When the Fever Takes Hold

When 2007 New Zealand Arts Laureate Warren Maxwell (The Little Bushman, Fat Freddy's Drop, Trinity Roots), proclaims he is "completely turned on" by a band, there's a bloody good chance that they're worth paying attention to. That band is Wellington six-piece psychedelic psychonauts Spartacus R, who now release their long-awaited album 'When the Fever Takes Hold'.

Spartacus R have developed an enigmatic profile in their hometown through their groundbreaking productions for the New Zealand Fringe Festival, Spartacus R in Octophonic (Fringe 07) and Spartacus R's Delusions (Fringe 08) which featured a live audio-visual extravaganza set to original 3D film vignettes and showcased on TVNZ's One News.

The album 'When the Fever Takes Hold' has spent considerable time in incubation since it was conceived in 2007, recorded at Wellington's legendary The Surgery with the production wizardry of Dr Lee Prebble (Phoenix Foundation, Black Seeds, Trinity Roots). It is an album that challenges the current musical fixation with iPod-friendly singles, featuring eight tracks - some of which are long psychedelic rock jams to immerse the listener in an aural experience not delivered by any other New Zealand band.

That quest for an original listening experience has seen Spartacus R develop a head-spinning live act. Based on a foundation of blues, rock and funk, Spartacus R break loose on stage with sprawling soundscapes that explore as much as they entertain.

"I am completely musically 'turned on' by Spartacus R. Their music is well-crafted and intricately sincere. Fresh, contemporary retro, and completely unpredictable... Beautiful."
- Warren Maxwell