Minuit

I caught the video for Minuit's latest single, Fuji the other day. You can watch it too, here (you'll need to register - it's free). I'm not sure I'm ready to buy the album yet(and that track isn't available individually), but it does appeal. I never got around to getting The 88, though the more I think about it, the more I'm tempted. Of course, I could just satisfy myself with watching Except You and thinking about Nelson.

When this Nelson trio released their first album The 88 in 2003 it was refreshingly different from most other locally produced electronic music in that it strayed from the prevalent influences of Roots, Jazz and Hip-Hop. It had big, slightly menacing but club-friendly beats with pop hooks and a very unique voice and frontperson in singer Ruth Carr who seemed to be simultaneously channeling both Bjork and Bond-era Sean Connery (!) with her unique vocal style.

The following year they released the limited edition "Guns EP" and around this time two thirds of the group relocated to Wellington with the view of starting a new phase for the band, but Carr was struck with a bout of seriousness illness that took the band out of action for the last part of 2004 and most of 2005.

So it is, Minuit (helpfully, they even put "Min-wee" in brackets to help with pronunciation) finally return with album number two - "The Guards Themselves".

Lyrically and musically this is a much more sinister affair than their debut, but one that is also miles ahead in production values and overall song quality. As well as the hard dance of elements that featured on "The 88" there is also evidence of a (shock horror!) more "rock" influence here than before and one could imagine songs like "Suave As Sin", "Fuji" and "Fake" being performed with a full rock band rather than two guys behind laptops and sequencers.

This is a damn fine album with a sound that could see the band doing well internationally given the right opportunities. - SmokeCDs

See also http://www.myspace.com/minuittheband

As an aside, both video clips I've linked to are the work of Alyx Duncan, an Auckland choreographer and videographer who has big things head of her, I think.