REVIEW: BOOKA SHADE AT ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL

(Words and images by Giorgia Tobiolo)

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of seminal record Movements in this momentous show, Booka Shade’s performance at Royal Festival Hall marked a very special moment in dance music history. The emphatic German duo Booka Shade performed at the Royal Festival Hall to celebrate their iconic album Movements released on Get Physical, recently repackaged and re-issued as Movements 10 with new interpretations to mark 10 years since the album’s release.

At the Southbank Centre there was a constant echo of Arno Kammermeirer and Walter Merziger’s belief that, ‘a song is never finished…the song or album is a constant process.’ Movements 10 and the multi-sensory live show is a commemoration of their epochal album and a testament to the evolution of the Booka Shade sound.

The mixture of sound, light and visuals accompanied with the use of percussion created a truly emotional and absorbing atmosphere. An unusual stage setup saw music and art tempered in a marriage where audience members were a product of that matrimony.

Shut eyes and elemental sounds were enough to propel the audience into hypnotic and meditative motions. Booka Shade undoubtedly changed the sound of underground techno music with Body Language and their show at the Royal Festival Hall was nothing short of an extraordinary tribute.

The duo have procured an impressive catalogue with eight albums under their belts and several collaborations with musicians such as Moby, Depeche Mode, Hot Chip and more.

Listen to their tracks below:

Booka Shade – Night Falls (Nils Frahm Rework)

Booka Shade – BSM10 Tralier

Dedicated to Booka Shade’s 10 years anniversary, they released their new album Movements 10, which contains all original tracks remastered from it’s 2006 album Movements, plus remixes from Nils Frahm, Eats Everything, Jonas Rathsman, Dennis Ferrer, Chi Thanh, andhim, Deetron, M.A.N.D.Y., Hunter/Game & Patrick Topping.

Tracklist:

CD1
00:00 Booka Shade – Night Falls (2016 Remaster)
05:16 Booka Shade – Body Language (Interpretation) (2016 Remaster)
10:10 Booka Shade – Paper Moon (2016 Remaster)
15:01 Booka Shade – The Birds and the Beats (2016 Remaster)
20:31 Booka Shade – Darko (2016 Remaster)
26:24 Booka Shade – Pong Pang (2016 Remaster)
31:49 Booka Shade – Mandarine Girl (2016 Remaster)
37:22 Booka Shade – Take a Ride (2016 Remaster)
41:15 Booka Shade – Wasting Time (2016 Remaster)
46:04 Booka Shade – In White Rooms (2016 Remaster)
50:52 Booka Shade – Hallelujah USA (2016 Remaster)
52:47 Booka Shade – Lost High (2016 Remaster)

CD2
57:07 Booka Shade – Night Falls (Nils Frahm Rework)
1:05:33 Booka Shade – In White Rooms ft. Jonas Rathsman (Jonas Rathsman Reprise)
1:11:53 Booka Shade – Lost High (Dennis Ferrer Remix)
1:17:43 Booka Shade – Body Language (Interpretation) (Chi Thanh Remix)
1:24:24 Booka Shade – Lost High (andhim Remix)
1:29:37 Booka Shade – Mandarine Girl (Deetron Remix)
1:35:25 Booka Shade – Wasting Time (M.A.N.D.Y. Remix)
1:42:12 Booka Shade – Mandarine Girl (Eat’s ‘Twisted’ Remake)
1:48:40 Booka Shade – In White Rooms (Hunter/Game Remix)
1:53:37 Booka Shade – Night Falls (Patrick Topping Remix)

‘Movements’ is available to buy now on Music Glue.