Mike Shannon

Born in 1978 and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Mike Shannon can look back on a musical awakening that was, appropriately, very much in sync with that of techno in North America.

Though the endless rows of cookie cutter suburban houses and strip malls of his home town are a far cry from the scenes of urban decay and futuristic landscapes so often associated with the genre, its geographical position, a central node located directly between Detroit, techno's self proclaimed Bethlehem, and the decidedly more house-centric Toronto, clearly resonates in Shannon's work to this day.

As early as 1993, at the impossibly young age of 15, Mike's first experiences at all-ages dances inspired him to begin DJing, and he quickly developed a lightning fast, highly technical mixing style. Though he honed his skills at the underground raves and warehouse parties that were occurring with increasing frequency throughout southern Ontario and the American mid-west at the time, it was his own weekly events at Kitchener's Club Abstract which first allowed him to connect with like-minded DJs and producers from around the globe. His rising reputation eventually led to a residency at Toronto's Industry Nightclub at the tail end of the city's techno renaissance in 1999. In the interest of providing a platform for his own music, as well as that of other local producers, Shannon launched his Cynosure Recordings imprint the same year.

The turn of the millennium saw Mike embarked on his first European tour alongside fellow Canadian Jeff Milligan, better known at the time by his DJ alias, Algorithm. The pair's highly individualized, aggressive mixing style left a lasting impression on European audiences. 2001 saw the two formally partner their respective labels (Cynosure and Revolver) and relocate to Montreal to begin working more closely with their prolific artist roster. The timing couldn't have been better. Shannon was quickly invited to perform at the annual Mutek festival, and by the year's end had inked his first album deal with the Frankfurt/Montreal based label Force Inc.

The deal would bear fruit early the following year with his critically acclaimed debut album Slight of Hand.

Mike recently completed his second full length, Possible Conclusions to Stories that Never End for Berlin's ~scape label. A clear departure from his signature deep-techno workouts for labels such as itiswhatitis, Logistic, Onitor, Spectral, and Wagon Repair, this album sees Mike bringing together rhythms born of field recordings from diverse environments, as well as an impressive array of singers, poets, and musicians. The result is a collection of haunting musical portraits and fresh creative reflections from one of Canada's most prolific electronic music artists.

Mike currently lives in Valencia, Spain.