“Aotearoa Reggae” – This track celebrates and traces the history of reggae music in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It captures the journey from the late 1970’s Jamaican-influenced sounds embraced by Māori and Polynesian communities, the socio-political and racial justice issues it helped address during the 1980’s, through to today’s festival-driven reggae scene, enjoyed by a wide audience.
The song features classic reggae elements: a steady “one drop” beat, authentic electric-guitar and piano skanks, a grooving organ bubble, and a street-inspired lead vocal supported by rich and soulful harmonies. Streaming link
“Emma” – an original about a teenage crush that took years to progress into a full on relationship and later, marriage! Streaming link
“You got the love” – a cover of a late 80’s dance gospel track. I picked up the original 12 inch in a London second hand shop in the late 80’s”. It’s been a long time favourite. The subsequent covers never really had the gospel feel of the original, and I wanted to do a cover more orientated towards that feel, albeit also with a slower reggae vibe. You got the love was mixed by NZ audio engineering icon, Clint Murphy. Streaming link
“Band of Gold” – a story of a newlywed couple’s marriage falling apart from the perspective of a woman. “Band of gold” refers to the wedding ring, symbolizing the material record of marriage, but without the expected intimacy and happiness. The ring continually reminds her of what has been lost and of the deeper connection that was never achieved. The song explores key events including the wedding night spent in separate rooms, the ensuing loneliness together with a longing for how it once was. The song also had input from Wellington engineer and roots reggae legend, Lee “scratch” Prebble in his iconic studio “The surgery”. Streaming link
“Aotearoa Reggae” spotify playlist – a selection of new releases, consistent with the GI style. Streaming link
