Source: Promo
Booka Shade’s eagerly anticipated new album, Galvany Street, is fast approaching. As is their live performance at Printworks on Friday 7th April. I had a chat with them to discuss the new additions to their live act and how it’s all going to play out with a total reinvention of Booka Shade.
Exploring a completely different direction for this album, Booka Shade has brought in a vocal element from the likes of Craig Walker; ex-singer of 90’s band, Archive. Booka Shade explains how they’ve grown tired of the tech-house scene and have looked for inspiration elsewhere, to the likes of disco and 80’s new wave.
“With Galvany Street, we feel that we have succeeded in finding a new territory for Booka Shade. After more than ten years, the time has come to reinvent ourselves in order to keep the music interesting. Over the years we have explored tech house in depth and created our own trademark sound. And the fact that some of those songs still stand the test of time is phenomenal. At the moment we feel that we have said it all, in the field of tech house. We are now interested in bringing in a universal song structure. Now is the time to shake it all up!”
‘Babylon’, the first single off the new album is available to listen to via Spotify. Listen to the track commentary from Booka Shade in the video below.
Obviously adding a vocal side to Booka Shade will produce a completely different sound for them, but they are keen to remain forward thinking and have set out to create a timeless album, that can only add to their back catalogue of classics.
“Nine of the ten songs on the album feature vocals. Alongside the seven with Craig Walker, we also have Australian talent Yates who features on a song called ‘Peak’, and London-based Daniel Spencer sings on ‘Broken Skin’.”
“You can hear the 80’s new wave and early 90’s Manchester rave influences; it’s not difficult to spot that we love The Cure and New Order, but it’s very important to us that we don’t have a retro sounding album. Our aim is always to create a sound that is classy and timeless.”
Despite the new album being a complete reinvention for Booka Shade, there are elements of the sound that will continue to honour their earlier productions and speak to the current fanbase.
“Although we have a very different sounding album, there´s always going to a certain Booka Shade touch to our productions. The two instructions we followed for the album were; no typical Booka Shade synth riffs, and no four to the floor techno! That´s not to say that we have left the dance floor, it’s just rather disco than techno.”
Having only celebrated the ten year anniversary of their seminal album ‘Movements’ last year, with a string of live shows, Booka Shade promises to bring an entirely new live experience for the tour of ‘Galvany Street’.
Source: Gemma Bell
“Playing live will now feel more like a band, with Craig singing and playing the bass. The shows will obviously focus on the new album, but of course, we will also present some of the classics! They sound very fresh in the new arrangements that we will be playing… it will be a very special experience to play a concert at Printworks in London”.
The first release of tickets for Booka Shade’s performance at Printworks have now sold out, but the second release is now available.
Booka Shade at Printworks Tickets
Source: Promo
