Ferocious

Available to DOWNLOAD or as a PRINT-ON-DEMAND CD

A key figure on the New Zealand music scene since the early days of Flying Nun, Bill Direen’s extraordinary output includes pop, rock, improvisation and poetry. On this recording he teams up with Mark Williams (guitar) and Johannes Contag (drums) to form the performing trio, Ferocious.

The release of this album may superficially appear to be something of a shift in direction for Rattle, given that we primarily (although by no means exclusively) release instrumental recordings, but the music on Ferocious falls firmly within Rattle’s ongoing ethos of supporting the ever-evolving heritage of New Zealand’s finest “art-music”.

William Dart’s excellent NEW HORIZON’S feature on Bill and Ferocious can be heard HERE.

View the video for the track “Mason” HERE.

View an excerpt of Simon Ogsten’s documentary on Bil Direen HERE.

Bill Direen (voice, organ)
Mark Williams (guitar)
Johannes Contag (drums)

Produced by Ferocious
Recorded by Daniel Beban at Pyramid Club, Wellington
Mixed and mastered by Johannes Contag
Compositions and arrangements by Contag-Williams-Direen except:
”Blue Rain” by Contag-Direen-Williams-Cairns-Rice-Coubrough
and “Extraordinary Day” by Morvan-Evans-Allen-Direen
Design by UnkleFranc
Printing by Studio Q