MUSIC SCHEDULE IS COMPLETE:

FRI 8 FEB MAIN STAGE
1700-1730 Opening with Asahi Taiko Drummers
1800-1900 Ishle
1915-2015 Tyra and the Tornadoes
2025-2040 Mrs Peacock
2045-2200 Kora
2210-2225 Te Aratoi
2230-2400 Pharoahe Monch
0015-0215 Antix

DJ STAGE
1700-1830 Dylan C
1830-2000 Audit
2000-2130 Mark Pickering
2130-2300 Philippa
2300-0030 Ray Castle
0030-0230 Radioclit
0230-0400 Mo Horizons

SAT 9 FEB MAIN STAGE
1000-1130 DJ Rasa
1130-1200 Te Aratoi
1215-1315 P.O.O.R
1345-1445 Surf City
1500-1700 Epsilon Blue
1730-1900 Overproof Soundsystem
1905-1920 Ishle
1930-2100 Tiki
2105-2120 Mrs Peacock
2130-2300 Benji B & Steve Spacek
2300-0030 Shapeshifter
0045-0245 Module

DJ STAGE
1200-1330 Bobby Brazuka
1330-1500 Mikki Dee
1500-1600 Paddy Free
1600-1730 Junior
1730-1900 DJ Spanky
1900-2030 AK Jugglin Crew
2030-2200 J-Star
2200-2400 Turnaround Cian
2400-0200 Turnaround Andy
0200-0400 Freddie Cruger/Vee
0400-0600 Turnaround Manuel

SUNDAY 10 FEB MAIN STAGE
1000-1130 Dubhead
1130-1230 The Aviators
1300-1400 Three Houses Down
1430-1530 Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra
1530-1730 Mo Horizon

Schedule subject to change 

See profiles on artists below

Click here for a printable version of timetable

Raised on the infamous Southside of NYC's Queens borough, Pharoahe Monch caught the hip-hop bug early and it was while attending art school that he found his calling as an emcee, and went on to co-found rap duo Organized Konfusion.

He and his partner Prince Poetry released three albums before Pharoahe Monch went solo. His single Simon Says featured in the film Charlie’s Angels and he has featured alongside a range of artists including Justin Timberlake, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Macy Gray, Xzibit and Linkin Park.

His 2007 album ‘Desire’ is regarded as the year’s  breakthrough ‘real hip hop’ release. It takes hip hop and fuses it with gospel, rock, jazz and soul complete with choir-style vocals, majestic horns, sick baselines and breathtaking conscious lyrics. Pharoahe Monch is the real deal and he brings to Splore his live band. Expect an intense live hip hop show that will leave you spellbound!

First time in NZ and Splore exclusive

www.myspace.com/pharoahemonch

 

Shapeshifter – New Zealand

Shapeshifter has been heralded as a musical phenomenon for their ground breaking live shows and unique blend of heavy soul/drum and bass. Their reputation as pioneers of modern music was built by a unique approach to electronic music which had previously been restricted to computer based studio musicians and has earned them widespread critical and commercial acclaim.

They headlined the Hothouse Stage at the 2007 Big Day Out Australian tour and were handpicked by Tool to support them in Melbourne to a massive sold out audience of 15,000.

www.shapeshifter.co.nz  www.myspace.com/shapeshifterlive

Kora – New Zealand

Kora is a five-piece band with huge live presence – vocal harmonies sailing on a powerhouse rhythm section. Solid musicians, the four brothers & Dan, hail from Wellington & Whakatane, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Kora played at Splore 06 and will have the crowds dancing again to their dub groove at Splore 08.

www.myspace.com/koraroots

Freddie Cruger - Sweden

Swedish producer/DJ Freddie Cruger (aka Red Astaire) is a master of genre mash-ups, many of which find a permanent home in DJ boxes across the globe. Cruger’s authentic mix of old school hip hop and b-boy groove incorporates dirty funk, soul, reggae, latin and disco rhythms into impossibly irresistible tracks.

First time in NZ.

www.myspace.com/redastaire  

Mo’Horizons - Germany

Mo’Horizons consists of producers and DJs Ralf Droesemeyer and Mark Foh Wetzler. Both hailing from downtown Hannover, Germany Ralf is renowned for his past work, which amongst others include Cunnie Williams and Randy Crawford. The other half of this dynamic duo is the ultra-active record collector & PC-musician Foh.

In the course of wanting to add a new dimension to their DJ-sets and a wider musical range, Ralf and Foh experimented and produced music of their own and from this the idea of Mo’Horizons was born.

Mo’Horizons’ diverse repertoire of sounds are used for background music on TV and radio stations and songs by Mo’Horizons appear on more than 500 compilations worldwide! Don’t miss their live set at Splore 08.

Mo’ Horizons break all boundaries and tear down all musical barricades with sets that trip through nujazz, soul, afro, latin, funk, dub, trip hop or big beat.

First time in NZ and another exclusive for Splore.

www.myspace.com/mohorizons

Overproof Sound System started life in 1998 as a monthly reggae night called ‘Overproof’ held at the Medicine bar in Birmingham, England performing reggae and reggae-influenced sounds. Spotted by a European promoter two years later, Overproof headed to Europe and has been touring constantly ever since.

Having taken on three summers of festivals, 22 date tours and playing alongside most of their reggae heroes, the group embarked on its first recording project and in 2002 put out the now legendary ‘Watch What You Put Inna’.

They’ve since released their first album ‘Nothing to Proove’, but it’s their live performances for which they are known.

First time in NZ

www.myspace.com/overproofsoundsystem 

Tiki – New Zealand

Tiki (Ngati Maniapoto) has spent the last eleven years playing to the world primarily as the captivating frontman for successful NZ band Salmonella Dub.  Doubling as an audio engineer for some of the country’s finest acts, Tiki has boosted shows, musical works and recordings worldwide with his unique gift for taking music into an innovative new realm.

Representing Aotearoa New Zealand, Tiki has long-cemented the following of a vast cross-section of peoples from all corners of the globe. With access to such a diverse fan base, it is timely that Tiki embarks on his highly anticipated solo artist career, showcasing his talents and making his services available through his company Tikidub Productions.

Check www.tikidub.com

A highly influential UK DJ, Benji B is a key musical tastemaster who plays the tunes first that eventually end up in the boxes of the big names. His DJ sets are musical journeys unique in clubland – blending underground styles of breakbeat, hip hop, house, garage and soul.

Benji B started in music by learning the saxophone from the age of seven, playing at various clubs around London by 16. Around the same time he started a radio programme with collaborator Gilles Peterson called Worldwide, and produced the live show for Kiss FM for two year, continuing to work with Peterson when the show moved to BBC Radio 1. Benji became the youngest ever producer to be making shows for the national station and the show won the Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 1999.

When the BBC's digital new black music radio station BBC 1Xtra launched in August 2002, Benji was asked to present his own show.
His radio shows and DJ sets blend tunes from various genres of underground soul music – broken beats, hip-hop, house, UK garage, jazz, soul or Detroit techno.
First time in NZ

www.myspace.com/djbenjib 

photo by Dustin Ross

 

Steve Spacek – London, UK

Imagine a robot performer in the future, in love with hip hop beatology and skillful enough to twist it into new shapes, programmed with an infused knowledge of the biographies of Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Leroy Hutson as source material for lyric writing and you might have an idea of the Spacek sound - Robotic, futuristic, hip-hop based soul.

www.myspace.com/stevespacek

 Essau has popped in to the fray at a time, when Johan and Etienne have already begun to steer the dj-ing out in another direction. Two steps ahead of the game, they’ve naturally shifted away from the obvious urban club bangers, toward a deeper version of their take on African/World music. They've been citing the tropical teachings of Malcolm McLaren’s Duck Rock and Bob Sinclar’s constant experiments with Afrohouse as primary inspirations. But, it's a sound which nets the shamanic percussive bounce of Afrodisco/house, funk carioca, soca and kuduro and then gives it that magical Radioclit rub. The way it’s headed, Summer 07 will no doubt see it all going off way down deep in the middle of the Congo. We’ll all lick the hallucinogenic back of a Sonoran Desert toad, and Johan and Etienne will keep the crew frenziedly dancing with the local witchdoctors 'till Autumn creeps upon us. Don’t doubt it!  With “one ear in the hood, another checking out Abba” expect  a warped set of  electronic madness.

First time in NZ,  Radioclit are a Splore exclusive

J-STAR has struck gold with his blends of reggae instrumentals & hip-hop accapellas released on limited 7 inches. having found their way into the bags and sets of every dj worth their salt including grandmaster flash, norman jay, francois k and the late great john peel they have been causing a stir in clubs worldwide. as well as these great bootlegs he has been kept busy remixing tunes for ms dynamite, dj vadim & teedra moses. one listen to these dance-floor gems give you an exact idea of the energy and style of this man's dj sets


First time in NZ

Pulling together some of Wellington’s favourite musicians and commanding the four-string like you’ve never heard it before, these merry strummers faithfully reproduce hit songs from across the musical spectrum including The White Stripes, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, Leonard Cohen, The Muttonbirds, Bonnie Tyler, Andre 3000, Split Enz, Pixie Williams, Bob Marley, DD Smash and more.
Expect sing-a-long favourites, blazing solos, stunning dress sense, sparkling harmonies and comic banter from this sell-out outfit whose founding members include musicians Age Pryor, and Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie.

Created three years ago by friends Davin Stoddard and Josh Kennedy, together with with Josh’s brother Jamie and friend Logan Collins, Surf City’s (originally called The Fibs, and then Kill Surf City) fascination with fast guitar pop and the early 80’s sound from Dunedin has seen them develop their own unique catchy sound.

 

Hailing from Otara, this 12-piece show-stoppingly tight reggae roots group grew up “three houses down the road from each other”. Tipped as one of the up and coming bands to watch in the NZ roots scene and recently released their debut album Dreadtown

Epsilon Blue – New Zealand

Epsilon Blue emerged in 1997 and has since become one of New Zealand's premier electronic dance acts and one of this country’s most recorded electronic artists.

www.epsilon-blue.co.nz

Tyra and The Tornadoes – New Zealand

Tyra and The Tornadoes formed in late 2005 to pay tribute to the classic funk and soul sounds that helped shape the modern musical landscape.

Featuring members of Opensouls, Solaa, The Hollie Smith Band and One Million Dollars, The Tornadoes pound out the deepest funk and sweetest soul, while vocal sensation Tyra Hammond takes centre stage in true soul diva style.

www.myspace.com/tornadoestyra 

Module

Module is the electronic/music project of NZ Musician/Producer Jeramiah Ross.
Module is all performed 100% live with computers, samplers, midi controllers and synthesizers. It’s all about the music, a good show and having a goodtime with his own fun mix of styles.
Jeramiah as a Musician, has performed in Fly My Pretties, with Rhombus, The Blush Response and Rhian Sheehan & has been touring extensively around NZ and abroad over the last 2 years.
www.module.co.nz

Wellington-based eight piece band The Aviators bring their funky sounds to Splore ’08. Check them out at www.theaviators.co.nz

Better known internationally than at home, brothers Barton and Hayden Strom formed Antix back in the late 1990s. Picked up by Danish label Iboga Records, the brothers produced their landmark debut album “Lull” in 2003, winning over fans and critics alike.
Since then they have built a solid reputation as one of the most in-demand progressive acts on the planet, clocking up big festival dates and playing to crowds of 10,000 plus in more than 25 countries.
Antix have recently taken their sound to the next level, keeping to their roots of deep atmosphere, infectious bass and minimal grooves but with a hint of old skool flavour

Mark has played every sound under the sun in his 22 years of DJing, always playing the most eclectic sounds to get people to dance; from Indie to trash 80s pop and rock through to breaks and drum & bass. He has always had a passion for deep house in all its forms and is currently mixing deep electro house with original 80's bass lines and progressive sounds.

 

Japan-based DJ performer, producer, Ray Castle has been a pioneer maverick on the music scene since the late 60s progressing from his days of playing harmonica in blues rock bands to promoting and organising gigs for new wave/punk bands before starting DJing in the late 70s  the era of funk, disco, ska and industrial rock. Since 1987 thru the mid 90s Ray was one of the influential original DJs of the Goa party scene in India. This was followed by numerous recorded releases and collaborations. Now based in Tokyo, where he introduced the outdoor dance party concept in the late 80s with the festival organisation Equinox, he continues to redefine the meaning of psychedelic dance music within the electro house genre. He is arguably the foremost progressive, adventurous, original, idiosyncratic, DJ performer on the circuit. Currently he is the resident DJ at 'Tokyo Decadance', the most cutting edge underground club party in Japan. Ray returns to New Zealand to perform an electro Tokyo pop narrative of evocative, cheeky, groovilicious tunes accompanied by technodelic visuals  excerpts from his films  'Tokyo Techno Tribes' & 'Manga  Mad - Tokyo Otaku'. Ray returns to New Zealand to perform and create his narrative mosaic with intelligent, groovilicious tunes at Splore ’08.

 www.raycastle.com
www.myspace.com/raycastlemusic

Philippa is widely regarded as New Zealand’s premier female DJ.  Having begun DJing late ’97 after falling in love with Deep House, Philippa’s musical career has been one of hard work mixed with accolades and a steadfast nature that has seen her stand by the music she passionately believes in.
What can you expect to hear Philippa spin? Jacked, jazzed and syncopated House music..  music with soul… music closely aligned with the starlight symphonies of House Music’s past, yet assertively stepping into future galaxies...  

Hailing from Auckland city, DJ Rasa weaves an intoxicating cocktail of Middle Eastern/Indian traditional and contemporary grooves, fusing an exotic blend ranging from upbeat/break beat eastern flavours to downbeat lounge styles. This mélange of music is unique in the Aotearoa festival circuit making it a treat for music lovers whilst adding a refreshing diversity to any festival programme.

This Dublin based Wellingtonian is a holder of dj titles,maker of mixes and rocker of mics.Inspired by the likes of Dj Raw,Rough Opinion and the Roots Foundation in the early 90's, he went on to become anintegral part of the capital's scene and a champion ofher artists. Transported to Ireland via the Redbull Music Academy
in 2000 he has become a fixture in dj booths and on stages across Europe and a hot ticket on his annualtrips home.
" I can't wait to get home every year  and play the tunes i've been making and collecting.People lovemusic all over the world and there's nothing better
than jamming with the locals".

http://www.all-cityrecords.com/jukebox/jukebox.asp     www.myspace.com/edmundskillary

 

Known as the Ambassador for Brazilian Music in New Zealand Bobby Brazuka has been sharing his culture with Aotearoa through music, art and coffee for the last eight years. Mixing Brazilian Funk,Samba and Bossa with Soul, Jazz and Hip Hop Brazuka's stlyes have been assets to the New Zealand Scene. Hitting the airwaves both at George Fm ( sundays 6-8) and Base Fm ( fridays 10-12) Bobby keeps working hard in what he calls a process of education of Brazilan Music and Culture here in NZ. Bobby Brazuka - Cidadao do Mundo..

The legendary DJ Trinity of Submariner, Cian, and Manuel Bundy have been turning the tables on NZ’s dancefloors for the last 5 years with their monthly party, ‘theTurnaround’. Held on the last Friday of every month at the Bacco Room, 53 Nelson St, the Turnaround is one of Auckland’s most popular club nights. A set with the Turnaround at the helm sees Punters lose control as the boys masterly flip between a multitude of styles.. Hip Hop Hoorays, to Brazilian Balads, back over to a Roots Reggae Classic into some sensational Soul Sizzlers followed by that RnB/Dancehall blend you love to hate.. Always a favourite with the Ladies, the Turnaround boys have been known to pack some brutally bootilicious bootlegs, with the emphasis on keeping the party rockin’ in an old school stylee.. (yes, yes y’all and you don’t stop !)

Folk-funk band Dan Sperber Complex brings spontaneous melodies and rhythms and songs about life, love and sand dunes. Fans were thrilled by a series of club-style gigs 2007 (at venues The Classic, Tabac, The Leigh Sawmill and The National Jazz Festival) when Sperber, backed by his tight rhythm combo and an array of guest stars, played new songs and instrumentals and numbers from his days with jazz successes The Relaxomatic Project and The New LoungeHead.
The Berlin-recorded Dan Sperber Complex debut, “I”, released in 2006, features Sperber on guitar and three top touring musicians, who had met just once before.

 

Te Aratoi – New Zealand

Te Aratoi comprises two of New Zealand’s leading taonga puoro (traditional Maori musical instruments) musicians – Riki Bennett and Rewi Spraggon. Riki and Rewi bring a unique performance of traditional sound that transforms the imagination back in time to more than 1000 years ago, taking audiences on a journey of creation (Te Timatanga) and the journey of Maori from eastern Polynesia to Aotearoa/New Zealand.

They share stories of their culture and bring a spiritual essence to the audience from ancient incantations to the vibrant challenges of the haka. Throughout the performance there will be many instruments played and accompanied by voice.

Ishle Park, from NYC is a member of Def Poetry Jam  will lead a  Poetry Slam and recite her amazing poems/songs. Ishle Yi Park is the first woman to become Poet Laureate of Queens, New York. She has performed her unique blend of poetry & song across the United States, Cuba, New Zealand, Singapore, and Korea.