Four guaranteed roof-raisers from a new yet an ominously-named Shed side project: Storm On Earth.
René Pawlowitz is a man with many aliases. Perhaps best known for the music he releases under his Shed moniker, the prolific producer and DJ also has a seemingly endless list of alter egos: WAX, Head High, Distance Dancer, HOOVER1, EQD, WK7, Evil Fred, and Zigg Gonzaless to name a few. While some of his side projects venture into classic piano house (Head High), some into jungle/breakbeat rollers (HOOVER1), and some into dubby minimalistic groovers (WAX), Storm On Earth is Pawlowitz in full-throttle Techno mode.
Like the calm before a storm, “Signal” starts off the EP with a deceptively simple groove and “I See” sample. As the 1-minute mark approaches, Storm On Earth unleashes a sub-y maelstrom that obliterates the front row of ravers leaving nothing in his wake. The second track “Storm,” although more restrained, feels raw yet unhinged, like the sound of an illegal party in an abandoned rail tube on a rainy night. “Earth” is bound to set off some local seismographs with a gargantuan kick and sub rumble. Contrasted by angelic organs shimmering on top of the mix, Pawlowitz briefly reveals the more tender yet hard-hitting side of the productions. The closing track “Radar” bookends the EP with a similar formulation to “Signal”, this time with a male vocal sample saying “Back It Up” and a bit less rumble in favor of more space, a boomier kick, groovier drums, and controlled swells of noise.
All in all, Pawlowitz rarely misses, and this release is no exception. Every track on the debut “Storm On Earth” EP is distinct and distilled down to essential elements. Clocking in around 5 minutes each, there is enough time for Pawlowitz to develop an idea but not too long as to seem overly repetitive. In fact, the tracks have a relatively straightforward and DJ-friendly structure that beg to be mixed and will do a lot of heavy lifting in almost any kind of set—opening, peak-time, or even an underground after-hours gig.
Forget your umbrella and get some buckets. The storm is no longer coming; it’s already here.
-Alex Dahm
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