Top Tens

Camo MC – May 2013

Camo MCChristchurch’s CAMO MC has come a long way since he first started rolling house parties in 2006. He is a host/lyricist with endless energy and potential. Fueled by the energy of the music and the crowd, Camo has an ability to work with DJ’s of all genres to take the atmosphere to a higher level.

Camo works across Drum and Bass, Glitch Hop, Jungle, Dubstep, House, Breaks, Dancehall, UK Garage, Grime, Hip Hop, Trap, Moobah and more, no genre is untouchable for this host with the most.

His experience ranges from crowds of 100 up to 3,000, having MC’d with international artists such as Nero, Chase and Status, Rusko, Camo and Krooked, Sigma, DubFX, Flux Pavilion, Dirtyphonics, Datsik, Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Logistics, Break, Artificial Intelligence, D-bridge, S.P.Y, Cyantific, Jakes, Emalkay, ShockOne, Zomboy, The Others, Bar9, and DJ Zinc. Catch Camo performing in Christchurch and around Aotearoa on the regular. (more…)

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Kindred Sound System – April 2013

Kindred Sound SystemKINDRED SOUND SYSTEM are at the forefront of a new league of sounds coming up around New Zealand. They play only the best in heavy roots music from all round the globe.

Their custom sound system debuted in early 2011, after a three year build that included a lot of blood, sweat and tears, plus two major earthquakes in their hometown, Christchurch! In 2012 they took out the Christchurch sound clash title against two other big South Island sounds.

The crew consists of Richie Kindred and Jungle Fari, controlling the mic and dropping heavyweight tunes. Every session has big vibes, big bass, and big, big tunes all night!  (more…)

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Antsman – March 2013

AntsmanANTSMAN aka DJ CHOICE ONE was raised in Christchurch, lived in Auckland and London, and has had his home base in Wellington since 1999. When he was young, his parents gave him a portable three-in-one tuner/tape deck and record player that played 45s, which started his interest in needles on wax. Since then he has never stopped searching for the next treasure to discover, and he collects and plays mainly 45s in all kind of styles, especially spoken word and Viking Records.

Antsman has a love for sweet melodies, big as bass-lines and stompin’ horns. He collects and plays hip-hop, funk, soul, jazz, reggae, dub, jungle, breaks, drum and bass, dubstep, Pasifika and international vibes. (more…)

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Naram – February 2013

NaramNaram is a reggae selector, producer and promoter from Mt Crook, Wellington. Though he has nuff love for loads of music from across the spectrum of Jamaican (and outernational) soundsystem culture, he has a particular penchant for the sound of early 80s rub-a-dub and later 80s digital dancehall.

He cut his teeth as a selector playing gigs in his bedroom alongside his longtime cohort Colonel Mustard (also known as Pranks) before teaming up with the NiceUp Crew as well as Vital Sounds Hi-Fi in 2009. In 2010 Naram threw his hat into the promotion game, setting the wheels in motion for the highly successful Mungo’s Hi Fi tour. 

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Riddim Tuffa – January 2013

Riddim TuffaRiddim Tuffa are an Edinburgh-based DJ and producer duo, and with their heavy digital releases are now a crucial part in contemporary digital dancehell and reggae. They have shared with NiceUp some of their most favourite tunes of 2012.

They say – ’2012 has been an amazing year for us with some great new vinyl on our own Tuffa Dubs label, as well as working with various producers worldwide. We have also been fortunate to get bookings around Europe and also have a fantastic tour of Mexico.

Here is a little preview of our favourite tunes from other producers that we play regularly in our sets. Some of them have been already released, others are still to come out. Have a look at what Riddim Tuffa play in the dance.’ (more…)

Livity – December 2012

LivityLivity began selecting on Dunedin’s Radio One alongside General Dread from Renegade Sound. He later joined the Renegade Crew and started selecting live. Around 2007 Livity moved back to his hometown of Christchurch and linked with Messenjah and Nazarite of Dubwize Sound, and began hosting RDU’s Dubwize radio show and DJing weekly reggae sessions at the Dux de Lux.
 
He was soon gifted the long-standing show and holds it down every Sunday 4:30pm – 6:30pm, on RDU 98.5FM. (more…)

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Israel Starr – September 2012

Israel StarrISRAEL STARR is able to rip up anything from hip-hop flows, sweet lovers rock, dancehall to smooth soul.

Growing up in the Twelve Tribes gave him the opportunity to learn from some of the best reggae talents in New Zealand, including vocalist Che Fu, selector Oblex Brown, and his father, the legendary Mighty Asterix. Israel says, ‘music is in my blood and I can’t deny it’.

Israel Starr has stamped his mark on the reggae and dancehall scenes, joining forces up with Art Official (Newtown Sound), to form a killer deejay/MC team that is taking the country by storm. Alongside Newtown Sound he has released, ‘Foundation’, a tribute to the pioneers of the New Zealand reggae scene, and ‘Speak’, a call for people to wake up and stand up for what they believe in’. He also performs a fresh live set with The Newtown Sound band. As well as making waves with his recent work with Iron Will.

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DJ Jaz – August 2012

DJ JAZ first fell in love with music in his youth, becoming obsessed with his Dad’s varied record collection, and later Hip Hop in the very early 1980s. He always aspired to be a DJ and was heavily influenced by local DJs, TP, Rhys B and Mighty Mic C from the Uncut Funk Show on Radio Active FM.

Jaz first started playing pretend radio stations in his bedroom, later rocking the latest Hip Hop tapes and records during lunchtimes at high school and on local radio station Valley FM. He then moved to Radio Active, where he joined the MVC Posse as a guest and later ran and hosted the WEDNESDAY NITE JAM for close to fifteen years before moving to Melbourne in 2006 to see where the future would take him.

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Jonny Lowe – July 2012

JONNY LOWE AKA LOWE1 began his music career back in ’98 in Dunedin, New Zealand, where he was exposed to a wide range of music ranging from Roots, Dub, Dancehall and Drum’n'Bass. He regularly went to all types of gigs but was blown away by early sets from NZ heavyweights, Sunshine Sound System. Lowe1′s love for turntables was born at the ripe old age of sixteen and he then began to dig deep into his dad’s dusty old reggae vinyl collection. 

On his relocation to Auckland via Queenstown and Melbourne he started THE DROP IN, a regular radio show on the mighty underground station Kfm, where he spun a mash up of all tings Roots and Hip Hop. These days he holds down a weekly show on Base FM alongside Luke King and Zane Tee, MIXED BUSINESS.  (more…)

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Frankie Curac (Battle-Ska Galactica) – June 2012

Formed in 2009, BATTLE-SKA GALACTICA has fast become New Zealand’s premier ska band. With their debut album, ‘EVERYBODY’S GOT AN OPINION’ (which will officially be released at Bar Bodega, Wellington, on Saturday 9 of June), the band is set to take the New Zealand music scene by storm with their infectious mix of Reggae, Jazz, Rock, and of course Ska, Ska, Ska!

Comprised of some of Wellington’s finest musicians, the band has been working overtime, skankin it on dance floors up and down the country, and reestablishing the popularity of ska music in New Zealand with a vengeance, one rude boy and girl at a time. (more…)

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