Shed _ The Killer [ALBUM REVIEW]
There are 2 approaches to this album. Sure, these tracks will sound epic LOUD, but they’re also loaded with that trippy, confusing stuff best played at “stupid o’clock in the morning”. Love that.
What time is that?
When the sun starts to peep around the windows and the music is breathes gently from the speakers. Often it’s when you are the pretty much the last one up and the sound of ran out needles are at their most beautiful. That time comes only once a day.
With not a kick in sight – STP3 – The Killer, the deconstructed introduction to the album, lays an early bed of deep bass and triplet skuzz.. Really nice. Next track – Silent Witness, has a wicked downbeat to it and a gorgeous swirling 4 note synth. Its beautiful stuff, but it soon gets wiped out by the basement thump of I come by night, which is the most straight-up Techno track on here. A moody filtered synth and hi-pitched percussion go SO well together, especially during the breaks when held frequencies are released.
I think tracks 5 and 6 – Gas up and Day After, bring us straight into Reflex / Warp territory.. which is a good thing IMO.
I don’t know whether Shed is a fan of Mike Paradinas / U-ziq or not- but lots of this remind me of his sound.. minus the humour and speed. Music for adults is always a good thing as far as I’m concerned and there’s always a warm familiarity to the gated, choppy synths found on this record.
Regardless of techno, Shed’s soulmate is breakbeat and as a consequence; groove. The shadow of that is nowhere more evident than in the delayed drum track of Phototype. Ride on is cool – but could have been 100 times more demented if it had of been dirtied up like some of the other tracks. I love the upbeat swing of You got the look.. as I do the “1-step” beats and arpeggiated synths of V10MF! _ The Filler.
It’s because I’ve really really enjoyed this album that I wonder why his reviews seem to focus on past work, alter egos and can be occasionally critical? I’m not surprised that Pawlowitz appears reluctant for straight on chats, as its pretty obvious that people need little encouragement to fill in the gaps. Nothing is to be gained from regurgitation or the encouragement of faux mystery.
It’s a good job that the music can give us the final word.
Is it good? Yes. It’s class.
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Shed’s The Killer is out now
Hard: http://www.juno.co.uk/products/the-killer/452789-01/
Music production and history are my biggest passions in life.
Though people often say that Techno is faceless and should be about the music blah, blah, blah.. I believe in the need to document the people and stories behind it. Techno is a very small world in reality and I think it needs a proper resource.
I hope that everyone who is interested in Techno finds this blog accessible in terms of the way that it is written. I personally prefer to hear the artists voice as loud as the music and never enjoy synopsised and pasteurised versions of old conversation; the sort that's peppered with the occasional quote here and there.
