JAKOB: Jakob, consisting of Jeff Boyle (guitar), Maurice Beckett (bass) and Jason Johnson (drums), began in July 1998 in Napier, with live debuts opening for Salmonella Dub and Pitch Black at the local pub O'Flahertys. In October of the same year, they released their self-titled EP, and continued touring prolifically throughout 1999.

February 2000 saw the release of the 7” single ‘Erfo' through Crawlspace Records, and in March 2001, Jakob began the recording of their debut album with Venn Producer engineer David Holmes. Entitled ‘Subsets of Sets', the album was released through Midium Records, one of the sublabels of Kog Transmissions, in August of that year. The third release in 2001 from Midium (following albums from Meterman and Day One), ‘Subsets of Sets' showcased Jakob's finely tuned trademark sound. The success of the album lead them to be nominated for Best New Artist at the 2001 B-Net New Zealand Music Awards and Best Album at the following 2002 Awards.

Following tours with the likes of HDU, Meterman, Avotor, former Can vocalist Damo Suzki, and appearances at the 2002 Big Day Out, Jakon returned to the studio in early 2003 to record their second album ‘Cale:Drew'. ‘Cale:Drew' incorporates elements from the band's previous works, creating a darker, more intense piece of work, packaged within a lush 16 page hand-stitched book. Recorded with David Holmes and Jesse Booher in Wellington , early 2003, at The Church, guest appearances on the album include Jane Pierre (cello on ‘Faye'), Jesse Booher from Looma (guitar on ‘I Was Hidden') and Tristan Dingemans of HDU (guitar on ‘Laburnum').

In March 2005, Jakob performed at the internationally regarded music showcase South by South West in the United States, before returning to New Zealand to play at Circadian Rhythms on April the 16th.

Website: www.jakob.co.nz

JORDAN REYNE & DR KEVORKIAN: For over ten years, Jordan Reyne has released music and stunned audience under her own name and as part of the group Dr Kevorkian and the Suicide Machine. Reyne’s 1997 debut album “Birds of Prey” showed her already breaking out of the singer-songwriter mould into which attempts were made to place her. This was cemented by Dr Kevorkian and the Suicide Machine’s 2000 album “The Ironman”, in which Reyne’s evocative vocals were melded with industrial rhythms and textures in creating what has become a classic of New Zealand gothic-industrial. 2002’s “The Loneliest of Creatures” confirmed Reyne’s status as a sculptor of sounds and emotions, with a dark ambient concept album that told the story of a space probe that gains sentience millions of miles from its home.

In addition to her work with Dr Kevorkian and the Suicide Machine, Jordan Reyne has appeared as part of the BAXTER project, as a soloist with Stroma performing works by composer Victoria Kelly, and performed a re-interpretation of “Phlex” by Blindspott at the 2003 APRA Silver Scroll. Her vocal expertise has featured in the work of a myriad of recording artists from across New Zealand’s musical landscape, including: The Strawpeople, Baitercell vs Schumacher, Breaks Co-Op, Gydja, The Mercy Cage, N.U.T.E, and FearvLoathinc.

2004 saw the release of Jordan Reyne’s fourth album, and the second under her own name. “Passenger” is described as “an album for the drifters and romantics in the world. Those of us who follow whims and dreams - and brave the nothing”, and draws on Reyne’s year spent in Germany. Released on Jayrem Records, “Passenger” combines Reyne’s vocals with transportation sounds from S-Bahns and U-Bahns of Germany, and field recordings made in the Hauptbahnhof of Karlsruhe, Germany. The town of Karlsruhe gives its name to one of Passenger’s tracks which reached number one on BFM’s singles charts.

Website: www.drkev.co.nz