Music Industry News

PollyHill (she/her) and Samara Alofa (she/they, Ngati Awa, Vailoa Palauli, Ha’apai) are musicians and producers based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland).

In 2023 they joined forces to release the critically acclaimed collaborated debut AQUARIES. The two built an otherworldly odyssey by way of minimal electronica, sultry R&B vocals, atmospheric trip-hop. Rolling Stone AUS/NZ called it “the sound of the Auckland night,” ranking it in their Best New Zealand Album Of The Year, while award winning journalist Tony Stamp explained on RNZ’s The Sampler that “together the pair have carved out their own sonic space, deliberately shunning anything too comfortable in favour of something that’s just theirs.”

Now teamed up with Sunreturn, PollyHill and Samara Alofa return with AQUARIES: AGE OF URANUS, a remix album curated by Tāmaki’s DJ HALFQUEEN. Today the pair release HOME (MOKOTRON REMIX) and announce a limited edition pressing of 150 vinyl LPs featuring AQAUARIES on Side A and AGE OF URANUS on Side B. These are available exclusively from Bandcamp and Flying Out.

On ‘HOME’ (MOKOTRON REMIX) MOKOTRON supplants the gradual build of the original for waves of bass and somber pūoro. Drenched in a lush reverb Samara Alofa’s vocal anchors the song while skittering rhythms, deep delays and pūrerehua stretch with time, space and tempo.

The choice to involve MOKOTRON was easy as Samara explains; “MOKOTRON and I have been friends for a while now. I met him through my mate Dylan Biscuit and we had a writing session together a couple years ago. He has always been a validating force on my journey, especially being Pasifika/Māori. He alongside his peers like Coco Solid and BigFatRaro have really held it down for me on this ride. Kaitiaki.”

PollyHill adds “I have a deep respect & deep admiration for MOKOTRON. He is so gifted, and so so generous, he’s constantly big upped us on our musical journey – and I think he’s making the most exciting music in the country right now.”

“Everyone involved, HALFQUEEN, Paloma, Samara, are just super talented, so the main thing was, this has to be one of the best tunes I’ve ever written,” notes MOKOTRON. “I’ve gotta use puoro that have never appeared on any of my other tunes. I’ve gotta use bass sounds I’ve never used before. And I have to remove the breaks, which underpin all my tunes. It had to develop as a composition, it had to be both cinematic and minimal. And I wanted that shock factor – that it would start like a typical MOKOTRON tune and then switch the minute the vocal drops and take the listener by surprise.”

Keen trainspotters would have heard ‘HOME’ (MOKOTRON REMIX) playing out as the first song of MOKOTRON’s 2025 live performances. “The best thing about playing this tune is that a couple times I’ve played it one of our Pasifika whānau has recognised the vocal and come running straight to the front of the stage beaming from ear to ear: I guess this tune sounds like home. Dropping it in Te Henga and seeing a huge dancefloor materialise out of nowhere was a highlight, starting my set at Glastonbury with it was epic.”

Upon hearing the final mix and mastered delivered Samara reflects “I cried aye! I remember messaging him right after listening and just being like… BRO WTF!” Paloma agrees; “The group chat was blowing up with ‘WHAT THE FUCK.. I CANT BELIEVE IT. … SOO GOOD” or something of that nature. I listened. And listened again. And listened again. Went and put my headphones on and walked around the block listening to it. It was phenomenal.

AQUARIES: AGE OF URANUS will feature remixes and reworkings by MOKOTRON, along with DJ Snakelegs, Caru, Queen Of The Hill (HALFQUEEN & PollyHill), Amamelia and Leaping Tiger.

Check out all things PollyHill & Samara Alofa below:
Bandcamp
Spotify