Tpiki was recorded at Audio Foundation during the autumn recording residency in 2023.

The conceptual framework for the album is inspired by the journey Maui took to climb the 12 stairs of heaven, Te Ara Poutama. Each track covers a realm which Maui climbs to retrieve the baskets of knowledge. Each track is dubbed in three, and each track plays out to 3.33.

During its recording, the album was divided into four parts dictated by certain realms of the soul – Puku, Manawa, Korokoro and poko. These realms anchored a method of playing for both Riki and Abigail, introducing a connecting point in the philosophy of hauora and sound associated with The Four Doors of Oro.
Abigail had been researching this concept through the late Hinewirangi Kohu-Morgan. Riki suggested they integrate the four doors into the 12 steps. Matt the sound wizard set up our booth, they recorded and layered each track in