The Mixtape

We finish off 2021 with the RNZ Music team picking their favourite songs of the year!

On the Mixtape today, we do things a little different: Instead of one guest picking their favourite tunes, we play some of the songs that didn't make our top 20 Countdown list, and speak to the RNZ Music family and friends that voted for them.

Debbie Harwood is a multi-award winning New Zealand solo artist and producer. She has also lent her voice and production skills to countless solo projects and recordings of other NZ artists over the last 40 years along with her legendary work as a founding member of When The Cat's Away, for which she has been inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame along with the rest of the band 'When The Cats Away'. Debbie takes us on a journey back to those days, with incredible stories and insight on how she met her fellow band members, playing music and meeting the small but tight group of well known musicians active in the 80's and beyond. She plays us some of her favourite songs from some of the most talented and important people in her life, all of whom she proudly calls friends.

Charlotte Ryan talks to Chris Graham the director of the brilliant new NZ Hip Hop Stand Up video series. He joins us for The Mixtape to talk about the series and goes deep about Scribe and his new documentary Return of the Crusader

This week's Mixtape guest is Jess B, one of Aotearoa's most celebrated female Hip Hop artists. She selects music from her list of "Songs that a rapper likes, that are not rap songs".

Constable Keith de Dulin, and his puppet dog, Sniff, became household names during the 1980s for their road safety promotion work in schools and on children's television. As part of RNZ's 100 years of Radio celebration Charlotte talks to Constable Keith about life, music, while choosing his favourite songs.

Actor, director and musician Harry Sinclair shares some of his favourite songs with Charlotte Ryan on The Mixtape.

John Psathas one of NZ's most famous composers. He's written music for the 2004 Olympic games, for world renowned performers, for films, collaborated with artists such as Warren Maxwell and Serj Tankian, and won many awards for his work, as well as an NZ order of merit title. He talks to Charlotte Ryan about some of his favourite music.

Charlotte Ryan talks to Kahu Kutia, host of the RNZ podcast series He Kakano.

Our guest on The Mixtape today is the delightful Madeleine Sami.

Comedian James Nokise joins Charlotte Ryan in selecting songs for this weeks Mixtape.

Our guest on The Mixtape this week is Flying Nun Records founder Roger Shepherd. A music fan who decided that someone should be recording the bands he loved to watch each weekend - Roger decided to begin Flying nun Records in Christchurch City in 1981.

Writers of TVNZ's new series The Panthers, Tom Hern and Nua Finau, join Charlotte to chat about how the show came together, its importance, and it's incredible soundtrack on this episode of The Mixtape.

Our guest on The Mixtape this week is Literary Director of the WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival, and former bass player in multiple Flying Nun bands, Rachael King.

Now one-fifth of Crowded House, Liam is on the verge of releasing a new project named 'Liam Finn's Hyperverse'. Liam Finn introduces some of his favourite songs and talks about life, Crowded House, Bitcoin, and making music in the modern world.