Somebody Shake the Tree

Mihirangi has always trod a very independent musical path. Raised on the road with her musician parents, she’s a born traveller, but given the strength of her Maori ancestry her music is also deeply grounded in her homeland. Based in Australia for a number of years, she gained attention there as a talented young singer-songwriter, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. In 2004, she began experimenting with loop pedals, layering her vocals to build up walls of sound and incorporating various beatbox techniques. Returning to Aotearoa in 2010, she found an appreciative local audience, and at the end of 2012 she became a popular finalist on the New Zealand’s Got Talent television show.

Capitalising on her growing exposure, her second album explores a much more sophisticated and commercial hip-hop sound. Still very much based on looping her voice to create complex harmonies and beats, her music is augmented here by producer and keyboard ace DJ Katch and drummer Tony McCall from Aussie hip-hop group Resin Dogs. But despite heading in a more youth-oriented direction, Mihirangi continues to pepper some of her electronically enhanced vocal creations (‘Nga Manaakitanga’ and ‘Kingdom Come’) with Te Maori lyrics, and the funky single ‘Make That Soul’ ends with a traditional haka chant sample. Surprisingly the closing inclusion of the over-used ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ is actually quite beautiful.

Mihirangi will eventually need to diversify beyond her looping obsession, but for now its uniqueness is working pretty well for her.