Summer Release Roundup - UMO, Elemeno Papaioea, MOKOMOKAI + More

It's time to pack away the Christmas lights, snowman candles and weird looking cardboard reindeer ornaments if you haven't done so already, as we wave goodbye to the summer holiday season and charge into the new year. Unsurprisingly the music world didn't stop turning while the UTR team were briefly away from the office getting some much-needed sun, with some crucial Aotearoa releases launched during the festive break period. Delve into our snappy rundown of some quality local tunes you might missed on first pass below...

Always a festive treat to local forward to, the annual long form drop from Unknown Mortal Orchestra 'SB-09' draws on Ruban Nielson's Hawaiian musical heritage...

Te Ika-a-Māui supergroup and "Elemeno P fan people" Elemeno Papaioea released a four song EP of banjo covers from Elemeno P's  first album via the champs at Papaiti Records, with all proceeds going to the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation. Featuring members of Fruit Juice Parade, Recitals, Soda Boyz, $hannengeorgiapeterson and more...

Written by Dirty (of Aotearoa rap duo Eno x Dirty), produced by Dusty & Ghos, and featuring contributions from Troy Kingi, Chip Matthews, Willie Wes and Tai Walters, MOKOMOKAI is dedicated "to all the indigenous cultures around the world who have been affected by colonisation and as a result, have lost land, language, culture and identity."

A veritable banquet of Ōtepoti tuneage, the 24 track Music for Christmases compilation showcases festive tracks by Vanessa Worm & Danny Creature, John White, Spencer Hall plus many more...

Launched just before Christmas and sporting four new tracks, Tāmaki Makaurau hip hop hero Brandn Shiraz's entirely self-produced RFS 1​.​5 is his self-described "toughest drop to date" — released through Risera...

Also released just before the Xmas break, Ōtautahi's T.G. Shand shared shimmering dream-pop single 'Seats'...

Pōneke electronic artist Current Bias slices and dices up tunes by Vengaboys, Lethal Bizzle, Kate Bush, Ipman and Laurie Anderson on head-spinning new four track EP 4 Clanger$ 4 Fake Capital...

Originally fronted by my cousin Gerald Dwyer (RIP), Flesh D Vice's Strange T​.​V. Live documents four furious songs from the legendary Pōneke punk group — recorded direct from the desk in 2002 with N.Von Toxic on vocal duties and released onto Bandcamp twenty years later on 1st January...

One of Aotearoa's most innovative voices in electronic music to emerge over the past decade, yeongrak unveiled eleven characteristically uncategorisable tracks on their new collection one or two dreams...

Creator of last year's powerful debut long player Demonstration Of Intent, Pōneke-based harsh noise / extreme metal artist Bodyache launched late last week a suitably searing video for 'Ode to Dysphoria' (ft. Hayley J Bender & .zoey) — content warning: flashing lights / discomforting images...