Barrakud Croatia 2014: Q&A with SHADED

Thousands of music lovers are set to gather from 9-16 August on the sunny shores of Zrće Beach on the island of Pag for Barrakud Croatia 2014. With 15 hours of music every day across 5 venues, beach parties, exclusive boat parties, club takeovers, intimate dinner shows and late night beach sessions, it promises to be a festival not to miss. Croatia Week caught up one of the performers making his first appearance in Croatia – SHADED.

For those readers who may not be familiar with the name ‘’SHADED’’, can you tell us more about your background, how you got to where you are now, and your style of music today?

For the past 7 or so years my musical path has lead me into the world of electronic music, mainly in the forms of house and techno. The moniker known as SHADED is home to all the groovy and electronic productions I love to create. Ever since a young age I have loved music, whether it be rock or jazz or classical. I guess I have always been very emotionally swayed by sound and rhythm. My musical journey seriously started at the age of 15 or so, through watching my father. My dad was a musician, mainly focused on rock and classic rock. I learned a lot from just watching him play the piano and guitar, and became extremely interested in diving deeper into music from there. I originally was in a rock band, but eventually quit because I didn’t feel it suited what I wanted to do musically. At the time I was experimenting with more synthesizers and drum machines, and saw my future heading in that direction. So I went off on my own learning musical sequencers like Logic and Ableton to allow myself to record all the music I was interested in producing and writing. It was a very liberating experience and led me down the musical path I am now pursuing, which is electronic music.

How did you come up with the name SHADED?

The name SHADED comes from two things. One is I always wear sunglasses, even when it is not sunny out, and back home the slang term for sunnies is “shades.” Secondly, I am very fair skinned, so I am always staying out of the sun in fear of getting too sunburnt, hence the term “shaded.” It also has some personal meaning, but it would take to long to explain, so I won’t bore you with the details!

Where can we go to find more of your music online and look out for your up coming gigs? Are you touring more of Europe this summer?

Well one of the great things about music today is it’s very easy to track down information on your favorite artists via the Internet. I post everything that is relevant to my musical career on Facebook, its the main platform to which I have information about gigs, music, photos, and travels. I also use Soundcloud to spread my music. It’s a great website to host music for free streaming, whether it be live performance mixes or actual recorded songs. The later half of the summer is busy with European travels, especially in September and October. I have had about a month off in the studio creating new music for my ongoing live show I do. But after being in the studio so long I am itching to get back on the road and test this new music out at some gigs, and to see the crowd reaction. I will be back on the road starting with The Barrakud festival in Croatia, so they will get the first taste of all the new material I have been working on in the studio. After Barrakud, the end of summer madness gets going, with a slew of club and festival gigs rounding of my European schedule.

Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/shaded_official
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SHADEDofficialTV
Giga Tools – http://gigs.gigatools.com/user/shaded

We understand this is your first time to Croatia – what else will you be planning on doing on the Island after the festival, should you get any down time?

Yes, this is indeed my first time to Croatia and I am excited! I arrive the 11th of August and head straight to the festival I believe. I will be playing alongside Dubfire and Carlo Lio for our SCI+TEC showcase. Musically it should be a great night of dancing and partying, as it always is with those guys! The next day I will stay and hopefully have time to walk around and be a tourist! One of my favorite things is being a tourist, seeing the sites, and eating the food. And hopefully I will make it to the beach for some time in the sea as I have heard the beaches are amazing there, just hope I don’t get sunburnt.

You recently released a new record ‘’Sheshe’’ on Tiga’s label, Turbo Recordings – Musically, what can we expect, and where can we go to hear this?

“Sheshe” is out now and available on all major digital music stores online. Examples of places to buy the music online would be Beatport, Traxsource, or iTunes. Also, you can go to my Soundcloud page to hear the songs as well. I have always been a fan of Turbo Recordings, so to finally be able to release a record on the label is really great. Musically the EP represents what I am aiming to play on the dance floor these days when I perform. It is techno house music with a flair for funk and swing. I wrote the record back home in Newport Beach where I grew up, so I was in a very comfortable state where I felt artistically comfortable in my surroundings. I think your environment is very important when writing music, as it dictates the mood in which the record will go, so being home made this EP very special.

Do you have a favorite country you like to play in? Or is there somewhere you haven’t been to yet, but is top of the list?

Wow, there are so many places in the world that I love to go, let alone play. Playing anywhere in South America, like Brazil or Peru, is amazing, as the crowd reaction is so warming and energetic. I also enjoy playing in Canada- Everyone in Canada seems to love to party! In regards to Europe I seem to always have amazing parties in both France and Italy. Both countries have fans that are so in tune with the music, and really have an appreciation for the electronic scene. Last time I played at Coco Rico in Riccione, Italy, I had never seen a crowd as crazy and excited as that in Europe. I get goose bumps thinking about that night! One place I would love to go is Asia and Bali. I have always been intrigued by the culture and would love to play out there, but who knows what Croatia will offer, maybe it can be become a firm favorite!

In recent years Croatia has fast become one of the top destinations for dance and electronic music festivals – what are you looking forward to the most and do you have any expectations?

I have only heard amazing things from my friends regarding the Croatia electronic scene. Mainly, I am just looking forward to a new experience since I have never. Meeting the people, eating their cuisine, and enjoying the night life of a new country seems to always be the best way to instantly get a grasp on the culture. Many have compared it to Ibiza back in the day, the way the clubs are set up and the amazing locations dotted on small islands off the coast, so it should be interesting to see how it compares, as so many festivals are happening there with some of the biggest names in Techno.