New York, NY (Top40 Charts) PIECE OF ME is
Simon Shackleton�s first artist album in over a decade, and is the first full-length release under his own name with his new sound. Previously renowned for his award winning eclectic and bass heavy style as Elite Force, he recently began producing under his given name, taking several steps back from making music specifically for the dancefloor. Simon�s latest incarnation is a much more soulful and lyrical venture. Rich and varied, it it ranges from driving Chemical Brothers-esque techno to indie-infused rock-tronica with comparisons that range from
Pink Floyd to Underworld. This defiantly independent and unique album is as likely to win over listeners from the indie world as it is from the electronic one.
All the programming, live performance (vocals / guitars), engineering, photographic manipulations and production are Simon�s own. The making of this album mirrored massive changes in his personal life creating an emotional connection with the music. PIECE OF ME is a perfect title for a body of work that�s exactly that. It's electronic music with heart and soul.
Simon Shackleton has an illustrious history in the music industry dating back 25 years when he left Exeter University with a Masters Degree in classical composition. He has played and recorded in bands such as The Headless Chickens with the likes of
Thom Yorke (Radiohead), and got his start as a DJ alongside Felix Buxton (Basement Jaxx) during the early �90s acid house revolution. Since then he�s enjoyed a successful career under a number of guises including Elite Force, Lunatic Calm and Zodiac
Cartel winning several prestigious awards along the way, most notably for his Revamped Series. His music has been featured in over 40 movies (including the original Matrix), dozens of TV shows and adverts, and a plethora of game soundtracks including Shockwave, which he co-wrote with the likes of multiple Oscar-winner
Klaus Badelt (Pirates of the Caribbean).
PIECE OF ME will be released �unbundled� commencing with the title track on 30th May. One track will be unveiled every week thereafter until the full album, in its entirety, is released in physical format on 8th August. In tandem, there will be a Pledge
Music campaign, starting 9th May and culminating with the official full album release, as a means of sharing the journey, passion, and ownership of the Piece of Me project with Simon�s highly engaged and supportive fan-base. Pledgers will be entitled to a whole host of exclusives including Simon�s own dancefloor friendly remixes, video updates, making of content, and pre-releases of the individual tracks as the campaign unfolds.
Currently,
Simon is working on combining his budding photographic career (https:// simonshackleton.smugmug.com/) with his musical one as demonstrated in the official video for �Piece of Me�, and across all of the album's artwork. He is also developing a cutting edge live-show that will blend those two facets in a multi-media style, which he will launch towards the end of 2016. His One Series events, a musical journey on a truly epic scale with a 6 to 7-hour DJ set (One DJ, One Room, All Night https://
www.simonshackleton.org/theoneseries/) epitomize his passionate and community orientated spirit, continuing to cultivate a devoted following of participants and creative collaborators all over the world.
ELITE FORCE PRESS QUOTES
"This is one of the single most important, captivating and crucial mixes / album of the new decade (It�s a big and very long call, I know, we�ve got 9 years until the 20�s) not just for breaks, but for the dance music scene as a whole, it�s a signal of what is capable when you throw in innovation, experience and pure class. I have high hopes that Re:Vamped will re-invigorate a genre that many have missed." [InTheMix Magazine, AUSTRALIA]
"Thanks to Elite Force, we have entered a whole new paradigm in mashupology ... he has created a collection of numbers that sound like original compositions, such are the intricacies of his tailoring. Think less mash-up and more electronic investigation, this won't lose momentum anytime soon" [iDJ Magazine (album reviews)]
"One of the most consistently innovative and hard-working producers out there ... from dubstep to tech-funk, this electrifying bunch of ace mash-ups mixed into a coherent, genre-traversing blend is a must-have" [DJ Magazine (album reviews)]
"The originator of the anti-genre DJ-style 'tech-funk' takes the realms of cross-genre production to another effortless high with Re:Vamped. In a nutshell, this kicks. 5/5" [Mixmag Reviews]
"Hands down the most powerful release at the turn of the new year. Elite Force shows that he's at the forefront of change and innovation in a branch of scenes that need a boost of adrenaline and a dash of the unique." [Knowledge Magazine]
"Elite Force's work maintains a dedication to quality that has somewhat depleted amongst his digital peers. For that reason alone he remains an important and unique figure within dance music and as long as he continues to push boundaries and re-write the rulebook, he will continue to be treasured for a long long time." [iDJ Interview]
"I've been waiting for this release and these tunes for a long time. The whole project is like a one big joy and it is all about everything i love in dance music. But here apart from from previous EF elements and sounds like breaks, techno, electro etc, he injects some dubstep mentality and bass power into his music world and this is absolutely lethal mixture. Monstrous monstrous package, every tune is superb. " [Laif Magazine, Poland]
"That is one hell of a Dubstep track in 'Shaolin Style' !" [Core Magazine]
"Whhooooaaaaaaaaa, big up's posse in effect. This is f*cking magnificent. Cheeky, dirty and just pure and simple Grade A. I really cant pick just one track that I like best, they are equally god damn amazing!!!" [EQ Magazine]
"The tracks all grab you right away with a fierce force" [Urb Magazine] Selected Recent Press Links (Interviews) ...
DJ Magazine (Cover Feature)
https://www.djmag.com/news/detail/2756
Pumped Audio
https://pumpedaudio.com/blog/2012/03/04/we-catch-up-with-elite-force-to-talk-about-his-new-album/
Data Transmission Features
https://www.datatransmission.co.uk/features525.aspx
TrueJoe90 Feature
https://thetruejoe90.com/danceelectronica/a-force-to-be-reckoned-with-interview-w-elite-force-w-free-download-latest-release/
United & Anarchic Feature
https://www.uaarecs.com/blog/?p=349
Noise Porn Feature
https://www.noiseporn.com/2009/12/15/elite-force-reveals-world-domination-plans/