New Zealand's live electronic act, Shapeshifter are heading to Australia for a brief tour next month (Melbourne and Sydney only) following the release last month of their latest music video 'Oculus'.
The concept for the video, which features dancers from the IDentity Dance Crew and was filmed by Mark Russell (Renegade Peach), came from the band's guitarist, Sam 'Sambora' Trevethick. The clip takes place in the band's home town of Christchurch with a focus on the 2012 earthquake while highlighting the city's triumphant spirit.
“Christchurch got smashed [in 2012] and they are still dealing with it,” the band's vocalist P.Digsss says. “The city means a lot to Shapeshifter because that's where we first originated from. After the earthquake we went to do rehearsals there. Seeing the skyline change so much and buildings all coming down – bloody hell.
“In the video, I think [Sambora] was trying to go for a representation of the rebirth – after the rubble comes colour. Just a nice, joyous feel.
“Early on in the year, [Sambora] did a tour with one of our mates and through him he met the [IDentity Dance Crew] dancers, developed a relationship; they started talking and he was like: 'Hey man, you guys should dance in this song.' He came up with the idea and the basic concept [for the video] and boom. When we come over [to Australia] we will be playing a live version of it.”
A group who have featured on international stages such as Big Day Out and Glastonbury, Shapeshifter are eager to play in front of an Aussie audience after two years away. P.Digsss says it's been too bloody long. “You're going to get bombarded with some heavyweight bass, baby.
"[Expect some] brand new tunes, a little bit of [the] old classics revamped [and] reworked, and some bass-heavy frequency. It's all about stuff that helps you lose your inhibitions and self-consciousness to get your boogie on. In New Zealand and Australia, people dance from the f...ing get-go.”
P.Digsss says he's looking forward to sharing material off their forthcoming EP 'Break Me Down', along with new material that he teases could be the start of a new Shapeshifter album. “It's good for us to have new stuff because it gives us enthusiasm. When we're excited it comes out [in] the music. It's a good way of keeping it nice and lively.
“We listen to a lot of music and we like to keep reworking and inspiring ourselves, and then we test it out onstage to see how it sounds through a big PA on our people.
“[We'll] let out an album pretty soonish, not really in the super near future. We started the process of gathering tunes, beats and prospects. Prospecting for gold, baby!
“No doubt by summertime – in summertime you get busy. We're sort of like a faucet tap. We just turn the tap and it will start to flow and once it gets going, you're gushing mate. Before you know it, we will be chopping down songs.”
