David Shaw And The Beat on Obsession, Control, and the Duality Behind ‘Fever’ and ‘The Mechanic Of Your Power’
Fresh off the release of two commanding new works—his darkly reimagined cover of Peggy Lee’s “Fever” and a lean, sweat-soaked remix of his single “The Mechanic Of Your Power”—David Shaw And The Beat steps back into the spotlight with a focus on intensity, control, and the stories beneath the sound. While “Fever” finds its origins in a special commission for the Folies Bergères revue, the track evolved into something far more personal: a slow-burning, synth-laced take that trades sultry seduction for obsession.
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Meanwhile, the Ivan & Johnny remix of “Mechanic” strips Shaw’s club weapon down to its raw elements—an exercise in restraint and tension that echoes their past together in Blackstrobe.
We caught up with the French-based producer to talk about the darker choices that shaped both tracks, how he rewrites standards by wiping the slate clean, and why control versus collapse remains a central thread across his work.
You’ve talked about pulling “Fever” into a darker place—can you walk me through the production choices that helped you get there? What changed in terms of tempo, instrumentation, or vocal delivery compared to earlier covers that you referenced?
Well I’m just naturally drawn to minor sad melancholic and darker tones since forever really, so I guess that’s maybe the only thing that is recurrent in my work. For “Fever,” I was going for something a little heavier and slower, to play on the nuance where the fever goes beyond the physical (sexual) tension and becomes more of an obsession—something maybe less obvious than the other great covers made (The Cramps and Madonna’s, for example).
When you sat down to reinterpret a standard like “Fever,” how did you decide what to preserve and what to completely replace?
Like for a cover or a remix, I’ve always liked to “wipe the slate clean” and just start from nothing, so I’ll just basically change everything. I will go the complete opposite way. If you stick or stay too close to the original, I don’t see the point in covering it in the first place. I approached it the exact same way as I did when I covered “Infected” by The The, and it worked—as I got Matt Johnson’s blessing once he heard it.
The performance series at Folies Bergères brought in a rotating cast of guests to deliver your version of “Fever.” How did hearing different voices interpret your arrangement affect your own relationship with the track? Was there a version or moment that surprised you?
It was great to see each artist deliver their own version—I preferred some to others, but again that’s the point. I delivered mine, and once it’s out there, it’s not mine anymore. The most important thing is when it’s out taking a life of its own.
The remix feels intentionally stripped back and physical. Did anything about their rework make you hear your own track differently?
I think most of them kept it really melodic, whereas I went for something a little more demented and contained, because I was interested in the tension that’s somewhere in between the lines.
Given your history with Ivan from the Blackstrobe days, what did you feel carried through into this remix, if anything?
Nothing really, if not just our love and common tastes for certain bands and a particular sound. And most probably, with Ivan, our feminine part is very present in our music—which many might consider dark, but with a twist of confusing glamour. When I worked with him, the “goth sexy” quality was always there, and I joined in naturally.
Across both “Fever” and “Mechanic,” there’s a thread of emotional intensity tied to control—either losing it or trying to hold it. Do you see that as a recurring theme in your work right now?
Absolutely. I’ve always loved to explore tension (control) and/or the idea of losing it—I find it a fascinating dynamic. A struggle that has always resonated with me. Where the very fine line between sanity and madness gets dangerously thin!
