Rising concern Dan Shake has achieved what no other has in over a decade: with his debut release in the music world, he has become the very first producer without a Detroit heritage or residency to land a release on Moodymann’s prestigious record label Mahogani Music. Based in London, the former Leeds student secured the feat in a charmingly anachronistic fashion: having just watched Kenny Dixon Jr. perform alongside the 3 Chairs at Dimensions Festival, Dan simply handed over a demo CD with a collection of unreleased tracks. Moodymann was hooked almost instantly, taking the first plunge on welcoming an outsider into his tight-knit crew of Detroit strong artists. Citing influence from the layered percussive rhythms of afrobeat pioneers such as Tony Allen and Fela Kuti, the soul-drenched sampling of J Dilla and the kind of dark, dense grooves laid out by contemporary producers such as Flying Lotus and Motor City Drum Ensemble, Dan’s situation in winding up on a label renowned for encompassing all those traits is obviously a blessing for the young producer.
