Shapeshifter x The Upbeats – ‘SSXUB’ EP

Two heavyweight forces from the southern hemisphere’s New Zealand, namely Shapeshifter and The Upbeats, have  collaborated to make a drum & bass slammer of an EP entitled ‘SSXUB’. Released through Truetone Recordings last Friday, ‘SSXUB’ contains five killer tracks.

Since their debut in 1999, Shapeshifter (also known as New Zealand Shapeshifter in Europe) have been building a steady fan base, winning several awards for their music back in their homeland but one has to think – when will they make the jump to the big time and conquer the world? Personally, having been a fan of their atmospheric drum and bass for years, I’d say it can only be on the horizon as they have already gained worldwide acclaim from fans for their previous album releases ‘The System is a Vampire’ in 2009 and ‘Delta’ last year.

The Upbeats are a duo that formed five years later in 2004. They have also been known to perform under the pseudonym Crushington when playing out genres other than the drum and bass they are known for. Members Jeremy Glenn and Dylan Jones, who go under the monikers of Terror Snake and Downie Wolf respectively, both have popular hits on BeatPort such as ‘Predator’, ‘Epsilon’ and ‘Def Crescent’. All three tunes are worth the time to listen if you’re into similar neurofunk/D&B artists such as Dutch powerhouse trio Noisia; fellow New Zealanders and world famous duo, State Of Mind or Ewun, now known as Kill The Noise. The Upbeats have worked with Shapeshifter previously before, aiding the production of the latter’s latest album in 2013.

‘SSXUB’ kicks off with ‘Bloodstream’ setting the tone with immensely powerful basslines from The Upbeats and the spectral sounds of Shapeshifter, all culminating in a diversely produced track designed to give you shivers down your spine and get you full of excitement. Song number two ‘Antipodes’ leans more towards Shapeshifter’s chill-out drum & bass production qualities. before the peripherals are switched to The Upbeats scuzzy drum patterns to create quite a haunting but cultivated ethereal tune that stands on its own without the need for vocal input.

‘Solitaire’, the EP’s third track, is one of most ingenious songs I’ve come across this year; both lyrically and in a compositional sense. The melody creates the track’s reclusive nature with a simplistic backdrop of synthesized chords and drum loops, as well as descriptive vocals by Paora ‘P Digsss’ Apera – the lead singer of Shapeshifter – easily painting a picture within your mind, this is a tune that can really let your imagination run wild to whilst the suppressing basslines and synth keys have you enraptured and euphoric.

Crossfading to the fourth piece of the EP, ‘Aeon Night’ is again a mixture of all the great strengths that both groups possess. The Upbeats intricate and sophisticated drum and bass style influences the core of the song and fuses with f Shapeshifter’s halcyonic sounds, reminiscent of my all-time personal favourite track from 2005, ‘Plasticworld’, crafted by influential Australian band Pendulum – the song that I used to conclude my author mix last month.

Closing out ‘SSXUB’, the final tune ‘Little By Little’ provides an aptly mellow yet climatic ending to a remarkable piece of work by the two kiwi native groups. ‘Little By Little’ takes on more of a gentle approach while still remaining true to those eerie atmospherics that become a recurring theme throughout the EP.

To sum up, ‘SSXUB’ is a masterful and exquisite EP. Maybe not one you’ll hear at the noisiest of surroundings, but nevertheless this in depth production by Shapeshifter and The Upbeats has a value still with it’s overall construction of a tranquil and pleasant aura. One of the perfect EPs to chill out to after a hard day’s work, am I right?

Check out the first track from the EP below and head over here to pick up your own copy!

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P.S. Shapeshifter’s official website is rather peculiar and also has a fun interactive aspect to it, worth checking out if you are already or becoming a fan of their music.