Evoke Audio is a leading light in west Auckland’s audio post-production landscape, and an example of the innovative businesses that already make Te Kōpua Henderson a creative hub.

Founded by Matt Eller and Ricky Simmonds in 2019, Evoke Audio is a place where sound is crafted with passion and precision. The company’s philosophy revolves around enhancing and elevating stories through sound, whether it's for film, television, advertising, podcasts, or online content.   

“We both have audio backgrounds, and were doing stuff separately,” says Matt. “Around mid-2019, Ricky was doing a lot of post-production work and said, ‘it would be great to have an extra pair of hands.’” 

The business has grown quickly since, moving into Te Kōpua Henderson – where Te Puna Creative Innovation Quarter is based – in 2021. Matt says: “West Auckland has a lot of industrial spaces on offer, rather than being in the city where it can get quite expensive. 

We really wanted to start from the ground up, and the commercial lease space [we found in Te Kōpua Henderson] was definitely the best option for us. We knew that if we got the space correct, everything else in our workflow would be a lot easier when it came to recording.

Evoke Audio has invested in state-of-the-art facilities designed to meet the highest industry standards. This setup allows Matt and Ricky to handle complex projects with ease, delivering exceptional sound quality across various media formats. 

This includes being commissioned by Weta Workshop to deliver a 12-minute audio play for The NZ Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata in Le Quesnoy, France which marks New Zealand's efforts to help liberate the town at the end of World War One 

“We were tasked with doing the casting, voiceover direction and sound design to deliver a 7.1 surround sound experience,” says Matt. “That was an amazing boost to our portfolio.” 

Looking ahead, Evoke Audio has plans to expand and tap into Te Puna Creative Innovation Quarter’s network of talent and likeminded businesses, and the opportunities Matt believes it will create. 

“We want to be able to build up and extend our space, have potential space that other creators can use, and also bring in some staff.”   

Te Puna Creative Innovation Quarter is really exciting. There's not really anything like this in New Zealand, and west Auckland makes a lot of sense [as a base] with the number of films that are getting made out here. I'm glad that it’s moving forward, because it will provide so much opportunity for everyone.