- The 2011-era post-dubstep revival continues.
- "If you don't know Two Shell, then you haven't been listening to the show for the past couple of years." That was Ben UFO last month, as he introduced an outrageous mix of original productions from the low-profile (until relatively recently) London duo who've been quietly churning out banger after banger of catchy UK-flavoured club sounds on Livity Sound and their own Mainframe Audio label since 2019. Each new release shows more creativity and carries more weight than the last, and their discography has become essential for any clued-in fan of UK dance music.
Two Shell's hype levels have now reached a boiling point with their latest EP, home. Previously released a few months ago as a vinyl-only white label, "home" is one of those awe-inspiring tunes that comes along every one or two years, erupts onto the DJ scene (think "So U Kno") and becomes an omnipresent force in DJ sets. Already on heavy rotation from the likes of Ben UFO, Jamie XX, Avalon Emerson and Four Tet on the festival circuit—the latter chose it to close The Hydra's colossal farewell show for The Drumsheds (which is scheduled for re-development) last Saturday night—it's unexpected, a bit silly and completely invigorating.
"home" is juke-spiked jungle pop riding high at 160 BPM, hitting like a flood of dopamine. Caffeine-jitter drums, a wobbly melody and a pitched-up vocal lifted from Chinah's "Away From Me" look back to the rich post-dubstep era (around 2011) when every new anthem was based around some audacious vocal sample. And like those tracks, "home" feels big. The duo are courting some equally large crossover success, going down the route of microsites and hotline numbers. There's a well-orchestrated but also goofy air of mystique around these two producers that echoes Jai Paul's mythmaking release campaigns of the last decade.
On the flipside, "no reply" is a slow-fast affair that throbs along to an ultra-glossy hyperpop-influenced bassline, and it stands up on its own two feet against the colossal A-side. This one's more of an edit, sampling another obscure internet pop track (Dani Sylvia's "Zachariah"). Here, a rapturous vocal chorus floats over deft bass work, with skippy drums, searing metallic snares and heavily filtered synth lines that should whip any clubnight into hysteria.
The first few Two Shell EPs featured bass-heavy, swaggering UK club music with head-turning vocal hooks, and with each record they've incorporated new influences—UK funky, garage, techno, outsider house, drum & bass, you know name it. These bursts of inspiration also come with a growing sense of humor, a lightness that feels welcome in the an otherwise often self-serious dance music scene. I saw Two Shell DJ twice in London last year, including the closing set of a heavy-duty show at Chalk Farm's Roundhouse venue, where they played eyes down, donning bucket hats and rave shades. That youthful sense of hedonism and silliness defines what makes the duo's music so instantly gratifying—you get the sense that they're enjoying it as much as you are, and the glee is contagious.
Tracklist01. home
02. no reply