Release Roundup: L V J, The Hongi Slicker, Elliott Dawson, Transistors, Joe Sampson + More

A rare Saturday Special roundup this week, as we spent most of Friday heading southwards in the direction of Ōhinehou Lyttelton's Port Noise festival. This week's grab-bag of Aotearoa sonic treats includes new / recent releases from L V J, The Hongi Slicker, Elliott Dawson, Transistors, Joe Sampson, ARAHI, Welcomer and Borrowed cs.

Are you an Aotearoa artist / imprint releasing something new soon? Let us know! Send your info including links to editor@undertheradar.co.nz.

Hailing from Aotearoa and now situated within Berlin's queer club underground, alt-rap dynamo L V J (Zeus Dupree, The Pleasure Majenta) reemerges with ice cold neo-gothic cut 'Black Silk', created with Naarm producer Ike Zwanikken. Smash play on the track's suitably chilly night-scape visuals directed by Wren Bisley, who shared: "To me, Black Silk is a funeral song for the dreams of a life that is impossible when you’re caught up in the endless web of a hostile system… but it also challenges that system. The message is simple: ‘This is fucked,’ and ‘We’ve got to keep going.’ We just have to keep going".

The Hongi Slicker is an artistic alter ego of multi-faceted Taite Music Prize winner Troy Kingi, whose previous work under that moniker includes contributions to MOKOMOKAI's 2023 album WHAKAREHU and a collaborative cut with Pōneke rising star Casual Healing. The Hongi Slicker now joins forces with Mānuka Recordings, who have shared new two pack of immaculate soulful groovers to kick off the new Mānuka Special series. ‘Falling Off’ / ‘Do It Better (For Us)’ is produced by Kenny Sterling and features instrumentation / backing vox by such heavy hitters as Julien Dyne, JY Lee, Cory Champion, Tiare Kelly, Romi Wrights, and Samara Alofa. Listen up and preorder the hot demand 7" edition via the Bandcamp link.

Having already impressed with the cinematic avant-rock melodrama of 'Quarter Life' and 'Calling Time' from his forthcoming new album, Elliott Dawson (Wiri Donna) dares to open up the emotional floodgates with 'Speaking Frankly' — one huge final anthem before Certain Death arrives in full on 4th April.

Rangiora garage power-pop kings Transistors round off a ripping comeback run of releases with their first official new album since 2013's Is This Anything? Recorded by Joe Sampson and Melted Ice Cream honcho Brian Feary, regale your earholes with the  majesty of Everything Will Never Happen Again, smash play on the video for 'Country Music' — "This may come to you as some surprise: this is what country music sounds like!" — and grip the strictly limited vinyl LP edition via the Bandcamp link.

Speaking of Joe Sampson (Salad Boys, T54 and many more), the ineffably talented, astoundingly productive Cantabrian songwriter / multi-instrumentalist has opened up the songwriting vaults to unveil a treasure trove for tune-loving adventures to dive into and explore. He shared this week 2009 Demos, 2010 Demos, 2011 Demos Vol. I and 2011 Demos Vol. II — ninety six different songs, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! "It's the first in a series of demo albums I'm going to stick up on Bandcamp in the coming months, another 300 or so songs to come".

This one slipped through our otherwise watertight music news net a couple of weeks ago. ARAHI of songwriting heartthrob duo Pony Baby and te reo heavy rockers Te Tokotoru shared 'Baby's Back' as a Valentine's Day gift for listeners. Embodying smouldering FM rock majesty with a wistful, romantic core, hit play on the accompanying video for 'Baby's Back' and go catch ARAHI live at Tāmaki Makaurau's Studio 1 Vintage Guitars on 6th March (get tickets HERE).

The project of Pōneke songwriter Miles Sutton and friends, Welcomer return with sparkling ballad and video 'Nothing of You Remaining' — directed / edited by Taylor Galmiche.

The unstoppable sonic force that is Cory Champion shared a new EP release from his Borrowed cs nom de plume, three immersive versions of beatscape journey love letter plus 'parade, for two voices' — notably, "grid mix first appeared in the actress essential mix at the start of 2024".