50 Weapons; 2012

Germany’s 50 Weapons imprint, run by Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary of Modeselektor, has grown into one of the most carefully watched labels in today’s world of techno and beyond. This week, they present Shed’s the Praetorian — a 12″ sampler for his forthcoming Lp. The Praetorian has probably been my most anticipated release of our final year on planet Earth, so far. Shed is no stranger to uncharted territory, and this record feels like a guided, sonic tour across a post 2012 landscape. Though we may perceive the record as a terrestrial navigation of an unknown universe, it feels as if Shed has already been living there for years. There are limitless avenues for an attempt at dissecting the physical and technical components of this record. But I believe they would ultimately all fall short.

Speaking now specifically to the title track — the crux of this track is its ability to place me in an indescribable emotional zone. Maybe it’s because it’s winter here in Vancouver and the days upon days of non-stop rain have begun to take their toll. Or maybe, it’s because I’m just straight-up emotional. All I know is that when i’m listening, I am exactly where I need to be — a space where adjectives are no longer required, or adequate.