From his frame to his career as one of the world’s top electronic composers and producers, everything about Roger Shah is epic.
His sets are epic; his DJ dexterity balanced with his skills on the wireless M-Audio keyboard with original productions, remixes and collaborations transporting audiences through two to three hour expeditions. His career is epic, spanning across 13 years through a variety of labels from Anjunabeats to Armada Music and his own Magic Island Records; his tracks and compilations hitting the mark on charts, podcasts and dancefloors.
His DJ shows and productions are iconographic soundscapes replete with texture, BPMs and harmony where renowned artists aspire for his magic touch with collaborations and remixes. In 2012, Roger Shah brings his new sound to Australia for his Magic Island Tour. “Magic Island comes from the magical island of Ibiza,” Shah explains. “I get all my musical inspiration from this island. I met all my friends here and had the greatest times. And I want to bring Ibiza to everyone else around the world too.”
It’s been a significant period of transition for Roger Shah. While Shah has remained consistent in his expansive career and practises as a trance DJ/Producer, he now has quite the change to his sound. “For the first time, it’s just about dance music,” Shah says. “Dance music has so many different sub genres. I never got it why so many people need to put you in a box, why people need to know if this is a trance guy, a house guy, a techno guy or a minimal guy. In my set, I play a wide range of sounds, so it should just be about the music and not about the subgenres. My music is somewhere in between. For me, it’s a good chance to have attention on my music.”
His sound in 2012 has given way to greater electronica. The release of his 2011 album Openminded paved the way for this sound, as he surged through a variety of genres, from trance, to house, ambient and progressive. “I really enjoyed the Australian part of the tour. I had just changed and developed my new sound and Australia really took to it. Australians are very open-minded themselves.”
His epic cinematic sets have seen an arrival to the larger sphere of a multitude of genres and BPMs – and Shah plans to take this around Australia for a larger-than-life club experience. “Club shows can be a totally different vibe. You can really take people on a journey and the atmosphere is more intimate. People especially come to see you. I like to show them my point of music, the way I see the music, what I love to play with different tracks and my own productions.
“I am very excited and really looking forward to my tour this year,” Shah continues. “Last year was amazing with Openminded and I’m sure this time will be even better because my sound is more pumping and more rocking than last year with my new 2012 sound. There are a lot of new tracks I want to play - new remixes, new collaborations. I’ve been working on a lot of stuff – mainly collaborations with Aly & Fila, Paul Oakenfold and Plastic Boy, as well as new tracks for my next Sunlounger album. Australians have always been into my music and I’m very excited to share these with you.”
Fri Sep 14 — Shape (Perth)
Sat Sep 15 — Room680 (Melbourne)
Thu Sep 20 — Trinity Bar (Canberra)
Fri Sep 21 — Platinum (Gold Coast)
Sat Sep 22 — Fakeclub (Sydney)
