Mind Up tells the harmonic story of a young adolescent caught in the chaos of daily life. While the electronic sequencers push the song forward, the vocals take you into a flickering world of daily routines and to-do lists.
Shook says: “Mind Up was created as an entry in a diary. It’s the feeling of being stuck in the chaos of your own mind. Where you have to get things done, but somehow you cannot get anything done, and you feel like everything is against you. It’s about the feeling of being trapped inside your own chaotic mind and trying to cope with it. Sometimes I just wish I could escape this chaos, but it’s often not possible. We are surrounded by chaos in everyday life. Especially when you live in the busy City. At times like this, I just have to embrace the chaos. Use this chaos to fuel creativity, and use it as a positive force instead of something negative.”
Shook will release his new single Mind Up on October 11, 2019. Mind Up is taken from the forthcoming album Music for City and Nature scheduled for release on November 8, 2019.
Shook says: “In this album I tried to document my emotional and mental state at this point in my career. It is inspired by the conflict between the energetic and busy city life and the calm, warmth and peace that nature gives. It isn’t a city ‘versus’ nature album though, it is about daily life existing in a gray area in between. I try to find a balance by connecting both sides.”
The city during rush hour. A metropolis filled with people, towering skyscrapers and neon lights screaming for attention. Everything is pushed forward, towards the future, filled with purpose. The dazzling pressure and constant push make you appreciate those quiet places. Tiny unexplored alleys, rivers leading into forests, special places where the only sounds are from the leaves rustling in the wind and birds singing from above. City and nature are inseparable. Complementary. It is the balance between these two that speaks of the love of being alive. In Music for City and Nature, Shook navigates through this world. Searching for balance, peace of mind. He converts this battle to a work of appreciation for both harmonic sounds as well as electronic energy.
Shook says: “Every new album is a delicate display of that moment in time. It captures life in its inner form with recurring joy for the experienced listener and touchy moments for the newcomer. At least that is what I hope to accomplish with my dedication to writing and producing music. I think it’s important to listen to the complete journey, rather than listening to it as single tracks alone. I hope listeners will also experience the album this way.”
Shook is an independent producer, composer and musician based in The Netherlands. After graduating at the University of the Arts in Rotterdam he released his first electronic solo work. In his own words his work is inspired by “timeless forces such as love, change and art and originates from the 70’s, early 80’s synth-pop, disco, funk to anime and futuristic soundtracks’.
