Sirening is the subculture that sees music played through loudspeakers attached to bicycles and cars. It takes its name from the siren-shaped speakers often fitted to the front of vehicles.
Sireners, who are usually part of "crews", play a mix of music but tracks with high treble suitable for the siren speakers dominate.
There are "battles" across Auckland most Saturdays, with crews vying to see whose sirens are loudest and clearest.
On a balmy Saturday evening in late March at the Manukau Velodrome, about 30 cars are in attendance by 5.30pm, with a select few rattling the eardrums of spectators in a bid to win the night's competitions.
Typically two cars face off, with judges picking the winner based on volume and clarity of amplification.
It's a casual occasion where competitors and spectators mingle and socialise between the modified cars.
People don T-shirts honouring lost loved ones. There is a sense of loyalty and community.
MJ Magele shows off his T-shirt memorialising a siren club member who recently died. Photo / Supplied
It is a more relaxed affair than the "big battle" in Mt Wellington later in the evening.
There, a procession of about 150 cars blares out an eclectic and deafening mix of songs simultaneously.
Senior members of Straight Original Riders, "Mando" and Masi Leka, explain the origins.
Sirening draws musical and stylistic similarities to the "lowrider" subculture in some Mexican American communities.
Mando remembers watching YouTube videos from the 2000s of people adding speaker systems to their cars.
Leka says the scene originated in central Auckland but notes that every crew will claim it started in their suburb.
But not everyone appreciates this growing phenomenon.
Two cars (middle distance) have a siren battle as people watch on and listen at Manukau Velodrome. Photo / Supplied
One person living near the park came out "in his undies" and threw Halatoa's cellphone on to the ground during a confrontation.
Another says the sirens are "a pain in the arse".
Auckland Council's regulatory and compliance manager, James Hassall, says "excessive … noise is generally unacceptable".
Hassall says the Unitary Plan sets out limits to "protect people from unreasonable levels of noise".
Police commander for Auckland City West, Inspector Grant Tetzlaff, says officers have stopped some drivers playing music through speakers on their cars.
"When police are made aware of these issues … we aim to educate on the annoyance this can have for members of the community."
But the Mt Albert Residents' Association has not had any complaints about the sireners.
Patron Sir Harold Marshall - a founder of Marshall Day Acoustics - says he supposes "young people will do what they do" and that the sireners are "no great nuisance" to him.
"Norman" judging a siren battle at Manukau Velodrome. Photo / Supplied
Keren, who wants to be known as "Mando's Missus", says: "If we see old people or parents with children we won't [play our sirens]. We won't always see people, but we try to be respectful."
Mando's Missus says if a resident asked someone to stop playing their sirens and were respectful she expects people would comply.
She adds that anybody is welcome within the community, as long as they come with an open mind and with respect.
One teenage sirener, who didn't want to be named, says people judge them because they're "Islanders", but wants people to understand it's a diverse community "just having fun".
Pasa says the subculture has a mix of ethnicities, including Asian, Indian and Pākehā.
One battle sounded like an "Indian rave".
Pasa has inherited leadership of the Straight Original Riders from his father, Napoleon, who founded the crew in 2012 and is remembered by the community after his death last year.
Although members see it as a "hobby" where they dance, enjoy music and get to "vibe", they are sometimes stopped by police who think the sirens are stolen.
That's not the case, Pasa says: If anything, police give out tickets for licence and registration offences.
Mando acknowledges some are disappointed by the police presence but says officers "are just doing their jobs".
"If you are smart you will leave and not cause trouble."
A car with sirens after winning the second round of a siren battle. Photo / Supplied
Mando says the risk of losing your licence or vehicle - and with it the ability to showcase your sirening skills - is a big deterrent to causing trouble.
