Chinese electronic musician SHAO prepares to release ‘Midnight Mountain‘ on Modern Sky, marking his second album since changing his artist name from Dead J.
SHAO was the first Chinese musician to release on legendary Berlin imprint/club Tresor, with 2018’s album ‘Doppler Shift‘ following the ‘Doppler Shift Part 1‘ EP in 2015. Naturally for the German techno haven, SHAO’s music is directed at somewhat gloomy 4/4 beats to lose yourself in for a few hours, and his outing on Modern Sky sees little deviation from this, seeing further refinement of his particularly cinematic strain of techno.
Throughout ‘Midnight Mountain‘ we’re treated to locked groove-esque loops, crammed full of atmospheric rustles, buoyant basslines, and firm kicks barely heard through fogged-up dancefloors in soundscape thoroughly suggested by the monochrome artwork.
‘Midnight Shift‘ shows off all these qualities at their finest on the LP: the ever-driving bass is matched by glimpses of high-pitched melody leaping up out of the darkness as the track continues through ever-intensifying rotations. As we reach the culmination of the track, the drums receive gentle modification, rolling between the beats to the benefit of the track’s smooth rhythm.
‘Midnight Mountain’ is scheduled for release 11 May via Modern Sky. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. Valley
2. Carbon
3. Drifting
4. Midnight Shift
5. Hidden Tiger
6. Unknown
7. Blurry Horse
8. Spiral & Laser
9. Bubble
10. Blue Hole On The Wall