The impact of dance music, depending on where you are, is rarely seen in mainstream pop culture, yet there are more sub genres of electronic music than even the most experienced clubber can remember, and countless artists are ripping up the thriving club scene in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the realm of House music, though, there is only one Booka Shade.

Booka Shade’s style of music has been called a lot of things - minimal, electrohouse, techno… the most accurate of these is perhaps the minimal tag, but even then it only barely describes the debut album and even less so the second. Dubbed “Science Fiction House” by their label mates, M.A.N.D.Y., Booka Shade’s art refuses to be confined by the stereotypes borne out of the labeling of music. Given the musical backgrounds of the two band members, it’s not hard to see why.

To get to the heart of any music, it’s probably best to start with where it is all conceived: in the artists’ heads. Listening to some of Booka Shade songs, you can tell that they are something new and different, but you can still hear traces of artists that have influenced the band - artists like The Cure, Soft Cell, and synthpop legend Depeche Mode. The duo has also transformed its style with the times, from the electronic music reminiscent of what came out of Frankfurt in the nineties, to today’s eclectic mix of styles that blends into what Arno calls a melting pot (interview with DanceTracksDigital). That pretty much sums up the fusion of genres that is the music of Booka Shade. What sets the group apart though, is the simplicity of its attitude toward making music.



The melodies and harmonies that are so often overlooked in House music are used smoothly by Booka Shade to create exhilaration and atmosphere in the crowd, and to Arno and Walter, that’s really what it’s all about: the emotion. That just might be what makes their music so enthralling - the fact that Booka Shade’s whole intent is to make you feel the soul of the vibes coming from Walter’s keyboards and Arno’s electronic drum pads says a lot about what you can expect from the duo. Getting back to genre and categorization, probably the safest label you can put on Booka Shade is “House.” Anything further than that is a step into the wild. Although, Electrohouse seems to be a popular tag that lots of critics and fans put on Booka Shade’s music, and the band knows it(!), but the pair has often said in interviews that it’s not, typically countering with the “Science Fiction House” idea mentioned above. It’s probably a good idea - something new shouldn’t have an old name. With The Sun & The Neon Light coming out soon, we won’t have long to wait to see how the band has continued its evolution from Movements.