Zherav debut 45

Out in mid March on Batov Records, very cool to see a local hook up with this label; "New Zealand-based producer ZHERAV announces his debut release, NAJA / BAZAAR, a double single and 45 on Batov’s Middle Eastern Grooves series. The record fuses psychedelic rock, hypnotic rhythms, and electronic production influences, creating a sound that moves between swung grooves and cinematic, reverb-soaked textures.

ZHERAV draws from his background in house and techno, layering live guitar, bass, and synths over programmed drums. “I had a production template for house music on Ableton” he explains, “and I thought about how to switch to this Middle Eastern sound using the same format”. Most of ZHERAV’s tracks developed through improvisation - starting with programmed drums, then experimenting around scales on instruments until something works. ZHERAV has already received support from independent radio in Australia and New Zealand, and encouragement from international artists like Ko Shin Moon.

Both tracks explore Middle Eastern scales, bringing a distinct flavour to the grooves, while maintaining ZHERAV’s signature hypnotic layered sound. ZHERAV had something in mind related to snakes and their charmers when creating the A-side, NAJA (“Indian Cobra”). An ominous bassline loops repeatedly over snapping drums and percussion, whilst ZHERAV improvises guitar riffs and effects over the top.

The B-side, Bazaar, evokes the bustling, nocturnal imagery of a Middle Eastern market at night. Again, shaped organically through improvisation and analogue texture, but at a faster pace. Flutes and percussion introduce the song before a pulsating bassline leads the way.

Looking ahead, ZHERAV is exploring live/DJ hybrid sets and collaborations with local musicians. NAJA / BAZAAR is the latest exciting edition to Batov’s Middle Eastern Groove series, promising to transport listeners into a world of rhythm, texture, and hypnotic instrumental storytelling."

Zherav.

Cool new local buzz

 Three fresh tunes from some talented locals... great uptempo soul cut from Romi Wrights, dance floor delight from Lady Shaka and Rubi Du, and a bouncy synth bopper from Amamelia. Go support them on Bandcamp. 

A brand new Hallelujah Picassos remix album ‘Rewind Re-versioned’ out Dec 5

Hallelujah Picassos announce a brand new remix album ‘Rewind Re-versioned’. It’s a version excursion, riddim-wise styles.

We are releasing a special remix album with 15 remixes of the same song, all in wildly different flavours. ​Why? That sounds insane.

Last year was the 30th anniversary of Hallelujah Picassos’ single ‘Rewind’ being released. The song quickly became hugely popular with fans and student radio, and was a highlight of our live sets, sung by our drummer Bobbylon from behind the kit.

We’re doing it to remind everyone what a magnificent singer Bob was. He passed away in 2018 and we want to do this project to honour him and his legacy.

We’re going to include a handful of remixes from a wide range of folks who have been active since the time we released it, along with the original version.

Remixers who are involved include Christoph El Truento, Amamelia, Stinky Jim (Unitone Hifi), Sola Rosa, Daniel Maneto, Surly, Timmy Schumacher, Evan Short (Kiljoy, ex Concord Dawn), Mike Hodgson (Misled Convoy, Pitch Black) Joost Langeveld (Subware), and Rachel D.

‘Rewind Re-versioned’ is coming out December 5, 2025 on a limited run of CDs and cassettes, and digital. All formats come with a booklet with photos and tales of Bobbylon from some of the remixers and friends of the band.

​Preorder it on cassette or CD from Flying Out.

We will be having a launch event at Flying Out on Dec 5, from 4pm to 6pm, with DJs and pals to celebrate the release.

Watch the original music video for Rewind, recut to the mighty Christoph El Truento's remix:

Cookin' On 3 Burners new album drops

Out now, some great Melbourne funk bizz from Cookin' On 3 Burners ... "Cookin’ The Books is the long-awaited album from Australia’s undisputed kings of Hammond soul. It’s their first studio LP in six years - and it’s all fire: deep funk grooves, sweet soul, cinematic vibes, and stacked with heavyweight guest features.

From the break-heavy title track to the bounce of “No Bread For You” and the introspective soul of “Phoenix,” this record covers serious ground without losing the groove. Featuring powerhouse vocalist Stella Angelico, alt-soul luminary Natalie Slade, wordsmith Mantra alongside heartfelt singer Jane Tyrrell, rising voice Wilson Blackley, and a lush string arrangement from Tamil Rogeon, the album strikes a perfect balance between grit and grace.

Captured live to tape with vintage gear at Soul Messin’ Studios, Cookin’ The Books oozes warmth and analog soul — the real deal. Whether you’re crate-digging, needle-dropping, or just vibing out, this is modern funk with old-school heat.

Two Nairobi funk delights from The Mighty Cavaliers

"Want Some Records proudly reissues two explosive gems from Nairobi’s golden funk era: Mapendo (1977) and Fisherman (1976) by The Mighty Cavaliers. Long hidden in collectors’ circles, these records are bold reminders of a time when Kenya’s music scene rivaled the world’s best—groove-heavy, politically charged, and dripping with style.

Formed from Joe Omari’s original Cavaliers in the late 1960s, The Mighty Cavaliers became one of Nairobi’s tightest and most forward-thinking bands. With sharp horns, psychedelic keys, and irresistible rhythms, they brought a cosmopolitan sound to Kenya’s hottest venues, including their famous residency at the legendary Starlight Club.

Both albums were engineered by German sound wizard Detlef Degener, whose studio innovation elevated their music to international standards. Degener introduced the band to cutting-edge synthesizers, multi-track layering, and bold sonic textures that set them apart from their peers.

Mapendo, originally released on EMI Kenya, is the crown jewel—a polished, politically aware masterpiece. Tracks like Baruwa ya Soweto denounce apartheid, Mama Come Home captures exile’s heartbreak, and Africa Tuungane calls for continental unity. It’s socially conscious music you can dance to: sharp, funky, and deeply rooted in East African identity.

Their debut, Fisherman, is rawer but equally striking, with the title track offering a poetic critique of Kenya’s political class under Jomo Kenyatta. Together, these two albums show a band unafraid to experiment, to groove, and to speak truth to power.

Yet behind the music lies a cautionary tale. Like many African artists of the 1970s, The Mighty Cavaliers were exploited by record labels. Their names were erased from Mapendo’s cover, and royalties never materialized. Bassist Bonnie Wanda, now one of the three surviving members, reflects:

“We poured everything into this music. To see our credits missing and our work misused was painful. This reissue is about setting the record straight.”

Despite industry setbacks, The Mighty Cavaliers’ legacy has only grown stronger. Their sound—equal parts Nairobi funk, Afrobeat fire, and soul swagger—captured a city and a continent in motion, as bell-bottomed youth danced through political turbulence. These albums are sonic time capsules, but they feel just as fresh on today’s dancefloors.

Want Some Records is thrilled to bring these classics back, fully remastered and packaged with in-depth liner notes documenting this fascinating chapter of African music history.

With Mapendo and Fisherman, The Mighty Cavaliers reclaim their rightful place as pioneers of Kenya’s funk movement. This is more than a reissue—it’s a resurrection of a sound that shook Nairobi and deserves to move the world.

That time NZ radio banned a song by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

From 'Banned from radio: the Broadcasting memos' by Nick Bollinger, at Audioculture:

"Local record production began in 1949. Shortly afterwards, the New Zealand Broadcasting Service (these days known as Radio New Zealand), which controlled almost all radio in the country, established its Purchasing Committee. This group of between four and six employees from the music section of the Wellington Head Office would meet regularly to audition records for airplay.

The discs the committee considered acceptable would then be bought from the record companies in multiple units and distributed to the various regional stations; there, they would be played at the discretion of the individual programmers. This process remained in place until 1988 when the fourth Labour government undertook its deregulation of the radio market.

A set of memos from the Purchasing Committee, held in the audiovisual archive Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision, provide some insights into the decisions that were made over nearly four decades.....

In 1954 a series of events, reported in lurid headlines, fed into a public impression that juvenile immorality was on the rise. In June there was the brutal killing by Christchurch teens Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme of Parker’s mother, Honora. The following month the Lower Hutt Magistrates Court heard about “a shocking degree of immoral conduct which spread into sexual orgies” between underage youths of 13 upwards. The court was told these teens would meet in milk bars, where they would arrange their sexual liaisons. Some of the teens rode motorcycles.

As a direct response to the Hutt Valley cases, a special government committee was appointed to look into moral delinquency in children and adolescents, and a copy of their findings was delivered to every New Zealand home. This became known as the Mazengarb Report, after the committee’s chairman Oswald Chettle Mazengarb QC.

... 'Sexy Ways’ (Hank Ballard and the Midnighters) seemed to mirror the incidents that had sparked the Mazengarb Report, and the Purchasing Committee promptly banned them.

But it could be the sound as much as the lyrics that kept records off the airwaves. “Noisy, coarse and crude” was the committee’s verdict on Hank Ballard.

 

Chris Knox documentary

 

There's a biography of Chris Knox out this week - the author Craig Robertson contacted me a few years ago, as back in 1995 when I was at Ak Uni, I made a half hour documentary on Chris and he wanted to see it. Looking forward to seeing the finished book. 

Last time it had a public screening was when a guy at AUT tracked me down and played it as part of a Chris Knox film night in 2014 (shot, Dave Yetton). 

Anyway, I dug out the digital file and it's now online, enjoy!  Featuring Barbara Ward, Alec Bathgate, Simon Grigg, Doug Hood (RIP), Murray Cammick, Lesley Paris among others....

Hallelujah Picassos new single, video drops this week

Here is the latest release by Hallelujah Picassos, called All Systems Go. The title has two meanings but is not a double entendre, and sees the band swimming in a cacophony of polyphonic bliss, with a vocal battle chant "All Systems Go".

Slamming and drifting, through a banging riddim, crunchy keyboards that is the latest HP offering to the Euterpe, the muse of music, and for the public on Bandcamp, out Friday 19 Sept 2025.

We’ve made a music video for the song, shot and edited by band member Drew McCormack in glorious black and white, with animations by Roland Rorschach.

Hallelujah Picassos are part of the awesome lineup of bands playing ‘ToneFest’, returning for the third year at Whammy on Nov 1st, 2025. Starts early with an all ages show from 4pm, followed by 8pm show (R18).

Tone Exchange presents Tone Fest 2025, at Whammy Bar

all ages 4 - 7pm
4.14 Text To Speech
4.45 Steel Wool
5.15 Crying Ivy
5.45 Sprawl
6.15 Snuffer

R18 8pm - midnight
8.15 Hallelujah Picassos
8.45 Oxsun Ox
9.15 O/Pus
9.45 Preacher
10.15 Cootie Cuties
10.45 Grym Rhymney
11.15 New Telepathics

Diasonics new album out October

Moscow funk outfit The Diasonics serve up a new single of their upcoming album on Record Kicks, out Oct 3rd 2025. 

"After the hypnotic psychedelic disco single “Oriole” and the funk stormer “Chickadee”, The Diasonics, Moscow’s instrumental soul-funk visionaries, unleash “Larks”, their third single and yet another chapter in the bird-themed journey leading up to their new album “Ornithology”, out on October 3 on LP, CD and digital platforms via Record Kicks. 

With “Larks”, out now on all digital platforms, the band expands its sonic palette, also thanks to Diana Greb on vocals. The single’s release comes with an official video: an animated surreal vintage clip that develops the visual concept of the new album. The video was directed by Anna Kukleva, designer and illustrator based in France who works under the name Cactus Under Rainbow. Her work draws inspiration from 60s & 70s art, hand drawn vintage posters and natural landscapes in their simplicity and beauty."

Marbecks closes store, shifts online only, cuts staff

Marbecks have announced they are closing their Queens Arcade store on Oct 31st 2025, via Facebook: "After more than nine decades in the iconic Queens Arcade, we are closing the doors of our physical store.

But...we are far from saying goodbye! Marbecks will continue to operate online, offering our exceptional range of new releases and the extensive collections of pop, jazz and classical that music lovers have come to trust.

The move to an online store marks the beginning of a new chapter for us, ensuring that you will continue to access the best in music, delivered straight to your door. We will also be only a call away for those who prefer to order by phone or check in for a chat.

Plans are also underway for special Marbecks pop-up events at festivals and music gatherings around the country, keeping the spirit of the store alive for those who love the in-person experience.

With the move to an online-only store, we simply can’t take all of our stock with us. To celebrate our time in Queens Arcade a huge sale begins today, Monday 1 September, both in store and online, with 25% off all in stock items (excluding gift vouchers, new releases and customer orders)."

Owner Roger Marbeck told RNZ that the store closure was due to high rent, declining foot traffic, and changes in consumer behaviour had made it unfeasible to continue. He said closing the Queen Street store was a tough but necessary decision.

"Marbecks is a great store. It's got great people and great customers, and they are friends for life. The thing is that it's changed, and to keep it going and be able to serve the customers we've got, we have to adapt."

The story was covered by TV One News, NZ Herald, RNZ, and Stuff, none of who asked if there would be any staff losing their jobs in the move. They just quoted the press release. Which I know is a common trend amongst time poor journos. But this is a business story, not just retail.

I have heard that all the existing staff will lose their jobs, none are moving to the new iteration of Marbecks. Some staff have worked there for over 25 years, so there's a huge loss of knowledge.

Marbecks was sold by Roger Marbeck in late 2006 to The CD Store chain.  They eventually went bust 5 years later, shutting the Queens Arcade store in 2012, and he bought the name back in 2013, reopening in Queens Arcade as Marbecks Classical. 

Marbecks bought an existing record store in Queens Arcade in 1934 from R W Strong as "The Record Shop" at store 15, Queen's Arcade, who in turn bought the same business from Caddell's Ltd who started it at Queen's Arcade in 1930, selling Columbia records. The Marbecks name appeared from the 1940s.

Marbecks history - Audioculture article