Peter Sinclair: Kiwi sounds on the net

Today, with music quotas burning a hole in the local music-radio scene, it's odd to look back to a time when they weren't necessary.

My thoughts almost never revisit the 60s and 70s now, but they made an exception recently when I met up with my former sound engineer from those dear, dead days, Phil Yule, at his Ponsonby studio, VoiceBox.

In those years of the New Zealand Top 10 and Hitwave, as he reminded me, we never had to bother about positive discrimination — local music took care of itself. It was often hard to fit in all the hot new material.

He also recalled Dave Dobbyn's remark that New Zealand music these days amounts to little more than "cottage industry," and quoted Glyn Tucker, formerly of the Gremlins and later of Mandrill, that "we make great demos."

So what's happening? If quotas are imposed, is there anyone actually left for programmers to programme?

Gnome-like, knowledgeable, Phil knows more than most about the recording scene in New Zealand. Here, in no special order, are some of his top-of-mind websites which may signal the new renaissance.

Here come the Finns! There's www.frenz.com/neilfinn, which taken together with www.timfinn.com contains all even the most overheated Finn fans will ever need to know.

Also a link to Tim's tour with Dave Dobbyn and Bic Runga next month — real old-time religion, as they criss-cross the heartland from one dull motel, one dismal venue, one dysfunctional sound-system to the next. How it takes one back ...

Bic Runga's own site is as great-looking as the lady herself. "Shame about the sound," sniffs Phil when the site's audio quality doesn't quite measure up, but then he probably says that about anything he hasn't recorded himself.

He steers me to Zedquarters, home of Christchurch's response to the boy-band phenomenon, Zed. They're working on their debut album, and if it's as well-crafted as their website they don't have any worries.

Nostalgic former fans of C'mon! and Happen Inn, if any remain, may be interested to know that the band's newest member is 21-year-old Andrew Lynch, son of muso Bruce Lynch and ex-Chick Suzanne Donaldson. Lump in your throat, anyone?

Stellar*'s success at the 2000 NZ Music Awards earns their site a high place on anyone's list, but Phil's heart is probably with the Chris Mason-Battley Group ("cool jazz, hot band").

Hosted on Xoom, the band is nothing if not obliging: "Whatever you need — duo to quintet, Miles Davis to Van Morrison ... " They have their own page on MP3.com as well.

To Phil's list you have to add New Zealand's newest MP3 site — local bands can upload their tracks free for surfers to audition in a low-res format.

If you like something, buy it online — and you've got plenty to choose from, the site is now home to over 120 local artists, and more loading every day.

Lastly, check out the finalists in the bfm Music Awards best web category for New Zealand music to be held on Saturday, August 26: Radio One (Dunedin campus radio); Noisyland (what you hear is what you get); Freq Records (flashy); Upload TV; and Loops and Samples.

The song of the kiwi is sounding on the net.

Links:

Mandrill

frenz.com/neilfinn

timfinn.com

finn-runga-dobbyn.com

Bic Runga

Zed

Stellar*

Chris Mason-Battley Group

MP3.com

MP3.net.nz

bfm

Radio One

Noisyland

Freq

Upload TV

Loop and Samples


E-mail: petersinclair@email.com