BENJAMIN SHOCK & MARINA MARTENSSON “IT’S A SHAME”
Out July 14th On The ‘Lowtemporary’ Compilation Via Gramatik’s Lowtemp
“‘It’s A Shame’ is a moody number with a chill vibe, reminiscent of Portishead or Massive Attack.”
-LIVE FOR LIVE MUSIC
With folks at Lowtemp putting finishing touches to the third installment of label’s compilation series, ‘Lowtemporary,’ we today have a 2nd single teasing its release. After Anomalie’s uptempo interpretation of Teo Collori’s gypsy swing track, “Tony Mitraglia,” this next release, a collaboration between Benjamin Shock and Martina Martensson on “It’s A Shame,” sets a whole new sonic direction for the compilation.
Slovenian producer Benjamin Shock has so far released two singles with Lowtemp, and also contributed a chilled-out jam on the label’s previous compilation. Shock has been intimately involved with music industry since the late 90’s and he is primarily known as DJ/producer working in the field of house music with an enviable catalog of releases on some of Europe’s most respected underground labels. However, this new single, “It’s A Shame,” sees him exploring different territories.
Collaborating with musicians from various scenes, everyone involved provided inspiration to each other’s creative process, resulting in a mesmerizing track. One of them was the versatile guitarist Teo Collori, but the main input came from the Swedish singer Marina Martensson, and her breezy tonality influenced by jazz/soul music. ““The second I heard the beat and guitar playing, I started singing the words that would later become the verse more or less unchanged,” exlpains Martensson, “the process was immediate.” The song takes inspiration from a genre that reached its peak in Bristol, UK sometime in the late 90’s – it is contemplative, texturally rich, superbly written, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if people mistook it either for a Portishead or Massive Attackrecord. Which in a lot of ways is as high a compliment as you can get.
Still to come, stay tuned for the remainder of the stacked 18-track compilation featuring new releases from Beat Faigue, Kotek, Adam Deitch, Leudo, and many more. Out July 14th via Lowtemp.
