It's a shame that New Zealand's thriving experimental/noise/improv scene has gone so neglected by our local press when it's been so revered overseas. While the words "noise" and "experimental" might suggest some level of inaccessibility - and I'll be the first to admit some of the shit still scares me - this lovely compilation by Auckland sound artist Tim Coster should perhaps unlock a few doors for those curious to explore other rich musical frontiers beyond the realm of the conventional.

The 3 cm CD format exerts a considerable gravitational pull on audio culturists world-wide. Its compact attractions show no signs of diminishing, and why should it? While some struggle with the almost limitless scale of the conventional CD (with all respect to those file share enthusiasts who don’t even go there), there’s a steady supply of concise, single-concept works on the mini-media, with all the accompanying virtues that come of “smallness”.