It’s been a dismal week to be an Aucklander who loves music, with the news that cherished Karangahape Road venue Neck of the Woods is shutting down, not to mention the closure of the popular record store Flying Out.
The only thing keeping this Auckland-based writer’s head up, amidst having to write woeful news article after woeful news article, are the great releases that keep flowing out of this city (and will continue to do so).
Case in point: Caru and Brandn Shiraz are back, baby.
Although we tipped the equally excellent Geneva AM to triumph in the Best Electronic Artist category at the recent Aotearoa Music Awards, it was still a delight to hear Caru and Brandn’s names read out at the ceremony. Their genuine shock and joy at winning was infectious, too, the pair giving one of the most pleasingly unvarnished speeches of the night.
They won that award thanks to Back 2 Back, which we hailed as one of the best projects in New Zealand music of 2025.
Two of Tāmaki Makaurau hardest-working and coolest underground musicians combined to thrilling effect on Back 2 Back, a joint effort fuelled by their love of the timeless sounds of UKG. It was the sound of two musicians trusting each other’s instincts, growing into the perfect producer and MC pairing.
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They’re now back with a follow-up EP, the aptly titled Two for Two, which is once again rooted in their love of UK dance music, drawing on broken beat, dubstep and, of course, UKG.
Some fans will already be familiar with these tracks, with Caru and Brandn unveiling their new cuts at Northern bass, Twisted Frequency, and more festivals over the summer.
“We always planned to follow up our first project Back 2 Back, so it’s definitely come naturally,” Caru says. “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.”
The EP is sonically varied, from dreamy R&B track “Best Believe”, featuring Caru’s longtime collaborator fadedpuppy (Imugi 이무기) on the chorus, to “Side A” of the title track, which nods to the pair’s fondness for jazz instrumentation.
“I always love to work with instrumentalists to write dance music, and I felt like this beat was calling for it. We sent the beat to one of the most exciting up-and-coming jazz musicians in the country — Joe Kaptein. He knew exactly what to do,” Caru explains.
Caru and Brandn are embarking on a national tour in support of their new EP, which begins tonight (June 19th) at Wellington’s Moon Bar, before heading to Auckland on July 17th, Christchurch on July 24th, and Dunedin on July 25th.
Caru and Brandn Shiraz’s Two for Two EP is out now.
