Shaka

Since 1989, Shaka has been the pseudonym for Swiss born DJ and producer Kurt Spichiger. Shaka’s first experiences with music came at the age of 13 when he learned to play the Saxophone. It was then that he realized how to create music out from a mood, an idea, and a feeling. This experience gave birth to his love for improvisational music, from Funk, to Jazz to Indian Raga. Soon after, Shaka discovered the seminal German electronic group Kraftwerk, whose innovative sound production would expand his idea of improvisation. As a young and curious music-lover, he always was looking for and open to innovative and exceptional music. After purchasing a mixer and turntables in 1989, he started to record his first mix tapes. With his steadily growing record collection, and inspiration of films like Beat Street, he initially mixed Hip Hop with Reggae, and Funk. Later, more Acid, Chicago House and the sounds of Detroit made their way onto his mix tapes, the latter having a profound influence on his development.In the early 1990’s, he began to organize small parties with friends, and was soon after playing at parties throughout Switzerland. In the mid-1990’s, the unique sound of Shaka could be heard at most bigger electronic music events in Switzerland. As his sets were manly made up with the old Detroit soul and Chicago Sounds, and was less built around kick drums and effect attacks, he was mostly booked in the smaller rooms at the big events, which he appreciated for their intimacy and the freedom it gave him to explore more complicated mixes and music. As a result, Shaka has developed a style that sticks out from the normal fair of big room electronic music and continues to astonish his audiences with surprisingly subtle and organic tracks.In the mid-1990’s Shaka began to express his own ideas of electronic music. He worked at first with, which he now considers restrictive, purely analog equipment. In 1995, his first record was released on the Swiss label D3. After further releases on D3 his first EP was released on the most well known Swiss label of that time, Axodya. Two years later, he put out a double EP on the legendary label of Woody McBride, Communique. Two more releases on D3 and Axodya shortly followed. In year of 2000, Shaka appeared on the debut release of the groundbreaking Canadian label Revolver.Shaka then took a break from the demands of releases immersing himself in his studio. With singers, funk and jazz musicians friends, he recorded new projects and explored new technologies, ideas, and sounds. He continued work on developing his solo productions and in 2004, began to release records regularly through Morris Audio, Floppy Funk, Revolver and Stattmusik. In 2006, he formed a partnership with his Canadian friend, Breandan Davey, to launch the label Corner Records, which begins distribution in march 2008.For Shaka, the search for new sounds and ideas will never end. It is difficult to categorize his music, falling somewhere between jazz, electro, funk, and minimal house. He is first and foremost a music-lover, and like all true music-lovers, stylistic barriers are unknown.