Beyond the Drum Kit: Alistair Deverick
Alistair Deverick is a Tāmaki-based musician and sound designer whose innovative approach to rhythm, texture, and collaboration has shaped a distinctive career across New Zealand’s music and dance scenes. Known for his versatility as a drummer, producer, and the creative force behind Boycrush, Alistair blends electronic, pop, and experimental sounds in both solo projects and collaborations with acts such as Carnivorous Plant Society, Lawrence Arabia, The Ruby Suns, and Neil Finn.
His fascination with dance began after he discovered archival footage of the Limbs Dance Company. Reflecting on why it captured his attention, Alistair says, “The simplicity of the outfit. The simplicity of the lighting and the staging, and also the pace is so slow and unusual. It’s very in sync, and it’s very weird.” He draws parallels between these performances and his own work, noting the appeal of dance moves created by those who aren’t traditionally dancers, and the playful, humorous energy that permeates both.
This discovery led to a series of collaborations with the New Zealand Dance Company and choreographers like Xin Ji and Dance Plant Collective, resulting in award-winning performances and international appearances. Across live shows, recording sessions, and sound design projects, Alistair ’s dynamic range and inventive artistry have earned critical recognition, including nominations for the Critic’s Choice and Best Electronic Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
For his latest project, Body Story Alistair reimagines percussion's role on stage. “It’s kind of just, like, a very unusual-looking drum kit… lots of samples and delays. I’ve tried to make it look more like an art installation than an actual drum kit. I want people to look at the stage and wonder, ‘What the hell is going on up there?’” he explains. Working with Xin Ji, Alistair is the sole musician, responsible for generating all the music and sound live, eschewing backing tracks to keep the performance authentic and engaging.
When asked how dance influences his approach to music, Alistair notes the importance of direct communication and concrete references. “A lot of the time, if you’re using language, people don’t always mean the same thing; ‘fast’ or ‘busy’ can mean different things to different people,” he says. “I try to use references or have someone in the room with me so I can gauge what they mean. It’s about translating what’s in the choreographer’s head into something I can understand musically.”
Alistair also appreciates the freedom that comes from performing alongside a dancer. “It’s like they’re the lead singer. The dancing does a lot of the work, which lets me indulge in textures and do less, or be more experimental,” he shares. “When you’re doing music for dance, the dance is doing all that [engagement] for you. You can be a little more unusual with the sounds you use.”
Alistair ’s passion for sound design stretches beyond traditional instruments. He describes playful experiments with his son, recreating cartoon sound effects using everyday objects, a process that highlights the magic of Foley art. “If you scrape some metal over the ground, record it, and slow it down a hundred times, you end up with a texture that sounds like nothing else,” he says. “It bypasses a lot of the paths in our brains that eliminate clichés, making it easier to become emotionally attached to the sound.”
His visual inspirations for the stage are equally eclectic. From a New Zealand drummer Chris O'Connor who performs in a suit made of cans to groups like From Scratch who create instruments from pipes and jandals, Alistair seeks to break the monotony of conventional setups. “I get bored with the conventional drum kit. I’m looking for more, and that keeps me motivated to keep playing drums and trying new sounds.”
Collaboration is at the heart of Alistair ’s work. He credits Xin Ji for assembling an inspiring and generous creative team, giving each collaborator the space to define their own scope and bring their ideas to life. “Everyone involved felt like they needed to do their absolute best because the other people involved were all really cool. If you didn’t do your job well, it was going to be embarrassing!” he laughs. A memorable moment came when costume designer Steven Park discovered Alistair ’s autoharp and serenaded the team with a stunning country song. “He was incredible. He’s not even a musician, but he just played this beautiful song. We ended up buying him an autoharp!”
The Body Story creative team brought together a talented group of professionals to realise the production’s vision. Nathan Joe provided dramaturgy, and Alistair composed the music. Steven Junil Park (6x4) led costume design, while Rowan Pierce handled lighting design and Talia Pua managed set design. Qianye and Qianhe Lin created the AV design. The production team included assistant producer Pennie Chang, production manager Emmanuel Reynaud, and lighting operator Jazmin Whittall. Jinki Cambronero captured the show photography, and Rosabel Tan served as producer. The project was originally developed in collaboration with Auckland Pride 2025.
Alistair describes Body Story 0.25 as “a mini version of the full show, an unplugged version, with just me and Xin doing the music and the dance. It’s basically drums and dancing.” Above all, Alistair hopes audiences walk away with “the gift of a little calm, beautiful moment, a little chance to think about how it feels to be in your body.” In the hands of artists like Alistair and Xin Ji, music and movement become inseparable, inviting audiences into a world where rhythm, sound, and dance speak together in new and unexpected ways.
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