The ''Dunedin Double'' EP was a seminal record in

New Zealand music The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including b ...

. An unusual format, it contain two 45rpm 12" discs, and at nearly 50 minutes length, it is longer than many albums. Released in March 1982 the compilation was one of the first releases from the newly formed

Flying Nun Records Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by ''The Guardian'' as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringin ...

label (catalogue number DUN-1), which over the course of the next ten years was to become the biggest independent record label in New Zealand. Many of the label's top groups came from the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

city of

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, and established that southern city's music scene as the leading source of guitar-based bands in New Zealand throughout much of the decade. The bands from the city which had music released on Flying Nun were grouped under the loose banner of

Dunedin sound The Dunedin sound was a style of indie pop music created in the southern New Zealand university city of Dunedin in the early 1980s. Characteristics According to Matthew Bannister, Dunedin sound "was typically marked by the use of droning or j ...

, and several of them went on to not only national but also international success. ''Dunedin Double'' established the names of four of these groups, each of which was represented on the double EP by one side. The four bands concerned were

The Chills The Chills are a New Zealand rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1980. The band is essentially the continuing project of singer/songwriter Martin Phillipps, who is the group's sole constant member. For a time in the 1990s, the act was billed a ...

Sneaky Feelings Sneaky Feelings are a New Zealand pop rock band which releases on the Flying Nun Records music label. The band formed in 1980 with the line-up of Matthew Bannister (guitar & vocals), David Pine (guitar & vocals), Kat Tyrie (bass guitar & vocal ...

, The Stones, and

The Verlaines The Verlaines are a New Zealand rock band from Dunedin. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups. History The band was named after French poet Paul Ver ...

. The Chills' song "Kaleidoscope World" in particular became very popular, gaining considerable airplay for the band (It later provided the title for the band's first album, a compilation of their early singles and EP tracks. Though the sound quality of the Dunedin Double EP was distinctly

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

(it was recorded on portable 4-track by

Chris Knox Chris Knox (born 2 September 1952) is a New Zealand rock and roll musician, cartoonist and movie reviewer who emerged during the punk rock era with his bands The Enemy and Toy Love. After Toy Love disbanded in the early 1980s, he formed the g ...

and

Doug Hood Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...

), the release of this record provided a major impetus both for Flying Nun records and for the four bands involved, as well as providing inspiration and momentum to the music scene in Dunedin.

Track listing

EP 1

;Side 1:

#" Kaleidoscope World" #"Satin Doll" #"(Frantic) Drift" ;Side 2:

#"Pity's Sake" #"There's a Chance" #"Backroom"

EP 2

;Side 1: The Stones #"Down and Around" #"See Red" #"Something New" #"Surf's Up" ;Side 2:

#"Angela" #"Crisis After Crisis" #"You Cheat Yourself Of Everything That Moves"

References

External links

''Stylus Magazine'': "In Love With Those Times — Flying Nun and the New Zealand Sound", by Dave McGonigle, April 11, 2005
1982 EPs The Stones (band) albums 1982 compilation albums Rock compilation albums Rock EPs Flying Nun Records compilation albums Flying Nun Records EPs The Chills Dunedin Sound albums {{1980s-alt-rock-album-stub