Drawing inspiration from the likes of Bad Boy Bill, Armand Van Helden, Hatiras, DJ Dan, Star Slinger, Richard Vission, and many others, BUMPSTER’s house tracks are created with a fusion of filtered and disco house elements, rhythmic vocals, and soul/R&B vibes. His music pays homage to the roots of the genre while pushing boundaries with innovative sound and production techniques.

BUMPSTER is a multi-instrumentalist, wielding his prowess on the guitar, drums, trumpet, and an array of other instruments. This diverse musical background enriches his productions, adding depth and dimension to each track.

With a goal to sit amongst the top tier of New Zealand musicians, TOMORROW PEOPLE achieved exactly that in less than 2 years since their birth in 2010. Several years later, they have cemented themselves in the commercial music scene after releasing 2 full length albums, 2 EPs, 40 radio singles, 21 music videos and 5 music features with other artists. 2018 saw them release their fourth body of work, the 8-track EP “BBQ Reggae”. This EP debuted at #1 in the New Zealand Top 40, knocking English superstar Ed Sheeran off the top spot and giving the reggae outfit one of their biggest achievements to date. In their home studio hangs a Platinum plaque for their award winning debut ‘ONE’ and a Gold plaque for a collaboration project that they led.

A studio project turned live stage show, the 7-piece band are purveyors of what they describe as ‘sunshine reggae’. Focused on providing a mid-tempo sound that, while clearly reggae-centric, adds touches of dancehall ragga to its colour. It is a sound built around strong vocals, soothing harmonies, catchy hooks, aggressive ragga raps, and feel good riddims.

Labeled by some as the hardest working band in the country, this is likely due to the fact that Tomorrow People wrote, recorded, produced and mixed all their music themselves. Or it may be because they edit their own videos, design their own artwork, manage their own strategies, devise their own marketing plans and book their own tours, all while holding down full time day jobs.

Once transmitted through speakers and into the airwaves, music belongs to the people. The audience ascribes meaning and significance to songs and ultimately absorbs them for life.

By the same token, SIX60 belong to listeners. The history-making award-winning New Zealand quintet—Matiu Walters [vocals, guitar], Marlon Gerbes [keyboard], Ji Fraser [lead guitar], Chris Mac [bass], and Eli Paewai [drums]—stir rock, reggae, funk, and pop together with a twist of kiwi roots music and Maori instrumentation. Invoking this spirit and Kiwi roots, their latest music and next evolution showcases traditional Maori instruments such as Pūtātara and Pūkāe (stone and long trumpets), Bone Kōauao (Bone Flute), and Karanga Weka (Stone Flute). “We want to take our Maori culture and put it into a mainstream radio world,” exclaims Matiu. “There are only a handful of people in the world who can play these instruments, and we felt getting them into a mainstream album could give them a chance to stay alive.”
Over a decade before breaking records and selling out stadiums back home or signing to Epic Records stateside, the boys then welcomed the world into their musical ecosystem and set a career precedent in 2008 while still students.

“At University of Otago, we shared a flat at 660 Castle Street in Dunedin, New Zealand,” recalls Matiu. “We originally didn’t name the band. Instead, our first college fans gave the band the name by calling us the ‘SIX60 Boys,’ which evolved into SIX60. We adopted this philosophy into our albums. The fans add the final touches and have naming rights over things we do. The songs aren’t done until the audience has them. So, the album doesn’t really have a spirit or a name until the crowd consumes it.”

As such, SIX60 engender a rare level of devotion from fans, bordering on downright phenomenal. The group’s 2011 full-length, SIX60 (I. The Gold Album), bowed at #1 on the charts in New Zealand and eventually went septuple-platinum. SIX60 (II. The Colours Album). saw them reclaim the top spot on the charts in 2015 and go quintuple-platinum. To date, New Zealand single sales exceed 1 million as global streams surpass 200 million and counting. At the 2018 NZ Music Awards, they garnered “Best Group” in addition to five other honors.

A year later, they made history. Performing their biggest show to date, they sold out Western Springs Stadium in New Zealand and became “the first New Zealand Act to Sell 50,000 Tickets to a Show at the Stadium” (They repeated the same feat for 2020!). The gig proved to be a major milestone both professionally and musically.

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