SHAO MIDNIGHT MOUNTAIN MODERN SKY / VINYL, CD + DIGITAL / OUT NOW
Chinese electronic artist SHAO releases new album Midnight Mountain: a masterclass in atmospheric, polyrhythmic techno that further establishes him as one of Asia’s most singularly creative producers.
Shao Yanpeng aka SHAO, previously known under the moniker Dead J, is considered to be one of China’s most important electronic music artists.
SHAO began making electronic music in 2002. His music explores the relationship between sound and space. Tensions are interweaved with restrained emotions, and a sense of space running through the movement, can be felt – calm, solid, yet highly impressive.
Midnight Mountain is his latest studio album. SHAO’s focus with the album has been on creating a consistently immersive and tangible atmosphere, resulting in an incredibly deep and considered LP. Intricate rhythms entwine against a background of sinister, often skeletal techno, creating an all-encompassing and strikingly unique aesthetic.
The pulse of the club is sometimes present, but even when it comes to the fore in more overly ‘danceable’ tracks like Midnight Shift and Hidden Tiger, the emphasis is on considered craft rather than meaty drums and punishing basslines. SHAO’s tracks are masterclasses in hypnotic rhythms, patience and environmental control.
SHAO has released a string of albums over the years, starting with his 2005 debut Mental Imagery. In 2015 he signed on as the first Chinese artists on legendary Berlin techno label Tresor, releasing his Doppler Shift Pt.1 EP that year, following up with a full album in October 2018. He performs live set in festivals across China mainland as well as at international festivals over 20 countries.
SHAO is also a highly sought-after composer and sound designer. He was invited in 2011 by the Goethe Institute to re-compose the soundtrack for the classic German silent film Metropolis, and has an ongoing collaboration with Meng Jinghui, one of Asia’s most influential avant-garde theatre directors.
Shao Yanpeng was born in 1981 and resides in Beijing.
