Two Shell – ‘Two Shell’ review: playful, experimental dance music heralding a daring new era

25 October, 2024

Two Shell, photo by press

“Who actually are Two Shell?” It’s possibly the most frequently asked question amongst dance music fans since the mysterious group burst onto the scene with 2022 garage-pop hit ‘Home’. The group have never revealed their real identities, instead giving a handful of anonymous interviews – even being rumoured to hire actors to masquerade as Two Shell and play pre-recorded DJ sets.

Their elusive anonymity arguably adds to their mass appeal. They represent the everyman in the dance music world; someone who can not only enjoy club tracks, but also make it big by producing them. On their debut album, ‘Two Shell’, one thing is abundantly clear: a typical Two Shell track is immersive, experimental and playful, rejecting the rigid categorisation of dance genres.

Two Shell’s production shines. ‘hurt somebody’ is an almost 6-minute long song featuring striking synths and syncopated drum patterns, wistfully placed behind a looped vocal singing “can I really hurt somebody?” – enough to send a clubber into hypnosis on the dancefloor. Meanwhile, ‘inside’ captures emotional duality with its uplifting melodies juxtaposed against a more introspective undertone, inviting listeners into a reflective space.

The album also brings heat and pace by fusing popular dancefloor genres. ‘Be somebody’ brings elements of hyperpop, garage and broken beat together using a fragmented, pitched-up vocal sample against a rhythmic drum pattern. Meanwhile, ‘Mirror’ is a speedy track which takes the pace of electro and melds it with glitchy techno-like sounds and off-kilter beats, to maintain a body-moving flow.

Two Shell have a knack for using bold, attention-grabbing samples – the kind that interests not only eagle-eyed WhoSampled heads but also major-label lawyers with prestigious clients. ‘round’, a chopped-up and warped track using vocals from the Sugababes’ 2002 hit ‘Round Round’, was teased to fans during their DJ sets and always reportedly got roaring reactions. Excitingly, the Sugababes’ original (and current) lineup of Mutya, Keisha, and Siobhan re-recorded their vocals especially for Two Shell, placing a lot of faith in Two Shell and their sampling abilities.

There is slight room for improvement; these songs could be better stylistically blended and harmoniously married to make a more cohesive body. The jump from the frivolous, bouncy end notes of ‘rock solid’ is overly juxtaposed by the airy synth work at the start of ‘hurt somebody’, giving the flow of this album a slightly jarring feel.

Yet credit must be given for the album’s suitability to its intended home: played out through a sound system to sweaty, hedonistic crowds. At a time when dance music is becoming faster, sillier, and all-round headier, the overall sonic identity of ‘Two Shell’ is a true marker of the times. Packed with USB-ready tracks that are energetic and experimental, ‘Two Shell’ positions the enigmatic group as flag-bearers of a daring new era.