The reasons why brand-new drum & bass duo Shanks want to remain anonymous are entirely based around their music. They’re not here to create mystery, but they’re here instead to build a path led entirely by the quality of the tracks they produce. Despite both their historic backgrounds which stretch through a particular scene’s pivotal involvement within electronic music, they’ve decided to embark on a journey which focuses more on expanding a catalogue which is as diverse as it is expertly created. And their current ethos is to stand behind these sounds instead of in front of them, ensuring the core of what they build is what turns heads, rather than a superficial image they’ve engineered for themselves.
This also will enable Shanks not to be reliant on their social media persona to reach fans, something they believe will remove the authenticity that comes from their experience and music. They’ve instead decided to invest more into the art, building a concept that has a 360 vision, which will become apparent as they begin releasing on the underground stalwart and Ram Records sister-label Program. It demonstrates the commitment to the music over anything else and how they plan to build their platform into something bigger than just releasing records. It’s what has led to them garnering attention from tastemakers even within their infancy – and now to their debut EP ‘The Outer Limits’ on ProgRAM.
Title-track ‘The Outer Limits’ dives in headfirst with its all-out sonic artillery, meanwhile ‘My Level’ stands firm with its blaring LFOs and tumbling breaks. ‘The Underground’ drops in fast and hard alongside stabs of percussive and crackling bass tones, as the EP pulls itself together alongside ‘F**k You’ and it’s old-school flavour. So once again, it’s time to get with the ProgRAM. This time for a masterclass with Shanks, despite it only being the very first step in their journey. You can get the new EP here.
