02 November 2022 - 0 Comments

Hosted by DJ and music journalist Jess Fu, Amplified spotlights artists who use music to embrace, connect and explore their cultural roots. Over five episodes Amplified discovers the looping pop of Kōtiro, the joyful Samoan indie rock of Leao, the experimental hip hop of Phodiso, Samara Alofa’s soulful pop, and the electronic R&B of Imugi 이무기.

Through conversation with Jess, viewers will discover how each musician approaches their creative practice, revealing how identity is tied to, and reflected in their music. Kōtiro, Leao, Phodiso, Samara Alofa, Imugi 이무기 and Jess all speak to their cultural heritage, showing how it informs their artistic expression and music making.

Each episode of Amplified will feature unique live performances, deep diving into the musician’s mind’s eye and showcasing their talent in its truest potential.

WATCH: EP01 Kōtiro - Directed by Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne

In EP01, Jess sits down with Māori Jewish talent Ana Chaya Scotney (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Tāwhaki Ki Ngaputahi) to discuss her thrilling debut High-Def Multinational, dawn ocean swimming and how she creates her singular “high lonesome sound.”

The episode begins with Scotney explaining her whakapapa, and telling the story of how her father nicknamed her Kōtiro, the moniker she uses for her musical output. "I just think that there is a cheekiness in the syllables in that word - Kōtiro - and it feel likes the right energy or tone to be earnest and also have an irreverence at the same time."

Fu notes "I was truly captivated by the way Scotney's work as Kōtiro considers the complexities of place and belonging in Aotearoa today."

Throughout the episode Scotney introduces her collaborators, and illustrates her artistic process. "With music, for me, it's radically self published and D.I.Y. and I'm not stressing so much about getting it right, or wrong. I like that music is an outlet that can just be pure exploration."

"Nostalgia is a really important theme, things that are based on memories or experiences, that come from the old world - as I imagine it" says Scotney.

"I really like using technology, like my loop pedal, and figuring out how we can use contemporary technology to bring forward sounds that are inspired by the ngahere, by Te Urewera, by the experience of being in places that really put our smallness, our youth as a species, in perspective."

EP01 was skillfully directed by Tioreore Ngātai-Melbourne (Ngāti Porou, Tūhoe), whose debut short-film E Rangi Rā was recently screened at the Māoriland Film Festival. Ngātai-Melbourne is no stranger to the screen herself, appearing in We Are Still Here, Cousins and Hunt For The Wilderpeople.

Photo Credit: Kōtiro by Tom Denize

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