STREAMING AUDIO INTERVIEW

Dance music and heavy metal; for most it’s a bit like chalk and cheese, but not for Kiwi drum & bass live act Shapeshifter. Turning heads recently when they were selected by US hard rock titans Tool to support them at their Myer Music Bowl show in Melbourne earlier this year, it was another stunning achievement in a long line of accolades.

No one does drum & bass quite like Shapeshifter, and their reputation as a solid live act is known around the globe. In their native New Zealand they’re mainstream superstars, with gold selling albums to their credit and sold out tours up and down the country. Since relocating to Australia they’ve continued to work hard at refining their sound, and in January released ‘Soulstice’, their most accomplished album to date.

About to hit the road for a national tour, ITM’s Angus Paterson recently spoke with Sam Trevethick of the band, learning what it was like to play drum & bass to a crowd of metalheads.

Shapeshifter’s album ‘Soulstice’ is out now through Pattern, distributed by Inertia. The band play shows around the country in May and June:

May 25 – Prince of Wales, Melbourne
May 26 – The Forum, Sydney
May 31 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Jun 1 – Shamrock Hotel, Brisbane
Jun 2 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
Jun 3 – Ministry of Sound Sessions, Perth