Messed!Up
Few New Zealand artists have crossed as many musical boundaries as Tiki Taane. A singer, producer, sound engineer, live performer and experimentalist, Taane has spent more than three decades shaping the sound of Aotearoa, becoming an influential figure in the development of the country’s bass and electronic music culture.
Taane first hit the stage in 1991 and became closely associated with Christchurch’s Salmonella Dub, initially working as the band’s live sound engineer before emerging as a vocalist and frontman. His work with the group helped establish his reputation for combining dub, reggae, drum and bass, rock and electronic sounds with a powerful live presence. He has also worked extensively behind the scenes, serving as Shapeshifter’s live sound engineer since 1999 and producing music for artists including Six60, Kora, Katchafire, L.A.B, Scribe, Savage and many others.
After leaving Salmonella Dub, Taane launched his solo career with the 2007 album Past, Present, Future. The record went double platinum, while its emotional acoustic ballad “Always on My Mind” became a #1 hit and spent a record 55 weeks in the New Zealand charts.
His career has continued to evolve across music, film and live performance. His Tiki Taane in Session with CSO project brought his songs into a symphonic setting and subsequently became a live album and award-winning documentary. More recently, his music contributed to the feature film Ka Whawhai Tonu, earning recognition for its original score.
Now Taane is bringing that eclectic musical world to Auckland Town Hall on 22 October, where he will join the Auckland Philharmonia for a special orchestral reinterpretation of his catalogue. Featuring Tali, Big Sima, Charlie and Karcia, the concert will revisit tracks including “Always on My Mind” in a full symphonic setting. With conductor Tom Rainey and the Auckland Phil behind him, this promises to be a unique meeting of bass culture, Māori musical identity, electronic experimentation and orchestral power.
