Shakedown (group)
Encyclopedia
Shakedown are a Swiss
musical project, known internationally for their 2002 single, At Night. By the time they started the group in 1999, Mandrax and Seb K. the two brothers blended their knowledge of Swiss
and Swedish
trance
music to form their genre, a modified balearic beat
crossed with acid house
.
and punk, made his 1984 DJ debut in a rock club
, he discovered house music 2 years into his job and felt the need to explore the sub-genre of Acid House
more.
in 1992, starting the labels
, Liquid Groove and Boombastic and with the well-known American
DJ, Mike Delgado.
and a new studio
. After a stint studying and working as a sound engineer in London, from 1993 to 1996, Seb K also returned to Switzerland and started the Bel-Air Project and the label Cornflex, which lasted from 1997 to 2000. In 1998 he released a series of well-receivedCDs
including the single Dark Jazzor, one of the earliest recorded songs to include a crossover of drum and bass
incorporated with house
.
Recognising they had developed a complementary set of skills, the two brothers created their musical project, Shakedown. They started working together by producing tracks for other artists, before beginning to record a few demo songs with artists such as Pookie and vocalist Terra Deva.
and Lausanne
, their album
, You Think You Know was released at the end of 2001 on Sony BMG.
Featuring fresh blends of electro-house, and something that could be listened to from the
living room to the dancefloor, “You Think You Know” included the huge hit and critically
acclaimed At Night.
, crossing over to national charts and peaking in the UK at 6th place with an appearance on Top of the Pops
, the first time any Swiss musicians had been on the show ever.
es for the following acts:
They also garnered success with a track produced for and co-written with Bootsy Collins
for his 2005 release (“Funky and You Know It”) and others for the band
Shakedown’s tracks have also been used in the film The Transporter 2.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
musical project, known internationally for their 2002 single, At Night. By the time they started the group in 1999, Mandrax and Seb K. the two brothers blended their knowledge of Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
trance
Trance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
music to form their genre, a modified balearic beat
Balearic Beat
Balearic Beat or either Balearic House and Balearic Trance is an eclectic blend of DJed dance music that originally emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance music that was popular into the mid-1990s...
crossed with acid house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
.
The 80s
Stephan Mandrax, a fan of new waveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and punk, made his 1984 DJ debut in a rock club
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
, he discovered house music 2 years into his job and felt the need to explore the sub-genre of Acid House
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
more.
Early 90s
Stephan moved to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1992, starting the labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Liquid Groove and Boombastic and with the well-known American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
DJ, Mike Delgado.
Late 90s
In late 1999, Stephan returned to Switzerland to set up a new homeHouse
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
and a new studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. After a stint studying and working as a sound engineer in London, from 1993 to 1996, Seb K also returned to Switzerland and started the Bel-Air Project and the label Cornflex, which lasted from 1997 to 2000. In 1998 he released a series of well-receivedCDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
including the single Dark Jazzor, one of the earliest recorded songs to include a crossover of drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
incorporated with house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
.
Recognising they had developed a complementary set of skills, the two brothers created their musical project, Shakedown. They started working together by producing tracks for other artists, before beginning to record a few demo songs with artists such as Pookie and vocalist Terra Deva.
Early 2000s
After a year of recording sessions in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, their album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, You Think You Know was released at the end of 2001 on Sony BMG.
Featuring fresh blends of electro-house, and something that could be listened to from the
living room to the dancefloor, “You Think You Know” included the huge hit and critically
acclaimed At Night.
At Night
“At Night” became a 2002 dance anthemAnthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
, crossing over to national charts and peaking in the UK at 6th place with an appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, the first time any Swiss musicians had been on the show ever.
Other Work
They produced remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es for the following acts:
- Mirwais (“I Can’t Wait”)
- Mousse T (“Fire” and “Cos I’m Cool”)
- Royskopp (“Eple”)
- Les Rhythmes Digitales (“Jacques Your Body”).
They also garnered success with a track produced for and co-written with Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
for his 2005 release (“Funky and You Know It”) and others for the band
In popular culture
Also demonstrating widespread appreciation for the songs the brothers have created,Shakedown’s tracks have also been used in the film The Transporter 2.