Conjured by Red Rum Touring, one of the most exciting talents in the Australian electronic scene, Charlie Shell, looks to conquer the DnB devotees in Auckland on July 12, 2025. We spoke exclusively with Sydney-based multi-genre DJ and producer, who soon pulls up at Neck Of The Woods to promote his latest single, ‘HITZ 4 THE HOOD.’ Tickets to Charlie Shell’s show in Auckland are up for grabs on Ticket Fairy.
Charlie Shell arrives as part of a recently extended ‘HITZ 4 THE HOOD’ tour of Australia and New Zealand, which sees the artist make six headlining appearances across both countries. The Australian artist announced himself into the electronic spectrum with his self-released debut album titled ‘Carpe Diem‘ (2023). His resume harbors a diverse mix of UKG, breaks, progressive tech, and house music.
He further cemented himself as an artist to keep an eye on after his April 2025 UK garage/bassline track ‘HITZ 4 THE HOOD’ (released via No Instruction Records) skyrocketed to number one on Beatport’s UKG chart. This release also gained support from the likes of Sarah Story, DJ Seinfeld, Jackie Hollander, ESC, and Groove Armada.
The concert at Neck Of The Woods in Auckland begins from 11 PM onwards, and the supporting cast of musicians includes PLASTiC POUNAMU, UKG/140 DJ RIDLER, and Jamie “Reasxn” Hutton.
“To perform at Charlie Shell’s NZ Debut is huge! From what I’ve heard, Charlie has some absolute heaters, and I can’t wait for Auckland to show him what we’re about this side of the ditch! Going as heavy as I possibly can this set, so punters beware. The fact that I’m even being billed with Reasxn and Ridler, both big artists in their own right, is crazy, and I can’t thank Redrum enough for the opportunity!” expressed PLASTiC POUNAMU.
In our chat with Charlie Shell, we delved into the inspirations behind his sound, his upcoming projects, and how a TikTok video of his performance acquired a response from folks at a record label.
TFword: Tell us what drives your creativity. Any personalities that inspire your sound?
Charlie Shell: A lot of my creativity stems from listening to my favorite artists – there is currently a lot of inspiration coming from Sammy Virji, MPH & Silva Bumpa. I’m also heavily inspired by newer styles I’ve heard in the past couple of years – there are certain Australian nuances in electronic music that I love building upon. I think we always have a pronounced ‘bounce’ in our drums, and we’re big on grooves.
TF: Can you walk us through the production of your mega hit ‘HITZ 4 THE HOOD’?
Charlie: Ironically, ‘HITZ 4 THE HOOD’ was one of the easiest records I’ve produced in the past year. I think most of it came together within a couple of days. It was late 2024, and after being hooked on the energy of Virji & IPC’s ‘Damager’, I went hunting for a hip-hop vocal with a similar vibe. A random TikTok had recently put me onto a YouTube channel full of fairly niche a acapellas, and I found the perfect one which had the ideal snappiness. Creating the call-and-response bass design was super satisfying, and it really complemented the vocal chops I used in the drop. The hardest part was staying disciplined with this record – I was so tempted to add more elements, but convinced myself to keep it simple, and I think that was a great decision.
TF: How did you react seeing the kind of response it generated?
Charlie: I have been over the moon seeing the response to the track. Funnily enough, the first couple of friends I showed the track to didn’t really say anything or react to it. I thought it was a banger, but figured I was possibly gassing it up in my own head too much. I played it out for the first time in early January, at a rooftop event with PullUp Recordings from the UK. Luckily, a mate filmed enough of it for me to post a single TikTok, which garnered enough attention for the label No Instruction to find it.
They shot me an Insta DM (‘yo is this signed?’) and the rest is history. The hype just got bigger & bigger over the coming months, as it started to fall into the hands of huge acts who played it out pre-release. I started to feel a nervous excitement, as I knew it was going to be a big hit. Eventually, seeing it played at festivals like EDC and Forbidden Forest was genuinely surreal. It warms my heart so much seeing everyone dance to my record, and playing it on tour is the most rewarding experience ever.
TF: Looking ahead, are there any upcoming projects or releases you can share with us?
Charlie: I have a really exciting single coming up in August – a collaboration with UK artist After Hours that features renowned Aussie vocalist, Asta. It sits in the more melodic wing of my project and has a super dreamy feel to it whilst maintaining a strong groove. After Hours, and I actually started the project over a year ago when I was in the UK, and it wasn’t until this year that we got Asta on board for the topline. It was my first time co-writing & recording vocals, which I found super challenging but very rewarding once we got the job done. It is a bit more housey than UKG but takes a lot of inspiration from deadmau5 & Kaskade, capturing that progressive 2000s sound with a fresh take.
TF: What can attendees look forward to from your impending session at Neck Of The Woods?
Charlie: I’ve seen and heard enough from NZ to know that they love bass, and seem particularly receptive to heavier sets than the average Australian crowd. There is definitely a heavier side to my sound that I enjoy embracing on occasion, and I think this could be the perfect audience for it. As for the DnB faithful – I’ve got you covered.
Tickets to Charlie Shell at Neck Of The Woods, Auckland, are available on Ticket Fairy
Find Charlie Shell on Spotify | Instagram
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