Gestalt Switch formed in the chilly southern city of Dunedin in winter 2002 and began to assemble an arsenal of psychedelic-rock, desert-metal, angular-pop and post-punk riffs and songs. Old friends Ashley Hinton and Blair McPhee found the perfect compliment to their Invercargill-raised twin-guitar excursions in the form of titanic drummer Sam Brookland and fluid bassist Rachael Botur, both graduates of Otago University's "Rock Course."
In 2003 the band released their debut EP Low independently, which saw lead song 'This Home' enter the playlists of student radio. In 2005 the band took a trip to the studio with Dunedin sound-guru Tom Bell and produced the Nothing EP. Also independently released this punchy five track EP contained the single 'Nothing Has Changed' which quickly became a student radio staple, as well as winning the band a Video Grant from NZ On Air.
Nothing also caught the attention of the Big Day Out organisers and in January 2006 Gestalt Switch flew up north to play on the Local Produce Stage. They were also one of only ten New Zealand bands to be invited to play the 2006 SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas. Although Dunedin proved to be too far from Austin for things to work out, Gestalt Switch has toured New Zealand three times in DIY-style, and has played alongside acts like Violent Femmes, Straitjacket Fits, The Clean, The Chills, Goodshirt and Stereogram.
In mid-2007, sick of having to travel to the North Island so much, Gestalt Switch relocated to Auckland, and now faces the prospect of having to travel just as much to see their friends in Dunedin.
The Sick Man video:
Critic Te Arohi Local Band of the Year '04.
Critic Te Arohi Local Band of the Year '05.
"Gestalt Switch ... made John Campbell cry" - Critic Te Arohi.
"The band drank Tasman Bitter and played loud" - Gyro Magazine.
"Fucking good" - cheeseontoast.co.nz
"A good band. A very good band" - Roi Colbert.
"Morbid, depressing, not what I expected from a wedding band of their reputation" - Peter Chin, Mayor of Dunedin
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_Switch
This is a band getting seriously good seriously quickly. All of their recorded material and remember Nothing only came out in spring no longer stands up to the live show. What mores to say? - Max Johns, dunedinmusic.com
It was perfect, some cool, catchy guitar rock delivered by a bright sounding Gestalt Switch. Sam Brookland drums like a madman, filling the venue with his thundering drum blasts that give Gestalt Switch an urgent feel. - D. Brown - dunedinmusic.com
