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”).
Extraordinary
Shakedown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you see me
And everything is right and clear
But the train is here
And I've got to go back
See you, come find me and miss me
'Cause I belive that it's got to be
'Cause I believe that it's got to be
Extraordinary, extraordinary
Maybe I'll leave the life to keeps me safe from love and free
Who wants to get hurt anyway not me, not me, not me
But after all this is what we here, honey
Love is just one big amazing maybe
Love is anything you want it to be
When I saw you
And you saw me
I was almost willing to fight to keep it
But my train is here
And I've got to go back
You could come with me I don't have to leave
I believe well it's got to be
Extraordinary, extraordinary
Yes, I believe that it's got to be
Extraordinary, extraordinary
Maybe I'll leave the life to keeps me safe from love and free
This could be the real one, could be, could be, could be
But after all look at me – disaster honey
Love is just one big amazing maybe
Love is anything you want it to be, yes
Love is just one, one big amazing maybe
You see… Love is just one, one big amazing maybe
The song "Extraordinary" by Shakedown is about the addictive nature of love and the willingness to take risks for that feeling. The lyrics express the idea that love is risky, but in a positive and hopeful way. The song talks about how love can be extraordinary and that nothing else can compare to the feeling that comes with it. The singer admits that she is afraid of getting hurt, but recognizes that love is worth taking the chance for.
The chorus emphasizes the idea that love has to be extraordinary, which is repeated throughout the song. The singer believes that love has to be something special and not just ordinary. It has to be something that takes your breath away and fills you with joy. The song concludes with the idea that love is unpredictable and can be a disaster, but it's worth it and anything can happen.
Overall, "Extraordinary" is a song that carries a positive message about love and encourages listeners to take risks and believe that love can be extraordinary in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I see you
I am aware of your presence
And you see me
You recognize me as well
And everything is right and clear
At this moment, everything feels perfect and unambiguous
But the train is here
However, it is time for me to leave
And I've got to go back
I need to return to my previous life
See you, come find me and miss me
Though I must leave, I hope you seek me out and miss me in my absence
'Cause I believe that it's got to be
Extraordinary, extraordinary
I hold the conviction that true love must be exceptional
Maybe I'll leave the life to keeps me safe from love and free
It is possible that I'll remain in my guarded status quo, avoiding love and emotional risk
Who wants to get hurt anyway not me, not me, not me
The prospect of getting hurt is unappealing to me, repeated for emphasis
But after all this is what we here, honey
In spite of apprehension, we're here in this moment together
Love is just one big amazing maybe
Love is unpredictable and its outcome uncertain
Love is anything you want it to be
The nature of love is subjective and customizable to each individual
When I saw you
At the moment of first encountering you
I was almost willing to fight to keep it
I felt so strongly that I was prepared to defend this connection
You could come with me I don't have to leave
It is possible that we could continue together, rather than parting ways
This could be the real one, could be, could be, could be
This feeling has the potential to be authentic and significant, possibly repeated for emphasis
But after all look at me – disaster honey
Despite hopeful possibilities, I have a history of being unlucky in love
Love is just one big amazing maybe
Once again stating that love is unpredictable
Love is anything you want it to be, yes
Reiterating that love can conform to individual desires
Love is just one, one big amazing maybe
Emphasizing yet again that love is fraught with uncertainty
Writer(s): Sebastien Kohler, Terra Deva Mcnair, Stephan Kohler
Contributed by Samantha L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.