Caru and Brandn Shiraz released one of the best projects in New Zealand music this year — but it sounds like it was made a thousands of kilometres away from here.
Upon first listening to Back 2 Back, you might think you’ve discovered a forgotten mixtape from the heyday of UK garage, when the electrifying subgenre broke into the mainstream in a major way around the turn of the century.
But Back 2 Back is actually the work of two hustling, talented Tāmaki Makaurau musicians, who just so happen to have a deep fondness for the timeless sounds of UKG.
“I think I would describe it as UK dance music through the lens of somebody that’s grown up in Aotearoa,” Caru tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “I’m deeply inspired by UK dance music and its history… but I’m trying to infuse that sound with my own influences growing up here in Aotearoa…”
The result is a vibrant collection of tracks that reveal Caru and Brandn Shiraz as a perfect sonic partnership, the latter’s confident flow sliding effortlessly over the former’s preternatural production skills.
Both musicians have been on our radar for a while.
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Caru — aka Carl Ruwhiu — has been one of the most in-demand producers in Aotearoa for almost a decade. He formed sleek synth-pop duo Imugi 이무기 with Yery Cho, the pair gaining some momentum with streaming hits like “Greensmoke” and “Be Here Soon”.
Since Carl became Caru a few years ago, both his prolificacy and versatility have been remarkable: his Bandcamp features exhilarating remixes of everyone from Anika Moa to Aaradhna to Nesian Mystik.
Shiraz, meanwhile, is one of the best young lyricists in Aotearoa hip-hop. The Cook Island native was given high praise by Korean-New Zealand rapper Hans. in 2023.
“There’s a lot of really talented hip hop artists in NZ, but I always looked at Brandn as a sort of bar. I really respect the consistency in quality and how each project/release feels like a level up… the inner hip hop head in me definitely sees Brandn as a huge inspiration,” he told us at the time.
And when we revealed our 80 Best New Zealand Albums of the 2020s So Far list earlier this year, Shiraz’s self-titled debut album made it all the way to No. 71.
“Shiraz drops memorable verse after verse about what it’s like to be be part of the Pacific diaspora in Aotearoa, combining with guests including Diggy Dupé to create slick tracks that prove the hype is real,” we wrote.
Caru and Brandn Shiraz are now taking their joint project to The Others Way 2025, which is taking over Karangahape Road in their hometown tomorrow (November 28th).
We caught up with the pair for a special Others Way edition of our Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists series to find out more about their collaboration, influences, and whether they’re working on more music together.
The Others Way 2025 takes place on Saturday, November 29th across Karangahape Road, Auckland. Ticket information can be found here. Stream Caru and Brandn Shiraz’s Back 2 Back EP here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
Brandn Shiraz: I used to download mixtapes off DatPiff. I’d get into an artist like Lil Wayne and then just have every mixtape I could find of theirs. I swear some of them weren’t even official projects. Regardless though, those types of projects would always have an element of rawness to them, or some of the hardest bars.
Caru: I think music had a huge influence on me from early on. My dad and my older brother were in bands and I was being exposed to all kinds of music around the house. As a teen, I loved collecting music and digging for weird and obscure stuff online. Making beats just became a hobby of mine that I got a bit too carried away with.
What artists influenced you growing up?
Brandn Shiraz: Lil Wayne, Kanye West. When you’re mad young you don’t necessarily understand everything the artist is saying but the music just gives you a certain feeling. I try to do the same thing every time I step into the booth.
Caru: There are far too many to list here, but when I first heard Home Brew it blew my mind and changed my relationship with music in a way. I think that when I was young I was convinced that “good” music was something that came from overseas. Hearing Home Brew just completely obliterated that idea, and I felt like I had never connected with music so deeply.
What are some career highlights so far?
Brandn Shiraz: These upcoming festivals will be my first time doing the whole New Year’s festival run so that’s definitely something to tick off the list.
Caru: I’ll never forget the first DJ set I played in Wellington, hosted by Young Ghost & Noyer alongside Foxtrot, Shli & MC Jewels. It was the first time I had played to a packed-out venue at peak time, and it was the night that I really fell in love with DJing. It had a huge influence on me creatively.
Tell us about your latest album/EP.
Brandn Shiraz: We got our second EP, Two for Two, on the way. We’re just picking up right where we left off. Our first project, Back 2 Back, I’d say was entirely garage-inspired but with this one I think we’ve gone a bit deeper sonically. Caru for sure flexed his producer muscle on this one. Couple beat switches in there. We really tried to squeeze as much as we could into only four tracks.
Caru: Yeah, as Brandn said, we just picked up where we left off. We always planned to follow up our first project Back 2 Back, so it’s definitely come naturally. We’ve taken our time with it to really try to expand and develop on everything we did with the first project. It’s feeling like it’s a step up in every way. I can’t wait to share it with everybody. I’ll let the music speak for itself.
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
Brandn Shiraz: I think you gotta have a bit of a work ethic. You get artists that are just naturally born gifted but the artist who works harder is always gonna go further in my eyes.
Caru: I think if you’re an extroverted and agreeable person, you’re going to have a much easier time in the music industry. It’s a shame because some of the best music comes from the complete opposite types of people, and they often slip by without being noticed.
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
Brandn Shiraz: One-take raps and unpolished flows over hard beats.
Caru: I think I would describe it as UK dance music through the lens of somebody that’s grown up in Aotearoa. I’m deeply inspired by UK dance music and its history — my sound is 100% indebted to it — but I’m trying to infuse that sound with my own influences growing up here in Aotearoa and write music that’s born from our community and made for our community.
What are your goals for 2025 and beyond?
Brandn Shiraz: I wanna build more of a connection to the listener. This internet stuff is getting too crazy, we might need to go back [to] selling CDs out the car or something.
Caru: A whole lot of new music!
