Hard News by Russell Brown

Yesterday evening on Checkpoint, Michelle Cooke told the story of Robert Erueti – a story of the most abject failure of practice and policy. And more than that, of simple moral sense.

As the report tells it:

Mr Erueti was evicted from his state house, where he lived for more than 15 years, in February last year after traces of methamphetamine were found in his home. Both Ministry of Social Development and Housing New Zealand say there is no evidence he was responsible for the methamphetamine, but as the tenant on the lease, he was evicted as a result.

He has been homeless ever since, living rough, and has spent 58 weeks in a motel, at a total cost to tax-payers of at least $44,000.

He has serious health issues, including diabetes and essential hypertension, which his doctor has raised in letters to the Ministry of Social Development, stressing he needs suitable, stable accommodation.

Robert's life has been ruined. He is currently, with his multiple health issues, sleeping in a tent on his daughter's driveway. He's concerned that if he sleeps inside the terms of his daughter's own Housing NZ tenancy would be breached.

Traces of methamphetamine found inside his house may have been left by his son, to whom he gave shelter when the son was released from prison. Or not. There's no real way of knowing because no baseline test was ever done. Everyone agrees there was no manufacture, which means there was no actual health risk. And literally no one believes Robert himself is responsible for the traces. But Housing NZ's policy, backed up by the Tenancy Tribunal, was for termination in all cases.

It's immensely depressing on a human level and has imposed needless costs on the taxpayer. But I was happy when I heard the report, because of what the new Housing minister, Phil Twyford, said:

Housing Minister Phil Twyford said Mr Erueti should have never been placed in this position.

He said Mr Erueti's situation was a “text-book” case on how the previous government’s policy has had a huge detrimental social and economic impact.

“It’s just untenable that Robert’s been put through that kind of experience.

"One of the problems with the old policy was there was no baseline testing of methamphetamine contamination, putting aside the question of whether the standard was correct or not, people were being evicted because there was some, often infinitesimal contamination found, but there was no proof in most of these cases who was responsible for that.

"We have to find a better approach.”

If you've been following what I've written about these issues over the past three years you'll understand what a breakthrough this is. It remains to be seen whether Twyford has the nerve to walk away from the whole of the "meth contamination" boondoggle that ministers in the last government were happy to underwrite, but it seems, at least, that things will get better and Housing NZ will look more like the social housing provider it's spent the past few years trying not to be.

Now, this is a housing policy issue, but that's the thing about drug policy: it touches many points. I think there's another area where we'll see things get a bit better: the conundrum of medical cannabis.

The Speech from the Throne recently confirfmed that in the first 100 days of Jacinda Ardern's government: "Medicinal cannabis will be made available for people with terminal illnesses or in chronic pain."

I've been able to glean something of what that statement will actually mean in practice, and I can tell you now that many advocates will be disappointed. But will it be better than it was before? Yes, and there are a couple of areas where change may be quite significant.

I've written that up as a news story for tomorrow's Weekend Herald – and the news story itself will point to a longer feature including interviews with the Nelson medical cannabis triumvirate: Rose Renton, Shane Le Brun and Sue Grey. So youd best get the paper tomorrow.

Until then, here's that Checkpoint report ...

For the last ever episode of Media Take this year, which we boldly themed on "the future", we invited on Dan Taipua, creator of the concept of Aotearoa Futurism, which, as described in the two-part programme he made for RNZ (Part One and Part Two), "describes Maori who imagine, create or are receptive to ideas that play with, and sometimes even obliterate, the boundaries of technology and time" – the "Space Māori".

At the time, Thor: Ragnarok was on the verge of release, and Dan agreed that its director Taika Waititi was undoubtedly the head the Space Māori. (He went on to write this piece for The Spinoff, exploring the themes of the film and its connection to a Māori worldview.)

With the release of his new album, Shake That Skinny Ass All The Way To Zygertron, actor and musician Troy Kingi may not quite have toppled Taika for the title, but he certainly takes his place alongside the likes of pioneer Space Māori like Billy TK. (Indeed, Billy's son, Mara TK, a core collaborator on the album, featured in Dan's radio show. Space Māori connect across time and distance, remember.)

Kingi describes the album as "a fictional account of two people from different times & dimensions meeting in the cosmos – falling in love and having a child with golden feet – fulfilling an ancient prophesy written in the hieroglyphics of the coming of the messiah ... " and, asthe sleeve suggests, it's full of space tales.

Aotearoa Futurism is in part built on the more established concept of afro-futurism, a culture of expansive aspiration that has its roots in Black Freemasonry and can be trace traced through Sun Ra, Thelonius Monk, Hendrix, Parliament, the Ultra-Magnetic MCs and techno creators like Derrick May. So it fits well that Troy Kingi's album connects tightly to the spookier end of the American soul-funk tradition. I heard Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye, Kingi himself cites Shuggie Otis's Inspiration Information as an influence.

Anyway, you don't really need to know all this to enjoy this record, which is a supple, funky work with warm blood in its veins – and the sense that something strange is going on in the background. Have a listen on your streaming service, or grab it for $9 on Bandcamp. I could not possibly advise you to get high before you try.

Here's The 13th Floor's video of Troy and band playing 'Grandma's Rocket Poem', with an intro by Domingo Candelario.

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 Staying with New Zealand nerdery, Nick Dwyer's interest in early 80s Japanese video game music, first expressed in the Diggin' in the Carts video series he made for Red Bull ...

 ... has found fruit in a new compilation on the Hyperdub label, called again, Diggin' in the Carts. Nick and his collabortor, Hyperdub founder Kode9, talk through some of the key tracks in this backgrounder by Dazed and Confused.

This, too, is on Bandcamp.

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I was sad to hear this morning of the death of Ron Kane, the brilliantly obsessive collector of New Zealand music from California. Gary Steel, who was good friends with Ron, wrote this profile for Audioculture a couple of years ago. Among other things, he notes that Ron was never hung up on the boundaries most of us observed here  – he was obsessed with The Gordons and DD Smash.

Ron also played an unexpected role in a controversial New Zealand news event: the Queen Street Riot of 1984. As I explained in my Audioculture article about that day, Ron was recording as it all went down, and the wild incidental sounds he accidentally captured went into first the Rip It Up article I wrote about the riot – and from there to official inquiry.

I hadn't seen Ron for many years, but I have very fond memories of him. RIP.

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Just a reminder that the the New Zealand soul, funk and disco compilation Heed the Call, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, is out today.

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Tunes!

Now here's a track you'd play first and tell people what it is later. Leftside Wobble has put an earthy twist on the lesser-known Queen song 'Cool Cat' and put it on Bandcamp as a Movember fundraiser. It's kind of amazing ...

High Hoops stepped outside his duties with Leisure for a bit and produced this gorgeous, slinky thing with Australia's Roland Tings. On your streaming services today.

Is Biggie Smalls the most mashed-up rapper ever? Could be. He meets AC/DC in this thoroughly loveable banger. Free download.

I looked at this, saw the name Burning Spear and thought ... huh? Actually, the track's called 'Burning Spear', by the Cleveland group S.O.U.L. And it's wicked. Free download.

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SoccerPractise play Golden Dawn tonight to mark the release of their eponymous debut album, which is on your favoured streaming service and and will presumably turn up some time today on their presently empty Bandcamp page.

The album is the best exposition yet of the band's unusual proposition: the kohanga-educated daughter of Ponsonby hippies teaming up with three indie-guitar guys and singing in te reo Māori over layered, nimble, mostly electronic tracks that are as much art as dance.

The album includes the single 'Amene', which I've seen them play to quite dramatic effect live.

As an extra bonus, the DJs out in the courtyard this evening are Dubhead and Te Kupu (aka Dean Hapeta, once of Upper Hutt Posse). One would expect that things might get pretty conscious out there.

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This New Year's Eve, as the last, we'll be going down as a family to Wondergarden at Silo Park. The lineup is really impressive, including Unknown Mortal Orchestra, SWIDT, Leisure – and Nadia Reid, whose Preservation made number two on Mojo's albums of the year list this week.

Nadia's toured Europe three times in the past two or three years and I was interested in the way she shapes her innately intimate music to larger venues and, especially, festivals. So she kindly agreed to an email chat about places to play, which follows.

How’s it been adjusting to those different spaces? Do you sing or play differently at a festival versus a tiny bar?

Over these past few years, I feel like I've become better at 'reading' venue spaces. I don't go into a festival gig expecting the intimacy and attention that a venue or theatre will bring. I guess it's all about expectation. Outdoor festivals can be really enjoyable. I think Wondergarden Festival has been carefully curated and is music focused. We just do our thing ...

What are your favourite places? Are they the small or big ones?

Depends. There's a little venue in Cologne that I have played twice now. It's a tiny bar. An old red light district club. We play in the centre of the room and there are booths and poles in there. The lighting is pretty dim but there's this sense that we're in a room full of history and it's kind of spooky. I always think, 'how's the lighting?', does this space feel inclusive and right for my kind of music?'.

I saw your performance on Later With Jools Holland and thought you were singing harder than usual. Were you conscious of that? How do you approach TV performances?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'harder'. Was I terrified? Yes. It was live to air television and there'd been a sort of 'build up' to that moment. Once we began playing it felt like business as usual. I was trying to be in the moment. That show runs like well oiled machine. My make up artist and floor manager had worked there for 20 years. It felt like a family environment. It was such a thrill and I was really proud to have performed on that show.

Often when you tour it’s just you and Sam. Is there an element there of making a virtue of necessity? (I think Anthonie Tonnon has done that really well – reinventing himself as an economically-feasible solo act.)

There's an intimacy with just one person or two guitars. Sam serves my music really well and he's an incredible player. He's also been a huge support on these tours. Touring can be really lonely. We will start adding in people soon as these tours grow. I'm really fortunate to have the support that I do.

So you're playing New Year’s Eve? Have you done that before?

Yes. Last year I played in a forest near Levin on New Year's Eve. It was really special. I get a bit sentimental as the year turns over.

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Last Sunday we staged the last Orcon IRL at The Golden Dawn event for the year – and along with the korero, we were delighted to be able to present Julia Deans playing songs from her forthcoming (but not till next year) album, We Light Fire.

It was a great addition to the day and I think the solo format only underlinedthe strength of the songs and her strength as a singer and guitar player. And nowhere more so than on the album's title track:

There's a YouTube playlist here with the rest of her performance.

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I'm hardly a jazz expert, but I know what I like – and happily, I like enough to be able to guest on Duncan Campbell's 95bFM jazz show from 12-2pm on Sunday.

We've agreed we'll be leaning towards the summery and groovy, and I'm going to find 14 minutes for this track, which never fails to lift my heart:

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Water's new video sees Andrew Moore blend footage from his fondly-remembered Yeah Bo skate video series from the early 1990s with live footage from, like, two weeks ago. It's pretty cool.

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Tunes!

A very much revived Unitone Hi-Fi have fired the first dub shot in their run-up to playing Laneway 2018. It's out today on iTunes and your favoured streaming service (but if you're buying, you really want to spend a single dollar for it at Bandcamp) and it's an instantly-appealing lazy, hazy groove with a trumpet. I believe we can say that summer has begun ...

A great rework of Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' with a free WAV download for all you DJs ...

Ronnie Hammond takes on James Brown's 'Sex Machine' to very groovy effect (free download):

And ahead of Courtesy's return to Splore next year, a typically taut and agile hour's worth of of techno from the Danish DJ. Click through for a track listing and free download.

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The 2015 publication of what has become known as the the "Chinese-sounding-names" story on Auckland home ownership was, says Harkanwal Singh, "a really pivotal moment for me, working in a New Zealand newsroom. Because that's when I realised that things don't have to be true to be published."

Singh was working as the New Zealand Herald's first dedicated data journalist and was at the meeting where Labour Party MP Phil Twyford and party researcher Rob Salmond brought in their data – which they said showed a hitherto unsuspected level of Chinese foreign ownership in Auckland housing.

"They said 'we're not being racist' as they handed over the data set," he told Jogai Bhatt and I at last Sunday's Orcon IRL.

Singh's questions over the data delayed publication by a week. During that week he contacted Auckland University's Thomas Lumley and Edward Abraham of Dragonfly Data Science ("the best statisticians in the country").

"And I went back to my editors and I said, look, you should publish it, but you should say that Labour is saying this – and the statisticians are saying that it's not true."

His suggestion was not taken up by his editors.

"The story ran with the headline 'We have Chinese buyers' and and all I did was add some bullet points which said 'this data is wrong'. But they were published on the fifth page, inside, in a little box, so no one really saw them.

"It was hugely problematic and as a immigrant and as a person of colour, I saw a huge problem with it. But no one else in the newsroom saw any problem with it. And when I approached senior journalists I was told 'it's a great story'.

"I think it's still not been addressed and no one's really addressed how they went about doing it. And it's a huge issue of data literacy if you're just going to publish analysis done by political parties for their own goals."

The whole 11 minutes of the IRL discussion is, I think, worth your time watching. Harkanwal is unfailingly polite and pleasant and occasionally pretty brutal on issues of data and diversity:

"Obviously London didn't want to go with Brexit, it seems ghastly, but it's happening," I asked Tze Ming Mok in the opening part of Sunday's Orcon IRL. "Is it as bad as it seems from this far away?"

"Yes," she replied.

Tze Ming performed the tidy trick of leaving during the last Labour-led government and returning to live in New Zealand just in time to vote for the next one. She joined us at Golden Dawn along with Matthew Dentith, who has been studying strange ideas on the other edge of Europe at the University of Bucharest. Together they were our European correspondents.

While most born Londoners are taking the traditionally British path of not thinking about Brexit and the May government "because it's too depressing", she said "if you're an actual European – and there's plenty of those in London – they're freaking out. Because for the first time they're experiencing racism."

Meanwhile, said Matthew Dentith, "the Romanians really do want to be part of the EU – in part because Romania has a really long history of very corrupt governments and so they see the EU as an external stablilising factor. And the reaction of Romanians to Brexit was 'what have they done? Have they worked out what they're about to lose?'"

To literally bring things home, that opening panel was joined part-way through by Tina Plunkett, who we described as a "community advocate" but who could also be described an ace networker and a person who joins committees that no one under 60 ever joins. We kicked her off on a nice, light non-controversial topic: the cycle lane projects currently turning inner-suburbs liberals into raving nimbys. (Is there a nimby equivalent for residential parking angst?)

"Being a parent around central Auckland, being someone that uses public transport, and a cyclists, with my child, West Lynn shops have never worked," she said. "They've been dangerous, the crossing's been dangerous, cars have priority and it's a massive wide road."

I think everyone acknowledges that the West Lynn part of the work has failed on some pretty basic placemaking standards – see Simon Wilson's identification of the problems and potential solutions – but the response to what is still clearly a work in progress has been fairly striking. Tina pointed out that the rich hippies (my words, not hers) who need to go to Harvest Wholefoods are looking at an additional 12 metres of walking from the angle parks they've lost to the ones that remain.

Anyway, there's more to chew on in the 20-odd minutes of chat and you're very welcome to watch, enjoy and share your perspective. (I'll be posting all the parts of the event in the next couple of days.)