Out of a record number of 280 applicants for funding in NZ on Air's latest New Recording funding round the two clients that we submitted were successful in reaching the final round of 10. Congratulations to client Anna Wilson who was successful in gaining one of the five $10,000 new recording artist grants on offer. Congratulations, too, to our other submitted client Raiders, who made the final 10 and also tested well at radio.

Working with Anna Wilson, Beaver staff custom wrote a song with the artist and pre-produced targeting NZOA's broadcast objectives. The result was a track that tested top with radio PDs. This continues our successful track record with helping clients get best results from NZOA applications.

In Anna's words –

'Thanks HEAPS this is just amazing!  Could not be happier! This whole process was long but richly rewarding.  I have learnt more than I could imagine working with you all and I have come out the other side understanding more about music than I ever have before. To see the result of getting into the top 10 shows the hard work, dedication, motivation, perseverance, and all round “go get them attitude” that Beaver put into the project; I had a blast and can’t wait to see where this relationship takes me in future. Thanks!'

Congratulations to client Dane Rumble whose debut album The Experiment has been certified with gold sales within New Zealand. The album debuted at #1 on the  NZ Top 40 album sales chart. Jonathan Campbell produced and mixed the album, apart from one track mixed by new Beaver arrivée Vitaly Zolotarev. Mix assistance and mastering was by Simon Holloway. Tracking was done at Beaver and York St by Steve Roberts and Jonathan Campbell, with mixing spread across locations in Canada, Likely Story and Beaver Studios.

In latest news from NZ On Air published in the February/March edition of NZ Musician, 'the results are in for the amount of local music played on NZ radio in 2009. Over 3500 NZ songs registered some airplay in 2009. The ten most-played NZ songs on NZ radio in 2009 were: 01 Midnight Youth All On Our Own, 02 Midnight Youth The Letter, 03 Dane Rumble Always Be Here, 04 Smashproof fest. Gin Brother, 05 Gin Oh My, 06 Tiki Taane Always On My Mind, 07 Evermore Hey Boys and Girls 08 Ladyhawke My Delirium, 09 Dane Rumble Don't Know What To Do, 10 Kids Of 88 My House.' Two tracks, Always Be Here at 3 and Don't Know What To Do at 9 maintain Beaver Studio's record of our clients consistently scoring well in the end of year sales and airplay charts.

Congratulations to Beaver Studios client Derty Sesh who has been signed to MTC. The debut album Sic Love is due for release on March 29 2010 and was mixed and mastered by Simon Holloway and had additional recording at Beaver during 2009. The project was a good example of what is achievable when combining home recording techniques with studio assistance at the mix and master stage. The beats and most of the vocals and live instruments were recorded into ProTools from Fruity Loops on a home set-up and then vocals that needed reworking were re-tracked at Beaver and the whole project was finished at the studio in ProTools.