Hear Two Albums From NZ Experimental Label God In The Music

Auckland-based sonic visionary Noel Meek has unveiled the first two releases from his new experimental label God In The Music, following hot on the heels of his adventurous recently wrapped-up independent imprint End Of The Alphabet Records. The new label will focus on showcasing work by New Zealand free improvisers in an international context, and has kicked off in style with releases by Meek in collaboration with US artist Arrington de Dionyso and Mexican drummer Rodrigo Rico, along with a duet recording by Timaru guitar innovator Donald McPherson with Tokyo-based guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama. Meek kindly lifted the lid on his plans for the label, wrap your ears around the collections here and read his words below...

"God in the Music was an idea that percolated for several years before coming into fruition. End of the Alphabet was set up as a label predominantly for electronic music coming out the New Zealand (and sometimes further afield) underground and we're massively proud of where it's taken us, particularly the recent collaborations with Pica Disk - massive box-sets from Omit and Witcyst - as well as our sideline in distribution of publications from artists like Bruce Russell and Richard Francis.

The whole time I was wondering how to fit in my first love - the local improvised music scene. This is the scene that nurtured me as a young person and it feeds into a huge amount of the arts world in New Zealand. Free improvisers are everywhere - in big groups like Fat Freddy's Drop and Phoenix Foundation, running venues like the Pyramid Club and the Audio Foundation, playing in theatre and dance shows and, shit, an improviser runs the Arts Foundation, and of course, they're engaged in the vital activity of musical improvisation week-in week-out in small venues all over the place. I've always felt that the New Zealand scene is criminally underappreciated, not just here at home, but also in the larger and well established overseas improvised music scenes.

So, in hope of helping spread the good word, we started GitM. The focus is, a bit like EotA, on international collaboration with the aim of raising the general consciousness around NZ improv through working with awesome people from far away. We've begun with a partnership with the Austin, Texas label, Astral Spirits, who trade in some of the best new free jazz coming out of the US for a some of our first releases, but each release planned is a cross-cultural affair.

The first two, out now on cassette and DL, are my own US-based trio with saxophonist-painter-activist Arrington de Dionyso and Mexican drummer, Rodrigo Rico (recorded on tour in Seattle last year) From the Land of the Wicked King; and The Kitchen Tapes Volume One, a beautiful duo of guitars featuring Tokyo-based Tetuzi Akiyama and Donald McPherson from Timaru, who sadly passed away in December last year. This one is simply gorgeous and we're extremely happy to have Donald's family's blessing to put it out - especially as it's Volume One of two albums, the second late 2019.

Also coming are two more in early 2019, a delicately beautiful trans-Tasman trio featuring Auckland's Sam Longmore, Wellington's Gerard Crewdson and Sydney's Peter Farrar. At the same time will be the second Astral Spirits co-release - another of my US-based trios, this one with noise guitar legend, Peter Kolovos, a rare recorded outing for him, and young sax genius Patrick Shiroishi, both from LA.

We have plenty more coming after that."