Inside Out - New Zealand Edition - Vol 1

Sola Rosa

Way Up, Melting Pot, New Zealand

Since 1999 Sola Rosa’s Andrew Spraggon has been tantalising listeners with otherworldly aural experiences, honing his craft and taking Sola Rosa from a self-released one man project to fully-fledged live powerhouse along the way. He’s kept good company on the road and in the studio, Sola Rosa counting members of Dimmer, Fat Freddys Drop, Goldenhorse, Pluto and Sommerset amongst the ranks over the years, not to mention pilfering the best members of Che Fu, King Kapisi and Anika Moa’s bands and tapping the talents of internationally renowned artists like Nathan Haines and Spikey Tee. First coming to Kiwi music-lovers’ attention as guitarist and vocalist for angular rock band Cicada in the 90s, Spraggon’s first outing as Sola Rosa came in the form of the Starter For 4 EP. Hand-made and self-distributed, these four experimental electronic instrumentals paved the way for the more widely appreciated 'Entrance To Skyway EP'. Since then Sola Rosa has gone on to release three critically acclaimed albums - 2001’s 'Solarized', 2003’s 'Haunted Out-takes', and 'Moves On' in 2005 – and went on to pick up more recognition nationally, nabbing a NZ Music Award for Solarized as well as countless other awards and nominations. The sound of Sola Rosa isn't easy to categorise, using elements of diverse genres with skewed soundtracks rubbing shoulders with elements of dub, hip hop, downbeat and jazz along the way. This diversity comes to the fore again on their much-anticipated 'Get It Together' album. Taking in a wide swathe of genres, and walking an ever-erratic line between organic and electronic elements, the songs continue to pull off Spraggon’s patented trick of bewitching and beguiling ears in equal proportion and is further proof of the solid sonic sorcery that is Sola Rosa. Picking up where the performance-based Moves On album left off, there’s a sweating, smoking live band at the heart of the new record, made up of long-term members of the Rosa roster - Will Scott (drums), Matt Short (bass), and Ben White (guitar). Get It Together‘s songs have then been swathed in Spraggon studio sorcery, tooled-up for maximum dancefloor impact, and bolstered by a roll-call of vocalists, musicians, and compositional contributors running headlong into Sola Rosa’s sonic stirrings at full force – with vocal cuts from Spikey Tee (best known for his work with Jah Wobble, Bomb The Bass, Mark Rae and on some of Sola Rosa’s finest moments), well-known German globetrotter, poet, and singer Bajka, UK MC Serocee, and emerging Wellingtonian songstress Iva Lamkum. Underpinning these outstanding lyrical performances you’ll find an eclectic batch of collaborators that includes the likes of Victoria Kelly, Julien Dyne, Juse, Scratch 22, Haydn Godfrey, John Highsted, James Duncan, and Miguel Fuentes. Watch out for the next wave of kiwis conquering the music world!