Culture Collide Spotlight:  Battle Circus (New Zealand)

Although based in Auckland and having toured New Zealand relentlessly for years, Battle Circus has always had one foot in and one foot out of the country. The frequency and variety of their international jaunts have garnered the group a diverse and widespread following around the world. The band has left audiences stunned at their hometown Big Day Out, Taiwan's Spring Scream Festival, and CMJ Music Marathon in New York City and have opened for Amanda Palmer, Karnivool, The Red Paintings & many others during their travels.

For the past two years, most of this touring has been on the back of the Battle Circus' debut EP titled The Half-Light Symphony. Its four movements guide the listener through a veritable cinematic journey-fusing ferocious guitars, soaring piano, intricate rhythms, stirring string arrangements and eerie subterranean soundscapes-until finally reaching a sensational climax at the close of the Fourth Movement.  This dark, theatrical creation led HBO to request parts of The Half-Light Symphony to promote the launch of their then-new vampire series "True Blood." Bloggers across the globe quickly heralded Battle Circus as mandatory listening, leading print outlets and radio stations worldwide to fully embrace the band. Always indulgent but never needlessly excessive, the recorded music is only a gateway to the band's full artistic package including extravagant, fully produced videos, inordinate packaging and a live presence that inspires a cult following.

Battle Circus is currently readying the release of their first full-length. Together with producer David Holmes, the band recorded the bulk of this album in a sea barn overlooking the rugged coastline of a remote beach community in Raglan, New Zealand. During their time in the studio, Battle Circus has had to reinvent several traditional instruments and get new sounds out of reliable staples, all of which is documented in meticulous detail on their website.

Download: Utopium mp3 and watch the video here.