Posted on
2023-07-14
Hey Dan, how are you? Where are you in the world right now?
Hello! I’m currently at home in Devon, enjoying a cozy moment on the sofa with my dog. It’s the perfect place to be, providing a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of my usual touring life. I moved here during lockdown to switch off from London for a bit, and haven’t left since. It’s incredibly quiet here, with barely anyone around… except a few sheep, partly why I love it.
How did London influence your sound growing up?
You’re spoilt for choice in London, and constantly surrounded by creativity so it’s hard not to be influenced! Growing up there is a producers dream really, you have access to a load of classes, clubs and music communities which you just don’t get elsewhere. When I was first getting into electronic music Plastic People (a club in east London) was thriving, that was a real game changer for me. There seemed to be no set musical sound in the club which was quite unusual. DJ’s could play whatever they wanted throughout the night and the crowd was always responsive, residents included artists along the lines of Theo Parrish, Floating Points and Four Tet… to name a few. That club really made me re-think the way I look at a DJ and the way music can be experienced. As well as of course introducing me to a ton of records I’d never heard before.
How did you discover your sound?
I think it takes a while for everyone to settle into their ‘sound’, sometimes I feel like I haven’t even found mine completely, maybe because I like to make all kinds of music (mostly unreleased). But when I was 18 or so I discovered Dilla, whose influence on me was similar to Plastic People. He made me reconsider my approach to music creation, and opened my eyes to the fascinating world of sampling. I became obsessed by the records he sampled and the ways he was manipulating them. As I got more into electronic music he introduced me to other Detroit artist like Theo Parrish, Moodymann, and that’s really how my musical journey started!
You’ve spoken about making music for the club and then making music for yourself- what are you focusing on now?
A mixture of the two… I’m currently focusing on making music that I love, regardless of whether it’s club-friendly or not. I realised during lockdown that I had gotten into a bad mindset of making music to promote myself as an artist, rather than to make music that I was passionate about. Lockdown gave me a much-needed opportunity to reset and rediscover my love of creating music. I started making music for myself again, and I quickly found that my creativity was flowing. I think it’s important to keep that spark alive, even if I’m lucky enough to call music my job!
What is your approach when producing? What’s the main thing you hope to achieve when starting a project?
I guess like my previous answer, just to create music I’m really happy with. I have no set way of starting a record, sometimes an idea sparks in my head and I have to run to the studio to get it down, other times I’ll just be messing around on a drum loop and let it evolve organically. There is never a right or wrong way to approach music and don’t think there ever should be!
What’s inspiring you at the moment? What are you listening to? Tell us more about Shake Records!
So much! It goes in waves but currently I tend to get most of my inspo from non-club related music, or sometimes even podcasts talking about music, like “this is how I made that sound”. And on a different tip to my style but the new Little Simz music vid is up there with the greatest I’ve seen.
Shake Records though is my label which were going to really elevate next year! Lots of exciting new projects on there to announce v soon !!
How do you think industry is changing for the better, and what still needs to change?
Diversity. It’s refreshing to see such a shift away from the dominance of straight, white, male figures. Particularly considering that much of the music played out historically originated from a queer underground culture. There are so many amazing artists shining through from all backgrounds of life. It’s not perfect but we’re moving in the right direction!
Within your music there is an emphasis on connection and feeling good.
Why do you think escapism is so important?
Oh that’s nice to hear! In our day and age of constant social media pressure, fast paced city life, crippling mortgages, and depending on where you are in the world… war, it’s critical to have some sort of escape, whether it a dance floor, fashion, exercise or just putting on a record. Mine is creating music, and since my mother passed away a few weeks back, touring has been a great escape.
What festivals are you excited for this summer? And finally, what’s next for you?
Ah there’s so much on this summer, I’ve had some amazing festivals already. But the ones coming up… Junction 2 line up is insane, We Out Here is always fun, Monegros Fest in the Spanish desert… lots more! I also have some really cool club shows lined up, one in Almaza Bay (Egypt), Puglia (Italy), a few in Ibiza and one of my all time fave clubs Heidegluehen in Berlin! Aside from shows I’ve got some really exiting new music and remixes which I can’t announce quite yet… but watch this space!
Words – Lo Harley
Dan Shake – Verde (Jennifer Loveless Remix)
