káren HUNTER

 Magic Box Experience:  Black 2011

The  third album for MBE, Black has two covers ..... one taken by Yvan in China of fresh dog meat for sale in a street market.... and one of a painting in a buddhist temple... we made the two covers as we knew the dog meat image would shock some people.... we know the music and lyrics on this album with shock people two... but we made this one for us :-) There are tracks on soundcloud here

 Magic Box Experience : Saltambanques 2011

Our second album is all about the Traditional French tunes from the south of France where Yvan grew up. Saltambanques was recorded in one day on one mic. It's a humble album with a great feel.. and we made this album to sell in the street when we are busking. some tracks are on Soundcloud here

 Magic Box Experience : Payaso 2011

2011 has been a busy year for Hunter and Magic Box Experience is her second release so far this year. MBE was formed as a busking act with Marcelo Lopez (Chile) from FITE and Yvan Calvinac (France). This stunning album features classical guitar pieces accompanied by glockenspiel, chanting and ambient soundscapes. This is a very ambitious and experimental album completed on modest equipment. You can hear tracks on soundcloud here

 Fear is the Enemy : TERRA 2011

Hunter joined Fear is the Enemy in 2010. FITE creates intense and moody songs that can be described as progressive folk/punk or tribal/punk. TERRA is FITE"s second album and Hunter contributes djembe, guitar and vocals. Other members of FITE are Chilean brothers Marcelo ( Voice/Percussion/Poetry) and Luis Lopez ( Guitar/Percussion/Voice) and German Nikita Seiber (Voice/Violin)All songs are co written and mark a huge departure from Hunter's past work stylistically.You can hear tracks from this album on soundcloud here

 words & groove 2010

Words & Groove blends original jazz,dirty blues and sensuous performance poetry.

Hunter entwines personal experience with liberally embellished stories that bridge the dangerous (drug addiction, welfare redundancy, NZ road toll) with the mundane (infatuation, familiarity and separation). Poems emerge within the songs, often appearing over extended bass and drum vamps, hence the title 'words&groove'. The album features some of Auckland's finest jazz musicians, Ron Samsom (drum), Aaron Coddel (bass), Roger Manins (sax), Kevin Field (piano) as well as up and coming vocalist Jess Curtis.

available through i-tunes and amplifier.co.nz / read reviews

sunlight & shade 2005

This recording is a beautiful portfolio of Káren Hunter and Brendan Turner's work together as a acoustic guitar and upright bass duo. Stylistically leaning towards a mellower jazz sound, this CD contains some fine funky acoustic grooves as well as a couple of timeless jazz standards.

mr kite goes fishing 2004

Mr Kite Goes Fishing features guest vocalists Rachel Anderson, Shane Hollands and Val Huntington as well as a huge cast of instrumentalists. 'Mr Kite' incorporates spoken word poetry and computer based loops, samples and live playing with trumpet, sax, guitar, bass and keys.

inside outside (double live album) 2001 .......

the private life of clowns 1997

'Clowns' pulls together five years of recordings at different Auckland Studios. Musicians are Matthew Hunter - Drums/sampler, Jo Taylor - Bass/vocals, Leraine Horstmanshoff - Sax/vocals and Christine White - vocals.  An atmosphere of diversity and originality permeates  this classic album of kiwi music history. 

This retrospective release celebrates the wonderfully energetic duo Spinning Wheel: Káren Hunter and multi talented Leraine Horstmanshoff. The shows were recorded in two venues on a National Tour and remain as fresh as if they had been played yesterday.

spinning wheel - self titled debut release 1993

Classic sound of Spinning Wheel from our debut release in the early 1990's - that is myself and the terrifically talented Leraine Horstmanshoff on bamboo sax, guitar, djembe, vocals, flute and various percussion!