When this Kiwi live act is described in press cuttings and reviews, the words “dynamic” and “explosive” are often the first that wordsmiths go for. The only problem with these terms, aside from being repeated time and again, is that they don’t go far enough in describing the complexity of their euphonic brilliance. Almost a year ago to the day, Shapeshifter were showing The Zoo what it was like to take a chunk of New Zealand’s greatest music and plant it firmly in Brisbane for a night.
A year on and the anticipation of a great night of drum n bass hadn’t changed, just the venue had. With The Hi Fi hosting Shapeshifter for the first time (though with most members being individually familiar with the place), there was the potential for a bigger crowd and a bigger sound.
First though, it was down to Sunshine Sound System to lay the foundations of the evening and they more than answered the call to arms. With Downtown Brown manning the wheels of steel and mixing in some infectious hip hop beats, and Killa Puha and MC Switch on the mic, ushering the crowd to get some drinks down them and dance, there were few left in the crowd who didn’t feel the need to move.
Giving us the fundamentals of breaking down a track and mixing it in with some matching loops and vibes, Brown was displaying how: one track added to one track, makes one track, multiplied by the spirit of both. Trust me, it made sense at the time, and was this reviewer’s excuse for getting down to some Red Red Wine by British jamsters UB40 mixed in with some righteous hip hop flavour.
Puha and Switch also showed off their freestyling skills, getting the crowd to lift up anything so they could rhyme off about it, all to the rhythm of a reggae-inspired reworking of No Diggity. The boys weren’t just showing off their skills on the mic when it came to fresestyling, but in keeping the crowd geed up as best they could, especially when, half an hour after their due time, Shapeshifter were still nowhere to be seen.
Puha had been crying out “are you ready!?” for about half an hour, and the answer was now an emphatic and resounding “yes!” So when Tiki Taane, Shapeshifter’s touring sound man and live legend in his own right, took to his desk as his ownhis hip hop thumper R U Ready? rang out, it was clear that things were beginning to move.
A sign of just how desperate the crowd was getting for the band came as Red from the band came out and, in testing his bass drum, got an unexpectedly huge roar from the crowd. This faded into a whisper however, compared to the sound The Hi Fi made when he was joined by the rest of the boys. It was the kind of cheer that you don’t just hear, you feel, inside your head and throughout your body. The guys always look genuinely pleased to be in each city, and often say as much. Tonight was no different, because this particular city was genuinely pleased to see them.
Some old favourites got people in the mood early, with New Day Come blending seamlessly into Bring Change. If you’re a fan of these guys then you’ll know that these tracks are their old faithfuls and are well on their way to being established as Drum n Bass classics, and a staple in any serious DnB fan’s collection. They dropped these two in the same order last year and they’ll keep doing it as long as the people keep loving it. Personal favourite Electric Dream kept the Hi Fi’s sound system busy as it poured out thick bass. The signature electronica of the track had never sounded so crisp and the grinding backing synths nearly blew some hoodies off the crowd as it tore through the room. It was the kind of relentless hardcore that you can feel lift you off your feet and make you do anything but remain static.
This was mercifully followed up by some smooth liquid dnb with a jazzy edge and allowed for some slow grooning from side to side as people caught their breaths listening to Devin work his magic on the sax. But it didn’t last long as an unknown 2-step track from the new album showed off the drummer’s vast array of skills, going from a banging bass-mongering terrier of a tune to finishing in a percussive flurry of jungle floor toms.
Possibly the highlight of the night came in the form of an astoundingly explosive (yes I did just say “explosive”) version of Stryka. The 2-step intro is already powerful enough but with the added reverb and amplified bass that was latched onto it, it was the essence of cool in musical form. Hands floated in the air in front of you as you twisted your body and ground your shoulders to the techy riff laid over the top. Then the dark breakdown hits and you’re left swooning and waiting for the all-too-brief buildup which soon comes in an overwhelming wave of effects and percussion.
You watch the people as they begin to rise to their toes and lift their hands until the shockwave dealt out by the DnB climax shakes people violently; arms flailing and heads going off on neck-cracking tangents. When the 2-step kicks back in it’s even more pronounced and that’s you for the rest of the track; flipping between the two and feeling heightened all the way along.
The end of the set proper came in the form of new track Metals that gave Sam the freedom to rock out, with some punk-inspired hard and heavy guitars pounding through the equally hard and heavy DnB beats. It ended the set on a high, and left everyone wanting more, which they of course got. After some rhythmic floor stomping and chants from the crowd, they came out to finish the night with one of their more special tunes.
One is the kind of track that, if you’re a fan of Shapeshifter, is very personal but at the same time makes you feel an affinity with your fellow fan. It typified a set that had no surprises; they mostly end their encores with One. However just like the familiarity with the set itself, the track provides a warmth and respect that, coupled with the security brought about by P Digsss’ smooth vocals, culminates in a track that brings all the Kiwis home to their land, and all the rest of us yearning to visit the kind of place that could produce such musical forces of nature.
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