Inner Shah: A Calculated Push Toward the Forefront
Night in Athens, James Rod and debut of UK duo Altered View among the label next releases
Madd Rod’s very own Inner Shah has quietly made a name for itself, operating with a steady focus on precision, innovation, and future-proof releases.
The imprint prepares for a label takeover at Berlin’s Renate, one of Berlin’s defining club spaces soon to close its doors. On May 2, the menu includes 8+ hours of quality music served raw by Madd Rod, Moderna and Niklas Wandt at the club’s Red Room. Tickets and more info on the other floors available via RA.
On future releases, next up is Secret Forest by Altered View, out April 25. The duo’s Inner Shah debut single puts forward the project’s distinct identity—a fusion of new wave textures and acid house dynamics. The mysterious UK act composed of Johnny Area and Johnny Midnight is set to release an album later this year via the imprint.
On May 9, James Rod’s Warmer Körper EP drops. A release that leans into the hypnotic and the propulsive, Warmer Körper is a masterclass in restraint and energy. The EP closes with a remix of the title track by Madd Rod, who brings his own refined, stripped-back approach to the mix—a testament to the label’s commitment to both innovation and subtlety.
Later, on May 23, the label drops a remix of Words Unspoken by Night in Athens, the one-woman band of Greece-born, London-based artist Tina Boletti. Madd Rod’s remix retains the emotive core of the original while shifting the track into a darker EBM-driven club zone. His approach of the goth anthem feels cinematic, weighty, and as per usual retrofuturistic.
Looking ahead, Altered View’s debut album, Midnight Area, is expected later this year. The album has been a long time in the making, and will be teased through a series of singles and remixes by the likes of Man Power, Radondo, and Neu-Romancer, to name a few, that will slowly introduce the project’s evolving sound. Midnight Area promises to be a fully realized statement that encapsulates the label’s ethos: bold and innovative but always with an eye on the long-term mark.
Inner Shah isn’t in a rush to push its identity into the spotlight. Instead, it’s carving out its niche with a deliberate, informed approach that prioritizes quality and longevity over immediate recognition. In a time when the hype cycle can dictate much of a label’s success, Inner Shah’s steady, methodical build is a refreshing reminder that the underground still holds space for thoughtful, considered releases.
