Berlin has become somewhat of a refuge for electronic musicians such as Richie Hawtin and Scuba who have been attracted by the unique night life epitomised by the infamous club Berghain. Is Shackleton’s own relocation from London to Berlin was influenced by a similar compulsion? ‘I love Berghain. There’s an atmosphere there that you won’t get in many places and that’s a wonderful thing. But I’m not really a Berghain regular or involved in that scene. I’m just not that mad about the music they play there. On Saturday nights I find it a bit relentless and I’m working during the week. I have quite a solitary lifestyle. I’m just in my studio most days. I love working in the studio – messing around and making songs. I’m teaching myself all the time. I want to keep getting better and better and explore more possibilities.’

Shackleton’s compositions sound almost custom made for the screen with their orchestral quality and his attention to detail. So it’s not surprising to hear that he has received offers for his music to be used  in films. ‘I get a lot of offers but not for anything  I’d be into. I would love  for my music to be used in movies; it’s just a pity I never get offers for interesting projects.’ When I ask him what directors he would like to work with his face lights up. ‘Oh, so many! When it comes to film I always imagined it would be used in a cold-war espionage type of film or kitchen-sink dramas like Ken Loach’s movies. Michael Hanke is also really good, and Jim Jarmusch. I  saw The Limits of Control by Jim Jarmusch recently. I didn’t really enjoy the film but the soundtrack was excellent. It was done by this Japanese band called Boris who make this really atmospheric metal music.’

While he isn’t personally active in the media State wonders what he thinks of his critics. ‘I used to read a lot of reviews but I’m not as interested as much these days. If you have a release out… sometimes it’s hard to avoid them. Generally people say nice things. A bad one can be upsetting – I don’t mind if people just don’t like it but if they are factually incorrect it’s so annoying. What’s really nice is when people come up and say they like my music – that’s a nice feeling. Better than a good review, really.’

What memories does he have of himself as a young clubber and music fan? ‘I remember when I was young and how excited I would get about music. Maybe I’m getting old because I don’t get quite as excited as often as I used to. When you’re a kid everything’s like a cosmic experience- I remember hearing  Black Flag for the first time and being blown away. It was crazy, I’d never heard anything like that before. I make music in the hope that people will get that rush. Then when you get kids who come up and say those nice things that has an effect in the same way. I remember when Laurie Appleblim and I were playing in a club in Nottingham and there was this kid there who was marvelling at the fact that we were ‘old’, which we’re not really, and he said ‘I can’t believe your still doing this at your age’. Well, what else are we going to do?’

live @ sonar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWsEBlDtgAw
Death is not final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI9DZ7s1Qrc