A Tribute To Life

Dennis Sheperd first appeared on the global trance radar with the release of his 2007 breakthrough single, “A Tribute to Life”. A torrent of acclaimed releases soon followed, however, it was the 2009 smash, “Black Sun” which firmly cemented his name in to the consciousness of trance fans, and fellow producers alike. Spring-boarding on from the success of these early releases, follow up singles came in the form of the unforgettable “Somehow” with tyDi and vocalist Marcie and “Freefalling”, an incredible collaboration with fellow German producer, Cold Blue. Now just 25 years old, Dennis Sheperd has catapulted himself in to the enviable position of releasing on some of electronic music’s most celebrated labels including: Armada Music, Euphonic and High Contrast Recordings, in July 2011 he reached that most coveted of career milestones – a Beatport #1 single, with ‘Fallen Angel’, his collaboration with Dutch songstress Ana Criado.

Support of Dennis Sheperd’s work comes from all corners of the globe, both in the form of consistent radio play from trance’s DJ elite, through to the admiration of legions of international trance fans acquired through his own jet-setting DJ career. On a local scale, Sheperd has also achieved the award of “Best New Artist of 2010” in his home town, Essen. Recognition from Sheperd’s peers continues, garnering words of UK trance aficionado Gareth Emery who labelled him as “a hot name to watch for the future”. Well, the time has now come for this young German producer to step up to the plate and prove that he really is one of a new breed of prolific trance producers. Having already enjoyed tremendous success with his single releases and having also provided remixes for some of the world’s most highly regarded trance acts, including Gareth Emery, Above & Beyond and Tiësto, the next natural step in Dennis Sheperd’s musical career was to produce an artist album.

Borne out of several years of studio work and precision production, the result is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated electronic music albums of 2011 – ‘A Tribute to Life’. Rather than being merely a collection of unrelated tracks, the album is a visceral journey, flowing organically from one song to the next. From the blissful highs of ‘Bring Me Back’ with Jonathan Mendelsohn, to the intricate beauty of ‘The Choir’, the album truly explores a breadth of styles and sounds.

‘A Tribute to Life’ boasts an all-star cast, Sheperd has hand-picked a collection of the most highly regarded vocalists for ‘A Tribute to Life’, boasting collaborations with Jonathan Mendelsohn, Ana Criado, Meredith Meyer, Stephen Pickup, Molly Bancroft, Hysteria!, Marcie, Sue McLaren and Simon Binkenborn. Including production collaborations with high calibre producers such as tyDi, Cold Blue and Alan Morris, meanwhile showcasing Sheperd’s glorious original productions and vocal partnerships. This vast array of talent ensures a truly diverse listening experience and offers a blend of soundscapes which are sure to appeal to a wide range of electronic music fans. One thing’s for sure, this artist album is most certainly a case of “all killer, no filler”!