"There are two kinds of sounds
There are low dirt sounds that are holding
And there are green shoots of sound emerging from the dirt"

Poet, taonga pūoro practitioner and musician Dr. Ruby Solly presents a series of text scores inspired by koanga and our relationships with the māra, alongside 'Bubz and Da Ouncle$'; Alistair Fraser, Riki Pirihi and Isaac Smith. Combining poetry, modular synths, taonga pūoro, cello and percussion, this performance is a toikupu guided group improvisation to draw attention to te taiao. Pieces such as 'Kō' explores the rhythmic nature of digging and planting, following the rhythms of traditional digging sticks, while 'Rite' focuses on preparing soil with the trumpeting sounds of the pūkaea. As a whole, the performance takes both audience, artists, and the composer on a journey from soil to seed, from shoot to sky, and all that new life experiences along its' journey.

Dr. Ruby Solly is a taonga pūoro practitioner, writer, musician, and overall polymath who is bad at math. She has written two books of poetry; 'The Artist' and 'Tōku Pāpā', both of which were longlisted for the Ockham book awards.

Bub(z) and Da Ouncle($) is a ensemble that in this itteration features Alsitair Fraser (taonga pūoro), Riki Pirihi (percussion), Isaac Smith (modular synths), and Ruby Solly (cello, toikupu, taonga pūoro). The ensemble celebrates innovative improvisation methods through intergenerational transmission and sonic exploration, bringing together their band members who all have notable careers as both solo artists and supporting players across various Aotearoa music scenes.