Concert Review: Muroki, Tuning Fork, 18 December 2020

Muroki is another young New Zealand musician who is setting up for a meteoric rise in attention. He certainly has the goods for it as he shows tonight with his well-drilled band. A good friend of Benee who has done exactly the same thing. He is the first signing to her brand-new record label. Elton John has also listened in and approved.

Muroki hails from Raglan. With his dreds he looks like a Surfer Guy. Playing seriously since age 9. Has a previous band project made up of high school mates called Digitown and the Boogie Boys.

Batskin Dims is from that EP. Stronger than the recorded version. Funk bass, short and tasty guitar riffs. Nice R’nB to Soul progression with a groove similar to Womack and Womack.

Music rooted in that golden era of Soul, the early Seventies from which a lot of exciting music is coming forth currently. Think of the likes of Fabulous Negrito and New Zealander Troy Kingi.

Opening the show is a mate, Rhys Rich. Born in Taupo but nabbed and raise by our Underarm- dealing neighbours in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. A Rap artist but with a lot of Soul threaded through. Soulmates.

Family of Solace has a Rhythm’n’Blues hook and Rhys has a nice soulful tenor. Say it don’t spray paint it. Rap is essentially Folk music of a sort combined with street poetry. So, there’s the connection to the Beats and the Hippies. And to Be-Bop. This music was meant to distance themselves from their parents record collection of BB King, Howling Wolf and Robert Johnson.

Built off the back of James Brown. That’s cool he was always ahead of time but on the beat.

His first three songs are Urban Soul in feel and in particular the music that came from Blaxploitation. Think Superfly and Across 110^th Street.

I Think I Caught A Virus (title approximate) is minimal and harder. Political like Public Enemy. Klu Klux Klan are name-checked.

Mostly the melodic and softer end of Hip-Hop. Has a nice falsetto Blue Yodel too.

Tom Verberne is a performer of Indie-Pop and is on stage as a four piece tonight. Originally from Wellington but currently calling Hamilton home. They must all be mates of Benee. He has been a support act for her as well.

It takes till the third song for the band to get things together. Please Don’t is played in two styles. First, it’s melodic introspective Pop. Simple and catchy. Then Techno beats are added and keyboard sound effects. They work it up well and is one of their highlights.

Plenty of singles around on streaming platforms. Fall is an early one. Dream Pop, simple and catchy. All the beats from the drums. The bass dropped for this.

You Last Night and My Heart and my Mind have ringing guitars and shimmering tones. Drums play shuffle beats and underpin some good dance songs.

You Make Me Hate Myself is faster. Power Pop and rocks out with blasts from the rhythm guitar.

Muroki are a six-piece tonight.

Opening song lays out their signature sound. Funky opening bass guitar, which does a lot of the heavy lifting tonight. The band quickly lock in and swing nicely with a Pop melody

Next one’s possible title Photo-Conscious starts the same way but now we get jazzy guitar links and he obviously has taken note of George Benson. Muroki sings in a similar Seventies Soul dance club fashion.

He may be refashioning Surf Music. The waves of Raglan are evoked.

There is Ocean Song. Drum’n’Bass lay a heavy bottom as the singer floats. A little different to Reggae Dub. Sings my therapy as he moves through the elements.

Open Up and I recognise the Stax Sound of the Sixties. Shimmers and tingling from the keyboards and voice. Nice Surf Guitar licks.

For Better or Worse is his debut single. A languid louche groove. Jazzy and smooth guitar like Benson. This is their signature sound.

They work this up to a great encore finale. Come on and dance/ I know you can. The band lock in and grab the hips seductively. Guitar injects little bolts of electricity like Steve Cropper. The rest of the time rolling with soft Jazz.

Very personable and bright on stage. Genuine warmth from the audience. There is something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear. Everybody can look and hear what’s going down, though.

Rev Orange Peel