Naming himself after the Japanese word for ‘warrior,’ Something Wicked talent Shogun has definitely soldiered on todays’s dance music scene. Though American-born, Taiwanese artist Shogun had been familiar with elements of electronic music from listening to bands like Nine Inch Nails, it would take a few years before he would have his interests piqued by the sounds of trance, “I really liked industrial. So a lot of the harder, darker stuff like Nine Inch Nails, Prodigy, Filter, even like Ministry. So pretty underground. These guys were big influences on me because you got the very dark, very heavy industrial music, but you also have the soulful elements to it. It has some emotional elements to it if you listen very carefully. So I was like, hey, why don’t they have stuff like this but focusing on more beautiful elements? And then I heard about Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Armin van Buuren’s ‘Communication,’ so I was like, wow this in on a whole different level. It is like industrial music but with beautiful melodies. That is how I feel in love with trance.”
That fateful hearing of Armin Van Buuren’s “Communication” in 2002 led Shogun to become completely submersed in trance music and its culture. “I bought a VHS tape called the Invisible Scratch Pickles, and taught myself how to DJ on turntables from it. When my parents saw I was serious, they bought me a computer so I could start playing around on Fruity Loops and I eventually graduated college with a degree in audio engineering. After that, I went full time into producing my own music and DJing as Shogun. He began playing at local clubs, making a name for himself at his two year residency at Taiwan’s Ministry of Sound, warming up for DJs like Tiësto and Paul Oakenfold.
Often spending 12 hours in the studio, Shogun produced around 200 tracks in three years. His first single was signed by S107, sub-label to Armin van Buuren’s Armada, making him the first Asian-American to be signed to the prestigious imprint. “I got very lucky to be discovered and signed by Armin van Buuren and Armada, it was a dream come true. Now I’m working with some of my favorite producers who only a couple of years ago I was looking up to. It’s been quite a ride and there are some good things in store for the future.”
His songs continued to gain attention with support by the likes of Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, and Markus Schulz. And it wouldn’t take long before “Imprisoned,” “Save Me,” “Run To My Rescue,” and “Skyfire” would become anthems and cement Shogun’s name in the catalogue of other heavyweights. More recently, originals “UFO,” “Amplify,” “Lotus” and remix of BT, Arty and Nadia Ali’s “Must Be The Love” have all smashed the charts and been championed by some of the world’s top trance DJs.
Amplify your night with Shogun at Something Wicked 2013. Buy your tickets today!
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