RNZ Music

Using his stage name Tha Feelstyle, Samoan-born rapper Kas Futialo made his groundbreaking album, Break It To Pieces, mixing Pasifika beats with hip-hop, funk and no shortage of catchy hooks. Some of… Read more Audio

The 80s club scene gave birth to the sound that Ardijah's founder Ryan Monga calls Polyfonk. After a long incubation in the South Auckland club scene, the group burst forth with that sound on their… Read more Audio

Auckland-raised singer-songwriter Renee-Louise Carafice wrote and recorded her debut album after a spell of clinical depression, and yet it remains an uplifting, even beautiful piece of work. In this… Read more Audio

When Che-Fu released his 2nd album Navigator it charted new territory for New Zealand Hip Hop. Its seamless blending of reggae, RnB and Hip Hop telling real life experiences reflected a truly Pacific… Read more Audio

When Che-Fu released his 2nd album Navigator it charted new territory for New Zealand Hip Hop. Its seamless blending of reggae, RnB and Hip Hop telling real life experiences reflected a truly Pacific… Read more Audio

'The new rock - bittersweet and low' proclaimed a Time magazine cover in 1971, heralding the arrival of a new wave of acoustic-based music centred on the likes of Crosby, Stills and Nash and James… Read more Audio

The 2005 studio debut of the Wellington-based soul-reggae collective Fat Freddy's Drop became the year's second-biggest selling album in their homeland and established their worldwide reputation In… Read more Audio

Elliott Childs picks out a selection of lesser known tracks ranging from 1980's punk to acid jazz and experimental folk. Read more Audio

Elliott Childs plays a selection of Soul, Americana and other genres from artists like Michael Kiwanuka, Ry Cooder and A.C Newman. Read more Audio

In the late-70s landscape of mainstream New Zealand pop, Sharon O'Neill stood out not only for her pure powerful voice and piano skills but also for a swag of sophisticated self-penned songs. All of… Read more Audio

On his 2018 album Avantdale Bowling Cup,  Auckland rapper Tom Scott blends powerful, polyrhythmic rhymes with fine jazz and a strong sense of place. Read more Video, Audio