Behind the label: Shaw Cuts

Ten years ago, Shaw Cuts emerged from a deeply personal vision—one shaped as much by breakbeats and techno as by kung fu cinema and late-night introspection. Founded by German producer Farron, the label quickly carved out a distinctive space at the intersection of raw club energy and cinematic storytelling. With releases that range from deep and emotional to explosive and dancefloor-ready, Shaw Cuts has never been about trends—it’s about narrative, aesthetics, and sonic integrity.

On the occasion of the label’s 10th anniversary, we spoke with Farron about the origins of Shaw Cuts, his obsession with Shaw Brothers films, the philosophy behind his curatorial process, and the importance of building long-term, collaborative relationships with artists. The result is a candid, thoughtful reflection on what it means to run a truly independent label in an increasingly fragmented musical landscape.

Accompanying the interview is a label mix curated by long-time Shaw Cuts artist Lindenberg Support, featuring tracks from the label’s discography spanning the past decade. The nearly two-hour selection encapsulates the label’s diverse sonic identity—raw, emotional, unpredictable—and serves as an immersive tribute to the ethos that has defined Shaw Cuts since day one.
Have a good reading and listening!

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☉ Shaw Cuts has a strong identity, both sonically and visually. What were the initial visions or impulses that led you to start the label?

“Shaw Cuts started in 2015, but the idea of running my own label came way earlier. I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights brainstorming about such a project, but I was also very scared of it. At that time I was still studying and because of that I was financially very limited. And since I wanted to do vinyl releases, I was held back by the risks of costs, by insecurities and the lack of knowledge regarding this field. But in the end, the drive to create a platform for my own music and for other artists as well, the curiosity and the wish to follow my own and independent vision, won the battle against all of these doubts. In terms of the label’s aesthetic and identity, my aim was to bring something new to the table without being too intrusive and over the top. I rather wanted to let the music do the talking in the first place, but also keep in mind that a coherent look and attitude that adds to the sound is essential, too.“

☉ The name and aesthetic of the label clearly draw from martial arts and Shaolin culture. How do these elements intertwine with the musical language of Shaw Cuts?

“My interest for this culture started when I was a teenager and held on growing up. I simply love these kinds of movies, especially those produced by the company „Shaw Brothers“. There are so many classics in their filmography that are worth checking out. This influence became a big part of the label’s identity and aesthetic. You can find references to the Shaw Brothers movies in the titles, the press texts, the logo, the label name, the artworks and also in the music and sound aesthetic as well. These movies are no clean high-end productions. They are raw, outright and very versatile. From dark and serious to emotional, deep, complex, simple and even funny. And that’s the goal of the label’s musical language, too. It is very important to have an overall unique sound identity as a label, but the sound itself should be versatile, because otherwise, it can get boring and toneless very fast. And that’s why I’ve also started the „Sentiment Series“ for experimental and creative musical breakout opportunities and the „Defense“ series for a more straighter club approach as well. Just like these movies’ unmistakable style that transfers so many different atmospheres and emotions to its audience.”

☉ What role do the artworks play in the label’s releases? Are there specific aspects of Shaolin culture that inspire you and that you aim to convey through the visual side of the imprint?

“In general, the featured martial art is an integral part of the Shaolin culture and is not just used for self-defence but also to strengthen your body and mind and as a form of meditation through movement. Just like dancing and getting lost in sound. Every artwork is based on Shaw Brothers material that is selected and related to the EP name which is always followed by a movie title. On the vinyl releases, I let the artist pick a few movie titles so I have options to choose from and then I go on the hunt for fitting graphic material in good quality if possible. The „Sentiment Series“ artworks are also always Shaw Brothers graphic material, but here I’m mostly focussing on background details of the movies and work with a more abstract, glitched or blurry approach. Each vinyl release of the „Defense“ series graphically features a Shaolin weapon which also gives the record its title. Shaw Cuts also offers a podcast series on which each episode features Shaw Brothers visuals as well. The album designs were always done by the graphic design duo „Linkin Bios“ though. It’s way more complex to get these done and I’m far off doing these on my own. But you can also clearly see the label’s identity and visual style in these LP graphics.”

☉ Shaw Cuts navigates across techno, breakbeat, IDM, ambient, drum and bass — and everything else contemporary electronic music has to offer — while maintaining a distinct, recognizable sound free from passing trends. How would you define the curatorial direction of the label today?

“I’m always having a hard time with genres and putting music into boxes. I would generally consider the label to be very open when it comes to musical styles and I cannot name genres on which the main focus lies, although I’ve sometimes heard that Shaw Cuts is a „broken techno“ label. But yeah, in my opinion and like you’ve also mentioned, it’s definitely more than that. If it’s quality music that makes me feel something, that has a human touch and that could fit the label or could bring something completely new and fresh to the table, it doesn’t matter what genre it could be categorised in.
It also goes hand in hand with my own productions. Although I would say that I have built up a certain musical production style over the years, I can never just stick to one genre. My emotions go through waves and so does my music. It’s all connected. Sometimes I can only and just want to do ambient music, sometimes I’m in a techno phase, sometimes the rhythmics are more breaky and sometimes it’s something completely different. Same for the label. Just sticking to one certain genre would be way too boring for me.”

☉ The label’s sonic identity is very cohesive, yet each release seems to carry its own narrative. How important is it for you to build a discography that is also conceptual or storytelling-driven?

“First of all, I personally feel that the tracklist of a release is very important. I’m investing a lot of time in thinking about the track order, especially for releases with more tracks and a concept behind them. I’m generally still a big supporter of albums or releases with a few tracks that tell a story, although that’s not a must. A club orientated record doesn’t need to have a strict common theme, although I prefer the tracks to fit together in some way of course. But I’m not into just dropping singles and treating music like a short term thing. Maybe I’m a bit „old school“ here. I believe that the coherent state of musical consumption is not just a choice but an imposed act by music platforms, algorithms and social media. We don’t want to enjoy art the fast way, but we are reared to do so and I really hate that. The negative effects of this are really terrible. But I sometimes am a victim of the short attention span, too. I would love to see everybody taking a different route again though. I want to offer and enjoy musical narratives, not musical fast food.”

☉ What do you look for in an artist before deciding to release their music on Shaw Cuts?

“That is difficult to answer, but I can definitely say that it’s not just the music, although that’s usually the first important impression and that I’m always aiming for a unique sound fitting to the label’s musical styles. Of course, there were artists that I have contacted because of their great music or because of their potential I was hearing in their sound without knowing them personally, but if somebody’s doing the music for the wrong reasons, is unfriendly, impolite or just wants to release their music without identifying with the label, it’s not going to work. Unfortunately, most of the demo mails I receive are either musically completely unfitting or vacuous copy paste messages. But there are exceptions, too! Not that long ago, I received a very interesting and unique demo that is going to be released later this year. Although you never know how things are actually going, I rather want artists evolving with the label and building a collective together than artists jumping on the label for a release and then just moving on. That’s not my vibe. Luckily, I have a friendship vibe with most of the Shaw Cuts artists and I’m super happy about that.”

☉ Shaw Cuts is celebrating its 10th birthday with an anniversary tour that kicked off at City Club in Augsburg, Cabaret Eden in Ulm and villaWuller in Trier. Can you tell us how the first events went? What’s next on the tour schedule??

“We held the first event of this little tour at the City Club in Augsburg on the 23rd of May. Lazarus and Lindenberg Support both did DJ sets and I’ve played live. It was the 5th showcase we did there and it’s a really special place for the label and for me as an artist. Lindenberg Support is working at the club as a booker and resident and when he started to regularly release on Shaw Cuts, the personal connection grew as well and we then had the opportunity to do events at the City Club. Besides the fact that it was a special occasion in general, this 10 years anniversary there was very emotional for me personally since my mom, my aunt and my uncle came by to support and see me play for the first time ever. It was wonderful and meant a lot to me. And much love to the two other very special women showing presence, support and love. You know who you are.
Our second event was at Cabaret Eden in Ulm on June the 7th. The venue used to be a strip club and you can still see and feel that. It has a very special look. This party had Lindenberg Support, Kid Kun and myself with another live-set on the line-up. It was a very fun night, although we unfortunately had some technical difficulties with the sound system here and there throughout the night. But it also was Kid Kun’s 30th birthday which made up for it though.
Event number three was held at villaWuller in Trier on the 13th of June. SBR warmed up the night, then I played live and then Cressida played a superb DJ set. The overall vibe of the party was fantastic and exactly what I’ve personally needed. Lots of sweat, smoke and beautiful people in a small but lovely venue with a big sound system.
There are more “10 Years Of Shaw Cuts” anniversary events in the talks for the second half of the year, but if you, my dear reader of this interview, would also like to showcase our sound and celebrate with us, shoot me a message!”

☉ The mix curated by Lindenberg Support is made entirely of tracks from the Shaw Cuts catalogue. What can we expect from this sonic journey?

“Lindenberg Support put together a beautiful journey of almost 2 hours of Shaw Cuts material, touching on a lot of different musical styles selected out of the whole 10-year time span. There would be a lot more music that could have fitted the mix, but around 2 hours of music is enough to showcase the label’s style and to give an impression of what the label stands for. Big shoutouts to Lindenberg Support, I hope you will enjoy this one as much as I do!”

☉ What’s next for Shaw Cuts??

“We just dropped a big 17-track compilation with contributions by past Shaw Cuts artists, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the label. It’s a wild and versatile mix, but in my opinion, it captures the label’s sound aesthetic pretty well.
Later this year, I will release a new Farron record for the „Defense“ series that I’m really looking forward to. I’ve tested some of the tracks a few times in my live-sets and always had a good feeling about them.
And then there will be the already mentioned SC022 by a young newcomer from Japan who really impressed me with his sound. I don’t want to say too much about it yet, but it’s a super impressive record with a very fresh musical breeze. Besides that, there are several Shaw Cuts artists working on their next projects and I’ve already heard some very exciting stuff that will see the light on Shaw Cuts sooner or later. Keep your eyes and ears open!”