Shapeshifter is about to turn its back on summer and begin the serious business of recording. But before it begins its new assignment, there are a few students (and other types) to appease.
Founding member Devin Abrams admits his group hasn't played in Dunedin for a "couple of years" (actually, the last time Shapeshifter performed in the city was in July, 2010, at a booked-out Town Hall).
"Prior to that we hadn't been there for a few years."
Thus the band's Otago University Students' Association Orientation concert at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday, February 25, is a welcome southern sojourn.
"We feel like we haven't given Dunedin its fair share," Abrams says.
"However, in New Zealand and Australia you can definitely play too much. As much as we'd like to go out and play more, it's not the best thing to do.
"You can see certain acts in New Zealand just trying too much and becoming a commodity. But if you make yourself something special and gig less, you'll have the desire from fans to come back and see you again."
Shapeshifter's progress since it formed out of the Christchurch Jazz School in 1999 has largely been based on its live performances.
Dealing in a genre loosely defined as drum and bass, the group's music is a blend of primal beats, complicated electronic details and, more recently, soulful vocals, the addition of singer Paora "P Digsss" Apera in 2003 adding another dimension to the group, which until then had comprised the original quartet of Abrams (synthesisers, saxophone), Sam Trevethick (keyboards, guitar, percussion), Nick Robinson (bass, keyboards) and Redford Grenell (drums).
The band has built on a popularity forged, initially, under the sun and lights of various summer festivals and strengthened by a string of inventive albums, including 2006 effort Soulstice, which spent more than two months in the NZ top 20 and earned the band Album of the Year at the bNet music awards.
The band's fourth album The System Is a Vampire topped the New Zealand charts the day it was released in November, 2009, and quickly went platinum (15,000 copies were sold).
A year later, the line-up (which by then featured Johnny Hooves on drums, following the resignation of Grenell) secured a deal with London-based label Hospital Records, regarded as a key mover within UK dance music circles. Hospital Records released The System Is a Remix, featuring remixes of tracks from The System Is A Vampire.
"This year we are looking to finish our album so we are not doing as much touring as last year," Abrams says.
"It's definitely under way. We started writing in Berlin last year and have got a preliminary run of songs selected. We've just got to get on with producing those songs, so we'll be doing that from March through to September.
"We made a conscious decision to do the album in New Zealand. We'll record it in Wellington and Auckland and have it finished in September. We'd like to release it before summer but it depends on what's happening overseas with Hospital and other labels. We're just debating whether we release it worldwide at the same time as in New Zealand or release it here first."
Abrams says audiences can expect a dramatic shift in approach on the next album, which again will be released in New Zealand on Shapeshifter's own label, True Tone Recordings.
"We want to try a different direction with this album and go a little more electronic than we did with the last one. System Is A Vampire was about as 'live' as we could go.
"We all got quite inspired from being in Europe and got to see some amazing music.
"I guess when you get to this age with your band, you need to make it interesting for yourself.
"It's been 12 years now. It's been a good innings, eh?
"We are definitely a family. You are going on tour with your brothers.
"And, like with family, you know you're stuck with them."
See it
Shapeshifter, Sunshine Sound System and Nightshade perform at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, on Saturday, February 25 as part of Orientadium MMXII.
