LC008 / shibby shitegeist

what struck me most when i first started listening to UK-based DJ/videographer siobhan mckeown‘s eccentric compilation of booty, tech and minimal is her quirk – an unrelenting silliness that continually makes you listen while you listen, all to better understand her sense of humour that dictates the construction and direction of her sound; an essential element to her musical persona, shibby shitegeist.

when i first met shibby, she was speaking at the sound in motion panel on the last day of the festival – an eclectic discussion that focused on music for advocacy. she spoke at length about a project she’s involved in, sound swarm – a sub initiative of bike bloc that uses sound to raise awareness about sustainability. we watched a video (which you can watch right here) about sound swarm taking over copenhagen, and i was truly overwhelmed by the passion that went into making the idea a reality. after listening to her vast archive of sets on soundcloud, i knew she would be a perfect fit for little city, and when i suggested a collaborative project, she said yes with the same enthusiasm and excitement that i can only imagine she puts into all her work. after gaining early notoriety for danzshlag, the minimal night (one of the first of its kind) she co-founded with bunni splanchnik in 2006, shibby has been slowly but surely developing her sound in tandem with the events she throws – danzshlag has been home to artists like dualism, doubtingthomas, tim sheridan, david last and emptyset (among many, many others). it’s safe to say that UK minimal would not be what it is without shibby and her partner in crime, bunni.

like i said, it is her ineffable quirk that fuels the intricacies of her sound, and despite the rather more serious tone of her mix for little city, that lighthearted quirk is still absolutely present, half-hidden beneath unexpected dub-influenced overtones, deep winding beats and percussive elements. those perfectly attuned and irresistibly peculiar samples still find their way in as well, filtered through familiar sounds from the likes of claire, ana+one, kate simko, eggbox, wareika and ryan crosson.

“it is deep, plodding, melodic in places, oneric… and designed with ‘after-hours’ in mind. this is the party season so there are plenty of DJs catering for the dancefloor, tend to make podcasts that are intended for home listening, and play more jackin’ tunes when i’m out” – shibby shitegeist

an integral part of the electronic scene both nationally and internationally, shibby has been a part of some really fascinating projects, and 2013 is sure to bring many more. with a handful of podcasts on the radar (next up is a mix for berlin label, plus eins), alongside her first releases and a north american tour along the east coast, it promises to be a big year for shibby, and i, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next. be sure to check her out at the links at the bottom of the page, and definitely clicky clicky some of her self-produced videos – especially tactics for counter tourism, a set of videos focused on the minimal/experimental scene. more than worth a watch.

just as an extra little something for christmas, check out this video of shibby at werk for our fam over at studiofeed.

official site :: soundcloud :: facebook :: beatport :: youtube :: tactics for counter tourism :: danzshlag