MNZ Interview: CoffeeBar Kid Cuts S02 / E05 – Gal Hochman / Beyond The Beat

Dropping each week the Beyond the Beat series or short movies pairs a rising star with a legendary Kiwi hit-maker and one of favourite tracks. This is deep diving together into the song’s DNA, unpacking the stories, cultural context, and musical roots behind the song and re-imagining it in a different style or genre. The new artist literally (or sonically) flips the song on its head and presents it back to the original artist for the very first time live on air. The series features Reiki Ruawai, MELODOWNZ, Sly Chaos & Cee Blu, Mazbou Q, Liberty, Kings, Ashy, Drax Project, TîMMY the FIRST and Cassie Henderson.

Acting as a mentor and musical visionary is producer Mazbou Q, who guides new artists through a process of experimentation, collaboration, and transformation. Filming this unique experience is creator & director Gal Hochman, who’s work includes film, TVCs, music videos, and documentaries across platforms like RNZ, TVNZ, and NZ On Air.

Muzic.NZ’s Tim Gruar had a bit of a chat to Gal about Beyond The Beat, how it came about, working with the musicians and getting the feel of it all.

Just before we go into that, I just wanted to get a little bit of background on you, if that’s okay. I went on your website and first statement that I came across says as that you are a ‘neurodivergent film maker’. Could you explain that to me?

I guess so I am very neurodiverse. I’ve got severe ADHD and a type of dyslexia, which I won’t get into. But I guess like I’ve always seen the world a little bit differently. Generally, neurodiverse people feel a lot more. I don’t know how to say this in short, because of my ADHD, but basically, it’s the feeling that kind of translates into my creative brain and how I see the world, how I produce, make content and tell stories. As I work, I really try condensing my thinking but it’s always a challenge (to stay focused). You can become easily distracted, so many ideas to reduce down. Which is why the visual medium works for me.

So, I guess as a film maker you look for things that stand out. That really speaks deeper but holds your attention at different levels, rather than just providing the required information, colour and sound. Would that be right?

You know, growing up as kids, (ADHD) was, like, a ‘bad thing’, with the stigma around being divergent “oh, she won’t be good at anything”. All that. But, I guess, I’ve linked into it and found it that’s kind of where I’ve been successful. Obviously, being creative is where I found the thing that I’m really passionate about. And where I’m good. I can use those ‘superpowers’, I guess, like to make things that are unique to me and have more of an edge. We (with ADHD) are just very sensitive, generally, and we feel a lot. We’re really good at reading people and understanding them, their characters. If I can feel things about (a project’ topic or Kaupapa or the people involved) I can express that and then hopefully make they’ll feel that way, too.

Which is essential to winning their trust and support when you are filming?

Yeah.

I quite enjoyed finding out about all the different projects that you’ve worked on, including in the music world, working with Albi and the Wolves, Tali, Mazbou Q, Cee Blu, World Vision (with Jonathan Dennison). There’re other things, too. But music videos seem to be something you’ve got a bit of a larger ‘portfolio’ of.

I love music videos because they’re really fun. You can be really creative with them. There’s not really any rules or boundaries and I find that that’s why I find myself saying ‘yes’ (to making them). Sadly, we hardly ever get enough funding to make them. It’s always really hard, always a mission but it’s the most fun, too. And because I come from a musical background (dancing, musical theatre, drama, singing, etc.) … I’ve been drawn into that world of music and working with musicians.

The Beyond The Beat series of videos really spoke to me as a music geek, because I could watch, like a fly on the wall, the process of creating the songs, collaborating, the artists working together. Tell me where the idea for this style of storytelling came from.

Speaking of ‘fly on the wall’, I’d been developing musical short films, I’ve actually been shortlisted for funding 4 times with musical shorts over the years, and my first exposure to the recording studio and making music was working with musicians making music for those shorts. It was so much fun seeing and being part of that process, even though I am not a ‘muso’. I still got to bring some ideas to the table and collaborate on the songs. Mazbou Q and I already established a friendship in 2021 and decided to make songs together with Lepani for a specific musical short film. We ended up creating songs from scratch in literally a day. And I thought, wow, this would be so cool to see on the screen! 

 

Mazbou Q was making his own re-imagination song series on social media, transforming some classic tunes and shaping them in his own style. Which was a big inspiration for Beyond The Beat. I thought how cool it would be to showcase what it’s actually like to be in the recording studio and seeing that process of transforming a known song and using that as a vehicle to showcase Kiwi songs, Kiwi artists, have different conversations and really see these artists in a more personal way. It was also a way to uplift and support artists that aren’t played on the radio yet, that people might not know even exist in Aotearoa.

(At this point she refers to Australia’s music quota and the benefits of that for gaining wider audience play and exposure for a range of diverse artists). The Kiwi sound we’re used to is fantastic, and it’s great to have those bands on the radio (But what we hear is limited to just a few artists). I think we are such a melting pot and there is so much more out there especially from the newer generation. These artists were struggling. There’s not that much support of New Zealand music. You have to almost, like, make it overseas before you even get recognised here and gain that following.

So, Beyond the Beat became an opportunity to create a space for those artists to shine and to showcase the diversity of sound we have here in Aotearoa. And because I’ve been involved in the music scene we already knew people. We did research, looked for young artists that are coming up and what are the hot news in New Zealand singles at the moment.

I ‘discovered’ (19-year-old Hawke’s Bay singer-songwriter) Liberty through that process. It’s about giving them a go. Putting the emphasis on like the people that have had less exposure. Help them out. Let people hear them and see how awesome they are so they get recognised for it.

And the Beyond The Beat series is different from, say, Triple J’s Like A Version. This is more than just covers of a song. It’s literally exploding it and taking it down. I love the way that you start each video with the original artist meeting up with the new artists and really getting to know each other first. For example, in the first episode Reiki Ruawai meets MELODOWNZ at a Kava Bar and they share a bowl and discuss the background to the song $on of a Queen, about his mother, before going on to remake the song and contribute together.

I mean, there were so many ideas like that in the series. I was after the feel of the song and the way the artists interact. When I was coming up a format I wanted (a different approach).

I don’t know if you’ve seen this chef show on Netflix, and it’s basically like a food show but, actually, it’s more about like getting like chefs chatting and getting to know the people that are cooking for. It’s so low key and so chill and so interesting to me. I wanted to create something similar to those shows where you see the honesty and seeing them doing their best. Like you know you who they are as a person. I really wanted to humanise them.

I really wanted to have them talk about the song because I wanted that kind of influence. How they approached the remake and like getting that information. I think it’s such a strength for people to actually collaborate and just I think the series is kind of a proof of that. This is powerful, you know, and it was an opportunity for artists to get to know each other. Those from different backgrounds.

I also thought it was really important represent people comfortably, so they are in their spaces. I was wanting to look for places for them where would they’d wanna go. So, we actually shot a tonne of content that’s not in the main episodes, as we tried out different locations. They’ll appear in our social media. We also have a lot of content that’s outside of those episodes that are, like, talking about different things (outside the music). But I felt it was really important for me to kind of have people be comfortable and kind of also showcase more of who they are, their personality and working style. So, I just that’s how I approached it.

Can you give me an example of that.

Well. Like with Cathy Henderson, who works with Zimbabwe born Hip Hop artist TiMMY The FIRST, to remake her song Seconds To Midnight. She said that like to write in her bedroom. And a place that really sticks out for her is like going to Denny’s late at night to have pancakes and write. But we couldn’t really shoot at Denny’s. So, we met her at her house having pancakes. This is what I mean by: ‘where you feel comfortable’. Essentially just trying to make it as authentic for those artists to show who they are.

And where did you shoot the studio scenes, like Reiki Ruawai recording with MELODOWNZ or Drum n Bass producer Sly Chaos and soul singer Cee Blu work with rapper and producer Mazbou Q (to redo his song Go and Be Free)?

We shot it Parachute Music, in Kingsland. They just have a really nice-looking studio, lighting and vibe. We were looking for a place where it was comfortable, and it was already really beautiful.

There are five short movies in the series but are you considering doing more?

Yes, because there’s been a lot of people asking us about the next episodes. Partnering up with New Zealand Music Months for the releases, all of this in conjunction was a great idea. The plan is to apply for funding and try get another season done. And we’ll start again looking for more young and interesting people with new sounds – new people and personalities of musicians from around the country. So, it would be really cool to just continue showcasing that talent, absolutely.

BEYOND THE BEAT – A FRESH EPISODE DROPS EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT THIS MAY
Tune in to The Edge, Mai FM, and George FM every Thursday night
Stream the series on YouTube: BeyondTheBeatNZ and on ROVA: Rova.nz from May 1st.

May 1st: Reiki Ruawai Remakes MELODOWNZ’s $on of a Queen
May 8th: Sly Chaos & Cee Blu Remake Mazbou Q’s Go and Be Free
May 15th: Liberty Remakes Kings’ Don’t You Worry Bout’ It
May 22nd: Ashy Remakes Drax Project’s All This Time
May 29th: TîMMY the FIRST Remakes Cassie Henderson’s Seconds to Midnight