Sam Trevethick and Dylan Jones: Double trouble

Sam Trevethick and Dylan Jones.

Sam Trevethick is eyeing up the speaker system set up on a nearby stage with a suspicious eyebrow. Just a few hours before the Shapeshifter member turns the small venue at Red Bull's Auckland studio into a heaving mass of sweaty bodies, there seems to be a problem. And Trevethick thinks he's spotted it.

He walks casually over to a subwoofer, taps it with his toe and declares: "We'll need more of these."

Yes, they will. Because he and Dylan Jones from Wellington drum and bass outfit The Upbeats are about to head out on tour together, playing in support of their recent collaboration EP SSXUB.

To play it properly, they're going to need plenty of bass power because like the EP, the shows - which will take in Dunedin, Christchurch, Queenstown, Auckland and Wellington over the next 10 days - are expected to be loud and heavy, showcasing a side of Shapeshifter fans may not have seen yet.

The idea behind the project was born during sessions for Delta, Shapeshifter's 2013 album, which was partially produced by The Upbeats.

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"There were a couple of tunes that didn't quite make the album because it didn't fit the concept of Delta, but they were good tunes," explains Trevethick. We just thought it would be so cool if we could start from scratch and there were no pre-conceptions, it was just whatever we wanted to come up with. It was very freeing."

The Upbeats helped guide Shapeshifter towards the heavier end of the dance spectrum, especially on Bloodstream, the "dancefloor banger" first single, which features vocals from Shapeshifter MC P Diggs. Jones, who is one half of The Upbeats along with Jeremy Glenn, says the two groups found the sound they came up with was a natural evolution for both groups.

"We're always very dancefloor-focused, on the heavier side of drum 'n' bass and dance music, which wouldn't really go down on a Shapeshifter album," says Jones. "It was a very collaborative effort."

Trevethick warns the results may surprise fans of Shapeshifter's more sensual material.

"This isn't Shapeshifter, it's something else: it's Shapeshifter versus The Upbeats. It's a new entity in itself."

To celebrate, the tour kicks off in Dunedin this Friday where they'll be performing separate DJ sets as well as a DJ battle and collaborations with MCs Tiki Taane and P Diggs.

"We'll be DJing first, the Upbeats will be DJing second and there'll be a cross-pollination subset, letting it flow, with no predetermined tune selection," explains Trevethick.

"We're trying to bring back the essence of the dance party and a night of music that's really carefully curated.

"It's a true representation of that soundsystem definition: you bring your tunes and your flavours and your influences and your tricks and present the best experience you can -- on a nice big soundsystem."

Let's hope they find enough subs in time. It sounds like they need them.

What: Shapeshifter and The Upbeats
On tour: September 25, 10 Bar, Dunedin; September 26 & 27, The Bedford, Christchurch; September 28, Loca Cantina, Queenstown; October 3, Powerstation, Auckland; October 4, James Cabaret, Wellington. All shows feature P Diggs and Tiki Taane.
Also: Joint EP SSXUB, out now

- TimeOut