New Music 20/02
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Vanessa Tottle — Tattoo For You
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Tottle returns with her new single Tattoo For You, a deeply personal reflection on grief and enduring love. The track explores how loss can leave permanent imprints — quiet reminders of connection and memory that stay with us long after someone is gone. Written with striking honesty and vulnerability, the song gives voice to emotions often carried silently, offering comfort to those navigating their own experiences of loss.
At its heart, Tattoo For You is an invitation to pause and reflect. Vanessa hopes the song not only resonates with listeners, but encourages them to share it with someone who may need to feel understood and seen.
Imani-J — something special
“This song came from a place of finding my worth, raising my standards, protecting my energy and learning to never settle. It’s not ‘I’m better than you’, just ‘I know my value, so don’t waste my time.’” – Imani-J
Seventeen year old Haitian–New Zealand artist Imani-J is fast building a powerful presence both locally and abroad. Blending Afrofusion and R&B, she moves fluidly between singer, songwriter, dancer and performer, with her authenticity fuelling a 700% organic rise in social following in just two months. Her latest single something special, produced by SunsetDrver, pairs lush R&B chords with afro-percussive rhythms and amapiano-inspired log drums, creating a warm, confident backdrop for her ethereal vocals.
A smooth statement of self-worth and independence, the track sees Imani-J set clear boundaries and call in a love that matches her energy and intention. Following her debut EP EXPECTATIONS and writing sessions across Seattle, LA and London in 2025, she continues to gain momentum, with support across Aotearoa and international airplay in the US, UK and Europe, alongside features in DAZED and Rolling Stone Australia/NZ.
CRY WOLF — Player One
New Zealand hard rock/alternative metal outfit CRY WOLF level up with their explosive new single Player One, building on the momentum of earlier releases Rainfall and Burn. With streaming numbers steadily climbing and thousands of YouTube views across their catalogue, the band return with their most ambitious and dynamic track to date.
Mixed and mastered by producer Zorran Mendonsa (Devilskin, City of Souls), Player One plunges into Simulation Theory, questioning identity, control, and whether our reality is simply a coded construct. Sonically, the track stretches the band’s boundaries, swinging between crushing riffs and soaring melodic passages with heightened contrast and intensity. It’s a bold statement of intent from a band on the rise, challenging listeners to question the system — and break free from it.
Bontzki — Walk Outside
Bontzki is an emerging Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist blending bedroom pop, alternative pop and indie, while effortlessly sliding over hip-hop-laced production. With over 25,000 combined streams and views from just two releases, he has already shown a striking ability to channel vulnerability and emotion through melody, as heard on “In My Head” and “Red Flags.” Now, he returns with his third single, “Walk Outside,” further exploring his bedroom pop and alternative sensibilities.
Produced by Japan’s Roku Beats, “Walk Outside” captures the rollercoaster of toxic relationships — the arguments, the making up, and the quiet exhaustion that follows. Written straight after an argument, the track pairs melancholy, angsty production with emotionally direct and unguarded lyricism, portraying the fear, anxiety and attachment that keep you holding onto something you’ve already outgrown. As Bontzki puts it, he finds beauty in turning real-life situations into something the world can dissect.
Victoria Perry — Howling at the Moon
Auckland-based songwriter Victoria Perry returns with her sophomore single Howling at the Moon, a striking piano-led release that expands on the promise of her debut Every Wish, which found listeners in more than 30 countries and was named Song of the Day by 13th Floor. With theatrical roots and alternative influences woven through her sound, Perry crafts music that holds space for nuance, conflict and quiet honesty, qualities that continue to define her growing catalogue.
Howling at the Moon is an epic, emphatic summoning of ghosts from her past, pairing haunting vocals with tom-heavy rock drums to create a sense of emotional urgency. Often writing about familial loss and the longing to connect with those beyond the veil, Perry describes the song as a plea for signs of life after death, inspired by stories of loved ones appearing in dreams and apparitions. Unhurried yet deeply felt, the track further establishes her as a compelling new voice, with more releases planned throughout 2026.
CRYSTAL — Make It Up To You
Pōneke-raised, Tāmaki Makaurau-based alt-indie-pop artist CRYSTAL returns with Make It Up To You, her first new music in over six months and a sparkling signal of what’s to come. The track lands as a late-summer power anthem, pairing her signature edgy pop production with heartfelt storytelling. Written as an apology to a neglected friend after becoming consumed by music, the song captures CRYSTAL’s commitment to authenticity; turning real-life reflection into something vibrant, catchy and universal. Co-written with Sarah McManus and Xavier Dunn, and completed alongside producer Harry Charles, Make It Up To You balances polish with emotional punch.
The accompanying video — a colourful, suburbia-soaked mini film created with her high school best friend Myles Knowles — mirrors the song’s warmth and sincerity. Of Te Āti Awa descent, CRYSTAL (Crystal Amor-Ponter) has steadily built her presence since emerging from the Wellington scene, studying Commercial Music at Massey University and releasing her debut EP GARLIC ICE CREAM before following up with DEAD ENDS, which has surpassed 100,000 Spotify streams. With festival appearances including Rhythm and Vines and growing national radio support, this latest single marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for one of Aotearoa’s rising alternative pop voices.
Sanoi — Augenblick: Side B (ALBUM)
Ahead of his highly anticipated set at Electric Avenue, where he’ll debut a large-scale visual show at one of Aotearoa’s biggest music events, Sanoi returns with AUGENBLICK: SIDE B, the final chapter in his two-part release with Loop Electronic. Completing the full AUGENBLICK experience (German for “moment”) SIDE B captures Sanoi in an open-ended creative space, prioritising feeling and process over formula. Where SIDE A (released December 2025) leaned into ambient textures, downtempo grooves and lo-fi beatwork, SIDE B broadens the emotional and sonic palette, incorporating vocal samples and pushing further into experimental, beat-driven territory where atmosphere and rhythm move as one.
The record unfolds cinematically, from the layered strings and expansive textures of Scavengers to the inward-looking pulse of California Sober. Try It delivers the project’s most dancefloor-focused moment, balancing soulful sampling with forward-driving energy, while Count It channels the looseness of the 2010s LA beat scene. Under The Trees nods to early-2000s downbeat warmth, and What Is The Word — inspired by DJ Koze and Pampa Records — settles into deep, contemplative house. Closing track 62 Miles drifts into an unsettling yet beautiful soundscape, offering a final exhale to the album. Across both sides, AUGENBLICK presents an expanded vision of Sanoi's sound: an immersive, cohesive body of work that invites listeners fully into his world.