Absolut Studio

The Absolut Studio at New Zealand Fashion Week is a creative space designed to showcase the best of fashion, innovation and entertainment. Some of the best live music acts in New Zealand are on the lineup, including Artisan Guns, Dane Rumble, Young Lyre, Ivy Lies, Iva Lamkum and People of Paris. It’s open across Fashion Weekend* from 6.30pm until late on Friday 2nd September, and from 2.30pm to 9.00pm on Saturday 3rd September (you must be 18 years and over to attend).
*Fashion Weekend tickets at iticket.

	Dane Rumble 5.30pm Saturday 3 September With successful hip-hop beginnings in Fast Crew, Dane Rumble has continued to pave his way to the top of the music charts as a phenomenal solo artist with his own distinct cutting edge sound. His #1 Debut Album, The Experiment, is jam packed with pop-rock gems and hit singles, including 'Cruel' which earned him a Silver Scroll Award in 2010. It has won Dane amazing reviews and proved to be very popular amongst audiences both here in New Zealand and overseas. By writing and producing some of the most infectious tunes to hit the soundwaves in recent years and with sellout tours across the country, Dane has gained a reputation as one of the hottest solo live performers in New Zealand. A enigmatic singer/songwriter with an instinctive sense for killer melodies, Dane is a Kiwi muso destined for big things. www.danerumble.net
	Iva Lamkum with band, 6.30pm Friday 2 September It is rare to hear that someone at the tender age of 23-years-old is making big waves in the intoxicating world of funk, soul and jazz but this is exactly what Wellingtonian Iva Lamkum is doing. Of Samoan/Chinese descent, Iva has a soulfully rich voice which delivers a funk-soul sound infused with elements of jazz and rock that audiences cannot get enough of. Prestigious award nominations (2008 APRA Silver Scroll for her single 'White Roses' and the People's Choice Award at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards), sellout shows during the promotion of her EP and a recent collaboration with Sola Rosa for the track 'Turn Around' has further cemented Iva as a force to be reckoned with. Whether performing solo with her acoustic guitar or accompanied by her stunning 4-piece band made up of some of Wellington's best-known and respected musicians including Caleb Robinson, her musical director and producer, Iva always throws into the mix her own special twist and rich inimitable voice. Thus treating her audiences to a sophisticated, intelligent and unique sound that sees her becoming one of the rising stars everyone is talking about. www.myspace.com/ivalamkum
	Ivy Lies 9.15pm, Friday 2 September Take four talented girls and add two guitars, a bass, a drumkit and a microphone to create Ivy Lies, New Zealand's answer to the hottest all girl rock group. Made up of Emla Palmer, Lisa Blatchford, Rosie O'Connell and Mihka Chee these girls are big and they mean business! Their Debut Album 'Little Mind Games' achieved #1 status on the iTunes Album Chart and their hit single 'Addicted' achieved four #1 spots on different Music Charts in 2009/2010. The music video for 'Addicted' also debuted at #1 to rave reviews on C4 (now FOUR) and Ivy Lies was the #1 searched band on MySpace for 2010. Ivy Lies is definitely a group to keep your eyes on as they continue to deliver to audiences their signature cache of pop-rock singles that have a touch of grit and a hint of raunch. www.ivylies.co.nz
	Young Lyre 8.15pm Friday 2 September You know that band that you love to dance to? You know the one... the one where you get off your seat no matter what mood you find yourself in, or who you find yourself around? Young Lyre is the New Zealand supply of that very same sonic goodness. These Auckland lads make the sound a dance move would make if it had lungs and a smoke machine. Experiencing Young Lyre live is like being a part of an explorative people-prompted flash dance. Their sound has been likened to Two Door Cinema Club’s breakout album Tourist History, and they sure know how to play their instruments which makes for a quality live show that sounds extremely overseas-ish. “I hope people feel alive and energetic when they see us play or listen to our songs, I love to see people dance or just listen. When I write lyrics I don't tend to write a coherent story rather, I collect a bunch of ideas that fit a certain theme an idea or mood. Maybe fragments of different stories that make me feel a certain way and I hope people feel some of what I do.“ – Jordan (Vox) www.myspace.com/thefrisknz
	Artisan Guns 3.30pm Saturday 2 September 2010 was a big year for Auckland-based quartet Artisan Guns, who have come a long way since their beginnings as school friends at East Auckland’s Macleans College in 2006. They were finalists in the 2010 APRA Silver Scroll Award, nominees for ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ at the NZ Music Awards and also nominees for ‘Best Group Video’ in the Juice TV Awards. Drummer Alexander Freer, vocalist/lyricist Matthew Hope, guitarist Jonathan Pearce and bassist Reuben Stephens have developed a reputation as a hard working, constantly gigging band and one who have fully earned their success. Their first EP ‘Bird and Bone’, featuring the debut single ‘Autumn’, was released in 2009, followed up by the 2010 release of a second EP entitled ‘Hearts’. Country fun with waistcoats! www.artisanguns.com
	Mel Parsons Absolut Private Hosting, 4.30pm Friday 2 September Following the success of her debut record ‘Over My Shoulder’, Tui-award finalist Mel Parsons is on the cusp of the release of her brand new album, followed by a series of tours and tales around the country in 2011. One of NZ’s rising songwriting stars, Mel Parsons is in her element on stage, and presents an intimate show drawing in her audiences and keeping them all night. With a voice that “could work any night in Nashville, yet somehow sounds intrinsically New Zealand” (Black Magazine). Parsons has supported and played alongside some of NZ’s best including Anika Moa, Don McGlashan, The Warratahs, and Greg Johnson to name a few. Her debut album was a finalist in the NZ Music Awards for Folk Album of the Year in 2009, and she has toured NZ numerous times both as a solo artist and with her backing band “The Rhythm Kings”. www.melparsons.com
	People of Paris 10.15pm, Friday 2 September The DJ duo People of Paris consists of Marc Moore (of Stolen Girlfriends Club) and Steve Dunstan (of Huffer). They’re the hot ticket when it comes to playing good time party tunes. Marc says, ‘One thing we have never claimed from the start was to be good DJs in the technical sense. We've just learnt as we've gone along and still don't have half the skills of most proper DJs. Our main thing was to play good fun music, music that you didn't normally hear at bars and clubs, maybe even music that our friends were listening to on their iPods. It's pretty buzzy when you go to a club and hear a song that you've been vibing out on for a while, and if we can achieve that, we know we're doing our job properly.’ You can also catch these guys on George FM on Monday evenings from 8pm til 10pm. www.myspace.com/peopleofparis
	Article c/- The Guide - the ultimate guide to New Zealand Fashion Week. Get your copy at booksellers, newsagents, and key fashion retailers around the city