The Audio Foundation is thrilled to present Now! Here! This! – Ōtepoti.

Now! Here! This! Festival is making its way down the country, with the latest installment held in the depths of Ōtepoti from August 26 – 28. The 3 day festival is part of the re-invention of the popular Altmusic programme, which has seen regular tours by legendary artists of experimental music and sound art tour Aotearoa over the past decade. With the advent of Covid 19 and the impossibility of international visitors the Altmusic programme has been transformed to present 3 day festivals in Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington in addition to the regular festival in Auckland.

Curated by local dastardly duo Sewage (Ro Rushton-Green & Gabriel Griffin), Ōtepoti will be blessed across 3 nights and one day with experimental sound and adventurous music by a huge roster of visiting and local artists, hosted at the New Athenaeum Theatre and Lodge Maori.

More info, including full programme, artist bios and links: http://www.audiofoundation.org.nz/programmes/altmusic/now-here-this-otepoti

Thursday 26 August @ New Athenaeum Theatre,
doors open 7:30PM
– Crude + L$D Fundraiser
– Riki Gooch
– Petal Play + Bodyache
– Ghost Bells
– Wailing Wind Ensemble
Visuals by Chris Schmelz

$20 on the door/$13+BF resales from UnderTheRadar

CRUDE
Matt Middleton (Crude) brings 25 years of sound experimentation to the
table. 25 years of increasingly abstract, increasingly minimalist
musics. 25 years of voluntary simplicity and fringe dwelling. Major
utilizer of vintage synth over the years. Famous for releases on
flying nun and ecstatic peace, Middleton’s more adventurous recordings
are now propagated via bandcamp. As an improviser Middleton engages
the audience with a direct visceral interpretation of anxiety,
dislocation or disassociation, trance and linguistic repetition.

L$D FUNDRAISER
Dene Barnes (Wolfskull, Spacewolf 2, PSI Division) has been working consistently under his solo, L$D FUNDRAISER, moniker since the mid-2000s, delivering chunks of sonic experimentation, drone, noise, ambient, and “uneasy listening” psychedelia via labels such as Heavy Space, Root Don Lonie for Cash, Pseudo Arcana, CocoMuse, Chemical Imbalance, mf/mp, Ilam Press Records, Independant Woman and his own tape label, Long Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall. Based in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, his free-noise/drone agenda is rooted in tape manipulation, bricolage and noise-aesthetics.

RIKI GOOCH
Riki Gooch (Cave Circles, DJ Oboe) began his career as a founding member of seminal band Trinity Roots. He has since lent his drumming and production talents to legendary New Zealand artists claiming his position as one of New Zealand’s finest and in demand musicians. These artists include Jonathan Crayford, Bic Runga, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ladi6, Recloose, Crowded House, Electric Wire Hustle, Leila Adu, Lord Echo, Fabulous Arabia, The Phoenix Foundation, The Adults, Vadim, and Adam Page. Riki is also the brains behind the massive Eru Dangerspiel Ensemble and a solo artist under the moniker Cave Circles. He is also one fourth of the Some Other Planets collective alongside Christoph El Truento, Julien Dyne and Parks.

PETAL PLAY
Cole Hutchinson is a digital programmer and composer. Starting her music endeavours in Pōneke, she now lives a slow, homebody lifestyle in Koputai (Port Chalmers) which has been reflected in her music progression. Flesh of the Womb embodied the turmoil of city living, whilst dealing with ongoing mental health, addiction, impulsion and grief. Cole now works on a solo project called Petal Play – keeping to elements of Flesh, but focusing more on the softness and emotional regularity that comes with the passing of time.

BODYACHE
Bodyache is a noise project fronted by Russian born and Pōneke based multi instrumentalist and visual artist Olga Lapin (She/her). Bodyache was conceived in Ōtautahi during 2018 and has since released grindcore infused harsh noise EPs. Bodyache takes a more stripped down and textural approach to live sound, switching the conventional live band dynamic into a more emotional and cathartic experience

GHOST BELLS
Ghost Bells are a new improvised noise band from Dunedin, formed out of the ashes of Eye and the Terminals. Anchored by the drumming of the Dead C’s Robbie Yeats, Peter Porteous (guitar) and Mick Elborado (bass) play the devil’s music.

WAILING WIND ENSEMBLE
A Choir with Saxaphones!Recorders!Wind instruments! Used as compelled.