Nightshift Studios is a recording studio at 27 Whittington Avenue, Woolston, Christchurch, founded and operated by Dutch-born engineer Arnie van Bussel and in continuous operation since approximately 1976. Built around a custom-built console in a converted outbuilding at the rear of van Bussel's home, Nightshift became one of the key spaces of the New Zealand independent music scene — capturing Flying Nun's debut release (The Pin Group's Ambivalence, 1981), The Clean's Tally Ho, and a string of Bats albums across three decades, while remaining open to every genre from death metal to choral music.
Biography Art rock trio from Dunedin based around the vocals and keyboard of Emilie Smith, Tess MacKay’s industrial drumming and vocals, and the legendary…
Short-lived Christchurch group fronted by Ross Humphries after the dissolution of the legendary Pin Group and featuring a young Lyndon Frasier prior to his stint in Ballon D'Essai, plus the future Bats duo of Kaye Woodward and Malcolm Grant.
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The Alpaca Brothers were a short lived noisy post-punk band from Dunedin formed by Bruce Blucher and Nick Wilkinson in 1984, with a young Steve Cournane soon joining as drummer. The group disbanded after releasing a single EP for Flying Nun, but miraculously resurfaced recently (after a 36 year absence) with a new album.
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Junkanoo were a percussive band from Christchurch who put out a split album release on Campbell McLay's Onset/Offset label in 1986, recorded at Arne van Bussell's Nightshift Studios. The name 'Junkanoo' stems from a festival that was originated during the period of African chattel slavery in British American colonies.
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Jangly Christchurch pop from the early 1980's. The group recorded a 6 song mini-album with the intent of it being released on Flying Nun Records, however the recordings went unreleased until 2013 when it was picked up and released as a retrospective LP by German label Unwucht.
The song 'Mystery' shows the group had bags of potential.
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Trillionaires were a Christchurch institution through the late 1990s and 2000s. A covers band formed as a super-group of local musicians with the twin vocals of Ross Humphries and Nicole Moffat.
The group were known for their eclectic covers, with each song reinterpreted in their own unique style, usually as a rollicking garage rock'n'roll number, driven by the killer guitar of Mick Elborado and the rhythm section of John Christoffels (bass) and Malcolm Grant (drums).
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Celia Mancini's 'lounge band in the '80s.' A Christchurch-based group that played a variety of upmarket events with Mancini fronting a killer backing band. Unknown for many years, a recording of Bobby Hebb's 'Sonny' on the excellent 'The Celia Mancini Tapes' posthumous release in 2018.
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The very first group to record on Flying Nun Records, fronted by legendary experimental guitarist Roy Montgomery. Dark and Gloomy, evocative recordings - suitably earning the nickname 'Roy Division'.
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Christchurch trio fronted by The Puddle's Norman Dufty. Urgent, shuffling indie-rock, with warbly vocals (part Morrissey, part Stephen Cogle) and the occasional clarinet (from Dave Woods) sneaking through.
Onset/Offset Records founder Campbell McLay (bass) and Donna Lawson (drums) complete the trio; who released an LP split with Lawson's other group Junkanoo in 1986, then followed it up with a couple cassettes in 1987.
Thanks to German label Unwucht re-issuing a heap of old Onset/Offset releases their appearance on the Krypton Ten compilation is now (slightly) more accessible.
Gas were a 3 piece garage-rock 3 piece from Christchurch, featuring ex-members of The McGoohans, Drowning is Easy and Scorched Earth Policy. Formed in 1995 and ended in 2002.
Christchurch-based punky proto-grunge outfit that formed after the dissolution of Ian Blenkinsop's Drowning Is Easy, a 4-piece that featured Blenkinsop along with future Scorched Earth Policy band-mate Mick Elborado, Craig Davison and Andrew Valance. Noted rock music historian George Churton would replace Elborado on bass and eventually become the lead vocalist.
Short-lived Christchurch punky group from 1981/2, made up of a bunch of English Immigrants still not quite old enough to drink in pubs. The would form a vital cog in the story of Scorched Earth Policy and te Terminals.
The Shallows were a short-lived Christchurch trio fronted by Roy Montgomery in 1985. Backed by Mick Elborado (bass) and Mary Heney (guitar / vocals) the trio recorded and self-released a sole 7" single over a couple weeks in May, 1985.
The single was the result of a $750 government arts grant - the group laid out their exact expenses on the inside sleeve of the single.
25 Cents were known as being an impressive, ass-kicking party band in Christchurch in the early 1980's, flush with a range of 1960's garage numbers, Velvet Underground and Pere Ubu covers.
Sisters Mary and Susan Heney would go on to influential groups like Victor Dimisich Band, Scorched Earth Policy and The Terminals.
