Te Whare Tīwekaweka

Though this is not his first studio album release, Te Whare Tīwekaweka sees acclaimed Aotearoa artist Marlon Williams step foot in a unique creative direction for the first time. His first record written and recorded entirely in te reo [language] Māori, the listener experiences Williams’ haunting, soulful vocals within a new context – the final result being one of the songwriter’s best offerings to date. Translated as ‘The Messy House’, Te Whare Tīwekaweka mirrors a “world in creative flux”. The songs weave beautifully around arrangements delivered by Williams’ long-time band, The Yarra Benders, while featuring collaborations with Lorde (‘Kāhore He Manu E’) and rapper KOMMI, whose guidance in the Kāi Tahu dialect helped Williams form the te reo heart of the album. A vulnerable exploration of one’s native tongue, Te Whare Tīwekaweka is a beautiful love letter to culture and an ongoing immersion in one’s connection to language and art.