John Digweed’s Bedrock kick-starts another year with a label debut from Canada’s Shelley Johannson. A chance meeting with John at last summer’s Veld Festival led to the Toronto-based artist exchanging emails and sending him some new tracks she’d just finished. The rest, as they say, is history. Shelley has previously released on Sian’s Octopus Recordings and also recently created a guest mix for ‘Transitions’ Episode 681.
Shelley is apparently cut from the cloth of the new generation of global techno artists who channel the spirit of classic and timeless music, update it and create new possibilities for the future. Her dancefloor-driven attitude showcases a creative palette that aims to stand for pure quality and originality, as she possibly walks her own path towards a bright and creative musical future.
Shelley's EP opens with the heavy kick-led, stripped-back, percussive energy of ‘Broken City’, a track topped with a dose of analogue squelch and evocative vocal snippets. ‘Nocturnal Bright’ maintains the focus on a percussive groove, but ups the energy levels and adds some melody to the proceedings. ‘Slow Rise’ rides a tricky tightrope - building tension as the dark and dirty beats spark subtle melodic motifs throughout, creating an emotive edge. Closing out the EP, title track ‘Tribaltone’ is an ever-evolving, percussive workout.
It’s out now, check it out below.
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