Tāmaki Makaurau DJ duo Sandon Ihaia and Chris Scott, also known as Sweet Mix Kids, released ‘Radio with Pictures’ mid-July. Teaming up with a handful of local artists their second studio album brings an exciting collection of bouncy beats, sparkly synths, and danceable party tunes.

With 12 songs spanning just over half an hour, there is a lot to unpack in a small amount of time. The collaborations for ‘Radio with Pictures’ spotlight the charms of the vocalists, lifted by the rich production of Sweet Mix Kids. Track four, Get Serious, plunges the listener into a playful club track that flows sweetly towards a te reo Māori verse from Rei that adds a unique tone.

Though this album is brimming with hits belonging to genres including house, dnb, and dancehall, the brilliance of melodies shines brighter through the instrumentals in tracks such as Ginger [Postlude] and Peace [Prelude], giving the listener moments of calm before being welcomed by upbeat dance tracks again.

An acoustic track featuring Boh Runga and Sam Cullen closes off the album, and it is quite fitting to hearHappy Ever After at the end as it is reminiscent of those songs that play once the end credits of a movie starts rolling.

It comes as no surprise that Sweet Mix Kids have been invited to perform at some of the country’s biggest summer festivals. The duo’s creativity is highlighted throughout this album with their impressive production skills on display for all to experience and enjoy.