Flying Nun Records donates master tape collection to library for safekeeping

Flying Nun Records, the famous New Zealand music label, is donating many hundreds of master tapes from recordings made between 1981 to the mid-2000s, to the Alexander Turnbull Library’s Archive of New Zealand Music.

The collection includes tracks from legendary New Zealand artists such as The Chills, The Bats, The Verlaines, Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, Look Blue Go Purple, Sneaky Feelings, Headless Chickens, and Bailter Space, amongst others.

The Turnbull Library is a part of the National Library of New Zealand and is celebrating 100 years since the original donation by Alexander Turnbull himself.

"The music of Flying Nun is a huge part of our culture and was significant in forging important music connections internationally," says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin, who announced the acquisition.

"It's important for New Zealand that these tapes will be preserved, both physically and digitally, and adds to the Flying Nun collection already in the library. It is a wonderful acquisition to celebrate the centenary of Alexander Turnbull’s donation of his collection to the people of New Zealand."

Many of the master tapes are in fragile condition or on obsolete formats and require urgent preservation. The Library will digitally preserve all of the recordings over the next three years so that this unique part of New Zealand’s music heritage remains safe and accessible.

Flying Nun founder Roger Shepherd says that the Alexander Turnbull Library was the best place to hold this collection.

"The Turnbull Library was a natural choice, because it has first-class preservation and research facilities, and was also willing to work with our artists to make their amazing and well-loved music accessible and still preserve all their rights."

The Archive of New Zealand Music at the Alexander Turnbull Library was established in 1974 by composer Douglas Lilburn and contains the largest collection of archival material relating to New Zealand music and musicians.

It sits alongside the largest public collection of published New Zealand and Pacific recordings, also in the Library’s collections.