Sunday, February 26, 2012

Saving the world sucks! by Sam Tanielu

Saving the world sucks.

As I left your world for the final time, I reluctantly turned back, only to see that flames had engrossed entire cities, and monumental buildings that had once seemed as if they were our gateway to the heavens were reduced to mere debris as if designed by a drunken architect.

Screams. When I’m alone, I drink lakes, rivers and oceans of coffee to keep myself awake. Redbull may give you wings but it doesn’t give me amnesia. I refuse to close my eyes sometimes because their disfigured faces appear and march haphazardly through my memories like a Dio de los Muertos for dreams and hopes that never came to fruition, but are now celebrated as nightmares of death. Their screams visit me in my sleep and aggressively intrude my thoughts and I am helpless in defending myself. Screams from the very souls I tried to save. Lest we forget.

Sometimes I can be in a crowded place amongst friends and family and still feel like I’m alone. This is what it is like to be emotionless, numb, dead. I am the author and protagonist in my own Shakespearean tragedy.

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time.

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death...

Lifers but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.”

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Audio: Alphabethead - The All Seeing Hand

The All Seeing Hand “Geronimo”

The All Seeing Hand “Geronimo”

My first turntable jam room as a boy was mostly underground save for two meters of windows looking into native bush. During windy Wellington storms the trees would wallop away at the glass threatening to break through. I would duet with the wind, rain and thumping plants – scratching in time or playing drones across the grain of the storm. We went off together!

Well, finally I’ve found a musician to take the role of the thunderstorm. Ben Knight has all of that same sound, fury and unpredictability. Improvising together can be a cacophony with our two entities seldom intersecting. However, when our playing does converge much to my delight Ben seems to know my next move even before I do! The tune Geronimo is one such occasion where we lock in together like an automotive assembly line.

The All Seeing Hand formed as a result of several Camp A Low Hum collaborations between Teen Hygiene and I. Geronimo is the first single of the debut album which documents our first incarnation as a turntable and drum duo. We have since added throat player Noel St Cosmos who brings a third reality into the mix. Please come and hear us play sometime – although different every time we do attempt this tune!

DOWNLOAD: The All Seeing Hand “Geronimo”

x Alphabethead

Audio: Louie Knuxx - Tumblrchk

Audio: Tourettes & Homebrew

Home Brew - Listen To Us feat Tourettes by homebrewcrew

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Video: Jay Roacher Accapella

December 31, 2011 Posted by dands1 in Music, Video

(vid) Acapella's episode 4 - Jay Roacher

Episode 4 and one of my CHCH fam; Jay Roacher. Jay Roacher has been a good friend of mine since the early 00′s and is one of my favourite lyricists out of New Zealand in spite of any friendship bias. His rhymes are often self-reflective, sometimes depressing but always with top lyricism.

I’ve been living in Melbourne for 6 years and have only got back to NZ once to film in that time, so we shot a music video; but with Jay getting married recently and moving to Japan I wanted to get another clip or two made before it was too expensive to justify flights for a video. We shot 2 videos while he was here which will be launched in 2012. Check back on the site for announcements!

Filmed outside the Royal Exhibition building in Melbourne


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Audio: Alphabethead - Libra vs Sagittarius

Libra Vs Sagittarius

Libra Vs Sagittarius

With Libra Vs Sagittarius I set out to make an entire love mixtape rather than a love song. Put simply, this was a mixtape made for a girl. The selections pertain to the bands we discovered together, gigs witnessed and moments shared. Many of these tracks are now highly evocative touch tones for me; little sonic reminders of those bittersweet times. Should I even be sharing this – I don’t know?

Well, my heart has long since been trampled and looking back at the listing now it’s a motley bunch of tunes. Neither of us had a penchant for pop music so our singalongs and snuggles were most frequently accompanied by Sunn0))) or This Heat! This was compiled December 2009 and stylistically speaking it’s one of my most diverse mixes. Most of the artists featured have entire discographies that warrant a listen. It also features a few of my favourite Wellington acts; Akaname, Thrashing Marling and Leila Adu! A couple of ABC originals in there too.

I hope some of these tunes resonate with you as well. Tracklisting below.

xxAlphabetheadxx -> DOWNLOAD: Libra Vs Sagittarius

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Tour: Alphabethead & F in Math / Flying Nun


FLYING NUN RECORDS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS THIS NOVEMBER

Throughout the month of November, Flying Nun Records will celebrate their 30th Anniversary. With over 20 shows throughout New Zealand, the anniversary features both old and new Flying Nun acts, along with some very special guests paying tribute to 30 years of the NZ iconic label.

While, it wouldn’t be a party without live music, Flying Nun Records also have exciting new releases and re-releases on CD, digitally and Vinyl. Plus a handful of new bands signed to the label.

While down south, F IN Math and turntabilist Alphabethead launch their tour which promises to include an interesting mix of Flying Nun covers, having given Alphabethead a bunch of Flying Nun vinyl to cut up, re-mix and re-write.

F in Math and Alphabethead
Nov 4 – Christchurch, The new Dux De Lux
Nov 5 – Dunedin, Chicks Hotel
Nov 11 –Auckland, Golden Dawn
Nov 12 – Wellington, Mighty Mighty

Click here to read more

Video: Tourettes & Mathew Crawley Live

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Album Review: Tourettes, Tiger Belly

Album Review: Tourettes, Tiger Belly

By Scott Kara
6:30 AM Thursday Sep 29, 2011
Artist Tanja Jade aka Misery and Dominic Hoey aka Tourettes. Photo / Supplied
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Artist Tanja Jade aka Misery and Dominic Hoey aka Tourettes. Photo / Supplied

While Auckland rapper and poet Tourettes (real name Dominic Hoey) is not so much of a smart aleck on fourth album Tiger Belly, he's just as clever, cutting, and hilarious.

Whether he's mouthing off about only having two emotions ("boredom and lust"), big upping himself on Everybody Loves Tourettes (and rightly so too), or at his deadpan best about not being a great swimmer ("I saw Jaws too young."), he is one of local music's top wordsmiths with a refreshing say-it-like-it-is roughness to him.

And with a vast and adventurous palette of music and beats (that could stand up as a record on its own) courtesy of Saan Barratt from country band the Vietnam War, this album is more than a worthy follow up to his eerie, often aggressive, and funny - albeit sadly under appreciated - 2009 offering Who Said You Can't Dance To Misery?.

There are rowdy party highlights like the pulsing dynamism of So Happy, the brutally frank Drug Problem (akin to a hip-hop honed psychedelic Pixies), and opener Tonight is a weird and wonderful mix of frenzied 60s pop, steely surf music, and shouty Beastie Boys back when they were more punk than hip-hop.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Under the Radar Review Tiger Belly

Tourettes - Tiger Belly

Tiger Belly

Tiger Belly

Tourettes

Round Trip Mars
8 / 10
27th September 2011

By Scott Nicolson

Tourettes is one of New Zealands’ most exciting musical entities. Entity is an appropriate word considering the nature in which he ‘gets around’ the musical landscape. From Punk band beginnings, to Fifth Floor in Wellington, to Hip Hop as part of the Breakin Wreckwordz collective, to spoken word performances in recent years, and guest appearances on other artists’ tracks for the best part of a decade – Dominic has certainly ticked some boxes.

Tourettes has also released an album every 2 years since 2005, ‘Tiger Belly’ is his first for the Round Trip Mars label. The first taster was the solid (and somewhat hilarious) ‘Inside My Head’. It has a real punk vibe with live guitars, bass and drums. This no doubt has to do with those involved with the making of this album. Tiger Belly’s album credits include Saan Barratt from The Vietnam War handling all the music and arrangements, and Karl Steven of Drab Doo Riffs’ tracking and producing all the vocals as well as mixing the album. The influence of these two on ‘Tiger Belly’ is obvious in regards to the backing track instrument choices and the overall feel of the album.

To my mind, Tourettes has always been from the dark side of the force, and this album is no exception with the subject matter. Bordering on bleek at times, - ‘Caspa And Alice’ – a sad tale of love, confusion and loss, to the downbeat vocal with a sublime looping melody of stand-out track - ‘World War 3’ featuring Matthew Crawley on chorus vocal duties, to the slightly absurd but genius - ‘Everybody Loves Tourettes’. The latter features vocal snippets of network television news presenters discussing the merits (or otherwise) of Tourettes. That particular track epitomises the Tourettes ethos – equally self deprecating but shouting out those who detract.

Other points of interest are the Ryuichi Sakamoto nod on ‘Valentines For Vampires’, the regular input of group-like chorus chants on ‘Tonight’ and ‘Drug Problem’, waves rolling samples feature on ‘Sat At The Beach’ (and return again on ‘Caspa And Alice’). Spoken word references on ‘…Beach’ and ‘The Phones Ringing’ whilst ‘So Happy’ has the more Hip Hop production for a switch up early on.

Overall, Tourettes has made a very bold, and ultimately smart move bringing together a standout line-up of musicians and producers from different genres. Although the new album doesn’t his feature regular production partner Scratch 22, it does clearly show the man has exceptional dynamic diversity and versatility with his musical choices, and waxing lyrical - Tourettes is as sharp witted, topical, and informed as ever. Make no mistake, this is a Hip Hop record but ‘Tiger Belly’ is an album that is just as refreshing to the indie crowd.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Live: Tourettes, Saan, Mathew Crawley



My Mother Says I’m Talented

28 September, 30 September, 1 October

With a new song on the radio and 20 dollars in the bank, poet and emcee Tourettes is on top of the world.
To celebrate he’s complied a set of his best spoken word poetry and bare-bones arrangements of songs from his latest album, Tigerbelly. Touerttes will be joined on stage by guitarist Saan Barrett of The Vietnam War fame and old golden-tonsils himself, Matthew Crawly.
My Mother Says I’m Talented: tales of love and loss, sex and drugs, sandwiches and masturbation.

Offensive language

  • Location:

    The Basement, Lower Greys Avenue,
    Auckland CBD, 1010


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Cheese On Tourettes

Tiger Belly by Tourettes

Tourettes returns with a new album – released, this time, on Round Trip Mars, and with all music written, arranged and produced by Saan Barratt (of The Vietnam War and Dirtbags). To me, and I honestly don’t know how Dom (Dominic Hoey is his other name) will take this, when / if he reads this, Tourettes is not so muchs a rapper or hip hop artist as he is he’s a folk musician and poet. At least, I mean, he’s not hip hop not as that term has come to mean in 2011. But, in fact, if you were to look at the original fundamentals of hip hop at it’s earliest incarnations – I think you could make a strong argument, based in those principles, that Tourettes is more hip hop than Kanye West and Jay Z combined.

Tourettes writes honestly and disarmingly; instead of posturing about being the baddest MF-er on the block, he’d rather explore the darker recesses of one’s psyche or admit that he can’t spell lettuce. (Dom suffers from dyslexia). Many of the songs here, on this record, to me at least, are poems more than they are raps – and this is accented by the musical accompaniment. Most obviously, the poem The Phone Is Ringing sits two thirds in and is my personal album favorite. In contrast to the short, succinctness of The Phone – with it’s minimal ringing soundtrack – clearly a spoken word poem – is Sat At The Beach – an opus-like poem punctuated with a dark distant guitar – calmly before a storm of screaming and squawling that’d I’d love to see re-enacted at any poetry recital to fuck shit seriously up. It’s intense.

The album opens with the prelude Tonight – a scene setter, a statement of intent, if you will. It rolls through your speakers with a sense of difficulty; with an awkwardness usually reserved for, well, for those of us who perhaps don’t fit in to things nicely. Tourettes assures us that just because he’s wasted, that doesn’t mean he’s wasting time. So Happy is sonically dark and ominous – with s tinned out synth that pulses over a low guitar fuzz.

Lead single Inside My Head sits centrally on the record; and it really is a perfect example of how smart and clever Tourettes songs are and how skilled an MC he truly is; his flow on these verses is genius-ly conversational; this is rapping so good that it’s unaffected to meet tempo, rhythm or meter – but it’s perfectly on point and beat. And his subject matter so eloquently expressed; smart and funny.

Caspa And Alice clocks in at nearly eight minutes and is a short story in rap form – poetry meets prose meets beats – and, oh my god, Caoimhe Macfefin (Heart Attack Alley, Drab Doo Riffs) sung chorus is like warm satin as it washes into the song only twice.

The unfamiliar listener might be a little surprised by the guest vocal and guitar on World War 3 – Matthew Crawley; but anyone who knows either man will know that they are mutually massive fans of each-others art. Matthew’s voice is wonderfully heartbreaking, warm and fragile.

Every time I listen to Tiger Belly I find a new favorite song – and every song becomes a new favorite at least two-or-three times; I get the sense that this shall continue as I fail to get tired of this record. I love you, Tourettes. (Now let’s all go have group sex). - review by Andrew Tidball

Monday, September 5, 2011