Browse by Artist: SHANNON, MIKE

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	Tactile Blue EP
Label:	CYNOSURE (CANADA)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	CYN 020EP

"So Cynosure's 2007 releases start off with a three-part series from Cynosure's flagship artist Mike Shannon entitled 'Tactile.' Tactile Blue is the first part in the series that features some of Mike's kicking deep minimal techno that made his reputation what it is. 'Burbuja Azul' is a hard, dirty groovin' jacker designed for burning the dancefloor. An aggressive combination of swingin' percussion and funky electro basslines that easily claim its rightful place on the A-side of this EP. The B-side 'Ghost Writer Blues' starts off with a slow introduction of intricate percussion programming interweaved with a classic melodic synth hook that doesn't let you forget. An instant classic that I'm sure will resonate on dancefloors for years to come."

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	Tactile Red EP
Label:	CYNOSURE (CANADA)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	CYN 021EP

"The second part of the Tactile series from Mike Shannon. Tactile Red features some of Mike's kicking deep minimal house that made his reputation what it is. '8bit Rojo' on side A is a hard dirty groover. Starting off as a straight-up jacker that over a three minute progression turns into a heavy peak time cut. With low rez processing throughout the percussion and overdriven subs the name of the game of this track is dirtiness. Bouncing underneath the dirt is a slick gliding bass line that slides down from 100hz to 40hz. Sure to work the dancefloor from peak time to down time. The B side 'Red Tide' is a deep headstrong slow builder that elevates like an induced acid frenzy. Rising up to a twisted break that swims in the tactile oasis and feeds the listener a sonic view of the shadowscape. Binded with a swingin' deep after hour style groove this cut is sure to keep this release a timeless one. Mike Shannon keeps pushing the direction of things using the finest elements of house and the sound design that fuels great techno. Leaving you with a sound that is familiar but not exactly something you've heard again and again."

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	Tactile Green EP
Label:	CYNOSURE (CANADA)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	CYN 022EP

"The third and final part of the Tactile Series Tactile Green features Mike's deeper, slightly melancholic deep techno house tracks. Detroit-inspired 'Devotional' starts off with an underlay of brushed snare, jazz ride loops and crispy digital atmosphere that leads into layer upon layer of warm synth that simmer and build up for minutes. Finally dropping into a 909-backed groove that drives the track to a stripped-down finish leaving only the synth bass and kick.The German slang for street organ 'Quetschkomode' is a goofy house track inspired by an off-kilter walk past an old gypsy street organ player in Deutscheland. After stumbling back to the studio, the organ somehow managed to manifest itself into the track as a crazy arpeggio-like synth line. Underlined with a shuffling slick groove that keeps things grinding over 9 minutes. Tactile Green concludes the series with a schitzo sense of humor, sadness and sonic diversity that leaves one standing on the 8am dancefloor swimming in tears of joy."

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	For A Few Euros More
Label:	DUMB-UNIT (CANADA)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	DU 023EP

"A mainstay of the Mutek stable and one of the key members of the infamous Montreal mob, Mike rides into town alone for this devastating showdown. Delivering 3 ultra-tight trax of focused funk, Shannon shows that he is on his way to becoming one of Canada's most wanted. Stripped down, laid back, but always pushing, 'For a Few Euros More' is the high noon showdown, every man for himself kind of affair. Here we witness Mike's uncanny ability to make the most out of reduced pallette and maximize it in the best of ways. Precise yet still loose and flowing it is an EP that will move even the most hardened old timer. With one foot firmly planted in the school of tight Montreal swing and the other deep in the history of Detroit and American techno; Shannon manipulates and builds his own brand of forward-thinking fusion. Tight, uncompromising and unique; 'For a Few Euros More' is ready to add fuel to your fire. When and where is up to you."

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	Memory Tree
Label:	PLUS 8 (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	PLUS 8102CD

This is Mike Shannon's third full-length album. It's been 10 years since Shannon started making a name for himself on the international techno scene as a DJ, producer and label owner (Cynosure, Revolver). Now, having recently relocated to Berlin, he's crowning his first decade of active service with Memory Tree. Shannon's music covers a broader spectrum than just minimal techno. In fact, 2005's Possible Conclusions To Stories That Never End was awash with downbeat electronica, highlighting a natural instinct for fusing rhythm and melody whatever the style or tempo. Although Memory Tree follows a more club-oriented trajectory, it retains much of the emotional response generated on Possible Conclusions and is all the better for it. As a result, Shannon has put together a collection of tunes that are simultaneously dark and soulful, staying true to his roots while embracing the future with a flurry of kick-ass, funk-inflected beats. "Beyond Incubation" ushers in the album like distant headlights -- the flickering efx slowly solidify around a lush, bass-heavy groove that transports the exquisite chord sequence ever closer. "Mercury Mile" continues the assent with a long, beatless intro dominated by a wash of static interference and squirming synths, while the molten bass and tough, angular snare lend the groove a cool electro flavor. "Wolf Module" is raw, acid-tinged techno. The stripped-down beats and racing hi-hats thrash out a treacherous path into the unknown, accompanied all the while by a dark, growling main riff. "Enero" gradually flowers into a beautifully-structured piece of uplifting techno with softly rising pads that stimulate the head and the heart. "Love Fry" is a pivotal, stand-out moment, occupying the middle ground between the contrasting musical aspects of Shannon's work. On the one hand, there are dark, engrossing synth lines, on the other, soulful, jazz-influenced elements. "Uno Para el Sol" chills things out into the realms of deep house, as a deftly-played Rhodes drifts across a shimmering sea of percussion and soft chords. "Dr. X" continues the vibe with another deep, melodic percussion sequence that bubbles seductively under the surface before "Regalos de Pandora" lets fly with a perfectly-crafted riff that echoes out into infinity. Finally, "Closed Question" rounds off the album in style with an homage to all things Detroit. Intuitive beats, evolving arrangements, homogeneous sounds and melodies -- it's all here. Memory Tree is an album of extraordinary depth and composure that will burn brightly in the techno firmament for some time to come.

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	Memory Tree
Label:	PLUS 8 (CANADA)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	PLUS 8102LP

2LP version. This is Mike Shannon's third full-length album. It's been 10 years since Shannon started making a name for himself on the international techno scene as a DJ, producer and label owner (Cynosure, Revolver). Now, having recently relocated to Berlin, he's crowning his first decade of active service with Memory Tree. Shannon's music covers a broader spectrum than just minimal techno. In fact, 2005's Possible Conclusions To Stories That Never End was awash with downbeat electronica, highlighting a natural instinct for fusing rhythm and melody whatever the style or tempo. Although Memory Tree follows a more club-oriented trajectory, it retains much of the emotional response generated on Possible Conclusions and is all the better for it. As a result, Shannon has put together a collection of tunes that are simultaneously dark and soulful, staying true to his roots while embracing the future with a flurry of kick-ass, funk-inflected beats. "Beyond Incubation" ushers in the album like distant headlights -- the flickering efx slowly solidify around a lush, bass-heavy groove that transports the exquisite chord sequence ever closer. "Mercury Mile" continues the assent with a long, beatless intro dominated by a wash of static interference and squirming synths, while the molten bass and tough, angular snare lend the groove a cool electro flavor. "Wolf Module" is raw, acid-tinged techno. The stripped-down beats and racing hi-hats thrash out a treacherous path into the unknown, accompanied all the while by a dark, growling main riff. "Enero" gradually flowers into a beautifully-structured piece of uplifting techno with softly rising pads that stimulate the head and the heart. "Love Fry" is a pivotal, stand-out moment, occupying the middle ground between the contrasting musical aspects of Shannon's work. On the one hand, there are dark, engrossing synth lines, on the other, soulful, jazz-influenced elements. "Uno Para el Sol" chills things out into the realms of deep house, as a deftly-played Rhodes drifts across a shimmering sea of percussion and soft chords. "Dr. X" continues the vibe with another deep, melodic percussion sequence that bubbles seductively under the surface before "Regalos de Pandora" lets fly with a perfectly-crafted riff that echoes out into infinity. Finally, "Closed Question" rounds off the album in style with an homage to all things Detroit. Intuitive beats, evolving arrangements, homogeneous sounds and melodies -- it's all here. Memory Tree is an album of extraordinary depth and composure that will burn brightly in the techno firmament for some time to come.

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	Possible Conclusions To Stories That Never End
Label:	SCAPE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	SCAPE 036CD

Recently relocated to Barcelona, Mike Shannon established himself as Canada's most respected techno and house DJ. Involved with the Cynosure and Revolver labels (and artists like Akufen, Deadbeat, Pan/tone), Mike Shannon himself has been actively performing and promoting a very specific genre of minimal house and techno that today is reaching a new level of awareness in the global electronic community. On Possible Conclusions To Stories That Never End, Shannon switches skins, putting aside overt techno nuances he has been punishing parishioners of the dance floor with for well over a decade to explore a different region of actualization. The album commences using field-recordings of a typhoon hitting the streets of Tokyo, and the listener is shunted into an environment where each song is chimeric conclusion bathed in a cinematic light. On "Taken Only Road" (featuring Anais) Mike Shannon's sparse, sedate jazz manifestations form with a subtle electronic prosthetic to make a seamless hybrid of haunting lyrical form and near-ambient formlessness. Anais's vocals wander from sweet supplication to a silky lament over neon throbs of heady keys dappling over a languid bass-line. Atop the springy malleable groove of "Last One Terrified," spoken word elemental Moral Undulations catalogs the soul-stunting elements in North American culture with measured but casual defiance. In addition to Anais and Moral Undulations, Toronto-based jazz drummer Tim-Stokes Reese's smooth percussion ghosts and weaves through the album, serving as beacon points to the thick narcotic groove espoused on this fourteen track offering. On "Tears" Montreal musician Patrick Watson gently flays with piano ripple in time to Reese's drum patterns to make a resoundingly emotional result. The innocuous dread that underlies many of the tracks contains trace elements of influence from cinematic composer Angelo Badalamenti, to Montreal electronic wizards Marc Leclair and Deadbeat. With releases on various imprints worldwide Mike Shannon has consistently maintained an aesthetic quality to his techno productions defining him a key player in the global circuit.

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	El Impulso
Label:	WAGON REPAIR (CANADA)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	WAG 012EP

"Active for more than ten years and one of the luminaries of the Canadian electronic music scene Mike Shannon just settled to Barcelona but left this nasty three tracker as a parting gift for his Wagon Repair buddies. Possibly Mike found quite a large cockroach population 'Under the Carpet' as he was packing his stuff cause the jumpy percussive beats, rubber bassline and staccato sounds that make up the itchy A-side track sound like those nice cohabitants had quite some busy party going on. The B-side holds two more stunners that are bound to cause some ruckus -- not only underneath the rugs but also on floors of all kinds -- with 'Global Pleasureism' boasting an addictive pizzicato synth-string melody and stepping beats plus cluttering electronic funk of 'Valence.'"

Artist:	SHANNON, MIKE
Title:	The Hang Up
Label:	WAGON REPAIR (CANADA)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	WAG 019EP

"Mike Shannon is proprietor of the Cynosure label, and a highly impressive DJ on the ones-and-twos (and sometimes threes). 'What's Your Pleasure' is a bouncing bleep minimal house cut that pays homage to early '90s DBX traxx with an underline of bubbling monophonic tweak. As the groove progresses and runs into a break, a shimmering layer of synth creeps into the mix. All whilst the groove and bleep begin to be thrown upside down. The result is a hallucinogenic combination designed for the induced dancefloor. 'Playin The Fool' follows suit of the A-side with a slightly contaminated groove. Slick synth sequences trickle into the mix over a punchy groove but yet again the sound takes a sharp left turn for moments, throwing the listener a sonic curve that could induce vertigo at the right volume. Finally, 'Suddenly Hossed' is a DJ-friendly groover that stays in the same vein, delivering tight percussion programming and ever evolving synth sequencing. If you're not careful your one drink could feel like three with this track given the right amount of power."

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