Posts by Simon Grigg
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Not much kiwi about selling hiphop to the world either but the point is, it won't cost 220k of tax payer money to foister savage to a global market cos at least the market wants him to start with.
But let's be honest, as much as they might try, it doesn't sound anything like US hip-hop. Which is why it works.
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A few typos in that last one...ma'af sekali but I just woke.
"..Kiwi FM which is 100% NZ..."
"...creating NZ musicians, many with releases both inside and outside NZ was ineligible for funding." -
And previously commercial radio carried what... 2% of NZ music. Now they're carrying up to 20%?
No, they are not. That 20% figure is averaged across ALL radio, including B-Net which is heavily NZ and Kiwi FM which is 100 NZ NZ. All that 2% figure indicated was that they were playng virtually no NZ music. Not a lot has changed. Now they play a couple of radio friendly acts but most is happily ignored.
And the stories of Electronica being turned down for funding are legion. One track in particular was an inner city Auckland anthem around 2004, reaching number one on the bFM chart, and was heard everywhere. It was later a UK top twenty dance track. It was turned down in for all funding. Since it had been made for nothing on a shoe string by a fairly impoverished musician / DJ without a label he was unable to fund a video...although he eventually found someone to do it for nix.
I guess I'm sounding a bit like Gray Bartlett when I whinge about things like that but this was a legitimate soundtrack to a large part of urban NZ culture at the time and there was no interest.
Similarly, a young girl made a documentary series of one hour shows covering the electronic producers in NZ. She made 40 (!) of these with no funding..off her own back. These were picked up and broadcast by stations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch as well as being broadcast in the middle of the day on the George FM network which is nationwide. I tried to get her some funding but, although Brendan was sympathetic, it was declined as being outside their brief. I'm at a loss as to how profiling 40 working, creating NZ musicians falls, many with releases both inside and outside NZ was ineligible for funding.
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I don't get why you think that 'mainstream music' that gets played on commercial radio doesn't deserve the support of NZ on Air. Seems to me that its their job to make sure that the people in NZ who listen to crappy pop groups, have the opportunity to listen to crappy NZ pop groups.
But the thing is Kyle, it largely doesn't get covered. Have a look at that Radioscope Chart I posted. The 20% is not applied evenly across all formats and stations.
I agree that all pop music made in NZ is NZ music. I'm not making qualitative judgments but I'd be keen on seeing the airplay percentages once the niche stations are removed from the mix. And there is a reasonable argument, strongly backed by the sales figures I also quoted, that commercial radio is playing some acts because they fit the format, not because they represent any groundswell of popular support. That ain't helpful to anyone.
A few people here have mentioned electronica as not getting NZ on Air support. Sonic Smith, who's a live performer who does really funky things with an interactive glove here in Dunedin got an hour long live gig and interview on Radio One here the other week, a NZ on Air supported radio station.
Isn't that statement a little like cherry picking data to prove that global warming is a myth?
Simon, can you identify qualities of new zealandness in some of our music? you don't have to be specific but does certain stuff sound like us and no one else?
It's a hard one to nail, but there is a 'kiwiness" about most of what you hear recorded in NZ. Wheher it's a clumsiness (not meant as a criticism at all...but tell me a NZ record that sounds slick in US terms) or an inherent naivety, I don't know. When NZ tries to do polished pop it always misses the mark by, I think, about 10%...its not quite right, and I guess I love that about it.
I would exclude the electronica from that but that aside it's a trademark, and you can pick it anywhere.
Supergroove are one of only three NZ acts to have made any impact here in Indonesia ( the others are OMC and Bic). And you hear them often. But even in a noisy street or bar, it doesn't blend, it sticks out as not quite the same. It's a strength I think, unless you are doing back imitations of offshore acts that they do better.
Accents, placenames etc..I love hearing places in NZ namechecked but it's not a defining factor IMO. And bad American accents are a part of what made reggae what it is, as with Scouse accents and classic 60s NZ pop.
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Talking ratios, The Radioscope Top 100 Airplay chart, which I look at once a week or two, is showing 10% NZ this week (which I think its quite high on an average, but nowhere near the 20% touted).
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are you sure you're not a closet suit-wearer?
I used to wear one in the eighties, to be sure. Indie label chic and all that nonsense. But the last time I put one on was my marriage as I recall.
I'm just fascinated by the recording industry at every level.
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Many years later Mel admitted they were coked up when they recorded it and thought it was funny to sample the hook into 'Do it Do It'.
I saw them do it live at the Venue in London when Flash was still Djing with them, before it was released. The intro went on for about 20 minutes as Melle Mel pulled long coloured strips out of his mouth and then went "yellow line", another strip "green line" etc etc...which all would've been a dramatic buildup to the song if we actually knew what it was...sadly we didn't so we all wondered WTF the man dressed in a Bison outfit was on about.
I guess the white lines did it.
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I have my Burial. Kode9 . Benga. Killa P.
You tried Pinch? A big fave in the past few months.
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It might be posted, but its sure as hell not applied. The small size of APRA some cheques has been a source of humour for many years. I had one for .65c earlier this year.
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more stuff that slips under the not worth paying out threshold, chicked into the pool
Uhh, no again. Performing rights account for the cents. I see statements with 2c amounts from all over the world.
And you are more likely to have to account to a local writer who can be found than the number of un-traceable international writers that regularly turn up.