Music Industry News

‘Nobody Move’ releases off the back of a once in a lifetime feature for Brandn Shiraz on the esteemed Boiler Room live stream, performing as part of DJ Gat’s epic and energetic set. As the Boiler Room collective takes on the Pacific Islands, they head to Rarotonga first to explore the modern and traditional Cook Island sounds with an all Kuki Airani artist line-up.

Brandn Shiraz continues to solidify himself as an artist and makes his mark on the local scene, regularly seen popping up as a special guest feature at local DJ gigs across Tāmaki Makaurau. ‘Nobody Move’ has been a fixture at these shows, always bringing the high energy and anticipation within the crowd when Shiraz jumps on and the beat of the Kuki Airani drums come in.

Following the night at the Boiler Room in Rarotonga, Shiraz finds himself in a minor car crash where a car he was in “tumbled into a stream early [in the] morning”. A truly sobering turn of events for the artist, who depicts this hectic energy in the associated cover art image for the release – a scan of the newspaper in the Cook Island News following the incident.

Last year, we saw Shiraz featured on the track ‘Holding On‘ in the latest Home Brew Run It Back album, a release of his self-titled EP at the beginning of the year, a music video filmed at his homeland in Rarotonga – now amassing over 54,000 views online, as well as a sold-out show at Galatos playing alongside Natia The God, MOKOMOKAI, Nauti and Eno x Dirty.

No stranger to the music scene, Shiraz has had many prolific achievements in the New Zealand underground. We saw him collaborating with lifelong friend Tuhoea ‘Lightskinjohn‘ Tuteao and label/collective The Grow Room on D.I.Y rap project Shiraz & LSJ, which gave him the confidence and experience to expand his songwriting capabilities.

In past years, Shiraz has also released an EP with Christoph El Truento of @Peace and Avantdale Bowling Club, he was invited onto David Dallas’ 64 Bars series, and earned props from Melodownz, who said if he could “bet all his money on anyone it’d be Shiraz”.

In a few week’s time, you can catch Brandn performing alongside MOKOMOKAI, Iti Bubbas, DYLZ and 195 The Tribe at a special Matariki weekend show at Wellington’s San Fran, described as “some of the best and unapologetically authentic local Aotearoa-made hip-hop and R&B-influenced artists”. Get your tickets here.

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Photo credit: Luca Macioce