Release Roundup: Kraus, Church, Memory Foam, Liam Finn + More

A snappy roundup for this slightly shorter than usual week, as the immortal words of Shihad's 'Home Again' remind us: "Put your clock back for the winter." Revisit our news coverage of Luke Buda, D.C. Maxwell, Moider Mother, Gram Antler and Fertility Festival, then feast your ears and eyes on fresh local highlights from Kraus, Church, Memory Foam, Liam Finn, Lola, Voodoo Bloo, and Brackenwood Coven.

An artist whose work has enriched Aotearoa's experimental music community on many levels (one example: he founded the Musical Electronics Library), Kraus elevates our Friday with new album Crystal Motors, which you can bet I will be cranking in the kitchen when I make dinner tonight (and for many evenings to come). Launched in sync with the Bandcamp Friday initiative, all proceeds from Crystal Motors go to UNRWA, the UN agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees since 1949. The electronic practitioner has also put together a special Gaza Fundraiser Kraus Prize Pack, including "a huge prize pack of Kraus merch, including rare items from Pat Kraus's personal archive". Supporting a massively important cause, each purchasable raffle ticket includes a digital download of Crystal Motors too, so get yours HERE.

Prolific Tāmaki Makaurau rapper Church's knockout new single 'Fairytale' feels like an evolutionary move, stretching out into big-hearted synth balladry, compelled forwards by a stuttering marching beat. "This is one of my favourite songs I ever wrote. For two years I cherished it, keeping it between me and my car stereo. Today it’s out for the world to hear. As the ownership changes hands, I hope it’s able to give u the same joy it gave me."

Tāmaki Makaurau sci-fi punk collective Memory Foam tore it up in the 95bFM lounge, hit play on the hyper-energetic full set released to all this week.

Recent special guest on Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker, Crowded House's Liam Finn unfurled the second single / video combo from his ambitious Hyperverse project — the emotionally frank, melodically flowing 'Purple Dress'.

Tāmaki Makaurau-based vocalist / producer Lola shared striking, beat-driven experimental pop vision 'Portal', made in collaboration with Carly Gill (Kédu Carlö). "When I wrote ‘Portal’ I was experiencing the kind of love that makes you feel transformed. Like the human heart can be a portal to a new metaphysical place, so long as we relent and let it guide us.”

Injecting infectious new wavey (almost gothic) funk bass into their alt-rock attack, Voodoo Bloo's video for new single 'Cardboard Box Office' casts the Pōneke team as phone-addicted business bigwigs, playing their anthem in whiteboard conference room hell. “We see a lot of bands make videos where they're dressed up in suits trying to look cool but we decided to make the antithesis to that by trying to make doing business look cool, and make the music part look boring.”

Aotearoa doom / sludge trio Brackenwood Coven graced our Easter holiday long weekend with the unholy soul-creeping riff mania of their all-instrumental debut collection B.C.