Arch Hill Recordings, formerly Arch Hill Studios, is a New Zealand recording studio and record label in Auckland. It was founded in 1998.
Artists include David Kilgour, The Clean, The Bats, Don McGlashan, Bachelorette, The Boxcar Guitars, Luke Buda, Dappled Cities, Fang, Ghostplane, Grand Prix, The Haints of Dean Hall, Jay Clarkson, Surf City, Lanky, Mestar, David Mulcahy (formerly of the Jean-Paul Sartre Experience), Pine, White Swan Black Swan and Punches.
Arch Hill Recordings, the label, was born out of a studio called Arch Hill Studios, based on Auckland New Zealand's Great North Rd. In late 1998 a bunch of musicians who had all had previous connections with one another were all recording at the studio. Those ensconced in projects at Arch Hill Studios included Dave Mulcahy (previously in Flying Nun bands the Jean Paul Sartre Experience and Superette), Ben Howe and Greta Anderson (also previously in Superette) and Jim Laing (previously in the Jean Paul Sartre Experience). This resulted in the first Arch Hill release by David Mulcahy in 1999, followed the next year by Lanky and Fang.
The first band to join the label from outside this circle of friends was Christchurch band Pine, followed by Wellington's Ghostplane...from there things really got going and in the last five years we have released albums by icons such as David Kilgour, Don McGlashan, The Clean and Luke Buda as well as up and coming artists like Surf City, The Haints of Dean Hall, Grand Prix, Punches, Bachelorette and White Swan Black Swan. Many of these artists have had releases and touring in foreign territories, particularly in the US and Australia. Arch Hill has also taken on offshore artists such as Dappled Cities Fly, Batrider, Beach House and Panda Bear.
These days the studio is mostly just used for bands on the label and a few mastering/editing jobs for a handful of clients, and is not hired out to bands.
In 2006 Arch Hill also started working with international bands through the touring company Mystery Girl Presents, bringing out artists such as Sonic Youth, Calexico, Fleet Foxes, Stereolab, Spiritualized, Jolie Holland, Joanna Newsom, Iron & Wine, Catpower, Kelley Stoltz, Andrew Bird, Interpol, Jose Gonzalez, Tilly and the Wall, Ween, The Handsome Family, Trans Am, The Lemonheads, M.Ward and more.
Ben Howe is the Arch Hill and Mystery Girl label manager.
Rosie Riggir is runs of promotions. She is also lead singer in techno-punk-pop-rock band Charlie Ash.
Ed Case is in charge of recording and engineering.
Stephen McCarthy & Aaron Beehre from Pine do most of the artwork.
These feature Arch Hill artists:
The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.
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Chris Knox is a New Zealand rock and roll musician, cartoonist and movie reviewer who emerged during the punk rock era with his bands The Enemy and Toy Love. After Toy Love disbanded in the early 1980s, he formed the group Tall Dwarfs with guitarist Alec Bathgate. The Tall Dwarfs were noted for their unpolished sound and intense live shows. His 4-track machine was used to record most of the early Flying Nun singles.
Donald McGlashan is a New Zealand composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist who Is best known for membership in the bands Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, and The Mutton Birds, before going solo. He has also composed for cinema and television. Among other instruments, McGlashan has played guitar, drums, euphonium and French horn.
David Auld Kilgour is a New Zealand songwriter, musician and recording artist from Dunedin. He first started playing guitar as a teenager in the late 1970s. With brother Hamish he formed The Clean, a group that went on to become one of the principal acts of the Dunedin Sound.
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Fraternity were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott, John Swan, and his brother Jimmy Barnes. Their biggest local hit was a cover version of "Seasons of Change" which peaked at No. 1 in Adelaide, but nationally it was overrun by the original Blackfeather version. The group won the 1971 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds with the prize being a free trip to London. Fraternity went through various line-ups and was renamed as Fang, Fraternity (again). In the late 70s some Fraternity former members created the bands Some Dream and Mickey Finn. Mickey Finn disbanded in 1992.
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Bilders is a New Zealand music group of varying lineups that produced a string of self-recorded 7-inch vinyl releases between 1980 and 1982 leading to Beatin Hearts, the first studio-album from fledgling New Zealand independent record label 'Flying Nun Records'.
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G. Wayne Thomas is a New Zealand-born Australian-based musician, producer and songwriter. His 1974 single, "Open Up Your Heart"/"Morning of the Earth", reached #21 on the Australian singles chart.