A new Dunedin electronic pop duo is courting music industry hype and taking a different approach to announcing itself in the local music scene. Called ROCIO, the pair of Anderson Romero and Sean Railton met in August last year while studying music at university and have been working on music together since.
''We had been writing and composing our own stuff until then,'' the band the band said via email during Dunedin's downpour this week.
''We sat down the day we met and played our music to each other; from that point onwards we were co-writers. Sean has come from a background of producing and working with the electronic side of music, and Anderson has a love for words and the emotions that can be expressed through songwriting. This has helped shape an electronic pop sound that we are starting to be recognised for.
''There is just nothing else we would rather do.''
Last Saturday, as their live debut, the pair hosted an exclusive showcase for press, media and music industry representatives, something basically unheard of in Dunedin.
It was an exciting and curious event, refreshingly out of step with the more tried and tested Dunedin style of just playing a ton of shows and hoping for the best.
Impressively driven, ROCIO is chasing the internet insta-hype that has bestowed itself on a string of Kiwi acts in recent years, from mainstream pop acts such as Lorde and Broods to the more indie-oriented Yumi Zouma or the newest of the bunch, silky slow-motion disco collective LEISURE.
''The internet has played a major role in terms of getting our sound out to friends and family, as well as generating `hype'. We want to take advantage of everything available to us, so that we can turn this into a successful career.''
So far the duo have released three pop-house singles online via Soundcloud.
Each is lush, seductive and rather gentle.
With Romero and Railton trading vocals or singing in unison, it's a little like a clubby version of The XX set to a jaunty house tempo.
A little jazz feel peeks through sometimes too, perhaps the result of the music school background both are working from.
Hands on Me, the set closer of their show, stands out as the highlight.
It's nimble and teenage and as it gradually builds to its peak, it apes the cinematic nostalgia of a track from Lorde or Broods.
While it's a comparison that does seem to come a little too easily and many ''Lorde Lite'' jibes may come their way, the pair don't seem to mind at all.
''With all eyes on NZ thanks to other big acts such as Lorde, Broods, Kimbra etc ... we want to be taken seriously. This isn't just a hobby on the side but a passion that we want to pursue professionally. If we can be compared to such big names, that's great! It's always inspiring to see acts so close to home being so successful. It's exciting to know what is possible through hard work and talent.
''We want people to connect with our music. This is only the beginning.''
Listen
• Is ROCIO the next big thing? Find out for yourself at rociomusicnz.com. Anderson Romero, of ROCIO, performs at the Harbourside last Saturday.
