Melted Ice Cream and Wurld Series

Melted Ice Cream is a Christchurch-based label which has been at the forefront of the Christchurch indie scene for a number of years now. My own relationship with the label goes back to 2013 when a label sampler called Sickest Smashes from Arson City (here) hit my inbox, introducing me to previously unfamiliar artists such as Salad Boys, Transistors, X-Ray Charles, and Wurld Series. 

The general vibe of that release, and the music of those acts reminded me a lot of the earliest Flying Nun stuff I loved so much in the 1980s. Subsequent years have seen the label expand its roster to become a significant player in the always vibrant Christchurch indie scene, and although I can’t hand-on-heart say I’ve followed everything being released – the label is relatively prolific – I’ve always retained an interest in all of the above artists. In fact, I’ve previously blogged about Salad Boys (here). I also really liked the fact that Melted Ice Cream released cassettes during an era when that particular medium was being shunned almost everywhere else.  

Calling Melted Ice Cream a “label” might actually be a little bit inaccurate, or a bit of an injustice even, because I suspect, as with fellow Southerners Flying Nun and Xpressway, it’s much more of a tight creative hub or community than merely a vehicle by which to release music.

Fast forward to 2021, and it seems even the globally renowned and widely read music website Pitchfork has started to take note, with the brand new Wurld Series album, What’s Growing, receiving a very positive review (here) earlier this week. I downloaded the album, and although I’m unable wax quite as lyrically as our learned Pitchfork friends, or discuss the deeper meaning (maaan) behind the band’s songs in quite the same way as that website somehow manages, I can say I’ve enjoyed listening to it a fair amount over the past couple of days.

A very digestible 15 tracks, nine of them clocking in under the 2-minute mark, with stand-out track ‘Nap Gate’ (clip below) being the longest at just a few clicks under four minutes. What’s Growing appeals as being a far more polished collection than anything else Wurld Series has released in the past. You can read a little bit more about Melted Ice Cream, Wurld Series, and pick up a copy of the album here.