Photo: Press (Shinedoe)
In 2015, it was virtually impossible to escape Bicep’s edit of “Gotta Let You Go”, an energised tune by Dominica which has since become a cult classic. If that has sent young ravers to check out the original song’s video, they were in for a surprise: One of the dancers might have looked familiar. “It’s great to see music made in that era is still doing well nowadays”, says Chinedum Nwosu who has since then moved on to bigger things and became known as Shinedoe shortly after ending her career as a professional dancer to focus on DJing and later producing. However, the Intacto co-founder lives very much in the now, as can be heard in her contribution to our Groove podcast which sees the Dutch producer playing some recent favourites. Just like the releases on Intacto, it’s very much Techno – but with the soul added that some people find lacking these days.
After four years of professional dancing as a teenager, you abruptly ended your career and started DJing instead. What prompted that move?
As a dancer in electronic music, it was important for me to dance to the music that I feel and love. At a certain point, the sound changed in the club scene - Trance music was coming up here in the Netherlands and I was just not feeling it. So I decided to stop. At that time, I also was buying records, playing at home and making mix tapes. When I stopped, there was a gap of one year before i start DJing which happened because of a friend of mine, Ricardo, who heard a mixtape of mine and introduced me to his friend Jodee, who invited me to play at his night club Ja, and from there the ball started rolling. To see the crowd being happy and enjoying my sets made me feel confident and at that point I knew this was my new calling. It was a spontaneous natural flow. I never planned or thought I would be working now as a full time DJ, producer and label owner.
Between 1997 and 2000, you have also DJ’d under the pseudonym Black Magic Queen and focused on Drum’n’Bass, a genre which has currently seen a revival of sorts. What would it take for you to pick up Drum’n’Bass DJing for you again?
It will take a good sound system, working turntables, and a promoter who really loves Drum’n Bass. Then I will play a one-off special set. At home I still have an amazing Drum’n’Bass vinyl collection which contains music by Photek, Source Direct, Adam F, Ed Rush, Dillinja, to name a few. My love for this genre will never die, it still sweeps me of my feet.
Together with 100% Pure founder Dylan Hermelijn alias 2000 And One, you run the Intacto label. You’ve mentioned that one of your goals was to help unknown artists grow. What does a young artist have to bring to the table to be considered for an Intacto release?
For us it’s important that artists have their own identity in the productions. Each release on our label is different, but still there is an underground feeling to it. If you look at our catalogue, we have released music from many diverse artists. The music we want on our label is Techno with soul. We are also open for other genres of electronic music as long we have a ”yes” feeling.
Your latest release on Intacto release is called Ark Of The World – a very evocative, if not biblical title. What were the themes that inspired it?
I was brought up with religion, and have always been interested in the spiritual side of the world. Once I’m in the process of producing, the titles come naturally. So all elements are in one ark, one can’t be without the other, even if we try to separate or cut off each other, we are all in the Ark of the World.
In 2007, your mix for Fuse used a DJ Bone speech on the lack of soul within the dance music scene at that time. Ten years on, what has changed – for better or worse?
The DJ Bone speech is still relevant, especially when he says “who programs who” and “are you funky with the machines or do the machines make you funky”. I think that dance music is becoming more artificial - there is far more emphasis on marketing and branding, other things have become more important than the music. As an artist it’s important to be strong and believe in your art. I believe Soul makers are still there. As he says, “This is our live love and passion, we live for this shit”. And that is the reason why I still DJ and produce music.
Last but not least: Where can we see you behind the decks in the forthcoming months – and what are your plans for the future as a producer and label owner?
I have a South America tour coming up in the cities of Bogotá, Cali and Medellín in Colombia, Reef Roatan Festival in Honduras, Gem Festival in Georgia, Into The Factory Festival in Sweden. And also at Tresor, Berghain and more clubs. I feel really blessed with these upcoming gigs.
Stream: Shinedoe – Groove Podcast 109
01. Tobias – In Between (Ostgut Ton)
02. Santorini – Wax not Wax (OUT-ER)
03. Franco Cinelli -nfiltrate (Esperanza)
04. Gonzalo MD – Alpha Modex (Valent rmx )(Extrasolar)
05. Abstract Division – Activated (Dynamic Reflection)
06. Discrete Circuit – Scratching the Surface (Beardmen)
07. Hybrasil – Rassor (Intacto )
08. Truncate – Process (Blueprint)
09. Shinedoe – Tunnel (Materia)
10. Rod – Nitecollage (Klockworks)
11. Cosmin TRG – In Your Body (Sportive)
12. Shlomi Aber-XY Play (Nonplus)
13. 2000 and One – Get Down (Leni Faki Hardspace Remix) (Figure)
14. Carl Taylor – Good Vibrations (EPM Music)
15. Damon Wild_Tim Taylor-Bang the Acid Rebanged-Echoplex Remix (Missile )
16. Fanon Flower- Heat Barrier (Planet Rhythm)
17. Atoll – Home (Intacto )
18. Johnny Island – Sunway (Smagrad)
