Daz drops new record ‘Next Up: Aotearoa’

From the underground circuits of Australia’s electronic music scene to the centre of New Zealand’s rising hip hop movement, Daz is a producer and DJ who’s at the forefront of a new wave of music. Originally gaining traction with a remix that lit up SoundCloud in 2020, his reimagining of Dodge & Fuski’s “Wobble Back” introduced audiences to his infectious rap house style. That same year, his original single “All About Bass” instantly struck a chord with fans, clocking over a hundred thousand streams within its first few months and climbing to #23 on the iTunes House charts.

Since then, Daz has earned his stripes as a versatile collaborator and forward-thinking producer, fusing impactful basslines with genre-breaking experimentation. Now, in 2025, he levels up once again with his most ambitious offering yet, a full-length album titled Next Up: Aotearoa. A passion project created entirely outside the confines of mainstream industry structures, the album is a self-funded, ten-track voyage into the uncompromising voices currently shaping New Zealand’s underground hip hop sphere.

Led by an Australian-based New Zealand native, Next Up: Aotearoa unites a roster of thrilling talent from Christchurch to Auckland, each one bringing their own distinct perspective to the mic. With a single dropping every week throughout New Zealand Music Month, the album presents like a living archive, an unravelling document of the culture and energy pulsing through Aotearoa’s rap underground right now.

Daz plays curator and architect, shaping a soundscape that distils its street-level aesthetic, resulting in a release that’s as much about community as it is about sound. Daz’s role as producer is both fundamental and invisible; he gives space where it’s needed and steps in where the moment demands, providing a canvas that allows each featured artist to deliver their message without dilution.

First track “Any Means” gets the album started with rising Kiwi artist Bhozy who links up with Daz to craft an engrossing hip hop jam that deftly balances smooth rapped flows with a dreamy, brass-tinged arrangement. Propelled by the laid back shuffle of the beat and dashed with hazy sonic textures, it’s a slick alternative hip hop outing that’s original and engaging from start to finish.

Next up, Fr3quent lays down commanding vocal delivery on the dark and driving cut “0THREE,” a powerful track that blends punching bass shots with rattling percussion. With razor sharp vocals cast via blistering pace, it’s an exhilarating listening experience that opens up the range of the record and the creative versatility of Daz. Wellington-based artist BigDylz, part of the One Roof collective, arrives on “Subtle Brag,” another gripping track built on pounding rhythm and capped by compelling rapped vocal work. Gliding through an immersive beat-driven scene, it’s an epic modern hip hop song full of superb lyrical writing and wrapped in exquisite sound design.

Other highlights on the album include songs like “Danger Zone” featuring Event & Tacaveli, a laid back groover that brings old school hip hop vibes with a bouncy shuffling beat, warm brass instrumentation and layered vocals of hook-focused lines and soulful backing. “Warrior” brings an anthemic sound of emotive bars from Ash Supé, crafting an enthralling pop-tinged outing that’s infectious and moving throughout. With Next Up: Aotearoa, Daz serves up a spectacular run through of his cutting edge musical output, presenting an incredible work of modern underground hip hop that draws on the talents of an array of exciting artists to offer something that’s far more than the sum of its parts.

Listen to tracks from Next Up: Aotearoa below