Tape-Echo

'Shifted' has been turning all the right heads of late. Having had releases on Mote Evolver, Syndrome Z and Project Squared, this mysterious techno craftsman has paired up with Ventress and started the 'Avian' label. The first release is by Shifted himself, a 3 track 12" of flawlessly sculpted techno. Super-clean metallics line the exosphere of the lead track. Underpinned by a weighty but slightly broken kick pattern, the space left in the middle gradually fills with some beautifully crafted sonics reminiscent of Biosphere's finest works. All this combined creates a bleak but beautiful space, the only escape from which is a synth drone that taunts the listener with the suggestion of a helping hand out of the darkness, but eventually retreats behind more delicate washes of sculpted sonics. A captivating beatless soundscape on the other side is one trip you'll want to take again and again. It gives way to the third and final track on the plate, a tuff piece of dancefloor ready techno that truly has to be heard to be appreciated. Available next week In a limited run of 300 hand stamped copies with no digital version on offer, this is one won't hang around for long, one for the true techno connoisseursŠ Tape-Echo caught up with Shifted to ask a few questions  about 'Avian', the importance of vinyl and the stomach-churning effect that illegal download sites have - Why have you chosen to keep the identity of 'Shifted' so low key? does it offer you a greater deal of creative freedom? I think people have different reasons for wanting to stay anonymous. For me it's because i'd rather have the listener take the music for what is is rather than referencing my previous work in other genres. I also think that living in an age where information on everything is so easily available, it feels nice to hold something back for myself and let people's imagination work rather than giving them everything on a platter. What influences your 'Shifted' productions? I think as an artist (if I can be so bold to call myself this) you draw influence from everywhere. But I guess if I was to pinpoint it I'd say i'm drawn to the DIY aesthetic of post-punk and industrial music, the delicate nature of early Chain Reaction, Basic Channel dub techno & the outright boldness of the mid-nineties Birmingham sound. I would not be being honest if i said i was not affected by what people like Dettmann, Klock et all are doing with the whole "Berghain" sound. Although i hate that if you're making sparse, moody techno then your instantly associated with one club in Berlin (albeit a very important one) What was it that made you want to start Avian? What is the label's manifesto? Avian was conceived by myself and my good friend Ventress, who will be doing 002. We both have similar ideas when it comes to how something should be presented, and of course the musical direction of the label. It's just nice to have total control over everything. The creative side of music does not stop when you hand over music for mastering. It feels good to hold something in your hand and know it's all you from start to finish. What's scheduled for the next release? There's no fixed schedule for the second Avian release. It will come as and when it's ready. I'll be doing more work for Mote Evolver in the meantime, with a second EP ready & lined up for release in early June. There's also an EP done for Sigha's 'Our Circula Sound' imprint & several other projects under different names coming as well. In the depths of the Beatport generation, downloads and cdj's are a massive part of the Techno and House scene. Why did you decide to to go the other way and only offer the releases on vinyl? I like the feel and touch of vinyl and actually having something physical that will still be around long after i'm gone. Having said that, i'm no purist, and play CDs a lot of the time in DJ sets. It also makes me feel physically sick when you search for a release and you have 50-plus illegal download links before a legit one. Why make it easy for them? Amen to that - Interview by Alex Digard.