Release Roundup: Pickle Darling, Theia, Reb Fountain, Crystal Chen, Alphabethead, Baby Zionov, Varda + More

A substantial UTR roundup section this week, as what started as a sleepy year for Aotearoa releases has tranformed into a veritable sonic banquet, so let's crack knuckles and get into it. Revisit our coverage of Adam Hattaway and The Haunters, Joe Kaptein, Scarlett and our interview with Kora and Black Comet about their respective latest albums, then scroll downwards for new / recent releases from Pickle Darling, Theia, Reb Fountain, Crystal Chen, Alphabethead, Baby Zionov, Varda, ONONO, Incredible Yacht Control, and the Flower Beds That Grow compilation from Mouthfull Radio.

Scope out the UTR Roundup Playlist below, a rolling weekly playlist keeping you in the loop with every new release we've featured on the site over the past month. Only including tracks available on streaming services of course, which has been an increasingly hot topic during the past few weeks.

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

Already reaping rave reviews, Ōtautahi songwriter and production guru Lukas Mayo (spotted chatting on broadcast TV news the other evening) aka Pickle Darling's snappily titled fourth album Bots is out in full today via San Francisco's Father/Daughter Records. You can catch Mayo playing free events at some of Aotearoa's very best independent record stores this weekend and next, plus check out the stylie animated visualiser created by Christiane Shortal for 'Earthshaped'.

Waltzing back into the spotlight is Theia (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipaa), who took away the 2023 Best Independent Debut Award for her te ao Māori songwriting project TE KAAHU. Now based in LA, Theia has just announced her forthcoming debut album GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD (finally!) with the sugar sweet melodies and scorching lyrics of new protest anthem 'Patupaiarehe'. "Patupaiarehe are extremely tapu and known for having sweet, ethereal voices and for being consummate players of the kooaau and puutoorino flutes. I love the imagery of Patupaiarehe as kaitiaki (guardians) of the whenua (our Earth Mother, Papatuuaanuku). Stories from the past, of their hostility towards intruders, mirrors the ongoing battle and tensions we are still experiencing today."

Multiple award-winning songwriting star Reb Fountain tips her hat in a rustic direction, jangling her spurs on empathetic new country-folk weeper 'Silver Linings' — out today complete with a single take video shot at Roundhead Studios by daughter (and regular collaborator) Lola Fountain-Best. "I wrote Silver Linings for a dear friend who was going through hard times. You know that feeling when you want to help in some way and the best you can muster is a song. Well, it’s the first song I’ve ever written specifically for somebody else, although in saying that it ended up being as much guidance for myself as for them. I hope that you find a little something in it for yourselves too."

Indisputably the very best title from this week's batch, You can call me CC is the avidly awaited debut album from Chinese / NZ songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Chen — featuring a who's who of Tāmaki Makaurau soul-jazz luminaries, including Joe Kaptein, Kenny Sterling, Julien Dyne, Harrison Chau, Ruby Walsh, Francesca Parussini, and Annika Rani. Look forward to a new video for 'Can't Help It' out this evening, co-directed with Dylan Martin. "In Chinese culture, you don’t call someone by their first name — you can call people gorgeous or handsome, by their nickname, sister, brother, uncle or aunty — and mine is CC."

'No Control' is the third single from Whanganui producer / turntable virtuoso David Morrison (Bad Taste) aka Alphabethead's forthcoming manifesto in sound My Name Is David via Sunreturn — inspired by mangaka Kentaro Miura’s dark fantasy masterwork Berserk to throw down heavyweight slabs of bass and Lynchian squalling sax. "No Control is a meditation on free will and the nature of evil. I was reading Berserk by Kentaro Miura at the time and grappling with some of its themes. Is humanity just plodding along on rails leading to an unavoidable destiny, or do individuals possess the power to blaze their own trail? And, is evil an immutable force that will persist as long as humankind exists? Or, does humankind trend towards the good, with evil only emerging as an unfortunate product of circumstance?"

Also out this week from the Sunreturn camp is a cosmic voyaging collaboration between Tāmaki Makaurau electronic artist Baby Zionov and Moody V (of the Menstrual Cycle and Van Staden & Böhm fame), sounding not unlike Aotearoa's very own Aqua on dance-pop-bop 'Space Holiday'. Baby Zionov's new album Raceways Of My Heart is out on 3rd October, plus word on the street is Moody V has some solo releases in the pipeline too.

Just about to jet abroad to Japan and Taiwan for a five date tour, Varda's debut EP Farthest Shore landed with minimal fuss late last week, yet feels like an impeccably crafted, crucial release in Aotearoa's dream-pop / shoegaze landscape — featuring drums by Jonathan Nott (ONONO) on 'All The Way Home'.

Speaking of Jonathan Nott, now freed from the drum stool shackles of Hans Pucket (we jest!) he's reactivated his solo project ONONO. Hit play on Nott's charming new jangle-pop tune 'It Is You' and while you're at it, peep your ears at last month's equally delectable and somewhat disaffected synth-pop groover 'GRILLERS', plus the yearning grungy soul-pop of 'Think About You'.

Hailing from coastal town of Maraetai and formerly of Portland's Crosstide, Bret Vogel's solo songwriting project Incredible Yacht Control has reemerged with a new collection of lovingly crafted, imaginatively produced DIY folk title pastor al, out in full today via Aotearoa's Home Alone Records. Tāmaki Makaurau gig-goers are treated to a release event this Saturday at Movespace 473 Dominion Road, joined by Mali Mali and Rodney Fisher — you can grab tickets HERE via UTR and read some insights with the artist himself HERE

Flower Beds That Grow is the inaugural compilation from Te Whanganui-a-Tara's independent champions of the airwaves Mouthfull Radio — a generously stacked offering, sporting fresh works by many UTR office favourites in the mix, marking the station's milestone fifth year of broadcasting. "Like this garden-related world, this compilation disc holds the ecosystem of a beautiful collective of artists related to Mouthfull via radio, concerts, and play over the years. It touches upon different musical genres while remaining uniquely itself in its full form."