Dillastrate Drop New Waiata Reo Māori EP
Silver Scroll Tohu Maioha 2025 winners and Ōtautahi legends Dillastrate (Henare Kaa and Tim Driver) have today released a new EP – We Built This World With Aroha – featuring a powerful selection of brand new waiata reo Māori.
We Built This World With Aroha EP is an unapologetically trans-genre release, combining diverse influences from country to pop, electronica to soul. Adding to their extensive catalogue of waiata reo Māori, the five-track EP features new tracks Wairua and We Built This World With Aroha (from which the EP takes its name). Joining the new tracks are recent singles Feel That Āio and So In Love, the latter of which was released as two variants (Te Reo Māori and English) in July 2025. The EP was recorded at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studio in central Auckland, and produced by long-time collaborator Grammy-nominated producer Rory Noble (Kanye West, Jason Derulo, Ty Dolla $ign, Burna Boy).
“We are driven by a vision of creating an Aotearoa New Zealand music scene that amplifies te reo Māori and Māori voices, and celebrates te ao Māori,” says Kaa. “Together with our whānau puoro, we we want to build that world – that’s what this EP is all about.”
The release follows hot on the heels of Dillastrate’s recent acceptance of the prestigious Silver Scrolls Tohu Maioha, recognising excellence in contemporary Māori music, for their waiata Kei Whati Te Marama. This waiata also features as the official theme song for New Zealand Cricket (Black Caps and White Ferns) for the 2025/26 season, and has been highlighted by Rolling Stone as a “song you need to know”. Previous successful waiata reo Māori releases include Ko Tatou Te Ahi – recorded and produced by Tiki Taane in a live session inside the wharenui at Ngā Hau e Wha Marae – which was also featured as the New Zealand Cricket theme song for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, accompanied by a Waiata Anthems documentary showcasing Dillastrate’s creative process and connection to the rohe.
Since the release of their debut EP Black Diamond, Dillastrate have been pushing their music into new territory, with their two albums released to-date (Ngā Pounamu, 2024; Dillastrate, 2019). With five singles reaching the Aotearoa New Zealand Top 20 Charts and frequent appearances on international editorial playlists across Spotify and Apple Music, Dillastrate’s catalogue continues to resonate with an increasingly global audience. Their music has been widely featured in major publications including Rolling Stone, reinforcing their place among the most vital voices in modern Aotearoa music.
Born from the late great Aaron Tokona’s AHoriBuzz, Dillastrate have been making waves since the release of their 2017 EP, Black Diamond. We Built This World With Aroha EP was made thanks to funding made available by Te Māngai Pāho’s Waiata Tuarea fund. Recorded at Roundhead Studio, Auckland, produced by Rory Noble at FiveAM Music, Auckland. Pitching and publicity services were provided by Acts Agency, with additional support from FiveAM Music. Distributed by Waave.
