Flying Nun Records - 25th Anniversary Boxset (2006)

Limited edition four CD boxset celebrating the 25th Anniversary of New Zealand's finest (and longest running) independent label. Jam packed with long out-of-print rarities this set will have fans of the iconic label salivating. The four discs are sequenced in a roughly chronological order with the tracks hand-picked by Shepherd himself. The first disc covers the label's early years, with flagship band The Clean aptly getting things started with the epic 'Point That Thing Somewhere Else'. Other obvious names like The Chills, The Verlaines and The Gordons are present but this multi-disc format affords them the luxury of including some obscurities and lost gems from the likes of The Rip and Victor Dimisch Band, not to mention the label's first release - 'Ambivalence' by Pin Group. The second disc covers the mid-to-late 80's, the years many consider the label's heyday, where second generation Nun bands like The Bats and Straitjacket Fits took the label to the world. Again more rare treats are to be had with Stephen, The Weeds, Alpaca Brothers and This Kind Of Punishment. Disc three continues from the late 80s to mid 90s where the music really hit it's stride with great bands like Skeptics, JPSE, 3Ds and the mighty Bailter Space and the final disc takes us from the mid 90s to the present day where we witness some of the label's key original players going solo (David Kilgour, Martin Phillips, Graeme Downes) and a new generation of fresh and exciting talent like HDU, The Subliminals and The Mint Chicks. Fittingly ending with the pre-Nun band many consider to be one of the label's catalysts - Toy Love.

Flying Nun Records was formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music shop proprietor Roger Shepherd in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 80s. The intention was to record original local music of Christchurch, but soon the label rose to national and international prominence by championing the emerging sound of music from New Zealand. The label grew an incredible reputation worldwide from such success with bands and musicians such as The Clean, Bailter Space, The Chills, The Bats, Chris Knox, Toy Love, Straitjacket Fits, The 3Ds, JPSE, Tall Dwarfs, The Verlaines, David Kilgour, The D4, The Mint Chicks, and many more... Twenty-five years later and over 499 records since, this is the first-ever FLYING NUN box set! The amazing package contains 4 CDs, featuring the cream of the artists that FN have had to offer over the years -- and also includes a 100-page coffee table book. The deluxe booklet features graphic novel-format liner notes, illustrations and photos created by each musician /band who has a track on the box set. The set features over 80 songs, chosen and put in a chronological order by Roger Shepherd, founder of Flying Nun. The box set is very design / artwork based -- did we mention the amazing packaging!

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