Rattle Records
Creativity will inevitably defy categorization: Rattle artists are creating music that comes out of classical, jazz, and world streams, but tends to look somewhere else for a home.
Here you'll find music created not only to enrich the aural fabric of our lives, but that will most reward listening with intent. You could call it 'art music'. You could call it whatever you like.
It's Rattle music.
Big respect to Rattle, a record company which has been releasing New Zealand recordings ...beyond the regimented lines of classical and contemporary boxes for some years now. - Mark Amery PAVEMENT
Official Site
Artists
A diverse group of improvisers, Jonathan Besser's Bravura features ex-Madness bassist Peter Scott, Gitboxer Nigel Gavin, APO Violinist Miranda Adams, and Siberian accordionist Tatiana Lanchtchikova. More
Contemporary jazzers with a an Aotearoa sense of space and ear-friendly world outlook. Influences are: Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek. Collaborators include Richard Nunns. More
A jazz-leaning pianist with a unique performance style and audience rapport: WithYou Hit Hi.. (Best Classical 98) Dan Poynton wrote the book on NZ solo piano music. More
14 years in the UK & Europe established Gillian's international composing reputation, but in 1981 she returned to her Maori and antipodean roots. More
This legendary 90s nine-piece 'guitar orchestra' has quietly fused minimalist ambience with rockn'roll attitude to take the guitar somewhere entirely new and refreshing. More
Many New Zealanders may take the haunting sounds of Maori instruments for granted – but without these pioneering musicians our taonga puoro would probably remain mute in Museums. More
Best known as composer for the 2004 Olympics, it's the sheer exhilaration of his music which is marking him out as a potent artistic force to listeners in and out... More
With Hirini Melbourne and master instrument makers, Richard has quietly changed our musical landscape forever. Beyond re-establishing a lost musical heritage, he has since gone on to explore unique musical... More
The FSH Trio is a collaborative project initiated by drummer Ron Samsom in conjunction with Rattle Records. More
Releases
The album signals a maturing artistic focus as NZTrio keeps one foot proudly on the shores of Aotearoa, while taking its listeners on a journey out through the Pacific Rim... More
Decadence is a live release containing tracks from the groups five studio albums. It is a compilation that celebrates ten years of the group's existence. More
On release, this compilation offered a fascinating preview of key Rattle artists – including John Psathas, Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns, Nigel Gavin, From Scratch, etc. More
This 2 disc, solo piano album by New Zealand's favourite classical musician both stretches and soothes. Inland realizes Michael Houstoun's goal to record music close to heart and home. More
Based on a story by Tungia Baker, and features taonga puoro alongside piano, cello and voice.. With Judy Bailey, Richard Nunns, Tungia Baker, Georg Pederson. More
The debut album from The FSH Trio features compositions from all members of the trio, reflecting their diverse cultural backgrounds and wide ranging influences. More
Nine acoustic guitars. Nine players. Together. Shimmering ambiences shifts to Stravinsky shredding Pete Townshend, but it all turns out very happily. More
Rhythmic intensity & poetic introspection, performed by top NZ and US players: NZ String Quartet, Michael Houstoun, Deidre Irons, Dan Poynton & New Juilliard players. Best Classical Album 2000. More
Sax and voice features alongside the group's trademark PVC melodic percussion, in a salute to spiritual heroes. More
New instruments, new sounds, & unique video evoke voices relayed from a spiritual realm. This CD/DVD release features Hirini Melbourne, recording just before his death in 2003. More
Literally "The Woven Mat of Sound", Te Kü Te Whë announces a renaissance in Maori music, taking the listener into an ancient world, structured by mythology, history and the moods... More
with PITCH BLACK, WARREN MAXWELL, RHIAN SHEEHAN, SALMONELLA DUB, SJD, SOLA ROSA, LEE PREBBLE, EPSILON BLUE, UNITONE HI FI, VICTORIA KELLY, FARMER PIMP, THE NOMAD, CHRIS MACRO. More
A stripped-back Gitbox follows up it's debut Pesky Digits with an album that - ironically - reflects a wider world. More
This unashamedly lush, ambient, spacious album, evokes a sense of mystery as it weaves together Maori instruments and jazz inspired piano. More
The simplicity of the round as a musical form belies the subtlety of this music. Jonathan Besser created this music initially as sketches, before handing them to a trusted group. More
One of Aotearoa's most successful jazz groups teams up with a leading exponent of traditional Maori instruments to create a "very New Zealand" jazz album. More
A PYROTECHNIC PERCUSSIONISTA. OUR GREATEST PIANIST EVER. THE HOTTEST SAX PLAYER ANYWHERE. THE MIGHTY NZSO. AND AN OLYMPIC COMPOSER: John Psathas came home to run his own race. More
This defining album for solo piano by a charismatic performer took Best Classical 98, "...NZ music at its best, imaginatively chosen, sensitively played..." HERALD More
