Jagged, angular post-punk from the early 80s Auckland scene. Nervous guitars and driving basslines for late nights in cold, concrete spaces.
The Features were a pivotal yet short-lived fixture of the New Zealand post-punk scene, active primarily between 1979 and 1980. Based in Auckland and signed to the influential Propeller Records, the band consisted of Jed Town, James Pinker, Chris Orange, and Karel Van Bergen.
Their sound identity is rooted in the 'angular' school of post-punk, drawing comparisons to UK contemporaries like Wire or Gang of Four, but with a distinctively moody, Southern Hemisphere isolation. Following their dissolution, the members branched into significant experimental projects: Jed Town formed Fetus Productions, while James Pinker eventually joined Dead Can Dance. Their recorded output, though sparse, is highly regarded by collectors of the 'Dunedin Sound' precursor and global post-punk enthusiasts. Critical consensus highlights their ability to blend abrasive textures with danceable, albeit stiff, rhythms. They remain a 'musician's band,' cited for their influence on the subsequent wave of New Zealand alternative rock.
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Shares post-punk, new wave, art rock (subgenres); basement_show, urban_night, fog (atmosphere)
Shares post-punk, new wave, art rock (subgenres); lo_fi, analog_warmth, sparse_bare (production style)
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Shares post-punk, art rock (subgenres); basement_show, urban_night, fog (atmosphere)
Shares post-punk, new wave, art rock (subgenres); tense, restless, mysterious (moods)
Shares post-punk, art rock, no wave (subgenres); lo_fi, analog_warmth, sparse_bare (production style)
Shares post-punk, new wave, art rock (subgenres); restless, tense, mysterious (moods)
Shares post-punk, new wave, art rock (subgenres); basement_show, urban_night, fog (atmosphere)
Shares no wave, brittle, post-punk, sparse_bare (subgenre)
Shares no wave, brittle, post-punk, sparse_bare (subgenre)
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