Album Review: Shed - The Killer

Shed
The Killer
Rating:  Grrrr

The distressed speaker on the album cover for The Killer evokes music at its most primitive and primal, taken to the verge of collapse but still there. Over the course of now three albums, Berlin based techno producer Shed, nee Rene Pawlowitz, has taken techno to that point of collapse, crafting eerie snapshots of sound fragments, blended into dense compositions. 2010's The Traveler upended Shed's usual long-form tracks for a more pointed and direct exploration of what makes his music tick. It was an icy cold record that somehow transcended its arms length approach to draw you in and captivate. Shed's latest release The Killer, begins in the same frosty climes as The Traveler, the point of collapse reached, leaving nothing but a clear path to explore.

The Killer starts off obliquely with "STP3/The Killer," a heavily filtered voice intoning "If you do not hear this/Or that/You will not feel it," as rumbling and rolling electronics scatter over a murky, beat-less soundscape.



From there, the tracks move from the polite insistence of "Silent Witness" with its swirling synth washes over a clompy beat,



the rolling, buzzy thump of "I Come By Night,"



to the edgy, paranoid atmospheres of "Day After," disembodied robotic voices attempting to communicate but failing.



This struggle from degradation and collapse to something more stable and elegant is a theme working its way from the beginning of the album to the end. Where at first, tracks are unstable, glitchy, and lacking purpose, over time, this evolves into something more structured and meaningful. Vocals, like on "Ride On," while still clipped and repetitive, are cleaner and more direct, the rise of the synths an awakening.



Which moves the record into its back half where amorphous structures make way for planning and direction. "VIOMF/The Filler" opens the door into a heavenly battle between organs, keyboard flights, and an off-kilter two-step beat,



while closing track "Follow The Leader" climbs for methodical piano chords into an epic blast of airy techno beauty.



The Killer is a fascinating journey from the edge of destruction to the beginnings of hope. While it might sound like a clinical, depressing set of music to listen to, it is to Pawlowitz' credit that it never comes across that way. Along with Actress' masterful release R.I.P, The Killer is in league with the best techno albums of the year.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.