Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs, finds Troy Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) taking us back to 1984, the year of his birth.
The genre crossing artistic powerhouse thrills fans with a new (wave) direction, a celebration of the glittering world of the '80s – one of history’s most colourful musical eras – inspired by, ‘television theme songs and the superstars of the period such as Prince & Talking Heads, even the radio friendly sound of bands such as Tears for Fears, The Human League and Duran Duran’.
An album drenched in synths and bad hair – each instrument, amplifier, engineering technique used to create it was sourced from the period, leaving no stone unturned in the quest for authenticity.
There is a hidden underlying theme that intertwines each song, connecting them all through one common thread – Troy has chosen to withhold this information leaving the albums meaning up to the ear of the beholder, although he did say, if you look close enough the clues are in plain sight.