So much of our recent chat with Shelley Johannson centered around her musical roots. She opened up about the songs that made her fall in love with dance music and how they’ve made such a lasting emotional impact on her life. Her podcast One-Eighty and her Instagram feed perfectly encapsulate her love for moving forward while never forgetting where she came from. She’s a dance music encyclopedia and regularly shares her knowledge with the community.

We thought it’d be a great move to hit her and have her share her favorite classic dance tracks. It was a welcome trip down memory lane for the Toronto-based techno artist. It was also a reminder of the rich tapestry of sounds that have made up dance music for the last three decades.

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And grab a pre-save her upcoming Bedrock Records release here.

 

1. Reese - Rock To The Beat (1989)

Released on Kevin Saunderson’s KMS records this classic Chicago house cut features a slinky soulful vocal from Latonya Saunderson, Kevin’s sister. Saunderson adopted the Reese moniker for the first time on "Just Want Another Chance" in 1987. It was the first time the iconic reese bass was used in dance music, a sound that has gone on to be the foundation of jungle and D&B.

 

2. Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Watch Out for Stella Mix) (1992)

Long before Charlotte DeWitte and chart-topping remake by Charlotte de Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano, this trance classic captivated the murky warehouse dancefloors of the early 90s. The Jam & Spoon remix was released two years after the original and was much more successful than the original. The remix takes its name from Jam El Mar's daughter of the same name. While it’s not the first trance record released, it’s one of the finest examples of early trance.

 

3. Bedrock - For What You Dream Of (1993)

Written by progressive icons John Digweed and Nick Muir, the vocal that carries this rousing emotional beat into the stratosphere was written and performed by noted playwright and vocalist Carol Leeming. It was just one of the many classic dance tunes featured in the movie “Trainspotting.”

 

4. New Order - Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix) (1995)

There are few synth riffs more recognizable than the bouncing acid line from this remix. Often mistakenly called “Blood Rave” by The Crystal Method, no such song exists in their catalog. Aside from the distorted vocoded vocal version of the original’s acapella, Pump Panel’s remix bears no resemblance to the original and has become an iconic piece of dance music history all its own. 

 

5. Armand Van Helden - U Don't Know Me (1998)

Armand Van Helden sent German vocalist Duane Harden a loop of samples from “Dance With You” by Carrie Lucas, Plastic Dreams by Jaydee, and oddly a clip from 90s Nickelodeon cartoon Dexters Laboratory, to write a vocal for. What resulted was a disco house tune for anyone that has ever felt judged in their life. Thirty years later it still results in a giant dance floor sing-along.

 

6. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (1998)

This is the only release by French band Stardust, made up of Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, DJ and producer Alan Braxe, and vocalist Benjamin Diamond. The song was originally performed live by the trio at the legendary Rex nightclub in Paris. The lyrics were co-written by the bandmates, and were originally much longer. The shortened version ended up sounding like a mantra, and when completed the trio felt like they had written something groundbreaking.

 

 

7. Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat (1999)

 

Flat Beat was a wonderfully weird beat written for a loveable orange puppet named Flat Eric. Oizo thought it was just a “stupid loop” that he created solely to make Flat Eric dance in a Levi’s commercial. Oizo didn’t even consider himself a dance music producer at the time, but he unknowingly gave birth to the electro house movement several years before it had a name. 

 

8. ATB - 9PM (Till I Come) (1999)

Taken from German producer ATB’s debut album Movin' Melodies, the iconic pitch-bent synth comes from a pipe organ hook played on a guitar. The sultry suggestive vocal from spanish model Yolanda Rivera’s appearance on “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Ricky Rich and Julio Posadas. According to legend, ATB spent just a bit too much time in a studio session, giving the song it’s name 9PM.

 

 

9. Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (1999)

I bet you thought the name of this song was Zombie Nation, so did I at one time. “Kernkraft 400” had a slithery hook that was inescapable after its release. It echoed from the rave to sports arena’s around the world. It’s seeped so far into the fabric of popular culture that its become genre-less. Elements of breakbeat, trance, and german techno are all heard, but who cares what genre it is, it still slaps.

 

10. Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (2003) 

Motorcycle was a collaborative effort between Gabriel & Dresden and vocalist Jes. Released at the height of trance’s popularity, it was a crossover hit in the US and UK. It hit #1 on the US Billboard Dance Charts in 2004, remarkable for an underground record in the pre-EDM era. Proving that sometimes the best things in life come when you’re in the flow, the trip says they wrote and recorded the song in one day.

Shelley Johannson's Essential Classic Dance Playlist

Canada

Shelley Johannson

Toronto-born techno artist Shelley Johannson's musical DNA was constructed by her two raver brothers. Her earliest musical memories are of swiping house and trance CDs from them and stealing moments to hop in their car because they had the best driving music. 

Her obsession with dance music fandom bubbles up in her dynamic DJ sets and brilliant production work. The hypnotic thump of a kick drum is part of who she is. Her roots are planted in a storied time in the rave movement with a network of branches reaching skyward toward the future.

Gray Area Spotlight Mix: Shelley Johannson

“Even before I knew who the artists were, I knew that I loved that sound,” she says. “As far back as I can remember I’ve always listened to dance music. I've always been inspired by it.”

She remembers moments in her life that are attached to music with brilliant clarity. The moment she first realized she wanted to be a DJ happened on a dancefloor. She was dancing at the Toronto venue The Warehouse when her brother turned to her and told her that she should be the one DJing.

“He really planted the seed in my head and then it just felt like I should, it just felt like the right thing to do. And at that point, I was burning CDs for my friends."

She was already a collector and curator, she just needed the gear to get her going.

"I had a 98 Honda Civic hatchback. And I had this subwoofer, it took up the whole trunk, it took up the whole hatch back part of it. And people would come, like my friends, and sit in my car just to like, listen to music. And I would always have these really obscure tracks that weren't typical radio songs.” She ended selling that car to get her first set of CDJs.

Looking back is important to Johannson. Her Instagram feed is full of throwback trance and house records. And stories of visceral musical memories. Her musical history is part of the reason she created her mix series One-Eighty. The podcast is approaching 100 episodes and is a chance to showcase forward-thinking and innovative techno without forgetting where she came from.

“Every once in a while, I like to turn back 180 degrees and kind of see what my musical upbringing was and how it influenced me today. It's almost like paying respect to it. And you know, I draw lots of inspiration when I'm making music or any sort of art, from the music I used to listen to.”

She spent her childhood preparing for life as a DJ. And she doesn’t go a day without touching the decks, even if for only 10 minutes. 

“I would still DJ every night if I never played in front of a crowd ever again.”

As a producer, she’s aligned with some of the best in the game. Johannson has released on labels that would have been a dream to her as a young raver. She’s found a home in John Digweed’s Bedrock and Adam Beyer’s Drumcode. But her story of hooking up with the seminal techno label Octopus Recordings is one that every young producer should hear.

“I think it's very important to align yourself with labels that you agree with their marketing, that you play their music, and that you can also see yourself releasing on that label,” she explains.

With that in mind, she showed up at a Toronto Octopus Records showcase with an EP tailor-made for the label ready to hand over to label head, Sian. She handed it to him directly. He didn’t end up releasing that EP, but she’d made an important first step in joining the label.

“The important part was that, I had taken an initiative to show that I was interested in the music. I went to the party, I stayed at the party all night, And I actually had the opportunity to be able to introduce myself, which is always going to help a lot more than just sending a demo and having this faceless email. Sian turned turned on my first EP down. But you know, I was like, Okay, well, that's good, because every no is closer to a yes.”

She’s found another way to turn the no into a yes through her label Turn Recordings. Another nod to the 180 approach, Turn lets Johannson play by her own rules.

The debut release, "Eternity" is a diverse three-track EP that traverses her diversity as an artist. The title track is a blistering run through high-intensity techno. "Say Again" takes the producer back to her roots with a peak time melodic breakdown. And "Do You Believe" finds the perfect balance between house sensibilities and funky techno.

Johannson is a self-professed, “creature of absolute routine.” So, her process of making records hasn't changed. However, her sound has come full circle.

“I find that the past year I was making some tougher sounds. I don't think it was particularly because of the pandemic or being in lockdown or anything like that. Maybe it was a bit of a reflection of how I was feeling and it just ended up being a little bit tougher, a little bit darker, a bit faster.”

When she mentions that she’s begun to push the tempo a bit faster, she brings the conversation around to reflecting on the music that made her fall in love with dance music.

“So it's kind of funny, because I am pushing it a little bit faster. But I feel like I'm going back to my roots playing that fast. Because that's what I initially got. How I was introduced to it. That's just what the BPM was at the time.”

As much as Johannson likes to reflect on the past, the future of dance music is just as compelling. Dance music is released at a lightning-fast rate. And as more new artists enter the arena, Johansson is excited at how technology has made discovery and connection more fluid than ever.

“That's the thing about dance music, it is changing. It's always evolving. There's always something that's new about it.” She explains. “There's new technology, there's new ways that we're making music. We're more interactive with each other now than ever. And yeah, that's really exciting to me.”

Gray Area Spotlight: Shelley Johannson

Shelley Johannson's life long love of dance music permeates everything she touches. It informs her dynamic DJ sets and heart-stopping beats. 

Her deep understanding of what moves a dance floor has led to releases on Bedrock, Drumcode, and Octopus Recordings. Her sound is a reflection of the music that made her fall in love with dance music and an innate sense of what will inspire its future. Check out our interview with Shelley Johannson here! 

▪️Follow Shelley Johannson▪️
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shelley_johannson/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ShelleyMuzik
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyJohannson
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4uFRVJcNTmbyQ3VYwVlMis
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/shelleyjohannson
Beatport - https://www.beatport.com/artist/shelley-johannson/534468

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Website - https://grayarea.co

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
05:23 - Early childhood music
11:30 - Sharing music as a DJ
13:30 - 'Shivers' - Armin van Buuren
19:15 - Emotional moments while raving
23:50 - Learning to DJ
28:10 - Dream b2b
32:00 - Technological advances
34:18 - Octopus Recordings
41:38 - Her sound evolving

#grayarea #shelleyjohannson #housemusic

Gray Area Interview: Shelley Johannson

Toronto-born techno artist Shelley Johannson's musical DNA was constructed by her two raver brothers. Her earliest musical memories are of swiping house and trance CDs from them and stealing moments to hop in their car because they had the best driving music. 

Her obsession with dance music fandom bubbles up in her dynamic DJ sets and brilliant production work. The hypnotic thump of a kick drum is part of who she is. Her roots are planted in a storied time in the rave movement with a network of branches reaching skyward toward the future.

“Even before I knew who the artists were, I knew that I loved that sound,” she says. “As far back as I can remember I’ve always listened to dance music. I've always been inspired by it.”

She remembers moments in her life that are attached to music with brilliant clarity. The moment she first realized she wanted to be a DJ happened on a dancefloor. She was dancing at the Toronto venue The Warehouse when her brother turned to her and told her that she should be the one DJing.

“He really planted the seed in my head and then it just felt like I should, it just felt like the right thing to do. And at that point, I was burning CDs for my friends."

She was already a collector and curator, she just needed the gear to get her going.

"I had a 98 Honda Civic hatchback. And I had this subwoofer, it took up the whole trunk, it took up the whole hatch back part of it. And people would come, like my friends, and sit in my car just to like, listen to music. And I would always have these really obscure tracks that weren't typical radio songs.” She ended selling that car to get her first set of CDJs.

Looking back is important to Johannson. Her Instagram feed is full of throwback trance and house records. And stories of visceral musical memories. Her musical history is part of the reason she created her mix series One-Eighty. The podcast is approaching 100 episodes and is a chance to showcase forward-thinking and innovative techno without forgetting where she came from.

“Every once in a while, I like to turn back 180 degrees and kind of see what my musical upbringing was and how it influenced me today. It's almost like paying respect to it. And you know, I draw lots of inspiration when I'm making music or any sort of art, from the music I used to listen to.”

She spent her childhood preparing for life as a DJ. And she doesn’t go a day without touching the decks, even if for only 10 minutes. 

“I would still DJ every night if I never played in front of a crowd ever again.”

As a producer, she’s aligned with some of the best in the game. Johannson has released on labels that would have been a dream to her as a young raver. She’s found a home in John Digweed’s Bedrock and Adam Beyer’s Drumcode. But her story of hooking up with the seminal techno label Octopus Recordings is one that every young producer should hear.

“I think it's very important to align yourself with labels that you agree with their marketing, that you play their music, and that you can also see yourself releasing on that label,” she explains.

With that in mind, she showed up at a Toronto Octopus Records showcase with an EP tailor-made for the label ready to hand over to label head, Sian. She handed it to him directly. He didn’t end up releasing that EP, but she’d made an important first step in joining the label.

“The important part was that, I had taken an initiative to show that I was interested in the music. I went to the party, I stayed at the party all night, And I actually had the opportunity to be able to introduce myself, which is always going to help a lot more than just sending a demo and having this faceless email. Sian turned turned on my first EP down. But you know, I was like, Okay, well, that's good, because every no is closer to a yes.”

She’s found another way to turn the no into a yes through her label Turn Recordings. Another nod to the 180 approach, Turn lets Johannson play by her own rules.

The debut release, "Eternity" is a diverse three-track EP that traverses her diversity as an artist. The title track is a blistering run through high-intensity techno. "Say Again" takes the producer back to her roots with a peak time melodic breakdown. And "Do You Believe" finds the perfect balance between house sensibilities and funky techno.

Johannson is a self-professed, “creature of absolute routine.” So, her process of making records hasn't changed. However, her sound has come full circle.

“I find that the past year I was making some tougher sounds. I don't think it was particularly because of the pandemic or being in lockdown or anything like that. Maybe it was a bit of a reflection of how I was feeling and it just ended up being a little bit tougher, a little bit darker, a bit faster.”

When she mentions that she’s begun to push the tempo a bit faster, she brings the conversation around to reflecting on the music that made her fall in love with dance music.

“So it's kind of funny, because I am pushing it a little bit faster. But I feel like I'm going back to my roots playing that fast. Because that's what I initially got. How I was introduced to it. That's just what the BPM was at the time.”

As much as Johannson likes to reflect on the past, the future of dance music is just as compelling. Dance music is released at a lightning-fast rate. And as more new artists enter the arena, Johansson is excited at how technology has made discovery and connection more fluid than ever.

“That's the thing about dance music, it is changing. It's always evolving. There's always something that's new about it.” She explains. “There's new technology, there's new ways that we're making music. We're more interactive with each other now than ever. And yeah, that's really exciting to me.”









Shelley Johannson

Articles

Alexander Dias