Booka Shade Explained

Booka Shade
Origin:Frankfurt, Germany
Genre:House, tech house, minimal
Years Active:2004–present
Label:Blaufield Music (2013–Present) Get Physical Records (2002–2013)
Website:www.BookaShade.com
Current Members:Walter Merziger
Arno Kammermeier

Booka Shade is a German house duo. It is made up of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, described as veterans of the Frankfurt electronic music scene. They have released 7 studio albums, including Memento (2004), Movements (2006), The Sun & the Neon Light (2008), More! (2010), Eve (2013), Galvany Street (2017), Cut the Strings (2018), various EPs and a mix album for DJ-Kicks.[1]

Biography

History

In the early 1990s, the duo made music under the name Planet Claire and released an album of the same name, produced by Peter Hayo.[2] The duo have stated the name Planet Claire came from a B-52's song of the same name.[3]

In 2002, the duo collaborated with DJ T and together with friends Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung aka M.A.N.D.Y. established the record label Get Physical. The Get Physical label grew rapidly and quickly became a respected name in electronic music. In 2005, Mixmag voted Get Physical as ‘label of the year’ after it became the best selling label on Beatport across all genres.[4] Artists that released on Get Physical include Trentemoller, Chelonis R.Jones, Damian Lazarus, Modeselektor and Junior Boys amongst many others[5] Booka Shade themselves started to release records on Get Physical Music from 2004.[6]

Breakthrough (2004–2006)

In 2004 Booka Shade released the album Memento on Get Physical.[7]

Their collaboration with M.A.N.D.Y. then followed, with their single "Body Language" breaking through to a global audience. The track became a club hit, the "Ibiza Track of the Season".[8] and led to Get Physical being awarded ‘Label of the Year" by DJ Magazine.[4] Resident Advisor called the song Body Language "one of the biggest releases of the year.".[9] Body Language has been used as a sample by will.i.am in the song Get Your Money from his album Songs About Girls. It also appears in the video game Forza Motorsport 2 for Xbox 360, as the M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade version. In 2016 Body Language got sampled again, this time in You Don't Know Me by Jax Jones featuring British singer Raye.

Their follow up single, Mandarine Girl, also gave them great success, to this date it is the best selling record at UK vinyl store Phonica.[10] Their 2005 singles Mandarine Girl and Body Language (with M.A.N.D.Y.) were widely played in clubs.[11] [12] and licensed on many mix CDs.

At the same time, Booka Shade performed dance music live, with shows at Sonar Festival in Barcelona,[13] with Mylo in London and a tour with Röyksopp. Booka Shade also were the opening act of a Depeche Mode concert in Berlin.[14] This led to Resident Advisor awarding Booka Shade the honour of ‘Best Live Act’ in 2006, alongside ‘Best Album’ for their new Movements album.[15]

The next album Movements was released in May 2006 and included the singles ‘Night Falls", "In White Rooms" and "Darko".[16] "In White Rooms" and "Night Falls" were the two best-selling EPs by the German distributor Intergrooves in 2006. The US music site Pitchfork placed "In White Rooms" in their Top 100 tracks of 2006,[17] whilst in Germany the end of year poll by Groove magazine selected Booka Shade to be second best Producers of the year, and Movements as one of their best albums of the year. The song "In White Rooms" was featured on – Season 2 Episode 23.

Booka Shade were featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix on July 2, 2006.[18]

2007

In 2007, Booka Shade toured the world as part of their ‘Movements’ tour, playing 150 shows in almost 20 months.[19] During this time, they released their singles "Tickle / Karma Car"[20] and "Numbers",[21] both of which found international acclaim. The latter was a single from DJ-Kicks compilation, also released in 2007[22] The album earned high praise, winning "Compilation of the Year" from DJ Mag, and coming second place in the same poll in Mixmag.

2008

In February 2008, Booka Shade released the Movements Tour Edition, which featured the original album plus live versions of the original tracks. The live tracks were recorded at their show at Pukkelpop, Belgium. The album also featured additional remixes by Hot Chip, Elektrochemie and more.[23]

In May 2008, Booka Shade released their third studio album "The Sun & The Neon Light". The album featured 14 tracks, including new versions of ‘Karma Car’ and ‘Planetary’ which had previously been released on Get Physical. "Charlotte" was the lead single from the album, released worldwide on 14 May. Both the album and single were well received in media.[24]

2010–2012

Two years later the duo released their next album ‘More!’ which received positive reviews in Resident Advisor,[25] Pitchfork[26] and Clash Magazine.[27] In 2010 they also played at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in the USA.[28] The More! album was followed by a number of single releases. ‘Home’ was released with M.A.N.D.Y.[29] on Get Physical. In 2012 Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records released ‘Honeyslave EP’ which included the lead track Honeyslave plus ‘Tomorrow Belongs To Us’ and Booka's club interpretations of both tracks.[30] These tracks also featured on Booka Shade's compilation with Pete Tong ' All Gone Ibiza'.[31] The same year, Booka Shade played a sold-out show at London's Brixton Academy with Leftfield, Laurent Garnier and M.A.N.D.Y. as part of a show to support the charity War Child.[32]

2012–2014

In late 2012, Booka Shade set up a new label imprint called ‘Blaufield Music’ . The track ‘Haleshop’ was given away for free via the band's website[33] and limited edition white-label vinyl was made available to purchase, each of which were hand-stamped.[34] As part of Record Store Day in 2013, they released a limited edition 12" vinyl[35] which featured regular vocalist Chelonis R. Jones. Booka Shade made their Coachella Festival debut in 2013.[36]

On November 1, 2013, the album Eve was released by Embassy Of Music in collaboration with the band's label ’Blaufield’.[37] This included the singles ‘Love Inc’, ‘Crossing Borders’ featuring Fritz Kalkbrenner and ‘Love Drug’ featuring Fritz Helder of Azari & III. The artwork for the album and all singles was designed by La Boca.[38] The band featured on BBC 6Music's '6 Mix' as part of their Christmas Special[39]

In late 2014, Booka Shade released the EP Line of Fire.[40] A new vocal version of the track following in early 2015 featuring the singer Karin Park.[41] As part of the partnership with Karin, Booka Shade remixed her single 'Pandora Drive'.[42] Following these singles, Booka Shade released an EP under the name Booka Shade Presents: Yaruba, which according to the band's Soundcloud "represents the dark and more clubby side of Booka Shade".[43]

Discography

Releases

Booka Shade have released nine albums of their own material. Arno has commented in several interviews that while Memento was seen as a more minimalist techno album, Movements pushed the boundaries of people's definition of genres, introducing certain vocal and synth sounds unheard of in Memento.

Several Get Physical compilations have been mixed by Booka Shade and involve material from other Get Physical artists.

Booka Shade worked with Pete Tong on his 'All Gone Ibiza' compilation series. They also released a DJ-Kicks album via Studio !K7 in 2007.

Albums

Singles / EPs

Remixes

Awards and nominations

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Booka Shade. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  2. Web site: Planet Claire – Planet Claire. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  3. Web site: Exclusive Interview: Booka Shade . Depeche-mode.com. 13 May 2016.
  4. Web site: RA: Get Physical Music – Record Label. Resident Advisor. 13 May 2016.
  5. Web site: Get Physical Music. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  6. Web site: Booka Shade. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  7. Web site: Booka Shade – Memento. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  8. Web site: DJ Awards: DJ Awards 2005. DJ Awards – Electronic Music Awards Ibiza. 13 May 2016.
  9. Web site: RA. 404.. Residentadvisor.net. 13 May 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231920/http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.asp?ID=7460. 3 March 2016.
  10. Web site: FACT mix 435: Booka Shade. FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.. 14 April 2014. 13 May 2016.
  11. Web site: CD: Booka Shade, Movements. John Burgess. the Guardian. 2 June 2006. 13 May 2016.
  12. Web site: San Francisco Bay Guardian : Article : On white planes . June 15, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014915/http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=3109&catid=107 . September 30, 2007 .
  13. Web site: RA: 2005 Sonar Prologues with Booka Shade . Residentadvisor.net . 2016-05-13.
  14. Web site: WME – Client Profiles. Wmeclients.com. 13 May 2016.
  15. Web site: RA: RA Poll: Top 5 albums of 2006 . Residentadvisor.net . 2006-12-18 . 2016-05-13.
  16. Web site: Booka Shade – Movements. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  17. Web site: The Top 100 Tracks of 2006. Pitchfork.com. 13 May 2016.
  18. Web site: BBC – Radio 1 – Essential Mix – Track listings. BBC.co.uk. 13 May 2016.
  19. Web site: RA: Booka Shade tour dates for 2007. Resident Advisor. 13 May 2016.
  20. Web site: Booka Shade – Tickle / Karma Car. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  21. Web site: Booka Shade – Numbers (DJ-Kicks). Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  22. Web site: BOOKA SHADE DJ-KICKS. DJ-Kicks. 13 May 2016.
  23. Web site: Booka Shade – Movements / The Tour Edition. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  24. News: CD: Booka Shade, The Sun & the Neon Light. Alex Macpherson. The Guardian. 13 May 2016.
  25. Web site: RA Reviews: Booka Shade – More! on Get Physical Music (Album). Resident Advisor. 13 May 2016.
  26. Web site: Booka Shade: More! Album Review . Pitchfork. 13 May 2016.
  27. Web site: Booka Shade – More!. Clash Magazine. 12 May 2010 . 13 May 2016.
  28. Web site: Booka Shade – Live at Red Rocks 05.29.10 & More. The Sound Medium. 17 June 2010. 13 May 2016.
  29. Web site: Tim Green, Jona, Monaque, M.A.N.D.Y., Booka Shade New Releases: Home Remixes Pt. 1 . Pro.beatport.com. 13 May 2016.
  30. Web site: Booka Shade – Honeyslave EP. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  31. Web site: Pete Tong & Booka Shade – Allgone Ibiza 12. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  32. Web site: Upcoming Events – O2 Academy Brixton. 02academybrixton.co.uk. 13 May 2016.
  33. Web site: Out Now: "HaleShop" – Booka Shade (Free Download) • Dim Mak. Dim Mak. 13 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923214836/http://www.dimmak.com/now-haleshop-booka-shade/. 23 September 2015. dead.
  34. Web site: BOOKA SHADE/Haleshop EP/BLAUFIELD – Vinyl Records Specialists, London Soho Vinyl Music Records – Phonica Records – Latest Releases, Pre-Orders and Merchandise. Phonicarrecords.com. 13 May 2016.
  35. Web site: booka shade – blackout – white noise . Resident-music.com. 13 May 2016.
  36. Web site: Booka Shade. jakel. 11 April 2013. Complex UK. 13 May 2016.
  37. Web site: Booka Shade – Eve. Discogs. 13 May 2016.
  38. Web site: Personal network. Site.laboca.co.uk. 13 May 2016.
  39. Web site: BBC Radio 6 Music – 6 Mix, Booka Shade's 6 Mixmas. BBC. 13 May 2016.
  40. Web site: Booka Shade New Releases: Line of Fire on Beatport. Pro.beatport.com. 13 May 2016.
  41. Web site: Booka Shade Team with Karin Park for "Line of Fire" Vocal Mix. David Garber. Thump. 13 May 2016.
  42. Web site: Premiere: Booka Shade Remix Karin Park x Pandora Drive. Clash Magazine. 27 January 2015 . 13 May 2016.
  43. Web site: Booka Shade presents: YARUBA – EP One. SoundCloud. 13 May 2016.
  44. Web site: Booka Shade DJ-Kicks – Microsite. Dj-kicks.com. 13 May 2016.

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