· via Martyn Pepperell
Beats + Pieces Vol. 98
Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken, plus some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms. Mānawatia a Matariki — Happy Māori New Year! Today, people all over Aotearoa New Zealand will be taking part in traditions and festivities as Matariki rises to herald in Te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year. If you’d like to learn more about Matariki, here’s some resources. Dazed: 10 great new albums you probably haven’t heard yet Featuring Egyptian producer Abadir’s folk-club collisions, ghetto house meeting dream pop in Chicago’s Heavee, West African Gnawa revivalist Karim, and more Recently on Dazed, we’ve talked to Brutalismus 3000 about ‘bad vibes’ their ‘toxic’ new album, affirmed Black joy at Fête de la Musique, and learned about Nepal’s biggest queer rave yet. We’ve also heard from rising rapper ERISTHEPLANET about putting the internet on wax, visited the Finnish rave beneath the midnight sun, and hosted a Dazed Mix from ASIANDOPEBOYS. Despite the uncertainties that colour the day-to-day realities of many, music continues to offer the potential for shared communal spaces, and serve as a source of collective solace. The global music community continues to face ongoing economic challenges related to touring, releasing, and promoting music, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Expert difficulty level settings be damned, new and under-discussed talents from the world of underground music will always continue to use connection and craft to find their way. For the second edition of our 2026 quarterly roundup, we continue to reflect on and acknowledge musicians, artists, producers, and DJs from around the globe, all with strong communities, real visions, and important statements to make. Here are ten essential Q1 releases, all available on Bandcamp. Read more here. Subscribe Big thanks to Mike Who? from Planet Trip Records for inviting me to write the liner notes for Hugh B & Setwun’s double album release, Yeah Definitely / Nah Maybe. Pre-orders are live now. Planet Trip Records presents Sydney underground heroes Hugh B & Setwun’s first album, 2020’s Yeah Definitely, and its long-awaited follow-up, 2026’s Nah Maybe, as a deluxe vinyl LP package. Underpinned by the low-end heft of dub and soundsystem culture, their albums draw deeply from an expansive array of sensibilities: tones, textures and patterns shaped by post-punk and ambient music dovetail with abstract, sampledelic hip-hop drum loops. Meanwhile, Setwun’s mysterious neo-soul/modern R&B vocals glide on the beat. Punctuated by dialogue snippets, these songs feel like exploring the multiverse with an interdimensional boombox. Yeah Definitely began as a batch of instrumentals. Having previously worked with an MPC, drum machines, instruments and Logic Audio, Hugh used a borrowed PC and Renoise, a tracker DAW associated with 21st-century jungle/drum & bass production. Afterwards, he sent them over to Setwun, who sketched vocals on top with ease. If Yeah Definitely came together quickly, Nah Maybe was a longer process. Still inspired, Hugh B knocked out a second folder of beats with neon-lit city-pop references, slow-jam grooves, and elegant guitar figures. This time, however, something wasn’t clicking for Setwun. The only cure here would be the passage of time. Over the next six years, Hugh and Setwun continued to collaborate while pursuing solo projects. Hugh released jungle, ambient house, dub and post-punk records through Planet Trip Records, Not Not Fun, and his OTIS Records label, while performing live, DJ, and leading the Modern Pop Ensemble. Similarly, Setwun, also a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and DJ, released a series of records that explore jazz, soul, house, and broken-beat electronica, forming a loose constellation for Mandarin Dreams and Extra Soul Perception. Alongside these efforts, he played shows and began performing with his backing band, The Soulstranauts. Early in 2026, something clicked, and Setwun drafted vocals for the second batch of beats over an evening. Not long after, he invited Hugh to mix Nah Maybe, every bit as special as Yeah Definitely. By waiting for the right moment and putting themselves outside of their comfort zone, Hugh B and Setwun have bottled lightning twice. We’re very pleased to be able to share Yeah Definitely and Nah Maybe with you. Share Earlier in the week, I wrote a newsletter about 2020s techno, electro and EBM in New Zealand. I’m just resharing it here so it can get some more life. [ Exploring the sounds of 2020s techno, electro and EBM in New Zealand ](https://selectedworks.substack.com/p/exploring-the-sounds-of-2020s-techno) Martyn Pepperell · Jul 6 Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately, along with some of what … [ Read full story ](https://selectedworks.substack.com/p/exploring-the-sounds-of-2020s-techno) WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO: Last night, I was lucky enough to see The Hectet perform their new album, French Politics, live at Vogelmorn in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. They’re one of the hidden gems of modern jazz in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu right now. If that’s your vibe, tap in. PULSO is a collective initiative created to channel financial support toward the civilian population and communities affected by the recent earthquake in Venezuela. The music gathered in this compilation is not intended to function as a promotional showcase, but as a fundraising tool. The coordinating team has decided to remain in the background and work without central figures or individual leadership, with the aim of keeping the focus on the emergency, the destination of the funds, and the transparency of the process. What on earth is going on here? Believe the hype. Subscribe WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Jeff Mills: Seeing Is Believing: What is techno? Is it a sound, style, way of life? And is it even in good health? In the first of RA’s summer cover stories, Jeff Mills proposes a new answer to the age-old question. Read here. Not Done Yet: photographing Glastonbury’s revellers from 4AM to 8AM: When photographer Mischa Haller travelled to Glastonbury Festival for the first time in 2024, he didn’t go with the intention of capturing headline sets or heaving crowds. Instead, he rose each morning before sunrise, and started documenting the sprawling site in the twilight zone between 4AM and 8AM. Sharing moments with stamina crew ravers, stewards and Stone Circle diehards, he found as much magic in these (slightly) quieter hours as at any other time. Now collected in his latest book, Not Done Yet: Glastonbury After The Music, Haller speaks to Daniel Dylan Wray about some of his favourite shots from this project, which showcases the UK’s favourite festival at its most atmospheric and surreal. Read here. Riz Ahmed: “SOPHIE’s ‘BIPP’ gave me the belief that things could get better”: With his semi-autobiographical comedy Bait receiving awards buzz, Mixmag caught up with Riz Ahmed to talk about bringing his South Asian diaspora-themed James Bond soundtrack to life for the show. Read here. FIN.
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