Our boy RAR had the chance to chat with one of the founders of Salt Mines label, the guy who’s track Sibelle drew a lot of attention back in 2019. and with a reason too. We consider it one of the top electro tracks of the year and probably already a classic tune. He’s been releasing music on labels such as Of Paradise, Flux, Deeptrax Records, 1Ø PILLS MATE, and Lobster Theremin. One of the most talented producers/DJ’s coming from the “land down under” – Geordie Elliot-Kerr aka Shedbug.
– Hello, Geordie we hope you’re doing good in these difficult times.
Hiiii. same to you 🙂
– How did it all start for you, who or what is Shedbug? How did you choose this electronic music life, or did it chose you?
It all started for me when I was about 15. A teacher on a school camp was a bit of an old school raver and DJ. I had no idea what DJing was as this was just before it was a really commonplace and accessible hobby, I’d never been to a club but the technical aspect of mixing music together interested me. Once I was old enough to go to clubs I was able to further develop my taste and appreciation of club culture.
The name Shedbug came about as I’d gotten my first gig but didn’t have an artist moniker for the flyer. A friend suggested it as all I did at the time was play records and smoke weed in my backyard shed, I was just happy to not have to come up with anything myself and it stuck.
– There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?
I think the most ideal state of mind for creativity for me personally is being well-rested and in good mental and physical health. In my experience, the music and the touring scene is full of distractions and pitfalls that can quickly become quite damaging to anyone’s musical output and general health if not managed carefully.
Look after yourself and the rest will follow, the myth of the tortured artist is just that, a myth.
– While we’re waiting for a fresh one we’re still very much enjoying your last release, split “Honey Mushrooms II” EP with Rudolf C your partner at Salt Mines records operating in Berlin. On this one, you moved away from your dystopian electro sentiment and went deep into trancey old school sound. Can you name 3 classic electronic music tracks that made an impact on you as a producer/DJ? And tell us why particularly those 3?
Yeah, I have a very short attention span so I’m always trying out different styles/genres of music for fun.
2 Bad Mice – 2 Bad Mice.
All 2 Bad Mice stuff is super influential for me, just the most vibey breaks.
RAC – Choobes.
RAC is amazing and definitely the sort of ravey/trancey sound I’ve tried to emulate more than once
Voiski – Bloodthirsty Romantic Shark
Voiski is my favorite still an active producer. I absolutely adore his musical style and live sets. I don’t think I could name anyone more influential to me over the years.
– You definitely have a unique sounding production, what’s the core of your studio setup? Are you a hardware man with a taste for analog synths, or you’re into digital innovations and mainly software approach?
I oscillate between more software or hardware-focused. When I started I was convinced that having more/better hardware would make me a better producer but these days I’ll pick a piece of gear or a VST and just go from there. I find myself using more and more digital these days if only for the convenience.
– When starting working on a new track, what’s the first thing you do? And how do you know the track is done?
I usually start with a new VST or a piece of gear I haven’t used in a while and just try and sketch out some sort of synth or drumline to go off. A track is usually done when I can’t stand working on it anymore.
– You’re coming from Melbourne, there’s definitely something about Australia and electro genre with you, Jensen Interceptor, Assembler Code, Reptant etc. making such quality tracks one after another. Is there a big electronic music/electro community in Australia? Should we keep an eye and an ear for some fresh new talents and which ones, do you have any favorite artists and tracks?
There’s definitely a huge electronic music community in Aus and always new talent emerging. Off the top of my head, some people to keep an eye out for at the moment are Ouxh, Andy Garvey & Rings Around Saturn.
– What’s your favorite past-time when you’re not touring the world as a DJ/ producer? Films, pets, extreme sports…what does relax and/or excites you?
For a while, I sort of pushed any other hobbies to the side to focus on music which was probably a mistake. These days I love watching movies or riding my bike.
– Your EP “TheKrabben” made quite an impact in 2019. painting dancefloors all over the world in dystopian colors. We definitely have our favorite, track perfect for cruising around the city. Who is Sibelle?
Sibelle is actually the last name of a friend who I made the track for. At the time I was making slightly slower music and he suggested I try something at 140. I jammed the whole thing out in a sitting just to show him but quite liked the result in the end.
– Thank you for your time and the stellar mix you curated for our REACT Podcast series.
Pleasure! Hopefully one day we can do it properly in person 😉