- When the first Wax record hit the scene roughly a year ago, it sent vibrations running through the techno community. The mysterious two track EP that appeared on the shelves of Hardwax quickly found its way in to the bags of prominent DJ's and subsequently became one of the hot must-have items of last year, appearing on charts the world over. But the mystery remained: Who was the producer behind the two-tracker? Shortly after Shed's solo album came out on Ostgut, though, people began to put the pieces together, and the unknown production finally had a face to put to the name.
20002 starts off almost exactly where you'd imagine, following the B-side of the first EP comfortably. It's shot through with a dubstep-infused diving bassline that just begs to be worked out on the largest and most robust of systems. Although it retains its signature aesthetic—grime, distortion—the downside is that there is virtually no variation throughout. Don't assume that's a bad thing, though. As much of a tool as it is a dance floor monster, it begs to be worked and layered, capable of lighting even the most reserved of DJ's sets to a crescendo of epic proportions.
The flip, however, is where Shed's brilliance is revealed. If there were a club sandwiched between Berghain and Panorama Bar that combined their two sounds and styles perfectly, this would be its anthem. Equal parts Chicago deep house and sublime dub techno, it shines where almost all releases trying to emulate the past fall flat. The bouncing sub-bassline, brilliant string wash and simplistic piano stabs make this a perfect track for a sunrise, leaving us with the hope that a third installment will be coming next year, picking up where this one has left us.
トラックリスト A Untitled
B Untitled