Exiles

STEVE GARDEN

Steve is one of New Zealand’s most respected music professionals. Co-founder of Rattle Records and formerly a full-time professional musician, he began working as a sound engineer in the mid-80s. Since taking over the management of Rattle in 2010, he has focused his professional and creative aspirations solely on the development of the label, which has resulted in the significant growth of the catalogue from 18 albums in 2009 to some 170 critically acclaimed New Zealand art music releases.

Steve’s 30-year commitment to Rattle is central to the label’s ongoing evolution. His eye for detail informs every facet of production, which is reflected by the label’s impressive number of award-winning recordings and critical acclaim, and not just for the music, but also the consistent quality of the label’s cover designs and packaging by Rattle’s brilliant longstanding designer, UncleFrank. Of equal importance is the quality of the relationships the label fosters with its roster of collaborators.

While he stands behind every album released on Rattle, he has a particular fondness for albums with a strong improvisational character. The newly initiated imprint, Seventh House Music - of which his collaboration with Ivan Zagni, Exiles, is the inaugural release - is a series that he is especially committed to, and he looks forward to developing it with like-minded artists.

IVAN ZAGNI

Ivan was born in Norwich, England in 1942. His first musical experience was as a boy chorister, then at 12, he took guitar lessons. He was in a number of bands during the '60s, notably Blue Whale with drummer, Aynsley Dunbar. He concentrated on composing during the '70s, prior to settling in New Zealand in 1980.

Since then he has worked as a freelance musician, teacher and composer. He recorded Standards in 1982 with Don McGlashan, A Selection of Trouble Spots in 1984 with Steve Garden (remixed and re-released as Trouble Spots on Rattle Echo in 2020), was the musical director of a number of art-music initiatives such as Big Sideways and Avant Garage. He toured extensively with Peter Scholes through the late 80s, which led to a series of performances and recordings known as Music on the Wall.

Ivan was Composer in Residence at Glenfield College in 1986, and the inaugural Composer in Residence with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 1989-90. During the 90s he primarily focused on compositing, creating a number of significant works such as Migration No. 1, Migration No. 2, Breath of Hope, The Cospatrick Tragedy, A View from my Window, and Devonport.

In the mid-90s Ivan moved to Northland where he continues to compose music, paint, and create other forms of art.