Deadly, unmistakable, multi-faceted Techno experience More

fully realised Shedism: wonderful, diverse, multi-dimensional, personalised take on Techno, 2023 reissue More

René Pawlowitz presents himself in many different forms; whether it's as Head High, EQD, Wax, WK7, The Traveller or more recently as Hoover - he consistently, and without any fuss or hype - produces some of the most effective, qual-ity techno you can find on the planet. The Shed alias is usually reserved for his best work.

With this in mind, it really is a special event to announce this amazing new EP from Shed on Tectonic, showcasing 3 distinctive and highly effective techno cuts.

'Try' takes a broken-beat techno rhythm for it's spine - reminiscent a little of the 2008/9 dubstep/techno crossover peri-od. Tension is set with dissonant elements pulsing around swooping subs until we are saved by the heroic pads that ease in, building ever upwards to a lush finale. Close your eyes and be transported back to the rave.

'Box' is a darker, more percussive affair - claustrophobic and industrial. 130bpm 4/4 distorted kicks set the stage as frantic drum machine hats and claps crash about heavily reverb'ed ghostly samples.

Lastly we come to 'Sweep', a hypnotic bleepy roller with a bass heavy presence. As the riff loops up and over, drums build and a dissonant synth part creeps in. The not-quite 4/4 kick drives you ever forward with a gentle stumble as rat-tling hi hats flair about over head. Great finish to a great EP.


Tracklist:
A1: Try
A2: Box
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"What binds you to places? To remembering them. Places you can feel, when you feel at home. Places that affirm your very existence. This place for me is the Oderbruch. This album is dedicated to it.” – R.P. The fifth studio album by Shed aka Rene Pawlowitz centers thematically on the Oderbruch region in former East Germany where the producer and DJ grew up and continues to split his time (when not in Berlin.) Both the album and track titles as well as the artwork by Arnim To¨lke [Ectoplasma (Oderbruch)] reflect Pawlowitz’s deeply personal associations with the borderland’s marshy landscape, as well as enormous political and historical changes the region underwent as the last Eastern front during World War II – and, later, following the dissolution of the GDR. Nevertheless, Oderbruch is not a concept album. Instead, it’s an ambivalent ode to the area in which Pawlowitz’s family has lived for generations. It’s a musical reflection on place and personal history: meeting up at the local gas station, a view to the water, techno rattling the closed windows of cars peeling out toward Berlin or the next local party, cruising along rural parkways flanked by trees with fruit ripe for picking, past weeping willows and abandoned factories where industry once thrived. Outside buzzes with the sounds of nature inextricably linked with childhood memories, but also a landscape defined by the bloody defeat of the Nazis at the Battle of Seelow, ushering in the fall of Berlin and with it, the entire fascist regime. The album’s nine tracks are inspired by the intertwined nature of the subjective and historical, which ring through Shed’s idiosyncratic take on breaks, bass, techno, symphonic ventures, ambient and hardcore. But unlike Shed’s previous records, Oderbruch incorporates broad pastoral landscapes – left behind and returned to. Both fit Shed, who under various aliases (Head High, Hoover, Wax, The Higher, WK7, Equalized, The Traveller) has long influenced a number of dance music scenes in Berlin and beyond. More

Shed's pure techno power is twisted into breaky sub-bass-loaded madness by his longtime friends Modeselektor, a pairing that hasn't shared the same 12” since the very first Modeselektion. Pawlowitz's Track combines a straightforward 4/4 beat with a chopped vocal that will hypnotize just about any dancefloor into a perfect Shed-Trance, which is chopped up even further on the Modeselektor remix. Mr Bronsert & Mr Szary also replaced the 4/4 kickdrum with a booming broken beat and big breaks, sure to be spun by every creative DJ. One for the Books!
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A new release by Rene Pawlowitz, regardless if it is as Head High, Wax, EQD, WK7, The Traveller, Shed or any of his other project names, is always big news. The Dirt / Fluid 67 is the first new Shed release since his fantastic third album The Killer on 50 Weapons, released in July 2012. The single unites 2 of the main elements of the Shed sound: dry and puristic functional techno on the A-Side and UK rave euphoria on the B-Side.

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Raw killer Techno More

Red alert! One of Berlin’s most iconic and recognized underground producers is back with his new album A Sole Game. Following up 2012’s Square, Redshape continues to forge distinctly cinematic and suspenseful dance music, blurring lines of past, present and future. As a true disciple of 90’s techno, those era’s sounds have always been an essential part of his musical DNA, while ever avoiding any form of reenactment. On full-length records in particular, his tracks build dark and eerily romantic narratives of their own. In fact, A Sole Game is the first genuine Redshape LP ever. More

"When the sky turns dark, the world sounds a lot different." (De:Bug) Dark Sky represent progression. The London duo have never settled for a specific sound nor dwelled in a single niche too long. What's striking about all their releases is their passionate love for all kinds of electronic music not exclusively dance floor related. This is no different with Othona, the second album from Dark Sky on Monkeytown Records. Across nine tracks Matt Benyayer and Tom Edwards manage to reinvent themselves once more by merging contemporary techno, classic electronica and their roots in British bass music into a touching and thrilling whole. More

To mark the release of their sophomore album, Dark Sky present a pair of remixes of their latest tracks. Brace yourself for a double treat of raw dancefloor virtuosity via Miami and Munich. Omnidisc labelhead Danny Daze takes on the atmospheric march of "The Walker", creating an eerie and intensely long build-up that eventually gives way to a slamming yet ethereal EBM finish. Next up are Munich’s techno overlords the Zenker Brothers. They infuse „Kilter“ with some genuine breakbeat magic and hard-hitting industrial vibes while brilliantly reinventing the original track’s melodic themes. Spot-on. More

Moderat are back. With "Reminder" they blend the spacious, highly emotional sounds of modern electronic music with timeless songwriting. Two powerful remixes from Special Request aka Paul Woolford and Answer Code Request take the track to very different dancefloors. In his "Special Request Rework" Woolford recreates the song with a highly determined, imperious bass drum, saving the vocal for an even more effective appearance in the break of the track. The looped breakbeat and precise sound splinter from the original version, giving the track unstoppable, trashing energy, making it equally indispensable for Bass Music and for House Music DJs. Berlin's Answer Code Request is one of the artists on Berghain's label Ostgut Ton. Pursuing the opposite approach from his British colleague, Answer Code Request does not develop his remix out of a groove, but from the atmosphere, the emotional realm of the track. Artfully orchestrating shreds of Apparat's voice and a series of striking hook lines and synthesizer tracks, Answer Code Request creates one of the most pronounced Techno tracks of this season. More

Moderat is the alliance of Berlin's electronic heavyweights, Modeselektor and Apparat. Like very few other artists they manage to fuse rousing basslines and intense breakbeats with gripping songs and a highly individual voice. With "Reminder", the three give a first impression of their anticipated third album. The strikingly beautiful song takes off where their 2014 hit "Bad Kingdom" left off. Developing a very personal combination of modesty and honesty, Apparat takes his vocal style to another level. The lyrics deal with the possibility of a new beginning: Instead of blaming others, we should assume responsibility for our situation. This is a liberating experience, it empowers us to let the debris go up in flames and have them lead the way to new experiences. Modeselektor underpin the beautiful vocals with subtle percussive grooves. As the icing on the cake, gleaming synthesizer sounds immerse the voice fully. With the exclusive track "Fondle" the trio expose a seldom seen side of their music. The slow, heavy groove alternates between a deep Chicago House Sound and hypnotic, drifting Dubstep. As a counterbalance to this deeply felt rhythmical heartbeat Moderat place elegiac, spherical sound scapes, while Apparat drifts off in a remote and dreamy state. More

newcomer Gajek is being remixed by two of electronics finest: ALVA NOTO and PLAID. Need we say more? We are extremely honored to release this fantastic work on Monkeytown, not only because we are big fans of the artists but also because both remixes prove real heavyweights on their own. The tracks work very different angles: Carsten Nicolai's Alva Noto project turns the playful "Restless Water Shapes" into a stonecold dark bassline roller. You are welcomed into the sonorous temple of solemn and serious dancefloor business with a pumping kick and resonating reverb deemed to drain you of all your adrenaline. On the flip Plaid bring up your oxytocin levels with bristling euphoric electronica letting a bright light shine into every corner of your mouth. More

Dark Sky release the “Voyages” remix EP. The record comes as a two headed monster of straight 4 x 4 club music, each side rendering the UK producers´ sounds into something entirely different. Fellow Londoner Francis Inferno Orchestra concentrates on the percussive motif of the original – perversing its rattling structure into a frisky tribal house rhythm. On the flip side Redshape delivers a killer techno reworking. His remix translates “Voyages´ central moody sci-fi theme into a powerful bassline. The move proves perfect – the fizzing bass synths drive the track into prime time material. It´s no wonder the track has already been dropped by some of the big BBC radio jocks. This is one to watch.
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Howling's album Sacred Ground stands for many things at once: collaboration, improvisation, simplicity, unexpected happenstance. The original track 'Howling' exploded virally in early 2012 (via Dixon's Boiler Room set), though hardly past demo stage at the time, and proceeded to climb charts and win awards throughout electronic music. The track's two humble collaborators - singer/producer/folk-electronic artist Ry X and Âme producer/Innervisions leader Frank Wiedemann - never saw it coming. Nor did they expect that a few years later, despite being from two different sonic universes and living on two different sides of the world, their debut album would be pressed in Berlin. More

The third single taken from the album "II" featuring the original song, two versions incl. the instrumental, and the Jon Hopkins remix - 2x10 Inch single in a gatefold sleeve!

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The album pre-single "Bad Kingdom" was named "an impressive piece of electronic pop music" and "their strongest production to date". The second single "Gita" in comparison takes a much more introverted approach and reflects the more gentle and melancholic side of the project. You wont get it out of your head very easily. Hardly anybody has brought electronic music from Berlin to the farthest flung corners of the world with more passion and enthusiasm than Modeselektor and Apparat. Individually or united as Moderat, they have continuously toured the world, grew a loyal and dedicated fan base and have continued to amaze with quality releases all the way. The sophomore album „II“ is released worldwide on Monkeytown Records. For the US & Canada Monkeytown Records are proudly partnering with the legendary independent label Mute Records, in Poland the album is released under exclusive license to No Paper Records. More

Moderat are Modeselektor and Apparat. Hardly anybody has brought electronic music from Berlin to the farthest flung corners of the world with more passion and enthusiasm than these two heavyweights. Their eponymous debut album was released on April 20, 2009. Perhaps the secret of Modeselektor's and Apparat's collaboration lies in the fact that they never even tried to get close to one another. Modeselektor's thundering bass rumbles in the cellar, Apparat's sensitive and subtle melodies float high in the eaves. The fact that what one assumes to be incompatible actually communicates, is what makes Moderat so unique. Moderat is not just a studio project: with a set of visuals created for these concerts by Pfadfinderei, they toured all five continents and will do again immediately after the release of the new album. 4 years after the debut album Modeselektor and Apparat have come together once again: more mature, but not worldly-wise, wiser but not unquestioning, more experienced but without having sacrificed any of their pioneer spirit. More

For the third year in a row now Monkeytown Records proudly supports Record Store Day with a special limited edition vinyl only release limited to 500 copies. None of the tracks have been available in physical formats before, 2 have never been heard before, all are from 2013. The A Side represents Modeselektor´s 50 Weapons imprint with 2 exclusive club tracks. The Benjamin Damage album “Heliosphere” was supposed to contain “Simulation”, but the track did not get finished until mastering. SCNTST, a promising 18 years old Berliner, will release his debut album on Boysnoize Records in spring this year. His Remix for Phon.o´s album title track “Black Boulder” was available as a free download on XLR8R end of January, but now finally celebrates it´s official debut release on vinyl. The B Side represents the eclectic side of Modeselektor´s Monkeytown Records label. Mouse on Mars open with “Bonuß”, an outtake from their recently released album “WOW”. Otto Von Schirach produced an exclusive track for this release, which then got treated by label owners Modeselektor. elan, who is currently working on an album for Monkeytown Records, made “Just Like Heaven” especially for this limited edition vinyl. The vocal version of this track is planned for the forthcoming album. More