He has researched, taught and demonstrated at museums and marae throughout the country and travelled to the Peruvian Andes to experience and research ancient indigenous sound-healing techniques.
He said his background in punk and noise bands meant he took a musical approach to taonga puoro.
"I don't really try to bring it into a modern context, it just is, living in 2015 like everybody else," he said.
Thorne will be performing Whaia te Maramatanga, a concentrated conversation between past and present and a personal exploration of the healing qualities of an ancient practice through the medium of sound.
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After a stint with When The Cat's Been Spayed in the 1990s, Yates has recorded six albums of her own and produced two Melbourne Fringe Arts Festivals.
Yates is joined on this tour by award-winning sound designer and multi-instrumentalist Craig. They will perform songs from Yates' album Archipelago.
"She co-produced my last album and she's done a lot of work as an audio engineer," Yates said. "She's also a multi-instrumentalist. I've worked with her on and off for the last 10 years."
She said Craig's touch added a lot to her own performance - "There's a lot more sonic texture ... I guess we call it 'folkatronica'."
Yates said she had not played Wanganui since 1996 when touring with When the Cat's Been Spayed. She had also never played with Thorne before but was looking forward to the tour.
"It's the whole sort of acoustic thing that we layer electronically, so there's that parallel."
-Friday, June 12 - Whanganui Musicians Club, Drews Ave, 8pm. Presale $15 from City Furniture Exchange or Gatshack. $20 door sales. Tickets also available at Eventfinder http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2015/rob-thorne-taonga-puoro-charlotte-yates-with-gil-craig/whanganui
