Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve had the joy of working with the wonderful team at the Auckland Central City Library on a few different projects. Right now, they’re hosting Encore!, a free entry exhibition that celebrates how live music brings people together through collective experience. It looks at the ways connection happens through live music: being moved emotionally by a performance, the connections between those on stage and those in the crowd, and the feeling of being connected to others in a music community.

Encore! digs deep into the library’s vast collection of ephemera, sound recordings, archives, photographs and magazines to uncover stories from a selection of central Tāmaki Makaurau venues which have been important to the city’s cultural life. It also explores the traces live music leaves behind, whether it’s the tickets kept from nights out, the magazines that reviewed performances, or the recordings listened to on repeat at home. From these places emerge stories of musicians, promoters, reviewers and fans, creating an evocative picture of what it was like to be there.

As part of Encore! I was invited to help create an accompanying magazine called One More Song: Songs From The Stage. You can pick up a copy for free at the exhibition, which again, is also free to attend. Here’s the blurb on the back of the magazine.

Under the lights of a stage, fear, excitement, joy, shame, and a multitude of other emotions tangle themselves together. This is the life of a musician, performing live for crowds ranging from a couple of punters in a dingy bar, to sold-out stadium shows in foreign capitals.

For One More Song, music journalist Martyn Pepperell interviews five local artists in pursuit of their tales from the stage. Collected within are stories of Auckland’s music scene through the eyes of Philharmonia violinist Julie Park, LEAO frontperson David Feaui-Afaese, jazz-punk artist Miho Wada, DJ Half Queen and national treasure Bic Runga.

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ROLLING STONE AU/NZ: ‘PLAYING WITH HIM IS TOTAL IMMERSION’: MEET ONE OF AOTEAROA’S MOST VERSATILE MUSICIANS

On stage, Cory Champion can be seen playing a drum kit, percussion instruments, synthesisers, samplers, or beat machines. He could be with Fat Freddy’s Drop, Lord Echo, Avantdale Bowling Club, Mara TK, or Louis Baker, leading his award-winning jazz group Clear Path Ensemble, or trying out something new. Champion also produces dub, techno, and electro-slated dance music under the name Borrowed CS. Once, he painstakingly built a hi-fi sound system and used it to host a listening party for his celebrated Clear Path Ensemble album, Black Sand. In all his practices, he’s a master craftsman who values form and function.

For Rolling Stone AU/NZ, I traced Cory Champion’s career journey as his award-winning jazz project Clear Path Ensemble returns with a new album. Read more here.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

This will be profoundly unsurprising to anyone who is tapped in, but Melbourne’s ‘90s indie-pop scene produced some absolutely magical groups, notably The Cat’s Miaow, who later went on to blend dream-pop and breakbeats as Hydroplane. Songs ‘94-’98 is a killer compilation.

As it turns out, Melbourne’s 2020s indie scene is turning out some special stuff as well.

While we’re on a dream-pop/shoegaze tangent, I really like UK duo The Gabys, who released a killer EP on fruits & flowers in 2024. They’re a label focused on “stupid music for smart people.” Sign me up for more.

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ROLLING STONE AU/NZ: INSIDE THE WELLINGTON FESTIVAL THAT’S ‘BRINGING THINGS THAT DON’T NORMALLY HAPPEN’ TO THE CITY

Lōemis is bringing close to 30 events, spanning music, film, food, dance workshops, and more, to Wellington between June 6th-21st.

Over the last 15 years, there has been a rise in interest in mid-winter city music festivals across Australia and Aotearoa. Generally speaking, the format is a series of standalone concerts and nightclub gigs held at nearby venues, often tied together by pop-up art installations, light displays, food courts, or bars. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re familiar with popular examples of the form like Dark Mofo in Hobart, Sydney’s Vivid LIVE, or RISING in Melbourne.

Lōemis, an 11-year-old festival held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, isn’t as well known as the aforementioned events, but it deserves to be on your radar.

Read my interview with Andrew from Lōemis here.

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GOOD COUNTRY: MAOLI FULLY EMBRACES HIS “ISLAND COUNTRY” POINT OF VIEW

The artist known as Maoli is Glenn Awong, a Hawaiian country reggae star who’s out to prove country, bluegrass, folk, and the islands have much in common.

In an era of polarization, social division, and dissent, Glenn Awong, the Hawaiian country reggae star better known as Maoli, believes we’ve all got more in common than not. Awong came to this realization in the late 2010s while he was touring through the US with his band. Show by show, he discovered that life in the American South wasn’t too dissimilar from the cattle ranches and pineapple fields where he grew up on Maui’s North Shore.

You can read my interview with Awong for Good Country here.

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FIVE LŌEMIS FESTIVAL PICKS:

If you’re thinking about attending Lōemis, here’s a list of five music events that I think will be pretty cool.

Cate Le Bon + Luke Buda

Meow Nui, Sat 6 June

Over the last two decades, the Welsh singer-songwriter and producer Cate Le Bon, has become a towering figure in the worlds of transatlantic post-punk and art-pop. Arriving at Lōemis off the back of her celebrated seventh album, Michelangelo Dying (2025), Le Bon is an artist at the height of her powers. Luke Buda (Phoenix Foundation, Teeth, Moniker) will warm the stage with a solo performance.

Chanel Beads + Discovery Zone + Lucola

Meow, Tue 9 June

New York based D.I.Y dream pop musician Shane Lavers aka Chanel Beads has been turning heads worldwide with his transcendental sounds. In his Wellington debut at Lōemis, he’ll be joined by two other exciting new talents, Berlin multimedia/experimental music artist Discovery zone and New Zealand’s very own Lucola, a lover of ‘70s/80s synthesiser music sensibilities, machine beats and good times melodies.

Kelly Moran

Old St Paul’s, Tue 16 June

Kelly Moran is an experimental pianist/keyboardist, composer and producer who uses the keys to open up portals into other states of being. Fittingly, the New York musician is a contemporary of FKA Twigs, Yves Tumor, The Avalanches, Kelsey Lu, and Oneohtrix Point Never. For her New Zealand debut, she’ll be bringing her sensibilities to Lōemis for a special performance at Old St Paul’s church.

Troy Kingi Presents Night Lords

Meow Nui, Thu 18 June

Troy Kingi is many things to many people, while always being himself. You might love his psychedelic soul and garage rock music, or enjoy seeing him in Vogel’s Bread adverts. In a major Lōemis exclusive, he’s bringing his new Night Lords album to Wellington for one night only. Expect live hip-hop band style, featuring a genuinely star-studded cast of guest rappers from around New Zealand

REforms: Shayne P. Carter and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Michael Fowler Centre, Fri 19 June

Dunedin’s Shayne P. Carter made a name for himself in the alt-rock band Straightjack Fits, before showing us he had heavy soul with his Dimmer project. After reinventing himself as a pianist, writing a book, and a film about his life and times, Carter is ready for new challenges. At Lōemis, he’s teaming up with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to reimagine his songbook.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Greetings to one and all. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. This month in Aotearoa, it’s a thing we call New Zealand Music Month | Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, where we celebrate local music. It can seem like a funny thing, but I like to get involved and have been busy knocking out a bunch of NZ focused stories and reviews for Rolling Stone AU/NZ. You can read a few of them below. Expect more soon.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists: Hun Lynch

Over the past year, culture writer Emma Gleason has been discussing a concept she calls ‘Tāmaki Noir’. As she explained in her newsletter Crust, “Tāmaki Noir is more of a feeling than a theme or genre. Or perhaps it’s a cinematic lens. It’s probably all of these and more.”

Tāmaki Noir is a way of seeing Tāmaki Makaurau as a South Pacific metropolis with secrets and a seedy underbelly. “It’s immorality, antiheroes, crime and ceiling fans,” Gleason wrote. “Flair, style and charisma. Grimy fences. Derelict buildings and big, shiny new builds. Luxury cars and lowered sedans. Raw edges and elegant facades. You know it when you see it.”

Hannah Lynch, who records as Hun Lynch, is a Tāmaki Makaurau artist who works across music, film, theatre, and writing. During a video call, I asked for her thoughts on Tāmaki Noir. “I’m getting goosebumps thinking about this,” she said. “I feel like there’s so much about Tāmaki that is quite gothic. Maybe this isn’t the right word, but it’s quite brutalist, too. Sometimes I’ll be looking at these huge concrete buildings, and realise they’re stained on the sides because it’s always raining.”

You can read my profile of Hun Lynch here.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Marlon Williams Takes Risks at Wonderful First New Zealand Tour Show

On the first night of his Tā te Manawa tour of Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu, famously billed as his final performances before a period of rest, Marlon Williams walked alone onto the stage at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Dressed in a tucked-in white tee, jeans, and boots, he exuded humility and gratitude as he stepped into the spotlight, waving to the audience with a shy smile. After taking a moment to compose himself, he sang “E Mawehe Ana Au”, the existentially-slanted a capella introduction to his most recent album, 2025’s Te Whare Tīwekaweka.

You can read my full review here.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Tom Scott’s Aotearoa Tour Was a Collective Affair

Last Friday night (May 8th), the dancefloor inside Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s Meow Nui swelled as Tom Scott took to the stage. Dressed in understated streetwear, he let the band play for a moment before addressing the audience. Tonight, he told us, he wanted to get out of his head, be present, and have some fun. It was a fitting mission statement for his first live performance in the capital since releasing his debut solo album, ANITYA, late last year.

You can read my full review here.

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Mouthfull Radio: Eternity’s Gate #4

The latest edition of my Eternity’s Gate mixshow series is live on Mouthfull Radio’s soundcloud and mixcloud archives now.

Eternity’s Gate 4 is sunny summer car rides along the coast of Te Waipounamu, Greatsouth sending you a DM asking why you haven’t shown him Dead People Famous yet, and Yo Ta Lengo concerts in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. It’s also listening to Tricky with corded headphones and a discman while skateboarding in the ‘90s, downloading Hyperdub Records’ promos to write about on blogs, and seeing Leao play at Whammy Bar in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s a lot of things. 19 indie rock, dream pop, shoegaze, trip-hop and ambient guitar jams, all packed into one hour for your listening pleasure.

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Clear Path Ensemble, Ascending

Ascending is the fourth album from Clear Path Ensemble. In the past, bandleader Cory Champion tracked his first three albums, Clear Path Ensemble (2020), Solar Eclipse (2022), and Black Sand (2025) with a cast of some of the finest jazz musicians in Aotearoa New Zealand. This time around, he chose a different approach: improvising with, and in response to, himself, building a series of layered sonic landscapes recorded over a single day in the same room.

Opening in the spirit of American composers Steve Reich and Laraaji’s late ‘70s to early ‘80s minimalist, new-age, and ambient explorations, the album begins with glistening, hypnotic figures on ‘Tongue Rhythm’. Softer and more watery, ‘Train of Thought’ blends lush chords and rolling percussion into a reflective soundscape. Shades of mid-70s Miles Davis and the Pacific sunset visions of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman flow through ‘Say Something’ and the title track, before the album closes with the celestial memory-lane melodies of ‘Epicycle’.

Recorded solo, with the exception of ‘Saying Something’, featuring piano, Rhodes and vibes courtesy of Champion’s longtime collaborator, Daniel Hayles, Ascending’s six compositions represent a tasteful subtraction from the spiritual/psychedelic jazz, space music, ‘70s ECM jazz-funk, and electronica that coloured Clear Path Ensemble’s first five years.

Ultimately, Ascending is a window into the soul of an artist looking inward as he reaches into the infinite and the sublime. Due for release Fri 27 May in vinyl and digital formats.

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What I’ve Been Reading:

Master plan or moon shot? We need to discuss Lume: A new music platform promises a bold future – by harking back to the past. What are its chances? Chris Schulz for the Boiler Room newsletter (not the streaming DJ platform). Here.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Resident Advisor: Klymax Discotheque: Bali’s Temple of Sound

Beyond Bali’s beaches lies one of the best audiophile clubs in the world. Guided by co-creator and resident DJ Harvey, its bespoke quad-stack system renders music in ultra-high definition. Welcome to paradise.

At the start of the year, the editorial team at Resident Advisor invited me to travel to Bali to conduct the third edition of their The Art of Sound feature series. Obviously, I said, yes. That said, as with many things in life, there’s no way around the fact that this project was a collective effort.

I’d just like to extend my thanks to Maria Garcia del Cerro, Kai Evill, Bagvs, Gero, DJ Harvey, George Stavro, David Gianotten, Rachel, Nyshka, Aaron, Andrew, Dan, and everyone else who weighed in on this one.

You can read the full feature here.

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Listening Party: Clear Path Ensemble, Ascending

On Wednesday night in Te Whanganui-a-tara, we hosted a pre-release listening party for the New Zealand drummer, composer and producer Cory Champion’s latest Clear Path Ensemble album, Ascending, at Vogelmorn Hall. The format was simple: 30 mins from doors for people to arrive, a full 35-minute playback of the album, then a short improvised musical performance from Cory and friends.

If you’re interested, you can check out the first single, ‘Tongue Rhythm’, above and pre-order the album on vinyl and digital as well. There are also two more listening parties to go: Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, May 13 at Goblin. Naarm / Melbourne, May 21 at High Note Room 2. Tap in with Cory on IG for more details.

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GoldTooth’s Goldmine w/ Martyn Pepperell (02/05/26)

95bFM’s Goldmine is a Saturday evening radio soundtrack provided by GoldTooth, Tāmaki Makaurau’s latest London import. DJ, music curator and dentist. It’s a two-hour dive into the freshest sounds from across the globe: club heaters, deep cuts, diaspora gems, and underground electronics, all woven together with GoldTooth’s chatter. From Auckland, to everywhere.

Last weekend, I appeared on the Goldmine via the magic of voice notes and file transfers. Goldtooth had me offer up a local NO SKIPS album and some musical therapy cut suggestions to celebrate Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa / NZ Music Month.

You can listen to the full show here.

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Harry Waugh is a music content creator from Tāmaki Makaurau who interviews musicians on Instagram and Tiktok and makes playlists and other things. I think he lives in Naarm / Melbourne now, but I’m not sure (lol). This week, Harry asked me and a few other friends to contribute to a playlist of New Zealand Music for Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa / NZ Music Month.

You can check it out here.

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What I’ve Been Listening To:

As I learned recently on No Tags, CHAKK is an important precursor to Warp Records. I hope you like some industrial funk.

So nice I had to blog it twice.

Just one of those low-key New Zealand talents who keeps quietly doing their thing. Music about the water, written and produced by the water.

You don’t get a new Surly drop everyday, or even every year. This one is special. For the 160 heads.

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What I’ve Been Reading:

Music Discourse Is Plentiful, Often Angry and Increasingly Not About Music at All: Why is industry- and culture-focused commentary now taking up such a huge portion of the music conversation? Shawn Reynaldo for First Floor.

Ockhams: Talia Marshall on Hoods Landing: A novel about a queer family hiding in plain sight is competing for next week’s $65,000 fiction prize at the Ockhams.

Does Anyone Like Music? What happens when marketing is revealed to be marketing, plus gamelan-led dub techno, and more. Sam Hockley-Smith for New Environments.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Ascending is the fourth album from Clear Path Ensemble. In the past, bandleader Cory Champion tracked his first three albums, Clear Path Ensemble (2020), Solar Eclipse (2022), and Black Sand (2025) with a cast of some of the finest jazz musicians in Aotearoa New Zealand. This time around, he chose a different approach: improvising with, and in response to, himself, building a series of layered sonic landscapes recorded over a single day in the same room.

Opening in the spirit of American composers Steve Reich and Laraaji’s late ‘70s to early ‘80s minimalist, new-age, and ambient explorations, the album begins with glistening, hypnotic figures on ‘Tongue Rhythm’. Softer and more watery, ‘Train of Thought’ blends lush chords and rolling percussion into a reflective soundscape. Shades of mid-70s Miles Davis and the Pacific sunset visions of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman flow through ‘Say Something’ and the title track, before the album closes with the celestial memory-lane melodies of ‘Epicycle’.

Recorded solo, with the exception of ‘Saying Something’, featuring piano, Rhodes and vibes courtesy of Champion’s longtime collaborator, Daniel Hayles, Ascending’s six compositions represent a tasteful subtraction from the spiritual/psychedelic jazz, space music, ‘70s ECM jazz-funk, and electronica that coloured Clear Path Ensemble’s first five years.

Ultimately, Ascending is a window into the soul of an artist looking inward as he reaches into the infinite and the sublime.

Subscribe now

Clear Path Ensemble May Ascending May 2026 listening party tour dates

Te Whanganui-a-tara / Wellington, May 6 at Vogelmorn Hall

Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, May 13 at Goblin

Naarm / Melbourne, May 21 at High Note Room 2

Cory Champion is a Melbourne-based composer, drummer, producer and DJ from Wellington, New Zealand. Since 2020, he has led the award-winning jazz project Clear Path Ensemble, which has released music through Cosmic Compositions and Soundway Records. Champion also produces and DJs techno, electro, and boogie under the name Borrowed CS. As a session player and producer, he has worked with Fat Freddy’s Drop, Electric Wire Hustle, Mā, and countless other musicians and groups across Aotearoa and Australia’s modern music scenes.

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Jade Townsend: From the Lion’s Mouth / 22 February – 14 June 2026

The cover art for Ascending by Clear Path Ensemble was created by the multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and writer, Jade Townsend (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi). It’s currently on display at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery as part of her From the Lion’s Mouth exhibition.

Jade Townsend (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) will be exhibiting a series of new paintings that recall her time here in Whanganui as the artist for the Tylee Cottage residency in February 2024. The exhibition is influenced by whanau-orientated narratives and stories from sites of significance that have assisted Whanganui in winning prestigious awards such as Most Beautiful Small City or UNESCO City of Design. Townsend diverts these histories through the compelling prism of painting, offering up new kōrero for consideration.

Townsend describes her work: “Water is the binding thread throughout the series — the awa, the wishing well, Rotokawau Virginia Lake, the Higginbottom Fountain. The surfaces shimmer with iridescence, inspired by my nana’s diamond paintings, in which tiny mosaic-like resin stones are intricately arranged on a canvas. A similar treatment, achieved through acrylic paint, transforms a palm tree, a bridge, and other common Whanganui motifs into glistening water features capable of holding memory and replenishing it. Lines and letters recall my dad’s hand as a sign-writer — precise and direct. Embellishment, in all its forms, reveals itself as whakapapa, a family vernacular for mythology-making.”

Jade Townsend is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and writer. Born and raised in Whanganui, she moved to Liverpool (UK) and studied overseas. Townsend holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in painting from Manchester Metropolitan University and has undertaken residencies at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, Artspace Aotearoa and Objectspace in Tāmaki Makaurau, and Tylee Cottage in Whanganui.

Cecelia Kumeroa, Curator

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FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Tonight in Tāmaki Makaurau, Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! by The Mint Chicks will be recognised with the IMNZ Classic Record Award at the 2026 Taite Music Prize ceremony.

For a generation of New Zealand indie/D.I.Y fans (maybe two), The Mint Chicks are one of the bands of their lifetime. I hoped I might get a chance to write about Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!, but over the last few weeks, finding the time felt impossible. Then on Sunday night, after everything had calmed down, Conor from Rolling Stone ANZ dropped in my inbox with a commission. Challenge accepted.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ Deep Dive: The Mint Chicks, ‘Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!’

In January 2005, The Mint Chicks made an unforgettable appearance at the Big Day Out music festival in Tāmaki Makaurau. Walking out with a chainsaw, Kody Nielson cut down some corporate advertising signage before the band ripped into a cover of “Ever Fallen in Love” by the Buzzcocks.

For indie rock, punk, and D.I.Y. kids growing up around Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu during those years, that event is now inextricably intertwined with The Mint Chicks’ legacy. From the moment they arrived in the inner city in the early 2000s, their performances were visceral, electric, and unforgettable. In the wake of dance music’s late 1990s boom, they were a new band for a new era.

You can read the full feature here.

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What I’ve Been Reading:

Honey Dijon: Pleasure Magnet: DJ, producer, fashion muse. In Resident Advisor’s spring 2026 cover story, Shaad D’Souza asks: what does Honey Dijon truly want?

Recognise 104: Terrence Dixon: More than 30 years since his first alien signals transmitted against the grain of techno convention, Terrence Dixon is feeling inspired to push deeper and farther than ever before. Here, alongside an extended mix made up almost entirely of unreleased original material, the low-key Detroit legend tells DJ Mag’s Oli Warwick about how his home city has nurtured him, his plans to do the same in return, and how parenthood, minimal equipment and everyday life has shaped his singular sound.

21 years on, Fat Freddy’s Drop enters a new era: Saxophonist Scott “Chopper Reeds” Towers and drummer Cory Champion speak with Mixmag ANZ writer Farah Azizan and reveal how the band is moving forward.

Fcuk around and find out: Why Fcukers are putting fun first: Bored with their respective indie bands, Shannon Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis formed Fcukers to explore club sounds and have quickly (and deservedly) become the most hyped act in dance music. Upon the release of their debut album ‘Ö’, the NYC duo speak to Mixmag’s Jordan Page about starting with no plan other than to have fun and navigating the pressure that success brings.

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What I’ve Been Listening To:

This is a collection of instrumentals designed to soundtrack what happens between dusk and dawn. If you like your beats on sophisti-R&B, modern soul and g-funk bent, it’s an absolutely neon-lit vibe.

Just one of those albums that has aged really well.

Staggeringly good ambient techno jams for the ages.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Kia ora from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa, where we’ve just come out the other side of a series of flash foods and several days in a state of emergency. If you’re interested in learning more about what happened, there’s a bunch of coverage up on Radio New Zealand and the like. There’s still a big clean-up ahead, but for now, the rain has stopped, and the skies are just blue enough for some optimism to hover on the periphery. As always, we live in interesting times.

Frau Knotz, ‘Left Eye Lunar’ (Keanu Raves remix):

Today, Frau Knotz unveiled a new remix, courtesy of Keanu Raves, of her song ‘Left Eye Lunar’. Both this Keanu Raves remix, and Amamelia’s remix of ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ are now available on the Digital Plastic Surgery: Special Edition EP.

In August 2025, the New Plymouth, New Zealand-based producer and vocalist Frau Knotz released her sophomore EP, Digital Plastic Surgery. Informed by late-20th- to early-21st-century electronica, the EP showcased Frau Knotz’s skills as a dance music stylist, effortlessly blending the conventions of techno, IDM, synthwave, video game music, and hyperpop into five idiosyncratic instrumentals.

Just under two months ago, one of the highlights of Digital Plastic Surgery, ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ got a rework from one of New Zealand’s finest modern producers, Amamelia. Now, Frau Knotz is pleased to present a new remix of another EP high point, ‘Left Eye Lunar’, as reimagined by the New Zealand producer/DJ, Keanu Raves.

Intensifying the squelchy hard techno groove that drives ‘Left Eye Lunar’, Keanu Raves pushes Frau Knotz’ homage to the contrast between the chaos of central Cairo and the stillness of the mysteries lurking within the Pyramids of Giza into a psychedelic zone. Dialling up the tracks’ dynamic, syncopated percussion and chunky synth figures, he locks in, achieving dancefloor hypnosis while meditating on bass weight.

“I’ve long been drawn to Keanu Raves’ crisp production skills and his minimalistic, industrial tracks. It’s been 10 years since I lived in Berlin and first discovered techno, so to team up with a fellow Berlin-dwelling kiwi was special to me. I listened to his remix for the first time in my Nissan Cube on the way to work. It blew my mind (and my car’s tiny mind also). I love how he has turned my leftfield original into a banger with a sinister evolution and an in-your-face thumping beat.” - Frau Knotz

“When Frau Knotz approached me to remix ‘Left Eye Lunar’, I was immediately intrigued by the evolving Phrygian-esque synth lead, and the energetic percussion hooks which I knew would fit right into the dense percussive layering I often use in my production.” - Keanu Raves

‘Left Eye Lunar (Keanu Raves Remix)’ is the second of two new dance remixes included on Frau Knotz’s Digital Plastic Surgery: Special Edition EP release. The EP is available on Bandcamp, YouTube, DJ platforms, and streaming services, except on Spotify.

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Ghost Town by Callum Parsons:

Earlier in the year, my friend Callum Parsons asked me to write the epilogue for his new photo book, Ghost Town. It’s a poetic collection of documentary photography shot on 120 format film from 2020 to 2025 in Wellington, New Zealand. In the past, Parsons has been best known for the skateboarding action shots and portraiture he shares on his Instagram page, @callumparsons.nz.

This time around, however, he turns his attention to the liminal and the in-between. Over 44 colour and black-and-white images, Parsons trains his lens on the quiet moments that often go unnoticed amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life, while revisiting the eerie unease of our recent, unprecedented times. If you’re interested in checking it out, hit him up on IG.

About Callum Parsons

Callum Parsons (b. 1997) is a freelance videographer and photographer from Dunedin, New Zealand. Parsons began experimenting with digital cameras in his early teens, before developing an interest in traditional film photography. In 2018, he collaborated with the Pavement skate store on Bricks, a 58-page photo book that documented the local skateboarding scene.

Two years later, he relocated to Wellington, where he can be found documenting the city’s quiet moments, as well as its substantially louder music, skateboarding, and arts communities. To date, his action shots and portraits have been published by Manual Magazine, Island Magazine, Danger Collective (US) and DJ Mag (UK). Between 2021 and early 2026, Parsons was a familiar face at Splendid Photo, where he worked as a lab technician. He now resides in Melbourne, Australia.

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Fables, Minibar:

‘Minibar’ by Fables opens with glistening piano chords and a wordless vocalisation that reaches for the heavens, before unfolding into elegant, late-night songwriting veiled in metaphor, allusion, and melancholy. Set against the slow-building rhythm section of bassist Cass Basil and drummer Arahi, Bailey sings about the feeling of letting someone else hold your whole world between their thumb and forefinger, and the strain of struggling to breathe while holding your head high, before painting a picture that hangs vividly in the air.

It’s the glass eye and the minibar and the room service

Did you do this to me?

See you again on the downfall

On the downfall, see you again on the downfall

Accompanied by a flickering guitar figure and dreamy keyboard and organ parts, the song concludes like a rising wave crashing against the shoreline at sunset. There’s always something deeper moving beneath the surface of Fables’ songwriting, and through tension and restraint ‘Minibar’ lets that emotional undercurrent briefly shimmer into view.

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Side Quests: Music

If you like lore, do I have some lore for you. Recently, I shared a personal essay and a short story through this newsletter. In the spirit of continuing to share, I thought I might offer up some fragments from an earlier life.

Back in the mid-2000s, when I hadn’t fully figured out I was going to focus on music writing yet, I also spent a fair bit of time playing around with music production on a desktop computer loaded with FL Studio and Cool Edit Pro. I had a go at making hip-hop instrumentals, club beats, experimental downbeat tracks, and even some ambient bmore. None of it ever really went anywhere, but I do have a few folders of mixed and mastered tracks on my external hard drives. A few years ago, I uploaded some stuff on Bandcamp, but I never really promoted any of it until now.

This is a two-track dance EP I recorded while I was living in a warehouse on Taranaki Street. At the time, I was listening to a lot of Baltimore Club, bits and pieces of Nu Rave, but also a lot of salsa for some reason. It will all make more sense if you give both tracks a cursory listen. Thanks to Zac at Doom Trip for mastering these for me.

This one is a weird collection of industrial downbeat, ambient dubstep, screw music homage and maybe even some UK grime/funky hybrid stuff. I produced these tracks on Taranaki Street as well, mostly late at night. ‘Your Touch’ is my favourite one. I actually gave it to a few dubstep DJs way back. Some of them even played it, haha. Big thanks to Mokotron for mixing and mastering this EP for me over a decade ago. I think he did most of the work on headphones on the bus.

I produced this one with my friend Joe. His uncle Tāne sung the vocals. Tek played some keys for me to cut up as well. I’m gonna say I had a vision for an ambient/liquid bmore club style track, but with more of a conventional song structure to it. Zac mastered this one as well. I owe you an email Zac.

A Note:

Thanks to Shawn from for spotlighting my recent interview with Rudy from A.R. Kane/Inrain for Test Pressing. You can read it here.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Greetings to you all from a wet Sunday afternoon in Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington. I arrived home earlier today after a productive if not somewhat delirious two weeks away in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Whether we acknowledge it or not, there’s always something going on.

I just want to acknowledge everyone who has messaged me or commented since I published Notes Towards A Personal Essay here at the end of March. Sometimes it’s just good to type it all out. I’m not going anywhere, but the last few weeks have really given me pause for thought about the volume of projects I need to have going on at the same time to keep putting fuel in the engine. It’s not easy. But what is easy, right? Like I said, there’s always something going on.

While I was in Tāmaki Makaurau, the homie Nicholas Lindstrom made his debut on Mixmag ANZ with Hiko: ‘Creating Māori oases in a concrete desert’. If you have some, give it a read. I’m proud of you Nick.

I was also lucky enough to see 95bFM breakfast host Rosetta Stone host a panel discussion in Whare Wānanga, Research and Heritage Services, Auckland Libraries with Taylor MacGregor, Savina Fountain, and MP Chlöe Swarbrick about the future of Tāmaki music venues. Rosetta, you did a great job. First panel moderation job down. Here’s to many more.

With that all being said, here’s this week’s Beats + Pieces.

Fables, Change Is A Slow Moving Beast

Over the last year, I’ve worked closely with Jessica Bailey aka Fables, on the media assets for her second album, Change Is a Slow Moving Beast. On Friday night, we celebrated the release of the album with a listening party at Open Coffee in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Below, you can read some text I wrote about the record. If you’re a Bandcamper, you can get it on Bandcamp now. It’s also up on streaming services an,d there are records in record stores. Fables is playing a few shows around the country at the moment as well.

Change Is a Slow Moving Beast welcomes us into the rich inner world of Tāmaki Makaurau singer-songwriter Jessica Bailey, aka Fables. Image by image, the music documents the moments that forced her to reevaluate her life, and the hard-won personal growth that followed. Over twelve moody, vivid chambers of song, she navigates indecision, vulnerability, and self-reflection, before realising that the pursuit of artistic clarity is the journey and the destination.

There’s a popular misconception that the human body completely replaces its cells every 7 years. While it isn’t strictly true, the idea serves as an apt metaphor for the distance between Bailey’s first EP, 2018’s Portraits, and Change Is a Slow-Moving Beast. From the eerie opening atmosphere of her paean to absolution, ‘Forgiving’, Bailey’s debut album emerges as a patiently paced exploration of how life inevitably transforms us.

Somewhere between diary entries, mood montages, and echoes of memory, songs like ‘Cacophony’, ‘Notebook’ and past singles ‘Sundown’ and ‘Eyes Closed’ delve into her relationships with grieving, yearning, and pining. These universal themes anchor the emotional landscape of the record. It’s been a long, slow rise, but for anyone who has ever made the mistake of not trusting their gut, Bailey’s album offers catharsis, acceptance, and release. By the time the album concludes, as ‘Every time I find the Meaning of Life’ rings out, she’s come to terms with the relationship between the goal posts and mirages. The good, the bad, the ugly, none of it lasts forever, so best we live through all of it the best we can.

Recorded with a resplendent cast of session musicians—bassist Cass Basil (Tiny Ruins, King Sweeties), multi-instrumentalist Dave Kahn (Marlon Williams, Reb Fountain), and drummer Arahi (Te Tokotoru, Pony Baby)—Change Is a Slow-Moving Beast dresses Bailey’s confessional songwriting in the textures of alt-country, Americana, contemporary folk and sleek, minimal synth-pop. Mixed by Australian audio engineer and musician Dan Luscombe (of The Drones) and produced by Khan, the album is rendered in a vivid, cinematic style that complements the music’s unguarded emotional intensity.

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Hun Lynch, Sycophant

On Saturday night, my friends at Noa Records helped host a pre-release listening party for Hun Lynch’s debut album, Sycophant, at Aesum Music House in Auckland. I was lucky enough to be in attendance and can safely say this is a good one. Lynch makes experimental pop music that rests on foundations built out of folk, jazz, psychedelic rock, trip-hop, downtempo and ‘90s rave.

Here’s her bio: Hun Lynch (Pakeha, Fiji, Samoa) is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans music, film, theatre, and writing. Her practice is expansive and deeply personal with the sound fluctuating between moments of spiritual grandeur and existential fragility.

Right now, you can listen to her first single, ‘Conan’. The full album will be out and about later in the week. You’ll be able to grab digital downloads, vinyl, or just hit the streamer. I’m going to write about Lynch and her music at a later date as well.

Alongside music, Lynch also works as an actor, most recently in Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant. Here’s the premise: When a messy millennial underachiever accidentally gets alien-pregnant she must overcome sceptical doctors, a useless baby-daddy, and her oversharing mum in order to survive and reclaim her life.

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Sanguine, Paraiso

Speaking of Noa Records, their in-house band, SANGUINE; the trio of David Feauai-Afaese, Navakatoa Tekela-Pule and Rāhana Tito-Taylor, recently reconvened for a new set of songs titled Paraiso. Over three retro-styled South Pacific rock tracks, they slide effortlessly between psychedelia, taonga puoro, and ambient guitar heroics, splitting the difference between The Durutti Column and mid-20th century Hawaiian exotica. It’s a good one. Well, a good three from a good three.

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LOUISA WILLIAMSON, GROUNDWORK (ONE YEAR)

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the release of Louisa Williamson’s sophomore album, Groundwork. In commemoration of that anniversary, I’m republishing the album text I wrote for her at the time below.

Three years after the release of her APRA best jazz composition award-winning debut album, What Dreams May Come, Wellington, New Zealand-based composer, woodwind player, and session musician Louisa Williamson returns with her sophomore release, Groundwork.

Closer to a prelude than a second album, Groundwork collects seven pieces Williamson wrote and composed between 2016 and 2024 while she was finding her place within New Zealand’s contemporary jazz, soul, funk, and popular music communities. Opening with free-flowing saxophone lines, piano and driving rhythms of ‘Generosity, the album gently unfolds into a sentimental homage to musical and personal growth, the power of being held by a loving community, and the possibilities that unfold when you step beyond your preconceived boundaries.

On ‘Red Pepper’, Williamson pairs a jazzy breakbeat that wouldn’t have sounded out of place sampled on a 90s hip-hop record with an understated but deeply funky bassline, while triumphant woodwinds and dynamic electric guitar dance in an improvised dialogue above. ‘In Tune’ featuring fellow Wellington singer-songwriter MĀ begins with a furious flurry of sound before settling into a more sedate and soulful zone, setting the scene for the cinematic trombone and saxophone led shapes of ‘Lake Glass’ and the playful trad-jazz meets sensibilities of ‘Lou Lou’. From there, the sequence concludes with the elegant big band swing of ‘Audacity’ and the sneaky, jazz-funk shuffle that runs through ‘Supervision.’

Williamson recorded and mixed Groundwork at Te Ahumairangi Massey Studio and Dawn Diver Studio in Wellington with the Taite Music Prize-winning engineer and producer Ben Lemi. Across the album, she can be found playing with Callum Allardice (guitar), Daniel Hayles (piano), Johnny Lawrence (bass), Cory Champion (drums, percussion), Kaito Walley (trombone) and Maarire Brunning-Kouka aka MĀ (vocals).

Outside of her own composition and performance work, Williamson has shared stages as a session musician with L.A.B., Trinity Roots, Dawn Diver, Bret McKenzie Band, AJA, MĀ, Rob Ruha, Clear Path Ensemble, The Rodger Fox Big Band, Other Futures Big Band, Lord Echo and Louis Baker. When she isn’t composing, recording or performing, she teaches improvisation, saxophone and ensemble class at the New Zealand School of Music (Victoria University).

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TBC Radio

TBC Radio is a nonprofit broadcast connection run by an open collective of music creatives in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland. The music is the selector’s choice: non-commercial sounds, unexpected gems, and homegrown artists often overlooked by mainstream platforms.

They’re building a growing archive of alternative culture; preserving local stories and sounds, supporting community connection, and making space for shared musical experiences. Alongside the station, they lease a physical space for learning, listening, and gathering: a place to connect, run workshops, and continue the work of education and archival.

On Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of DJing on TBC for two hours. I appreciated the vibes and the lively chat room. It’s always really great to catch new platforms as they’re emerging. I’ll be keeping an eye on what they’re doing. Follow along here.

What I’ve Been Listening To:

When Half Queen played this song on bFM last week, I got so mad I had to buy it on Bandcamp, download it, and load it onto my DJ USB stick. How very dare you absolutely nail the vibe like this, Mim Jensen, LMFAO.

Far out bro.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

In 1991, Rudy Tambala of A.R. Kane and Alison Shaw of Cranes came together to release a collaborative 7” record through the Rough Trade Singles Club series as inrain. Across three songs, ‘Grow’, ‘...And Julie Rose,’ and ‘Sleep’, they mapped out a sensibility that split the difference between dream-pop, shoegaze and the emerging sounds of trip-hop. Underscored by classical sensibilities, restrained art-pop melodies, and nods towards the UK’s rapidly transforming ‘90s electronic music landscape, their “Grow” EP was a quiet gem of nocturnal music for anyone who has ever spent the after-midnight hours wondering about the world and their place in it.

Thirty-five years later, the songs on “Grow”, and two other unheard inrain cuts, ‘Biology’ and ‘Sleep (Piano Mix)’, are on the verge of returning to us as a gloriously remastered 12” vinyl and digital release package titled ‘Rise’ on April 23 2026, via the good people at Music From Memory. In advance of the release date, I emailed Rudy and asked him to reflect on the project and the era in which it was created. His answers were honest, refreshing and funny.

Test Pressing: Could you describe what was going on in your world in the lead-up to Inrain?

Rudy Tambala: I was just emerging from a few years of intense A.R. Kane activity, and I had also ploughed Kane cash into building a studio (H.Ark!) in Stratford, E.15. I started doing some music for ads and MTV stings, then it progressed into becoming a production company, label and commercial studio. I was well busy. I produced some stuff for Rough Trade - our label at the time - I most remember Boo Radleys. Crazy, talented guys. Alex was off in the USA chasing different dreams.

How did you feel about what was going on in music at the time?

We’d had the Second Summer of Love, and the rave scene was in full throttle. I liked some of the emerging electronic music, especially the dub-influenced Jungle and Trip Hop. Acid House, not so much, as it seemed very constrained initially. Later, house music got deeper and more nuanced. Rock-wise, I think we had hit the high watermark already. I don’t think much new was happening - just rehashed rock n roll, and journeys into noise, introspective experimentation - maybe it was what is now called post-rock and shoegaze.

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Do you remember when you first started hearing Allison Shaw’s music with Cranes?

Geoff gave me a demo of Cranes, Sundays and various other bands. It was impossible not to compare them all to the Cocteau Twins, but I tried to listen to what was unique. Alison was certainly unique. I loved her voice and style immediately. We arranged to meet at H.Ark! - I think she came with her manager - good move, I wouldn’t want to travel on my own to the East End to meet some moody producer in an industrial unit! We chatted and hung out for a while, and just said ‘Yea, let’s do some music together’. It was easy. Right.

When you started making music as Inrain, did you envision it as music DJs might gravitate towards?

I never thought about DJs at all. At the time, I didn’t like them on the whole - “FFS they just play other people’s music” was my mentality then.

Writers note: Thinking about ‘Pump Up the Volume’ by M|A|R|R|S while I was reading this made me chuckle.

Did you start working together straight away?

We just got straight to work. Jamming ideas together, developing them. Taking bits away. Getting back together, evolving the ideas. It went on for several months. We really enjoyed each other’s company and were never rushed. I think we had great musical chemistry, possibly the best since I’d worked with Alex. In another world we’d probably have had a fully fledged band together.

What do you think you found together that you might not have found otherwise?

Chemical reactions are unique. Add this element to that element, and you get… Well, whatever you get. Alison and Rudy, at that time and that place, reacted in a way we labelled ‘inrain’. It was what it was. Couldn’t have been different. Could never have been the same.

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What sort of expectations did you have for the music at the time?

I don’t think either of us thought much about that kinda thing. We worked intimately, in our own little bubble. What unfolded was quiet and simple. It was nice.

What has it been like revisiting this work? Did you take any convincing, or were you right into it?

I have been approached several times over the years to re-release the tracks, but until now, it never felt quite right. Music From Memory is the perfect new home for inrain. The remastering blew me away - the songs now sound the way I wanted them to, but couldn’t achieve for the RT Singles Club 7” single. Tako, Jonny, Boris - they are all so warm, open and lovely to work with - they make loving fun!

How did you reconnect with Alison to record ‘Biology’ in 2012?

Alison lived on the south coast, and my family had a place nearby on the Isle of Wight. We decided to just meet up and see how it went. The moment I arrived at Alison’s place, it was - “Hey, can I play your guitar? I have a tune, what do you think?” Same as before. Instantaneous musical chemistry. Over the next several months, we worked on a bunch of ideas and did some demo mixes. We sent them out to a few labels, but got no real interest. One of the tracks was Biology. We both thought it would be a nice addition to Rise; simple, intimate.

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Decades later, what do you think are the best and worst things about releasing music and performing circa 2026?

Best: releasing is 100% self-sufficient. Worst: lack of limits can mean drifting a bit. It’s hard to get marketing cut-through - there is so much music out there. Post office runs - OMG!

Best for performing: it’s nice to have appreciative crowds that know your music and give such a positive vibe. Worst: getting home after a gig. I desperately need a tour manager!

This interview has been lightly edited for readability.

Rise by inrain is due for release through Music From Memory in vinyl and digital formats on April 23 2026 (pre-order here)

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Mouthfull Radio: Eternity’s Gate 3

The latest mix in my Eternity’s Gate series for Mouthfull Radio is live on soundcloud and mixcloud now for re-streaming.

Eternity’s Gate 3 is a memory maze of music I’ve listened to over the last thirty years. When I think about it, I think about listening to Dean Blunt on wired headphones in Hackney, discovering Tricky and Massive Attack as a teenager, and reading about Clams Casino and LA Vampires in The Wire.

These songs remind me of old flats, trips overseas, and hours spent on mp3 blogs in the 2000s. They also remind me of watching musicians like Purple Pilgrims, Fazerdaze and Womb make their way into the worlds of music.

I’ve interviewed or met half of the artists featured in this DJ mix. I’ve seen half of them play live as well, but not the same half. It’s a funny old life.

What I’ve Been Listening To:

If you like intimate piano music, this is the absolute gold standard.

Introspective Australian dream-pop/shoegaze with a little jungle twist.

She produces dance music. She DJs. She sings. She raps. She plays the violin to a classical level. She’s doing it all at once. I’m excited to see where this all goes next.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Mixmag ANZ: Kaishandao 开山刀: Bridging Aotearoa & Asia

Kristen Ng is a Chinese New Zealander with family roots in Taishan, Guangdong. Since 2014, she’s been based in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province, where she works on a range of music projects, including Kiwese, Kaishandao 开山刀, and Chengdu Community Radio.

Raised in Te Whanganui-a-tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand), Ng spent her teenage years playing guitar, busking in the inner-city, and working odd jobs along Cuba Street. By the time she finished high school, she was deeply immersed in the city’s underground and alternative music, arts and culture communities. After moving to China, she continued to explore the disparate worlds of DIY music, but this time around, she felt increasingly drawn towards club culture and dance music as well.

In 2013, she launched Kiwese, a music blog-turned-independent touring label and promotion agency. Ng’s vision for the platform was to help foster meaningful connections between China and Aotearoa New Zealand through music, travel, and culture. Since 2015, she has toured Orchestra of Spheres, The All-Seeing Hand, BIRDPARTY, Womb, Strange Stains, and Vera Ellen across China.

For the last 9 years, Ng has also recorded and performed live electronic music as Kaishandao 开山刀, building a following in China, Aotearoa, and further abroad. Working within the slipstreams between live instrumentation, machine beats, field recordings and synthesised sounds, her music, as documented on her two EPs, Homeland (2019) and Aunty Dubs (2026), is a kaleidoscopic wonderland of house, techno, IDM, 2-step, breaks, and digital dub gestures. Never forgetting her roots, she imbues her performances with a post-punk / dance-punk strut and the feeling of those nights out that don’t finish until lunchtime.

Inspired by Chengdu’s burgeoning club music scene and DJ culture, Ng teamed up with her friend Aymen to form Chengdu Community Radio in 2019. Across their archives, you can listen to a wealth of local documentation.

Recently, Ng launched KIWESE WORD by KAISHANDAO, a Patreon page for sharing writing, reflections, touring advice, hot tips, and hot takes. In mid-March, I caught up with her over a video call for Mixmag ANZ. You can read our Q&A here.

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MOKOMOKAI: The Lowlands Tour

Thanks to Twisted Frequency, Everything Always and MOKOKOMAI’s management for inviting me to write the press release for their debut Australian tour.

This April, the celebrated Māori hip-hop group MOKOMOKAI, are headed across the Tasman Sea to tour Australia for the first time.

Known for moody songs that explore habits and contradictions, the push and pull between life in the city and the country, and how young boys running wild in the dark grow into principled men who’d do anything to protect their whānau, their live show is unforgettable.

Since 2022, MANU, DUSTY and GHOS have released three celebrated albums: MOKOMOKAI (2022), WHAKAREHU (2023), and PONO! (2025), on pounamu green, merlot red and whalebone white vinyl, no less. Across those treasured taonga, they’ve collaborated with a who’s who of Aotearoa hip-hop, soul and funk talents, including Brandn Shiraz, Melodownz, Mā, Troy Kingi, Lukan Raisey, Tyra Hammond, Lui, Chip Matthews, Willie Wes and Tai Walters.

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On a sonic level, their music blends jazz and exotica loops, taonga pūoro (traditional Māori instruments), hard, programmed drums, and live basslines and guitars into a cinematic mode of moody, lower-tempo boombap. It’s a backdrop that captures the gritty realities of young lives lived fast in small towns and inner city backstreets across Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu (New Zealand).

The bloody, beating heart of their music is the relationship between DUSTY and GHOS’ meticulously arranged beats and MANU’s magnetic rhymes and presence. Their songs shift effortlessly from jaw-dropping narratives to laugh-out-loud punchlines, introspection and social observation, drawing audiences into a world that feels intimate and expansive. On stage, their energy is electrifying and undeniable, imbued with a vibe you can almost reach out and touch. A night with MOKOMOKAI is always a night to remember.

Celebrated by Rolling Stone Australia/New Zealand, Sniffers, Radio New Zealand and The Spinoff, their records and performances have earned them international acclaim. In 2025, MOKOMOKAI won Te Rōpū Mariu Favourite Group at the SRN’s Aotearoa Alternative Awards, solidifying their spot as one of the most exciting contemporary hip-hop acts in Aotearoa. That same year, their single ‘KUPE’ featuring Melodownz was nominated for Single of the Year at the Aotearoa Music Awards.

For the tour dates and ticket sales, click here.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Introducing Tyran’s solo debut; I Want To See You Again b/w Heaven, two slices of the Aotearoa based singer’s soulful baritone over 60s & 70s informed Soul & Lovers Rock, produced by Kenny Sterling.

Over the last six months, Tyran Talamaivao, a teacher’s aide by day and a singer-songwriter by night, has become one of the most anticipated new voices in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Today, he steps out of the shadows with the release of his double single, ‘Heaven’ (featuring The Hongi Slicker & AJ Honeysuckle). b/w I Want To See You Again’ (featuring Summer Vee).

Written and demoed during what Tyran calls quick, easy and natural “hour of power” sessions with Mānuka Recordings co-founder and in-house producer Kenny Sterling, the songs feature a cast of collaborators including the composer Navakatoa Tekela-Pule (Noa Records) and a who’s who of local session musicians. Across both songs, Tyran’s warm baritone is the star, bathed in the golden light of late summer and early autumn in the city of a thousand lovers.

Though their chemistry suggests longtime friends, Tyran and Kenny only started working together in October 2025 after they were introduced by Elijah Manu, aka Church (of Church and AP). After Manu’s prompt, Tyran downloaded Kenny’s instrumental jazz-funk song ‘Love’s Mirage’, chopped it up, and tracked a demo over it. A week later, they were in the studio.

Across ‘I Want To See You Again’, the proud West Auckland-born Samoan singer-songwriter and guitarist, croons sweetly about waiting to see someone special again over a bubbling reggae soul groove. With Ezra Donnelly on drums and Navakatoa on bass, the rhythm section is rock solid. As Tyran and Summer Vee’s voices intertwine, JY Lee, Navakatoa and Kenny add flutes, electric guitar, Moog synthesiser and other instrumentation to the heartfelt singalong vibes.

On the flipside, ‘Heaven’ finds Cory Champion (drums), Julien Dyne (percussion), Navakatoa, and Kenny setting up a sweet 1980s-style UK Lovers Rock riddim for Tyran to play guitar and pour his heart out over. As he sings about the sacred and the profane, desire and transcendence, The Hongi Slicker and AJ Honeysuckle hop in for some beautifully complementary backing vocals.

Recorded between Aesum Music House, Sterling Studios, and The Hong Slicker’s home studios, the songs were mixed by Kenny and mastered by Josh Llewellyn at Downbeat Mastering.

‘I Want To See You Again’ / ‘Heaven’ is available now on limited-edition vinyl, digital download, and streaming platforms.

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Now, if that has piqued your interest, here’s a bit more background information.

Few emerging singers in Aotearoa possess a baritone as rich and disarming as Tyran Talamaivao, nor the same instinct for expressing joy and heartbreak through timeless metaphors. Raised in West Auckland on 1970s soft rock, disco, and soul, from Barry White to Motown, he came to music gradually, picking up guitar in his early teens before discovering his voice with encouragement from a high school music teacher.

The son of hardworking parents, the handsome young Samoan singer-songwriter and guitarist balances discipline with creativity. In 2025, he dedicated himself more fully to music, writing and recording at Stebbing Studios alongside longtime friend Church (of Church & AP, and later collaborating with producer Kenny Sterling of Mānuka Recordings. His recent work spans lovers’ rock, soul, R&B, and house, including his forthcoming debut EP Six Strings & A Heartbeat.

In the same tradition as Bill Withers, Tracy Chapman, and Mahinārangi Tocker, he makes intimate, inward-looking songs with expansive universal appeal. He knows his way around three chords and the truth, and he’s got a quiet charisma that makes his performances undeniable. All he needs is an acoustic guitar and his unmistakable voice.

ODDS + ENDS

At 10 am on Saturday the 11th of April, Mouthfull Radio is playing the latest installment in my Eternity’s Gate mixshow series. Here’s a brief blurb about it.

Eternity’s Gate 4 is sunny summer car rides along the coast of Te Waipounamu, Greatsouth sending you a DM asking why you haven’t shown him Dead People Famous yet, and Yo Ta Lengo concerts in Te Whanganui-a-tara. It’s also listening to Tricky with corded headphones and a Discman while skateboarding in the ‘90s, downloading Hyperdub Records’ promos to write about on blogs, and seeing Leao play at Whammy Bar in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s a lot of things. 19 indie rock, dream pop, shoegaze, trip-hop and ambient guitar jams, all packed into one hour for your listening pleasure.

You’ll be able to stream it live here. Expect an archive upload soon enough as well.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Over the last 15 years, the Dunedin dream-pop/post-punk trio Death and the Maiden has released three critically loved albums: Death and the Maiden, Wisteria, and Uneven Ground. They have made music that feels distinctly Southern, but rather than just replicating the sensibilities associated with Flying Nun, Xpressway and Corpus Hermeticum, they add new electronic shades and textures to the Dunedin story. Along the way, they have cultivated a cult audience at home and abroad, while doing things on their own timescale.

You can read the full feature here.

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Dazed: 10 great albums you may have missed in the last three months

Four times a year, I write a column about ten albums and EPs from the previous three months for Dazed & Confused’s Dazed Digital website. Next year, I will have been doing this for ten years, which feels insane, but good as well.

Recently on Dazed, we’ve looked at how a Venezuelan pop band became political exiles, met the sound of New York adolescence, and explored the UK underground’s new identity crisis. We’ve also explored the story behind The Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’ video, asked Kim Gordon what to read, listen to and watch, and hosted a Dazed Mix by Evissimax.

Three months into the year, and we’re still in a mad world. Despite the uncertainties that colour the day-to-day realities of many, music continues to offer the potential for shared communal spaces and to serve as a source of collective solace. The global music community continues to face ongoing economic challenges related to touring, releasing, and promoting music, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Expert difficulty level settings be damned, new and under-discussed talents from the world of underground music will always continue to use connection and craft to find their way.

For the first edition of our 2026 quarterly roundup, we continue to reflect on and acknowledge musicians, artists, producers, and DJs from around the globe, all with strong communities, real visions, and important statements to make. Here are ten essential Q1 releases, all available on Bandcamp.

You can read my full column here.

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What I’ve been reading:

The Shock End of Savage Hanoi: On New Year’s Eve, the treasured Vietnamese club shut prematurely. Vivian Yeung examines its impact and the trend of closures across East and Southeast Asia. Read here.

DJ Nobu selects 10 leftfield tracks he has on rotation while touring: The legendary Japanese musician has a track for every mood while travelling the world, whether he’s winding down at the hotel after a show or finding solace in the sweet sounds of Chicano soul and lovers rock. Gemma Ross for Mixmag. Read here.

How Minnesota’s underground club community is standing up to ICE aggression: From fundraising for mutual aid and amplifying protests to providing safe spaces for people to gather, reflect and dance, Michael McKinney explores the ways in which the underground rave community of Minnesota’s Twin Cities – Minneapolis and St. Paul – has responded to the violent surge of ICE presence in their state. Read here.

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What I’ve been listening to:

On March the 24th there was a performance of the 1985 Propaganda album ‘A Secret Wish’ at The Garage in Islington, London. The performance featured the original singers Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag and the album’s producer Steve Lipson. ‘A Secret Wish’ entered ‘A Secret Place’ and x marked the spot…

This one is still a modern classic to me.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Every now and then, I get asked to DJ at a pretty interesting event. This is one of those moments.

PSY FI is an independent showcase, bringing together different streams of future-focused Aotearoa artists - music, visual arts and writing - on Saturday May 09, 2026, at Massey University’s Great Hall, in Pōneke Wellington.

Beginning with the book launch of Pōneke writer Lee Hana’s postpunk speculative stories ‘Descendants’, we’ll hear the celestial harmonics of Erika Grant and Tondo’s shimmering waves of guitar overwhelm. Dance to the alien warmth of Dream Chambers, and then a rare sighting of sublime shoegazers The Golden Awesome, before BirdParty’s industrial dancefloor workout. Headlining is a special set from the original quiet mind, ambient techno legend Micronism, back from Australia just for this show. Charmort then blazes new trails in electronica until late. All of this, with video artists projected mile-wide and deep knowledge from DJ Martyn Pepperell.

Presale tickets are available here.

Lee Hana: is a Pōneke writer with a new book of visionary science fiction, ‘Descendants’.

Tondo: the mesmerising duo of Gemma Thompson from Savages (UK) and Sam Sherry from A Dead Forest Index.

Erika Grant: is both a sound explorer and one of Pōneke’s great musical collaborators, from Orchestra of Spheres to Cookie Brooklyn & The Crumbs.

Dream Chambers: is the otherworldly astral vehicle for beloved Aotearoa-American songwriter Jess Chambers.

The Golden Awesome: a rare special appearance graces us with peerless legendary shoegaze.

BIRDPARTY: electronic producer Emma Bernard of Ludus and William Barrett of black metal’s Heresiarch work up an ecstatic sci-fi club soundtrack.

Micronism: Denver McCarthy’s incomparable Micronism project uses ambient techno to burst all boundaries in a transcendent flood.

Charmort: Charlie Morton, bushwhacking surprising new trails through the nexus of bleeding-edge electronica.

7 pm—1 am, with DJ Martyn Pepperell and video artists. Free parking, licensed bar.

The Great Hall is a fully accessible venue.

EXTRA:

Last week, I went on Mouthfull Radio’s New Day Rising breakfast show with Jack. We had a good time. Check it out above.

TL Stamp: “Miracle Mile is a 1988 film about imminent nuclear destruction. This song is not really about that, it’s more about the excitement of new beginnings, or getting jazzed about a fun holiday, something like that.”

Auckland man of many hats, TL Stamp, returns to the Bandcamp singles market with an oddly addictive new dance record titled ‘Miracle Mile’. In the words of the esteemed Teddy Wong, “It’s got this sort of locked-in kraut psych jazz library music vibe.”

I can’t say I disagree with Mr. Wong. After introducing a skipping half-time rhythm, shimmering guitars and a touch of vocoder (?), TL Stamp sauces things up with some shakers and a circular synthesiser melody that’s addictive to say the least. I’d recommend listening to this one on loop for optimal impact. More of this soon please, TL!

FIN.

PS: I’m going to self-publish a book of twelve music essays about musicians I’ve written about over the last twelve years. More details soon!

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Before we proceed, thanks to everyone for the feedback on Notes Towards A Personal Essay. Today, we’re getting back to basics with some of the usual stuff with the 90th edition of Beats + Pieces. Please enjoy.

Audio Culture: Ten New Zealand Jazz Records from 2016 to 2025

This week on Audio Culture, I wrote about ten New Zealand jazz albums from the last ten years. The framework I opted for here was one per year. I’ll mention a few other honourable mentions below.

For the longtime players and keepers of the faith, jazz – much like folk, country, rock, and increasingly, hip-hop and electronica – never really goes away. Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, the genre, one of the great cultural traditions the United States has shared with the world, has deep roots dating back to the late 1800s. Over a century later, it continues to be a mode of playing and a source of influence for generation after generation of New Zealand musicians.

If you search for jazz on AudioCulture, you’ll find quite a lot of writing about various 20th century New Zealand jazz musicians. What about this century? Here are 10 significant Aotearoa New Zealand jazz records, one per year, from the decade just past. As it turns out, the mid-to-late 2010s and early 2020s have been a very promising stretch for our local jazz scenes; the musicians operate in genres a step or two removed, while drinking from the same wellsprings.

I’m not a formalist, so not everything in this list is straight-ahead jazz. However, amidst the more experimental, or genre-crossing fusion records I have selected, there are always moments that glide back towards the conventions of tradition. It’s pleasing to note that most of the acts included here have been acknowledged with wins or nominations at the Aotearoa Music Awards and the APRA Best Jazz Composition Award. And, if not, the music still unquestionably speaks for itself.

You can read the full list over on Audio Culture here.

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Bonus: Aotearoa Jazz Extras

Joe Kaptein is a multi-instrumentalist, but mainly a keyboardist, who composes and produces music in Auckland, New Zealand, and Eternal Afternoon is the album that made me start really paying attention to what he’s doing. Joe’s got a big imagination and it really shows here.

Dark Light wasn’t recorded in the last ten years, but it is my favourite album from the globe-trotting composer and pianist Jonathan Crayford. I hung out with him in Paris while he was writing the music. The music was inspired by Galois Candle, a genius French mathematician (1811 – 1832) who used abstract algebra to prove the links between field theory and group theory, before dying in a sword fight. I need to tell my guy Gabriel Krauze about Candle, I think he’d love him.

I don’t know if I really think this album is jazz, but elements of it are. I wish Riki Pirihi & Abigail Aroha Jensen had funding to turn it into a video game, or some kind of immersive VR experience even.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

Underground Resilience: Lisbon’s DIY club scene refuses to give up on the dancefloor: Over the past decade, Lisbon has been a haven of DIY nightlife, with a plethora of collectives, record stores, artists, labels and venues coming together to create a vibrant and varied scene. But the Portuguese capital’s underground club community has also faced a wave of threats, with venue closures and hostile government policies endangering its fragile ecosystem, forcing many to rethink the ways it can move forward. Here, April Clare Welsh meets with the artists and promoters who are fighting to keeping the scene alive — a community that refuses to give up the dancefloor. Read here.

A History of Early Electroclash in Ten Tracks: DJ Hell and The Hacker pick electroclash’s key anthems between 1997 and 2001, revisiting the blueprints for the rule-breaking sub-genre still rocking dance floors 30 years later. Read here.

Why won’t the Australian music industry talk about Daniel Ek’s “private” meetings?: Following the Spotify co-founder and Ai military start-up Helsing chairman’s “lunch with music industry bosses”, little has been said publicly. Read here.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

This one is a hall of fame remix. If you know, you know.

I love seeing Arooj Aftab thrive. If I really think about the best concerts I’ve been to over the last couple of decades, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Sade, Beverly Glenn Copeland, Brian Jackson and Arooj Aftab are in the mix big time. Arooj is really up there.

An absolutely insane ambient techno record I hope to write about more soon.

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A Short Story:

Nine months ago, I started carving out little chunks of time here and there to write short stories. Here’s one I came up with recently. It’s set in a speculative, not-so-distant future in Wellington, New Zealand, a place where people really need their cup of barista coffee.

Most days, the man spent several hours sitting at the window, watching the street. Since the government started delivering weekly supplies, they hadn’t left the house much. There was talk that waste disposal might resume soon. It was a welcome break from how mad everything got for a couple of years.

He vividly remembered when the power and the internet went down. Those days had been confusing and scary. The toughest bit was when they were fortifying the house. He didn’t like to think about the screams. He woke up in a cold sweat most nights. His wife and their one surviving child often did the same.

Today felt different. When he sat down in front of the window after breakfast, he realised the blood smeared across their homemade security bars was completely dry. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. The mangled bodies that were on the street yesterday had disappeared as well. Those waste-disposal rumours might be real.

For a moment, the whole street felt eerily still. As he sipped his morning instant coffee, the clouds cleared, and the sun shone down on the street. The sky above looked very blue, and he could hear birds singing in the distance. They weren’t just any birds, either. They were Tuis. Tui’s always made him think of that cheap beer brand and their “Yeah Right” billboards. They could have done some good ones about the way everything had gone. He remembered seeing a few decent memes in that format during the pandemic.

Back in his old life, the man had spent his mornings posting on Facebook. He’d spent a lot of time on Facebook in the afternoons and evenings as well, especially after the agency work dried up. His friends said he spent too much time on there. The arguments hadn’t been good for his blood pressure, but if he hadn’t been on there so much, he wouldn’t have clocked what was happening in real time. He’d been able to get them prepared. They were a good unit at first, but a good unit couldn’t prepare for everything. At least that was what he told himself.

The man got up and walked downstairs into the basement rumpus room. He always felt safe down there. So did the rest of the family. His wife and daughter were watching a movie on the big TV they’d pilfered from one of the abandoned houses on the street. It was The Princess Bride. These days, they watch movies on DVD. They’d scored a bunch from Aro Video in the village during an early supply raid after the lights came back on. He patted both of them on the shoulder, then headed back upstairs.

When the man looked out the window again, he got a surprise. One of their neighbours was on the street, standing by what remained of his letterbox. He waved to the man and called out to him by name. The man waved back and yelled out a greeting. Neither of them had done this for a long time. It felt odd, but the man went with it.

What happened next was even more surprising. The neighbour walked over to the man’s window. “Hey, I heard they’ve opened a coffee shop for essential workers down in the village,” he said. “One of my friends told me that if you turn up, they’ll serve you even if you aren’t certified and equipped. Apparently, they do good barista coffee and counter food. He said they have croissants. They’re making croissants again! Can you believe it?”

The man thought about the pitiful government-supplied instant coffees he’d been drinking in the mornings. Today was particularly bad. Once upon a time, he’d been a proper coffee snob. Into the single-origin coffees, the different filter techniques, you name it. What he really loved was an espresso flat white and a sweet baked treat. That had been his daily combo for years when he was working remotely for the agency. Those were the days. When he thought about it, he didn’t even know if anyone else from the agency was still alive.

His neighbour looked at him with a cheeky grin. “I’m going to go and try my luck,” he said. “You want to come?” The man nodded. “Be right out,” he replied. He put on his boots and jacket, double-locked the door behind him, and pulled on his weapon harness. He was as much of an armchair expert as the next man, but he had decent tools. That said, a lot of it came down to that garden shed they found on one scouting expedition. Whoever had spent their free time there was even better prepared than he’d been. He used to wonder what had happened to them, but you can only ruminate on the same thought so many times.

Pausing to look at his DIY mace, he thought about all the zombie heads he’d smashed in with it. He’d never forget finishing off that stupid politician who always said, “Now what I’ll say to you is this” at press conferences. That had been really satisfying. It was a shame he hadn’t been able to post that on Facebook. There was no guilt either. Once they turned, killing them was a mercy. If the tables were turned, he hoped someone would do the same for him.

“You gonna get your stuff?” he asked his neighbour. The neighbour walked back to his house, picked up the spiked baseball bat and shield he kept by the door and rejoined him on the street. The man briefly wondered if he should tell his wife and daughter. “Nah,” he thought. They’ll be watching the film for another hour. The village was a ten-minute walk. Maybe if everything went according to plan, he could bring them back some takeaway: a flat white and an almond croissant. His wife would like that. Perhaps they’d do a fluffy for his daughter.

To be continued. All good if not.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Today’s newsletter is a series of notes towards a personal essay. It’s also a loose recap of what I’ve been up to over the last three months.

#1

Back in January, I did something I hadn’t done since my mid-twenties: I made a CV. After close to two decades of freelancing, it was an odd experience. How do you turn nearly twenty years of writing for magazines, newspapers, and websites into something that looks like a coherent work history? When you add in copywriting, DJing, broadcast radio work and event promotion, the whole exercise gets even stranger. None of it resembles a conventional resume.

I categorised the types of freelance work I do. Once I’d done that, I used them to illustrate the range of skills I’ve developed: research and analysis, information presentation, project management, and written and verbal communication. I left off photography and DJing. I didn’t get the feeling they’d send the right message, heh.

While I was doing this, I took stock of the areas where I felt my skills were lacking. I even briefly considered signing up for a free SEO course. I still might. I’d love to brush up on graphic design as well. Afterwards, I laid out my CV in a Google Docs template. Then I typed up a cover letter and sent both files to a range of employment agencies that seemed sympathetic to my particular set of skills.

A week went by, and no one had replied. Oh well. I’d given it a go. As the Afro-Appalachian singer-songwriter Mon Rovîa reminded me that month, everything we do, the good and bad choices we make, leads us to where we are now. He told me he just tries to take it all in. I try to do the same. He also told me he isn’t that into eating food. Love you bro, but I could never agree there.

A few days later, work requests for the new year started rolling in. One of the first jobs I finished in January was an exploration of ‘80s club music production here in Aotearoa for Mixmag Australia/New Zealand. We’re talking machine beats: synth-pop, minimal wave, electro, EBM, proto-house. You know the wheelhouse.

Working on it reminded me that sometimes people don’t get compensated for doing incredible things. Sometimes they don’t even get acknowledged. When the ‘80s Auckland dance music trio Obscure Desire put out their first and only 12”, the local music press made jokes about the hairdressers putting a record out. Thirty-odd years later, it went on to become an internationally sought after cult classic. Sometimes it all works out in the end, sort of.

Then you have cases like poor old Vincent Van Gogh, a painter who believed he was standing outside eternity’s gate, but died before finding out. We don’t always get what we want. Even when we get what we want, it doesn’t always play out the way we want.

2#

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud, the French artist, cartoonist and writer who worked under the pseudonym Mœbius, loved to use a story archetype about someone who yearns for something more than anything. Then, when they get it, they realise they don’t want it anymore. Have you ever had that experience?

#3

I’ve been back on a dream pop, shoegaze and post-punk tip lately. When Radio Active 88.6 FM booked me to DJ at their stage during Cuba Street’s annual Parking Day street festival, I think they expected Lovers Rock not Cocteau Twins. So it goes.

I’m playing a couple of shows with the British musician Mark William Lewis in April, and I’m back in my 4AD bag big time. As a byproduct of this, I’ve signed up to record a monthly DJ mix for Mouthful Radio. Episodes one and two are online now. I named the show Eternity’s Gate after I watched the film about Van Gogh starring Willem Dafoe. I do get tired, but I always find a way to keep myself busy. That’s probably why I get tired in the first place.

#4

Recently, I thought I might have to take a break when I kept mixing up syllables in words. After a couple days off, I realised I’d been exhausted. At a certain point, you can’t stack heavy weekends on top of heavy weeks like you used to. I’m still learning the lesson here. Progress and recovery are non-linear as well. You don’t just make some changes and get instant results.

When it all feels like too much, I think about stories people have shared with me about adversity. While I was profiling a music producer recently, they told me about a few things they’d been through. They also didn’t tell me about a few other things they’d been through. I knew what they weren’t talking about. I didn’t probe because I didn’t think it was relevant to the story. People survive more than we know, and we survive more than we admit.

#5

Anyway, the freelance job requests were in my inbox, often accompanied by ridiculous deadlines. I turned around a few essays about artist laureates of Aotearoa New Zealand for an upcoming book, wrote some list-type articles for a few music websites, and knocked out a bunch of press releases and artist biographies for record labels. I also played a seven-hour DJ set for a local coffee shop during a very well-attended community street festival. As payment, they gave me a laminated card that entitles me to free coffee for the next twelve months. That’s a great hourly rate.

Eventually, a few automated-looking agency emails came back. The message was clear: Sorry, we don’t have any use for you. At first, I didn’t think about it. I didn’t have the time. I was too busy doing the work. I spent weeks editing a set of 5,000-word liner notes for a 1970s west coast jazz reissue. I also had some long profiles to write. Doing the work takes time, and getting paid usually takes even longer.

Some media outlets and organisations are better than others, but it’s easy to forget to reply to an email or forward an invoice on to accounts. I can’t talk, I ignore emails and forget to reply all the time. I’ve got my reasons, as we all do. I’m not in denial either. Human errors happen. Invoices get missed. I’m aware this part isn’t simple. Often, it all comes back to cash flow.

I’m experienced at what I do. In many ways, I’m in demand. Nevertheless, I’m still part of the precariat. Platform capitalism is a thing I contend with. When I talk to my peers, there’s an unspoken expectation that freelance arts workers will have a stable source of income. A job in administration, or some shifts in a cafe. Often that’s true, but not always. By now, the reasons I made a CV at the start of the year should be clear.

I’ve been doing this work since 2007. I’ve lost count of the number of paradigm shifts I’ve had to adapt to along the way. I’ve gone from writing for magazines to working for digital agencies and websites. Lately, I’m writing for print publications again as well. Some weeks, it feels like the goalposts move daily.

#6

I have huge respect people like Maxine Funke, a Dunedin-based avant-folk musician who restricts her staggering creativity to evenings and weekends. During the week, she works to pay the bills. I spent a lot of time thinking about her music while I was writing about her recently. Maxine’s art feels like it will never be tainted, but she hasn’t had an easy life.

Things aren’t as simple as they look on the surface. That’s as true of people’s lives as it is of their work. Ernest Hemingway really snapped when he came up with his iceberg theory. If you show someone twenty percent, their brain will fill in the rest. It just might not fill it in like you hoped.

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Writing about music and the cultures that surround it is a privilege. I’m not going to say I’ve seen the world, but I’ve seen a lot of it. Just last month, I got flown to a country I’ve never visited before for work. Just when I think I’m ready to throw in the towel, I always hear another amazing album, catch another special show, or have another fascinating conversation. Like Abigail Macilquham aka Horn, I’m still always ready to be surprised by the wisdom of other people as well.

Just last week, I saw that the hyped New York electronica duo Fcukers played a remix of ‘In The Neighbourhood’ by Sisters Underground in a DJ mix they recorded for Tim Sweeney’s Beats In Space show. How did that happen? There’s so much left to archive and document. I still find it all exciting.

I mentioned the precariat earlier. The precarity really does bother me. I think that it turns me into a pretty terrible person to talk to sometimes. Philosophically, I find it helpful to think of stability as an illusion. Throughout 2020 and 2021, I watched people who had spent their lives following the rules and playing from the playbook have everything ripped away from them. The myth of stability is like one of those stories we tell children to comfort them. Some of us get to hold on to these stories longer than others.

#7

These days, I find it hard to talk about how things are going for me. If I’m busy, and say I’m busy, people assume I’m raking it in. I’ve had musicians stop me on the street to tell me I’m “killing it on social” and must have a cruisy life and the pick of the mahi (that’s the te reo Māori word for work). What I get paid has increased over the years, but it hasn’t kept pace with inflation.

If I’m not busy, and I tell people I’m not busy, things can get awkward. Sometimes when I level with someone about this, they look concerned, offer platitudes and stop replying to my messages. I’m not going to pretend I don’t behave like this sometimes as well. We’ve all only got so much emotional bandwidth to spare.

Besides, I’m not their problem. They’re not my problem either. Here’s the double-bind here though: we do live in a society. In the end, we are each other’s problems. How everyone else gets treated is ultimately how we’ll be treated as well.

There’s this trope out there that suggests it’s empowering for people to open up about the challenges they face. At this point, it might be closer to a meme than anything else. If you do it with some humility, it will probably get you some easy likes on social media. But in the end, that’s about it. Everyone’s fighting their own battles. There’s always something going on.

#8

Last year, I heard the writer Meaghan Garvey say, “No one has a monopoly on interiority” on the No Tags podcast. It’s a sublime statement. When I think about the human condition, I imagine most of us conceive of ourselves in complexity. We know we’re flawed, contradictory and fallen from grace. We’re deeply aware of the pressures that bear down on us, and the wounds we’re healing from. We also believe we’re capable of redemption and reaching for something better. If only we could see more of ourselves in others.

When I was talking to a friend recently, he told me he used to forget there were actual humans on the other end of the internet. Reflecting on it, he realised he’d treated starting fights in comment sections like playing a video game. I think a fair bit of that goes around out there. Also, we’re not all for everyone, and everyone’s not for us.

Günseli Yalçinkaya, a writer and researcher I admire greatly, thinks the internet has gone Dark Mode. When I think about it, I tend to agree. These days, I find life in the real world far more optimistic and hopeful, which is crazy, cause the internet really has changed my life in so many meaningful ways. Looking someone in the eye and hearing their voice, you realise they have dreams, fears, and feelings. They go from 2D to 3D. We have them, and they have us. Like Mon Rovîa, I try to take it all in: the good and the bad.

#9

When I think about most of the conflicts and challenges I face in my working life, they ultimately boil down to a lack of understanding that cuts both ways. I don’t always fully understand the challenges musicians, publicists, record labels, promoters, editors, and accounts departments face. Inversely, the people I’m interacting with don’t always grasp, or even want to grasp, the realities of my life as freelancer. I can’t listen to everything I get sent, let alone convince someone to pay me to write about all of it. We’ve all got limits. We’ve all got lives outside of this as well. There’s always something going on.

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You can map these gaps onto almost every human interaction. How do we bridge the space between us? Do we even want to? In a sense, writing about all of this feels like screaming into the void. Nevertheless, that’s what I’ve spent the last couple of thousand words doing, trying to capture how it all feels.

You’ve got to be careful with how you navigate the emotional distance between intention and reception. Handled badly, it becomes a kind of cognitive whiplash. Too much of that can fracture your psyche in ways you might never anticipate. I’m preaching to the choir here, aren’t I? We’ve all seen some stuff. We’ve all been through some stuff.

I can think of a few times when my mind felt close to snapping. I’m not proud of that, but I’m not embarrassed by it either. If we don’t always understand how close we are to the knives, how can we understand how close anyone else might be? It’s good to check on your friends and family, but you also need to let them check on you. We’re still here, but we won’t always be.

#10

A few weeks ago, I asked Buck Meek from Big Thief how close he thought we could ever get to truly knowing another person. Buck didn’t think we ever fully get there. He wasn’t convinced we ever completely get to know ourselves, either. What he’d observed was something closer to moments of shared understanding amidst impermanence.

Buck’s perspective is inspiring. Yes, we never fully know each other, or ourselves. And yes, that distance can feel like a coldness threatening to consume everything. At the same time, we never fully know what we’re capable of, or anyone else. We never fully know how we might change.

When I think about the experiences we have over a lifetime, change might be the greatest thing. Like Octavia E. Butler before me, I believe that all that we touch, we change, and all that we change, changes us. As long as the requests keep coming in, I’ll keep working and changing.

The world around us always keeps changing as well. If you don’t know, I live in Te Whanganaui-a-tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand). Seven long years ago, our central public library suddenly closed for earthquake strengthening. Two weekends ago, it finally reopened. On the first couple of days, there were lines to get in. People lined up for hours. If you didn’t know, you might have thought it was a nightclub.

I’ve been going there every day since. Being in there again and seeing the new community facilities throws into sharp relief how bereft the city has been of third spaces. Sometimes when I’m walking around inside, I feel like crying, but in a good way, not a bad way.

#11

My friend Kristen Ng, aka Kaishandao, lives in China. She came back to Aotearoa over summer to play some live electronica sets and see her friends and family. While she was here, she recorded a new EP called Aunty Dubs. Kristen grew up during one of our golden eras. We had a wealth of live music venues and bands. Something was always going on. In March, Te Whanganui-a-tara comes to life. I wish she could have stayed longer on this trip and seen a bit more of what I can see on the horizon.

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Ready or not, change comes. We’re at the beginning of a new cycle. While we’re busy changing, the world is busy changing around us. Sometimes good things just take time. Not everything works out, but not everything needs to. Like it or not, we don’t get to choose when the sun sets. We don’t get to pick when it rises either. So it goes.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Buck Meek doesn’t give the whole game away. It’s not guaranteed he’ll tell you exactly what his songs are about. However, he will expound, in detail no less, on how he gets himself in alignment to write them and what the mechanics of his songwriting process look and feel like. After six albums with Big Thief and four solo albums, most recently The Mirror, released February 27, 2026, he has more than earned the right to hold back in some ways while sharing deeply in others.

Born and raised in Wimberley, Texas, Meek grew up playing guitar, singing, and writing songs surrounded by a community of old-guard outlaw songwriters, western swing players, and barrelhouse blues musicians who took him under their wing at a young age, taught him how to play it how he felt it, and gave him his first gigs around Texas Hill Country. At the same time, annual trips to the nearby Kerrville Folk Festival introduced him to the rich traditions of Texan folk music.

As the grandson of scholars who studied the two Williams – Shakespeare and Faulkner – and the son of a child psychologist and a glass sculptor, it’s easy to surmise he was never short on literature and art. His depth of influence and fluency come through in how he speaks about his musical practice and his commitment to it.

When he was 17, Meek left Texas for Boston, where he studied jazz at Berklee College of Music before finding community with a generation of young musicians who wanted to write their own songs and play sweaty rock shows in basements. Later, he moved to New York, where he began performing with Adrianne Lenker. The two musicians lived in a van, singing their songs across the country before forming Big Thief. 14 years later, the East Coast’s longstanding punk and rock traditions are as much a part of his musical DNA as the Americana, country, folk, and blues he was raised on. The eureka moment came when he let his two worlds collide musically.

Produced by Big Thief drummer James Krivchenia, The Mirror features a stunning cast of family and friends turned collaborators, including his brother Dylan, Lenker, the hauntological harpist Mary Lattimore, Adam Brisbane, Germaine Dunes, Staci Foster, and the Avant-Americana icon and former BGS advice columnist Jolie Holland.

Opening with the range-roving rhythms and bittersweetly sung melodies of “Gasoline,” Meek digs into the intricacies of relationships and communication throughout the album, rendering them in a traditionalist alt-country and western style, underpinned by modular synthesis and subtle electronic textures from Krivchenia and engineer Adrian Olsen.

On “Can I Mend It,” he describes a deeply regrettable moment where raw emotions crystallize, before shattering into a million potentially irreparable fragments. As he laments on the chorus, “Can I mend it?/ Can I make it whole?/ Now that you’ve seen into the dark side of my soul.” Later, when Meek looks in the mirror on “Demon,” Olsen’s modular synthesis briefly overpowers the band with a not-so-subtle squelch. As with all parts of the album, there’s a reason for this.

By the time The Mirror closes with the summery, sunset shuffle of “Outta Body,” we’ve lived with Meek for a spell. Although, as he argues in this interview, we never really fully know anyone else, or even ourselves for that matter. Sometimes, when you look at someone from that right angle, or let our communication move beyond words, we achieve brief but precious moments of understanding.

On a Wednesday morning in early March, I spoke with Meek for Good Country by video call about all of the above and more. You can read more here.

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MOUTHFULL RADIO: ETERNITY’S GATE 2 W/ DJ MARTYN PEPPERELL

I had so much fun recording Eternity’s Gate last month that I decided to record a follow-up mixshow of more post-punk, dream-pop, krautrock, ambient and electronica cuts. Here’s one more hour of tasty selections from JJ Cale, Free Radicals, Aphex Twin, Nourished By Time, Can, Television, Maxine Funke and others. Please enjoy.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

One of my favourite Flying Nun bands.

Classics.

One of my favourite shoegaze bands.

‘Dance My Pain Away’ still has to be one of the greatest songs of all time.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

“Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’ changed my life”: 21 tales of the iconic album’s endless influence: On 12th March 2001, Daft Punk released an album that wouldn’t just alter the trajectory of their own career, but of electronic music at large. ‘Discovery’ was, and remains, a boldly ambitious work of sheer pop futurism. With its brazen alchemy of styles, it inspired evolution in everything from pop and rock to hip-hop and EDM, while simultaneously predicting the digital age of music promotion, visual content and branding. In 2026, it’s hard to imagine what the world would look or sound like without ‘Discovery’ in it. Here, to celebrate the albums’ 25th anniversary, we asked 21 artists, fans and affiliates to share their personal reflections on this masterpiece, from their memories of the first time they heard it, to the myriad ways it influenced their own practice. Read here.

Peckham’s Palais is London’s best new nightclub: Three years in the making, Palais seemingly ticks all the boxes of what modern clubbers want out of a venue — and then some. Read here.

New Zealand’s petrol supply is terrifyingly fragile: How can New Zealand protect its energy independence in an era of war? Read here.

Oneohtrix Point Never on the Music That Made Him: Featuring Boston rap tape exchanges, post-rock recs from Daniel Lopatin’s philosophy professor, and Enya. Read here.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

On “Saturdays”, the Ōtepoti Dunedin-based singer-songwriter and avant-garde musician Maxine Funke sings a lyric that deserves to be engraved into the archway above eternity’s gate: “My Saturdays are a mystical realm.” Transportive and enveloping, she pens hushed stories of the mundane and magical moments in everyday life. Fittingly, they feel like the platonic ideal of intimate bedsit folk songs, as committed to tape on a variety of multitrack recorders.

Since 2008, Funke has conjured up a multiverse of singles, EPs, albums, and collaborations, many of which have been favourably compared to the work of influential UK, European and American folk luminaries such as Vashti Bunyan, Sibylle Baier, and Liz Harris. As well as impressing critics, community radio hosts, and record store clerks across the planet, she has won over music peers like Big Thief, HTRK, and Maria Somerville with her vivid command of interiority, psychedelic dreamscapes, and ambience.

There’s a flipside to her inviting quietude. In a sense, it’s the stillness that emerges after a storm. Coming of age in Dunedin in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Funke got her start singing and playing electric guitar in two angular post-punk and rock bands, The Beaters and The Snares, followed by a stint improvising in The $100 Band with the experimental musician Alastair Galbraith, before charting her own course.

In the wake of Funke’s debut solo release, Lace, listeners began to weave myths around the music, presenting her as an enigmatic figure, toiling away in isolation at the ends of the earth. Uniting fans of homespun, private-press folk music, lovers of the lo-fi sensibilities associated with the Flying Nun label, and the D.I.Y. experimental music scenes that congregate around performance spaces like London’s Cafe OTO, her music earned her a cult fanbase from Otago to Ireland.

In conversation, it quickly becomes clear that Funke doesn’t worry much about the specifics of legacy, impact, and audience. As the critic Tony Stamp observed on RNZ’s Music 101 show in 2025, “She’s the kind of musician with complete apathy toward traditional markers of success, but whose need to create is a crucial part of life.”

When I listen to Funke’s work, I think about the creative value of detaching yourself from the outcome and truly revelling in the process. I also think about the distance between the images we create of artists in our minds and the visceral realities of their lives. Funke isn’t a riddle, wrapped inside an enigma. She’s a human being, just like the rest of us. In a similar tradition to the late, great American short story writer Raymond Carver, we’re contending with a close observer. She understands how we live with ourselves, how we live with those around us, and what it means to be haunted by ghosts. Sometimes, in the tradition of the English gothic fantasy author Joan Aitken, the ghosts aren’t just figurative, they’re literal as well.

Carver traded in stark realism and life’s fractures. Aitken took the mundane moments that make up much of our lives and pushed them through the looking glass. Funke can do her versions of Carver, but while shimmering in a similar multiverse to Aitken, her songs evoke the grandeur of landscapes where the veil between realms feels thin enough to cross. If there’s any mystery to be solved here, it’s the mystery of life. But sometimes it’s enough to simply savour a moment and really sit in it. Therein lies the energy that makes her songcraft so potent, calm, and healing.

Here’s my guide to ten of Maxine Funke’s albums, compilations and singles for you to dive into. You can read the full feature over on Rolling Stone AU/NZ here.

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MOUTHFULL RADIO: ETERNITY’S GATE 2

I had so much fun recording Eternity’s Gate last month that I decided to record a follow-up mixshow of more post-punk, dream-pop, krautrock, ambient and electronica cuts. Here’s one more hour of tasty selections from JJ Cale, Free Radicals, Aphex Twin, Nourished By Time, Can, Television, Maxine Funke and others. It will be airing from 10-11am on Saturday the 14th of March on Mouthfull Radio. Tune in here.

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ROLLING STONE: UP-AND-COMING AOTEAROA ARTISTS: HORN

“I feel a kinship with fuzzy tones,” says Abigail Macilquham, the Wellington-based guitarist and songwriter better known as Horn

“I think for now, I feel a kinship with fuzzy tones,” says Abigail Macilquham, the Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington-based guitarist and songwriter better known as Horn.

Across her second album, Options, Macilquham delivers a taut set of post-punk and shoegaze tracks, submerging glistening guitar figures and her husky voice in heavy riffs and a driving rhythm section. There’s a thoroughly lived-in quality to tracks like “Coketown” and “Pwcca”. You can feel the denim and leather, and late nights spent in dilapidated bars. The music is all the better for it.

Read more.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

I’ve been revisiting the sound of Not Not Fun Records recently.

That label has, and continues to, release some really good records.

There’s something about combining dub techniques with genres that aren’t reggae that just feels so good.

And they’ve always got something new on the horizon!

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

“I love the idea of creating experiences with sound,” explains the award-winning electronic musician, producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist Amelia Berry. “I get down sometimes about music that feels technically proficient at the expense of feeling,” she continues. “I’m just very happy that I got to learn how to make this stuff from my friends at my flat, while we were blasting records out the window, rather than from YouTube tutorials.”

Over the last 17 years, Berry has applied her skills as an instrumentalist, songwriter and producer to a range of bands and solo projects, including Nice Birds, Polyester (formerly Kip McGrath), Fimo, Old Chips, Pocari Sweat, Babyteeth, Gayblade, Van Staden & Böhm, The Forbin Project, and Amamelia.

Her solo project, Amamelia, a retrofuturistic dreamscape of breakbeat, jungle/drum & bass, techno-pop, downbeat and rave music, is arguably her most notable musical accomplishment. That said, Berry’s broader musical discography is an embarrassment of creative riches. Sometimes you can’t see the full picture until you look at all the details, and in Berry’s case, the picture is very full indeed.

You can read my full profile of Amelia here.

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HI-FI SCI-FI:

Big thanks to Addison Chase from Hi-Fi Sci-Fi for asking me to write the promo notes for the latest edition in the Hi-Fi Sci-Fi mix series.

Cédric Kouamé, aka AFRICAN DIPLOMAT, is a multimedia artist, DJ, radio host, and archivist from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. As part of his practice, AFRICAN DIPLOMAT runs Baoulecore, a bespoke store and archive of Ivorian music, design, fashion, and visual culture located on the fringes of the storied Cocovico market. On Instagram and through his DJ sets and mix shows for internet radio stations like NTS, Oroko Radio, and Operator Radio, he shares his discoveries with appreciative listeners around the world.

For his contribution to the Hi-FI Sci-Fi mix series, AFRICAN DIPLOMAT digs deep into West and Central Africa’s rich musical histories, offering up 43 minutes and 23 seconds of dusty regional classics, deep cuts, obscurities, and unsung gems from Côte d’Ivoire’s 1960s/1970s golden years. Opening with ‘Kelen Ati Leen’ by the legendary Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab, the mix quickly unfolds into a gritty journey through nightclubs, hotel lounge bars and concert halls from Nigeria to Cameroon and back again. From crackly original pressings of reissued essentials to unshazamable heaters, AFRICAN DIPLOMAT keeps it funky from the drop. Don’t stop ‘till you get enough.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

The Hidden Histories of America’s Black Queer Clubs: In the ‘80s and ‘90s, these spaces birthed dance icons, genres and subcultures. Why do so few remain? madison moore charts their decline and lifelong impact for Resident Advisor. Read here.

Recognise 099: Big Dope P: Moveltraxx founder and purveyor of all things footwork, juke, ghetto house and club music Big Dope P captures the energy of his label with a livewire mix for the Recognise series. The Birmingham-based Parisian DJ and producer speaks to Joseph Francis about his two decades spent championing the sounds of Chicago’s South Side and US East Coast, paying pioneers their dues while spotlighting new talent, and the evolution of London’s burgeoning footwork community. Read here.

From The Archive: Between ‘Homework’ and ‘Discovery’, Daft Punk were on the brink of world domination: Live life the Daft Punk way: Make millions, then blow it all on metal heads, your own version of Napster, and recording the most exciting album of the decade. In 2001, Mixmag spoke to cover stars Daft Punk just before the release of their influential second album ‘Discovery’ — here’s what they had to say. Read here.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Greetings all. I’m back from Bali, followed by a trip to Tāmaki Makaurau for the final edition of the Splore Festival. After taking a bit of recovery time, I’m right back into the writing work, but as it often goes, there’s a big lag time between filing copy and seeing it published. Regardless, I’ll have plenty of cool work in the field for you to all enjoy soon. Today, I’ve got some new material from the homies Frau Knotz, Amamelia, Oddisee and Kobie Dee, plus details of a couple of gigs this weekend in Te Whanganui-a-tara. Please enjoy.

CLEAR PATH ENSEMBLE at MEOW, SAT 28 FEB 2026

Cory Champion’s Clear Path Ensemble returns to Te Whanganui a-Tara for the first time since the release of their acclaimed third album, Black Sand. Following on from an enchanting performance at the Begonia House for last year’s Loemis festival, Clear Path Ensemble was awarded the APRA Best Jazz Composition for their piece ‘Cascade d’Ars’ and closed out the sold-out The Other’s Way festival in Tāmaki Makaurau.

For their much-anticipated return to Meow, the group will be debuting new improvised material alongside their book of celestial jazz fusion heaters. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Clear Path Ensemble back on home turf in an early show. Tickets are available here.

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MIXMAG ANZ PREMIERE: FRAU KNOTZ - VICTORY DANCE ON ZR3 (AMAMELIA REMIX)

Here’s a quick song premiere I arranged via Mixmag ANZ for Amamelia’s remix of ‘Victory Dance On ZR3’ by Frau Knotz. If you’re an electronic music producer based in Aotearoa/Te Waipounamu or Australia, I might be able to help you out with one of these if needed. As always, no guarantees.

In August of last year, the New Plymouth, New Zealand-based producer and vocalist Frau Knotz released her sophomore EP, Digital Plastic Surgery. Informed by the rich histories of late-20th- to early-21st-century electronica, the EP showcased Frau Knotz’s skills as a dance music stylist, effortlessly blending the conventions of techno, IDM, synthwave, video game music, and hyperpop into five idiosyncratic instrumentals.

Six months later, one of the highlights of Digital Plastic Surgery, ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ gets a rework from one of New Zealand’s finest modern electronica producers, Amamelia.

Opening with a chopped-up drumfunk intro, the Amamelia remix reimagines Frau Knotz’s neon-lit sensibilities in a mode equal parts happy hardcore and jungle/drum & bass. By wrapping rolling breakbeats and chipmunked vocal stabs around the song’s euphoric synthesiser lines, she sends us on a trip back to an early ‘90s warehouse rave.

“I first heard of Amamelia after she won Best Electronic Artist in 2024 at the AMA’s. Her music instantly transported me to my childhood and the ‘90s. To me, the whole aesthetic of Bananamelia! was drenched in colour, toys, and glass marbles, and I knew I had to collaborate with her one day. What she’s done with ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ is marvellous and fun - further riffing on my alien theme by giving it a voice and a lyric!” - Frau Knotz

‘Victory Dance on ZR3 (Amamelia Remix)’ is the first of two remixes Frau Knotz has planned for the next few months. It will be available on Bandcamp, YouTube, DJ platforms, and streaming services, except for Spotify, on Friday 27 February 2026.

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PARKING DAY:

On Saturday morning, I’ll be DJing with the Radio Active 88.6 FM crew at Te Whanganui-a-tara’s annual free Parking Day event in the Cuba quarter. We will be set up from 10 am to 5 pm, blasting various types of music through our in-house system. You should come down for a boogie. This is a free event, so just bring your dancing shoes and some water.

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LOW KEY SOURCE: ODDISEE X KOBI DEE - NO DISRESPECT

Here’s some sales text I wrote last week for Low Key Source, Oddisee and Kobie Dee’s new single, ‘No Disrespect’. Kobi is heating things up proper over in So Called Australia. We see you bro!

‘No Disrespect’ featuring Kobie Dee is the latest in a series of collaborations Oddisee has recorded for Low Key Source with some of the best contemporary artists in Australia and New Zealand. The first release was ‘Midas’, in November 2025, with Aotearoa’s David Dallas, which is now available on all streaming services and digital download platforms.

Gliding effortlessly over Oddisee’s funk-fuelled drum breaks, basslines and cinematic melodies and textures, Kobie Dee spends the first verse of ‘No Disrespect’ reflecting on life’s lessons. After counting his lessons, comparing the bridges he’s built to the ones he should have burned, and savouring the Sydney Opera House view, he lands on a simple realisation. In his words, “I’m just trying to show my sons and daughter what I see, and that’s a world that’s for the taking, full of opportunity.”

On the chorus, Oddisee jumps out from behind the boards to spit some quick game about keeping his team straight, chasing dreams, and the feeling of getting better and better with age. From there, Kobie Dee taps straight back in, telling the sort of stories you can only earn when you start looking around, make your way into the world through your art and bring the blessings home. Ever vigilant, Kobie sees all the pieces of the puzzle and how they fit into the bigger picture. Art like this is for life.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

Ngl, Lace Mine really might have it. She’s that girl.

Before he was with Massive Attack, Neil Davidge was with the 1980s Bristol pop band, Big Outdoor Type. Blue Eyed Boy ‘80-’84 collects their early works. It’s a whole different world.

Legendary New Zealand post-punk recordings that simply do not date at all.

Proper ‘90s sludge from the swamp.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Greetings from Desa Potatohead in Bali, where I am currently on assignment. I have to be honest here. When you’re a freelance music journalist who lives at the bottom of the globe in Aotearoa New Zealand, you don’t get sent on a lot of overseas assignments. Over the last two decades, I’ve only been on a handful, which makes this even more special. Generally, I’ve just invested in my own travel plans and picked up work along the way. Get it how you get it. Anyway, that’s all I’m going to say about this for now. Back to the newsletter.

MOUTHFULL RADIO: ETERNITY’S GATE W/ MARTYN PEPPERELL

“Lately, I’ve been feeling the pull to play the more moody and atmospheric sides of indie rock, shoegaze and dream pop. Interestingly, a lot of that music fits together very well with ambient, noise, and spoken word pieces.”

Eternity’s Gate is a one-hour DJ mix of all of the above, featuring songs and interludes by the likes of Hydroplane, James K, Clairo, Dean Wareham, Sandra Bell, Mazzy Star, Cassandra Jenkins, Raymond Richards, and Mary Lattimore. Originally broadcast on Mouthfull Radio from 10-11 am NZT on Sat 14 Feb 2026.

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FABLES, EYES CLOSED

In December, Tāmaki Makaurau singer-songwriter Jess Bailey, aka Fables, unveiled ‘Enough’, the second single from her forthcoming debut album, Change is a Slow-Moving Beast (due 2026 via Home Alone). Since its release, ‘Enough’ has been celebrated by Under The Radar, Rolling Stone AU/NZ, The NZ Listener, and The 13th Floor, while rising to the top of the 95bFM Top Ten chart and appearing on the national Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles and Hot 40 Singles charts.

Now Fables returns with the album’s third single, ‘Eyes Closed’, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Written by Bailey and recorded with bassist Cass Basil (Tiny Ruins, King Sweeties), multi-instrumentalist Dave Khan (Marlon Williams, Reb Fountain), drummer Arahi (Te Tokotoru, Pony Baby), and Dan Luscombe (The Drones), ‘Eyes Closed’ unfolds as a delicate indie-folk dreamscape, moving at a sedate, unhurried pace. Ending with a swelling rush of synthesisers followed by a spare acoustic coda, it’s a pretty song that conceals darker emotional currents beneath its glossy surface.

In Bailey’s words, ‘Eyes Closed’ explores the distance between expectations and reality, and the emotional weight of situations we never saw coming. “It’s the sting of ripping off a band-aid after the wound has started to itch,” she explains. When she sings, “I would have loved you with my eyes closed,” Bailey is describing the experience of knowing something is wrong but choosing not to look too closely, hoping to endure the hesitation rather than confront it. Inevitably, though, moving blindly through life is never enough.

Bailey produced the song alongside Dave Khan, Reb Fountain, and Dan Luscombe; engineered by Joshua Strand at Parachute Studios; mixed by Luscombe; and mastered by Emily Wheatcroft-Snape. An accompanying NZ On Air-supported music video sees Bailey take on art direction duties, working with a small, nimble team including Finn Johansson of Finnsoft (director, editor, colour grading, VFX), Ali Burns (director of photography), Willa O’Neill Cameron (first assistant director), Harriet Ellis (best boy), and India Wray Murane (make-up).

Starring Bailey and Joel Rindelaub, the ‘Eyes Closed’ video was shot between Paradise Ice Skating and Coco’s Cantina in Tāmaki Makaurau. “I wanted to lean into a more exaggerated editorial look and feel,” Bailey says, “like old-money alpine Gucci chic meets whimsical but quietly fuming Kate Bush.” Moving between intimate seated close-ups, a pasta date night on Karangahape Road, and scenes bathed in blue and purple light on the ice rink, the video feels equal parts surreal and hyperreal: like a transmission from a past that feels lived-in, but may never have existed at all.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

Half Queen and State OFFF are Half OFFF. 2K26 percussive club business for your USB.

Lace Mine really knows how to write about feelings through metaphors. I’m excited to see where she takes things next.

Scratchclart does it again. There are some absolutely belting versions of some absolutely belting club classics on here. Stop making edits indeed.

FIN.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

THROWBACK FILES: SAMIYAM INTERVIEW

Back in 2010, I interviewed the American beats guy, Samiyam, for a now-defunct New Zealand street press magazine called Groove Guide. The reason for our conversation was to promote a tour of New Zealand. At the time, I was at the absolute peak of my interest in “beats”. In many ways, it was a good year. Thinking back, I’m pretty sure I saw Flying Lotus and Leonard Cohen perform in the same week. Anyway, here’s the interview.

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A master of the shimmering, synthetic, and rhythmically stunted, Brainfeeder/Hyperdub-affiliate Samiyam’s work can be defined artistically by relationships. Firstly, with music, secondly, with the intensely talented modern beat musicians (Flying Lotus, Ras G, etc.), he moves within both the L.A. of the real world and the uniquely spiked L.A. of the internet, a stumbling digital soundworld now participated by beatmakers across the planet. On ‘Return’, his breakout single on Hyperdub records, Samiyam takes west coast referencing synthesiser lines, twisting them into a thoroughly alien format, and concurrently impregnating the sound-form with drunken post-boombap drums. The result is the kind of eternally hypnotic head-nod you could listen to all night, which Samiyam probably did while making it.

Right now, though, Samiyam has just finished up dinner at a diner in L.A. Born and raised in Ann Arbour, Michigan, Samiyam was as he explains, surrounded by music from day one. “My dad was always listening to Jazz,” he remembers. “So I was always hearing all kinds of Jazz, everything from Traditional to crazy Free Jazz… I think a bunch of my influences come from listening to all the crazy Jazz stuff my dad was always playing.

A kid whose parents could only punish him for being naughty by confiscating his boombox, Samiyam also remembers being influenced by Michael Jackson’s music and recounts singing along to the big tunes and mimicking MJ’s dance moves in the mirror at age six. Captured by Hip-Hop in his teens (“I really got into dudes like DJ Premier and Alchemist,” he says) at the end of high school, Samiyam purchased an MPC and began attempting to write like his heroes. Eventually moving onto a Boss Dr Sample SP-303, with this shift in hardware came a shift in musical mindset. “That was when I started really feeling like I was making the ideas that were in my head,” he says.

Obsessed with “seventies [and eighties] RnB and Funk,” having been programmed to approach music in a looped format by his years of Hip-Hop fixation, Samiyam found himself listening for the “one four-bar part that sounded so good I wanted to hear it repeat for three minutes.” Applying this to his arrangements, he formed what he calls “a friendship of the new millennium” with L.A. beat auteur Flying Lotus when the two discovered each other’s music online.

Now based in L.A., which he describes as “Full of people I felt like I could really get along with,” Samiyam, a key member of Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder movement, has performed across America, Europe, and Asia over the last few years. This September, Samiyam will make his New Zealand debut. “I’ve had so many people hitting me up about it online,” he says. “I’m pretty happy about it all.”

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TEST PRESSING:

In my latest for Test Pressing, I looked at new old releases from Uptown Funk Empire, SY3, Al Mati, Th Blisks. Check them out here.High-narrative slow-jam

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WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

“High narrative slow jam sleaze from New Zealand’s King Softy.”

Qendresa’s got that smoked out street soul vibe. I love it.

I hope you like Maria Sommerville, remixed.

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WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

Bob Weir’s Cosmic Touch: The inimitable Bobby Ace played guitar alongside Jerry Garcia for over three decades. His unique style and merry personality helped shape the sound and spirit of the Grateful Dead, and his lifelong dedication to the band helped make them immortal. Jesse Jarnow for Pitchfork.

Art in the Age of Intimidation: From EXIT Festival to Berlin’s fallout over Gaza, political pressure has imperilled state funding for the arts. With the US on the brink, Chloe Lula asks: is this the end of cultural soft power? For RA, Chloe Lula.

Beyond pain: Palestinian electronic music’s shifting soundscape: Six electronic musicians, producers and DJs from Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem share how their artistic outlook and practice has been affected by genocide and occupation. In conversation with Shams Hanieh, they speak about the struggle to maintain creativity in the face of immeasurable destruction, the importance of portraying their cultural roots, and their desire to resist narratives of victimhood. For DJ Mag.

No judgement: How Normie Corp turned online raving into Vancouver’s liveliest queer club night: Born during the pandemic as a Zoom party, Normie Corp now brings its wild and hyper-specific themed parties to venues across Vancouver, uplifting its community of “normies-turned-creatives”. We meet Normie Corp’s founders to find out more. For Mixmag, Gemma Ross.

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