Release Radar: Earth Tongue, XYZZY, Coco Solid, Peter Jefferies, Tami Neilson, Tom Lark, Estère, Frog Power, Kraus + More

I'm back at UTR's Tāmaki Makaurau HQ after a short holiday spent snooping around various Te Whanganui-a-Tara bars and independent record stores (shout out to Octo who do both), armed with evidence Aotearoa music releases have been in rude health during August 2026. Revisit our coverage of Greatsouth, Reb Fountain, Eigenface and Hannah Everingham, read our interview with Eyegum Music Collective about Great Sounds Great 2026 festival and The Night Before mini-fest, then scroll downwards for more new and recent highlights from Earth Tongue, XYZZY, Coco Solid, Peter Jefferies, Tami Neilson, Tom Lark, Estère, frog power, Kraus, Sheep Dog & Wolf, Community Treatment Order, and mystery artist Harry Hunk.

Subjects of gushing praise from no less than 'the internet's busiest music nerd' Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop), Earth Tongue reward their new international fanbase with the Aotearoa heavy fuzz duo's first official single since this year's breakout Dungeon Vision. 'Dimly Lit Cadaver' opens the Field of Vision 2026 vinyl-only compilation — ahead of tracks by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Angine de Poitrine, Blood Incantaion, Upchuck, W.I.T.C.H. and more — gesturing to the Hausu-esque horror-scapes of their earlier record Great Haunting with the absurdly talented pair's spine-tingling short featurette, co-directed with Oscar Keys.

Launched with senses-frying 360 degree multi-media events in Tāmaki Makaurau and Pōneke, XYZZY is the gorgeously packaged original soundtrack to Jess Johnson and Simon Ward's "fulldome planetarium film" of the same name. Showcasing a world-class suite of ear-tickling electronic compositions, primarily by Stef Animal and Luke Rowell (aka vaporwave innovator Eyeliner and Disasteradio) with Lachlan Anderson and Andrew Clarke, XYZZY A: gets this listener's full endorsement, and B: may be the most unlikely release to enter the Top 20 Aotearoa Albums chart in recent memory.

Banging the drum for the Wheke Fortress fundraiser — show your love for these community art champions by donating HERE — 'Jump Into That Ride' is the bass blasting first new single in eight years from Aotearoa rap innovator Coco Solid, produced by Big Fat Raro and out now via Kuini Qontrol Records. "This song wouldn’t exist without Wheke Fortress and all the artists who infused it, please give to the crowdfunder. Yes I got a solo album en route, even got new Parallel Dance Ensemble on the horizon too so enjoy the jam and play it loud."

The Day They Let You Out Is The Day They Might Not Let You Come Back is a mouthful of a title, of a scale befitting the first new album in 25 years from Aotearoa underground great Peter Jefferies. Out in full on 18th September via Nebraska imprint Grapefruit (preorders include entire bonus live album Peter Jefferies Live in Dunedin at Pearl Diver), re-enter the Nocturnal Projections / This Kind of Punishment co-founder's inimitable world with lead tracks 'Draw It By Hand' and 'Can't Fly'.

Winner of a heck of a lot of Tūī awards and the prestigious Silver Scroll to boot, country and soul star Tami Neilson belts out a cover of Aretha Franklin's 'You Sure' and contributes two rousing originals to the soundtrack to 2026 comedy-drama film Holy Days — a Canadian-New Zealand co-production, directed by Nat Boltt.

Someplace in another, maybe better reality, FM rock radio is ruled by the sounds of Tāmaki Makaurau song-crafter Tom Lark. New single 'Sun's Up' glides along with motorik pep and catchiness to spare, Lark's lite-ness of touch belying the tune's end of tether lyrical musings on "exhausting optimism."

These days moving bodies in clubs half a world away in London, England, Cameroonian Aotearoa "witch-hop" sensation Estère conjures three minutes of mercurial future-soul with new single 'Obsidian', sporting drums by Myele Manzanza. Check out her red hot accompanying clip, co-directed with Paascalino Schaller.

Ōtepoti outsider rock guru frog power is in the frog zone for real on prog flower - 84 hot dogs, sounding initially a tad ratty, before it slowly dawns upon you these might be the only tunes you ever need to hear. Should-be massive hits include Warholian mantra 'Shame', plus the woah-inducing funk-boogie of 'frog power gets me high'.

'Princess from the Moon' is a fantastical illustration in sound, drawn from the compositional quill of Aotearoa electronic artist Kraus. This listener is looking forward to getting his grubby mitts on the cassette edition of Kraus' forthcoming new album Water Music, out on 9th September. "It's my pleasure to introduce my new album "Water Music", representing the results of my musical investigations over the course of 2025. Here are some things I was thinking about during this period: traditional Japanese story "The Bamboo Cutter's Tale"; Enya's castle; Francesco Cavaliere's album "ALATA ONDA"; the sparrows in my bird feeder; Finland; synthetic flutes and bongos; George A. Romero's "Martin" (1977); Planetary Peace; this album's cover painting with its mysterious blue dome; Japanese gardens; "Puzzle Music" by Madalyn Merkey; and my desire to live in the forest with the elves."

The project of Aotearoa songwriter / composer / producer Daniel McBride, Sheep Dog & Wolf's first new long player in five years Ceiling Waves is a song cycle born from grief, for lost loved ones and the untethering of personal relationships. The award-winning artist greets these gargantuan themes and complex feelings with typically ambitious, angel-voiced flair — a rare comparable local fellow traveller could be Dudley Benson — rueful acceptance and palpable rage burning from their towering, textural avant-folk-rock / electronica assemblages.

Tāmaki Makaurau's Community Treatment Order aka cto ask uncomfortable questions while serving up eminently catchy, melodically suave post-punk goodness with their new anthem 'are you getting better yet?'

Cold-calling the UTR inbox with captivating dreamy neo-soul highly reminiscent of Sade, 'Holding On' is an undeniable ear worm from Aotearoa mystery artist Harry Hunk. "Discovered on an abandoned iPod on a quiet Mt Eden street, Harry Hunk’s ‘Holding On’ is as infectious as it is mysterious. Who is Harry Hunk? Who the heck still uses an iPod? Who knew homie could throw down like Sade? We may never know the answer to these questions, and we may never know peace again."