Arriving on the scene in 2008, Dunedin five-piece Six60 quickly converted the bubbling popularity of reggae, dubstep and drum and bass into a soul and rock informed sound, primed for gargantuan levels of commercial success. Capitalising on the power of social media, by 2011 they were one of the most popular bands in the country.
The mid 2000s were a particularly fertile time for local bands operating within bassy genre-busting paradigms. Building on the hard slog Salmonella Dub put in – touring the country, releasing records and making headway overseas, a second wave of bands including Fat Freddy's Drop, The Black Seeds, Shapeshifter, Katchafire and Kora had grafted their way into being the most visible live acts in New Zealand.
Universal
Sony
Columbia Four Music
Massive Entertainment
Eli Paewai - drums
Chris Mac - bass, synthesiser
Ji Fraser - guitar
Marlon Gerbes - synthesiser, samples
Matiu Walters - vocals, guitar