Christchurch drum and bass

c. 2000–2004 · Christchurch, New Zealand

I made drum and bass as DJ Kaps, and was the studio engineer and producer for Fabel Music, the Christchurch label Pylonz started in 2001. I also ran Hit Sound, a production studio that produced a number of CDs for Christchurch and New Zealand artists.

Shapeshifter

I engineered and produced Shapeshifter’s debut album, Real Time (Kog Transmissions, 2001), splitting most of the production with Devin Abrams. It won Best Electronic Release at the 2002 bNet Awards and was nominated for Best Electronic Album at the 2002 New Zealand Music Awards, and gave them the singles Tapestry and Move With Me (featuring Ladi6).

I also went on several DJ tours with them, which were absolutely next level: the Real Time release tour in October 2001, where I supported them at Fuel in Dunedin and Galatos in Auckland; the Re:Location Tour in 2002, before they moved to Melbourne; and a couple of others. I also supported Shapeshifter in London.

Now & Then / Sunreal

My 12” on Fabel’s Deep Needs Audio label (DNA001, 2002): Now & Then, with Sunreal on the other side. Its release party was at the Phoenix in Wellington in March 2002, with Pylonz and me on the decks.

In July 2001, Pylonz, MC Rizla and I toured the Deep Needs drum and bass compilation before it came out, including nights at the Matterhorn and Studio Nine in Wellington.

Tracks and remixes

• Deep Needs (Deep Needs Audio, 2001): Shimerah and Niteshade.
• In2Deep (Deep Needs Audio, 2002): Akatack, and The Mastery’s Corillian, which I wrote and produced. I also mixed the CD.
• Alpine Unity Passenger (Fabel Music, 2002): Transformed, which opens the CD. I engineered tracks for Otautahi Allstars and Pacific Heights on it too, and did additional production on The Upbeats’ Us Hermits.
• Pitch Black, Electric Earth and Other Elements (Kog Transmissions, 2001): a remix of Electric Earth (Part 4).

Engineering and production

• Shapeshifter, Creation, on Loop Select 002 (2001): co-producer.
• Pacific Heights, the debut EP (Reserve Recordings, 2002): co-producer, engineer and mastering. And the album Frozen Fears (2003): co-producer.
• Otautahi Allstars (2002): mixing.

All music