The Dunedin City Council is pressing play on a compilation album of contemporary music from Ōtepoti Dunedin.
The pilot project is called Te Ōtepoti Hōu/Hou, which loosely translates to “Dunedin Fresh/Sound”. It celebrates and encourages the city’s broad range of musical talent and provides a snapshot of new music being created and performed in 2025. The compilation will be released as a small vinyl and cassette run and on digital platforms in May 2026 (NZ Music Month).
The DCC’s Ara Toi/Creative Partnerships team, which is leading the initiative, has invited music organisations and communities to recommend suitable artists from the priority groups: youth, Māori and Pāsifika musicians. Following meetings and discussions with artists, assessing proposed tracks, and considering the best musical fit for the album, the team has arrived at a shortlist of songs.
As well as the album production, the project will also provide participants with opportunities to receive business, professional, and technical mentoring and advice. New musical collaborations are being encouraged. A mana whenua artist will be commissioned to design the album’s artwork and associated graphic material.
The album will not be available for sale, but participants will receive hard copies, and archival copies will be set aside for institutions such as the Hocken Library and Alexander Turnbull Library. All project costs are covered by the Ara Toi/Creative Partnerships pre-existing budget and are expected to come in under $24,000.
Lisa Wilkie, Team Leader Ara Toi/Creative Partnerships says, “The project aims to provide artists with the experience of recording and producing their work. They will benefit from working with our city’s wonderful eco-system of studios and technical experts.”
“The opportunity to be part of the production of a record from beginning to end might be a first-time experience for many artists.”
“The album project was presented to the Music Advisory Panel earlier this year and members were in full support of the initiative. It satisfies a number of the actions in the Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan, including providing rich learning, networking, and development opportunities for our music communities.”
Artists will benefit from working with music production experts at Port Chalmers Recording Service, South Link Studios and the University of Otago’s Te Korokoro o te Tūī studio facility, with recording sessions booked for November and December.
Among the artists confirmed for the album, Cook Islands group Turama I te Ara describes the opportunity as “humbling”.
“We are really looking forward to working alongside so many different artists within Dunedin to make this project happen. It’s humbling to be able to be included among some of the talented artists Dunedin has to offer,” Turama I te Ara member Teira Dean says.
“We have our own unique sound and our culture is one of a kind. It belongs to us as proud Cook Islanders but also represents our Pasifika people as well. This project gives us a sense of belonging within the city. A lot of us are born and bred here, so being able to be part of the “New Dunedin Sound” is awesome.”
“I think it is important to recognise the diversity within the city because it is an integral part of what Dunedin is. We are proud to share our culture and language. This is our home and to share a piece of us is a privilege.”
Members of the Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra are also excited about the project. They will record an original composition, Sliding, the music for which was written by band director Bill Martin, with singer Maya Satake contributing the lyrics.
“The project is a great idea,” Mr Martin says. “It recognises all the diverse and wonderful music happening around Dunedin. We also think it will be a great way of building a professional network between musicians, sound engineers, videographers and marketers to provide a bigger picture of the scene and raise the profile of the music being made in our city.”