We took a year off, did you miss us?
Due to a range of issues last year we were unable to put together our (up until then) annual Creative Commons Mixtape for NZ Music Month, but I’m happy to say that this year we are back in the mix! Don’t call it a comeback, but more of a resumption of service, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Before you get too distracted, while we’ve got your attention, we have had a busy year or so of digital music collecting and I’ve pulled out a few examples of some of the new and interesting items now in the National Digital Heritage Archive.
Amplifier Web-harvest
In December of 2015 Amplifier announced that after 16 years as New Zealand’s leading independent download site, they would cease trading at the end of the year.
“With a significant shift in the way fans now consume music, the closure of the Amplifier website means a more concentrated focus on partner company DRM NZ.” - (www.amplifier.co.nz).
Since 1999 Amplifier had provided a hub where you could catch up on all things NZ music related, and listen to, as well as purchase NZ music. Fortunately the Library was able to get a fairly representative harvest of the entire site (excluding the music files) to archive into the NDHA, creating what is sure to be an invaluable resource for future research into New Zealand music.
Catalogue record for the 2016 Amplifier web-harvest
It is the largest music website that we have selectively harvested, and it took our web crawler 28 days to harvest the almost 35 GB of files (248026 URls). If you are interested in some of the other NZ music websites that we have in our collection, check out this article on the Audioculture site.
Prime loops and samples
This release of loops and samples from NZ production duo Truth features 1.5GB worth of quality drums, bass, synths, Vocals, FX, and more.
Truth sample pack / Truth, 2015
Collection record | Prime Loops
It was the first item of this nature to be archived by the Turnbull, and due to its complexity, 388 audio files distributed across several folders, it took a bit of thought and expert advice from our Digital Archivist and Digital Preservation Technical Specialist to find the best way to ingest it into the NDHA.
While the Library has full permission to stream the files from the producer, Prime Loops, this doesn’t include the ability to download the files. However, they will all be preserved and options for using the content for its intended use can always be looked at in the future. We also got sent a demo track using the samples that made up part of this deposit, which you can
A love letter to music on the margins
For the last example, and in keeping with the apparent theme of large deposits, the National Library was also fortunate to receive an HQ master copy of Land of the long white stain: a love letter to music on the margins.
Land of the long white stain / Lumiere Reader, 2015
Collection record | Lumiere Reader
Produced by Claire Duncan (i.e. crazy, Dear Time’s Waste) as part of the Lumiere Reader presents web series, the film follows her musical comrades on a tour of New Zealand in this contemplative ode to a brood of genre-bending Auckland musicians.
Performances were recorded live at Chick’s Hotel in Port Chalmers, the Wine Cellar in Auckland, Log Recording in Christchurch, and the Newtown Community Centre in Wellington.
The master was about 22 GB and we also received a high quality version to stream as an access copy. Thanks to Tim Wong for taking the time to bring the files into us at the Library!
That’s just a taste of some of the musical items we have been archiving lately, and now for your listening pleasure we present to you the latest instalment of the (not quite) annual Turnbull Creative Commons Mixtape. Please listen, download, and share alike.
Download MP3 Turnbull mixtape 4: Don't call it a comeback (zip, 137MB)
Download FLAC Turnbull mixtape 4: Don't call it a comeback (zip, 385MB)
Turnbull Mixtape 4: Don’t call it a comeback
1. (How Do You Get So) Disappointing / Brilliant Swords
From Wreckage (2015), (CC BY 3.0)
Collection record | Campbell Kneale on Bandcamp
Featherstone’s prolific Campbell Kneale is best known for the intense, guitar-driven soundscapes of projects like Birchville Cat Motel and Black-Boned Angel. With Brilliant Swords however he pays loving tribute to the noisy, melodic alternative rock of the 80s and early 90s, particularly Minnesota’s Husker Dü.
(Matt Steindl, Research Librarian Music)
2. I don’t want to live on the Moon / Big Rick
From Beyond the valley of the trolls (2014), (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Collection record | Big Rick on Bandcamp
A delightful noise-guitar-driven cover of a Jeff Moss song, sweetly recalling the lunar languish of Bert’s trusting consort Ernie. A fittingly eccentric intro to Wellington band Big Rick’s enthusiastic original songs of humour and politic. See live.
(Alicia Tolley, Imaging Technician)
3. Spare the rod / The Bent Folk
From Spare the rod 10" (2014), (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Collection record | The Bent Folk on Bandcamp
Psych-Folky goodness from this experimental Wellington 3 piece. This epic track was originally released as a Limited edition 10" lathe backed by a stonking cover of Eddie Hazel and Funkadelic’s Maggot brain. Their Live album is also well worth a listen!
(Sholto Duncan, Web Archivist)
4. Blood red roses (NZ version) / Wellington Sea Shanty Society
From Now that’s what I call sea shanties 02 (2015), (CC BY-NC 3.0)
Collection record | Wellington Sea Shanty Society
Nice fresh arrangement of a New Zealand variant of the traditional sea shanty, pitying the sealing gang who've gone feral and 'grown us tails like Lucifer'. First recorded almost 60 years back by the Song Spinners, the Wellington Sea Shanty Society give the song an irresistable Cajun pulse for those social summer evenings.
(Michael Brown, Curator Music)
5. Moral let down / Popolice
From The Secret Squirrel (2002), (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Collection record | Popolice on Bandcamp
Melbourne-based, NZ-born Marc Regueiro-Mckelvie has been producing music under the Popolice moniker since 1997. He cites early Flying Nun bands such as the Dead C as common reference points as well as taking inspiration from Sonic Youth, Pavement and Sydney's Gerling. This is an older, heavily guitar driven track with soft melodic vocals floating between the walls of noise.
(Sholto Duncan, Web Archivist)
6. Othering heights / mr sterile Assembly
From It’s all over (2015), (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Collection record | Mr Sterile Assembly on Bandcamp
Drum, bass, and a withering voice, a challenge to not forget what growing inequality has wrought on the working poor in our cities. mr sterile Assembly are a long-time Wellington duo and their latest album, It’s All Over will definitely reward with multiple listening.
(Jessica Moran, Digital Archivist)
7. Airplane #1 / Womb
From Home Alone Music, Autumn (2015), (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Collection record | Home Alone Music on Bandcamp
Martyn Pepperell describes this song a lot more eloquently then I could saying "While it starts with guitar work, drones, and a marching drum groove imbued with a deep sense of finality … when Womb aka Charlotte Forrester bursts into the full flight of song, we're reminded that as one story ends, another begins. A classic break-up tale delivered in translucent curling tones." You can pick up the rest of her self-titled album released via Sonorous Circle through her Bandcamp.
(Sholto Duncan, Web Archivist)
8. Hand full of sleet / Seht
From hand full of sleet (2011), (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Collection record | Seht on Bandcamp
Wellington’s Seht (Stephen Clover) has been creating his hypnotic sheets of sounds for well over a decade. Hand full of sleet (originally released in 2007, then again in 2011) is a brilliant, finely textured example of the kind of drone/minimalism that he specialises in. Like having your ears smoothed by fine-grit sandpaper.
(Matt Steindl, Research Librarian Music)
9. Another shitty movie / The Muscle
From Happy Bottom (2015), (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Collection record | The Muscle on Bandcamp
Sometimes life just gets in the way of living. This could be a solemn track about past loves and jaded routines, or perhaps just a cautionary tale of seeing one too many bad movies. Either way it made my ears happy, a catchy song from this Auckland trash punk foursome that I was fortunate enough to stumble upon.
(Sholto Duncan, Web Archivist)
10. Sticker / Foreshadows
From Soaring (2014), (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Collection record | Foreshadows on Bandcamp
Four instrumental tracks from Sam Morgan of Palmerston North. Reminiscent of The Chills Pink Frost era, it makes perfect listening (if a little short) for lazy afternoon - rain or shine. Also check out their Iris Moon album, which, according to their Facebook page, is the musician/band's new name.
(Keith McEwing, Assistant Curator Music)
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