NZ Music Month - Discover New: Debut Collections

In celebration of New Zealand Music Month 2018 we've put together a four-part series exploring this year's theme of Discover New. In each week of May we're highlighting a range of artists bubbling up from the underground who we feel are representative of the depth and breadth of Aotearoa's emerging musical talent. For our fourth feature we present ten debut collections, a selection of significant first albums, mixtapes or EPs that sound as crucial now as when they initially dropped.

We set a firm cutoff point of December 2017 for all the collections featured, so you know these sounds are sizzling hot. Some artists have shared material previously, but all collections represent powerful statements of intent, and all get us hyped about the future of music in Aotearoa. Dive in and explore the excellent tunes below, check out our previous features Live Artists, Independent Labels and Singles, and if you like what you hear show your support by purchasing direct from the artists and labels (arranged alphabetically)...

Babyface - Dirty South Pacific

The Auckland duo of producer WhyFi and rapper Shiraz had already been charging hard with various other creative outlets, but came together last December as Babyface to hit it out of the park with the surprise drop of their iconically titled debut album Dirty South Pacific. Released via ever-adventurous label / collective The Grow Room, the album takes listeners on a journey through a blazed underworld of gritty beats and slamming rhymes...

Bottle - Where Here Is

Dunedin stoner-rock trio Bottle busted out their mystically titled debut album Where Here Is last December, following a cranking run of singles and a short EP titled Prejamulation, most of which is also featured here. With a sound recalling doom metal touchstones Black Sabbath and Kyuss, songs like the blues-metal 'Witchcraft' and the title track are solid as hell. Give Where Here Is a whirl below...

Green Grove - Night Music

The solo recording project of Auckland producer Durham Fenwick (of Bozo and Guardian Singles), Green Grove's debut collection Night Music is a chilled out intersection of exotica, new age, electronic composition and more. Fenwick describes his collection as "some songs written a while ago after discovering synthesisers, that are my interpretation of lounge, library and soundtrack style music." Green Grove will be making his very first live appearance with band at this weekend's Borderline Music Festival 2018, vibe out to Night Music below...

Ryan Hendriks - Old Zealand

Badcorporation member Ryan Hendriks struck out on his own in February with his first solo album Old Zealand. The Auckland rapper's record explores themes of colonisation and decolonisation relating to his own heritage, and was recorded in The Hague while recently touring Europe. Released by Auckland label / collective The Grow Room, the collection also gave us killer single 'Sirens' (feat. regular collaborator Cleophus). Catch him with Badcorporation at Borderline Music Festival 2018 this weekend and listen to the whole package below...

HEX - The Hill Temple

Wellington witch-rockers HEX followed up their sublime five track collection Calling To The Universe with their hugely anticipated debut album The Hill Temple in February. When we talked with the band on the eve of the album's release and ahead of their imminent US tour (and SXSW show), singer and guitarist Kiki Van Newtown said "The album ... is about using anger productively. There's a couple of songs on there that are like prayers, but they're quite fierce. So it's sort of about using your feminine anger and rage and power to create."

JessB - Bloom

Auckland-based rapper JessB dropped her debut six-track Bloom EP in March, following a red-hot run of singles and high profile appearances at the likes of Auckland City Limits 2018 and Northern Bass. Already a local pop icon, the rapper celebrated Bloom's release with her very own block party, featuring an all-women lineup of artists from Aotearoa's hip hop community. Bloom collects previously released party starters 'Set It Off' and 'Take It Down' with fresh cuts and an appearance from Melodownz, listen to it here...

Stef Animal - Top Gear

After years of live shows and occasional single releases, Wellington singer and producer Stef Animal (also of fuzzed-out shoegazers The Golden Awesome and Mestar) delivered the goods with her excellently-titled solo debut album Top Gear, released via Fishrider Records in February. A journey through electronic dream-pop and lo-tech cinematic synthscapes, the artist puts her electronic arsenal to the test over fifteen immersive tracks, check it out...

Villette - Drip Crimson

Auckland singer and producer Villette dropped her debut mixtape of futuristic and cathartic RnB Drip Crimson last December, after generating huge levels of anticipation with her lead-up singles. A conceptually driven collection exploring the theme of a girl going through the stages of an unhealthy / toxic relationship, Villette's powerful voice shines against club-rattling beat production throughout. Villette recently shared a stunning 360 VR video for latest single 'Money', dive in below...

Wax Chattels - Wax Chattels

Auckland masters of 'guitarless guitar music' Wax Chattels finally unveiled their self-titled debut album earlier this month via Flying Nun / Captured Tracks, following an electrifying run of singles and live shows. Incorporating earlier insta-classic singles 'Gillian' and 'In My Mouth' alongside otherworldly new material, the no-wave trio's ten track collection one hundred percent delivered the goods in every way conceivable. They'll be pummelling New Zealand audiences into submission with their nationwide tour kicking off this Friday, listen up here...

Womb - Like Splitting The Head From The Body

Wellington psychedelic trio Womb followed a winning run of live shows and singles with their long-awaited debut album Like Splitting the Head From the Body. Swirling synthesisers interact with tenderly plucked guitars and otherdimensional singing, creating oceans of sound for minds to lose themselves inside...