Selective Hearing will celebrate five years of continually impressive line-ups on Saturday 7th March, as Wire hosts a three hour set by Guy Brewer, also known as Shifted, one of the pioneers of the introspective side of modern UK techno.

Techno has enjoyed a notable surge in popularity in recent years, and both Shifted and Selective Hearing have been firmly behind this ‘new school’. While the popular conception of the genre is often of pounding, repetitive beats purely engineered for the dancefloor, Shifted eschews the ‘broken washing machine’ kick drum for a more nuanced approach, emphasising textures and sound design. For him, the 4/4 kick pattern is merely a foundation, often buried in the mix as he explores more exciting industrial and dub-laden rhythms and melodies, pushing the boundaries of what is expected of dance music. This has been a noticeable trend in Brewer’s discography, as the minimal 130bpm grooves of his 2012 release ‘Crossed Paths’ have transformed into the more experimental, bleak but beautiful double-EP ‘Arrangements in Monochrome’ released in December.

https://soundcloud.com/shifted/shifted-black-water-dialect

Brewer found fame in earlier years as one-third of drum and bass trio Commix, although the two labels he has co-founded, Avian and Mira, continue to release the best of experimental techno from London and Berlin.

The night will prove to be enjoyable yet thoughtful – a reconciliation of dark and danceable Berghain-style techno with experiments in dub and sound design.

Shifted will be supported by Selective Hearing residents Reflec, Ste Roberts, Olsen and Kahwe. Tickets are £8.

[Alexander Peel]

Photo: Korner