Last time we saw The Shapeshifters they had been all cartooned-up, and were hurtling round a rollercoaster at breakneck speed to the strains of ‘Helter Skelter’. Many hours in the studio and a few bright sparks of inspiration later, they’re pounding dancefloors across clubland into submission once again with ‘She Freaks’; a very different but equally ferocious animal. Here, we catch up with Simon Marlin to discuss the euphoric inspiration behind the track and why 2010 felt like such a positive year behind the decks…
It’s been a busy year for you guys…any particular highlights?
Yes, it's been another great year, but I think the real highlight was that peoples’ attitudes changed for the better this year. In 2009 there was allot of uncertainty in clubland couples with a fair amount of doom and gloom, but we felt a much more positive and exciting atmosphere in clubland this summer. Gig-wise, the iTunes festival was an amazing experience, as was Pacha Ibiza and Papaya beach festival.
Tell us about the new single She Freaks…what was the inspiration behind it? Was it written with anyone/anything in particular in mind?
It is about the feeling we get at shows when we see the look of euphoria in someone’s eyes when you drop a record they love and just lose it. We get a massive buzz from that and it’s very inspirational, hence the song.
How did the track come together? Did it start with the vocal hook? The beats?
It started with a groove and the keys, then Steve Edwards came in and we thrashed out the vocal idea together and put it all down.
When you sit down to write a record, what are you trying to achieve? Does this goal differ from track to track?
With us, the goal is to always write something real and specific to our own experiences as we feel that's the only way you will truly be original in your approach and differ yourselves from all the other generic formulas out there.
As someone who’s had a No.1 record, is repeating that success always something you think about when making a track?
Never. You can drive yourself mad with that shit. Just put down what comes naturally and let the world decide its fate.
The Nocturnal Groove label has been pretty busy recently…what are your plans for the label for next year?
We are really happy with the way things have progressed with the label. Its artists and producers keep delivering and its sound is still as fresh today as ever. We have some really exciting releases lined up already for 2011 and we will just continue to support the producers we feel have something special to contribute to the scene.
Roy McLaren has a new single coming out in a couple of weeks – tell us a bit about Roy…why does he fit with the Nocturnal Groove sound?
Roy is a classic example of a young guy who lives and breathes House music. His dedication and effort is something I admire and we have watched him grow as a musician and producer since we heard something in his very first demo. He always wants to learn and keeps improving with every release and will definitely go on to great things. It's important to us that we help and support younger and more established talent as it's what will help keep the scene alive…it's not all about us!
And then next month Pookie’s mixing a Nocturnal Grooves compilation…what can we expect from that?
Pookie is another really talented individual and is one of my favourite DJs. He's mixing a CD of Nocturnal Groove back catalogue, so he is limited to the records supplied to him but he has done an amazing job. We want the world to recognise his talents and are very happy to be able to give him a platform to express himself and develop his production sound also.
What are your plans for 2011…what should we be watching out for?
Low flying aircraft and alien invasion
She Freaks is out 24th November - click to listen & pre-order and check out the promo viral here
