside of the norm in NZ. I’ve already got a few interviews setup for this series of posts but if you think your tracks are kickin and you’d like some international exposure then just drop me a message and we’ll hook it up. Go check out the Laid Back site, they have a real vibe about the music and art they love and are always trying to support upcoming artists who sit a little left of centre.

St Liquor-ish’s New Zealand boogie

Been looking round for some new music lately and decided to spend a little more time with some of the beat makers and producers I’ve found, checkin their tracks and not bein so “twitter” about the whole thing. Between twitter and RSS feeds and Facebook and the high rate of info. flying round it’s just to easy to not really engage with what’s comin out the speakers. I’m making a conscious decision to change that so here goes, a few of my fav little local joints bouncing round at the moment. I hate to use the word “scene” but Wellingtons really got some serious new beat makers at the moment who are pushing the edge and making some next level tracks.

Wellington based Benny Tones is one of NZ’s deepest producers and artists and is currently on tour with the formidable EWH on their European tour. Benny produced the EWH album and has been working on his own album which is due for release, well, when it’s finished. Here’s his Souncloud page which contains a few tasters from the album and really shows a new level to the sounds coming out of Wellington and NZ.

Another beat maker coming out of Wellington and pushing the sound is Lord Jackson, this track features my good friend LP on the vocal, tasty work and another one to keep an eye on.

Pull Back Ft: LP by LordJackson

The final track comes from Skylab, another beat maker coming out of Wellington, heard a couple of demo’s from him last week and they’re real nice, deep beat styles.

Tangerine by Skylab_

If you want to check out a great clothing label who have supported “beat culture” in NZ for time then you should go check out Kowtow Clothing. Kowtow music Vol 5 is the latest compilation from the crew and features some of NZ’s freshest artists focusing on the indie and up and coming. Check em out on Soundcloud and go buy a T, the comp comes free with their clothing so get it while you can.
Kowtow Music Volume V by kowtow music

The New EP from St Liquor-ish and mixed at the Bluevibe studio is now finally available to download for free over at the St Liquor-ish Bandcamp page.

I’m really proud of the EP and it’s been a real learning curve for me to try and get the mix right for all the tracks on the EP. I’ll be posting about some of the production techniques involved on the EP and the work we’ve done to promote it. The next St Liquor-ish EP is already being mixed and let’s just say it’s a killer, but for now enjoy this tasty bit of filth from the man Jellphonic’s alter ego and stay tuned for a full pack of instrumentals and remixes from the EP.

Just wanted to thank everybody who came along to the EP launch this week and all the DJ’s involved on the night. I’ll be posting some of the sets from the night over the next few weeks so register for the newsletter to grab em when they’re online. You’ll also go in the draw to win a Vestax handytrax turntabe and vinyl pack which I’ll be putting together from my collection.

The EP’s now available from Conch records and Amplifier in glorious CD format plus you can download it from a list of online stores. I used Tunecore to distribute to the major international stores and DRM for the local outlets and have been really happy with the speed and ease of the whole process.

Get it while it’s hot!

You can also grab the 2 Bluevibe studio remixes from the EP for free when you sign up as a fan  on Reverbnation .

This life volume.1 at Amplifier.co.nz

This life volume.1at Amazon.com

This life volume.1at emusic.com

This life volume.1 at Voeveo.com

This life volume.1at Digirama.co.nz

And finally the full EP is also available through itunes.

Bluevibe studio is pleased to announce that the first in a series of new EP’s – This life volume.1 – will be available in New Zealand on October 15th and worldwide by early November.

Come and join us at the EP launch party in Auckland and get a free digital copy of This life volume.1 – Rakino’s October 15th – featuring Lisa Preston live vocal jam with Gene Rivers on the decks. DJ support from Dylan C , Mark Robinson, Bromide dub and Adone .

With influences from Talkin Louds UK soul through the beats of Dilla to the futuristic essence of Spacek and Marc de Clive-Lowe – Bluevibe studio mashes up some beautiful vocal performances from Lisa Preston and Lesley Paton to bring you This life volume.1 , the first in a series of EP releases from the heart and soul of the Bluevibe studio. This life volume.1 also features the keyboard skills of Lewis McCallum on the track High times plus 2 bonus Bluevibe studio remixes previously only available in demo form.

For volume 1. of the series Bluevibe called in remix support spanning genres through dubstep to vintage funk from an eclectic blend of international producers including magOwl (Sweden), Soliloquy (Sweden) and Adi Dick (NZ).

Track list: ***click on the player below each track name to listen***

1. High times featuring Lisa Preston and Lewis McCallum
2. Holdin on featuring Lesley Patton
3. Holdin on – Magowl remix
4. High times – Adi Dick remix
5. Holdin on – Soliloquy remix
6. *Bonus Track* Ambitions end – Skahlah – Bluevibe studio remix
7. *Bonus Track* Wait a minute – The shades – Bluevibe studio remix

I’ll keep you updated with all the latest news on where you’ll be able to get your copy of the EP and I’ll be posting further details on the amazing artists involved and an exclusive look at the artwork as soon as it’s finalised this week.