COMMUNICATE Earth Beat Stage takeover 2024

Live Sets

On Waitangi Day morning we were honoured to play the closing set for 2023's Taniwha's Den. It was a beautiful morning and the cathedral of trees was humming with the sound of cicadas, as it transpires, they like house and techno! There are a few people who we would like to thank for making this happen.

Grant and Leon thank you for trusting us with this years close, the Den stage is such an unbelievable setting and playing at the end of it all was such an incredible experience.

To Mike and Pete, once again the sound was out of this world! Every year it gets better, you are both magicians.

To the VJs, DJs, crew and volunteers, thank you for making our time onsite such a pleasure, we had the most insane amount of fun all weekend and already can't wait to do to all again.

Huge love and thanks to the amazing Miss B for the image, HAZARD WARNING!

TO ALL OF YOU DANCERS! Wow, what a floor to play for! Thank you for coming on the ride with us, we will never forget this morning and a huge part of that is because of your energy you brought. thank you, thank you, thank you.

And finally, our crew slash backup dancers, Bronte, Lara, Lawrence, Nikki and Tina, it was so much fun having you all in the booth with us, and so much fun out of the booth as well. The love, laughter and support you all gave us means the absolute world.

We loved every minute in that booth playing for everyone on that floor, it was a magical morning, it was a privilege and a joy to share COMMUNICATE with you all at the Den for the first time.We hope you all enjoy listening to this as much as we loved playing it. We can't wait to dance with you all again soon.

Live at Taniwha's Den

Taniwha's Den 2023 Closing Set

On Saturday 12 August we gathered with 300 or so other members of our Burn community at Neck of The Woods to raise money for our incredible Kiwiburn sound camp, Hijinxx. And what a night it was! 

There is something very special about the Burn community, it's freedom and acceptance, it's love and inspiration, it's kindness and hedonism, it's support and it's absolutely no ego. These are just a few of the reasons we go back to burn every summer and why our community of like minded humans create some of the best parties we've ever been to, and Saturday night was a perfect example of that.

We want to say thank you to our incredible Hijinxx family, life is so much better with you all in it, and my god do we know how to throw a party! Thank you to Neck of The Woods for everything you do for us and for providing the space for yet another successful fundraiser, to Patsy Skeet, Miss Mixtape, Cooper Khan and Becky & Rayza for all the epic music all night long, to everyone who rocked that floor, To Mike Weinstock for the photo and a massive happy birthday to one of our Hijinxx founders and favourite humans, Ange. 

We hope you enjoy this set, we had an absolute ball playing it and already can't wait to dance with you all again soon.

Let's get ready to burn!

Live at The Freak Show

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off! 

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

Our first DJ for the day was the wonderful Yunset. Heylady first heard her while they were having a jam at a ski lodge on a mountain last winter, her ear was turned with Yunset's selections. We asked her to open the stage on Saturday night for our beloved Hijinxx at this summer's Ignition Festival and she impressed us so much we brought her back in for Earth Beat. We foresee plenty more awesome sets from this fresh DJ, we will definitely be on her dancefloor. 

In her own words:

"When asked to open the Communicate stage takeover at Earthbeat, I knew exactly what a fun opportunity I was being gifted and I felt incredibly grateful. I wanted there to be a few twists and turns, while keeping the tone positive and uplifting throughout. My aim was to align with the Earth Beat ethos of bringing together different generations, sounds and backgrounds, to make sure the music would appeal to all ages and suit the colourful sunny vibe on the day. The smiles and energy on the dancefloor were such a joy to experience, setting the tone for the lineup of pure talent that Mel and Cyril had carefully curated."

So sit back and enjoy the first of the COMMUNICATE Earth Beat stage take over sets. We proudly present; Yunset.

COMMUNICATE Presents: Yunset live at Earth Beat Festival 2024

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off!

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

Following on from Yunset's amazing opener, we asked our good friend Lawrenz to join the fray and bring his brand of fun to the stage. Lawrenz booked Heylady to play his birthday party a few years ago and she came away very impressed with the B2B set he played with Drake. A firm friendship was forged that has seen plenty of good times, some sterling jam sessions and some solid DJs sets at some very well known festivals being laid down by the young up and comer. It was a no brainer for us asking him to join us on the stage for Earth Beat. In his own words:

"Here’s my set recorded live at Earth Beat festival 2024. It was Daytime + Sunshine and whilst the day hadn't quite got to "let’s party" time, I wanted to create a groovy yet techy vibe for the EB revellers as a happy interlude between workshops and exploration. Hopefully it’s cheeky, catchy and dancey! Whatever you think it is, it was a lot of fun to play."

COMMUNICATE proudly presents Lawrenz live at Earth Beat. We hope you enjoy this set as much as we did on the day.

COMMUNICATE presents: Lawrenz live at Earth Beat Festival 2024

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off!

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

Next up on the stage is the incredible Ranz, who caught our ear a few years ago with her seductive, low slung house. With Middle Eastern influences and elements of dub techno thrown in, Ranz weaves a soul-driven soundscape that has made some of the biggest names in NZ take notice. It was an absolute no-brainer for us to have her on our stage, so we were elated when she said yes.

In her words:

"I had the absolute pleasure of playing alongside some super special humans at a super special event. My set reflects both fun and style. I had a collection of a few faves put together, trialing multi-genre sounds which reflect the diversity of good music that can be put together. I had so much fun experimenting and playing music from some of my favourite artists, thank you COMMUNICATE for allowing me to do so xx."

So sit back and listen to the lush sounds of summer woven to perfection, thanks to our good friend, Ranz.

COMMUNICATE Presents: Ranz Live at Earth Beat Festival 2024

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off!

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

As the sun moved closer to the horizon, Cooper Khan and Boznich took to the stage to play a lush and groove-laden sun downer set. We have known both these amazing humans for years, having partied and played with them both individually and together. The first time we saw them back to back, we knew they had it. It was such an easy decision to ask them to join us for Earth Beat this year, and we are so glad they said yes. In their words:

"We love having fun together both behind the decks as well as off stage. We would be lying if we said we are meticulous planners, we prefer the approach of “I know my tunes, you know your tunes, let’s have fun!” This set was a great opportunity for us to play off that, bouncing off one another in the booth, before dropping the clutch and playing some bigger tunes towards the end of the set when the sun started to sink."

If you're looking for a wind up into your weekend, look no further than this mix of dope house music laid down by our good friends, Cooper Khan and Boznich.

COMMUNICATE Presents: Cooper Khan & Boznich live at Earth Beat Festival 2024

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off!

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

Jumping forward a few sets into the night; the dancefloor was locked in and going off, it was wall to wall, heaving and sweaty. The perfect time for some techno, and in our minds there was no question about who we would ask to come and lay some down. Becky and Rayza have been our friends for years (Heylady says, "That's my bestie!"), we've all played each others gigs, we've partied together, supported each other, supported internationals together and jammed until the wee smalls in each others lounges. We wanted a techno act to follow on from our set (which we will release once we've put out all our other artists sets), so for us it was logical to get Becky and Rayza to take up the challenge. And take it up they did. In their words:

"We were super happy to be asked by COMMUNICATE to play at Earth Beat this year. It’s one of our favourite sets we’ve played and we got to do it all surrounded by our humans and a wicked dance floor!  We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did playing! 

Wir lieben Techno 🎶"

If you're looking for something to bring your energy levels up then look no further than Becky & Rayza spanking it, as only they know how.

COMMUNICATE Presents: Becky & Rayza Live at Earth Beat Festival 2024

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off!

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

We had planned to release another one of our epic friend's sets this week, but we felt that in the lead up to our first XCOMMUNICATE this Friday (and the fact that it's Heylady's birthday today) we would release this recording into the wild.

When we programmed the line up for our stage, we nestled ourselves in between the amazing Rob Warner and Becky & Rayza, at the very respectable time of 9pm. This was one of our final sets of the summer festival season, and much like the others we had so much fun playing it. 

We want to thank Issac and the Earth Beat team for trusting us with the stage, the sound techs who kept it humming through out the day and night and were straight on it when we felt it needed adjusting, Kat Ellis for the incredible stage design, the stage managers for making sure we had everything we need, our epic crew for helping pack in & out and being so much fun all weekend, to Rachelle for endlessly putting up with us taking over the lounge, the house, the farm with our noise and for having everyone to stay on this particular weekend, we love you so much! To all of our AMAZING DJs, without you there would be no party, you all brought the absolute noise and we are so proud of what you produced from the opening tune to the very last. And finally, to everyone on that floor, thank you for coming for the ride with us!

We hope you enjoy this almost 3 hour set, we are at our happiest playing for you all, thank you all for your support. So, turn it up loud! We can't wait to dance wit you soon.

COMMUNICATE live at Earth Beat Festival 2024

The 2024 festival season was filled from start to finish with good times, incredible music and amazing humans across all the wonderful events we played. This season we were asked by Earth Beat Festival to run a stage takeover right at the end of the season, what a way to cap it all off!

We put together a lineup the we are incredibly proud of; it was diverse, fun, filled with talented musicians and didn't cater to just one type of four to the floor. We asked our artists to record if they felt comfortable, we are very grateful that most of them did. We are also very grateful they are all allowing us to release their work.

Right before our set we asked one of Auckland's longest-serving DJs to play. We've both been friends with Rob Warner for years. His knowledge of music and the scene is unrivalled by anyone we know. He worked tirelessly to ensure Auckland's clubs were able to stay open past 3am when the government pulled back the operating hours, he sits of the UNESCO Auckland City of Music board, and he endlessly supports all the crews running events in the City of Sails. 

Rob was one of the first people we asked to play our stage, his professionalism, musical bandwidth and track selection is second to none. Rob warmed up for us on the Kaipara Stage at Earth Beat last year, so it was a no-brainer for us to have him do the same again this year. 

In his words:

"It’s always a pleasure to DJ at NZ festivals. I have a goal to always bring something a bit different, even compared to the great artists I get to DJ alongside. At Earth Beat I played my favourite time of night, the crossover from day-to-night, where ethnic and tribal sounds are in their element. What a great time and vibe to do it with a great group of people loving the COMMUNICATE takeover.

Going with more tribal-themed music was an easy choice for a dance floor in such beautiful surroundings."

So sit back and enjoy our good friend doing what he does best. COMMUNICATE proudly presents: Rob Warner.

@peacey-music
@carlcraignet
@damswindle
@sunshine-jones
@arno-e-mathieu
@sam-screnci
@akio-nagase
@timmyregisford
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@ame
@emotional-especial

COMMUNICATE Presents: Rob Warner Earth Beat Festival 2024

On November 8 2024 we threw a party for Cyril Orson's birthday. Sonik Tonik consisted of us, MissB and Yunset on the decks, and it was a pleasure to play with two of our closest and most talented friends. It was a night of great music, in a space that means a lot to us, surrounded by a floor filled with some of our closest humans. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us.

As always, we are eternally grateful that we get to do this. Music means everything to us and in a time that is very uncertain in NZ's entertainment world with venues closing all over the country, it means so much that we are able to get out regularly and do what we love the most.

We would like to extend huge love and thanks to Yunset and MissB for both playing great sets before us, the Ink crew for always looking after us, Leslie for rocking the door, and to the floor for coming on this ride with us. 

Turn it up and enjoy, we hope to dance with you again soon. 


Sonik Tonik

Since we formed COMMUNICATE we don’t often get booked to play on our own. We adore playing together, and if we were ever forced to choose we’d happily never play on our own again. However, there are the rare times that we are asked to play a solo set. This is one of those times.

It was a hot, sweaty night in The City of Sails, so some hot, sweaty music was required for the K Rd basement. Love and thanks to Wattsson for asking Cyril Orson to play her birthday party, to Andy, Leslie, Helen, Seb, Pa and Chingi for making Ink such a great place to party and to all the revellers for stomping the floor right through this closing set.

So sit back and take a listen, Cyril Orson will be your pilot for the next two hours of this ride.

Cyril Orson Recorded @ INK 25.01.25

While we collect an insane amount of music to play out, there is also plenty of sound that really moves us that isn't necessarily designed for a heaving dancefloor. We have folders and folders of everything from funk and soul through to stripped back, low-slung four four, it's eclectic, it's deep, it moves us deep down in our soul. 

Cyril Orson decided that he would like to start putting some of this music together in a mix, so we created a series for him to do just that. This is the first of many, so sit back and let the music take you away.

CYRIL ORSON - THE SOLO HOUR - Vol.1

While we share a lot of sets that were recorded in clubs and at festivals, we thought it might be nice to release a mix with all the greats in one place. There's something magical about gathering all your favourite tunes from across the years and playing them together in one hit, it's nostalgic, it's evokes memories of good times, it's fresh and it puts a smile on your face. 

This is the first in a studio series, I'm Talking to You is one for fans; it's all the good stuff in one neat little bundle. First up, Cyril Orson is taking the reins, we reckon you'll love what he's done.

We are excited to see where this series goes, and we hope you enjoy.

CYRIL ORSON - I'M TALKING TO YOU - Vol.1

For bookings please email Alex Turnbull at Bench Music: alex@rhythmandalps.co.nz

Born from a desire to play together, COMMUNICATE is the brainchild of Tāmaki Makaurau based DJs Cyril Orson and Heylady.

These two stalwarts of the New Zealand scene have been ferreting away rhythm for well over 50 years between them, and they’ve been playing for just as long. Since banding together in 2022 they have played across Aotearoa at some of New Zealand’s biggest festivals and club nights. They have quickly garnered a reputation as one of the acts to follow, with their combined passion and experience they bring an energy to the floor that is hypnotising, all-encompassing and unmistakable.

Together they run one of Auckland’s longest running club nights, Sonik Tonik, in 2024 they revived Ooh La La and they launched their XCOMMUNICATE night, which sees the duo curate a 6 hour journey that spans decades. After a huge summer playing 18 shows across the country, including some of the biggest events in NZ, the pair have spent most of this year in the studio finessing their own brand of audio alchemy. With fresh tracks and remixes ready, and the release of their own label in the coming months, they are firmly stamping their mark on NZ’s underground scene.

COMMUNICATE is a no-holds-barred exploration of four to the floor, expect underlying elements of broken beat, garage, electronica, punk and rock, and expect it all put together by two humans who can’t live without the harmony they breathe. With each set a tailored, unique experience, COMMUNICATE offers you the chance to take a trip through the vaults of two minds who collect music which has stood the test of time, as well as showcasing the freshest cuts from across the world.

Music is the one true universal language, it’s how we communicate.

COMMUNICATE

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