Today is line-up release day for Rolling Hertz 2025 so what better time to share the lowdown on this epic event! We asked the legendary Luan from Sound Delinquents about the history of their crew, their toughest and proudest moments, and what makes the underground festival circuit in Aotearoa so unique…



“The Sound Delinquents are a collective of passionate young bucks that host music and art events in the South Island of Aotearoa, predominantly in the Tasman region. With a love for getting the highest quality rigs in NZ paired with the best underground musicians, they are dedicated to creating immersive and unforgettable experiences. 

Back in June 2021, a group of our friends all had birthdays near the same weekend and decided to host a birthday party open to the public. The party was called “The Krusty Krab” as the friends were all Cancers. This event is how we (Luan and Bayley) decided that we wanted to continue hosting events together and started our journey. Incidentally, we share the exact same birthday, year, month, and day.

All we wanted to do was host outdoor parties that we would want to go to ourselves. We saw such events as opportunities to showcase the musical talent and passion for art in the Tasman region and our friend group. We wanted to create safe, fun, and inclusive environments where every person can contribute what they are passionate about, a space for countless ideas and energy to converge, where people can unapologetically be themselves and have the time of their lives at the same time! 

Growing up going to Twisted, we knew that the Cobb Valley was the perfect spot to host our gatherings because it’s such a lush area with stunning nature and an awa right next to the site. This is where we host our main event, Rolling Hertz, the 4th installment of which is coming up in February 2025. We picked a pretty rough time to start out, because just as our first event was about to go ahead the COVID lockdowns hit and we were forced to postpone. After recouping some losses, the first Rolling Hertz went ahead in May 2022 when we were just 19 years old.

Six months after that we decided to host another festival, the infamous Galvanize (meaning to inspire someone into action). Absolutely torrential rain engulfed the Cobb Valley, and no amounts of hay could save us. That was by far the wettest we’ve ever seen the Cobb. Literal rivers were flowing through the site, people swimming and sliding everywhere. Litres of water were in the subs on the Discrete Sound stage, and we were so close to pulling the pin on the stage and packing up because we were afraid of damaging the equipment when suddenly skies cleared and we could continue on. 

We definitely shoved ourselves in the deep end with these early events, we fucked around and found out so to speak. With our ‘go big or go home’ attitude, we got into a lot of debt trying to make the vision happen, and had to work full time jobs and get loans to pay off the festival once it was done. But when you do it for the love of it, it doesn’t matter, the moments created are far more valuable. It was the support of our community and friends that made, and still makes it possible for us to continue these events - you know who you are <3

We have a lot of pride in the grassroots, community focus of our events. Pretty much every aspect of the art that is incorporated in our festivals, from the stage art to the event posters, is from Tasman/Tākaka locals. We have a focus on natural event builds, making all the stages from wood and re-using as much as we can. We also try to cover the whole spectrum of underground electronic music in our events, along with a hearty dose of hip hop and live bands. Aotearoa has such an amazing music scene, and being able to combine your favourite acts with gangsta bedroom DJs you haven’t heard before in one lineup is amazing. With hundreds of acts in just a few days, there’s truly something for everyone. 

Compared to larger commercial festivals, ‘doofs’ in Aotearoa have a more intimate vibe, which fosters an environment that allows people to feel more connected to the event and those around them. The parties feel real and genuine, with a strong sense of community and homegrown flavour. The outdoors is the perfect place to boogie, and when we do we take care of it by disposing of waste correctly and respecting the whenua. 

Community is the main reason we do this - festivals open up opportunities for creativity and growth by bringing together artists, musicians, and performers, creating a platform where everyone’s unique talents shine. The magic happens when everybody’s individual strengths combine, creating a seamless fusion of music, art, and atmosphere that wouldn’t be possible without the collective energy of the community. 

We’d like to give a massive shoutout to everyone who has supported us on our journey through the years, whether by buying a ticket, painting a sign, or digging a hole - thank you!

Special thanks to Clayton, having our backs since day one. Niwa Jongkind for creating the most insane artwork ever. Discrete Sound, passionate and onto it legends. Jakob Climpson, visual maestro. Amy Soulfire, the most gangsta genius out there. Biggup Pedwar. Charlie Brown the don. Cardi da master builder. Naomi the stage painting machine. Psycare and medic team holding it down.. And all the DJs, artists, and workers, the list goes on…

Community is what it’s all about. Aotearoa underground. Stronger together. 

Thank you to Twisted for being the biggest inspiration and GCs. 

We can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

Come to Rolling Hertz 2025, Feb 6-9th. See what the hype is about. 

With Love, Sound Delinquents.”



Phwoah - What a bunch of absolute legends, <3 We are so excited to see the new blood coming through and producing such phenomenal events and it is clear that this crew hold a lot of the same ethos and passion as the Twisted team. Make sure to get your tickets locked in and support these up and coming weapons in their noble cause.

Massive love right back to ya Sound Delinquents, you should be thoroughly proud of the effort and mahi you have put into your mission so far and we are looking forward to seeing your events grow and thrive in the coming years <3

Sound Delinquents 

Synchronicity 2024 is coming up next weekend, and you know what that means - festival season is finally upon us! We decided to interview the legendary main organiser of Sync herself, Grace Jones, to get the scoop on what’s in store for this year's epic party. We talked about the history of Sync, the hardest and most rewarding parts of running events, and what the magic is that makes underground festivals in Aotearoa so special… 

Synchronicity is essentially the opening festival for the summer circuit here in Aotearoa It's the best parts from different events across the south island all rolled into one epic multi-day, multi-stage event. 

The first Synchronicity in 2017 was set in an isolated spot of native bush in North Canterbury at the base of Mt. Grey. It was very small, with only about 150 people attending, and the line up was just a bunch of my friends playing. The festival didn't really come to fruition until a few years into my adventure with event management when I realised how important putting on these events was, how you can carve spaces that facilitate beautiful and sometimes life changing moments for people. It is such an honour to create the sound tracks to core memories for other humans. 

Since then, Synchronicity has naturally grown into a full scale event with a lot to offer. There's a bit of bass, there's a bit of psy, there's live bands, circus, flow arts, visual effects, market stalls, food vendors, interactive zones, chill zones... and the setting is absolutely unreal! We are perched up alongside a gorgeous flowing river at the base of the southern alps. It’s something straight off a postcard - breathtaking picturesque scenery!

The line up is strictly Aotearoa-based artists ranging from grass roots DJs and live bands right through to catalyst producers who have been spearheading the industry for decades. Sync is also a semi-private event where crew and guests get to create the extended guest list. This style of invitation inevitably creates this family tree effect where everyone knows each other through someone else. This sets a very safe and wholesome community overtone to the whole event.

Most of the crew that work in various roles at Sync also run their own events. The crew changes every year but there are a few heads that have stuck around since day one. Sync is a classic example of how symbiotic the relationship between underground gigs across Aotearoa is. We all help each other build and grow our events.

Each year has been so vastly different and full of so much raw, authentic growth that I'm left feeling very humbled after every event. My proudest moments would be implementing more te ao Māori across the board and really embracing my own culture more through these events. I also always feel proud seeing my friends play their original music for the first time on the big rigs and watching it be received by the crowd. That is truly such an intimate moment to witness. I think just being a platform in general for up-and-coming Aotearoa based artists is such a huge honour. What we are doing here in the underground is potentially changing the course and future of an entire country's music and the way people gather socially. 

One of the hardest parts of running events is spending 6-8 months of my year hyper-fixating on Sync, which can become a touch overwhelming, especially with the amount of screen time that it takes to organise a large event. I’m a nature girl at heart and if I dont remind myself to stay balanced between my personal life and working in events, inspiration and motivation can wear thin. Also, the majority of my social life also revolves around music-oriented events so I have to be staunch in those scenarios and remind myself that I can take the working hat off and just spectate and have fun!

That being said, it’s always worth the effort - it’s so rewarding seeing everyone falling in love on the dance floor each year. The tears, the hugs, the revelations, the connections made between strangers and old friends. I tend to bawl my eyes out at closing ceremonies at the end of Sync. The energy present is absolutely unreal in those moments and it's beautiful to see everyone in attendance drop their walls and embrace one another.

We have such a unique festival scene here in Aotearoa, and I think that what makes it so special are the settings themselves. The whenua here is so breathtaking and alive - to be able to gather in some of these locations is an absolute blessing in itself. Also, I think there is a distinct NZ sound being made from our music producers here. Aotearoa produces a notable sound and vibe across multiple genres and I think that is largely inspired by the whenua and the life we are able to live over here. Our dubstep has a very distinct sound, as does our hip hop, reggae, drum and bass - the list goes on, but there is something deeply embedded in the essence of our music culture here. I'm yet to pinpoint what gives us that quality but I largely believe it is the land itself and the type of life it enables us to live here.

Shout out to the Twisted whanau of course, you guys are still such a huge source of inspiration for me and Sync!

Shout out to the Rolling Hertz lads coming up. I love watching the next generation stepping up!

Shout out to the Ambient Headquarters crew who will be running the second stage at Sync this year! You guys have done such a phenomenal job.

I’d love to shout out every individual separately for the Sync crew this year but the list would be just about endless, shout out to everyone helping out this year! It’s been a huge labour of love.

Huge shoutout from us back to Grace and the Sync team for holding it down! Grace and many more of her amazing team have also been a core part of the inner workings of Twisted over the years and we are deeply thankful for their incredible mahi. We are constantly impressed with the production and execution of this truly special event and have so much love and respect for this crew. We couldn't be more excited to witness the upcoming edition. 

Show these legends some love and see what it’s all about, grab yourself a ticket and get down there - Synchronicity 2024 is happening Friday 25th-Sunday 27th October!

https://www.cosmicticketing.co.nz/event/6970

Synchronicity

We’re hopping across the ditch to join our friends DUNJ to put on the Sydney edition of the Twisted Decennium Sessions. This series of indoor parties has been carefully crafted to jump start the hype train for our decade celebration! 

The DUNJ crew put on a spectacular takeover at last year's Twisted, we loved having them in the mix and and we’re stoked this team of absolute legends are taking the reins on our Decennium session over in Sydney. Featuring a stacked lineup of NZ 

bass weapons/Twisted regulars it’s no surprise that earlybirds sold out overnight! Sydney whānau, don’t sleep on this one, be sure to nab yourself a ticket before they’re gone.



https://www.facebook.com/events/1556713128611384/permalink/1556833238599373/?notif_id=1726512190864653&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

Aotearoa’s annual home of Underground music & culture.

5 days of diversity and community in the heart of golden bay

LATEST NEWS

Sound Delinquents

Synchronicity

Twisted Decennium Sessions: DUNJ x Twisted Frequency in Sydney!

Aotearoa’s annual home of Underground music & culture.

5 days of diversity and community in the heart of golden bayBuy Tickets

LATEST NEWS

Sound Delinquents

Synchronicity

Twisted Decennium Sessions: DUNJ x Twisted Frequency in Sydney!

5 days of diversity and community in the heart of golden bay