CC & Mechanoreceptor

What’s up Wiremu! Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Heya Nick, thanks for having me! That is I. The name should tell you I’ve got some indigenous blood; native to New Zealand and part Dutch. I’ve lived in Australia now for about 16 years. I’ve just finished my masters. That was great. I read a lot of brain data. Since finishing, I’ve been working at Fast Times and occasionally tutoring third-years at The University of Queensland. I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus lately while I make sense of this forceful compulsion to create things, so a career in academia has taken a backseat for now. If I’m not doing any of these things, you’ll catch me jumping up and down inside a warehouse to loud music, skating, or kickin’ it with family or friends.  

What have you got in the works at the moment?

I’ve got a few things on rotation. Plenty of new music needing to be completed. This is pretty well something always on the go. Always in a cycle of starting new tracks, sending tracks out/waiting for feedback, and finishing tracks.

I recorded a guest mix that just came out on a podcast based in Colorado (US). Excited for that. The mix contains a lot of great producers that helped me evolve as a one myself. You’ll find some of them also making an appearance in the one I carefully prepared for you here, X.

I’ve been deep in my art journals working out some finer details for a solo show later this year (probably November or thereabouts). This should be good. I expect to see a nice crossover between fashion and art with this show. I’m working within a theme – Human Form and Textiles.  

Hoping to see a collab with Curb Crawlers come to fruition by the end of the year. I really think what you’re doing with the brand is quality!

You’ve delved into a lot of different creative avenues over the years. What have been some of your personal favourite projects you’ve worked on to date?

Hmmm, I’ve got a few that put a smile on my face.

I restored a classic car with me old man back in high school. 1965 Wolseley 24/80. Blue and white. This was a super special bonding experience, but it also took the idea of creating (restoring) something with your bare hands to a whole new level for me. My girlfriend and I at the time named her Daisy. We’d painted daisies on the side and ‘christened’ her in broad daylight, haha. I later sanded the daisies off ready for a fresh new paint job my dad and I did together. I sold Daisy to a family friend. So, fortunately, I get to say g’day every now and then! 

My music project – Mechanoreceptor. I’m mostly connected through Instagram on another account. I think my first post, on Christmas Day 2019, just reads ‘Greetings’. I followed only those producers and DJs I loved. Since then, I’ve made friends with producers, DJs, and labels from all over the world – some of whom I’ll link up with next year overseas. I think this is why this is a personal favourite. I never expected to become so globally connected through something so private and special to me. It’s a world beyond the small city I’m based in I couldn’t see but now appreciate.

A little left of field, but I have to say my masters research project was another good one. It was a rewarding battle, full of all kinds of emotion and creativity. People have said it before, science is actually a very creative pursuit. There are very laborious and uninspiring aspects to it. But it can provide some really novel puzzles which force you to be innovative, flexible, and creative with your solutions to try circumvent problems. This is a feature prominent in an artist’s life, I think. They often operate within their own worlds, after having set up their own constraints and rules. So that recipe, naturally, will give rise to novel problems demanding novel solutions. 

But generally, the more creative projects the better. It’s a language : ) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!

What’s been happening on the music side of things for you lately?

Quite a lot haha.

I see word got back to you already, I’m sitting on an almost complete EP set to come out within the next month. I’m extremely excited for this. One of my favourite labels is putting it out. I’ve also got two staunch meticulous producers from New Zealand and Iceland providing remixes. Just waiting on Jadzia (Iceland) and a couple admin things, then we’re full throttle!!!

Also under Mechanoreceptor (@mechanoreceptor_), the guest mix I mentioned above came out recently! Johan Sebastian is the cat that runs Dark Science Electro out of Colorado. I’m lucky episode number 670! Johan (@dvsnme) is super approachable and supportive of DJ/producers regardless of their experience. I think I fall into that category of artists with little to no experience haha. But we’ve been talking for a while now and he understands what I’m doing with my music, where it’s developed from, and how it fits into his ethos for the podcast etc. So very pleased to be part of that. 

A while ago I linked up with a fellow Māori producer from New Zealand, Mokotron (@mokotron). He’s been making a lot of noise there in the underground scene. We’ve been back and forth on a collab which I’m hyped on and excited for. His music loosely goes by the slogan, ‘Indigenous bass for your mutha fuckin face’, which I think is pretty damn TOUGH. Growing up in New Zealand, it was the norm to see white people as doctors, politicians, scientists, and coloured people working in fish ’n’ chip shops, bakeries, and factories. Not only is Mokotron a staunch producer making moves, but he also holds a senior lecturer position teaching Māori history. 

I’ve been working on my DJ’ing a lot more lately too. First big gig coming up on the 9th. Shoutout to John for thinking of me (@wag1.megaman). Keen to make some bodies move and groove. Lock and load!

I’ve heard people describe my music productions as very moody, gritty, robotic, and glitchy. But lately I’ve been getting into softer more ambient-like productions to accompany my art practice. If you’ve seen me sharing stuff called Sentimental Notes, you’ll know what I’m talking about. While many of my conceptual ideas permeate all the activity I do and the things I make, Sentimental Notes I think more clearly translates some of the concepts I try incorporate in my paintings.

How is everything going with your art practice?

Yea good good. Still idling in the background. Mostly just working on plans for my solo show. 

Kat runs Practice studio (@practice.studio) and took a liking to my artwork. I was stoked she was interested in the relationship between material and the human form. My biggest interest in material is its textural dynamics and how this dictates its relationship to light. It makes room for a large visual diet. And for someone interested in light and 3-dimensionality, the human form is a naturally occurring example of this phenomenon. I like to give things an intimate and sensuous twist. I think this lends itself well to a lot of emotions invoked by material and how humans relate to it. So, in my show, I’m looking to emphasise this relationship between textural diversity in fabric and a sensuous relationship with the human form.