Release Roundup: CRYER, Hasji, Mim Jensen, TL Stamp, Alan Brown, Indira Neville + More

Aotearoa's music community this week remembers the titanic contributions of Tāmaki Makaurau songwriting icon and industry legend Bernie Griffen (long-time host of 95bFM's Border Radio show), who has passed away at the age of 72. Watch footage HERE of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern presenting Griffen with the inaugural Independent Spirit Award at 2019's Taite Music Prize ceremony — plus here's a personal favourite of mine from his 2018 album Doors Wide Open with The Thin Men...

Let us dive deep into the musical end zone of the week (during which I was laid low with a cold) by revisiting our coverage of Raiden Freeman, Violet Hirst, Office Dog, Flaxxies and Phodiso, then check out more new local releases below from CRYER, Hasji, Mim Jensen, TL Stamp, Nicholas Joseph (Sonorous Circle), Alan Brown, Indira Neville, HUMMUCIDE and Pocket Money.

The debut long player from CRYER, a new project of the Tāmaki Makaurau sound artist / composer formerly known as Charlie (*), each song on AFFLICTIONS pt​.​1 aims "TO / SHOW YOU WHAT AN AFFLICTION SOUNDS LIKE / BE A SOUND TO HEAL OR SOOTHE THE AFFLICTION / TO CAUSE AN AFFLICTION IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND IT". Soon relocating abroad, CRYER's powerfully recuperative works were recorded in Anawhata, Aotearoa and Berlin, Germany, including contributions from Asher and Flo Wilson.

Spinning tunes at 95bFM's debut bRave on 25th August (nab tickets HERE), Hasji dropped a sonically scorching 'n' gritty contribution to I hear a new mountain — a 40 track collection of Gorge Music including artists from around the globe.

Playing with Melbourne's Teenage Dads at Lyttelton's The Loons in late October (tickets available HERE), rising songwriting talent Mim Jensen today unveiled her debut Emotional Affair EP, including recent singles 'Pause Button', 'The Colour Blue' and streaming hit 'Germaphobe'.

The electronic alias of Tony Stamp (award-winning host of RNZ's The Sampler), TL Stamp casually unveiled the head-spinning, booty-shaking rhythmic vistas of his new ten track album / beat tape Vendors. "I made the songs around five years ago (maybe more?), when a lot of things were different".

Kirikiriroa-based singer / multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Joseph (Deer Park, The Vacants) shared his percussively slapping, melodically beguiling debut single 'Not Yours' via independent champions Sonorous Circle — the first of three singles from a forthcoming EP.

Revered as an expert synthesiser repair specialist within Aotearoa electronic circles, Alan Brown (Blue Train, Alan Brown Trio) has an immersive new ten track collection of works titled Ondulation out today via Rattle. "These contemplations and improvisations were partly inspired by an instrument called an Ondomo — a recreation by Naoyuki Omo of the Ondes Martenot, one of the earliest electronic instruments developed in 1928 by Maurice Martenot (Ondes Martenot translated as ‘Martenot’s waves’)".

The debut solo album from Indira Neville of Tāmaki Makaurau's The Biscuits, the brain-zapping 32 tracks featured on This Is The Energy Of My Mind were described by one commenter as "Trip hop for elves" — too bad if you haven't already grabbed a cassette copy as they all sold out in a flash. "I have made a solo album just me all alone on my own I made it. It's called 'This is the energy of my mind' and it really is."

Earning fervent fans for their dance-igniting live sets, Te Whanganui-a-Tara's HUMMUCIDE today treat listeners to the sparkling rock-jazz textures of their ten track debut album Tides.

Playing an all-ages release gig at Grey Lynn Library Hall next week (tickets HERE), Pocket Money express claustrophobic power-pop energy on their new single / video 'Get Out'.