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Solo Musician

Anastasia Strapon

Anastasia Strapon was the vocalist and guitarist for Thee Strapons, alongside her partner (and keyboardist) Don Gone. In 1998 she released her own solo recording ‘For what it’s worth’ as a lathe-cut 7″ single on the groups own Solarphonic imprint.

#nzmusic #rocknroll #theestrapons #anastasiastrapon

Thee Strapons

Long-running stylistically variant group based around the duo of Don Campbell (aka Don Gone) and Bev Greene (aka Anastasia Strapon / Nova Technova). Prolific during 2 distinct phases – based in Dunedin in the late 1980’s – early 1990s then in the mid 1990s to early 2000’s in Christchurch.

#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #theestrapons

Fuzzy Fuzzmin

Twee acoustic folk-pop formed at Burnside High School in 2008. The Teenage 4-piece performed at unusual spaces around Christchurch for around a year, recorded an EP of originals and then split, with the duo of Georgia Munn and Steven Park continuing together under the new name 0.00 Horses forming.

#nzmusic #fuzzyfuzzmin #0.00horses #allages #redpanda

Kool Aid

Psych-shoegaze group formed (originally as Brian Tamaki and the Kool Aid Kids) as a solo project album by Christchurch’s Jamie Stratton, before expanded to a full group for the groups subsequent releases.

#nzmusic #briantamakiandthekoolaidkids #koolaid

Boss Christ

The man with the biggest side-burns in town (deep in the heart of the Manawatu), Boss Christ is hairy, werewolf-soundtrack producing, floor-thumping slide-guitarist of the Stink Magnetic variety, throwing down dirty, primitive recordings to a devoted cult following.

#nzmusic #bosschrist #stinkmagnetic #homekillrecords

Tanaka-Nixon Meeting

Mid 1990’s free-noise duo made up of Danny Butt (Flies Inside The Sun) and Michael Morley (The Dead C etc). Released three ultra-rare Peter King 8″ lathes on Morley’s Precious Metal imprint, along with 2 albums and a single. Went from noise, scrapes and drones to releasing their own take on electronic dance music with 1998’s ‘Twelve Inches Heaven’.

#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #freenoise #tanakanixonmeeting

Rik Starrr

‘A sort of holiday’ was a one-off 7″ single on Fkying Nun records from the mysterious Rik Starrr – an alias for Edmund Cake, yet to find his fame in the much vaunted Bressa Creeting Cake.

#nzmusic #rikstarrr #flyingnunrecords #edmundcake #bressacreetingcake

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

Matt Alien

Matt Alien is the long-standing nom de plume of Matt Johnstone; a multi-instrumentalist born-frontman from the likes of Christchurch groups The Hitone Destroyers and The Black Panthers, Auckland group Slavetrader, and most recently Melbourne group Levitating Churches. Harnessing the swagger of early Aerosmith or AC/DC, but with a great deal more noise and the feeling that things might just fall apart at any moment.

#nzmusic #mattalien #hitonedestroyers

Edmund Cake

Edmund Cake is the quirky alias of talented Auckland-based musician and producer Edmund McWilliams – or at least it was for his 2004 album ‘Downtown Puff’. McWilliams has made his name with the brilliant trio Bressa Creeting Cake and as a producer to the likes of the Finn brothers, Anika Moa and Bic Runga.

#nzmusic #edmundcake #bressacreetingcake #piewarmer #rikstarrr

Graeme Gash

Former singer song-writer (and artist) with popular late 70s Auckland folk-pop group Waves, Graeme Gash made his solo debut with After the Carnival in 1981, which saw some praise in John Dix’s excellent history of New Zealand Rock and Pop ‘Stranded in Paradise’.

#nzmusic #graemegash #waves #nzfolkmusic

Reptiles At Dawn

Punchy proto-punk styled group featuring the core duo of Tony Collins and Anthony Norman (both from Dum Dum Boys and The Henchmen). The new group spent several years travelling between Sydney, London, Paris and back to Auckland – releasing a couple albums on French label New Rose Records and finding some US college radio success with their single ‘Zenith’ before splitting in 1991.

#nzmusic #reptilesatdawn #dumdumboys #thehenchmen

Dribbling Darts

Dribbling Darts was Matthew Bainnsters post-Sneaky Feelings song-writing vehicle from 1989-1993. Known for their catchy singlecand silly video ‘Hey Judith’.

#nzmusic #dribblingdarts #sneakyfeelings #flyingn

Ivan Zagni

English-born composer who on settling in New Zealand in the early 1980’s started working with many of New Zealand’s best and most creative contemporary independent musicians and groups – Tall Dwarfs, Blam Blam Blam, Big Sideways, Avant Garage etc.

#nzmusic #ivanzagni

Sleepers Union

Blissful psychedelic pop from Simon McLaren, known for his high-energy, explosive songs in Loves Ugly Children and The Subliminals, partnered with The Onedin Line’s Mark Anderson. The group have released 2 albums 13 years apart, with a live band consisting of well-known Auckland-based musicians.

#nzmusic #sleepersunion #psychpop