Head High

Shed is a man of action, a living example how to reinvent oneself again and again within the boundaries of electronic music. At the same time, Shed does not follow shallow trends. The Berlin-based producer firmly believes in the power of techno music. When techno was invented, Shed was not present. Born in 1975 in Frankfurt/Oder in the former GDR, he was simply too young. And also too far away from where techno was happening. As it turns out, being afar from epicentres like Berlin or Frankfurt/Main, was a blessing. Listening to the radio, Shed could absorb all kinds of music, styles and genres without being aware of the music's point of origin, the fighting and the bitching between various cities, crews and labels. Music is music. This is not only still true, but was at the time the most famous quote from Monika Dietl. She was the first DJ who played techno on the radio in Berlin. Like no one else, she was in this for new music only and perfectly ignored the past. She did not play cheesy disco classics, but focused on new tunes from Chicago and Detroit, celebrated local scenes like the Netherlands and, most importantly, played music from the UK. Shed was hooked instantly. The sample-based sound of UK-hardcore, a quick liaison with Gabba and the back catalogue of Djax Up introduced techno to him in it's purest form possible. Then he finally discovered Chicago and Detroit. Deep inside the ever-fascinating triangle of beats, breaks and samples, he today identifies 1995/96 as the most important time in Techno for him, It is this very love for the early days, for a time in which nothing had been decided yet, which is shimmering through and through on his second album for Ostgut Ton. "The Traveller" is not about the cultivated yet boring DJ-tool, but pitches those qualities of techno, which got us all going in the first place. Passion, surprise and the never-ending strive to push both the human being and the machines to the limit. It is no surprise that this passion for innovation made Shed hit the brakes in the late 90s. The more commercialised the music became around that time, the more pissed off he got. Between 1998 and 2002 he did not buy a single record. However, he never lost the love for the music, which had changed his life. He used these years to focus his own productions. Around 2000, he had finished some tracks, which combined and contained everything close to his Techno heart, things which were almost extinct in the real world. "I'm a techno-kid, through and through", he says and laughs. When he started shopping his demos around, the idea of his own label was already lurking behind the door. "I suddenly realised how important it was to really do it all by myself." What followed was not rocket science. His first EP on his own Soloaction imprint sold well, soon after that he recorded two EPs for the Amsterdam-based Delsin label, and the more he released, the clearer his musical vision became. Shed melts and merges rough and demanding dance floor skeletons with shockingly detailed melodies, harmonic structures, irresistible hooks and airy arrangements. A formula you also expose yourself to when attending one of his DJ or live gigs. A never-ending climax of the groove. Like it was in the founding days of the music, which today is a part of our culture. In 2008, Shed released his debut album. "Shedding The Past" is a monolith up to this very day, an unique musical statement. For him, the release of the album also flipped a new switch. Straight after the record hit the shelves, he started two new labels. On "Wax" and "Equalized" he has been releasing critically acclaimed dancefloor anthems ever since. An important step to clear the table. Having wiped the slate clean, he could then focus on "The Traveller", on which he presents his most radical tracks ever. Up until now, anyway..