All In The Family - Pearl Runga

Pearl, the middle sister in the Runga family, is the lowest profile of all the sisters. She is a career teacher (see the article on Pearl's teaching career), but moonlights as part of the band "Ce Soir". Song credits and album history from various press and board messages are detailed below.

BIG SONGS from Small Movies

Pearl Runga performs on James Hall's album "BIG SONGS from small movies". 

Track 2, "Mad About The Boy" was composed and written by James Hall and Boh Runga (Copyright Control) and sung by Ce Soir, consisting of Stacewah (Stacey Edwards); Pearl Runga, and Tramp Denise.

Track 4, "I'll Meet You There" words and music were by James Hall and Boh Runga (Copyright Sony Music) and sung by Brett Sawyer and Pearl Runga. Drums on this track were by Andrew Maclaren of Stellar*.

For full details of the album, click here.

15 December, 8:27pm, Mark R posted on the messageboard at www.bicrunga.com :

Pearl (middle sister). Pearl is one half of Ce Soir (the other half being Stacey Edwards). You can check out their single with James Hall at www.vision100.com. The track is also on Hall's "Soundtracks for small movies" compilation, released NZ-only through Warner Music. She has also been in Greg Johnson's band (with Stacey & Michelle Compton) and can be heard doing backing vocals on the Splitter track "God Only Knows"

Just for the completists, "God Only Knows" was written by Kurt from Stellar, and Splitter is the band formed by Andrew Thorne, Bic's guitarist - keeping it all in the family!

Stellar:   www.stellar.co.nz
Splitter: www.maritalmusic.com

Christchurch Press 29 October 1999

The debut album of the Nomad sold out so quickly that the Christchurch DJ had fears his latest CD would be mistaken for his first. To make things clear, he has called his new release "Second Selection".

Daimon Schwalger began DJing 10 years ago, but it was not until the arrival in 1996 of Locust a Christchurch drum and bass outfit fronted by Pearl Runga that his skills as a maker of electronic music became widely known.

After Locusts demise the following year Schwalger decided to go it alone as the Nomad. The low-key release of Movement last year and its subsequent sell-out established him as one of the leading names in New Zealands drum and bass scene. It might seem odd therefore, given the wider exposure brought by his new deal with festival Records that Schwalger should step out of the drum and bass zone and mellow out a little.

"The last album was mainly drum and bass but this is more trip hop or down groove" he says. " I want to cover different styles in each project I do, but I guess it is the production time as well.

"This is my third year in production so Im feeling a lot more confidant. Im better at doing things and the music represents me a bit more as well.

" Drum and bass was cool at the time but Ive been into dub and down groove for about 11 years and I just wanted to wait until the right time before I produced it. Making drum and bass was a really good learning curve."

There is a sense that for Schwalger timing is everything, from the release of his new album (just before summer) to the way he creates music.

" I basically just get down a rhythm track sort of mix the drums and write some breaks and stuff and get the beat together," he says. " Then I usually get together with Mark (Tyler, bassist for Salmonella Dub) and get lots of bass happening on the track.

Then I get in the vocalist or guitarist. Everything is built around a big jam session I never really know how it is going to turn out at the beginning."

The Nomads new album and first single, "Where Are You" are already making waves and plans are afoot to re-release Movement when the time is right.

Christchurch Press 29 October 1999

While 1998s Movement established the Nomad as one of New Zealands foremost drum and bass producers, on his Second Selection he takes the slow lane into dub territory. Which is not to say that this is an album that requires a couch and a Camberwell carrot to fully appreciate there is still enough of a subtle jungle edge to keep you upright and shuffling. Layering the beats and effects over fat, floor quaking bass lines (courtesy of Salmonella Dubs, Mark Tyler), The Nomad calls in the vocal expertise of Pearl Runga, Farda P (Rockers Hi Fi), and Charmed 1 to round out the sounds. However as great as the vocal tracks are and Charmed 1s honeyed voice would sweeten any track it is on eerie, trumpeted Luna that The Nomad finds dub perfection.

Four out of Five

Otago Daily Times 1 October 1999

Former Dunedin DJ the Nomad aka Daimon returns to Dunedin tomorrow as part of a national tour to promote his new album Second Selection. He started off in Christchurch tonight and with the same team MC Antsman, Lotus and Dunedins Downtown Brown- travels on to Auckland, then Wellington after tomorrows show.

"Im having the same support in each centre, rather than getting localsIts quite nice to have support teams coming from different places and (performers) in the city wont have to worry about playing that night. They can come out and enjoy themselves."

There were usually "wicked vibes" at Dunedin gigs, Daimon says. "People will come out and dance at 9 or 10 at night. The rest of the country is more conservative.

Dunedins inhibition possibly stemmed from its lack of size, he said. "You lose that hassle to be something that youre not. You dont have to strive to please people you just go out."

Daimon left Dunedin seven years ago, after establishing himself as a DJ, playing hip-hop sounds at the former Taipai nightclub in Ratray Street.

"It was quite crazy to come back and see its been turned into a carpark." He said.

"My god a car park! My roots

Daimon is based in Wellington but Christchurch has been home in recent years. He had regular spots at the citys top hip-hop clubs after winning a DJ competition and his own music developed from there.

"I hired other DJs to work with me. I bought a sampler"

Joining up with vocalist Pearl Runga and a friend on keyboards, Daimon co-produced with Salmonella Dub engineer Tiki the first Nomad album, Movement. It was released independently and sold out in eight months. Movement was predominantly drum and bass sounds and tracks on Second Selection have moved on from there.

" Because I was born in the South Island Ive lived all around New Zealand, its got a New Zealand sound to it."