Katchafire Slow-Burn to #1 on IMNZ Chart

Happy New Year! Summer may have had its dodgy moments, but there is no shortage of good albums pouring forth from the IMNZ crew. And if the sunshine stays, there are plenty of good live shows to enjoy over the next few weeks.

First up, some great international news. Songwriter and lead singer for Te Vaka, Opetaia Foa'i, is a finalist in the US International Songwriting Competition. Two Te Vaka songs have made the finals - Samulai and the Pate Pate radio remix. This competition is judged by some pretty high-calibre people in the music industry including Sean "P.Diddy" Combs, Macy Gray, Bo Diddley, plus many other artists and USA record company executives.

Savage and Mareko are in New York filming the video for Savage's next single Moonshine with rugged R&B star Akon. The video is being directed by Kai Crawford, who is responsible for Akon featuring Styles P’s Locked Up video.

Savage and Mareko have also been given the opportunity to perform at the renowned Manhattan hip hop spot "Club Exit" as part of a celebrity lineup including: Akon, Capone-N-Noreaga and the Block Family. The Benefit concert is for the family of Akon's best friend & road manager Robert Montanez who passed away recently after an altercation. Savage & Mareko also performed at the New York open mic night "End of the Weak" on Sunday 9th of January.

Also in from Dawn Raid, the Big Day Out is in the middle of its annual rounds, and the Deceptikonz were invited to play all of the Australian shows.

Lucid 3 have been invited to play at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, on Friday 4th Feb as part of a Waitangi Day celebration for ex-pats. Prior to this, on January 28, Victoria Girling-Butcher will be performing with Charlotte Johanssen at the TSB Festival Of Lights, New Plymouth.

Several IMNZ folk are currently in France for the 2005 MIDEM conference: Nigel Braddock (Monkey Records), Jim Pinckney (Round Trip Mars), and IMNZ Chair/MIC board member Bernie Griffen are in Cannes doing the business for New Zealand music alongside several other local labels.

The Fanatics will be playing a series of Australian gigs in early February. They are also inundating your TV screens – watch out for the video for Models playing now, with TV and Buddy on their way. Vinyl versions of ‘The Fanatics’ EP should be in-stores in limited amounts sometime in the next six weeks.

On the home front, Ishta have been touring New Zealand with DJ Monkey. Expect an album from Ishta sometime in 2005.

Following their 7-week world tour at the end of 2004, Pitch Black are in top gear for summer. They played at Resolution in Whitianga on New Year’s Eve - right after the bikini competition - so the boys picked up a good audience...! The Prana festival followed on January 2, the Kaikoura Roots Festival on January 15 and the Big Day Out on January 21. Coming up are Orientation gigs in Christchurch and Dunedin on February 19 and 23, and they are wrapping up the summer with the Auckland Dancing in the Streets gig on March 4.

In the last part of January Gahu take their funky, Aotearoa style of global fusion to Manawatu, Wellington & Taranaki for the first time.

Trinityroots’ penultimate performance is at the SoundSplash Festival in Raglan on February 5th, and to finish off for good they are playing a Tsunami benefit show in Welllington on February 13th, alongside the likes of Flash Harry, Rhombus and Odessa.

If you’re up for an out-of-the-ordinary summer holiday experience, the Pirongia Mountain Men perform for visitors on board the graceful vessel the 'Waipa Delta' which cruises the Waikato river. They spent every night over the Festive Season serenading their guests on the waterways, and by day they were selling their uniquely Kiwi Christmas albums. For more info head to www.pirongiamountaimusiccompany.co.nz  

Capitalrecordings have signed Wellington 4-piece The Inkling, as well as Montano, which comprises 'core' Capitalrecordings' artist Mike 'Jet Jaguar' Upton; both bands have records due out this year. Also look out for the debut album Auckland-based Tomachi aka Tom Atkinson; he is perhaps best known as drummer for One Million Dollars and SJD.

And finally, keep an eye out in the streets of Auckland for the stylee Supa-Fresh car – you might pick up a copy of the compilation if you spot it; it features a fine array of Pacific talent such as Che Fu, Adeaze, Nesian Mystik, King Kapisi and Soane.

Tours

Gahu Tour Schedule:

21 January Friday - London Bar, Auckland

22 January Saturday - Rotorua Streetfest

23 & 24 January - Horowhenua Organic River Festival, Kimberley Reserve, Levin

26 January Wednesday – Happy, Wellington

27 January Thursday - Masonic Tavern, Palmerston North

28 January Friday - Junction Hotel, Sanson

29 January Saturday - Ceramic Bar, Wanganui and Basement Club, New Plymouth

30 January Sunday afternoon - Butlers Bar & Cafe

31 January Monday - TSB Festival of Lights, New Plymouth

4 February Friday - London Bar, Auckland

6 February Sunday - Katikati Summer Twilight Concert Series: Global Tempo with Gahu