July 18, 2025 • 6 mins
Written over the course of twenty years, from 1993 to 2019, 'Strange Visions 1' details the apocalypse in a sci-fi infused, post-modern satirical manner.
It’s the work of underground artist, producer and engineer Quaint, part one of a project called 'Polar Extremes'.
Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
This is Polar Extremes. The song is called so what If?
I'm on the television and you stept with all one song.
Kind of interesting how it changed between the rhythms theory.
They've just released an album called Strange Vision Volume one.
Estelle Clifford has been listening to it. She's our music reverewan,
she's with us now, Kildra Stelle.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Oh Kouder morning, just bringing you something a little eclectic
and different today.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I think that's an understatement.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It's cool.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's not, it's not. It's cool. Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I was going to say it's a scapism, but then
when you get into the lyrics and the storytelling, it's
actually very right on the nose of kind of how
the world is right now, and you know, commentary on
sort of where we're at that that song there, So
what If? On the television Actually my fav off the
whole album when you when it's got the opener, you
go right to the beginning of it's got this really
funky bass, it's quite spacey opener.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
His vocals are really great on it.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And the really running scene throughout this entire album is
he's just an excellent musician, great musical little track that
you can just sink into.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Polar Extremes. The artist behind that is called Quaint.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
He's very elusive, doesn't really have a huge social media
profile or anything, and from the press release it says
sci fi infused, postmodern, satirical apocalyptic beats. Oh okay, if
I'm going to make it a little more simplified, I
would think just imagine him performing in some of the
really cool grungey theaters of Wellington doing their underground kind
(02:13):
of performance sort of music. I think David Bowie Flight
to the Concords. Yeah, and then there's some weird, funny,
dark wit stuff that goes along with.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Sort of vaudeville slash.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
It wouldn't be out of place at a steampunk event,
right right, Yeah, it kind of makes me think of that.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
And yeah, it's it's just a one person, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Quaint is just a single person, and I kind of
like that elusiveness. I think it draws you in a
little bit where you're like, who, what, why and how
is this getting put together?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
But to hold Extremes is Quaint, which is one person,
so it's not ye yeah right, okay, okay, yeah, I
all morning.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Well there could be like maybe yeah right, so performing
tonight at Moon and Wellington. So maybe once you see
live shows, come back to us. Because this this album
actually came out in twenty nineteen, a very quiet digital
release like Posts and pre Pandemic rather, and then it
sort of just kind of disappeared like a trial and era.
(03:13):
But the songs have been getting put together again. Quite
has been performing, you know, in the Wellington underground scene
and other musical scene since the nineties, and so some
of this kind of like music and storytelling we're starting
their early two thousands, and then you hear these songs
that you're like, there's one called Consume and it just
basically repeats that lyric consume, Consume, consume, and you're like,
(03:34):
oh god, it speaks volumes for where we are as
a people sometimes, doesn't it where we just I mean, are.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
We consuming things or are we just consuming all the resources?
You know, it's still.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Very poignant to what is happening in the world right
now and delivered in that very theatrical kind of music way,
and then you can just enjoy actually the layers of
music too, because it's very good and very very clever.
But again, I think if you think Flight of the Conchords,
but then this really pop funk, eclectic sort of sound
going on underneath, it's Yeah, it's really it's very cool.
(04:10):
Like I just really like what's going on here. One
of the songs you're going to play us out Worth
is Captain zodiax Dictionary. This is probably one of the
most fully crazy tracks on there, and there's just absolutely
everything going into it. Yeah, very character filter, you know
how there's sometimes that talky kind of storytelling within a track, yeah,
(04:31):
which again is where I point to, like the vaudeville
kind of performancey, sing, punky kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
But the music still really draws you in with the
layers of production. I think it's it's fun.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's a little bit twisted and dark, but clever and
beautiful soundtracks sort of giving it.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Quite a fresh, funky kind of groove.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think it really reminds me of working in the
theater scene in Wellington. Yeah, Like I'm pretty sure he's
Auckland based, but it just gives me that really e
collected sort of vibe from there. There's a song on
there actually too, if you want to track it down.
It's at the end of the album. It's called Harps
and there's every kind of sound in there excepta harp,
but it has some really great brass and Quaint says
it's one to unite the Chakras. Yeah, and each song
(05:12):
on the album has its little icon picture, and it's
a clock. It's a time clock, right, it's the apocalyptic
time clock. And each said all one has an icon picture,
and the one for Harps is a mushroom. So I
don't know if we've gone on some little random trip,
but I'm just going to put that out there that
I've enjoyed the visuals that go along with it. And
again I think if you get to see this live,
because now it's having a bigger release than it did,
and it's quiet little Heyday of twenty nineteen, apparently part
(05:36):
of a trilogy too, But again that's very mysterious as
to whether or not it will happen. Maybe if Polar
Extremes is inspired to write some more, we'll see, maybe
see how this sits with everyone. But if you're wanting, yeah,
just to change it up a little bit, but still
enjoys some really great music and production.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
It's all in this album.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Sounds great, sounds really yea, yeah, it's quirky.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Let's go quirky and ecleectic and just go somewhere a
little different.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
I think you'll enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Okay, So what did you give it?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Him?
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Yeah, I'm going to give it a ten out of time.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I've really really sunk into this album over the last
few days and I'm enjoying. I'm enjoying this sort of
challenging me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, yeah, okay, cool, we'll have a bit more than
a couple of minutes. We'll listen to that. Captain Zobia
a ZODIACX Dictionary the one you recommend, Thank you, Estelle
and Steale. Clifford, our music reviewer, gives it ten out
of ten. That's Strange Vision Volume one by Polar Extremes.
Quaint is the artist behind Polar Extremes and Yeah, we'll
pay but more for you in a few minutes time.
(06:38):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to news talks that'd be from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
This is Polar Extremes. The song is called so what If?
I'm on the television and you stept with all one song.
Kind of interesting how it changed between the rhythms theory.
They've just released an album called Strange Vision Volume one.
Estelle Clifford has been listening to it. She's our music reverewan,
she's with us now, Kildra Stelle.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Oh Kouder morning, just bringing you something a little eclectic
and different today.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I think that's an understatement.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It's cool.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's not, it's not. It's cool. Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I was going to say it's a scapism, but then
when you get into the lyrics and the storytelling, it's
actually very right on the nose of kind of how
the world is right now, and you know, commentary on
sort of where we're at that that song there, So
what If? On the television Actually my fav off the
whole album when you when it's got the opener, you
go right to the beginning of it's got this really
funky bass, it's quite spacey opener.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
His vocals are really great on it.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And the really running scene throughout this entire album is
he's just an excellent musician, great musical little track that
you can just sink into.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Polar Extremes. The artist behind that is called Quaint.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
He's very elusive, doesn't really have a huge social media
profile or anything, and from the press release it says
sci fi infused, postmodern, satirical apocalyptic beats. Oh okay, if
I'm going to make it a little more simplified, I
would think just imagine him performing in some of the
really cool grungey theaters of Wellington doing their underground kind
(02:13):
of performance sort of music. I think David Bowie Flight
to the Concords. Yeah, and then there's some weird, funny,
dark wit stuff that goes along with.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Sort of vaudeville slash.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
It wouldn't be out of place at a steampunk event,
right right, Yeah, it kind of makes me think of that.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
And yeah, it's it's just a one person, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Quaint is just a single person, and I kind of
like that elusiveness. I think it draws you in a
little bit where you're like, who, what, why and how
is this getting put together?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
But to hold Extremes is Quaint, which is one person,
so it's not ye yeah right, okay, okay, yeah, I
all morning.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Well there could be like maybe yeah right, so performing
tonight at Moon and Wellington. So maybe once you see
live shows, come back to us. Because this this album
actually came out in twenty nineteen, a very quiet digital
release like Posts and pre Pandemic rather, and then it
sort of just kind of disappeared like a trial and era.
(03:13):
But the songs have been getting put together again. Quite
has been performing, you know, in the Wellington underground scene
and other musical scene since the nineties, and so some
of this kind of like music and storytelling we're starting
their early two thousands, and then you hear these songs
that you're like, there's one called Consume and it just
basically repeats that lyric consume, Consume, consume, and you're like,
(03:34):
oh god, it speaks volumes for where we are as
a people sometimes, doesn't it where we just I mean, are.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
We consuming things or are we just consuming all the resources?
You know, it's still.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Very poignant to what is happening in the world right
now and delivered in that very theatrical kind of music way,
and then you can just enjoy actually the layers of
music too, because it's very good and very very clever.
But again, I think if you think Flight of the Conchords,
but then this really pop funk, eclectic sort of sound
going on underneath, it's Yeah, it's really it's very cool.
(04:10):
Like I just really like what's going on here. One
of the songs you're going to play us out Worth
is Captain zodiax Dictionary. This is probably one of the
most fully crazy tracks on there, and there's just absolutely
everything going into it. Yeah, very character filter, you know
how there's sometimes that talky kind of storytelling within a track, yeah,
(04:31):
which again is where I point to, like the vaudeville
kind of performancey, sing, punky kind of thing.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
But the music still really draws you in with the
layers of production. I think it's it's fun.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's a little bit twisted and dark, but clever and
beautiful soundtracks sort of giving it.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Quite a fresh, funky kind of groove.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think it really reminds me of working in the
theater scene in Wellington. Yeah, Like I'm pretty sure he's
Auckland based, but it just gives me that really e
collected sort of vibe from there. There's a song on
there actually too, if you want to track it down.
It's at the end of the album. It's called Harps
and there's every kind of sound in there excepta harp,
but it has some really great brass and Quaint says
it's one to unite the Chakras. Yeah, and each song
(05:12):
on the album has its little icon picture, and it's
a clock. It's a time clock, right, it's the apocalyptic
time clock. And each said all one has an icon picture,
and the one for Harps is a mushroom. So I
don't know if we've gone on some little random trip,
but I'm just going to put that out there that
I've enjoyed the visuals that go along with it. And
again I think if you get to see this live,
because now it's having a bigger release than it did,
and it's quiet little Heyday of twenty nineteen, apparently part
(05:36):
of a trilogy too, But again that's very mysterious as
to whether or not it will happen. Maybe if Polar
Extremes is inspired to write some more, we'll see, maybe
see how this sits with everyone. But if you're wanting, yeah,
just to change it up a little bit, but still
enjoys some really great music and production.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
It's all in this album.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Sounds great, sounds really yea, yeah, it's quirky.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Let's go quirky and ecleectic and just go somewhere a
little different.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
I think you'll enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Okay, So what did you give it?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Him?
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Yeah, I'm going to give it a ten out of time.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I've really really sunk into this album over the last
few days and I'm enjoying. I'm enjoying this sort of
challenging me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, yeah, okay, cool, we'll have a bit more than
a couple of minutes. We'll listen to that. Captain Zobia
a ZODIACX Dictionary the one you recommend, Thank you, Estelle
and Steale. Clifford, our music reviewer, gives it ten out
of ten. That's Strange Vision Volume one by Polar Extremes.
Quaint is the artist behind Polar Extremes and Yeah, we'll
pay but more for you in a few minutes time.
(06:38):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to news talks that'd be from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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