By the time they started Shakedown in 1999, Mandrax and Seb K. already had a good idea of each other’s musicality: they’re brothers, blending Swiss and Swedish backgrounds. Stephan Mandrax is no newcomer to electronic music. Initially a fan of new wave and punk (making his 1984 DJ debut in a rock club), house music found him in 1986. Stephan moved to New York in 1992, starting the labels Liquid Groove and Boombastic and producing records with the legendary Mike Delgado. In late 1999, he returned to Switzerland to set up a new home and a new studio. Over the last decade his ear, his understanding of the dancefloor and his skills in the booth have seen him consistently booked for the world’s best nights.
After a stint studying and working as a sound engineer in London (1993-1996), Seb K returned to Switzerland, starting the Bel-Air Project (1997-1998) and the label Cornflex. In 1998 he released a series of well-received 12”s including the highly-regarded "Dark Jazzor," whose overall sound, though genre-defying, leant towards funky and experimental drum 'n'
bass. Recognising they had developed complementary sets of skills, the two brothers formed Shakedown. They started working together by producing tracks for other artists before beginning to record "You Think You Know" with artists such as Pookie and vocalist Terra Deva. After a year of recording sessions in New York City and Lausanne the record was released at the end of 2001 on Naïve/Sony/Defected.
Featuring fresh blends of electro-house, and something that could be listened to from the living room to the dancefloor, “You Think You Know” included the huge hit and critically acclaimed “At Night”. “At Night” became a 2002 dance anthem, crossing over to national charts and peaking in the UK at 6th place with an appearance on Top Of The Tops, a first for Swiss musicians (long used to living in relative obscurity). Despite the huge demands success placed on the brothers’ time, Shakedown showed no signs of stopping. Their work has been steadily refined, with the tempo of their music becoming more personal, more confident. In a space of their own making, somewhere between electro, house, pop and rock, the two brothers have built a sound that is very much their own, as evidenced by their continued productions.
The single “Lovegame” (released in 2003 on the Kitsuné Love compilation); remixes for Mirwais (“I Can’t Wait”), Mousse T (“Fire” and “Cos I’m Cool”), Royskopp (“Eple”) and Les Rhythmes Digitales (“Jacques your body”); a track produced for and co-written with Bootsy Collins for his latest release (“Funky and You Know It”) and others for the band “Rinocerose”: all have showed that Mandrax and Seb have continued to blossom as artists. Also demonstrating widespread appreciation for the sound the brothers have created, Shakedown’s tracks have also been used in the films “The Transporter 2” by Louis Letterrier and “ Les Corps Impatients” by Xavier Gianolli. Now, having spent more than two years working in the studio, Shakedown is ready to share its latest creation : “Spellbound “.
The new album features carefully crafted arrangements whose combination of synthetic sounds and organic movements is reminiscent of cold-wave or electronica but ends up in an entirely new place. The beats and dynamics are inspired by the electronic music of clubland, but added to them is a surprising and sometimes melancholic songwriting, expressed by the voices of Dacia Bridges, Mark Kelly and Terra Deva. The songs flow from the album’s beginning to end, part of a journey that will remind the listener of classic electronica from The Cure first albums (“Lonely Road”) to Massive Attack (“Emerald Eyes “) in addition to the music of Ennio Morricone (“ Spellbound “) but without forgetting the dancefloor (“Fantasy”).
Drowsy With Hope
Shakedown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's the day?
I never know
And today, I'm dangerously slow
I'm slow...
Sometimes a haze comes down
Makes me wait in the shade
Of doubt
I fell the room get heavy
And it clings to me
But I know
I'm not low
I'm just drowsy with hope
Drowsy with hope
And i know
I'm just drowsy with hope
Drowsy with hope (x3)
I know this game
It comes and goes
And I've choose to play
Dreamy and stoned
Real stoned
Sometimes your face comes around
And takes my speed
Makes me pay and hide or leave
I feel my head behected
And it blinds me
But I know
I'm not low
I'm just drowsy with hope
Drowsy with hope
And i know
I'm just drowsy with hope
Drowsy with hope (x3)
I've drowned enough to know
There's no air down below
And I find I need my mist
On a storm of my own
Cause I know
I'm just drowsy with hope
Drowsy with hope
And i know
I'm just drowsy with hope
Drowsy with hope (x3)
The lyrics of Shakedown's song "Drowsy with hope" talks about feeling lost and uncertain, and yet still holding onto hope. The singer seems to be struggling with the passage of time, not even sure what day it is. The repetition of "I'm slow" emphasizes the slowness of time passing for the singer. The line "Sometimes a haze comes down and stays too long" reflects the feeling of being stuck in a cycle of negativity and doubt, unable to move forward. However, in the midst of this, the singer clings to hope, even though it's a struggle. The repeated phrase "I'm just drowsy with hope" reinforces this idea that hope is present but not necessarily strong.
The second verse touches on the concept of relationships and how they can affect one's emotional state. The line "Sometimes your face comes around and takes my speed" is evocative, suggesting that seeing someone the singer cares about can both uplift them and drag them down at the same time. The concept of feeling "behected" and blinded by emotions describes the level of intensity in the singer's feelings, but they still hold onto their hope despite this.
Overall, the lyrics of "Drowsy with hope" convey the confusion and struggle of being hopeful in difficult circumstances. The singer acknowledges that they are "dreamy and stoned" and that there is "no air down below," but they keep pushing forward, holding onto hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Drowsy with hope
The singer feels hopeful but also a bit sluggish.
What's the day?
The singer is disoriented and possibly struggling with depression.
I never know
The singer isn't sure what time it is or even what day it is.
And today, I'm dangerously slow
The artist feels like they're moving too slowly and maybe even in danger of failing at something.
Sometimes a haze comes down
The artist experiences times when they feel foggy or not with it mentally.
And stays too long
This foggy feeling lingers for a while.
Makes me wait in the shade of doubt
The singer is unsure of their abilities and feels stuck and doubtful.
I fell the room get heavy
The atmosphere around the artist feels oppressive and difficult to handle.
And it clings to me
The negative atmosphere seems to attach itself to the artist and not let them go.
But I know I'm not low
The artist is reminding themselves that they're not actually depressed, just slow and struggling a bit.
I'm just drowsy with hope
The singer has a feeling of hopefulness, but they're also feeling a bit drained or tired.
I know this game
The artist has been in this kind of mental state before and knows what to expect.
It comes and goes
The singer knows that this mood will eventually pass, just like it has in the past.
And I've choose to play dreamy and stoned
The singer has made a choice to indulge in this feeling of being hazy or unfocused.
Real stoned
The singer could be using drugs or just metaphorically referring to feeling out of it.
Sometimes your face comes around
Someone who has hurt the artist in the past comes to mind.
And takes my speed
The artist feels like this person has the power to slow them down or make them feel bad.
Makes me pay and hide or leave
The singer feels like they have to either avoid this person or pay some kind of price for thinking about them.
I feel my head behected
The singer feels confused and discombobulated.
And it blinds me
The artist is unable to think clearly or focus on anything because of these negative thoughts and feelings.
I've drowned enough to know, there's no air down below
The artist has been through enough tough times to know that they don't want to go back to a place of depression or hopelessness.
And I find I need my mist, on a storm of my own
The artist realizes that they need to take care of themselves and rely on their own coping mechanisms, like allowing themselves to feel drowsy with hope, to get through difficult times.
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.