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Source: Minuit on Flickr

Minuit (pronounced “Min-wee”) is French for the middle of the night but also means cracking good kiwi electronica. Minuit is husband & wife Paul Dodge & Ruth Carr along with Ryan Beehre (also of FunknSloCuts). Minuit hail from Nelson and have been around since 1998 but became more well-known through the release of their debut album The 88, released in 2003. The 88 includes the breakout tunes “Boy With The Aubergine Hair” and “Species II” along with gems like “Except You”, “Menace” and “Body-Shaped Box”.

In 2003 they were nominated for Breakthrough Artist of The Year at the NZ Music Awards but lost out to Brooke Fraser. Over 2003 - 2005 tracks from The 88 appeared on compilations by LOOP Recordings, Antenna Recordings and Universal Music, among others. The follow-up album was delivered in 2006, The Guards Themselves. One of Minuit’s big tracks “I Hate Guns” appears only on the Guns EP (2005) and not on either of their albums.

Minuit have remixed Pitch Black and also did a remix for the LOOP Recordings CD Music For Nature Documentaries.

Musically Minuit is clever breakbeat/rock electronica made into songs, songs with personality. Vocalist Ruth Carr is a delight and her lyrics are reminiscent of Karl Hyde from Underworld’s “slice of life” lyrical style. Ruth Carr comes across as a real kiwi chick, down to earth and up for it. She names The Prodigy’s Fat of the Land and Tricky’s Maxinquay among albums that have made her life fun (nzgirl). Ruth Carr actually worked as a builder over the course of making a lot of their music.

Having toured the UK, Europe and Australia recently, Minuit will soon be back on New Zealand’s shores for an August tour. Overseas their single “Fuji” has been played all over Europe including Radio 1 in the Czech Republic putting it in their HitParade for the Breakbeat Conference (meaning the top 5 new tracks). Their latest single is “Suave As Sin”.

LINKS
DB saw Minuit live in March, 2006 [db.rambleschmack.net]