The Vitals:

Label: Indie release
Genre: Breaks, Trance, House, Electroclash, Industrial
Number of Tracks: 10
How you can obtain a copy: The CD can be ordered via www.sheltershed.com

Factor Scores:

• Production Quality: 7.5
• Programming and Arrangement: 6.6
• Entertainment Quality: 6.0
• Total: 6.7 – Above Average

Summary:

Hx is the first Sheltershed release since the Airspace EP. It is also the first release since Wil Foster quietly left the band. As such, this release looks back on the history of Sheltershed and gives us a taste of what may come in the future. That taste of the future comes in the form of the first track Submersible. This track was written in part with trance artist turned industrial artist HeldbyWill. The remainder of the album is a collection of rare remixes that either Sheltershed did for others, did for themselves, or others did for them. Some of the highlights include the Timo Rozendal remix of Breathe, now one of the only released remixes of DJ Lorriane’s Immaculate Intoxication, and Sheltershed’s remix of UltraSun’s Love Me More which was released via the Ministry of Sound.

Before I get further into the review, for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Sheltershed, something about them needs to be said. Sheltershed is probably one of the most difficult bands to label stylistically. It is not that they have mastered any particular style, but more that they utilize a hybrid of industrial, house and techno that I have never heard anywhere before. Some have called it electroclash, but even that label does not fit. What this means is some of their work will go over great on the dance floor while others simply will not, but are still interesting to listen to.

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 7.5

One thing that is obvious about this CD is that it is well mastered. Everything “feels” right sonically. Nothing is really too high or too low in the mix and sonically it all “feels” related. Although the production is not as good as Andy Hunter’s Life, it is solidly mixed and mastered.

Programming & Arrangement: 6.6

One thing is obvious about Sheltershed, they love that old school hard techno sound and vintage samples. With just about any Sheltershed track, you can expect to have a TB-303/FR-777 doing something freaky with an LFO and of course, the old “Everybody wants to be a DJ” sample. It’s everywhere. You can’t avoid it. You either like it or hate it.

Submersible sonically is a huge break from that structure, however. In fact, it truly sounds nothing like the Sheltershed we have known for the past 7 years or so now. It honestly is totally in line with what you might expect to hear Scott Albert/Klayton Scott do back in the Circle of Dust days. As an industrial track, it’s good. That track alone gets a 7.5. It isn’t going fill any dance floors though. It’s just a slammin’ quality industrial track.

The Timo Rozendal remix of Breathe is simply amazing and probably the best track on the CD. It’s a great progressive electo-house remix that is brilliantly well structured, danceable and utilizes the original parts as much as possible. Other remixes worth noting that are simply done well include the Ultrabeat remix of Cloudcity and Sheltershed’s remix of Redsavior’s NoEvil. Although both of these remixes are years old now, they still are a great listen. Timo’s remix however is still fairly fresh and could still be played in the clubs today.

Entertainment Quality: 6.0

Overall, not much of this CD will do well on today’s dancefloor. Some of the tracks are simply too dated. Others are just not danceable. This CD however is a great overview of Sheltershed’s development as a band. It also will do fairly well on the radio with tracks like Submersible, Breathe, and Cloudcity. It is definitely an interesting CD just to listen to.

Total: 6.7 – Above Average

As stated before, Sheltershed is simply too hard to fully classify. That is not a statement I make lightly. Their music is far from being garbage, but it simply does not seem to fit into any one of the 50,000 genre molds that we have created within the over all electronica category. As a look back at the history of a band, you cannot do much better than to give the fans a collection of rare remixes and tracks that many of them may not have heard before. This CD definitely delivers on that front and does so with quality.

Dave’s Take:

Hx shows us a Sheltershed unlike one we have seen before. This new Sheltershed is one of change. You cannot listen to the first track and then the rest of the CD and feel that it is the same band. Maybe I am overestimating HeldbyWill’s influence on Submersible, but given the departure of Wil Foster, a change sonically is likely to happen. I am looking forward to the next release to see what that change will be exactly.