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Crawlspace

Feast of Stevens - Etch EP (1992, Failsafe)

Feast of Stevens

A well-liked melodic indie-rock group that emerged from Palmerston North in the early 1990s, self-recorded a cassette before being picked up by Rob Mayes Failsafe Records label for their discography highlight; 1992’s ‘Etch’ EP.

#nzmusic #feastofstevens #failsaferecords

Constant Pain

Constant Pain were a sadly under-recorded group featuring brilliant underground noisy guitar legends Cameron Bain and Roddy Pain, along with a revolving drummers seat of some of New Zealand’s finest drummers. Walls of wailing feedback and rolling rhythm drive some immense tunes. Both guitarists passed away in the 2010’s.

#nzmusic #constantpain #undergroundmusic #crawlspacereocrds

Snapper

The key group of New Zealand underground legend Peter Gutteridge (despite being a founding member of BOTH the Clean and the Chills). Snapper made driving, droning guitars-infused with synths post-punk throughout the 1980s and 1990s before Gutteridge disappeared from the public eye.

Figure 60

Heavy free-noise-metal from Auckland 3, occasionally expanded to a 4 piece with the addition of Constant Pain’s Cameron Bain.

Casagrante Apparatus

Dunedin mid-90s experimental trio with a handful of impossible to find releases, including a lathe on Crawlspace, and 2 releases on drummer Stefan Neville’s own ‘A Stabbies and the Rocket Recording’ label.

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.

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).

Witcyst

Perhaps the most prolific artist new zealand has ever produced, Michael Veet Ruiliude has produced as Witcyst, or as an number of his other mysterious alias, Veetjist, M. W. Vit, Wytcystallio, Mxvxwx, Thighte Whistle, or a handful of groups –… Read More »Witcyst

Trough

Ex-Livids Andrew Carey and Regan O’Brien, producing lowkey underground releases, described as ‘Gorgeous, unusual melodic instrumentals from two Palmerston North cousins. Features guitar, drums, noise and piano’ by Crawlspace. Discography ‘Sturdy’/’Avondale Race Ten’/’Epiphyte Rain’ 7″ Lathe-Cut [1997 Spotty Dog 16… Read More »Trough

Sandoz Lab Technicians

Fairly free-improv and underground Dunedin-based group comprised of James Kirk (one time King Loser member, along with the Glen Campbell Experience), Tim Cornelius, Nathan Thompson and occasionally Mark Curragh.

Minus Two

Biography Written as ‘-2‘, as the name implies, the Terminals Stephen Cogle (Vocals / Acoustic Guitar), Mick Elborado (Organ) and John Christoffels (Bass) formed Minus Two as a side-project excluding Peter Stapleton and Brian Crook. Apparently most of the songs… Read More »Minus Two

Duncan Bruce

Biography What makes this album great is the aforementioned brevity of the pieces. Duncan spans all shapes of the volume curve, sliding through landscapes of barren glacial shifts, torn loudspeaker edits and ye olde drone, and letting the feedback go… Read More »Duncan Bruce

White Saucer

Improv-heavy duo Stella Corkery (Sweetcakes, Queen Meanie Puss) and Alan Holt making a variety of different noises in all sorts of directions. Featuring Corkery’s drumming, plus guitar and electronics, many of the duo’s releases so far have been odes (so… Read More »White Saucer

Chris Heazlewood

Biography Fuzz-guitar god Chris Heazlewood had been a visible part of the New Zealand underground for at least a couple years prior to meeting Celia Mancini in Dunedin back in 1991 (and thereby forming the legendary King Loser). In Sferic… Read More »Chris Heazlewood