Podcast: The TMet Show 26/8/05
Homegrown Kiwi dance tunes from TMet Recodings, followed by a 2 hour mix from DJ Chelfyn:

The TMet Show on Twisted Radio - Friday 26th August.mp3

TMet Recordings Playlist:
Chiller - Si-Fi
On the Other Hand - Nub
Capture - Liquid Underground
Zulu Nation - Mr Sketchy & Mr Steady
Recline D&B Relick - andy qroniq & The WBC
One Ring - Waterboy

Chelfyn Playlist:
http://www.twisted.co.nz/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6800

Yoji Biomehanika @ Kiss, K'Rd, Auckland, September 7th
Isn't it always the same? No gigs in ages and then more than three come along at once. We've had a DJ or VJ gig every weekend this month. Last Saturday Chelfyn and I took a roadtrip down to at Monkey Feather in Hamilton where he played alongside Justin Sane. You can also catch Chelfyn DJing alongside Baxter, Grayson & Just Juice tonight at Kiss nightclub on K'Rd.



We'll be VJing again at Kiss on September 7th, as real life Japanese manga character Yoji Biomehanika is coming to play Auckland. Yoji's a fascinating looking creature, a futuristic cyber warrior, with a mean line in hard house and a cascade of orange dreadlocks. I've been wanting to see him play since I left the UK, and it's going to be great to be able to get up close and personal in a Kiwi club.



What's funny is that I've met more international DJs/producers in 4 years in New Zealand, than I did in 10 years of working in the UK club scene. You don't get the layers of VIP seperation here that often happens at the bigger British events, which is one of the reasons the internationals love it here. They say that they really enjoy the intimacy of the smaller Kiwi clubs, as the bigger the gig the more remote you can feel. Everyone who has been on my radio show has said the same thing. That they'd love to come and live in New Zealand one day. Captain Tinrib of Tinrib Records, is moving to Christchurch in the New Year. Which is great news as he's planning on setting up studios here.

The scariest imminent arrivals though must be Sharon and Ozzie Osbourne who are apparently planning a NZ OE. Let's just hope Ozzie doesn't discover our vast range of legal party pills...

Podcast: The TMet Show - 3 hr NZ Dance Special

I hosted last week's radio show solo, and played almost 3 hours of homegrown New Zealand dance and electronica. It was great to play all Kiwi music, and I could have kept going for twice as long. There some great dance & electronica coming out of NZ at the moment, some off our label TMet Recordings and other indie dance artists like High Dosage who played live at the recent DV8 [see video clips]. All of our shows are archived at Twisted after broadcast, so I've knocked up a few .mp3 podcasts so that you can hear for yourself.

TMET SHOW PODCASTS:

NZ D&B [9.3 MB ]

NZ House [7.6 MB]

NZ Hard Dance [42.7 MB]

Listen to a podcast of the whole show [65.5 MB].

TMET SHOW PLAYLIST:

Drum & Bass
Unhealthy Remix - andy qroniq & The WBC; Blazin - Blazem; La Figaro - State of Mind; Davros Returns - Si-Fi; Excessive Force - Culprit.

House
Love in Glasgow - Javed Haider; Sunshine - Javed Haider; Vanamous - Javed Haider; Aint That Hard - The Filterbrats

Hard Dance
Outburst - DJ Baxter;
Acid in my Brain - High Dosage; The Forgotten - Focus ; Witness - High Dosage; Absolute Zero - H.U.M.N.; Losing Senses - Focus; Global Panic - High Dosage; I Have a Dream - Ryan Tregurtha; Liquid - Focus; Lost in Love - High Dosage; Don't Get Caught - Ryan Tregurtha; Happily Ever After - Focus; Equalizer - High Dosage; Turbulance - Focus;

Trancetastic Oxygen


I'm pleased to say that there's a trance revival currently hitting the Auckland club scene, led by the likes of Justin Sane with Fragile and Jay Kay with Oxygen. There's also a couple of new venues that have opened recently, like the lushly furnished Starzz by Albert Park. With clubs and promoters making more of an effort with production and comfort, more people are coming out to play.

What struck me most about Oxygen was the wide age range, with some people easily in their forties enjoying the house and trance rooms. Since hard house become the dominant genre in Auckland, old skool ravers like myself have stayed away. You can't dance all night to music at gabba speeds, unless you're chewing your face off on party pills. Thankfully the BPMs are coming down and it's starting to get fun again.

Starzz is a gorgeous new venue with two rooms, lots of comfy sofas and LCD screens, so even when you are lounging on leather you still feel part of the action. Once you get past your early twenties you need social spaces to meet, greet and rest your feet, if you are going to spend up to 8 hours out partying. I never once had to queue in the ladies loos, and they even have their own chill out space. As someone used to partying in warehouses back in the UK, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.



The music was great all night (no more Nails - yay!), and we got to be in amongst the action all night. Even though I love doing the big gigs, being up in our control room sending eye candy to the big screens, sometimes the smaller ones can be more fun as you get to connect with people on the dancefloor. People notice what you are doing, and it was lovely how many people stopped by to say how much they enjoyed our Mohawk Media VJ show.

I'll have some video clips to put up soon but in the meantime you can check out the Oxygen Photo Galleries at the following NZ dance sites:

NZRave 1: Photos by Gouba, NZRave 2: Photos by Yu_Angel, Twisted: Photos by Claire, Biggie: Set 1 / Set 2

More eye candy from Mohawk Media at Oxygen this weekend

I'm VJing again this weekend at Oxygen, a trance night that's been rocking the Tauranga and Hamilton crowds, and hits Auckland's Starzz Nightclub this Saturday (August 13th).

Featuring Mike Nichol, one of Melbourne's most prolific Trance DJ/Producers and a stellar local lineup including SampleGee, Nick Collings, MCEnergy, Astral, General Lee, Karn Hall, Javed Haider & more. Expect an aural and visual journey with multiple lasers and and live visuals from the Mohawk Media VJ Crew.



DJs: Mike Nichol (Melbourne), Sample Gee, Astral, General Lee, Nick Collings, MCEnergy, Kurt Erickson, JayKay, Jason Ng, Andy Clayton, Javed Haider, Karn Hall

VJs: Chelfyn, Gargoyle, Mistress Dirtbag, MsBehaviour.



$15 Presales, $20 Door Sales

$15+bf Presales available from Real Groovy, Route66 (Takapuna & Newmarket), Demo Streetwear (Tauranga), Texas Radio & The Big Beat (Hamilton) Fusion & Criminal Records $20 on the door. Strictly limited capacity.

DV8 - The Movie
Well not quite, but until we have time to edit a 'best of DV8' next week, here's a few video snippets from the footage I filmed at DV8 last Saturday at Studio...



Savant

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/savant2.html

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/savant3.html

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/savant4.html



The Hardstyle Terror Crew

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/dam1.html

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/htc2.html



High Dosage

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/dosage1.html

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/dosage2.html

http://www.chelfyn.com/files/dosage3.html

Visuals: Mohawk Media

Digital download providers forced to live on a song

A great article by Peter Novak on the digital download market in New Zealand now that a certain brand of soft drink has entered the fray.

Large private companies escape reporting requirements

"Large, non-public companies will not have to file their financial reports like their listed counterparts, in a new Government decision. "

Digital Downloads go mainstream in New Zealand
A well known brand of Cola (or 'fizzy black Satan's worm jism' as the late great Bill Hicks famously dubbed it), has launched an online music store this week in New Zealand with over 500,000 tracks at a lossleading low price. However the launch is great news for digital indies like Amplifier and TMet Recordings which are both chock full of New Zealand Music. Their big marketing spend is going to turn more people on to the idea of buying music legitimately online, which will ultimately benefit indies like ourselves.

Amplifier.co.nz was the Kiwi pioneer, launching an online music store way back in 1999, followed by my dance & electronica label TMet Recordings in 2003. We were joined by Digirama in 2004, who are the ones most likely to having the stuffing knocked out of them by this major player. It has also stolen the thunder of the hotly anticipated though currently unconfirmed launch of a New Zealand iTunes.

Though legal download figures overseas are not encouraging enough to calm the major labels, they are a shot in the arm for indies. In the UK sales in the first 6 months of this year equalled sales from the whole of last year. For a daily lowdown on digital music news I'd heartily recommend subscribing to Paul Resnikoff's brilliant newswire: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/


P.S. My refusal to name said black worm jism by the way, is down to their dodgy corporate activities overseas, such as in Columbia and India. Why not have a nice cup of Dilmah tea instead?

See also: Digital download providers forced to live on a song, a great article by Peter Novak on the digital download market in New Zealand.

Catch the Mohawk Media VJ Crew at DV8, 6th August, The Studio



I'm very much looking forward to Saturday night and my first big VJ gig. Mohawk Media are doing the visuals at Auckland superclub The Studio (formerly Staircase) on K'Rd. We've been wanting to get out mitts on it as VJs for years.

Chelfyn has been hunkered down in the studio all week making eye-popping eye-candy, which I can't wait to see on the 3 massive screens. He has also been animating some special 3D characters, one to go with the special DV8 Theme from Seraphin, which Bennor will be playing at the the gig.

Maybe see you there...

Bennor / Hardstyle Terror Crew (4 Turntable Mashup)
High Dosage LIVE / Savant / CXL / Spence / Kintaro

Visuals from: Mohawk Media.

Future Tense: Exploring the Future of Work

Future Tense explores how the modern work “place” is evolving and adapting to new trends, technologies, and economic factors.

"We filmed the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe here recently..."

I was fortunate to talk to the wonderful Bob Harvey recently, proud Westie and Mayor of Waitakere Eco City. A stunningly beautiful area to the west of Auckland where I am lucky enough to live, full of artists, musicians, primaeval bush backdrops, and wild black sand beaches.

"We think it's time to turn on the music..." Bob Harvey on Waitakere Music City .mp3 [486 KB]

"It all came from the Piano, Xena & Hercules" Bob Harvey on 'Westiewood' Film City .mp3 [1.2 MB]

"It's not about treehugging, it's about smart people doing smart things for the future of this planet" Bob Harvey on Waitakere Eco City .mp3 [354 KB]

Bob Harvey - Full Interview .mp3 [3.6 MB]

Pure image rates New Zealand in top 10 brands

New Zealand has 'punched above its weight' to make it into the top 10 nations in a list of the strongest brands in the world. Across the Tasman, Australians will be celebrating their country's top ranking.

"I see it as a way to fight terrorism" - an interview with Jack Yan on branding and ethics

Jack Yan is a Wellington based branding expert, one of the authors of book Beyond Branding and contributer to Allaboutbranding.com. Head of the Jack Yan & Associates Consultancy, Jack is also publisher of global fashion portal and print title Lucire Magazine, sponsors in 2003 of New Zealand Fashion Week.

Jack talks about how he sees brands in a modern world, the Global Entrepreneurs Forum and his involvement in the Medinge Group, a global think-tank on branding:

"A Brand today is a collection of perceptions from all of the audiences..." Jack Yan on branding.mp3 (1.05 MB)

"We want to help create brands in third world countries" Jack Yan on the Global Entrepreneurs Forum.mp3 (2.3 MB)

"We look at who are the most ethical brands of the year" Jack Yan on The Medinge Group.mp3. (1.8 MB)

Listen to the full interview with Jack Yan.mp3 (5.9 MB)

Read Jack Yan's Agenda at http://www.jackyan.com/agenda.shtml

An Interview with Bob Harvey - Mayor of Waitakere Eco City



I was fortunate to talk to the wonderful Bob Harvey recently, proud Westie and Mayor of Waitakere Eco City. A stunningly beautiful area to the west of Auckland where I am lucky enough to live, full of artists, musicians, primaeval bush backdrops, and wild black sand beaches. Listen to Bob Harvey on the following subjects or listen to the full interview. [4.4 MB]

"We think it's time to turn on the music..." Bob Harvey on Waitakere Music City .mp3 [486 KB]

"It all came from the Piano, Xena & Hercules" Bob Harvey on 'Westiewood' Film City .mp3 [1.2 MB]

"It's not about treehugging, it's about smart people doing smart things for the future of this planet" Bob Harvey on Waitakere Eco City .mp3 [354 KB]

"Westies have a great sense of tolerance and a great sense of space" Bob Harvey on Westies .mp3 [828 KB]

"90% of domestic problems, of robberies, of crime are caused by alcohol" Bob Harvey on drugs in the community .mp3 [771 KB]

"A city needs to have a recording studio, it needs to cheer on young people" Bob Harvey on Waitakere City Youth Initiatives .mp3 [788 KB]

Bob Harvey - Full Interview .mp3 [3.6 MB]

Coming soon - a Vlog from Bob Harvey...

"Most people don't even know that it is OK to have fun at work." says Edna Pasher

A transcription of a workshop I ran with guest Edna Pasher, while I was editor of KnowledgeBoard.

Laziness beats working any day

"Only communist regimes have churned out more jargon than modern business. George Orwell was the first to realise that the jargon of the Soviets was not just the usual waffle - ludicrous but inoffensive - but a genuine metamorphosis of language for political purposes", writes Corinne Maier in Hello Laziness: Why Hard Work Doesn't Pay.

Tim Yang’s Geek Blog

Lots of top tech tips from Tim Yang, with a particulalry good post on measuring the effectiveness of a corporate blog.