Release Roundup: Beastwars, The Spectre Collective, Fat Freddy's Drop, Leisure, DalyanRD x Auto Angel, Frog Power + More

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes" — David Bowie. "I'm going through changes" — Ozzy Osbourne. "I got cosmophonic, press a button, change my face" — Dr. Octagon. We're embracing the concept of change this week at UTR HQ, waving goodbye to Sports Team's fabulous three years of Trash Recital with tears streaming down our cheeks, while secretly scheming new plans for 2024. It sure has been a brisk seven days for Aotearoa releases. Revisit our coverage of Cuticles, Bulletbelt, Grayson Gilmour, Dimmer, Guardian Singles, K M T P, Avya, Speech Act Theory, Aaradhna and French For Rabbits, then hit play on more new / recent handpicked local highlights from Beastwars, The Spectre Collective, Fat Freddy's Drop, DalyanRD x Auto Angel, PollyHill x Samara Alofa, Nicholas Joseph, Frog Power, White Saucer, Wurld Series, Leisure and Rodney Fisher & The Response. 

Pōneke metal icons Beastwars ripped the lid off the fifth single from their forthcoming all-Aotearoa covers album Tyranny of Distance, launching in full on Friday 13th October. Smash play on their stormy new version of 'We Light Fire' by Julia Deans and don't miss them touring nationwide this spring (tickets HERE). Nathan (Nato) Hickey stated "When I first started hanging out in Wellington as a teenager, it felt like there were genuine rockstars in my midst. Acts like Shihad, Head Like a Hole, and Weta were prominent, but there was also Julia Deans from Fur Patrol, who rocked as hard as any of those guys. I've always loved her voice so when we were selecting songs for this album, I aimed to both recognize that era and pay homage to her. 'We Light Fire' makes me imagine the soundtrack to a witches' circle — dancing around the flame”.

Pōneke's psyched-out sonic conglomerate The Spectre Collective announced their forthcoming new album Neuro Death with doozy of a lead single 'God Helmet'. Slowly lose your mind to the spacey high tech video for said tune, directed and edited by Will Agnew.

Fat Freddy's Drop today dished up a bevy of remixes on their new Blackbird Returns redub collection — featuring reimaginings of their 2013 album Blackbird by such heavyweights as Nightmares On Wax, Christoph El Truento & Lucky Lance, Kings and many more.

Two of Tāmaki Makaurau's finest underground talents team up on 'WHITE! - REMIX!', Auto Angel's off the chain rework of DalyanRD's already stonking 'WHITE'.

Speaking of bleeding edge collabs by two of Aotearoa's best, PollyHill x Samara Alofa keep the heat coming with pumping new joint drop 'QUEERBAIT'.

Kirikiriroa-based singer / multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Joseph (Deer Park, The Vacants) shared a beguiling slice of avant-songwriting given shape as 'Sleigh Bells', prepping our ears for a new EP collection out via the fine folk at Sonorous Circle in October.

Ōtepoti's Frog Power reemerged with 10 huge tunes on south dunedin astral projection seminar — including such instantly crucial, real deal lo-fi anthems as 'hyper active little ghost', 'botulism', 'satans listening tonight' and 'satan at the reigns'.

Aotearoa's White Saucer returned to conjure new universes of sound in less than eight minutes all up with 'Bad Nocturno​ /​ Forgot About Your Now'. "The two sound sources were a Behringer Crave Analogue Semi-Modular Synth and the Roland PB-300 Rhythm Plus. Stella bought the PB-300 from a vintage shop down the road from us when we lived on Sandringham Rd. It was right next door to Rocky's Dairy if you are familiar with the area. The owner of the shop was originally from Dunedin and was a nice guy".
 

Somehow slipping through our Sauron-like clutches when first launched a week or so ago, Ōtepoti's Wurld Series regale our earholes with two nifty tunes from their forthcoming new album The Giant's Lawn — 'The Giant's Lawn Part 1' and the majestic 'Lord of Shelves'.

Playing a triple date launch tour this October, Aotearoa's superstar soul-pop-funk collective Leisure dropped a leafy-hued gift-pack of future hits with their new fourth studio album Leisurevision. "This album navigates the human experience, and all the hope, joy, chaos and euphoria it entails. Encapsulated by the colour Green - symbolic of growth, renewal, and rebirth - a calming and harmonious colour, representing balance, peace and tranquility. Leisurevision sees the world through that lens, content and curious, we’re excited for you to experience it, together".

Co-founder of Aotearoa's evergreen Goodshirt, Rodney Fisher joined forces with Ōtautahi's Victoria and Andy Knopp aka The Response for their debut collaborative album Art School Dropout. Fisher explained "This music is more intimate and personal than one might expect. I’ve been making music for as long as I can remember, but now by not being a frontman I can lose myself in the music and listen in a completely new way”.