Pluto (New Zealand band)
Pluto is a New Zealand rock band from Auckland. Their album Pipeline Under The Ocean, released in 2005 went double platinum on the RIANZ albums chart.
Pluto | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Genres | Rock and Roll, Alternative |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | 5 Moon Entertainment |
| Website | |
| Members | Michael Franklin-Browne Mike Hall Milan Borich Tim Arnold Matthias Jordan |
Pluto's nascent trajectory has covered the spectrum of the New Zealand musical stratosphere, bursting brightly onto the scene in 2001 just to have them break up in 2009 when they were recording their fourth album.
In 2015, sparked by the discovery of a back-up session of the unfinished album, the boys decided to get back together and finish what they started. The album is set to be released in September 2019 under their own company, 5 Moon Entertainment, with the first single produced by Nick Abbott ‘Oh My Lonely’ released in July 2019.
Band members
- Milan Borich (lead vocals, guitar)
- Tim Arnold (guitar, vocals)
- Michael Franklin-Browne (drums)
- Mike Hall (bass guitar, vocals)
- Matthias Jordan (keyboards, vocals)
Band overview
Pluto mastered the art of the multi-layered rock sound – sometimes indie, moody and restrained, at other times hook-laden hand-clap pop, often angular, full-energy, anthemic rock. Through the mid-2000s, Pluto was at their zenith, consistently writing rock songs that traversed the musical landscape combining thoughtful, intelligent lyrics with sonic pop melodies to create evocative, memorable and seductive songs.
Pluto has produced three albums. Their first album, Redlight Syndrome, has a range of song types, starting with acoustic folk and ending with heavily distorted metal.
Between that and their next album, the band enjoyed minor highs and a few lows, but they delivered on their early promise by finding a collective voice on Pipeline Under The Ocean.[1] The second album was released after much complication from touring and changing record companies. The album's name is derived from the Second World War Pipe-lines Under The Ocean - acronym PLUTO - which supplied fuel to Allied forces after D-Day. The songs are mostly rock and roll. Hits include "Long White Cross", "Dance Stamina" and "Baby Cruel". The album went double platinum[2] and Pluto enjoyed good successes at the 2006 New Zealand Music Awards, winning Single of the Year with "Long White Cross", as well as reaching the finals for the People's Choice Award, losing out to Fat Freddy's Drop.[3] It is said to be an ultra modern, complex and different album which is highly popular throughout New Zealand.
Their third album has a combination of elements including modern sci-fi-delic, rock'n'roll power, pop sensibilities and gliding vocal melodies drawing influences from everything from the morning to dusk, to love, and to strangers they have met on their travels.[4][5]
In 2007, the band's lead singer, Milan Borich's version of the Alphaville song "Forever Young" was used in the Gregor Nicholas-directed TV commercials, part of Tourism New Zealand's "100% Pure New Zealand" campaign, which market New Zealand as "the youngest country on earth".
Fast forward nearly a decade at the band is back and finishing their fourth album.
In July 2019, 'Oh My Lonely’ was released with a stunning video, directed by Milan Borich and edited by Nick Abbott (who also produced the song). Milan also produced and directed their ‘Hey Little’ (2001) and ‘Snake Charmer’ (2010) videos.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart position |
Certification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [6] | |||||
| Albums | |||||
| 2001 | Redlight Syndrome
|
25 | — | ||
| 2005 | Pipeline Under The Ocean
|
13 | NZ: 2x Platinum | ||
| 2007 | Sunken Water
|
38 | — | ||
| EPs | |||||
| 2019 | Oh My Lonely
|
— | — | ||
| EPs | |||||
| 2000 | A1 A2
|
— | — | ||
Featured appearances
The group's songs have appeared on the following compilations:
- (2000) - If Licks Could Kill (Antenna Music) - "Moscow Snow'" and "Field 11 Cows"
- (2001) - Live At Helen's (Festival Mushroom Records) - "Hey Little"
- (2004) - State Of The Nation (EMI) - "Perfectly Evil"
- (2006) - Broken Dreams II (Warner Music) - "Long White Cross"
- (2006) - Rippon 06 (Loop Recordings) - "Dance Stamina"
"Long White Cross" from Pipeline Under the Ocean was used in the EA Sports computer game, Cricket 07.
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||||||||||||
| 2000 | "Hey Little" | — | Redlight Syndrome | |||||||||||
| "Moscow Snow" | — | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | "She's Jive" | — | ||||||||||||
| "Stick With It" | — | |||||||||||||
| "Bananas In The Mist" | — | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | "Long White Cross" | 30 | Pipeline Under The Ocean | |||||||||||
| 2006 | "Dance Stamina" | 32 | ||||||||||||
| "Broken Hearted" | — | |||||||||||||
| "Baby Cruel" | — | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | "French Grave" | — | Sunken Water | |||||||||||
| 2009 | "Snake Charmer" | — | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | "Oh My Lonely" | — | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | ||||||||||||||
References
- Pluto profile on music.net
- Sunken Water | Amplifier NZ Music
- New Zealand Music Awards Announcement
- Pluto myspace profile
- Album release details
- "PLUTO IN NEW ZEALAND CHARTS". charts.nz. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
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