Ahoribuzz "Into the Sunshine" Review by Dominion Post
Ahoribuzz is fronted by Wellington-based Aaron Tokona, who propelled indie rockers Weta, as well as contemporary equivalent Cairo Knife Fight. While Into the Sunshine is a double EP of five lengthy tracks and five remixes, it's his first full collection of songs in 15 years and despite the long wait, this is impressive and some of the best Kiwi funk I have heard in my life. Opener Turnaround is an infectious anthem that could fill any dance floor, driven by a delicious bass line. Providence is a meisterwerk. An amalgam of funk and hip-hop with a hypnotic rhythm reminiscent of early 90s Madchester and a guitar riff to die for, it pulses along and you don't want it to end. Tokona and guest vocalists effortlessly switch gear for the soul-driven Glitter in the Gutter and the folk-pop of Sugar. The title track is ambitious, lashing gospel, 60s-style psychedelic pop and jazz together to confirm Tokona as a performer, composer and producer par excellence.:"
Link to review here
People make music for a variety of reasons, to make money (little musician’s joke there), to pick up girls or boys, or because they like travelling in confined spaces in vans for extended periods of time.
Others do it simply because it’s as natural to them as breathing - it’s not just something they do, it’s a part of who they are. For these people, to do anything else but meld beats, lyrics and melodies together with their time is a foreign concept.
Aaron Tokona is such a musician.
In his hands a guitar talks - it's the reason he’s been dubbed ‘‘New Zealand’s answer to Jimi Hendrix’’ in the media multiple times. His heart and soul punch you every time he opens his mouth and sings. He strives to serve the song, not himself.
His solo project AHoriBuzz emerged from the same pot of beats that gave rise to Fat Freddy’s Drop. Tokona’s first gig was busking on the streets with his dad, and recalls Christmas Eve as being the best of those gigs. Rising up with essential Kiwi group Weta, Aaron Tokona’s next project (two-piece Cairo Knife Fight) saw him share the stage with Foo Fighters and Them Crooked Vultures, amongst others. A tour across the US saw AHoriBuzz cleverly crashing the SxSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
Standing on Hollywood Boulevard he reflected on his musical dreams. AHoriBuzz have played every big festival you can think off and Aaron Tokona has also fluttered in and out of the Fly My Pretties collective.
Named after Tokona’s cousin Hori - a smiling, mellow, bass-playing giant - the AHoriBuzz lineup is a flowing, ever-changing, funked up beast. The intention is pure; it exists to provide an outlet for a group of friends who love and revel in each other’s musical company.
