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Crawlspace

Not-quite defunct label based out of an Auckland record store that put out several limited edition underground releases in the 90s and early 00s. One compilation of this material (Fit for Kings) was actually issued on well-known US indie Drunken Fish.

Since the closure of the Crawlspace record store, Crawlspace have been limited to short one-off 7″ releases and casually distribution through mail-order and the K-road market. Truly worth visiting, the market is the place to go to find one-off Snapper and Victor Dimisich Band 7″s, and a variety of abstract low run vinyl releases and even imports.

Castrol's Garage, 2015

Castrol’s Garage

Short-lived pizza restaurant, bar and live music venue, on the corner site of the long running and beloved Gordon Smith and Son’s Fruiterers. The venue side of the bar was a little on the shallow side and with doors opening to an outside courtyard on the busy revitalized post-Earthquake Victoria street, it wasn’t long before the venue encountered noise complaints.

Skank Attack

Wellington 3-piece from the mid 1980’s. Skirted the line between underground and pop without ever fitting in to either camp, despite an album produced by Nick Roughan (The Skeptics) and Brent McLachlan (The Gordons).

Crime Front

A decrepit old wooden villa on Kilmore Street occupied primarily by Michael Boulden (who used the space as a recording studio / video editing office) and professional musician Simon Nunn, whilst other musicians (including The Pickups /  Terror of the Deeps William Daymond) came and went over the years – taking advantage of the 6 rooms and ridiculously cheap $200 rent.

David Mulcahy

Moody but sadly inconsistent solo material from JPSE / Superette front-man released on bandmate’s nascent Arch Hill label in 1999.

Crystal Zoom

General craziness in musical form at the hand of Michael Weston and his troops Bruce Mahalski, Eric Neuman and Nathan McConnell.

The Dunedin music compilation But I Can Write Songs OK includes their brilliant stars-on-45 take on Flying Nun bands ‘Dunedin sound on 45’, and even featured guest appearances from some of the targets – David Kilgour and Martin Phillips.

Negative Eh

Wellington trio making lo-fi psychedelic and experimental noise. The group released a flurry of lathe cut releases in the late 90’s before resurfacing as the Electronic / Abstract / Experimental / Jazz outfit Nova Scotia.

The Incisions – Let Terror Rain

Wow, this is loud, caustic stuff.

The 2nd album from the ever-changing Christchurch 3-piece The Incisions blow the current crop of rock’n’roll revivalists out of the water. Its pure fire in a recording, scratchy, loud, abrasive and rude – more in the style of Japanese noise merchants Guitar Wolf or (particularly) Teengenrate than The Datsuns (who seem positively polished in comparison).

Bill Direen

One of the longest running mythic underground figures of New Zealand rock who has worked (and commanded) such significant figures in the New Zealand music scene as Chris Knox, Peter Stapleton, Maryrose Crook, Dave Mitchell, Malcolm Grant – the list goes on.

Naked Spots Dance

Early 80s Wellington post-punk outfit in the style of the Au Pairs, with long-standing members Kate Walker and Stephen Norris, plus a rotating cast of drummers and vocalists, including well-known Actor/Comedian Jennifer Ward-Leland and future Oscar winner Fran Walsh.

Pit Viper

Wellington-based experimental noise trio featuring Paul Douglas (aka Rosy Parlane), Robert Lundon (RSW London / Imperial Records) and Paul Yates (aka Paul Ling – ex Garbage and the Flowers – now in the Melbourne-based Minit).

Kim Blackburn

Kim Blackburn is a poet and singer-songwriter who put out the ‘Lizards In Love’ album on Flying Nun Records, using acoustic guitar and digital effects to give the album an unusual edge. Her voice has a deep, haunting quality – reminiscent of Nico.

She had previously been associated with underground labels such as Industrial Tapes, performing alongside Sandra Bell on the cassette only release ‘Two Metallic Hearts’.

Fetus Productions

Bizarre but often highly melodic experimental group, one of the first New Zealand outfits to incorporate multimedia elements into their shows and actually classified themselves as a production, creating art shows and (eventually) computer based presentation that encompassed both visual and audible elements.

Jody Lloyd

Prolific formerly Christchurch (now Melbourne) downbeat and hip-hop producer, now performing under the name Trillion.